integrity vw

New Mid-Sized Sedan – First Design Sketch

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:26:00 +0000

This is an old release but I didn't post it. Thought the car looked between a Camaro and a CC. A very American design actually.

VW Brand Department
February 12, 2009

Great news! We are pleased to share with you the first design sketch of the New Mid- Size Sedan (NMS). This sketch was released today by the Board of Volkswagen AG to give a more realistic idea of the car’s design, following much speculation in the media.

Obviously, the NMS will undergo some degree of design evolution before it begins commercial production in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2012. We know you will appreciate this small glimpse into the exciting future of Volkswagen!

VW Factory Tour, Dresden Germany

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:27:00 +0000

When people talk about German Engineering, this is what is meant. The quest for perfection.

Another fun tour in pictures this time is the:
Volkswagen Eos Factory Tour - Palmela, Portugal

Roof Crash Tests

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:38:00 +0000

The Tiguan is the benchmark when it comes to rollover protection and roof crash testing. This video is telling.

TDI vs. Prius

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:06:00 +0000

It's really not a fair comparison, some will say, when you compare a 153lbs-ft of torque Prius to a 236 lbs-ft of torque with DSG (Dual Clutch Gearbox) Jetta TDI, but the fact is, a great percentage of people who buy the Jetta TDI have compared it with the Prius (75% if I were to put a number on it). VW is just having some fun with the comparison.

I'll give you just five reasons to buy a Jetta TDI over a Toyota Prius (there are more and some cannot be articulated in writing):

Better mileage on highway trips - the Jetta TDI gets 58.82 mpg average, and broke 60.80 US mpg, during a trip across the US 48 states. The Prius shows 51 city/50 highway. If you're only doing city driving and think the Prius is sufficient, read on.

Longevity - Diesel engines will outlast hybrids batteries. Cost for a 2005 Prius battery installed is $3,500 here at Molle Toyota (I just called to confirm this). I heard the service advisor ask someone else in the background "How much does it cost to change the $4,000 battery" and then he finally came back saying $3,500 installed. I don't know about you but that's a bill I would not want. At that point I understand you would resale the car, but think about what it will do to your resale value if you haven't done the repair. It is well known that a Diesel engine is easily capable of over 300,000 miles with good maintenance.

Acceleration and Handling - not that you're going to race anyone, but when it comes time to avoid something on the road, ie. a deer, a truck, a loose tire passing you by at 70 mph or a 32ft ladder in the middle of the interstate (these last two happened to me within the last year on I-435) you will be much better off at the wheel of a Jetta TDI.

Construction - Japanese sedans are not known to be heavy weights. Ever slammed the door in a Toyota or worse a Honda? The test for this is to open the window and to sit in the door frame. Again, not that you will be doing this, but this will give you an idea of the engineering and construction that went into a Jetta vs. a Prius. The hinges are simply weak in Japanese cars, and you will be opening the door a few thousand times. The thickness of the steel is just not there in Japanese cars. For the fun of it, try pulling the weather seals around the door too on these cars. The trunk in a Jetta is huge.

Carefree Maintenance - for the first three years or 36,000 miles, the Jetta includes your 10K, 20K, 30K services, oil changes at those intervals, filters and tire rotations.

Green this and that - This will not earn me brownie points here but my personal opinion is that carbon dioxide is actually good for vegetation and the more vegetation we have, the more animals thrive, the better we all are. The earth is in a warming cycle and we have little to do with it. Bringing fossil fuels to the surface and using them is actually a good thing. I've been to LA and Salt Lake City and I see what smog does but that's a different local terrain issue altogether. Buy a good mileage car because you actually need it, not to become a follower of the new Green religion.

Diesel Myths Debunked

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:01:00 +0000

DasAuto magazine has an informative section about diesel myths debunked. Check it out!

Concept BlueSport R

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:04:00 +0000

From integrity vw

I like my BlueSport Roadster bluer. I wanted to make the BlueSport a bit more aggressive and so used the Audi R8 bumper and a set of RS-GT BBS wheels. I grew tired of the silver blue in all the magazine articles, so I turned the car yellow. Let me know if you like my new BLUE.:R.

BBS Configurator

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:54:00 +0000

BBS wheels have always been my favorite. The BBS wheel configurator is really cool since it allows you to view the wheels you like on your own car. I love these RS-GT wheels.

DSG Transmission

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:56:00 +0000

Routan key fob rolls down front windows

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:58:00 +0000

If you've had a Volkswagen in the past and now drive a Routan you probably thought you lost the ability to roll down the windows. Well, good news. You still can but only the front windows.

Routan’s are equipped with convenience window roll down software controlled with your key-fob.

Simply “DOUBLE-PUSH-n-HOLD” the unlock button of the remote. If you hold the unlock button on your second push the front windows will start to roll down. They keep rolling down as long as you continue to hold the unlock button. It will not roll them up however.

Finally - Porsche and VW merge

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:06:00 +0000

By Daniel Schäfer in Frankfurt
Published: May 6 2009 19:22

Volkswagen and Porsche announced plans to merge on Wednesday in a move that would relieve the sports carmaker from its debt burden and bring the 3½-year takeover saga surrounding Europe’s largest carmaker to an end.

After a meeting of the Porsche family owners and VW and Porsche executives in Salzburg, the family clan agreed to create an “integrated car-manufacturing group” with 10 marques united under one roof.

Read the full article...

Volkswagen is where the action is...

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:14:00 +0000

The Battle To Watch: Volkswagen Vs. Toyota
Jerry Flint

Toyota's place as No. 1 in the world faces a challenge. Not from Detroit, but from Wolfsburg.

“
What's clear is that the German Volkswagen and Japanese Toyota are in a battle for world leadership in this industry. Maybe someday the Chinese will be challenging. Maybe someday Ford will be there. But right now it's Toyota in the lead with an ambitious Volkswagen nipping at its heels.
”

Read the full article...

Volkswagen may oust Toyota as world leader

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:04:00 +0000

By Chang-Ran Kim and Christiaan Hetzner

TOKYO/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG may have overtaken Toyota Motor Co to become the world's top-selling carmaker in the first quarter, thanks to government incentives that fueled demand in VW's major markets. Read full article...

2010 Golf MK6 versions

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:01:00 +0000

The new Golfs will arrive late this summer. We will have the 2.0T GTI with 200hp, the 2.5L 170hp engine and the 2.0 Turbo Diesel (TDI) with 236lb-ft of torque like the current Jetta.

A new color for the GTI which looks promising is Carbon Steel Grey.

The GTI will have the XDS system which replaces the EDL, which translates into less loss of torque and improved steering feel.

Pricing is not far off from current models. TDI Golf offers a lot of value and will do so for many years of ownership.

Golf 2-door $17,490 or 4-door $18,090
Golf TDI 2-door $21,990 or 4-door $22,590
GTI 2-door $23,890 or 4-door $23,290

$500 off Jetta TDI Sedans in stock

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:34:00 +0000

I am offering $500 off MSRP on the TDI sedan in stock. I have several sedans and I do have one fully loaded SportWagen TDI in blue graphite with the new RNS510 NAV. This one won't last long. Ask for Franck!

2009 JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI AUTO
Blue Graphite Black V-Tex Leatherette
Big Roof System
Rear Side Airbags
Jetta Wagon Protection Kit
17" Avignon Alloy Wheels
Dvd Navigation With Mdi
3VWTL81K29M323816
MSRP: $30,059

The polo is coming to US

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:14:00 +0000

From polo

It's smaller than a Golf/Rabbit and will have a choice of small engine. It will most likely come in as a Diesel to kick things off. Just a guess because who wouldn't want to ride on 60 mpg publicity. This is the new look for the Polo, brand new from the Geneva auto show. I played with the colors a bit, as the original red has never been my favorite except on a Ferrari.

I miss Europe

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:10:00 +0000

For that reason, the food and my family... otherwise no.

R32 Delivery

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Delivered an R32 and a CC to some very nice people.

European Car TDI Tuning

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:38:00 +0000

I used to love getting my European Car magazine in the mail. This is fine too. TDI Tuning article. Read more...

Prototype BMW X1 rescued by Tiguan

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:48:00 +0000

Prototype BMW X1 gets stuck in the snow and is rescued by none other than a 4 motion Tiguan. Now that's not right.

Diesel fuel prices on the way down...

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:40:00 +0000

According to this interesting Bloomberg article. Read more...

Walmart Tire & Lube

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:03:00 +0000

I had a screw in my tire this morning. I hate when that happens. I called around for the lowest price.

VW Dealership: $25 (plug only) +164%
Toyota Dealership: $15 (plug only) +58%
Walmart: $9.50 (plug and patch)

Walmart is also the place where I purchase my synthetic Mobil 1 oil as I try to do my own oil changes myself.

I can see where the Service Techs' time in a VW/Audi dealership is more valuable and the reason for the extra expense (more specialized tools, higher training costs). I always tell people that for something like that, they are better off at Walmart. If your wheels are extra nice, just speak to the tech who will perform the work and ask if he foresees any issues ahead of time. My car sits low for example, so I took the winter tire off the car and delivered it to them. I had the tech inflate it to the tire pressure I have on the other wheels. I will still check on that later tonight.

So much drama...

The art of negotiating (or not)

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:38:00 +0000

State of the art VW delivery tower (TurmFahrt) at the Autostadt, Wolfsburg, Germany.

A customer came in a few days ago and asked me "I want the lowest price on this used car. I am warning you I don't negotiate." (Uh-oh). I replied "Rest assured, we've priced these certified vehicles fairly Sir, and the lowest price is on the window sticker of the car. What do you have in mind?" He insisted "I'm not negotiating, now give me the lowest price." I paused for a moment. "If you're not negotiating, the price is right here on the sticker. What will it take?" Annoyed he continued "I just came from your competitor and they gave me their lowest price right away without question." (Interesting information, but irrelevant). "Sir" I said "we try to price our vehicles very competitively, and I'm afraid the selling price is what is on the window sticker." Very annoyed he grumbled "I told you I do not negotiate..." I replied "But, with all due respect sir, you are in fact negotiating by asking for a different price. Not negotiating is paying the price one asks for. It's OK, I just need to know what I need to do to sell you this car."

You see, he didn't want to give out the first number (I asked him three times). The world has trained him that the one selling should lower the price first if he wants to sell. I personally think lowering the price as the competitor did (without question) is foolish and a mistake. It speaks poorly of the product and the sales person. It also opens the door to more lowering of the price. If the product has value and is priced fairly (which mine does), why lower the price? Percentage wise, cars do not have that much mark up compared to say jewelry or medication. Can you picture him buying medication or jewelry at Walmart and insisting for the cashier to lower their already lowest price. They'd laugh him out or call security if he insists. It annoys me.

It assumes three things: I don't sell something of value. I overprice everything. I am dishonest and take advantage of people. Listen, I understand the economy is in crisis and I am expected to sell my trinkets even cheaper, zero percent on everything and lose money. Forget about my livelihood or my family - everyone for himself.

Why not him do his homework, find the car he wants, remain flexible (colors, year, options...), find out what is a fair price for a certified VW with like options, know what he wants to pay, DRIVE THE CAR, and simply ask "I want to pay x amount of dollars for this car. Is that something we can work out?" It's not that he didn't want to negotiate, it's that he didn't know what he wanted nor did any research to know that we price used cars fairly. I must add that he didn't even drive the car so it was all about the price and not a particular car anyway.

Not to get too philosophical about this, he probably see the world as this very ambiguous thing where no one can know anything for certain. He should know about his own situation, what he can spend and offer just that. Not more, not less.

I have tons of these after three years of selling cars, I should write more about that...

Read this article about (not) negotiating: HELP! I need to get better at negotiation!

My 337 with US R32 bumper

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:36:00 +0000

I had a new R32 bumper put on, as my service dept. broke my european one when taking it off the alignment rack. Too low they said - the front of the alignment rack caught the bottom. They took care of it and all is well now. The US side markers are on order. I like the european bumper without the markers better, but I also like this bumper without the headlight washer nozzle covers. Car shown with winter wheels and blizzak tires.

From 337 zero outside

Jetta TDI crushes Prius...again

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 12:14:00 +0000

With the 50-state legal $1,300 federal tax credit less expensive more fun safer quicker Green Car of the Year free maintenance for 3 years cavernous trunk world record beating Jetta TDI, it's really hard to see how one can go wrong. Edmunds agrees.

Take some time to read the comments on YouTube. That was a lot of fun!

Oil Change

barfety@gmail.com (Franck Barfety) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 06:55:00 +0000

I changed my oil today.

A lot of people ask me whether maintenance costs are high on Volkswagens. I have had twelve Volkswagens and have found the maintenance to be extremely low. Perhaps because I have always done the little things mysef (filters, oil changes, plugs). I only drive about 12,000 a year and change my oil once or twice a year. I use Mobil 1 SuperSyn Fully Synthethic oil. This oil does not foam and provides better lubrication for 10 to 15k miles. All Porsches models are loaded with Mobil 1 at the factory and this may be a genetic fallacy argument on my part but I figure if it's good enough for a 911 it's good enough for my GTI. I bought this 5-gallon jug at Walmart for $26.00. I picked up a $3 oil filter removal tool and still had three Mahle filters left over from when I bought the car. Use a good oil filter. With the oil staying in this long there is no reason to go cheap on the filter. A filter only costs $5 to $8.