You write a computer program, then tweak all the “unknown constants” (aka, fudge factors) until you get the answer you want.
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This is a topic I was glad to see posted. Who knows why one dealer has seemingly closed? - BUT - Here are some sales facts about VW. VW’s U.S. sales have declined as follows: 2014 366,970 / 2015 344,940 / 2016 322,948. Before the emission cheating debacle, I had already started writing about VW’s American sales decline. This was while the overall industry was seeing strong growth. VW’s top-selling U.S. model is the Jetta sedan. VW sold about 8,000 last month. By contrast, the industry leaders, Honda and Toyota sell about 4X that amount of compact sedans. However, that is not VW’s problem. Its problem is that it does not have a viable compact crossover -or hasn’t. The Tiguan only sells at about a 3,500 units per month. All of the major car companies sell about 10X that amount of compact crossovers now. Compact crossovers are the single largest vehicle segment now, having passed trucks. Yes, the industry’s growth has slowed down a bit, plateaued really. Toyota just finished 2016 within 2% of 2015. The first two months of 2017 are down about 9% for Toyota. Interestingly, smaller automakers are doing better this year. Both Subaru and Mazda are up about 8% in the first two months of 2017 compared to 2016. Personally, I really like VWs (Golf GTI and Alltrack for example). I hope VW survives in the U.S. market, but without the dirty diesels for sale, with no compact crossover sales momentum, and with no light trucks, it is hard to see what VW is really doing that is special in the mainstream auto segments.
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Thanks for the statistics. VW is even worse in terms of their way-too-ambitious sales targets from several years ago. They were wanting to, what, double sales? They’ve gone in the exact opposite direction.
Exactly. I remember thinking that if that actually came to pass, VW must have the smartest marketing people in the world.
In my area, the total was 5 inches while the prediction was 6 to 10 inches; not far off. We got a lot of sleet and rain with the snow. It it had all been snow, it would have been closer to 10 inches, maybe more. Maybe we shouldn’t complain about getting off easy with this storm.
I’m really not complaining.
However, the forecast in my area was “off” by a significant amount.
My big problem is that yesterday, while the snow was coming down, I felt like I was “coming down with something” as I felt chilled (which is extremely rare for me), and I was very sleepy the entire day–which is unheard-of for me. As a result, I didn’t use the snowblower yesterday when the snow/sleet finally ended at ~3:00 PM.
Well, as you may have guessed, overnight it all froze and this morning my snowblower is just passing over the frozen surface while “throwing” only a very miniscule amount of snow. So, I will just have to deal with a frozen driveway for a couple of days until the temp goes up. Luckily, my Outback’s AWD system doesn’t even seem to notice that the driveway is like a frozen tundra surface.
But, next time that it snows, even if I don’t feel well, I will go to work right away with my snowblower.
Correct! It has never paid off for me to complain to Mother Nature. She doesn’t handle it well. Simply thank her for what you’re given and carry on. 
She has ways of dealing with whiners. She got me a good one about a week ago. 2-1/2 tanks of gas through my 13 h.p. snow blower and it has not risen to the freezing point, since.
All I said was, “Wow! What a mild February!”
CSA
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Concerning VW . . .
One of my relatives has a Jetta, 2015, I believe
Anyways, he gave me a ride home, and my overall impression was CHEAP
It might be fun to drive, but the complete interior screamed low quality to me
As others have mentioned in the past, it seems VW has indeed dumbed down their vehicles, in an attempt to keep the prices competitive and move a lot of steel. But that change occurred several years ago,and it seemed to be working for awhile
I consider them to be about on the same level as Nissan, as far as build quality goes. There are worse choices, but there are also better ones.
I concur 100%.
Their cars certainly aren’t terrible, but in every size category there are definitely better choices for approximately the same prices. The only way that I would consider either of those two makes would be if they cut their prices w-a-a-a-y below those of the better competing vehicles–and I don’t foresee that type of price-cut taking place.
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