I can`t resist without a little history ( skip this part if you`re not interested )
VW or Volkswagen is one of the biggest automobile manufacturer`s in the world ( at the time that I wrote this article it was the third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and the 1st in Europe ). It was founded by Ferdinand Porsche on 28 May 1937. Volkswagen has a great history and the Internet is full of data about this car manufacturer but let`s say that VW Beetle is the best selling car( 1st in the world ) for almost 60 years.
Volkswagen now and then
One thing is for sure and I really think that everyone will agree. It doesn`t matter if you`re a Honda or a Ford fan or any other car manufacturer. The old cars were better built, they were designed to last longer and so on. Those days are gone now, probably a car will be used around 1 and 8 years or maximum 10 that depends a lot on how much money you`re willing to spend on a car. Unfortunately, Volkswagen is no longer making cars to last for 30 or 50 years. They are more secure, more comfortable, more economical, more environment-friendly but sadly they are not going to last as the VW Beetle champion and other old VW cars did. This is the trend and it includes all car manufacturers, no exceptions here.
My personal experience with Volkswagen cars
All of my friends knows that I am a huge Volkswagen fan, I already drive my third VW car in 6 years. My first car was a VW Lupo, year 2002, engine 1.0L ( gasoline ). My second car was a VW Polo 6R, year 2011, engine 1.4L ( gasoline ) and my third car, the one that I am currently driving is a VW Polo 6R, year 2011, engine 1.2L. I would also like to add that my father owned a Volkswagen Vento, year 1998 powered by a 1.8 engine ( gasoline ) and now it`s driving an Audi ( diesel ).
What kind of a car is Volkswagen ?
Good question, I would define a Volkswagen as being a comfortable car, a secure one ( all of their cars have good Euro NCAP test results) most of their engines are economical and friendly with the environment. I have heard and seen a lot of people saying that VW is the best car in the world, reaching hundreds of thousands of km`s with them. I`ve also heard and seen things with people having a bad experience with these cars and here I could say that there are two categories :
1. Buying a new Volkswagen car and having problems with the engine or the gear in the first months of usage.
2. Buying a second-car and having problems with different things.
1. If you had problems with a new VW car, bought right from a VW dealer, your car has probably 4 years guarantee which means that if it`s something that doesn`t work properly and it`s not your fault, they ( Volkswagen dealer ) have to fix the problem at no additional costs. Probably it`s bad luck, just think about one thing: all car manufacturers are going to buy different parts from other companies such as Bosch, Siemens, Saint-Gobain, Pilkington and so on. Those parts are being assembled and manufactured in different countries. All of them put together will end in a car. If one or more parts are broken or they do not function properly it`s not because Volkswagen or any other car manufacturer wanted to do this.
2. Buying a second-car, it`s a different story and unfortunately when you buy a second-car it doesn`t matter what brand, it`s actually a lottery. Even if you have a good friend that is a good mechanic and it`s looking at all parts he`s not going to be able to notice one thing: the engine. I am not talking about a car with a damaged engine, just one that was improperly taken care of. A lot of people will buy a second-car with a lot of issues and then you will probably see them on different forums or blogs talking about what a bad car Volkswagen is.
What should I expect from a Volkswagen ?
I am always telling people ( some of them laugh about it ) that a car needs love. A lot of love. As I said, buying a second-car is a ticket to a lottery, it will be either OK or not but if you`re talking about buying a new VW car then things are a little different.
1. First of all, you have to drive your car home without trying to see how fast your car goes ( huge mistake ).
2. When you get home, make sure that you will read your car’s owner manual at least 1 time.
3. Second time when you will start your engine, you already know everything about your car.
4. Gas, oil, filters and everything else that requires a car to run properly must be changed in time.
5. The way you drive your car might shorten her life and I am talking here about the quality of the road, the driving behaviour and so on.
In the first, second or even third year, you will probably going to change only oil, filters and other components named consumable parts. As the car is getting older,( again depending on a lot of things ) probably you are going to start changing all kind of parts. Some of them might be expensive or not, it depends.
As I said at the beginning of this article, all cars are made to work well a couple of years. In my Volkswagen Polo owner manual I could read a phrase that said ``The usage of this car is approximately 7 years``. It`s strange because I had the same feeling when I`ve read a similar message on a mobile phone box that I bought several years ago.
I’ve heard that Volkswagen parts are pretty expensive.
I also discovered that the beer in Germany is way better and cheaper than the one from my country. Again, it depends, what VW car are you interested in ? If you want a Golf, you’ll just have to search for more information on dedicated forums, even from your country. You can also search for individual car parts on different websites and see how much they cost ( the Internet is full of them ). Depending on what country you live in, the prices will be different. In my opinion, it’s a myth if you hear horror stories saying that VW parts are very expensive. I’ve seen people with different cars complaining about the prices while at my VW they were half or even less of their price. It’s also true that it depends a lot on what class are you interested in. Parts for Polo will always cost less than those for a Passat. I hope you got the picture.
Should I buy a Volkswagen or another german car ?
I always keep telling people to perform a test drive with different cars before buying one of them: VW, Honda, Toyota, Renault, BMW, Mercedes and others need to be tested by you. If you`re buying a car just because Jeremy Clarkson said it`s good or bad is the same thing with buying a product because your favorite actor said in a commercial that it`s excellent. I`ve seen and heard a lot of people saying that BMW makes great engines, better than VW. Maybe it`s true or maybe not. Perhaps one engine from BMW is superior to a similar one from VW and vice versa. How do you buy a car ? after you`re looking at the interior, exterior, engine., after learning which fits your personal needs and that’s it. For example, I love the interior of Volkswagen cars, not all models, but most of them. I also love how I sit in them, the colors they use. Some people say that VW are not funny, well I don`t want it to be funny, I just want to look like a serious thing. It`s just a matter of taste so it`s up to everyone. I love the design of their cars. For example I would dare to say that right now when I am writing this article the most beautiful VW car is Volkswagen Scirocco, followed by Passat CC and Polo being on the third place which is more beautiful when compared with a GOLF ( VI series ). Regarding their engines, that`s another discussion, if you love the diesel engines or gasoline. If you`re looking at Volkswagen history, they`ve made good engines, some of them being awarded many times.
I do have a good opinion about Volkswagen cars and yes, I am a huge fan but this doesn’t mean that I like everything. There are some things that I hate and I would like them to be changed but I think I am going to make some photos with what I don’t like and I will write a different article. If you do have something to say and you want other people to read it, go ahead.
