JasonM OOOO

the parking lot at work still does

BetterThanVW

read my name, thats my position

gopher

Except for the Passat aren't the other cars built in Mexico? The build quality and reliability are lower for the Golf and Jetta.

The Passat walks the line. Being based on the A4 this shouldn't be a surprise. Admittedly the A4 is a bit more refined in some areas but not dramatically. The pricing between comparably spec'd models is within a few thousand dollars of each other.

VW stumbled on a hit platform with the Passat. If you were Her Piech and found you could sell more B5s as a Passat than A4s wouldn't you focus on selling the Passat?

I think the A4 has walked the line in terms of market share. You see it being compared with an Accord as much as you do a 3-series. Piech has stated that the Audi line will move further into the performance car market. I suspect very few will compare the next A4 with an Accord. With the new Passat and its variations such as the 4motion (quattro) and W8 will fill this market.

Dan F.

Whomever is running the Audi division had better do his best to keep the brands differentiated. Even if VW sells millions of cars based on Audi technology, the Audi guy will lose his job if he doesn't sell any cars under his own brand. They may technically be the same company, but you can bet there are still a lot of people within it whose careers are tied to one brand line or the other.

Hopefully that incentive will keep the Audi brand ahead of VW--at least in some respects--despite Piech's insistance of focusing on VW.

Dan

Mr. Spock

I'm young. My parents drive a Geo. I bought an Audi. I don't think that's entirely fair way to generalize about the character of "younger people." Some people actually work for their hard-earned money, and still choose to spend it on worthwhile things like Audis

FliesLow

vw made in Mexico, Audi made in Germany?

Andy K

I'm young as well and I've bought my car with money saved from work from the last 4 years....

Who says you have to be old to have good taste.....?

Peace,
Andrew.

Plasticar

I agree that Audis are better for me, but I also know that Audi is a better brand by being family with VW. By this I mean that VW provides development money and higher volume of parts that makes our cars less expensive than if Audi was alone. If it weren't for the Golf/Jetta, we wouldn't have the TT. A wider use of the 1.8T motor makes it more desireable to develop, both corporately, and aftermarket parts. The HP diff for the 2001 A4 & Passat (170 vs. 150) is good to emphasize the sporting aspect of our beloved Audi. I would still have the masses driving an ugly sister version of our cars rather than Camrys and Taurus'.

When you see a Passat, just smile knowing that you were a little smarter.

Monkeyboy

Sorry if I offended...
my original statement was
"I think that we see the youth having more money nowadays and they are more willing to spend it"

my wise a$$ comment was
"(Say thank you to your Dad's please)"

I would like to officially retract my wise-a$$ comment.

My real point was that younger people have more disposable income nowadays (whether you work for it or inherit it is a non-issue), therefore higher ticket items have and will continue to be marketed towards the youth.

I do applaud anyone who appreciates what they have. It is a great feeling to achieve a goal that you work towards. Even if you didn't work for it, it is a commendable quality to show humbleness and thanks.

My humble apologies.

Monkeyboy

I like someone who takes some chances and makes bold statements when the competition is relying solely on marketing data and competitive posturing. It will be interesting to see where he leads VW and Audi. I'm glad he makes things dynamic. Not everyone will like what they see but that will always be the case. One thing is for sure, both VW and Audi are moving forward unlike some car manufacturers.