[fjhuerta]

I owned a VW New Beetle, and currently own an Audi A3. Both are based on the A4 VW platform.

Beetle list of damages:
- Broken passenger seat.
- Broken gearshift lever.
- Rattles everywhere.

Sold it at 15,000 kms.

A3 list of damages.
- New clutch installed at 5,000 kms.
- New clutch installed at 12,700 kms.
- New battery installed at 7,000 kms.
- New turbo valves installed at 12,700 kms.

The car has, natch, 12,700 kms.

At first I thought the problem was I had bought a lemon (with the Beetle). Now I realize that even the Ingolstadt-built (the Beetle was built in Puebla) A3 has given me too many headaches. Had I not bought the extended warranty, I would have paid around $3,000 USD between service stops, two clutches, turbo valves and batteries... for 12,700 kms (around 8,000 miles) of services. I've actually only paid around $800 for the services alone.

A friend with a Jetta A4 has gone through similar problems. His own car has 12,000 kms., and they have already changed the drivers' seat, spent its first 15 days on the workshop while a faulty wiring was diagnosed, and the automatic transmission went kablooey!

I know German cars are so full of character, charisma, and reputation... but I think my next car will either be a Nissan, Toyota or Honda.

 

[pigmode]

I've owned VWs (3, air-cooled) and Toyotas (3, trucks) exclusively. Okay, there was one Dodge in between. I'll get another Toyota next year.

 

[Audio-Me]

I hate all Volkswagon cars. =\

 

[Mumrik]

aha...

 

[morphsci]

I like my 1988 CRX si, 182,000 miles. Total service cost has been about $3000 over 13+ years. I'm happy because that means I get to spend more on audio

 

[MacDEF]

The new A4 VW (the Passat here in the U.S.) is a great car (love that TipTronic tranny!). However, in the U.S. at least, service is quite expensive, and everyone I know that has a VW ends up spending a lot of money on service.

 

[thomas]

What's the A3? never heard of it before...

I think the platform for the A4 is different from the beetle-

the Golf, Cabrio, Beetle, and Jetta (and the Audi TT) are based on the small platform, while the A4 and VW passat are much larger and must be based on a different platform... Never heard of an A3, so i dunno which platform it uses...

Japanese cars are definately more reliable than german ones, esp cheaper ones like VW. And as you mentioned, many of the cheap VW's are actually made in Mexico, which probably has much worse quality control.

But I dunno, The A4 is a very nice car, and has at least average reliablility for its class. And the performance, handling, styling, repulatation, etc is much better than the Japanese cars in its class... Well, the new Nissan Altima and Subaroo Impreza WRZ looks pretty impressive (> 240 HP engine, cheaper than A4) but i don't think it is any more reliable than Audi.


btw, i also own a beetle. Didn't have any reliability problems (other than the fact that it came without an ABS module

). But you know its not a good car, you're basically paying $5G extra for the styling. Any other car in its price range is either twice as large or twice as fast.... But the handling on it is pretty good, since its basically the same as an Audi TT.... Still, i don't like to be seen anywhere driving it

 

[geom_tol]

The quality is nowhere near as bad as on American Ford cars and vans.

'Built Ford tough' *spit*

American Ford cars and vans are the biggest crap ever.
European Ford is better, and ford trucks are ok I think.

 

[becomethemould]

well my family used to own a 98 mitsu lancer, pretty good i guess, no real probs cept it felt pretty cheap which it was haha

we got a 99 honda v6 made in america, the auto trans is pretty dumb that's really all

and soon to receive a holden astra (opel astra or something like that)!

 

[Mumrik]

Quote:

Originally posted by geom_tol The quality is nowhere near as bad as on American Ford cars and vans. 'Built Ford tough' *spit* American Ford cars and vans are the biggest crap ever. European Ford is better, and ford trucks are ok I think.

This is kinda my impression too.
Many american cars (though not the Euro market cars, like the Mondeo) tend to get extremely bad grades in crash tests and they also seem to lack propor protection against rust....
This is what I've read over the years...

 

[Audio-Me]

Big engines, steel body. Darn right built Ford though! I love old muscle cars(mustangs and dodge challengers). There are very few modern cars that I like.
I don't like Ford trucks. =\ Mopar all the way.
I've never been a fan of GM either.

As for Audi, I like the Quattros (mid 80's-early 90's)
And I really like the 2002 S8. =P AWD rocks, but I don't like the watered down indy style shifter crap. I'd rather have control of the clutch! (I'll only buy 5-speed manual)

 

[tracylynn]

SUV rules... vroom-vroom

go ricers

 

[Audio-Me]

I beat up ricers. =\ They always get in my way. >=| Dumb a**es.

 

[tracylynn]

2000 bimmer x5 with 22" dub.. will beat ur car, Audio&Me

 

[MikeR17]

NOOO! Don't buy SUVs!! Go to this site for a good laugh if you don't like SUVs http://poseur.4x4.org/poseurs.html#stories
Anyway, I simply love the A4 series cars. One of my cousins' owns one and it is simply a blast to drive. The A3 is not available in the US, but I do know it. I would be surprised if this is built on the same platform as the passat or the A4 because it is quite a bit smaller. Anyway, my cousin has had no problems with his so far, and it's 2 years old w/ 44,000 miles on it.