ric vented his quite righteous defense of his eurovan, and i guess i'd ought
to try to talk myself out of a corner.

what i say about eurovans is what *I* feel about them as being FOR ME. not
for someone else.  that's what i said about the chrysler mini-vans: they are
great for someone else, but not for me.  when i had so much trouble with my
86 vanagon, and the dealers in three cities couldn't or wouldn't fix it, i
almost considered trading for a voyager. but i sat in the plymouth for about
30 minutes. just sat there. never even cranked it up or drove it.  it just
simply was not 'me'. not even close. so i left, and wound up getting another
vanagon.

now, i've driven the eurovan three times. big deal? well, it's a first
impression at any rate. well, if i didn't like it, why go back for more?
cause back in 1967, i was HORRIFIED at the digusting changes vw had made to
the cute personable bus!!! and, sure enough, three years later, i bought one.
when the double door 95's come out, i'll go back and drive them. but i doubt
if i'll buy one. not yet.

point being, that what i liked in 1964-1967 is not necessarily what i like
now. and i think that's true of the vw bus buyers in europe ... which is why
vw (and everybody else in the car business) has had to change.  and what i
like now will likely NOT be what i like 15 years from now. it might be. but
i kinda doubt it.  for now, the vanagon is IT. from 1970-1980, the 71 bus
was IT. ten years from now?

like i said, i can see a lot of stuff for people to like, but i find just
enough things that i don't like for me. and my experiences with the vw dealers
kinda puts me off on any new vw. especially the dealer here.

but in that it is still a vw, and i still like vw's ... in that respect, i'm
happy that other people like it. hell, i like ALL the years of vw buses. i
just happen to like the vanagon the best.    right now. :)

your mileage may vary.
joel