Topic: Day-by-Day Review: 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI; Day 1

[mlin32]

Is there karting up there indoor or outdoor?

[wing]

In gatineau?  There is both.  And the karts are good for about 90km/h

[Noto]

In gatineau?  There is both.  And the karts are good for about 90km/h

[mlin32]

In gatineau?  There is both.  And the karts are good for about 90km/h

Cool. I'd been used to indoor until a couple years ago and it's nice to have a venue regardless of weather and season. But the outdoor ones just have more space for faster karts and more speed; the place I go to in Mooresville NC probably has similar karts- they're good for 90km/h as well. But the tires need time to warm up if it's cold......

This is much, much more interesting than the...um......whatever car is being reviewed..

[wing]

Big issue with the indoor is the FUMES! haha

[Noto]

Big issue with the indoor is the FUMES! haha

The place we're going is indoors with electric karts.  No idea of top speed.

[wing]

Oh the ones in Gatineau are gas.  You come out stanking.

Looks like the indoor karts only do 70km/h, must be the outdoor place that does 90

[dkaz]

I have a Trendline TSI, which does not have the electric steering.  I find steering to be responsive and it has good feed back.   I see no reason to go with the TDI, which is more trouble prone, and the TSI has better accelleration.  I have averaged 7.7 l/100 km. over 16,000 kms.  So with the extra cost of diesel fuel, it about averages out.  And the TDI costs $2,500 plus tax more.

I feel the TSI is a better option for 80%+ of Canadians. Good choice and excellent fuel consumption numbers.

[northsparrow]

In Day 2 the article states " The rear seats offer a ton of legroom...you could easily fit in if you were over 6 feet tall...."

Having finally sat in the back seat of a Passat at the car show two weeks ago I can agree about the leg room but what about headroom?
I am 6'2" and was completely disappointed by the lack of headroom. The headroom is not as bad as the new Impala, which is awful, but considering
all the raving about legroom in everybody's reviews I would have thought headroom would be there too. Taxi drivers be warned.....

As an aside, I cannot fail to mention that a report came out last week showing VW is the lowest paying auto manufacturer in the USA . Considering how low
US auto wages have dropped that is quite an 'accomplishment'.

[wing]

Headroom seemed fine to me but I'm not a giant haha

[Noto]

Well, James, I guess I have no further questions since you addressed them all 

Am I correct re: no HIDs?  The light switch was in "auto" and it was light out, but the pictures show decidedly halogen multi-reflectors.

As an aside, I cannot fail to mention that a report came out last week showing VW is the lowest paying auto manufacturer in the USA . Considering how low US auto wages have dropped that is quite an 'accomplishment'.

*cough* Production of many VWs is now in Mexico for that very reason *cough*

and

*cough* Toyota is more profitable with leaner manufacturing costs despite paying its employees better and still manufactures all throughout Canada and the US *cough*

[mlin32]

No bi-xenons are possible on the North American Passat. They probably didn't bother making the prerequisite engineering/pre-wiring for them since North Americans, especially Americans, don't care about those features. So they kept it simple and boring to reduce costs because the American only cares about the lowest sticker price.

I'd recommend the CC if one wants something closer to the "true" Passat.

I don't totally think that one should take the statement re: labour pay rate at face value. The actual "cost" of an employee is substantially higher than the pay rate (taxes, fringe benefits, training) and I'm sure that the median pay for an hourly employee there is better than most companies in the region.......it's not really fair to compare with unionised labour from the Big Three automakers. I've been to the Chattanooga plant and I'm sure folks there are happy to have employment....it's better than nothing and the facility is quite nice (if boring). That said, ultimately labour costs are going to be much lower in MX which is why all the automakers are going there now.

Plus, it's worth considering that TN has no income tax.

[wing]

No income tax?  That's it I'm moving!  haha

[northsparrow]

NoTo,

Bad news on the Toyota front, Automotive News reported recently that Toyota will soon be building their first full scale plant in Mexico to produce......Corollas.

Although Toyota produces a small amount of Tacomas in Mexico, it is the only big player in North America that does not fully capitalize on the lure of the Peso.

Paying autoworkers in dollars is so..... 20th century. Toyota must be feeling embarrassed about being so out of touch with the times.

Of course potential news of Corolla production in Mexico can't be too welcome in Cambridge, Ontario where Corollas have been made since the 1980s. Even  the residents of Blue Springs, Mississippi, who hijacked
Corolla production from California in 2010 must be a little concerned about their job security.

[OliverD]

I love how NoTo is the one who complains the most about car prices but at the same time is the one who is most vehemently anti-Mexico produced cars. 

[northsparrow]

mlin32,
" I've been to the Chattanooga plant and I'm sure folks there are happy to have employment......"

That's the whole idea of corporate-driven trade deals like NAFTA- keep workers nervous and further tilt the balance in favour of Capital and Corporations.

VW needs middle class consumers in North America to provide a market for their cars but they don't pay a single production worker in North America
a middle class wage sufficient to actually buy one of their cars.

This is an election year in Canada, do people want a manufacturing middle class in this country or do we want a lower caste manning our factories?

[Northernridge]

What is the excuse for an off-centre steering wheel? And, how is that ok?

Strikes me as a greater offence than any 'appliance' accusation ever levelled at Toyota.

[OliverD]

This is an election year in Canada, do people want a manufacturing middle class in this country or do we want a lower caste manning our factories?

I don't think we can expect to have manufacturing be a significant part of our economy anymore.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

This is an election year in Canada, do people want a manufacturing middle class in this country or do we want a lower caste manning our factories?

I don't think we can expect to have manufacturing be a significant part of our economy anymore.

Defeatist idea spread by right wing ideologues. We can have it if we set the conditions for it. Otherwise we're going to end up with resource industries, healthcare and the service industry. Pretty much everything else can be off-shored.

[OliverD]

Defeatist idea spread by right wing ideologues. We can have it if we set the conditions for it. Otherwise we're going to end up with resource industries, healthcare and the service industry. Pretty much everything else can be off-shored.

The conditions we need are a willingness to purchase quality products at commensurate prices. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening anytime soon. In general consumers want quantity over quality.