In before the car leaves the port.
The Golf MkV will make its debut in the US next year. It is a completely new design, so buyer beware.
On the other hand, buyer salivate.
Aside from the full complement of safety equipment, the car will not require service till 19,000 miles or 24 months. It features a DSG transmision as economical as a manual, has an independent rear suspension, and will feature the new 200hp turbocharged FSI (fuel stratified injection) engine or a base 150hp 2.5L five cylinder engine (five??).
Buyer be wary.
The pricetag will be higher than previous Golfs/Jettas, and I hate to see VW continue this trend. By doing this, it is now directly competing with the likes of the Mazda 3 and possibly the BMW 1 and 2 series. Of those, I have to be honest and say I prefer the looks of the Mazda 3. But the engine, transmission, and suspension changes in the Golf are enticing.
If anything, I’d wait till the 2007 model to let VW work out the kinks on these new engines (the electronics should be fine for the 2006 model coming out next year, since VW has had this car out in Europe long enough to catch any problems, but this does not include possible manufacturing problems at American assembly plants due to lack of training on the new platform).
I look forward to a new generation of complaints. Or maybe I won’t. I won’t know a thing about the MkV, since my knowledge is specifically centered on the MkIV. That is, of course, unless I manage to convince my better half on a new Jetta Wagon. 
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rick Said,
November 10, 2004 @ 5:00 am
In before the car leaves the port. – If she truly is your better half, she’ll never let you buy another VW.
: )
297 Said,
November 10, 2004 @ 5:07 am
In before the car leaves the port. – I guess I got to her already: she likes my car more than her Camry, and finds it unfair that it’s a stick, which she never learned to use.
Beck Said,
November 10, 2004 @ 5:14 am
In before the car leaves the port. – “”Wait till the 2007 and let VW work out the kinks”"??!! Good Luck!!!!
I waited for them to build the last version of the B4 (97) to let them work out the kinks on my car. And still my car had the same old numerous problems that the B4s and even B3s suffered all those years they were built! What’s the explanation in that one. Tell us puhhlleease!!!!! I think it’s because it’s a car company with it’s head in the sand, unaware or unwilling to acknowledge what trouble their customers are going through with their products. Appropriate, being that Volksyugo likes so much to name their cars after desert winds……ooooohhhh!
297 Said,
November 10, 2004 @ 5:49 am
In before the car leaves the port. – The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
How about we wait till they’re out to evaluate their reliability? Maybe with higher price tags they’ve set higher standards at the factory, eh? That’ll be one good thing in this otherwise bad trend.
297 Said,
November 10, 2004 @ 5:54 am
In before the car leaves the port. – Aside: I found the use of winds a much better idea than nonsense like “”Phaeton”" or oddness like naming it after an exploited African tribe on the verge of cultural extinction.
I’d rather desert winds than trying to figure out the meaning of Camry or Celica… or figure out just what they mean when they use the an adjective like civic as a name, or what they meant by Accord.
Beck Said,
November 10, 2004 @ 6:19 am
In before the car leaves the port. – Hey, Accord’s still a better name than what Hodaka, the long defunct US motorcycle importer named their bike, “Road Toad”. Also better than “Prius” Whadahey iz dat! or “Gamara” or “Godzilla”
Anyway ACCORDions are given high regard in Japan and many far flung Eastern European countries as a true classic instrument for lovely beer drinking Polka music to dance the jig to!
297 Said,
November 10, 2004 @ 6:44 am
In before the car leaves the port. – Daihatsu Hi-Jet. Now that is an absolutely perfect name, if you love irony.
A good name is the Hyundai Tiburon (shark). That’s quite appropriate and, to be honest, sounds nice.
Detroit had a good run back in the day when they named them after horses (Mustang, Pinto) and birds (Firebird, Thunderbird). Animals aside, Corvette is a fantastic name for a fast car. Why they would name a car Neon, Probe, or Vibe is beyond me, though.
Letters and numbers suck. One exception could have been the TT, since it does actually mean something (Tourist Trophy), but since the etymology is only useful to touring racing fans, it sucks as well.
jorgab Said,
November 12, 2004 @ 4:48 am
In before the car leaves the port. – funny i always thought tt stood for toilet turd. guess you learn something new everyday
297 Said,
November 12, 2004 @ 5:56 am
In before the car leaves the port. – Well, no matter where your personal feelings lie, the MkV will be a harbinger for VWs future in the 21st century. The MkIII and MkIV may have sold a lot, and they definitely introduced many new technologies still missing in other cars, but their reliability ratings are nothing compared to VW’s former reputation. The MkV HAS to be reliable, otherwise, VW is in for a very long winter.
Personal note: I still believe most reliability issues for the MkIV were solved by the 2001/2002 MY. But VW needs to make a splash with the MkV, and though I do say buyer be wary, I sincerely hope the MkV fares well in customer satisfaction.