Date: Fri, 15 Apr 1994 20:28:33 -0500 (EST)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: RGOLEN@umassd.edu
Subject: Re: The Suburban saga continues....Again
I have to jump in here regarding all of the Negative, and sometimes
unfounded comments regarding the EuroVan. First off, the EuroVan is
not a Vanagon, or a Bay Window van, or a splitwindshield van for
that matter. Nor is it a friggen Dodge Caravan.
All of the points that I have heard so far is that this is nothing
more than a minivan, and an underpowered one at that. Get a clue
folks.
VW definately has some marketing problems in the US, thats a given,
however, it does not have problems in other markets. The T4 van
which is the EuroVan designation, is already out selling T3s or
Vanagons, back in the home markets (if you compare units per
year). So obviously VW is doing something right.
So lets get to the meat of the arguement. I have been the proud owner
of a EuroVan for 15 months now, and have 20k miles on it. We bought
it because it had more room inside than a Dodge Caravan. Just park
them side by side and it doesn't take an Einstein to see which is
bigger....the EuroVan...by at least 40%. Hell I can even see the
top of a Caravan from the driver's seat in the EuroVan.
Ever try sitting 7 grown adults in a Caravan in anything resembling
comfort? Face it the caravan is nothing than a shrunk down body
on a compact car floor pan. You have no real shoulder or leg
room. Forget about luggage room. If you take 7 people in a
caravan, you won't have much room for luggage.
True, the interior space of the EuroVan is somewhat smaller than
the hallowed Vanagon if you look at length, but what the EuroVan
looses in length, it makes up by additional luggage/carrying space
where the engine was in the Vanagon.
Ok lets address power. You Vanagon owners should talk about power..
talk about underpowered. VW vans were NEVER hot rods. Hell an old
60s model Ford Econoline with a 170 cu in 6 cylinder motor would
blow the doors off of any VW van. I drove a 2.0 L 4 cylinder
VW T4 in France (in the Alps) this January. Handled nice, did
130 to 140 klicks on the Autoroute with no problem, and made
it up and down mountains no sweat.
Who the hell needs 6 cylinders in a van anyway, that's like saying
lets toss a 6 cylinder in a Vanagon because its underpowered.
At least the EuroVan has a tried and true REAL engine in the Audi
derrived 2.5 5 cylinder, as opposed to a bastardized immitation
Subaru flat four watercooled, leaking head and 30,000 mile
replacement water pumps.
Before you go off on the EuroVan spend some time with one. It cruises
nicely at 80 mph, it handles better around curves, exit ramps, than
Caravans, Jeep Cherokees, and probably the blessed Vanagon.
The thing that you all are overlooking...the EuroVan is to the earlier
rear-engined vans as the Rabbit/Golf were to the Beetle. Two different
cars, yet very much the same.
I owned a 1967 Camper for 8 years during the 70s. Drove it here...drove
it there, put on close to 150k miles on it (while also owning two
other cars which were on the road simultaneously), so I have some
experience with the T1 vans at least. Whats the point?
About two months after I bought the EV, I was driving down a stretch
of interstate...flat...straight...boring as hell. I had the Stones on
the stereo.....my mind began to drift. The sun started comming in through
the driver's door, and the cab was warming up. Instinctively I reached
up to the ceiling to open up the vent....
For a brief moment I was in my 67 bus. That's how close in spirit
the two vans are.
Sorry Joel...I just had to vent...and uphold the honor of the EuroVan. ;-)
Ric
