The Voice of Reason Regarding a VW Commercial

Image via WikipediaI have commented a number of times about the "Slug-Dub" commercials and the ire they trigger in some people. Some people just spit out their strained peas when they saw people hitting others while a Routan drove by and the theme from "The Andy Griffith Show" played.

Image via WikipediaThe response of some is as if Volkswagen is a vestige of the Third Reich attempting the Fourth Reich by instilling the spirit of fascism in America. For the record, it was Mussolini and the Italians who were Fascists--never mind VW, watch out that Fiat doesn't corrupt America through Chrysler! The Third Reich was the invention of the National Socialists under Hitler. I never meant to bring politics into this, but if you listen to the Tea Party, Obama is trying to nationalize socialism here. How ironic, since the Nazis looked down on those of African descent as much as Little Rock and Montgomery did in the 1950s.

For those who are counting, I apologize that I can't work in Stalin, the Yugo and Bosnia, the Hutus and Tutsis, or General Tojo who supported Mitsubishi and the parent companies of Mazda, Suzuki, and Subaru. I can only offend so many people or car companies at a time.

The real reason for this blog entry is the reaction generated by this Volkswagen Jetta commercial:


Jason S. Harry, professional truck driver/blogger posted When Special Interest "Shoot the Gap" . The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has posted a comment on their Facebook page taking umbrage to this commercial and allowing others to vent their spleen. Jason takes a very reasoned view of the VW vs Safety vs Professional Drivers vs OOIDA issue, and comes to the conclusion that the majority of viewers would not assume that VW was instructing people to drive dangerously. Unfortunately, the majority of commenters seem to want to send a blitzkrieg against Wolfsburg (ironic because blitzkrieg was a German-named tactic and the advertizing agency is based in New York and Los Angeles) for having the audacity to show something that 1% of all drivers have never thought of doing and how the vilified professional driver will get the blame.

Jason makes some very good comments about the responses OOIDA receives. I'm sure he's indicating that the majority of professional drivers are not as knee-jerk as the commenters, just as the majority of Jetta (or any other 4-wheeler) drivers are not so brain dead as to pull a stunt to deliberately put 3 vehicles and their occupants in peril.

It occurs to me that the highways would be a safer place if we could put all the knee-jerkers and brain dead 4-wheelers in one room (the Superdome would be adequate, I think) so that they could act out their own nationally socialistic fascism upon the each other. The winner gets to clean up the mess.

Related articles by Zemanta

• New VW Jetta updates two out of three (reviews.cnet.com)

The Routan as Political Statement

On Volkswagen Automobile Information you can find a post, "Should Obama Get a Black Volkswagen Routan?" While I dislike it's ranting language, and I don't understand the purpose of the comment, I find it funny on so many levels:

1. The Volkswagen Routan is enough of an icon to become a political statement. Wouldn't it be funny if the upcoming election pins the "Tea Baggers" against the "Routanists"? Or, is it the "Routanistas"?
2. Image via Wikipedia
   
   The blogger ties the Volkswagen Routan to Hitler, yet all the critics exclaim that there is no German in it. It is a mini-van built in Windsor, Ontario by an American (purported) company that has a German automobile badge on it. Since Chrysler is now owned in part by Fiat, the blogger should have referenced Fascist Mussolini instead.
3. People complain about the commercial where people hit each other when they see a Routan. Now it is being used to bash Obama.
4. Since the Routan is bought from a company that Bush bailed out, and it creates jobs here in the United States, both parties could claim that it represents their ideals.
5. The "Tea Baggers" claim that the current administratrion's treatment of the Constitution is a travesty. Certain auto critics claim that the Volkswagen Routan is a badge-engineering travesty. In fact, didn't Chevrolet sell the "Travesty"? Oh, "Traverse".

I don't care what your views are of Obama and the current administration. I do know that more Routans are owned by the under 34-year-old crowd than any other minivan, and only the VW GTI has a higher percentage ownership by under 34-year-olds. It is hip, good looking, reliable, unique, and I got a great deal on mine.

Get It Straight--the Routan Is A Phenomenal Seller

"Image by Getty Images via @daylife"

Volkswagen may or may not discontinue the Routan. For that matter, Chrysler (Fiat) may or may not discontinue the Grand Caravan (GC) and Town & Country (T&C). Understand why before you throw the baby out with the bath water.

Fiat might discontinue or sell off the mini-van line because "that is not the business we are in." That doesn't mean that mini-vans are not profitable or selling well. In fact, the GC and T&C are the best selling mini-vans in the United States.

Why might Volkswagen discontinue the Routan? Corporate management is "less than enthusiastic about it," but why? Is it because VW is about to lose its supplier? If Chrysler/Fiat discontinues-limits-consolidates their mini-van, Volkswagen does not have an American supplier for the Routan. VW doesn't have a viable replacement in their stable. As popular as the Sharan may be outside the U.S., it doesn't have power sliding doors, is smaller than the top 4 mini-vans selling in the U.S., and I suspect hasn't started the lengthy U.S. certification process.

But the Routan is a phenomenal seller. As often as the motor press says otherwise doesn't make it so. There are three solid reasons why the Routan can be considered a great seller.

1. At introduction, VWoA head Stephen Jacoby said management was expecting to capture 3-5% of the U.S. mini-van market. The mini-van market has been hit hard by the Great Recession, but the Routan has captured about 4% of that shrunken U.S. market.
2. Volkswagen has less than 2% of the overall U.S. auto market. The Routan exceeds in its class VW's market share by 100%. Something that sells twice as well is not a bad seller.
3. The Routan has the youngest average ownership of all the mini-vans sold in the U.S. Volkswagen is strongest in the younger market--many of their models have the youngest average ownership in their class. The Routan either draws or feeds the primary market segment of VWs stable.

We also have to take into consideration corporate politics. The Routan was introduced on Jacoby's watch. Jacoby is leaving for Volvo. Whoever takes his place, the Routan will not be "their car." That alone could kill it.

In response to "Volkswagen Routan May Be Dropped From Line-up, Good Idea?"

Image via Wikipedia

Motortrend.com has an article entitled "Volkswagen Routan May Be Dropped From Lineup, Good Idea?" Below is the comment I left on that article.

The Routan has the youngest ownership of all minivans. In fact, there are only a relatively few vehicles that have younger average ownership. The youngest being the Jetta. Routan is positioned right for VW's market.

I suspect that the Phaeton will be positioned as the last car the Baby Boomers buy. We are dying off, and our profit contribution is decreasing for multiple reasons. But VW may be making a demographic play (provide a new luxury sedan that old guys can like because it doesn't look like the car all of their buddies drive.)

VW was smart to start with the best selling minivan in the US. The Routan has the features that Americans want. It is somewhat differentiated from the Honda and Toyota van that are viewed as practical (read, old fogey). It has an up-market feel compared to the Grand Caravan (GC is plebeian). Chrysler Town & Country is for the pre-boomer who can't get in and out of sedans anymore and who remember when Chrysler meant quality and engineering. (My 75-year old Dad drives a T&C--though he likes my Routan and he says that people who call it a T&C wannabe are idiots.)

The Sharan won't sell here in large quantities. The most mentioned feature by Routan owners is the power sliding side doors. The younger American buyers want power sliding side doors. The Sharan has conventional doors that don't convert well to sliding doors. Some complain that their isn't enough room in the Routan--so how will they feel about even less room of the Sharan.

I hope VW continues to target the younger minivan market. I hope Version 2 is built in Chattanooga on a VW chassis but in the same size configuration. They must add a TDI.

I wouldn't be surprised if Fiat drops the minivan or sells it off with the Ram family. That will end the comparison between the VW minivan and the Chrysler minivan.

Now here's a thought, VW should buy Ram and the mini-van, along with the Windsor plant. Then the Routan won't be like the T&C, but maybe VW will sell T&C units through Fiat/Chrysler. This move would also get VW into the US truck business.

I feel that VW should keep an American minivan that draws a younger market, I have mixed feelings about the Phaeton. While I'm a baby boomer (who started late with babies of his own) who is curious about the Phaeton, I wonder why I would buy one instead of an Audi (it's sister car)?