[kaisen]

In the US, Volkswagen products don't stand much of a chance going head to head with Toyota and Honda. They have to be different to stand out at the same price point.

It seems to me that VW has chosen driving dynamics and interior materials/design at the expense of robust materials elsewhere. And VW's mechanical/electrical complexity may showcase their German engineering skills, but it's been at the expense of reliability.

I'm not sure they suck, but I think that's why people may feel that way.