Volkswagen or Audi ?

Volkswagen and Audi are each on different sides of the same coin.  Ultimately, they are the same coin because technically Volkswagen as a whole owns Audi.  In fact, they own Bentley and Lamborghini too so you may want to rethink about your flashy new expensive car because it may contain VW parts.  For this upcoming 2011 year, VW is releasing the new Jetta with a redesigned front / rear fascia.  I am not entirely sure of the internals but from what I read, it seems the base model is getting a lower-powered 112 hp engine while the middle trims get last generations 170 hp or the 200 hp engine that is fitted in most Audi models.  The TDI is still here to stay but it seems like this new Jetta lost a bit of identity.

The new 2011 Jetta (bottom) just bears this strange resemblance to an Audi A4 (top).   Okay maybe not so close in that you swear you just saw an A4 with a VW badge on, but the design is eerily similar.  If the traditional Audi grill is photoshopped onto the Jetta, we could potentially mistaken it as an Audi A4.    What about the rear?

Oh would you look at that!  The Audi A4 (top) rear tail lights and the tail lights on the new 2011 VW Jetta (bottom) bear resemblance too!  Not exact but it's there!  Did you know the interior is similar too?  Jetta owners you should be proud that your car is like an A4!  I even remembered seeing on a forum photos of the bluetooth module in the A4 with a VW logo sticker on it.

Now why can't VW make it so that their cars are distinguishable from Audi cars?  Toyota owns Lexus but seldom do you have people commenting about the IS250 being a slightly-upgraded similar Toyota model (ok maybe except for that Lexus Hybrid and Toyota Prius - I feel sorry for the idiot that purchased the Lexus hybrid).  Honda owns Acura but at least they pulled the European Accord into the States, called it the TSX, and made it so the two looked drastically different.

What's the point of purchasing a VW Golf GTI when with just a little bit more a person could nab the Audi A3 ?   Why purchase the somewhat-ugly (people say it's ugly I think it's cute) Tiguan when with a bit more you can drive in a fancy Audi Q5 ?   Why the Toureg when you can be in a sexy Q7?   Case in point, the vehicles are similar and the price difference isn't reasonably different enough to justify purchasing a VW.   The Jetta is perhaps the only reasonable VW vehicle to purchase because it's priced to compete against the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, but the other models not so much.   Yet VW wonders why their vehicles aren't selling well, and I wonder with this new Jetta it seems they will have a more difficult time trying to sell it when its looks are competing against the A4.

And I'm sure they do know why people purchase the A4.  

It is those darn LED lights.

Dealers selling Audi vehicles make it a bold statement to include LED Daytime Running Lights as a key feature and these LED lights don't come in the Premium trim.  No.  You have to purchase at least the Premium + or Prestige trims.  That's even more money to have the Audi experience.  If you purchase just the Premium trim, it's like saying "Okay I got myself an Audi."  But by purchasing the Prestige trim, that gives you the feeling of "I finally got myself the real deal."  

This new 2011 VW Jetta?  I feel that the company is hoping to sucker people into getting this vehicle for the Audi A4 look without the fancy lights.   And I stress A4 because the A5 doesn't really have a resembling VW vehicle; according to some jokesters not many people care for hatchbacks; the TT isn't as popular as the A4 since it didn't get its LED lights until later;  the A6 is out of many people's price range just for the fancy lights.

Why this rant?  

I am car shopping at the moment and came to this realization when noticing "LED DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS ON THIS MODEL" in the used section of an Audi dealership.  Yes.  People are vain enough to pay for those fancy lights.  And now even the taillights are sexy looking with the LED.  Shame on you VW / Audi. And why not?  I am a sucker for sexy cool gadgets too and it's funny to think that silly people (me included) will want these things.  It's not like people normally put their car on drive and crawl out onto the hood to look at their puurrtty lights while the vehicle is in motion.  And the sad part of it all?  LED lights are the absolute worst when it comes to illuminating distance.  LEDs.  Fancy and amazingly bright at a distance.  Horrible coverage and short at that.  You do know the new Toyota Prius LED headlights use a bunch of them and an LED fog array just to get enough coverage compared to a traditional halogen bulb right?