>VW Vanagon engineers haven't a clue what real winter is like.<Yes, they have cold winters but not like ours. Their cold is a nasskalt, a wet cold, from the Atlantic. I have always found that German vehicles love our cool spring and fall best and are not as well suited to the real heat of a midwest summer or the real cold of an Ontario winter. The German engineers designed the Vanagon well for the climate they knew.Interesting... they have pretty cold winters in Germany, don't they?
The best winter vehicle that I have owned is a Saab (pre GM). The pedal spacing is large enough for winter boots; the windshield defroster blasts on both front and back windows; the front wheel drive (they were almost the first) gave good snow traction; the seats had heater elements; 15" tires (big for the day); the seats gave lots of room for bulky winter clothing.
I sold my Saab to buy our Syncro Westfalia (sold my Subaru to buy our Syncro Doublecab).
-Larry