Volkswagen Planning To Capitalize On Honda Loyalty Issues

still blame the tsunami... look at the sales trends.. both Toyota and Honda were already on a steep decline before the tsunami ever hit... and this is why they are still waiting for the supposed "post-tsunami" recup that will never come. Hyundai and VW have taken over Toyota and Honda. Get used to it. My wife and I owned Hondas, they are good quality, initially, but then you lose performance and they start RUSTING, not to mention they are boring to drive.

I prefer more edgy and modern cars like VW. THe Touareg is AGES ahead of anything Honda has in its lineup. VW's reliability IS behind Honda, but when considering that all automakers nowadays have excellent reliability, it comes down to a difference in scoring between 99.5%/100% and 99.2%/100%. So reliability has not been an issue or deciding factor for people who understand the numbers. JD Power will have you believe that it is still important since they make money out of their awards.

I've also owned a VW and never once had any problems with it. I returned the leased car in the same condition I received it. An excellent car.

Honda suffers from poor designs, but not quality and with high gas prices, their customers will come back. VW doesn't work here.

Slight difference between style and design. Honda's technical designs are still very good, it is the exterior styling and some of the interior styling that is controversial.

Honda is also very conservative in adopting the latest technologies, often for a good reason as that makes their vehicles extremely reliable.

I really think Honda needs to excite the enthusiasts with sports models, not just veneer sports trims (Si, type R, etc). The Prelude needs to come back, the S2000 heir needs to be made, the CR-Z needs a 200 HP 1.6L turbo engine. The US Pilot and Ridgeline need to go.

The Fit is a great little car, it just needs to be designed by an Italian. The current Civic is completely mind-boggling. The Accord, the Odyssey and the CR-V are still good.

It has the Touareg that can actually go off-road, and the diesel version can tow a 747.

The Pilot looks like a dinosaur all of a sudden. Sure, it is spacious, it is short, and handles OK, but the fuel economy is terrible, it has very limited off-road capability, and the Odyssey pretty much does everything the Pilot does, only better.

sales speak for themselves... and profits even more so... VW DOUBLED profits in 2011, mostly due to US sales.

Agreed, VW can touch Honda's quality but Honda needs to shuffle its design team; and please, please, please don't screw it up with the upcoming new Accord. -New Civic was a complete letdown!

I think you meant reliability, given that VW has for several years owned top quality awards for its vehicles,... and yet even in the reliability arena you are WRONG, since reliability is no longer a differentiator between most brands, the difference is so small that other factors have much more weight in making a purchase decision. In those other categories, Honda can't touch VW.

Oh, and make sure you return your Honda promptly, otherwise you'll be owning a RUST BUCKET after 5 years. Owned two Hondas, but never again. Owned one VW and was very pleased and never had issues. Owned an Infiniti FX also no issues and handles great, but I got tired of the plastic interior. Owned several Audi's and I have never had problems. Traded in my A6 after 10 years with no problems to get a new one, and still no issues whatsoever. Reliability has for many years been IRRELEVANT. If you want to brag about Honda being .2% better than VW, that is your right. Enjoy.

... and yet the tables have turned. Buh bye Honda!

Hmmm, a German consumed with vulgar, arrogant, imperialistic hubris. It's never pretty and hopefully rarely last long. VW should know this...

nice to twist the words and the truth to suit your point of view... yet VW's sales are embarrassing the Japanese with no slowing down expected.

I don't see where the hubris is missing in his words? Not wanting to see 10 cars (OK, with some badge engineering) from the same manufacturing group? Don't come to the UK then. Abstaining from fleet/hire sales in the US - if it is true, is simply temporary posturing. I can't find a UK rental firm that doesn't carry VW vehicles, which are most often the poster-cars for the business. Beware this avaricious outfit, they want everything, and are the worlds most insidious marketeers.