So what do you drive?

[Stian]

Sure, there are different exhaust emission standards, different lights, etc.

Shows how much I know about cars.. :blush:

 

[mvl]

I drive a very modest Skoda Octavia. I needed a reliable car for the 50.000+ km (31.000+ miles) I drive every year, after crashing two Volvo's last year.

 

[SDX]

Shows how much I know about cars.. :blush:

You make it up in domaining, though, PCPro

---------- Post added at 01:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:12 PM ----------

I drive a very modest Skoda Octavia. I needed a reliable car for the 50.000+ km (31.000+ miles) I drive every year, after crashing two Volvo's last year.

Skoda is basically Volkswagen now.

 

[Gerry]

Cool, I didn't know that. I know that different models are distributed to different countries, but I didn't know that there actually was a difference between a US MB S320 CDI and a German one. So, you basically can't import a diesel car from Germany to the US then?

Yes, you can import directly. But, they will have to be brought up to US specs on emissions, glass etc.

Years ago, (many moons ago) I could have made a living shuttling cars from Seattle to LA from an MB dealer in Seattle. Los Angeles was where the ONLY authorized facility on the west coast to do the conversions for diesel, window glass, headlights, etc. Many europeans come to the US (and asians) and bring their cars with them.

We got paid $500 per car plus all expenses (meals, hotels, etc.) EACH WAY!. If we made certain deadlines (someone was in a hurry) we usually got a bonus, typically another $500 - $1000 split between two of us.

So, two guys working together and shuttling cars back and forth would each make about 2 trips a week clearing between $2000-$3000 each week. This was in the early 80's and that was some damn good money to be made. We would drive straight through from Seattle to LA or LA back to Seattle rotating drivers and catnapping. My god, if I was not engaged at the time or had to return back to school I might still be out there.

Yes, we accepted bribes to bump someone's car further down the order of delivery and pocketed an extra 500 at each location. They had no idea some were already first on the return route and we didn't tell them.

So, in a good week I could pocket $5K-$6K between the fees, bonuses, and bribes. And, like I said, the dealers paid all expenses, meals, and hotels while we were en-route or at one delivery point. In Seattle, we lived at a posh hotel rent free because the other guy that was with me (my road mate) knew the owner. We delivered a 1956 Rolls Royce Limo to him and that is how we got hooked up with the owner of the hotel who then hooked us up with the Mercedes dealership in Seattle. The dealership in LA or Seattle supplied us with a rental vehicle while we were in town so we never had that expense.

My goodness, those were the days and fond memories of some great road trips and partying in Seattle, LA, and San Diego.

---------- Post added at 06:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 PM ----------

Cool, I didn't know that. I know that different models are distributed to different countries, but I didn't know that there actually was a difference between a US MB S320 CDI and a German one. So, you basically can't import a diesel car from Germany to the US then?

Had to be sealed headbeams (what ever that means), proper catalytic converters (even on non-diesel), and shatterproof glass on all the windows.

 

[krossat]

BMW 530i

 

[SDX]

Yes, you can import directly. But, they will have to be brought up to US specs on emissions, glass etc.

Years ago, (many moons ago) I could have made a living shuttling cars from Seattle to LA from an MB dealer in Seattle. Los Angeles was where the ONLY authorized facility on the west coast to do the conversions for diesel, window glass, headlights, etc. Many europeans come to the US (and asians) and bring their cars with them.

We got paid $500 per car plus all expenses (meals, hotels, etc.) EACH WAY!. If we made certain deadlines (someone was in a hurry) we usually got a bonus, typically another $500 - $1000 split between two of us.

So, two guys working together and shuttling cars back and forth would each make about 2 trips a week clearing between $2000-$3000 each week. This was in the early 80's and that was some damn good money to be made. We would drive straight through from Seattle to LA or LA back to Seattle rotating drivers and catnapping. My god, if I was not engaged at the time or had to return back to school I might still be out there.

Yes, we accepted bribes to bump someone's car further down the order of delivery and pocketed an extra 500 at each location. They had no idea some were already first on the return route and we didn't tell them.

So, in a good week I could pocket $5K-$6K between the fees, bonuses, and bribes. And, like I said, the dealers paid all expenses, meals, and hotels while we were en-route or at one delivery point. In Seattle, we lived at a posh hotel rent free because the other guy that was with me (my road mate) knew the owner. We delivered a 1956 Rolls Royce Limo to him and that is how we got hooked up with the owner of the hotel who then hooked us up with the Mercedes dealership in Seattle. The dealership in LA or Seattle supplied us with a rental vehicle while we were in town so we never had that expense.

My goodness, those were the days and fond memories of some great road trips and partying in Seattle, LA, and San Diego.

---------- Post added at 06:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 PM ----------

Had to be sealed headbeams (what ever that means), proper catalytic converters (even on non-diesel), and shatterproof glass on all the windows.

Sweet story Doc! k:

 

[Gerry]

Sweet story Doc! k:

Perhaps the only reason why I know so much on Euro specs vs US specs.

Just like the Smart Car. Leave it to the US to take a vehicle capable of nearly 80 miles to the gallon in Europe to take it down to almost 40mpg here in the US with its requirements.

The irony is in Europe it gets double the mileage as in the states but here we charge well more than double the price for what it can be bought for.


As for the story, man...that was a sweet summer gig.

 

[mvl]

Skoda is basically Volkswagen now.

I did two testdrives, A Volkswagen Passat and a Skoda Octavia. They are almost identical: same engine, same controls. Looks and small details are different but you are basically driving the same car.

 

[exxe]

some will say audi is vw... but it is not, even if they share few engines

the same goes for skoda and vw, IMO

 

[Stian]

Yes, you can import directly. But, they will have to be brought up to US specs on emissions, glass etc.

Years ago, (many moons ago) I could have made a living shuttling cars from Seattle to LA from an MB dealer in Seattle. Los Angeles was where the ONLY authorized facility on the west coast to do the conversions for diesel, window glass, headlights, etc. Many europeans come to the US (and asians) and bring their cars with them.

We got paid $500 per car plus all expenses (meals, hotels, etc.) EACH WAY!. If we made certain deadlines (someone was in a hurry) we usually got a bonus, typically another $500 - $1000 split between two of us.

So, two guys working together and shuttling cars back and forth would each make about 2 trips a week clearing between $2000-$3000 each week. This was in the early 80's and that was some damn good money to be made. We would drive straight through from Seattle to LA or LA back to Seattle rotating drivers and catnapping. My god, if I was not engaged at the time or had to return back to school I might still be out there.

Yes, we accepted bribes to bump someone's car further down the order of delivery and pocketed an extra 500 at each location. They had no idea some were already first on the return route and we didn't tell them.

So, in a good week I could pocket $5K-$6K between the fees, bonuses, and bribes. And, like I said, the dealers paid all expenses, meals, and hotels while we were en-route or at one delivery point. In Seattle, we lived at a posh hotel rent free because the other guy that was with me (my road mate) knew the owner. We delivered a 1956 Rolls Royce Limo to him and that is how we got hooked up with the owner of the hotel who then hooked us up with the Mercedes dealership in Seattle. The dealership in LA or Seattle supplied us with a rental vehicle while we were in town so we never had that expense.

My goodness, those were the days and fond memories of some great road trips and partying in Seattle, LA, and San Diego.

---------- Post added at 06:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 PM ----------

Had to be sealed headbeams (what ever that means), proper catalytic converters (even on non-diesel), and shatterproof glass on all the windows.

Good times. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tetrapak]

some will say audi is vw... but it is not, even if they share few engines

the same goes for skoda and vw, IMO

Skoda and VW are much closer to each-other, even price wise than VW and Audi.

 

[exxe]

Skoda and VW are much closer to each-other, even price wise than VW and Audi.

It depends what models you compare. I also have a Golf 5 GTI, since about 3 yrs ago, and I have paid for it more than 25k EUR. The Audi A3 with the same engine (2l TFSI 200HP) would have been with about 3-4k more. I think the difference between Passat and Octavia is also few k's.

 

[tetrapak]

Passat is a larger car than the Octavia, the equivalent is the Jetta.

 

[exxe]

Passat is a larger car than the Octavia, the equivalent is the Jetta.

Octavia is larger than Passat.

 

[Gerry]

some will say audi is vw... but it is not, even if they share few engines

the same goes for skoda and vw, IMO

Porshe, VW, Audi and a few other brands are owned by the same parent company. They share many parts along with engines.

But, the VW Tourareg was made on the Porche Cayenne production line.

Audi is in a class by itself, along with Porche.

But VW is an excellent vehicle as well.

And undoubtedly the Audi R8 has some Porche design elements to it.

Personally, if I was to buy another family vehicle I would look very favorably on Audi.

 

[SDX]

Porshe, VW, Audi and a few other brands are owned by the same parent company. They share many parts along with engines.

But, the VW Tourareg was made on the Porche Cayenne production line.

Audi is in a class by itself, along with Porche.

But VW is an excellent vehicle as well.

And undoubtedly the Audi R8 has some Porche design elements to it.

Personally, if I was to buy another family vehicle I would look very favorably on Audi.

Yes, my Mom LOVES her Audi Q7 V8!

 

[tetrapak]

Octavia is larger than Passat.

You are mixing it with something. Octavia is Jetta size. Passat is one size bigger. Superb is built on the Passat platform...

Passat: 4765 mm / 1820 mm / 1472 mm (length / width / height)
Octavia: 4569 mm / 1769 mm / 1462 mm (length / width / height)

 

[exxe]

You are mixing it with something. Octavia is Jetta size. Passat is one size bigger. Superb is built on the Passat platform...

Passat: 4765 mm / 1820 mm / 1472 mm (length / width / height)
Octavia: 4569 mm / 1769 mm / 1462 mm (length / width / height)

You're right

I've been thinking Superb is an Octavia better equipped, heh.

 

[SDX]

You're right

I've been thinking Superb is an Octavia better equipped, heh.

See...you live and learn something new every day exxe!

 

[Gerry]

Is VW still making and selling the Phaeton in EU?

Wow, that was such a wonderfully built and finish auto.

But here in the states, people weren't ready to shell out 70-80K for a VW.

I understand in some places these are used as limos.