by "Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
Published 11/24/2017 at 15:15
by "Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
Published 11/24/2017 at 15:15
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STARS: 4
It should be called “Passat Jalopnik”
"fintail" (fintail)
11/24/2017 at 15:21, STARS: 0
Must be loaded and after onerous taxes.
Last week in Stuttgart I saw this thing at a dealer - brown AWD diesel wagon with a manual:
MSRP was closer to 50K euro I think
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 15:25, STARS: 0
I did that passat using the swiss one.
In switzerland you can get it with the 280 HP tsi engine too, thats why I did so.
"fintail" (fintail)
11/24/2017 at 15:33, STARS: 1
Sounds right for that market. Fortunately, when one of your key industries is sheltering tax dodgers and banking for criminals, you can pay those taxes :)
"Svend" (svend)
11/24/2017 at 15:37, STARS: 0
Is it available on the NMS Group B platform the U.S. gets?
North America and China don’t get the Passat the rest of us get unfortunately for them. Though I don’t think they would take to our smaller sized engines.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 15:41, STARS: 1
Well, crime pays. Switzerland is one of the richest yet one of the less unequal; go figure
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 15:43, STARS: 0
We did get a diesel NMS passat here in Mexico but for obvious reasons its a bit harder to see nowadays
I also believe that the nms passat doesn’t get a wagon version
"Svend" (svend)
11/24/2017 at 15:45, STARS: 2
I’ll take this slower 148bhp 2.0 litre manual diesel brown metallic estate.
£23,995/Euro26,814.
"fintail" (fintail)
11/24/2017 at 15:45, STARS: 2
Tiny (not much larger than my state) homogeneous population, enough tax revenues to actually fund social services, no dipshitty belief in trickle down garbage, long “neutral” history, so you can do business with bad guys. It works for them.
"fintail" (fintail)
11/24/2017 at 15:47, STARS: 0
Yet more forbidden fruit. I was in Mlada Boleslav a couple weeks ago, I think I have seen every variant of that car.
I think I might still go with the MB though, for old times sake. C-wagon is something I want for NA, especially with the 195hp diesel like in my W212 - it would be a winner.
"Svend" (svend)
11/24/2017 at 15:49, STARS: 0
Sorry. I thought you were further north.
I thought Mexico got the rest-of-world Passat but looking at the fact the NMS Passat is made in Chattanooga Assembly Plant it makes sense for Mexico to get what others further north get.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 15:49, STARS: 1
Well, I think the only thing saving switzerland is unity. And I don’t know what you’re saying with homogeneous; switzerland is amongst the countries with the most immigrants!
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 15:53, STARS: 1
Its all marketing, in north america the passat is made to compete with kia and ford, in europe its clearly targeted at more expensive vehicles like that c class or the v90
Which is a shame because the nms passat is a purposely bad car!
"fintail" (fintail)
11/24/2017 at 15:54, STARS: 0
Unity is easy with money, also a small population, relatively protected.
I don’t know if rich people moving in to escape financial responsibility or educated foreign workers can be counted as immigrants. Switzerland does take in refugees, but I don’t think I have seen anything showing it more as a percentage than anywhere else.
If you want to see real immigrants, go to places surrounding Switzerland.
"Svend" (svend)
11/24/2017 at 16:01, STARS: 0
I absolutely love my Superb, she’s only a 1.4 but does have enough power (148bhp) for what I want and need.
((I won’t post a gratuitous photo of her))
I’ve never been a Mercedes guy.
If I was to go for something different from Skoda I’d probably go for:-
Seat Leon
Renault Megane
Ford Mondeo
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 16:01, STARS: 0
I agree with unity but I must disagree with immigration. Not every immigrant in switzerland is a rich financier that evaded taxes elsewhere
I don’t know enough about switzerland to judge them on the refugee crisis hitting europe at the moment but I highly doubt they are ignoring their responsability
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 16:04, STARS: 0
You can’t show off the mondeo, you would be able if you could get the NA exclusive v6 ecoboost fusion sport!
"fintail" (fintail)
11/24/2017 at 16:18, STARS: 0
I have a 195hp MB E250 Bluetec, and it is sufficient, but not really fast - rather, the diesel never works hard, so it is relaxed. I’ve driven an E200 CDi, and it was much like driving my fintail - adequate for gradual acceleration, but sometimes requiring planning. Mind you, the W212 is a heavy beast.
I’m still a little iffy on French cars. They seem to always be dirty, and in Germany anyway, attract the same drivers that Camrollas attract in the US.
I recall a lot of the Superbs in CZ had the Laurin & Klement badging.
"fintail" (fintail)
11/24/2017 at 16:21, STARS: 0
But most of them are either skilled workers or tax dodgers. I don’t see any data showing Switzerland lets in proportionally more immigrants than anyone else, real “immigrants” that is, not people who embezzled money at home and want to hide out, or people with doctorates working for wealthy NGOs.
I’ll disagree too, that there’s really much of a “responsibility”. There’s no real altruism in European immigration policy, it is just chasing cheap labor - Germany didn’t let in a million simply because of ceaseless guilt from 1945. They may regret the decision if these people are not able to integrate.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 16:23, STARS: 1
“North America and China don’t get the Passat the rest of us get unfortunately for them.”
Last time I checked Mexico still was in the North American tectonic plate.
"Svend" (svend)
11/24/2017 at 16:25, STARS: 1
Ye’, the Mondeo is not a showy car, it’s just a car that gets stuff done, nothing fancy.
saying that there is the 2.0 237bhp Ecoboost i4.
The Ford Focus ST-3 is a bit more showy.
There’s always the Vauxhall Insignia, just the same only prettier.
"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
11/24/2017 at 16:25, STARS: 0
Why so insanely expensive?
"Svend" (svend)
11/24/2017 at 16:26, STARS: 1
Lol. I take your point.
"Svend" (svend)
11/24/2017 at 16:35, STARS: 0
I like the older Mercedes but can’t get into the newer and current ones.
I can’t get over how the current Superb is bigger but lighter than the previous one. Even the 1.4 in Piglet, plant the foot and the car just wants to go.
The L&K is the top spec model and cars tend to be cheaper in the country they are made in.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 16:37, STARS: 0
Its a fifth of the population, man.
Have you ever been to Switzerland and spoken to or seen these people?
An immigrant is an immigrant. full stop. Be them Spanish waiters and bankers, Indian vape shop owners and engineers, Mexican taxi drivers and students, or South African snowboard instructors and supermarket cashiers.
These are all people I know.
you don’t get to pick and chose because the biggest challenge for both immigrants and the host nations is xenophobia not economic potential, and I am happy to not have seen an alt-right movement in Switzerland yet!
And Europe does have a responsibility to the immigrants! the same way that if Europe went to war or something they would be responsible for them, its not a game of economics anymore its a game of ethics and responsibility. Sure, everyone in Europe will eventually have it better, with old europeans being kept fed and treated by younger europeans and immigrants because of changing population curves and natality in Europe.
Just because europeans stand to win it doesn’t earn them the hypocrisy card. Just because these immigrants also stand to win, living in countries with much more stable governments and a true commitment to equality and respect, it doesn’t mean they are freeloaders.
I’m sorry if I act this way, but I can’t help it! I’m from an immigrant family myself and I live in a country where immigration has always been a hot-button topic that some people never quite understood.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 16:40, STARS: 0
Because Swiss configurator and European market price of balance.
"fintail" (fintail)
11/24/2017 at 16:45, STARS: 0
I was in Switzerland last week :) I have a friend who lives outside of Schaffhausen, and I have been there numerous times. So yes, I have at least a little experience.
Nowhere really has a dipshit alt-right movement like the US, but there is definitely shades of it in many places. These were popular posters in CH several years ago, and this referendum passed:
Nice.
And without hard data, I can’t believe that the place which does a good job at making smooth chocolate and banking for the Nazis and DPRK is more accepting than any similar developed nation.
The data you edited in does not differentiate between legitimate refugee type people and millionaires fleeing taxes or expats with doctorates working for a multinational. Certain immigration produces much less societal strain than others.
I respect your opinion about the responsibility to accept immigrants, but I don’t think it should be posted as fact. Mind you, I believe immigration is a good thing, and I live in a very diverse area myself (probably even more diverse than Switzerland) - but it should exist out of pragmatic reason rather than emotional responsibility. Add too much emotion, and you get Cologne on New Year’s Eve 2015. There are enormous integration challenges in Europe right now, and if the experiment fails, a huge amount of people will not be better off. Societies tend to move towards the lowest common denominator - it is happening in the US, and Murka won’t be the only place.
"fintail" (fintail)
11/24/2017 at 16:50, STARS: 1
The Germans have grasped the “bigger” ideal, but the “lighter” ideal is coming much more slowly. My W212 weighs over 4100 lbs - a full half a ton more than the fintail, and about 500 lbs more than my prior W210.
I like a medium displacement diesel in these cars - enough power to move around, and enough torque to do it without working hard. The Superb seems to be hot in the taxi trade too, I think most taxis in Prague that aren’t MB are Superbs.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 16:57, STARS: 0
Integration is very important, that is why I agree with citizenship tests and so on. Only as long as they don’t prove to disproportionately affect some people.
I lived in Switzerland for a couple of years and I have distant family members both living there and nearby, the place where my family comes from in Spain is a true melting pot, where the supermarket parking lot gets plates from Spain, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland,California, and so on. Trust me when I tell you that these people did not leave Spain in economic comfort.
I added an edit to the previous comment that shows how about a fifth of the Swiss population is foreign.
The ban on mosque towers that you mention is quite weird, I don’t think anyone should be allowed to violate building codes, even with a religious basis (although I doubt churches ever had issues with that), I think its actually funny that it was made a nation wide referendum.
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
11/24/2017 at 17:01, STARS: 0
Closest thing we get in the US is the Atlas, which is on MQB instead of NMS, but is definitely intended as our equivalent to a midsize wagon. (I don’t think you even get anything in the Atlas’s class outside of... maybe the Mitsubishi Outlander? The main vehicles in the class in the US are the Honda Pilot (think two sizes bigger than the CR-V), Ford Explorer (think a size bigger than the Edge, or two sizes bigger than the Kuga/Escape), and the Toyota Highlander (based on the Lexus RX but a bit longer due to having three rows, and a couple sizes bigger than the RAV4/Lexus NX).
"fintail" (fintail)
11/24/2017 at 17:16, STARS: 0
Yes, there should definitely be some form of requirements. I don’t want to use the term “vetting”, but it shouldn’t be entirely open door, either (yes, Germany). I also don’t believe residency should be available for purchase (as it is in most nations) or via athletic skill etc.
My thought is how much of that foreign born population is actually involved with the social welfare system. That’s a big key to how immigration impacts a society and an economy. I can’t believe that it is any higher in Switzerland than other first world nations, and I would probably wager it is less.
The ban based on building codes isn’t the issue, so much as the alarming posters with the deliberately scary figure. I think in the old days, there weren’t real building codes - churches, able to con so much money out of an economy, were the only ones able to build towers. An argument could have been made on building codes or architecture alone, but they had to add the dark veiled figure and the black towers, lots of symbolism. There’s crap under the surface everywhere.
"SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media" (silentbutnotreallydeadly)
11/24/2017 at 17:28, STARS: 0
Au$60,000 for the 206 TSI version here. Fifty five grand gets the Alltrack Wolfsburg edition with the 140 TDI.
"Svend" (svend)
11/24/2017 at 17:31, STARS: 0
The largest we get on the MBQ platform is the Skoda Kodiaq.
((think slightly smaller than a Touareg))
The MLBevo platform being used for the Audi Q7, Bently Bentayga, VW Touareg, etc...
Anything larger than these SUVs, we tend to just buy an MPV/minivan.
VAG examples, Seat Alhambra or VW Caravelle.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/24/2017 at 17:37, STARS: 0
Yeah, 60K isnt bad for a car so loaded!
Considering the exchange rate
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
11/24/2017 at 18:09, STARS: 0
The Skoda Kodiak is also available as the LWB Tiguan, which is what we get as the Tiguan. The Atlas is bigger.
The US market is allergic to vans, because anything that picks up a family vehicle stigma is automatically seen as undesirable. CUVs have managed to avoid it by aiming at every demographic segment, instead of just families.
Station wagons were ruined by a family stigma in the 70s, so the minivan was made to be a practical family version of the van (which was a cool mobile sex and drugs space), and the minivan quickly became uncool (while the work van became associated more with sexual predators than anything else, whereas pickup trucks are the normal work vehicle (and were before the van’s popularity here)), and starting in the 90s, the SUV started to replace the minivan.
"Svend" (svend)
11/24/2017 at 18:38, STARS: 0
The estate cars have always been seen as larger and/or more practical family cars. MPVs are more practical again for people that need more seats but occasionally need more space with less seats.
I don’t thing there is a segment of car type that’s stigmatised, car brands yes, such as Skoda, had a bad name 20+ years ago but people still joke about them, but more and more are opening their eyes
Ford do a good range, sort of cradle to grave really as they have something for everyone.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
11/25/2017 at 05:10, STARS: 0
“innorth america the passat is made to compete with kia and ford, in europe its clearly targeted at more expensive vehicles like that c class or the v90"
Absolutely not. In Europe a Passat competes with other non-luxury cars. Like Fords and Opels, and certainly not with Mercedes. It’s just that mainstream brands like Ford are a bit nicer here than in NA. See Opel: mainstream in Europe, rebadged as a Buick in the US.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/25/2017 at 11:04, STARS: 0
The B8 Passat?
Perhaps not directly with merc and bmw but I can make a case for volvo. Certainly for price in a lot of cases, and it is mentioned as being cross shopped with those on youtube often.
*Goes digging for Top Gear Mag bought last summer*
Well to be honest, you can speck a Passat wagon to forty two thousand pounds. A Ford Mondeo can’t get there by a long shot, neither can the Vauxhall (Opel) Insignia.
However....
It can certainly compete with the mid range Volvo V90 on speck and price.
It can most definitely compete with the three series on price and maybe economy specks which as far as I can tell are a big deal in the UK?
Yeah, it was a long shot, but it stands true that the B8 is leagues more luxurious than the NMS!
Plus the European market just seems less rigid than the North American one. Over here someone would be insulted if you compared a VW with a BMW and I don’t think its the same case in Europe.