2009 Wheels Magazine Car of the Year (Australia) - what car will win?

[henk4]

Or you could look outside Volkswagen and buy their "value" brands.

OK: German VAG is overpriced...but of course sooooo much better.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Entirely unsurprised with the result but this Competition is proving more and more each year it's a matter of the best compromise more than the best outright car.

[henk4]

Entirely unsurprised with the result but this Competition is proving more and more each year it's a matter of the best compromise more than the best outright car.

quite, because there is no such thing as the "best outright car"

[IBrake4Rainbows]

There is something to be said about the car that is truly special or is capable of altering the playing field, but performs other roles less effectively, that a test like this does not treat kindly.

The Golf is most things to most people. Thus victory.

[S.O.S]

I made top 4!.

[henk4]

There is something to be said about the car that is truly special or is capable of altering the playing field, but performs other roles less effectively, that a test like this does not treat kindly.

The Golf is most things to most people. Thus victory.

Welcome: Mr.Average

[LeonOfTheDead]

Well maybe not at the launch, but certainly the technologies engineered for the GT-R will eventually trigger down to lesser models. These days you can have a dual clutch gearbox in an Ibiza for instance. Maybe the car itself isn't very relevant to the general public, but as a goal posts mover it helps the car to evolve. It's a bit like the Honda FCX Clarity, not very relevant to the general public, the car, but the technology is very important and as a result the car is very important too.

Remember that the first car to be equipped with the DSG was the Golf, not the Veyron.

[Ferrer]

Remember that the first car to be equipped with the DSG was the Golf, not the Veyron.

True, but that technology was developed for the 956 and Quattro S1.

[LeonOfTheDead]

True, but that technology was developed for the 956 and Quattro S1.

20 or more years of delay make me think the two projects were basically independent.

[henk4]

20 or more years of delay make me think the two projects were basically independent.

with Piech involved over the past 30 years nothing related to VAG/Porsche is independent.

[LeonOfTheDead]

with Piech involved over the past 30 years nothing related to VAG/Porsche is independent.

Psychologically yes, but technically, I bet that even if the project was on for th whole time, it was scrapped and started again at least every 2 years.

[henk4]

Psychologically yes, but technically, I bet that even if the project was on for th whole time, it was scrapped and started again at least every 2 years.

what do you mean by that?

N.B. We are moving away from the topic greatly, so let's finish this off.

[nota]

Meanwhile, while the magazine was busy extolling VAG 'perceived quality' magnificence, their 'Wheels' long-term Octavia test-car developed a "faint rubbing noise that increased with road speed" which was initially diagnosed as something caught between brake disc and caliper, but it turned out that the 7-speed DSG had clapped out at 7,000 kms and had to be replaced by a new gearbox
(due to 'premature' wear of a bearing on the output shaft)

There's been numerous mentions of the DSG trait to thunk & shunt during low-speed manoeuvres and you really have to wonder how few years of depreciation it will take before an out-of-warranty repair on this scale will render fancy and otherwise still-valuable cars like these down into technical write-off status.

[henk4]

Meanwhile, while the magazine was busy extolling VAG 'perceived quality' magnificence, their 'Wheels' long-term Octavia test-car developed a "faint rubbing noise that increased with road speed" which was initially diagnosed as something caught between brake disc and caliper, but it turned out that the 7-speed DSG had clapped out at 7,000 kms and had to be replaced by a new gearbox
(due to 'premature' wear of a bearing on the output shaft)

There's been numerous mentions of the DSG trait to thunk & shunt during low-speed manoeuvres and you really have to wonder how few years of depreciation it will take before an out-of-warranty repair on this scale will render fancy and otherwise still-valuable cars like these down into technical write-off status.

Ah, the VAG marketing wizards have managed to poison the journos over there as well with the " perceived quality" myth....

[nota]

Ah, the VAG marketing wizards have managed to poison the journos over there as well with the " perceived quality" myth....

re 'perceived quality' you don't have to listen very hard to hear the sound of Golf owners hitting the ground after falling over when they get the bill for premature brake wear; I think its a minimum $800 or such for just a pad reline and tales of angst due to excessively high oil consumption with their 'perceived quality' VAG engines...