Quote:
Originally Posted by KingOfJericho
That may have been true in the past but recent iterations have had fantastic fit and finish. For a $26k GTI, I thought mine had great seats, nice leather wrapped wheel, the controls were plastic feeling but I did have a stripper other than the leather. I will say that the Golf R has that same interior at a $10k premium and at that entry point, you start to feel a little short-changed.
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That's just it. You'd just have to be enamored with the car's utility or performance and not think too much about interior, etc. I'm not knocking it, I really do like this type of vehicle though the R32 has slightly better proportions to my eye. Either would be on my short list when they come out. I'll reserve judgement till I sit in one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel
You might be right, but for what it is worth there is only about a $1k difference between a 2014 Golf VI and 2014 Jetta SW today (though the new 2015 Golf VII comes in at a lower base - but then so too may the new 2015 Golf VII SW).
Or if you just want a performance car with utility.
Come talk to us over on f80.bimmerpost.com. $70k-ish (minimum) for a new M3, and worth every penny over the $35k 320i. I'll be you don't disagree with me. 
Hey, I acknowledge that it's an easier sell for a performance coupe, sedan, or even hot-hatch than it is a performance wagon. But again, this thing in regular, pedestrian guise can sell 15k units a year in the US. How many SW Rs would they need to sell to make it worthwhile? Maybe a fifth of that? If the traditional Golf hatchback can pull off the R in the US - for what, four generations now? - I don't see why the wagon is automatically not going to work. Seems to me there's at least a decent shot here. |
I've actually been lurking over there (F80) lately, doing a little window shopping! I do agree that it's "worth" it, but the advantage BMW has is that even though it seems obscene to be 2x the price, the starting price of the 320i at $35k is enough that the car carries a pretty decent level of quality to begin with.
Not to go OT, but it's the curse of the Mustang GT for those of us who have been driving BMW's for a while. Great power train and probably a steal at $40k based on performance but still a car based on one that sells for $24k. Imagine if Ford accepted the fact the sales would be hurt but started the base Mustang at $30k and channeled every penny of that $5000+ into making the interior spectacular. Every switch feeling like it was out of an aircraft, every knob feeling like a high-end stereo, thick carpet, not one bit of hard plastic, etc. It would kill sales but imagine a 420-440hp Mustang with an Audi/BMW level interior and quality of materials.
Maybe ignorance is bliss. I see it in my car vs my wife's X5. Her paint is better, the carpet is much nicer, leather seems thicker, the door seals, power windows, everything seems just a notch or two nicer.