Volkswagen must be on drugs. Even the Polo now has air conditioning as standard.

E92

Anyone see those adds in the paper recently about the Polo? It now as aircon as standard and not just top line models. The entire Polo range has it as standard.

And not only that, but the Jetta has alloys for the entire range, all Passat's bar the base model have alloys too, and you can even get your Passat with leather upolstery as standard, and not any old leather either, but good old expensive Nappa leather and sports and heated front seats too:eek:!(though its only for the top of the range Highline model, so they haven't quite lost it yet:D)

And the Beetle has chilled air too. When VW is the first to be fitting things like aircon as standard I start to get seriously worried. Only a few years ago the Golf came with wind up windows for back and front, and heaven forbid that someone might want remote central locking.

VW were great for being about 10 years behind the rest for fitting cars with gadgets as standard. They made notoriously stingy Toyota seem luxurious!

Me thinks this sudden change of heart might(and it's a big might:rolleyes:) just have something to do with the imminant change from MDL(the O'Flaherty family) to VW themselves doing the importing,distributing and marketing of the cars here.

Or am I being too cynical again:rolleyes:?

colm_mcm

Of the 7 cars I looked at trading in on Saturday last, 5 of them were VW. their once loyal buyers aren't as loyal as they were.

Churchy

Colm dont say that I have some enroute to me , relying on brand loyalty.

E92

colm_mcm wrote: »

Of the 7 cars I looked at trading in on Saturday last, 5 of them were VW. their once loyal buyers aren't as loyal as they were.

This no doubt wouldn't have even the slightest to do with the fabled:rolleyes: VW reliability now, would it? Not to mention some of the supposedly terrific:rolleyes: dealers either?

Seriously though, they're still selling cars by the bucketload here from what I can see.

10-10-20

I don't really find much of a use for AC to be honest. Demisting the front window is about as good as it gets. OK, you might have a day or two a year where you are entrapped on the M50 and the air isn't just isn't moving, but I can live without it. It's Ireland for gods sake! AC is just a waste in my mind. The added weight of the components (must be 20kgs or about that) and the power cost just isn't worth it.

In saying that, I wouldn't go near a poverty-spec jap car, or peovert spec anything for that matter....

E92

10-10-20 wrote: »

I don't really find much of a use for AC to be honest. Demisting the front window is about as good as it gets.

Thats the best bit of it. While everyone else has the heater on full blast and waiting for what seems like forever so that the can see out through their windscreen or my worst nightmare gets their hand and wipes the windscreen(you can tell I like cars with a comment like that:D), you can sit back in comfort no need for max heat and fan on at full blast and can see out in a matter of 30 seconds most if its a very frosty morning when you've got AC.

And if you leave AC on, the car usually won't fog up again whereas without AC once you turn down the fan or move the airflow control away from the windscreen setting the car starts to fog up again.

In the summer I find opening the window just give a breeze when you're moving which is fine at low speeds, but once you stop you've a load of hot air back again, and at high speeds if you want some cold air you have to listen to a racket from having the window open not to mention having windows open at speed is as bad for fuel consumption as having AC on if not worse, because of all the drag on the car.

Biro

10-10-20 wrote: »

I don't really find much of a use for AC to be honest. Demisting the front window is about as good as it gets. OK, you might have a day or two a year where you are entrapped on the M50 and the air isn't just isn't moving, but I can live without it. It's Ireland for gods sake! AC is just a waste in my mind. The added weight of the components (must be 20kgs or about that) and the power cost just isn't worth it.

In saying that, I wouldn't go near a poverty-spec jap car, or peovert spec anything for that matter....

Personally, I find air con excellent, and would find it hard to do without now. Also, I can't understand your statement... why wouldn't you buy a base model? Surely if you're happy with the car and engine choice then what else do you need?

zilog_jones

10-10-20 wrote: »

It's Ireland for gods sake!

Even in Ireland a car in direct sunlight will heat up to 45+ degrees

Oilrig

Zilog,

I lived in Africa, happily, without aircon. (now, the Middle East is a different story...) Yet we can't seem to survive without it here? Guys - GET A GRIP!

Another "value addition" by the "morketing" types to increase profitability IMHO. :rolleyes:

zilog_jones

I never said it was a necessity - I don't have it in my car, but sweating like a pig in the summer and not being able to see through the windows in the winter is not fun.

now, the Middle East is a different story...

I used to live in Saudi, and everything everywhere had aircon!