Dresden VW factory

[Monsterlover]

Pretty cool concept.

VW Factory - Germany

[CairnsDuc]

Very Impressive! 

[Oldfisti]

I love how the portable workstations are inductively powered thru the maple floor.   

[zarn02]

Neato.

[DRKWNG]

Yeesh!  I really miss living over there.

[ducatiz]

Too bad the Phaeton was a commercial failure, at least in the states.  The last year they were sold (2007-8?) they only sold 400 of them.  They are talking about bringing them back, but at a starting price of about $60,000 I think most people are going to pass.  It's a VW. 

[DRKWNG]

Yea well...  Americans never have been known as terribly smart.

[ducatiz]

That must explain why we're the biggest market for Ducatis? 

No, the problem with the Phaeton is VW.  They are an economy car brand here.  The same reason that Mercedes won't bring the A class cars to the US - they are a luxury brand here.  You can't sell a Mercedes economy car here and you can't sell a VW luxury car here.  Just won't do. 

The 2003 Phaeton was priced starting at $70,000 and went up to $100,000.  Tell me there's not somethign you'd want more for your money than a VW for $100k?

[mitt]

Yea well...  Americans never have been known as terribly smart.

Or the opposite.  Paying 90k for a VW is dumb IMO.

Why don't they show the sh!t hole mexican plants that the main stream North American VW's are made?

mitt

[zarn02]

Tell me there's not somethign you'd want more for your money than a VW for $100k?

I suppose they could simply invent new brands, as the Japanese have done for their more upscale offerings.

[DRKWNG]

Tell me there's not somethign you'd want more for your money than a VW for $100k?

Let me refer you to my previous comment about Americans not being known for their intellect.  

I'm not buying a car as a status symbol.  If it has the features I want, and the price is good, I'm buying.  Even at those prices, the original Phaeton was a deal compared to equivalent Mercs and BMWs.

[DRKWNG]

Or the opposite.  Paying 90k for a VW is dumb IMO.

Why don't they show the sh!t hole mexican plants that the main stream North American VW's are made?

mitt

The high end VWs have always been made in Germany, mostly by hand.  They went to the North American plants when the American market demanded a German Camry.  So yes, I stand by my statement of Americans being a bit dim.

I suppose they could simply invent new brands, as the Japanese have done for their more upscale offerings.

One word, Audi.

[ducatiz]

Let me refer you to my previous comment about Americans not being known for their intellect.  

I'm not buying a car as a status symbol.  If it has the features I want, and the price is good, I'm buying.  Even at those prices, the original Phaeton was a deal compared to equivalent Mercs and BMWs.

The problem was that VW couldn't even get people to look at the cars - -why?  because of the reputation of all the other cars with the VW label.  It's not an intellect thing, it's just how VW has marketed itself and the fact that people don't spend a lot of time searching.  VW just tossed this very expensive car on the market without preparing people for it.  They didn't do their homework. 

I mean, how many people looking for an economy car head to the Mercedes dealership?  None.  why?  Because they don't make economy cars (in the USA).  Same with VW.  Some guy has 100k to blow on a car, he isn't think "mmmm.. a VW would be nice..."..

Also, the Phaeton had plenty of QA issues. It was pretty well panned in the reviews.  Lots of electrical problems.  It just had an uphill battle.

My european friends don't seem any smarter when buying a car, they do the same thing Americans do:  buy what everyone else is buying.  That's why you see a shit-ton of Seats and Fiat Puntos and VW Lupos all over Europe.

[DRKWNG]

Well, Seat is basically a VW with a different, slightly down-graded badge.

And I'll give it to you that VW didn't do their homework on the marketing front with this car.  But then again, when have they ever done a decent job at marketing?  They basically did the same with the R32, with the second gen car flopping. 

My main point is that too many people here immediately, and wrongly, assumed that a particular brand was incapable of making an upscale product.  And yes, the same can be said for the A class, and the majority of the 1 series.

[ducatiz]

It's just not unreasonable for people to assume that.  The QA on VWs in the states isn't the best for a lot of reasons.  My Golf was made in Brazil and it's not bad, the engine was made in Germany though I think all of the diesels are. 

Point is, people buy cars partly based on the history and partly on the image.

My wife's new Kia Sorento was a gamble.  But they did their homework for their new cars (and hired the design guy from Audi...).  (and so did we, we test drove 5 different vehicles in the same segment)... over a year later and we'd buy it again, and it's still the cheapest CUV for the segment.  But it was a huge gamble given Kia's record, but a cheap gamble.  Spending $100k on a car is a huge gamble.