Car Talk Slams TDI's Again!

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

These guys are morons. Honestly. When he mentions the Jetta, like any fair and unbiased person would, the car guys say NO! Then why? They stumble....uhhhhhh
Uncomfortable.......
Unreliable.....

Its like they knew the answer before they thought about why. I wonder if they would recommend the VW TDI for anybody for any reason? What asses.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Originally posted by tt16v:
3 words as said by autoweek among other magazines "CLASS LEADING INTERIOR" most auto mags are coming around to vw's interior quality and if you were to look in a new jap. car you would be very disapointed. And the first ting i look at is seat qulity! soft cheap feeling foam and material is commonplace in cars these days

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">On their TV show last week they said the jetta interior was not only class leading, but perhaps the best in the world. Call up Car Talk and them them to eat it.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

I like how easy it is to count the hairs on my knees when I sit in the back of a Jetta.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

I like how easy it is to count exposed screw heads, carpet edges, and wiring harnesses when I get close to a Toyota!

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Originally posted by Just Some Guy:
heads like that, but my Camry doesn't have any. I think they still do them like that on the smaller ones, though.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thing is, they're getting so much better with each iteration.

The doors on the new Corolla shut with Benz quality. Really.

But I always get the feeling in a Toyota - especially a Lexus - that it's a "showroom car," that is, very impressive on the walkaround (look/feel, features) and test drive (quiet, smooth). But if you look deeper (perhaps deeper than most customers ever do) you find stuff like cheap trunk support boards, (sawdust held together with elmer's glue) nasty oversprays, exposed bits in the trunk, ugly engine wiring, rusty little brackets etc etc.

On a Mercedes - old school Benz at least the car is not that hot in the showroom, but the more you drive and the deeper you look the better and better it gets.

The A4/B5 are somewhere in the middle I think.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

JSG has a point, VW would do well to invest some money in "de-quirking" their cars and improving their service and parts network.

Back seats in the MkIV Jetta/Golf/Beetle are a joke too. Indeed, the competing toyota/nissan/honda can actually carry passengers in the back seats and get pretty darn good mileage as well.

I like my Golf, but it has its faults.

Car-Talk is a show for idiots though.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

It is truly amazing that VW can build such a good car that the legions of the masses have such difficult times destroying.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Originally posted by Old Navy:
[QB]JSG, I had one POS Toyota, Echo, and the thing had 3 recalls, 3 CE lights (last one occured as I dropped it off to VW dealer & picked up Jetta TDI)

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm not going to defend the Echo, AT ALL.

Those things are a joke.

BUT

How many recalls do you think the A4 Jettas have had?

Plus, the TDI is the GOOD Volkswagen when it comes to check engine lights. You guys don't know the half of it. While the vast majority of you have good luck with your TDI models, the same cannot be said of the rest of them.

I suppose I'm a little more jaded, too, because my job is to fix VW's mistakes, day in, day out.

I probably wouldn't think Toyota was so hot if I owned a VW and worked at a Toyota dealer.

I'm trying REALLY hard to be fair here.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Originally posted by Ted_Grozier:
The A4/B5 are somewhere in the middle I think.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The A4 is in the middle, and the B5 is pretty damn good.

Where the A4 is basically a Rabbit with a lot of sound insulation and better crash safety, the B5 is actually designed to be a quality piece to begin with. I'd guess that comes from it being a big Audi A4.

Put differently, at 150k miles, the B5's feel a lot closer to how they did when new than a A4 did. The A4's strike me as being "fake".

And yes, I have more than a few of both models at that mileage, and I DO know.

[ September 10, 2002, 13:22: Message edited by: Just Some Guy ]

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Originally posted by Ted_Grozier:
I like how easy it is to count exposed screw heads, carpet edges, and wiring harnesses when I get close to a Toyota!

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You're right-they really should put a big plastic cover over the engine.

And I do hate the screw heads like that, but my Camry doesn't have any. I think they still do them like that on the smaller ones, though.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

JSG, I had one POS Toyota, Echo, and the thing had 3 recalls, 3 CE lights (last one occured as I dropped it off to VW dealer & picked up Jetta TDI) and the car was sludging up (Echo had 22.5k on clock at trade in) and it had oil changes every 2000 miles with Mobil 1 5w-30. Seats were a killer to ride in for more then 15 minutes and A/C just bearly cooled the car in the summer. Wife's new Jetta will give you frostbite just like my NB still does 50k miles later. Neither of my cars are sludging intakes because I added a filter to CCV and use 47+ cetane fuel with little or no sulfur. And did I mention I picked the car because the seats were so much more confortable then the Lincoln I drove. Not to mention I have more head and ass room. I'm a 6'5" and 320 lb gorilla if you are wondering. Check out my website.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

I've only caught Car Talk a few times, but I've found the two clowns to be pretty entertaining, but I recognize that this is primarily just because the sound of their hardcore new england accents sparks nostalgic thoughts in my mind. Their advice is worth exactly what people are paying for it. It's also worthwhile to consider that they really need to "dumb it down" in order to be understood by the vast majority of NPR listeners who only want to know if their mechanic is ripping them off.

I assume that they're (former?) mechanics. Like every mechanic I know, they advocate only one or two carmakers that they favor, regardless of application or situation.

I have several good friends who are mechanics, and it's always a good idea to leave the room when the conversation starts because none of them will budge. two are hardcore Honda guys who despise working on anything else. another is a Ford guy, another a chevy guy, another postulates that ALL cars are junk, so just spend as little money as possible. They agree on only three things: 1)toyota is the runner-up to whatever their various favorites are, 2)Chrysler is Crap, and 3)I'm crazy for owning a VW.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

I've always thought VW seats were WAY better than mine, too. Except the A3's in which the foam turns to dust...

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Their "I HATE CARTALK" page is the funniest thing I've I read in a LONG time! ROTFLMFAO!!! Certainly infinitely better than anything that could come out of the show. Read it!!

JSG, I'll be scoping-out Toyota dealers in Erie with a VW parked behind I live at 8th & Sass. Just kidding about the scoping-out part. Would like to meet you, actually. You got mail (soon).

Edit:

Our editor has replaced unprintable words with the much more
pleasant words in brackets with similar meanings What kinda [fruitful] car guys are you? I just found your Web site, and putting that *!#* about the Ford Excursion on it shows that you "guys" must be [reproductive] women. "Oh no, the Ford Excursion is using too much gas, oh no, the Ford Excursion is too big."

Well [I will ignore] you. I say the bigger the better. You [multiplying] dolts. If I could get your radio station here, I wouldn't listen to it now, just because of how [emphatically] stupid you guys are. Man are you guys [nighttime adult activity] pathetic whimpering little [people very fond of your mother].

I think your mommy is calling and wants to wipe your [not elbow].

Sincerely, Ben Johnson

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ROTFLMFAO!!!!!!

[ September 11, 2002, 14:58: Message edited by: TDIMeister ]

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Here's a message I sent to Car Talk. I live about 3 miles from one of them. Let's see if I get any response.

Tom and Ray,

I heard your discussion with the guy who drives 100K miles per year. When he asked about a VW TDI, you shut that down right away. Why?

Comfort? I have driven VWs for years BECAUSE they have great long-haul comfort? Reliability? VW did have some rough times with that a while back, but today's VWs are pretty much bulletproof. (Well, not that way...) And TDIs run forever.

Today's clean, quiet, and powerful diesels are taking almost 50% of the market in Europe these days. Must be something there.

Hey, here's an offer. I live right near you in Lexington, MA. Head up Jason St. to Rt 2 and come down Waltham St. in Lexington to my house. I'll lend you my 2002 Golf TDI. If you don't like it, I'll treat you to lunch at Blue Ribbon Barbeque on Mass Ave. If you DO like it, tell your radio audience about it. I run B20 biodiesel in it, (20% bio, 80% petro), and you may find the improved smoothness and exhaust interesting too.

Sound fair? Come on over! --Dan

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Dan, nice letter! I can't wait to see how they respond.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Here's a link of complaint letters posted AT cartalk:

http://cartalk.cars.com/talk-back/i-hate-car-talk/vol3-1.html

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

I don't think they slammed the TDI. I have only owned three new cars in my life. Two Dodges and now my TDI Beetle. I have put more money into my Beetle over the past 41/2 years than I did my two Dodges over thier combined 11 years. I warned both my sister and my niece (who now own a Passat and a Jetta) that they are great cars but don't expect them to be trouble free. I must disagree about the seats however. I drive from Cleveland to Chicago every once in a while and my Beetle has the absolute best seats in the world. My mother has also said how comfortable the car is.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

I met someone who was a customer of Tom And Ray in MA. They don't act silly with their car repair business. It is one of the best in their area. Letting them try the car should be a good idea! Oh, don't forget to tell them about running their car on cooking oil. I'll drive to Boston to show them!!

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

I searched Cartalk's website before buying my TDI and found this newspaper letter about TDIs and Biodiesel.

http://cartalk.cars.com/Columns/Archive/2002/February/02.html

It sounds like they haven't still driven a TDI though.

alex

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

hi--please try to listen to Ed Wallace car program on 570am out of Dallas (wheels with ed ) saturdays 8am to 1pm.highest rated car show in usa.He is the nations leader on reformulated gas and the m.t.b.e.Great show . He says the tdi is awsome and thinks others will follow if gas prices go up.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Originally posted by TDIMeister:

JSG, I'll be scoping-out Toyota dealers in Erie with a VW parked behind

I live at 8th & Sass. Just kidding about the scoping-out part. Would like to meet you, actually. You got mail (soon).

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You ever done any business with us?

Come up and say hi some time! Still waiting for that email.

Re: Car Talk Slams TDI\'s Again!

Sorry to bring this thread up again, but cartalk aired this show again. It might be a nice idea to post a correction in the car talk forums: http://cartalk.cars.com/board/ubbthreads.php