26 - Friday, August 19, 1994 - North Shore News

Lines blurred for
import/domestics

From page 28

made-in-America vehicles.
Voikswagen builds Golfs and
Jettas in Mexico and exports them
to various global markets, includ-
ing North America.

So if you think you just bought
an import, or domestic, you may
be fooling yourself.

Myth: European luxury cars are.

too expensive.

Truth: Not always. Pressured by
the Japanese and American com-
petitors, European luxury auto-

takers have been working hard to-

bring out relatively affordable
semi-luxury vehicles.

BMW, for example, sells its
four-cylinder 3-series models for
less than $30,000, and even
Mercedes-Benz has a model for
just over $34,000 (C220 special
edition sedan). Granted, they are
still more expensive than the com-
petitors when compared feature-
for-feature, but the difference is no
longer as big as it used to be.

When you move into the top

models (Mercedes S-class, BMW
7-series), however, the gap gets
larger and the American models in
particular become attractive.
Myth: Trucks handle very poorly
and are very ncisy.
Truth: If you stil think the latest
minivans and trucks drive like an
18-wheeled semi-trailer, it’s time
to see your dealer for a test drive.

Car companies have poured

Westfalia is

good on gas

Fi rom page 24

long drives, cupholders are impera-
tive. There are two inside the front
glovebox but there are none in the
rear, where my children successfully
managed to spill numerous cold
drinks onto the vinyl floor.

On the long and winding road,
the Westfalia loses some steam
going up hills. The 1 10-horsepower,
five-cylinder powerplant manages to
hold 80 km-h in fourth gear at 4,000
r.p.mi., but on serious grades, its nec-
essary co drop down into third gear,
or even second gear. I did, however.
manage to pass a number of large
Winnebagos struggling up the
Cequihalla incline from Hope to the
Coquihalla summit.

The Westfalia has a wide track
and is surprisingly stable in cross
winds, unlike older Volkswagen
vans.

Fuel economy is quite good fora
2,140 kg (4,717 Ib.) camper-van,
averaging 10.1 litres per 100 kilome-
tres (28 mi.p.g.} on the highway, and
14.1 litres per 100 kilometres (20
m.p.g.) in the city.

‘The Westfalia’s base price of
$33,505 is reasonable for a camper-
van conversion (includes air condi-
tioning). An option package which
includes ABS, auxiliary heater, and
allay whecls brought the price of my
test camper to $38,470.

66 The interesting
thing ... is that so
many people refuse
to see things
differently and
continue to cling to
old notions and
beliefs. 99

millions of dollars to incorporate
car-like characters into trucks,
minivans, and sport utility vehi-
cles, and the cfforts are paying off.

Vehicles like the GMC Sonoma
truck and the Nissan Quest mini-
van offer virtually the same level ”
of comfort, quietness, and features
as passenger cars, and this trend is
going to continue as automakers
bring out more car-like trucks in
the future.

When it comes to safety fea-
tures, however, trucks often fall
short of cars because they are not
required tc meet the same stringent
safety standards.

Next week: more myths and
truths. Stay tuned.

. Labour to install cune-up parts

e Road, test vehicle’

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