How come the streets of Auckland are so blinking full of them! And what are all the Europeans driving about in!
I'm looking for a 100,000 kms wagon, 2001-2003 and really want one! People say they are a nightmare, but are all those hundreds of peop0le I see driving about in them all really unhappy with their purchases!
I don't mean to stir anything up but I just don't get it.(yet!)
morrisman1,
Dec 12, 9:32am
they are all people that our resident euro man has convinced into purchasing but within a month they will all be at the garage with a dozen fault codes
wrong2,
Dec 12, 9:36am
the average human being buys on ego stroke appeal
richardmayes,
Dec 12, 9:41am
European cars look flash, impress skirt, and of course they are totally superior to Japanese cars in every way, don't you know!
electromic,
Dec 12, 10:22am
My sister is one of them. She has had so many problems with her passat that has cost her a fortune to fix/service.This 2000 + passat cost $40k and had 40 000km on the clock when she bought it. It was bought from the dealership with a faultless prepurchase inspection and 3 years mechanical insurance.It is a lovely car to drive but still expensive to own. She is happy driving it and unhappy when it gets serviced.
intrade,
Dec 12, 5:58pm
Um in europe you got 80% on roads vw audi-seat-skoda. diesel models every man and his dog drive a tdi from volkswagen groupe over there. and no you dont see them often on the side of the road what i did see is a alfa romeo on the side of the motorway in flames. fact is the more stuff a car has the more can go wrong,
r15,
Dec 12, 6:39pm
one of the other problems that make these vehicles seem worse than they are is the fact that because their % on nz roads is small, and japanese vehicles make up the majority that is what the majority of nz mechanics are good at.the rest call themselves "prestige" workshops or similar, because somehow anything euro has somehow been categorized as prestigious in this country.therefore you pay a premium at these places for any repairs or maintenance.
workshops unfamiliar with whatever 'oddball' euro model you might have will charge you moonbeams because they will either be slow to work on it compared to your average jappa, or they have no idea where to begin. or they might need to take it to the "prestige dealer" to get codes or whatever.
then of course there is parts availability.if you drive a common vehicle you can go to almost any parts outlet and they'll have the basics in stock- cv's, belts, shocks, brake pads, wheel bearings, etc etc etc
then there's tyres, japanese cars use a fairly common set of sizes, some of the euros like to put uncommon (in nz) sizes on. this of course makes them more expensive too.
r15,
Dec 12, 6:40pm
that's a design feature of alfa's isnt it! top gear says it is. must be some credit to their story
pup2,
Dec 12, 7:00pm
+1 for r15's post
rovercitroen,
Dec 12, 7:22pm
Where's Jazz!
r15,
Dec 12, 7:26pm
busy telling someone else that it costs less to own a polo than a camry
crzyhrse,
Dec 12, 8:38pm
It gets quite cold in parts of Europe so it's a safety feature to ensure you stay warm when the car breaks down and you're waiting for assistance.
crzyhrse,
Dec 12, 8:39pm
2/3rds of these claims are correct.
drew2009,
Dec 12, 8:39pm
As far as i am concerned a passat/audi is just like any other car. You pays your money and you takes your chances. Like any other car there are those who rave on about how they are a unreliable pos, and those who have had a good run and really like them. Having owned one i disagree about the parts availability thing, I never struggled to find anything i needed, however parts did cost a little more.
mm12345,
Dec 12, 8:41pm
Why do I have difficulty believing that!
Think of euro cars like high heel shoes. I see plenty of those around on the street too.They're expensive, indicative of high maintenance costs, often completely impractical, break easily and require rare specialist skills to repair, and aren't the kind of thing you'd really want to buy second-hand.
drew2009,
Dec 12, 8:51pm
I always had the local mechanic work on mine. Nothing prestigious about that workshop. The key is to find a reasonably priced mechanic who doesn't get completely lost on anything other than a "average jappa".
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 12, 9:11pm
+1 If your mechanic can't work on a VW don't trust them with your Toyota. There is nothing unusual or scary under the bonnet of a Passat.
David you are in Auckland so its easy, if you get one just take it to Qualitatfor servicing, they also import parts. They are not the cheapest and they are not the dearest. What you will get is a proper job with proper parts.
Otherwise, if you are mechanical just service it yourself. There is nothing hard about servicing a Passat.
There are a couple of things you want to look for when buying one. If you get that far down the track let us know and we can guide you through it, that and which model might suit you best.
Happy shopping!
Oh and its only NZ that has this weird attitude to cars not made in Japan. Its because we are unique in that we import nearly our entire fleet of vehicles secondhand from Japan and have done so for years. After a few decades the wives tails told to sell a product that has less features for more money take hold.
morrisman1,
Dec 12, 9:14pm
That took you 42360 seconds to turn up Jazz, you're slipping
vtecintegra,
Dec 12, 9:24pm
Not Passat/Audi bashing but you have to remember there were (still are but not as many as there used to be) thousands and thousands of twin turbo Subaru Legacies on our roads.
No one would call them the most reliable or cheap to run vehicles but they did suit a lot of people.
cantab1971,
Dec 12, 9:28pm
i was told the same when buying my beamer (ie. don't).i reckon its a load of twaddle.
there's beamers for africa on the north shore. my goes like a dream.a mate had a 3 series with upteen zllion k's on the clock too.those passats are good too i reckon. I've heard the total opposite - ie. that they are very reliable.
took a V8 one for a drive once.jaysus, like a scalded cat!
hate jap cars.they're not very well appointed and they feel flimsy.and fold up like an accordian in a smash.
euros are safer.my beamers got 10 air-bags in it.if something japanese hits me i'll be fit enough to help the emergency crew pick up all the bits of jap car scattered around for miles.
vtecintegra,
Dec 12, 9:31pm
Actually that isn't true either - many modern Japanese cars are just as safe and well equipped as their European equivalents.
crzyhrse,
Dec 12, 9:35pm
You mean, as they're designed to. with crumple zones. reducing deceleration forces on the driver! I think you've find exactly the same 'problem' with euros of the same age. My neighbour's daughter has a Renault Megane. it had a slight tap in the bum by a following car that failed to stop short. $4.5k it cost the insurer for the damage and to look at it you'd think it was just a very minor cosmetic only bump.
richard198,
Dec 12, 9:37pm
"Oh and its only NZ that has this weird attitude to cars not made in Japan." German drivers rank Mercedes and VW among the three worst brands for customer satisfaction. (Automotive News Europe) The Top 10 brands were:- 1. Toyota. 2. Subaru. 3. Honda. 4. Mazda. 5. Nissan. 6. Mitsubishi. 7. Suzuki. 8. Porsche. 9. Saab. 10. Hyundai.
BMW was 11, Ford was 21, Audi 26, Opel 27, VW 31 and Mercedes 32! Even Kia and Daewoo beat Ford etc!
Edit: I still plan on buying a BMW, but 38, 454 German Auto enthusiasts can't be wrong!
kazbanz,
Dec 12, 9:42pm
cantab--YOU are doing exactly what you accuse "jap lovers" of doing. tarring ALL jap cars with the same brush. I have the option of driving a fairly eclectic range of vehicles and I'll put money If I gave you a "blind" taste test (a test drive where you dont see the brand) There are SEVERALjap cars you would swear were euro's and several euro's you would call "jap crap" Personally I don't like 3 series cars I have experienced.(all pre 2005) My reasons are -The seats feel hard and The steering feels heavy. In fairness I can't really add the indicators are on the wrong sidebecause thats something you get used to. From a commercial point of view EVERY euro I've handled has cost me money in ongoing repairs. Literally without exception.
vtecintegra,
Dec 12, 9:46pm
The cupholders suck too :p
But seriously the points you listed as negatives turn into positives on a nice bit of road
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