mcsenerd
Well-known member
I just got through reading through a few of the old posts that our old "East Texan" friend had wrote concerning his unhappiness with his 2001 NB. I must admit that although many people were bashing him about his ranting and raving about his NB being crap, I can semi-relate to his feelings. I'm sorry if most of you all don't agree, but I consider the NB to be in the same class as the Focus, Echo, Civic, Cavalier, etc... and I also think that for the price of the NB, some things could/should surely be improved quality wise. I pretty much did the same thing ol' ET did...I traded in my 99 F-150 with the gas-guzzlin' tire-shreddin' big V-8 in on my 2001 NB. I had an epiphany so to speak, and figured that I needed economy more than I needed any amount of hauling capability and size right now in my life. I have always thought the NB was a cool looking ride, and the fuel mileage really attracted me. I've had experience with diesels before and a very close family friend had a VW diesel pickup that he put over 300,000 miles on, which he loved to death. I thought the NB was a great fit for me. Now don't get me wrong...I feel in no way as harshly as ET did. I do feel though, at just now over 3500 miles, that an average of just over 41 MPG is not too hot for a car that advertises 42 and 49. And before some of the smaller minded members of this forum hop on me about dogging my car like it was my old truck...I have never had my NB over 3200 on the tach...ever. I shift quickly, before or very close to 2000. I try not to attempt "Jack Rabbit" starts. I average a pretty steady 70/30 mix of highway to city driving. I always use the vent trick during filling. I try to use the best diesel I can find, not always the cheapest. I use PS Diesel Supplement with every fillup. I always let the car coast in gear up to every stop I make. In no uncertain terms, I baby my car...yet I still cannot get the average up higher than it sits so far. I have had some good tanks...53.5 on a trip to Tyler, TX from here in Seabrook, TX. But I have had plenty of bad tanks as well...I believe the worst I've seen out of it has been about 34.9. Maybe things will get better as the car ages fuel-wise. But I have also had what I consider livable small quality problems as well. I had the seat puller for the lower rear seat fall off in my hand after only two weeks. The chime in the instrument cluster is on crack...working sometimes...not working others...often times sounding like an old rotten busted up speaker. Little things...things that could be easily fixed by VW for the price of these vehicles. I love my car...I always smile when I walk out to my vehicle to get into it. I can honestly say that I've never felt that way about any other vehicle I've owned. I like the way the car handles...I don't have a problem with NVH in the NB...I haven't hit any mobile obstacles yet in my NB like ET did. I do think that some of the NB owner's around here need to accept the fact that not all NB's are created equally...and while many of you all are enjoying record mileage etc. immediately from your NB's, the simple fact of the matter is that some of us are not. Are we all "dogging" our vehicles? I don't think so...I just think that some us are luckier than others...and I think that VW quality control in both manufacture and dealership behavior is seriously lacking in many areas. Don't dog everyone that's unhappy with their NB...if the dice had landed differently, you may very well one of them. Ok...I'm done.