Does This Dealer's "Door Abuse Test" Proving Anything OR Is It Just A Gimmick?

Now over the years I've seen dealers use some pretty extreme tactics to push cars but this one may very well take the cake. Larry Roesch Volkswagen, based in the Chicagoland area, decided to take to the interwebz and show everyone on YouTube just how good VWs are made.

Well, at least that was the intended goal. I don't think the mission was to turn off a bunch of enthusiasts.

With that said though, a salesman displays the well-built quality of a new four-door GTI sitting in the showroom. To do so, the sales associate slams both driver-side doors then climbs on top of the driver's door and bounces up and down for a moment. After climbing down, the representative calmly shuts the door to illustrate the car is still fine. Oh yes, and he even challenges you to do that to a Hyundai or a Honda.

Yeah, that's great and all -- even with the shameless Tomfoolery -- but does this really prove anything? Does this make you, as a buyer, say "I need to get me a VW, stat" or are you irked at the stupidity of this advertisement?


Door abuse test @ Larry Roesch Volkswagen.



[Source: YouTube VIA Larry Roesch VW]


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Lexus - 5/25/2011 1:10:40 AM

+6 Boost

LMAO....... Who actually treat their car like that? lol. Nope Not buying it.

800over - 5/26/2011 3:12:45 PM

+1 Boost

Saturn was famous for years for doing the "standing on the door" test. That must mean they were well built.

outsider - 5/25/2011 2:02:46 AM

+5 Boost

Hey, carefully check all of the cars buy from this dealer, especially the red colour 4 doors Golf GTI. This is not a quality demonstration of quality. Nobody treats their car like this "salesman".
In other hand the windows and the moonroof were open. I'm keen to know if everything closed, how will be closed the door. (I tested already...)

DeutschlandV8 - 5/25/2011 5:55:20 AM

+5 Boost

Didn't Mercedes do this in a commercial a few years ago?

Chark - 5/25/2011 6:50:23 AM

+7 Boost

He clearly learned these advanced techniques at the Steve Ballmer Sales Academy. Now if VW could just get the GTIs to run on regular unleaded instead of premium... That 20¢ per gallon makes a big difference.

85bmw745i - 5/25/2011 10:08:27 PM

+1 Boost

The reason they require premium is because our premium fuel is equivalent to Germany's regular unleaded. 92/93 octane is the lowest grade of gas in Europe. Thats why most cars from there require premium fuel,

Agent00J - 5/25/2011 7:03:05 AM

+1 Boost

Our local vw dealers are running a similar ad right now, I wonder if there is a corporate directive on this form of advertising. Our local ads call out Toyota and Honda if I'm not mistaken.

-00J

truckman - 5/26/2011 4:46:54 AM

+2 Boost

A toyota salesman sat on the Toyota door to show how tough it was maybe 1992, they are tougher now, so yes you could do this to a Honda or Toyota or a Hyundi.

ctp0011 - 5/25/2011 8:19:55 AM

+1 Boost

The test is supposed to show the quality of the hinges, their welds to the door and pillar and strength of the hinge pins.

Whelan - 5/25/2011 8:41:53 AM

+3 Boost

As much as I like the 4 door GTI and I've never seen one in that color (looks burnt orange). I would definitely not buy from this guy, especially that particular model because I would never plan on doing anything remotely close to that to my door.

Hoorayforpeepee - 5/25/2011 3:01:18 PM

+4 Boost

Good doors, useful when the panic mode takes a hold of your traction control system and stops the car from moving ! or even better when you've gone through 2 transmissions on a 2008 Jetta and haven't even reached 60K

I mean at least the car has good doors

Hoorayforpeepee - 5/25/2011 3:03:29 PM

+2 Boost

I have a friend who has a video on youtube called Volkswagen Rabbit Unfixable suspension defect

knowitall1985 - 5/25/2011 3:04:25 PM

+3 Boost

means nothing......

Willis - 5/25/2011 4:38:14 PM

-5 Boost

Try doing this on a Toyota - the door would fall off!

Joe_Limon - 5/25/2011 4:58:06 PM

-4 Boost

Speaking of things falling off of Toyota's, a friend of mine rented a Camry and accidentally bumped a tree behind him... only to have the bumper fall off. lol it was being held on by plastic clips.

Willis - 5/25/2011 6:24:58 PM

-5 Boost

The last Toyota my sister had (Prius) had certain buttons in the cabin fall off. I think it happened on the rear doors somewhere.

iamdabest1 - 5/26/2011 1:10:18 AM

+4 Boost

most people go into a dealership and just sit in the car to see how it feels, calmly opening the doors and trunk... i think it would be pretty funny to go into this guys dealership and NOT sit in any of the cars but just start doing what he did in the video to every car on the showroom floor... i wonder if it would irritate him..lol