Volkswagon?
Nope. Not a chance. Yep, I'm Canadian. Still mostly "nope" to European cars.
I don't like Volkswagons. But I have reason for it. I don't mind driving them, but when I was working in a garage as a licensed mechanic (long time ago, was still a pup) we would all run for the break room or the smoker if the counter guy came back with a work order for a "volkswagon XXX". Things were just built too differently and they needed (at least it always seemed like) too many special tools for working on most of the cars systems. Obviously I'm not talking about the old "bugs" (which seemed like you could fix with a pocket knife and a pair of scissors), but pretty much anything Rabbit and up. Everyone in the shop hated working on them.
I mean seriously: who the hell though toot was a good idea to use BOLTS to hold the wheels on instead of studs and lug nuts? Pull out the wheel bolts and you better be ready to catch that G-D tire before it hit you or the floor. Putting it back on was an even bigger hassle.
Truthfully, we didn't get a lot for european cars, but they were all a major PITA to work on. Everything from a V12 Jaguar (don't get me started on trying to synch up a set of V12 carbs or changing the rear brakes on a Jag IRS, carb synch on a Jag ran on stright time, book rates went out the door on those gawd-awful things) to a BMW sedan, just too different from what we were used to working on. We could, but it was always a hassle. That's not what you want when you're working for flat rate. You want it in and you want it out, as quickly as possible.
Don't get me wrong; I enjoy a nice BMW or most of the European exotics. I drove a Jetta TDi for a couple weeks once and it was great getting somewhere around 60+ MPG on the highway runs.
But I only ever want to drive them, never own them. At the end of a drive, I'm perfectly happy to hand the keys back to whoever owns it and wonder when they're going to have to take it in for work and how much it is going to cost them. No thank you . Not for me.
Jap cars? Meh, I can take 'em or leave em. Except for a few jap models, I've always found them to be......well, boring.
Jap cars usually drive great, work great, (usually) reliable to a fault, immeninetly practical and (almost all of them) get good/great fuel mileage. But man, the average Jap car just leaves me so......flat. North american cars can be that way for me too, but ti usually has to be some "low end" model (like a sunfire or that type of econobox) to not be at least somewhat fun to throw around.
But if a guy likes Volkswagons; fill your boots. You can be very happy with VW. They are great cars......until something breaks. Then you need deep pckets and lots of patience. And that's if you are getting someone else to fix it. If you're fixing it yourself, you need even more money and more patience. I've got several friends that have(more modern) Volkswagons. They love 'em. Until they break down and they get the bill to fix it. Then they can't get rid of them fast enough, even after it's fixed.
I've even have had a couple ask me to help them fix their Veedubs at times. I feel bad because they're all just working stiffs and I don't want to seem like an @$$ to them, but they always get the same answer: I've got the tools, test equipment and the space (not to mention a 55" tv and the, ummm...."fridge").
Bring it over and you can use my stuff to fix it. I'll even give you pointers and advice if you want it.
But I'm NOT touching one damned bolt on that G-D thing......lol!