Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2015 23:10:11 -0700
Reply-To: "Mudd \"Not Jack\" Sparrow" <rummaging@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Mudd \"Not Jack\" Sparrow" <rummaging@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: van comparisons {was (Friday NVC) When Euro hits parity}
In-Reply-To: <F1CB6322-9B11-407E-A031-CABC1F77AC0A@shaw.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
It wouldn't be that hard for VW to make a revision of the Vanagon.
They could do what lots have already done. Team up with Subaru for the engine.
Stick with a 2.5
Stick with Weekenders with Poptops
Stick with white exterior paint
Stick with rear wheel drive.
Maybe offer four wheel drive.
Their target market would be standard car owners who think typical minivans are junk, and who aren't attracted to campers, but want some thing different.
With decent acceleration and reliability, they would have a good market niche.
The junk minivan market has run it's course. Those things now have Pinto status. And that's too much of a complement.
> On Mar 20, 2015, at 9:32 PM, Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA> wrote:
>
> I know many people like the idea of a roof top tent. But for me it would be a no go. It's the rain and or snow issue. Getting out of a low headroom vehicle (did you cook in there? Relax and lodge around ?), and climbing up into the tent would be less fun after a few days of bad weather.
>
> Pop tops or high tops really are the bees knees.
>
> Alistair
>
>
>
>> On Mar 20, 2015, at 8:57 PM, Stephen Engel <sengel543@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
>>
>> Jeep is showing a Grand Cherokee Overlander Concept with one of those roof rack tents on it. I have to believe there's more than a few people (and not just us) that want a camping vehicle that drives like a car.
>>
>> Steve
>> 87 Syncro GL
>>
>> --------------------------------------------
>> On Fri, 3/20/15, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET> wrote:
>>
>> Subject: Re: van comparisons {was (Friday NVC) When Euro hits parity}
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Date: Friday, March 20, 2015, 11:43 PM
>>
>> ---- Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I think VW knows that until they have products that
>> truly compete with the
>>> Ford or Mercedes van or trucks there is little sense
>> going for the American
>>> market. As for campers most folks want fully featured
>> units including
>>> toilets and showers and enough room to be comfortable.
>> As you start heading
>>> North of $40K there are a lot of choices beyond a van
>> with a pop up tent.
>>
>> But what some of us want is a van with a pop up tent, maybe
>> just a scooch more room, but that's not essential.
>> Showers and toilets? Nope, not me, not needed.
>> But I would like modern reliability.
>>
>> mcneely
>>
>>>
>>> Dennis
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]
>> On Behalf Of
>>> Stuart MacMillan
>>> Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 12:38 PM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: (Friday NVC) When Euro hits parity
>>>
>>> VW has a limited product line in the US, and their
>> biggest problem here will
>>> be meeting the ever increasing CAFE fuel economy
>> standards, hence the
>>> introduction of the very expensive e-Golf Who's
>> going to buy this for
>>> $34,000? And, the subsidized $299/mo lease is only
>> available in 10 states
>>> and DE.
>>>
>>> CAFE means selling more fuel efficient cars to bring up
>> the fleet average,
>>> and bringing in vans without a subsidized electric or
>> hybrid high mileage
>>> car to offset them won't help. I think that's the
>> main reason we won't see
>>> a van any time soon. Or maybe we'll see only TDI vans!
>>>
>>> Compared to #1 Toyota with the Prius, a bunch of gas
>> sippers (including the
>>> tiny 37 mpg Scion iQ), two pickup trucks (at least one
>> is essential in the
>>> US), their bread and butter Camry, and a Van, distant
>> #2 VW has a long way
>>> to go. But I would like to see them try harder.
>>>
>>> Stuart
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]
>> On Behalf Of
>>> Jon VO
>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2015 8:38 PM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: (Friday NVC) When Euro hits parity
>>>
>>> Except the Eos, the Golf R, and the CC are mainly
>> optioned versions of
>>> existing NA models, the California is not imported in
>> any form.
>>>
>>>
>>>> On 3/18/2015 8:39 PM, James wrote:
>>>> Volvo has been way behind Toyota in reliability
>> for the last five
>>>> years or
>>> so.
>>>>
>>>> Thing is, reliability or the lack thereof isn't
>> the buying factor it
>>>> used
>>> to be, as overall automotive reliability is now so high
>> - the 'average' in
>>> Consumer Reports now was the five star reliability
>> rating of 15 years ago.
>>>>
>>>> And as to the idea that 'special low volume models
>> aren't part of that
>>> business model" - VW sells the EOS, the CC, the Golf R
>> - all low volume, all
>>> to showcase the brand. Yet most of the public
>> could hardly place a CC or an
>>> EOS if they were challenged, when everybody knows the
>> VW bus. Importing the
>>> California camper, with special trim lines to celebrate
>> the camper, seems a
>>> natural.
>>>>
>>>> As the EOS and R have shown, a 'US federalised'
>> model need not be a
>>> stopper. The handful of years they've sold the R
>> on this side of the
>>> Atlantic, they've brought in as few as 400 per year,
>> IIRC.
>>>>
>>>> James
>>>> Ottawa, ON
>>
>> --
>> David McNeely
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