I do not want to kill off the 2 threads currently on the forum: 1) Will VAG go the same way as BL and 2) the Daily telegraph Special report, but having read the interesting input from both it struck me - does anyone think VAG are already going the same way as Mercedes Benz by reducing quality whilst remaining expensive, and will they suffer the same problems daimler Chrysler currently have.
I would be interested in your views (NB: I am not VAG bashing here - having owned 7 prebviously).
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I drive a 2005 VW Touran
It shows a suprising number of foibles and build / design issues.
Its quite comforting really and makes a Renault lover quite at home.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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They dont seem to be doing a bad job if you believe the reliabillity index on this forum.vw,skoda,and seat are in the top ten manufacturers.If thats reducing quality it aint bad!!
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Does this reliability index refer to cars that are 4 years plus ? (Would Warranty Direct have this info on cars that are within Makers warranty ?).
I am refering to the more recent models having picked up on the Level of reuced perceived quality in new VW's and also the VW engines that need cam belt changes at 40K miles.
Although I disagreed with him in the particular thread StuartLi raised a point on Mercedes spreading themselves too thin by dipping their toes in too many other car buying areas.
Are VW doing the same with Seat, Skoda etc etc
I have also read an article recently claiming Golf Mk VI is not far away to revive sales and stop the profits leaking away and to quote "While the basic structure of the MkV is carried over, it will become less complex and easier to build"
The point I am trying to also make is that if you compare a MkII Golf to any equivalent makers then and the Golf was by far the best Car (IMHO) - but are they still up with the best now ?
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Also this "we are too popular to be bothered to do a good job" attitude of VW UK dealers has put me off - seems to be the same prob Merc has had - I have tried 4/5 over the country and over 3 Golfs. Go car but I will go to VAG dealers over my dead body!
Why not send their staff to Jaguar / Subaru / Mazda or whoever is doing a better job on service & reliability?
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Variations in quality will only be due , to a certain extent, to using cheaper materials or methods. A lot will be due to the way people work and are managed. It looks as though VW may have lost that knack in germany but in Seat and Skoda they have kept it alive-possibly workers there are more motivated by the opportunity than they are in Germany.
Re dealers- that will vary also acoording to people and not just marque. I had 2 VWs from new, the delaer was excellent and my second purchase was largely influenced by that experience. I can compare them now to a Vauxhall dealer about a mile down the road which is atrocious.
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>>by dipping their toes in too many other car buying areas.
Are VW doing the same with Seat, Skoda etc etc>>
No, because of the fact that VW is using common platforms and engines in each model sector to keep down costs and building vehicles, in the case of Skoda and Seat, in brand new and efficient manufacturing plants.
However, that theory was somewhat troubled by the Portuguese plant that produces the Sharan, Galaxy and Alhambra.
However, the basic principle remains of being able to attract buyers in several specific sectors including luxury, sport and mainstream.
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Thanks for the response StuartLi - I may be sad - but I find a car makers strategy and how that manifests itself in quality products for the paying customer very interesting. I was confusing MB with VW because I though they also shared common platforms and engines in differing makes (as VW) i.e. C Class and CLK, E Class and CLS, A Class and Vaneo, Crossfire and SLK, Smart and some Mitsibushi's (until MB sold off that piece of their empire) and then transplanting MB diesel engines in Chryslers etc.
The benefit to MB is that they too can attract buyers in several sectors - or am I getting the 2 strategies mixed up ?
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>>or am I getting the 2 strategies mixed up ?>>
M-B departed from its core of beautifully engineered vehicles for those who could afford it to trying to attract buyers for models that never matched its quality reputation at much lower priced levels.
The exclusitivity was lost and every man and his dog has a Mercedes these days.
One of my pals, who bought an S-Class every 18 months for many years, became so disillusioned with the gradually eroding reliability record of each successive new M-B that his latest purchase was a new Bentley.
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As a first time VW owner, Saturday's article about MB was depressingly familiar in terms of complaints about build quality and dealer attitude.
VW has always been seen as a cut above Ford and Renault due to the excellence of their engineering and reputation for longevity. It has certainly helped the residuals of VW Golfs.
However, I am certainly disillusioned by the Concrete and Glass palaces that are a facade for poor servicing and couldn't-care-less-customer relations.
What I would like to see is a similar shake up of VW dealerships coming from the top. Will it happen? If not, I will certainly buy my next car from another manufacturer.
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StuartLi - thanks again - I appreciate where you are coming from now.
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>>I appreciate where you are coming from now.>>
I must, in fairness, point out that I've been informed that the new S-Class has made a very promising start in lifting M-B back up to the standards demanded of the company.
I've driven many Mercedes models, including the S-Class, and from the point of view of technological and styling design the S-Class in particular sets incredible standards.
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