Considering the Kizashi

[chazyouwin]

Well, many of the dealers in and around Morristown make it pretty painful. At least a half an hour of talking, sitting you down, making you wait, requesting information, etc. They will not just give a test drive. I wasn't all that interested in a VW but I could have been convinced had the process been easier. After 45 minutes at the Summit VW, the guy correctly concluded I wasn't all that interested and denied the drive. The Toyota guy was doing some kind of triage as there were other customers around to whom he needed to attend.

[Trailboss]

NJ....
If the salesman looks like this guy, careful on the financing options!

[Firefly]

I must say in NJ there is at least one guy at any dealership that looks kind of like that.

[fusion66]

My experience at a medium-sized VW/Nissan dealership in NJ thankfully did not buttress the image of the haughty foreign car salesman.

If that's East Coast in Englewood Cliffs, that seems right. I've test driven cars there without any problems or pressure. Although I did not purchase my VW there, I had it serviced there since it is near my home. (I got to know the service guys on a first name basis, I was there so often...)

It is that exact dealership. Firefly, may I ask which VW you finally purchased and why you visited the service dept. so often?

[Firefly]

Firefly, may I ask which VW you finally purchased and why you visited the service dept. so often?

Back in 2002 I leased a new Passat from another dealer in NJ. A great car. However it had an A/C leak that was never resolved throughout the three years I had it, so was getting that checked and "fixed" a couple of times a year. For some reason, the headlamps on that model were prone to burn out frequently, so one would go around every 4 or 5,000 miles. In late 2002 the coil packs failed, which was happening to VWs all over at that time. Had to wait several weeks with a loaner until VW got replacement parts rush produced. Trim and interior pieces would break easily or simply fall off. I came to get my car from a parking lot to find rain channel stripping sticking straight up out of the roof. A plastic part on the trunk latch cracked, causing the trunk to pop open at random times. Loved the car, but wanted to give VW another chance. (had a 1980 Scirocco - lots of problems) Not pleasant hearing the wife's "Told you so"s.

[fusion66]

Firefly, may I ask which VW you finally purchased and why you visited the service dept. so often?

Back in 2002 I leased a new Passat from another dealer in NJ. A great car. However it had an A/C leak that was never resolved throughout the three years I had it, so was getting that checked and "fixed" a couple of times a year. For some reason, the headlamps on that model were prone to burn out frequently, so one would go around every 4 or 5,000 miles. In late 2002 the coil packs failed, which was happening to VWs all over at that time. Had to wait several weeks with a loaner until VW got replacement parts rush produced. Trim and interior pieces would break easily or simply fall off. I came to get my car from a parking lot to find rain channel stripping sticking straight up out of the roof. A plastic part on the trunk latch cracked, causing the trunk to pop open at random times. Loved the car, but wanted to give VW another chance. (had a 1980 Scirocco - lots of problems) Not pleasant hearing the wife's "Told you so"s.

In 2002 I purchased a used 2000 Golf GTI in exchange for a well-tuned 2000 Pontiac Gran Prix GT
and $3000. I guess the well bolstered seats and the tastefully grained interior plastics beguiled me
because that car was one fragile machine insofar as the electronics were concerned. As you can attest
various bulb failures were a constant occurrence (once rendering my car inoperable when the high
mounted rear brake light expired when I was 30 miles from home-thank God for AAA) and I always drove
in a state of elevated anxiety as I waited for the engine icon to make yet another showing in the speedometer fascia. I didn't become a regular at the VW service counter because I didn't keep the car
for very long- I sold it less than a year after buying it, for many reasons: poor transmission performance(the 4-spd. auto must have been an afterthought) , numerous squeaks and rattles from interior trim and high cost of replacement parts (a 3ft. section of radiator hose cost nearly $100). The car was comfortable and
handled well but ownership primarily involved worry about what would fail next and how much it would cost to put right. I regretted parting with the Pontiac almost immediately after signing her away. It was reliable, had a smooth shifting 4 sp. transmission and mods were cheap and could be fitted easily (nothing was EVER easy with the VW.) The Golf I drove recently was hushed and seemed well screwed together
but I wonder about its durability over time if I buy it.

[Blackbelt]

The Golf I drove recently was hushed and seemed well screwed together
but I wonder about its durability over time if I buy it.

I don't wonder at all. It will give you trouble. I love VW's. I have owned many of them since i bought my first new Rabbit in 1980. I owned a 1983 GTi that i bought new, for 19 years. They are not reliable cars. They will run a lot of miles, but you will have to fix them often to keep them running, and the parts are far from cheap. Plus, VW's corporate goal is to be the worlds #1 auto maker, which means they really have to crank out the car, which means that quality will further suffer

[Firefly]

I agree - VW cuts corners on quality of parts and assembly to keep the purchase price competitive.

[fusion66]

Yesterday afternoon I went for an extended test drive of a 2010 SE that I had expressed considerable interest
in purchasing. Previously I had driven a 2011 SLS from the same dealership and I was quite impressed with
that machine, particularly the engine/drivetrain performance. Not so with the 2010. When accelerating onto the service road the engine sounded coarse and i felt the cvt hindered the proceedings. In all fairness the traffic was rather congested throughout the run on the service road but my distinct impression was that of a car that was struggling to attain speed. Although I did not take the '11 on a speed run that car was more enjoyable to drive because the the engine and transmission seemed to be working in concert. The other Kizashi traits were in evidence on the 2010 including well weighted steering and athletic handling but performance from the engine and cvt was missing. I understand that we are talking about 4 cylinders motivating >3000 lbs. and I think I adjusted my expectations accordingly on that day but I believe even the most fair-minded among you would have been disappointed with the car that I drove yesterday. Before starting out the salesman stated that all updates had been performed on the cvt and everything was in spec
so its tepid performance cannot be attributable to a mechanical or electronic defect. A real pity because the salesman was willing to sell this car at a very reasonable price (and a 2011 SE is a bit out of my range.) I wanted to like it but I don't think I can live with its tepid performance.

[mphilleo]

I suppose there are numerous little factors that can lead to different test drive experiences, but my 2010 SE AWD test drive was quite positive (I ended up buying it). Previous to that, I had owned a 2010 Acura TSX and the Kizashi actually handled better and acceleration was at least comparable once I got used to the CVT and manipulated it correctly. That's no small statement, considering the TSX I had was a $31,000 luxury car with 200 horsepower. For sake of comparison, I had also test driven a Subaru Impreza sport (or some such trim) and it wasn't nearly as refined as either of the above.