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Golf production coming to an end at Mexico

Gogo GTI

Gogo GTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Boulder, CO
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
No one is claiming superiority. It's preference that we are talking about here.

It's part of consumer psychology. Good luck telling advertising and marketing companies to sell products purely based on "facts". There is a human element and emotional element involved in most purchases. You must realize that.
 
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acapvwgti

Ready to race!
Location
providence, ri
I’m on my 5th GTI and this Mexican built one (04/14/2014 build date) is far and away the very best GTI I have ever owned. From a reliability standpoint it never breaks.

My mk6 was a piece of crap.. My mk5 which I loved had its issues. My mk7, 3 and a half years in never has issues. I beat the crap out of it and basically just give it oil changes lol.

I have yet to even change the spark plugs in the thing. I could go either way, Mexican or German..but I don’t think QC was an issue even though it may be rumored to be.
 
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acapvwgti

Ready to race!
Location
providence, ri
PouncingPanzer said:
If I may make an observation, my German built Mk6 had fewer issues and overall felt far more solid going down the road then my Mexican built Mk7. Others may feel differently, but that's my experience. Especially down bumpy Cleveland roads, my Mk6 handled them much better. Also, when I close the door of my Mk7 and the window is anything but all the way up, it sounds hollow and cheap. Mk6, not so. Now location should have nothing to do with this but if it does, change it.
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I have the very exact opposite experience. My mk 6 was a piece of crap, worst GTI I ever owned.
 
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volks6

Go Kart Newbie
Location
TheGreekFreak's mom's bed
Car(s)
GTI
Gogo GTI said:
No one is claiming superiority. It's preference that we are talking about here.

It's part of consumer psychology. Good luck telling advertising and marketing companies to sell products purely based on "facts". There is a human element and emotional element involved in most purchases. You must realize that.
Click to expand...

So Apple products "Designed in California" are superior?
Your facts and ideology is whack.
 
2slowvw

2slowvw

Moderator
Location
VA
Car(s)
2022 Tesla Model 3
Just banned volks6 for 2 weeks for constantly disrupting this thread. We can have civilized discussions without accusing everyone of being racist or acting like children. Try to keep it respectable all. thanks

...I probably banned him because I'm racist to what ever he may be.
 
toledospeed

toledospeed

Go Kart Champion
Location
3rd rock
2slowvw said:
If sales are down i'd think it has more to do with diesel-gate making the whole brand look "bad". People may think if they cut corners on emissions where else did they cut corners, or just think that VW doesn't care about the environment who knows.

All i know is it makes sense at a business level to have North American production in Mexico due to the cheaper labor costs, taxes and them being in NAFTA I believe it helps skirt some import taxes not to mention save on transporting whole cars from Germany.

I think when you have a big brand like VAG overseeing production, the car can be made anywhere and have good quality.
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Well said, I agree on all counts. A good product will speak for itself, no matter where it is made/assembled. Good engineering, successful QC, and competitive pricing is what makes a product a success.
 
Sandman GTI

Sandman GTI

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Tennessee USA
2slowvw said:
If sales are down i'd think it has more to do with diesel-gate making the whole brand look "bad". People may think if they cut corners on emissions where else did they cut corners, or just think that VW doesn't care about the environment who knows.

All i know is it makes sense at a business level to have North American production in Mexico due to the cheaper labor costs, taxes and them being in NAFTA I believe it helps skirt some import taxes not to mention save on transporting whole cars from Germany.

I think when you have a big brand like VAG overseeing production, the car can be made anywhere and have good quality.
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The diesel issue showed me how good VW is at programming.
In today’s cars I think programmers have to be good.
They put the finishing touch on the car. Cars now are multi dimensional and can be driven like a Prius or a Porsche. Yes they made a bad decision but I think many car makers have done this, just one was caught.

Regarding Mexico plant quality.
I think 2.5 years of sales and use has shown they can carry the load. Any issues we have had are present on both sides of the pond.
I for one think at this point overall quality has been good on this new MK7 model. Time will tell but I feel I have the performance based DD I wanted.
 
G

Ghawkins

Ready to race!
Location
Ohio
Can’t let this one go without my comment. My current Mk7 is my third GTI. The first was a Mk5 Autobahn made in Germany. QC was awful by current standards of fit and finish, its and pieces did not match up or fit properly all over the car. My Mk6 S, also German was better, with no real issues. The Mk7 SE, Mexican build, is perfect. Nothing out of place. Mechanically all three have been perfect. The Mk5 had a recall for coil packs and the Mk7 a recall for the emissions pump. Neither affecting the performance or reliability. My thought is that the improved QC is not related to German or Mexican assembly, but improvements in the machinery and methods used by VW world-wide. It would be interesting to have someone weigh-in on the QC of American and Chinese built VW’s.
 
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psychonosspaz

Go Kart Champion
Location
PNW
Gawernator said:
What does that have to do with brand name and reputation? Germany has the reputation, Mexico has zero.

Because it’s cheap to make. iPhones are made for a couple hundred bucks if that... not really a good comparison


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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iPhones are made for far less than that!
 
M

MSchott

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Michigan
The Fed said:
Assembly wasn't as much an issue as crappy components. I too prefer a "W" VIN.
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I'm sure that the components in a Mexican built GTI are the same quality as a German built GTI. They have to meet the same standards. Are you suggesting because the components might be sourced from Mexican suppliers they are of inferior quality?
 
Strange Mud

Strange Mud

Autocross Champion
Location
Small Town CT
Car(s)
Assorted
would folks be willing to pay the extra $ for a made in Germany (or any country where there are real labor costs). Plz consider not only assembly costs but part costs. For me where it is made matters some (of course I want it made where I live) but cost/quality/workers rights all factor in.

So far on my <1000 mile GTI I only see one issue. I can't get the radio to remember I want the display to shut off after 10 secs. Would I pay 1-2K more to be made in USA. Yes, but not 3K more (assuming same quality).

.02
 
The Fed

The Fed

Old Guys Rule
Location
Florida
MSchott said:
I'm sure that the components in a Mexican built GTI are the same quality as a German built GTI. They have to meet the same standards. Are you suggesting because the components might be sourced from Mexican suppliers they are of inferior quality?
Click to expand...

I don't know from where components are sourced, except for what's listed on the Monroney sticker. I had some of the same smaller components fail on my Brazilian-made GTI as my German-made GTI - door latches and cooling fans come to mind. My feeling is a German car should be made in Germany, just like a U.S. car should be made in the U.S., and a Japanese car should be made in Japan. Countries should employ their own citizens and give them the opportunity to show what they can do.

The same car built in one country costs you the same as one assembled in another country. Car makers only care about profit, and cheaper operating costs dictates where they build. I'm surprised every car isn't built in Mexico or an Asian country.
 
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Sandman GTI

Sandman GTI

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Tennessee USA
MSchott said:
I'm sure that the components in a Mexican built GTI are the same quality as a German built GTI. They have to meet the same standards. Are you suggesting because the components might be sourced from Mexican suppliers they are of inferior quality?
Click to expand...

Many, many of the suppliers for German built cars also supply the Mexico plant.
There have been videos on this as they built satellite plants next to the Mexico plant and are often run by Germans. The machines are likely programmed by Germans or imported talent from other countries. The Mexico workers are one of the highest paid in that area. They have motivation to do well.
 
Sandman GTI

Sandman GTI

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Tennessee USA
The Fed said:
I don't know from where components are sourced, except for what's listed on the Monroney sticker. I had some of the same smaller components fail on my Brazilian-made GTI as my German-made GTI - door latches and cooling fans come to mind. My feeling is a German car should be made in Germany, just like a U.S. car should be made in the U.S., and a Japanese car should be made in Japan. Countries should employ their own citizens and give them the opportunity to show what they can do.

The same car built in one country costs you the same as one assembled in another country. Car makers only care about profit, and cheaper operating costs dictates where they build. I'm surprised every car isn't built in Mexico or an Asian country.
Click to expand...

Sorry Fed but that bus has left.
I like working for Bridgestone. Better than Goodyear tires and always has been.
Goodyear’s just lucky NASCAR does not open up Tire competition.
 
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