Volkswagen Owners

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volkswagen owners Jun 04, 2006
looking to purchase a gti in the near future.. is the a/c up to the task of the heat here in dubai? i felt the vag a/c units to be weak.. even for the summers in the north eastern states of the u.s.

a friend from back home was telling me that vag cars have upgraded a/c units in the mideast.. any truth to this?

also.. how is the pricing compared to the states? a colleague here told me that a gti will run you around 110k dirhams when it should really be closer to 80..

jumanji
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Jun 04, 2006
VWs suck in general in all countries.... Its an overpriced brand that amounts to nothing.

The ACs in most cars today and global fit and as such there are not larger compressors for most companies in the GCC... Other more minor changes are, however, done (like the thermostate).

That being said, cars in USA and Canada are cheap on a whole to buy. The UAE is on par with Canadian/US pricing for the most part.
Liban
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Jun 04, 2006
Also, not quite sure where you do your maths, but a GTI WR6 is closer to 100k than to 80k, so 110K sounds right.

Its about 30K Canadian (3.3 AED to the CAD)
Liban
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Jun 04, 2006
well.. you can get a gti for about 22k in the u.s.. 1 dollar = 3.67 (or is it 3.68 now?)

anyhow.. my car now is ok.. no complaints, its just a little boring.. i have a 2001 gs300.. and would rather have a gti.. the one plus about this car is the a/c is amazing.. its ice cold.
jumanji
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Jun 04, 2006
I would not compare a Lexus to a VW dude :)

A Lexus is like gold and the VW like nickel....
Liban
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Jun 04, 2006
i totally agree with Liban
the VW GTi is not worth 110K.. never repayz in secondhand market
if i'm rite... it produces 250bhp from 2.0 l engine..
with 110K u can get a better motor..may not be first hand..
newimprovednf
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Jun 04, 2006
btw.. i just checked the gti is 2.0t which would suck in the heat ;)

anyhow.. the lexus is nice.. just booooooooring :) aside from that i have no complaints about it..

plus i want to row gears again..
jumanji
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Jun 04, 2006
jumanji wrote:
plus i want to row gears again..


Not the greatest thing to do in Dubai :)
Liban
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Jun 04, 2006
Liban wrote:
jumanji wrote:
plus i want to row gears again..


Not the greatest thing to do in Dubai :)


i have a 10-15 minute ride to work.. work in jebel ali.. live in dubai marina.. so the traffic rarely effects me ;)

someone in another thread made a comment that driving manual isn't the same here as it is elsewhere.. basically because the roads here seem too rational.. in the u.s. where i lived the back roads were a series of S's up/down hills,.. truly a wonderful thing.

inshallah in november i'll be back to my cruising in jerseys prettiest month :)
jumanji
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Jun 05, 2006
The VW Gti is a bit of an overrated car in my opinion. Certainly wouldnt be paying over 100K for it. The Pug RC is better value for money I think.

Secondly, VW dealers are known for thier "dont fix it but replace it" policy - meaning, they wont bother oiling something that squeaks but will insist on replacing the part! :roll:

A/C should be ok for the Gulf spec - but expect to see SERIOUS power droppage in summer.
evolve
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Jun 05, 2006
evolve wrote:The VW Gti is a bit of an overrated car in my opinion. Certainly wouldnt be paying over 100K for it. The Pug RC is better value for money I think.

Secondly, VW dealers are known for thier "dont fix it but replace it" policy - meaning, they wont bother oiling something that squeaks but will insist on replacing the part! :roll:

A/C should be ok for the Gulf spec - but expect to see SERIOUS power droppage in summer.


to be honest, i never really liked the gti.. but the new one is beautiful.. i would love a white one ;) i'm sure the a/c w/heat soak will make the car a pig in the summer.. i think, for the time being, i'll stick with my ride..

i don't miss the problems i had with my last german car (or rather, every german car i've had/driven) but i do miss the way they drive.
jumanji
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Jun 05, 2006
evolve wrote:The VW Gti is a bit of an overrated car in my opinion. Certainly wouldnt be paying over 100K for it. The Pug RC is better value for money I think.

Secondly, VW dealers are known for thier "dont fix it but replace it" policy - meaning, they wont bother oiling something that squeaks but will insist on replacing the part! :roll:

A/C should be ok for the Gulf spec - but expect to see SERIOUS power droppage in summer.


That's why I've head back from getting an Evo IX or the new 2006 STi -- heat soak is a major problem for force-inducted cars, and the weather here in the summer certainly doesn't help, with or without an upgraded intercooler, oil cooler, etc.

The new GTI isn't bad, and is fun to drive. You're right that it is somewhat overpriced, and seriously, in this weather, I'd consider getting a Golf Mk IV V6 4Motion or the new R32 instead of the GTI, depending on my budget.

Also keep in mind that VWs are very well-built. I have seen some here and back home in Singapore that have been involved in accidents, and people have been able to walk away from some of the most shocking ones I have seen. Do not doubt VW and Audi build quality -- they are built like tanks.

On the other hand, the Peugeot 307 that was driving around for my first 4 months here was deteriorating on a day-by-day basis. As much as I do like the 206RC, I would spend a little bit more for the safety cell used by the VAG group.

Don't get me wrong, Peugeot makes some good cars, and I must admit that the 307 was one of the better handling (it was almost neutral) hatchbacks I have driven for a very very long time. Definitely impressive, but the automatic gearbox was downright horrible, and the build quality was certainly something to worry about.
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