Why are the VW the cheapest of all German cars ?

Question 1
Why are the VW the cheapest of all German cars ?...  i wanna get something used for under $7000, do u recommend this brand?
P.S : dont recommend toyotas or hondas, bored from them !!

Answers
1)   Vw's don't come packed with all the luxury like bmw or mercedes does. - hmmintereseting

2)   It has got smaller cc capacity compared to other models. - M.j Lim

3)   They were made to be cheap :P

I have VW from 1996, and its great. So yes I recommend a VW.

But a toyota is gonna be better, just saying. They last so freaken long. - John F

4)   Its in their tag line, the people's car
Nowadays, its "Das Auto"

Note
VW is also the parent company that owns:-
1. Lambo
2. Audi
3. Bentley
4. Porsche
5. Bugatti
These are not cheap cars, OK.
By the way, the Polos, Jettas and Golf GTi are some of the best cars in Europe. - Spunkiee

5)   There are several reasons:
-They produce at the highest volume (they make more cars than BMW or Mercedes).
-They produce in various countries (Germany, USA, Mexico, Brazil).
-Their cars are engineered and built to a lower standard than Audi or their competition.
-Their volume models are built more cheaply, with a lower standard level of amenities than their premium level competition.

To answer your second question, it depends on where you live. I would not recommend a VW in your price range if you are in the USA and do not have much experience working on cars. Their US models are built in Mexico to a very low standard, and their reliability is very poor. Especially avoid Mark IV Jettas. I have seen far too many problems with these cars to recommend them to anyone. - CH4RL13foxtrot

6)   Because this plant produce car for every one, so it named Volkswagen . - 金双

7)   I have a 99 new beetle and honestly i don't recommend any vw cars. they have so many electrical problems and they are so expensive to fix. you also have to find a great mechanic that specializes in vw

My ignition switch just burnt and because of that my horn, alarm, radio, headlights, daylights, turn signals, and wipers didnt work anymore. It cost $500 to fix

my abs went out at the same time its $1000 to fix that

my radiator fan isnt working its $400 for that

and my a/c isnt blowing cold air and its $920 to fix that

i bought my car for $3200, def not worth it - Jennifer

8)   VW is an inexpensive car because it tries to be reliable instead of constantly changing models and styles, and trying to get every last hp out of it.

But all dealer are always expensive, and what makes VW so great is that there are so many good independent mechanics that you don't have to take it to the dealer.

For example, an ignition switch should be less than $100 to fix.
While ABS costs thousands to fix on most cars, on VW it costs only hundreds.
Radiator fans can be $400 on many cars, but you can get one done on a VW for about $150.
AC can cost thousands on some cars, but on VW it should only cost a few hundred. - Motorhead


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Question 2
what is the towing capacity of my 2001 vw golf TDi?...  
(It's NOT in the manual)

Answers
1)   I can't imagine it being more than like 1000 pounds. - Chris

2)   if you are an experienced driver and have towing experience then it can be as much as the weight of the unladen car. so its probably around a ton, check your handbook. if its a caravan you will tow make sure that you get a stabiliser and only 75% of the car weight is recommended for new towers. - brilock1

3)   Go to Uhaul.com i think they got a rough estimate on how much your car can tow. - Bryan Robles

4)   1,200kg braked trailer or 500kg non braked. - DrkLce

5)   RTFM - it's in there. - Chris


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Question 3
how do i know if my 1974 vw super beetle is overheating?...  i live in tucson az and its in the high 90s. i just bought the vw and not to sure how i would know if its overheating. it runs great just want to make sure i know so if it does i know when and what to do about. any help would be great!

Answers
1)   LIkely not as the engine is air cooled. Just keep a close eye on the oil level weekly and make sure the generator belt is tight. - James M

2)   Hook up an oil temperature gauge. The cooling systems are somewhat fickle on the old air cooled bugs, so you should keep an eye on it.

http://www.type2.com/library/cooling/coolsami.htm
http://www.performancechoice.com/pc.html?frame=5.4553
http://www.upmpg.com/car_clubs/vw.htm - doane_nut

3)   Standard shift? Then don't drive in 4th when you should be driving in a lower gear. The fan is always running blowing air past the piston pots so running in a lower gear will keep it cool as the engine is running faster.(so the fan blow harder)
Always make sure that the crankcase has the correct grade of oil as it is the oil that also reduces the temperature. I have never had an overheating problem and yeah I have been driving in the high 90's(even 125) here, but don't forget the car engine is normally a lot hotter(as it is burning gasoline) in order to run -(even in the winter).

Getting caught in traffic tie ups for long periods of time on a slow idle, will heat up the engine more so. If you can cruise, not a big deal. Leave it as the dealer mechanics set it and make sure the air duct hoses to the dog house are always in good shape and firmly secure. Also that all the sheet metal is in place and that the spark plugs have their boots on to close off the spark plug openings.
And that the V belt that turns over the alternator(or generator) is always in good shape and that you have a spare(as the back of the alternator inside the dog house is the fan)

Your good.

If it overheats(it would be a first) the red oil light comes on on the speedo. At that time either rev the motor so that the oil pressure is increased and the light goes out or shut it down. - Doing the Math

4)   They ran these air cooled engine in the the Sahara Desert with no problem. The air temperature is minor compared to the normal operating temperature, so make little difference.
But the idea of the oil temp gauge was a good one.
I would also suggest adding the kit to relocate the oil cooler, while adding a spin on oil filter.
A deep oil sump is not a bad idea either, as long as ground clearance is not an issue.
The original oil cooler acted like a preheater for cylinder #3, so was not in a good location. - Motorhead

5)   a good quick cheap (free) test is the dip-stick test. if you can take the dip-stick out and hold it in your hand for a few seconds then its not overheating. by that i mean, enough time to pull it out and read the oil level. by that time it will be very uncomfortable and you will want to put it back. thats normal. if you cant even bare to touch it, let alone take it out, its too hot. this is an old VW mechanics trick that has been used for years. or like others say buy an oil temp gauge and sensor and mount it in the oil pressure relief valve in the bottom of the engine, NOT in the oil pressure sensor. - Air-Cooled (o\ ! /o)


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Question 4
How easy is it to work on an old VW Beetle?...  I am a small engine mechanic (lawnmowers, chainsaws, etc) but I don't have any experience with cars.

As long as I had a good manual, would I be able to do engine/repair work by myself?

Answers
1)   The old veedub flat 4 is about as easy to work on as it is possible to get. Don't bother with the 1200 lump though as the case is physically smaller than the others and it is possible through changing of cylinders/pistons/carb etc to turn a 1300 into a 1641cc with little effort.
There are 2 books I would recommend. "How to keep your Volkswagen alive" by John Muir (informative and funny) and "How to rebuild your Volkswagen aircooled engine" by Tom Wilson (ISBN 0-89586-225-5) - PAUL

2)   go out an buy this book it is called "the complete idiot repair manual for vw's"cost is 34.00,every thing you need to know on how to fix the old Volkswagon bug's. - KAM

3)   how easy? near me there are 2 old guys that restore them. and when i say old i mean old, the one guy is 84 and the other guy 78. they do all the work by themselves. that should put it in perspective for you. all you need is a few metric wrenches and you can take the entire car apart. like the others have said get this...http://www.amazon.com/Keep-Volkswagen-Alive-Step---Step/dp/1566913101/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308160411&sr=8-1

and this...http://www.amazon.com/Volkswagen-Beetle-Karmann-Official-Service/dp/0837616239/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1308160434&sr=8-7

and you can do it. - Air-Cooled (o\ ! /o)

4)   That book by John Muir kinda sucks, IMO.

Anyway, come over to thesamba.com and join the forums.
Another great site is vw-resource.com

Very easy to work on and parts prices are still pretty good, just avoid Chinese junk. Good luck - Jay S


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Question 5
what kind of transmission oil for vw beetle 1300?...  i dont have a clue how to change the oil of what oil to put in my volkswagen beetle 1300?
its engine and transmission oils! also how do you change the transmission fluid

Answers
1)   Engine oil or transmission? If I am not mistaken, the transmission takes 30 weight gear oil. As for the engine, you drain the oil, clean the strainer, replace the gasket, and fill it with the about six or so pints of 10W30 or 10W40 Dino (not synthetic) motor oil. - djaca70

2)   The transaxle has large 19 mm indented hex plug that you need a large allen wrench for.
One on bottom for draining, and one on the side for filling.
It uses the same as any car of that period, with is 80w90 hypoid gear oil.

The engine works best with 20w50 engine oil. I prefer Castrol. - Motorhead

3)   yeah drain for oil is on bottom of transmission and the fill plug is on the left side of the transmission (as you look at the engine from the back)

any 80-90W is good for the transmission

as for the engine VW recommended using 30W oil. i use Castrol HD SAE30 - Air-Cooled (o\ ! /o)


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