Re: v/vr -room

[Robert Phillips <r3rfp@dax.cc.uakron.edu>]

On Tue, 14 Nov 1995, Eliot Lim wrote:

> and once again, why should joe average buyer care about this?  his VR6
> passat is not like computer software where he goes from release 1.0 to
> release 2.0 to release 95 :).  the engine stays with the car until it
> is ready for the scrap heap.  so when the passat is thru, he'll just
> go on to buy the S6 with twin turbo 30 valve V6.  why should he care
> how long the VR6 design is going to last?  how does this affect his
> satisfaction or pleasure that the current engine will bring him?

Here's a scenario:

I bought the 4KS with 100k miles on the clock.  I would *almost never* 
even consider an American vehicle with that kind of milage!  I know the 
Audi's will go the distance, other factors such as maintenance-abuse 
etc., and the short-term fix American vehicle will not.  So...

The Audi retains it's "value", which  for some reason Audi's do not, in 
terms of $$, and the new car dealer can boast of "high resale values", 
which is exactly the was Nissan is trying to sell cars if you've seen 
their commercials touting the resale value percentage beats Lexus, BMW, 
etc.  

If "joe average" buys a 1995  model, and the '95 model (excuse the pun) 
has a better engine he can:

1. Buy the new one, a year later, if he's got the cash

2. Keep the old one and wonder why the manufacturer didn't install the 
best engine possible before he bought *his* car! 

Robert Phillips
The University of Akron Sociology Department-------Akron, Ohio
1987 Audi 4000S, 1.8L 4-cyl, FWD-----SOLO II D-Street Prepared