No. Good enough cars, but only that, and at somewhat inflated prices. I think there are better cars, and cheaper cars, and that VW appeals on the “Cadillac” level - to those who think they are getting something better and don’t mind paying for it, but aren’t really.
That is, you can’t go too wrong by buying a suitable VW, but you could get better/equivalent for less money, or truly better for not much more.
Pretty spot on analysis. Hell, I’m down to a 3 mile commute! 
Not sure how many distance driving vacations are in the future…
For the past 20-30 years, frequent car changes were due to kids being born, getting bigger, going between 1 and 2 cars and back again a couple of times, and then having the kids leave. I was thinking I’d just drive this damn Matrix into the ground and buy a classic for fun, but my wife nixed the classic and these electrical issues have soured me on keeping ANY car for the long run.
I’m sure the auto would retain better trade-in value down the line. But I’m fortunate that I don’t have to make price/resale value my determining factor.
I’m going to take my time and be VERY picky, and make sure I enjoy whatever I end up with. Thanks all for the opinions - keep 'em coming!
I saw the Focus. Looks impressive, and likely will give it a drive. But, like you say, the price is up there. And, as I told my son when he just bought his new car, there is value to having a car that you like the looks of such that every time you walk up to it you get that good feeling saying, “That’s MY car!” To me the Focus just looks like so many other small hatches.
OK - I’ll bite. What cars would you consider to be in those 2 categories for someone with my interests/needs?
But the Focus ST is less expensive than the GTI and you can farkle it up with the money you save(d). Plus, sleepers get less attention from 5-0.
any thoughts on the Lexus or Honda hatchbacks?
Yeah, but you’re still rollin’ in a Ford. 
Boring.
I can’t add anything that hasn’t been said here. I have almost always included VW in my shortlist for a new (or near-new) car; they get struck fairly early for the general reasons I gave: a little overpriced, a little underwhelming, often don’t quite measure up to their competition unless you don’t mind overpaying and getting a little less for it.
They seem to trade on more or less non-car people who think they are somehow special because of the Bug era, who don’t want a blah US nameplate but don’t know enough to choose a better car from other makers, and vaguely feel that the extra cost is justified because, you know, German.
But enough people seem to be happy with them Very much YMMV.
Every time I read comparos, the VW GTI comes out on top, year after year. Confirmation bias or car mag conspiracy?..
Nope. BMW guy.
neither. car mags test vehicles for attributes almost no car buyer cares about.
Gotta admit, after a series of new cars running Olds-Pontiac-Ford-Toyota/Subaru x7, a part of me is interested in trying something different. If it is a mistake, I can trade it in in 3-5 years and get another washing machine.
I am very fortunate that $1.5k difference between the Focus ST and GTI is pretty irrelevant - whereas an extra $10-20k on a rapidly depreciating asset would cause me to pause. Hope to do my best to make the decision based as much as I can on what is the best car for me.
Gotta admit, the proximity of the dealer is a not insignificant factor if I’m keeping the car for the warranty period. And I think the VW dealer is the closest dealer to me. Thought I’d found a good local mechanic, but their inability to resolve this current issue makes me doubt.
A couple of my concerns were with the recent diesel flap, the company’s expected ongoing viability, and the availability of dealers/service when traveling.
That you think VW doesn’t make washing machines is… informative. Other than the GTI, vee dubs are very standardized cars for the slightly upscale masses.
Subaru makes a couple of completely badass little road monsters. So do Toyota and NIssan. And while it’s hardly the most exciting car I’ve ever driven, my two Odysseys are some of the nicest drivers I’ve ever owned - like big sport sedans with enough power and handling to keep me amused. The same is true of almost all but the cheapest tier of cars these days. You might want to expand your thinking from older, boring-box cars you might have had and give some of those makers a fresh look.
I believe VW remains the world’s largest car manufacturer. Despite the diesel cluster, they’re not going anywhere any time soon. Parts are readily available in North America.
Yeah, I have a '12 Passat, and it’s a fine car, but everything on it has to be some sort of twee German style of doing things that’s entirely unlike the way all US and Japanese cars do things.
Can’t just have a regular windshield washer, oh no. VW has to have some weird-ass pushbutton thing that you can only get at a car parts store in the premium line. No cheap Anco blades from Wal-Mart on your VW.
You have to use specific VW spec oil. And none of the common brands/weights are certified, so you have to hunt around for VW 502 rated 5w-40 or 0w-40, of which most places have ONE brand available at a high price.
Tires weren’t strange. Light bulbs aren’t too weird, but they can be a cast iron pain to change (daytime running lights, I’m looking at you!) on a VW, due to various hatches, connectors and what-not.
Haven’t had any trouble with the cooling system, but it also takes some peculiar pink coolant that, of course, is entirely incompatible with anything commonly available at North American parts stores or big box stores.
No idea about brake fluid, but it’s probably some kind of neon-green DIN rated fluid, not DOT 3/4. Can’t check the automatic transmission fluid on ours, so no idea there either.
Don’t get me wrong, I like my wife’s car as far as the looks and performance are concerned, but it makes routine maintenance a pain in the ass, in that you either have to hunt that special crap down by hand, or you have to take it to a VW specialized maintenance place that charges you a premium.
What’s most frustrating is that the damn car is assembled in Chattanooga, TN! You’d think someone would have suggested this.
Hell no. It fascinates me how German car owners are irrationally wedded to their brands, despite the unreliability and cost of repairs, though.
On Oppo a guy was complaining about the difficulty of some (relatively minor) fixes he needed to do to get the “Check engine” light to turn off and pass inspection. One was a stuck thermostat. After reading his account of the repair I quipped “only on a German car is changing the thermostat practically an engine-out job.”
I worked in a garage for a little while once. It was very hard to change tires on VWs because they had weirs lug bolts. Aligning a tire to get it back on the car was hard, and I was doing it in the shop. I can’t imagine doing it on a roadside after a blow-out.
I would see if VWs still have this bizarre feature.
It still seems common on European cars. I know Mercedes uses lug bolts instead of studs and nuts, I’m pretty sure VW does, and I believe Volvo does.
So does Saab.