Stories from the Sales Frontlines

verdugo

You can feel the Audi influence in the Passat, both cars are engineered for people who love driving....they got it right.

That's not correct. The old passat was engineered for people who love driving .. and it didn't sell well in the US. It was an awesome car -- I had one (V6 Wagon.)

The new Passat is engineered for the US market ... and it's selling like crazy.

nyccarguy

Mike - You make some excellent points. Que cera, cera. No matter who the guy in the white house is, I've got to be at work the next morning @ 7:30 am to sell plumbing supplies.

mako1a - we'll see what happens.

"Either you die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villan." - Harvey Dent

Tonight we got whacked with a whopper of a nor'easter. It took me 4 hours to drive home from work (31 miles). It was the 1st time I got to give my BMW 328xi's X-Drive AWD system a workout. All I can say is, WOW! I'm impressed! While RWD Town Cars were spinning out and FWD cars struggled to climb hills, my BMW didn't miss a beat. I didn't find myself death gripping the steering wheel. It tracked beautifully and once I finally got off the parkway it was time for some side street fun. I just decided tonight that I won't own another daily driver without some form of AWD/4WD.

imidazol97

>Bush was responsible for most of the problems leading up to the catastrophe

I seem to recall Congress was democrat for last two years. Didn't congress vote on the Iraq war?

>...was that simple.
Listen to the exit polling as to why they voted for the current guy. Based on gimme rather than the future. It was Christmas day for many.

>I support him all the way

And so does the mainstream media: he can do no wrong. Treatment is polar opposite of a republican officeholder or candidate. Look at how the 4 Libya deaths were covered as just one example.

This thread is getting off the topic--whatever that is. So ends my opinions on the fate of my children's country.

abacomike

I seem to recall Congress was democrat for last two years. Didn't congress vote on the Iraq war?

Of course - but the administration (Bush) claimed there were weapons of mass destruction - which was a lie! Bush wanted to punish Hussein for the attempt on his father's life!

I've just posted my last comment on this!

Back to cars and automotive stuff!

mako1a

I just decided tonight that I won't own another daily driver without some form of AWD/4WD.

I hear that NYC. I decided before purchase that the Mustang would never see snow and probably very little rain. Being retired I really enjoy snow days. I can look out my front windows and see snow on the driveway and trees plus all the cars piled up behind the plow truck.

I'll bet I do less snow driving than Mike. (now that my big scary plow truck is gone)

driver100

The new Passat is engineered for the US market ... and it's selling like crazy.

The new Passat is made in Chatanooga and is made to be more like a car Americans will buy......larger and cheaper, however it was designed in Germany so still has some of that European heritage.

Belive me, it feels closer to a European car than the Altima. For some reason my wife likes to hold onto the armrest or a grab handle when we go around corners. The Passat has them built into the door handles, and it has 4 handles over the doors (has anyone ever actually had to use those?), but, she remarked....the Altima didn't even have a door handle you could hold onto going around corners.

It's a small thing, but that is one of the reasons why I say the Passat was built without shortcuts, the Altima was made using every possible shortcut.

The Passat has very nice steering for a FWDer, closer to European "feel of the road", better than the steering in many RWD cars I have driven.

I imagine the Passats made in Germany are much better overall, but this car is selling, especially since it is priced $8k to $10K less than the original.

ray80

AWD seems to work pretty well for me as well, I just have to be careful not to become over confident with it

driver100

I got to give my BMW 328xi's X-Drive AWD system a workout

In Southern Ontario if a car is offered with AWD then 3/4s of the people will buy it that way. What a great feature, gets you through snow without all the inconvenience of changing tires each winter and spring. Plus, you don't have snow tires on when driving on dry highways all the time.

AWD is the way to go if you are in an area that gets snow. Not to mention the benefits even on dry pavement.

oldfarmer50

"...Harvey Dent..."

Ha ha I thought I was the only one who took life lessons from comic book characters. Personally I find more profound musings from The Simpson and Seinefeld.

cdnpinhead

I've quit caring at this point and just have this feeling of empty despair.

I'm with you on the despair piece and am striving to attain the first part. Being old helps. It's the young people who voted for this who will have to deal with the results the longest.

cdnpinhead

. . . I don't see why who won makes a big difference, as far as getting an agenda happen.

Executive orders, my friend. He's done it before, and I'm sure that was just a drop in the bucket compared to what's coming.

isellhondas

Totally agree on the Electorial College. It needs to go.

I remember when I was on the Debate Team in High School that was a topic.

Should the Electorial College be abolished "

The debate is still ongoing!

fezo

Say what you will on the Electoral College (and it is a dumb idea) but that 4 out of 5 of the last presidents received less popular vote is nonsense. The only recent election where they guy who won the popular vote wasn't elected president was 2000. Before that you have to go back to Benjamin Harrison defeating Grover Cleveland in between terms. It's a very rare thing.

And I thought people in here better than to take the "Wah! I lost and therefore the country is doomed!" route. It's very disappointing. There's work to be done.

isellhondas

"Wah" isn't my position Steve but I do have serious and deep concerns.

You're a smart guy and you should be concerned too.

fezo

I'd have been concerned no matter who won but this idea that the country is done for because of this is silly.

imidazol97

> the country is done for because of this is silly.

Oh no. Greece is doing quite well with its unions and all from what I read. :P

Eventually here one part of solution will be to reduce the pensions past and present for the federal unions and elected retirees. The federal government can't pay out and support social security and medicare along with all the overpaid workers and congress on retirements.

The unions played a huge roll, financially front door and back door, in this election: they can accept part of the cost of the solution.

Kirstie_H

I've chosen to let this go for awhile, because it has, to everyone's credit, been quite civil, but it's best that we just drop the political conversation now. After every major election, half the population thinks the country is doomed and the other half think the country will be better off. This time is no exception.

verdugo

i>however it was designed in Germany so still has some of that European heritage.
I agree with that, but it's no longer a car for driving enthusiasts. There's nothing wrong with appealing to the mass market, but it did lose some of its drive-ness.

Belive me, it feels closer to a European car than the Altima.I imagine the Passats made in Germany are much better overall, but this car is selling, especially since it is priced $8k to $10K less than the original.

Of course it's selling better. But is it a 'better' car than the old one? Absolutely not. (I'm referring to better as a feel-of-the-road-car.)

VW sold out to capture much higher share of the market. They're in the business of making money, so nothing wrong with that.

If you don't belive me, compare the new Passat to a VW CC. It will be like night and day.

nyccarguy

I agree with you 100% ray80. I keep a ridiculously far distance and keep my speed way down. AWD doesn't equal invincibility.

nyccarguy

I'm quite certain that if you want a RWD BMW here in the Northeast, then you'll have to special order it. Unless it is a Z4, M3, M5, or M6, every BMW I see on the road is equipped with X-Drive. The Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) does a fantastic job at keeping the car straight as well. Shut it off and the car will spin if you drive like an idiot.

nyccarguy

Glad someone got it:)

driver100

"Wah! I lost and therefore the country is doomed!" route.

Once somebody told me this and I think it is a good thing to remember in these circumstances;

"Nothing is ever as bad as it seems and nothing is ever as good as it seems"

He said this when the stock market was taking a dive, but, I find it applies to almost everything.

driver100

If you don't belive me, compare the new Passat to a VW CC. It will be like night and day.

I am not arguing at all....I agree with you 100%. The new Passat is not as European as the old, but, it is a lot more European than anything else around in that price range.

Same wit the Jetta. You are getting some Euro design and engineering. Not like the Golf which is still made in Germany, but more than any other small car.

One more thing, I tried sitting in a C.C. and considered a used one instead of the Passat. It is very cramped and the seats are very low slung. No real room in the back....no, the Passat has lots of room and is very comfortable for seniors (just age 50 in FL), and it goes 70 or 80 just fine on the highway....but, I agree, it won't be as nice to handle as the Euro version.

Another simple thing missing from the Altima was automatic headlights. You had to remember to turn the switch to turn the lights off and on.
Those are the things the Euro designers insist on I am sure, same with the handles to hold onto for cornering. Lots of other features too numerous to mention for a entry level car.

explorerx4

As someone else posted, being from a small state, my vote didn't really count.
Either way, I viewed it as a Hobson's Choice.

explorerx4

NYC, I told my daughter about your commute and she said. 'Wow someone had a worse one than I did'.
It took her 4 hours to get home from Norwalk.
Speaking of AWD/4WD, now you know why we have 5 of those types.
Just remember, next year those tires will have some tread worn off them, so try them out for grip in the first snow.
AWD helps when the road are wet, too.

abacomike

I am not arguing at all....I agree with you 100%. The new Passat is not as European as the old, but, it is a lot more European than anything...

My Dad had a 2003 Passat V6 top-of-the-line model loaded with everything. It was a fast car and definitely had a European feel to it. I think the MSRP was $32000.00, give or take $1000. It was a great city car and good around town, but not so great on the highway - difficult to keep straight in the slightest crosswind. He didn't keep it very long but it was definitely a well built and engineered vehicle for its time.

The new Passat is much longer and wider. I agree it is nicely priced. I just don't like front wheel drive vehicles. I prefer rear wheel drive or AWD. It's the front drive torque that I do not like - on acceleration, I can feel the steering wheel jump out of my hands.

Just enjoy your car, *driver!

oldfarmer50

"...you had to remember to turn the switch to turn the lights on and off..."

Oh brother! :sick:

oldfarmer50

I feel so sorry for all you people here in the northeast who got slammed so bad by Sandy and now the snow. I almost hate to tell you that where I am we had wind only about 30 mph, 1/10 inch of rain and not a speck of snow. I think a plastic garbage can blew over which was the extent of the damage. I'm glad you're all OK and will feel equally sorry for me when the upstate NY winter starts hammering us.

driver100

It's the front drive torque that I do not like - on acceleration, I can feel the steering wheel jump out of my hands.

I think the car makers are getting better at controling torque steer. I didn't notice it too much in the Altima or in the Passat. Although, both cars are not the fastest off the mark, maybe that is the solution!

The Altima seeemed like the engine was on the borderline of stalling out when accelerating. I think they tuned it for maximum gas mileage.

There is no doubt, the Passat is not a very fast car. I think the manual helps because you can choose the gears which makes it possible to get a little more speed. The steering is very light for a front wheel car, but, still has some Euro handling. I find the steering good, not quite as good as RWD/FWD, but close. Most of the time I don't realize it is a FWD car.

We have 200 miles on it in just 3 days. Fezo might get it before the 10 years are up!

driver100

"...you had to remember to turn the switch to turn the lights on and off..."
Oh brother!

I think the first car we hadwith headlights that come on and go off by themselves was either the 95 Volvo or the 99 Mercedes.

It seems pretty crude to have to remember to turn your lights on or off in this day and age. Since all our cars have it and have had it for years, it is really a big deal to remember to put on your headlights at night. I only realized they were off when the road didn't look lit up....for some reason the instrument panel was all lit up.

Just because you are used to turning on and off lights in the Dodge Ram hooptie doesn't mean it comes natural to everyone.

nyccarguy

Found a fellow driving enthusiast heading my way up the Merritt tonight. A Subaru SVX with the ever so clever vanity plate "SVX." Needless to say, tonight's drive was much more exhilarating than last night's.

robr2

I'm quite certain that if you want a RWD BMW here in the Northeast, then you'll have to special order it.

I just checked Herb Chambers with 2 BMW stores in Boston: 17 of 39 3's are RWD.

Maybe there's a new car manager who's in trouble for ordering so many.

robr2

"...you had to remember to turn the switch to turn the lights on and off..."

Oh brother!

aka - First World Problems.

Just for reference, my 2005 Passat does not have auto headlamps and IIRC, it wasn't offered on any VW back then.

My 2000 Odyssey had them but without a light sensor so they are auto on or auto off with the ignitiion.

oldfarmer50

"...it seems pretty crude..."

I've driven cars so crude that I was lucky the lights came on even AFTER I pulled the switch. We rugged individualists don't need a car to wipe our.....er...noses.

I hate a car that tries to do my thinking for me.

isellhondas

I had to laugh too.

The HORROR of having to actually reach for a switch to turn one's lights off or on!!

Let's see what I've been missing....

It's getting dark....time to twist my turn signal switch and turn on the lights....click...now, that wasn't a hard thing to do!

Getting out of the car now.....oops, forgot to turn out the lights!.....nasty gong reminds me that I didn't turn offf my lights!.....click....all is well now!

Crude? Perhaps....better trade it in now!

abacomike

I hate a car that tries to do my thinking for me.

And...what about those that try to do all the talking for you? That GS I had would never shut up! "...pardon me...severe weather has been located near you...sorry, I didn't get that...did you say cancel..." etc.!

driver100

I just checked Herb Chambers with 2 BMW stores in Boston: 17 of 39 3's are RWD.

Of course, they just sold 24 AWD models because of the snow storm, silly boy!

verdugo

I am not arguing at all....I agree with you 100%.

I forget that you like to argue even when you agree with somebody.

Richard, give me patience please!

:P

driver100

Getting out of the car now.....oops, forgot to turn out the lights!.....nasty gong reminds me that I didn't turn offf my lights!.....click....all is well now!

Well, you wouldn't be laughing if you forgot to turn your lights on at night, and you get stopped by the police, or have an accident because someone can't see you.

I used to say, who needs a remote control for their tv, if you are that lazy you can't get up off your --- every hour to change channels there is something wrong with you.

Fact is, once you get used to something, it is hard to go back. Power windows, remote locks, trip odometer, outside temp gauge, power seats, inside adjustable mirrors etc.

We didn't think we needed a gps built into the Passat, or in any car, but now the 2 back home cars have them, and I am missing that too. And the rear camera, that would be nice to have down here too....you need every defensive device know to man when you drive in Florida.

fezo

My old 87 Maxima wagon (which may have been my favorite car) talked. "Door is open," "Fasten seat belt," "your fly is open."..... all in this nice calming Japanese sounding female computer voice. I'm told it would sound panicky if you were running out of gas but I never heard that one.

driver100

I forget that you like to argue even when you agree with somebody.

Hmmm, those sound like fighting words. Occassionally I will agree, without actually arguing.

I am really the least argumentative person around, especially if you have the right point of view - same as me.

driver100

. all in this nice calming Japanese sounding female computer voice

I think the lady on my old Garmin was a school marm. If you missed the turn she would keep saying recalibrating and she got madder and madder if you didn't listen to her.

You should be able to choose the voice you want.....Southern Belle would be good!

imidazol97

>voice you want.....Southern Belle would be good!

I can just hear it: "You missed your turn again, bless your heart."

isellhondas

When the day comes that I forget to turn on my lights at night is the day I'll start taking the bus!

You're correct about all of the "must haves" and then people wonder why cars cost so much!

stickguy

they do have that. a little while back we got a new one, and it took my wife about an hour on a trip to figure out how to get it to stop speaking spanish.

then we got to try out a few different voices. My favorite was the english gentleman, but that was too much to keep!

abacomike

they do have that. a little while back we got a new one, and it took my wife about an hour on a trip to figure out how to get it to stop speaking spanish. Then we got to try out a few different voices. My favorite was the english gentleman, but that was too much to keep!

I've been hearing VOICES for years, and not just inside the car!

driver100

You're correct about all of the "must haves" and then people wonder why cars cost so much!

I don't think they cost that much compared to the way most other things go up. In 1992 my Cavalier with automatic and a 6 cyl engine and not much else cost about $14k. Most prices such as restaurant meals have doubled since 92.

The Passat, which is comparable in the same category cost $24K if it had automatic. So it costs about 70% more, but it has traction control, lots of airbags, electronic media system, trip odometer, outdoor thermometer, power drivers seat, tire monitor, much stronger accident protection.....and overall, is a much better car, stronger and with a much better interior.

I think in some ways, new car prices represent a pretty fair value. It's like I bought a fridge on 1990, it cost about $900, I would estimate that same fridge would be about $700 today...actually costs less. I think manufacturers are finding ways to make cars cost less.

Maybe you can remember to turn your lights off and on, but, I don't trust some of these old codgers in Florida 9or at home for that matter).

driver100

how to get it to stop speaking spanish.
then we got to try out a few different voices. My favorite was the english gentleman

You went from "Si Sennor" to "Turn to your right sir, will there be anything else I can do for you sir"?

explorerx4

For as long as I can remember, my Fords have had a 'Battery Saver' feature.
It shuts down the electrical system after 10 minutes or so.
Bought my new battery and installed it today.
Will find out if starting is easier tomorrow morning.
Like the old battery, the new one is a 100 month battery,
but it has an extra 150/200 cranking amps.
I've had the old one for 74 months, so I'm not going to complain.
I do feel better about taking the old Explorer up to the 'Holy War' game tomorrow night.
It starts at 8pm and we will probably get home around 2am.

oldfarmer50

"...we didn't think we needed gps..."

That reminds me of a funny story from work.

Yesterday I was substituting for another driver and as the high school kids got on one of them turned to me and asked: "do you know where we're going?"

I gave him a dirty look and told him that I had been doing this for a few years now and he didn't have to worry.

He thought a minute and responded: " it's just that the substitute we had yesterday got lost and even with his GPS he couldn't figure out where to go".

Sometimes all that technology makes it so you can't see the forest for the trees.