Date:         Thu, 9 Nov 1995 13:23:43 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Johnson <sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com>
Subject:      RE: Volkswagen 'quality'

So Joel Walker says:
> >run better and longer now than they used to.  Consumer Reports has powerful
> 
> us old farts can attest to that! :)  fan blades don't fly off and hit you in
> the shoulder nowadays ... axles don't break ... and even tires can usually go
> more than a year without going bald. :)  cars in general are MUCH better built
> and safer and last much longer with LESS effort from the owner/driver than,
> say, the 1940's or 1950's cars.
> 
> this is NOT to say that a 1950's car won't last ... just that a 1990's car
> goes a lot longer before the owner HAS to do something to it. the 50's car
> pretty much requires some owner maintenance on a weekly basis. even the early
> beetles were DESIGNED this way, i think. you were SUPPOSED to take car of your
> car. today, it seems, you are not supposed to do anything.  and they are
> designed so that you CAN'T do anything!

Yes, but at what cost?!!  Now let's compare the price of a 1950's car (by todays
standards and the cost a modern car with all of its added gizmos.  It has to be
a real vintage antique restored to the max to come even close to the price of a
new car these days.  The consumer is paying through the nose for the 'improvement'
and when those 'improvements' fail, the cost curve goes way up on the newer
car.  

I also must disagree in the quality department where paint jobs are concerned.
If newer cars are so wonderful, how come there have been several recalls on
the paint jobs in recent years?

  
Steven 

sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com