Vauxhall to "move upmarket"

gilbert_and_sullivan

Since when have German branded shopping trolleys like BMW and VW been seen as upmarket?
The badge might be desirous to some easily led people here but they are white goods at home.

In their day Vauxhall/Opels 6 pot RWD saloons were as good as any rivals, where they went wrong as have Ford in the UK is to supersize their shopping trolleys (Mundano/Vectra/Insignia) and dropped the very good cars that were the premium ranges (Granada/Senator/Omega) and i don't mean the base models with little 4 cyl engines either which were slugs, i mean the 24v versions of each...though to be fair Ford lost the plot completely with the ugly as sin last Scorpio.

colino

With slight topic drift, anyone who does a lot of work on BMWs/Mercs even Jags will tell you the design and build, apart from some epic fails, are far superior to most mass market competitors. Half of the time working on other 10 year old stuff is spent on freeing off rusted-solid fixings or using the gas screwdriver. Quality counts and I'd spend the time happily working on a 10 year old 200k miles 530D needing straightening out, whereas I'd scrap a 5 year old diesel Vectra with 100k needing the same work - and not just because of the formers higher value.

Strider590

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Since when have German branded shopping trolleys like BMW and VW been seen as upmarket?
The badge might be desirous to some easily led people here but they are white goods at home.

Germans are very good at PR and marketing, simple as that. They barely need do anything these days because all the wannabe middle class folk do it for them.

TradePro

colino wrote: »

With slight topic drift, anyone who does a lot of work on BMWs/Mercs even Jags will tell you the design and build, apart from some epic fails, are far superior to most mass market competitors. Half of the time working on other 10 year old stuff is spent on freeing off rusted-solid fixings or using the gas screwdriver. Quality counts and I'd spend the time happily working on a 10 year old 200k miles 530D needing straightening out, whereas I'd scrap a 5 year old diesel Vectra with 100k needing the same work - and not just because of the formers higher value.

It seems you have fallen for it too!

German cars are considerably more 'oily' than Japanese ones, they're basically no better than French cars (apart from of course that they have a go at being more exotic i.e. 'M' cars, AMG's etc.) but their electrics, using too many plastic bits and !!!! RHD conversions are no different.

You are only happy to spend time and money on the 530D over the Vectra 'cos it's a BM'...

colino

No, because it is better designed, more robust, repairs more easily because it is better put together and when it is all done, is a better car in every aspect than a "white goods" throwaway.

redmike123

I really don't like Vauxhall cars, I had a few new ones as company cars in the 90's and they were substantially more unpleasant than the equivalent Fords.

The new ford mondeo, focus fiesta and ka are all excellent cars, not that I own one, but I would be happy to do so.

prowla

spacey2012 wrote: »

Sorting out the EML system would be a good start.
Fart in the car and the EML comes on.
I have even seen the lamp wired to a switch to turn it off.

I had a Vectra which had major issues with its sensors, which kept going.

And then its cam belt gave up on me whilst I was in the fast lane of the M4, and not long after a service too.

I don't care how up market they think they can go; that memory will live with me.

Joe_Horner

"[...] Upmarket like Volkswagen [...]"

Oh, how I laughed!

alastairq

Vauxhall 30/98 'Prince Henry?'

First sports car, as we now know them?

TradePro

colino wrote: »

No, because it is better designed, more robust, repairs more easily because it is better put together

All perception in my opinion, sorry if you disagree.