Date:         Thu, 7 Jan 1999 04:03:44 -0800
Reply-To:     Per Lindgren <lindgre@ONLINE.NO>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Per Lindgren <lindgre@ONLINE.NO>
Subject:      Re: Unflattering '99 EuroVan review in Detroit News
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Listees, I just have to get out some thoughts about the EV articles that have
been surfacing on this list in the past. The biggest mistake, in my opinion, is
that the EV is always compared to the minivans from the 3. The EV is not a
minivan! Then again it is compared to the full size vans from the 3. The EV is
not a full size van either! The EV is , as the name implies, a Eurovan, and I
feel it is a class of its own, just look at the regular van size here in
Europe, they are about the same size as the EV. The Toyota Hiace, Peugeot Boxer
(!), Mitsubishi L300 & L400, Chevy Astro, they are all the Euro size. VW has a
minivan of their own, my personal opinion is that VW is throwing money out the
window, by not entering the Sharan to the US market. I bet that Ford is
stopping them, cause the Sharan is a coop with Ford, which offers the same car
as the Galaxy, even though they also have the Windstar on the Euro market.
The lady in this article wrote that the EV couldn't have been designed with
moms in thought, they should have seen how many women are driving Caravelles
here in Norway, it is the best selling passenger van here.
Just needed to get something out of my head.

PerL
88 Syncro

Ari Ollikainen wrote:

>         The authors are opinionated...
>
>         From http://detnews.com/AUTOS/9901/06/drove/drove.htm
>
> [...descriptive part deleted...]
>
> She: Well, I know why I gave the VW only two stars - lack of side airbags
> and lack of a fourth door, not even a power option for the one sliding
> door. And it's grossly overpriced at $30,000 for the GLS. Sure, you get
> standard features such as power windows, air conditioning,power door locks,
> lighted vanity mirrors and an AM/FM stereo cassette. You also get standard
> anti-lock brakes and daytime running lights. But you said you enjoyed
> driving the VW, yet only gave it one star. Why?
>
> He: In nearly every quantifiable measurement, the EuroVan is inferior to
> the long-wheelbase domestic vans. For many minivan shoppers, that means the
> Volkswagen is sub-par. Having said that, you still have to take into
> account the intangibles - the EuroVan's quirkiness and its decidedly German
> flavor. This sounds silly, but I really liked the seat fabric. I know you
> really liked the floor mats. And, yes, it was fun to drive, but I'd sure
> hate to live in one for more than a week.
>
> She: You've just put your finger on why I wouldn't buy one either -
> livability. I'm like a lot of moms - I've been spoiled by the competition,
> some of which has been finessed by engineers who are moms. The VW's cabin
> seems like it was designed by someone who never had to lug a diaper bag
> around. Few amenities such as cargo nets or cupholders to hold juice boxes.
> Just too industrial for people like me. Plus I got whacked in the head by a
> driver's side door that seemed to have a mind of its own. Ouch.
>
> He: I was shocked to come out last week and find the sliding side door
> frozen shut when the temperature was about 20 degrees. And this was with no
> precipitation. That doesn't bode well for folks who have to weather a long,
> harsh winter like we do here in Michigan.
>
> She: I want so badly to like the EuroVan as much as I liked the New Beetle.
> But there's no comparison - no gushy feelings with this VW. Now maybe if
> they worked in a bud vase on the dashboard ...
>
> [Anita and Paul Lienert are partners in Automotive Intelligence Reports, a
> Detroit-based automotive information services company. ]