Odd Question?

[Guest pepi]

first off just wanted to say what a fantastic web site. just had our galaxy and i must say its great. just wish i had one sooner. after reading most of the posts over the last few weeks i found that the starting problem with mine was relay 30 so i gave ford a call and asked if they had one in stock the guy on the other end of the fone who told me he was the senior tech asked me.......whats it for :blink: my answer was...dont you know mate?.....erm no he says are you sure its a ford? it f@@@@@g better be mate its got ford galaxy written on the back... erm do you want to bring it down for a service....no thanks i said i just want to get relay 30.....oh what did you say it was for...and so the call went on for 10mins before a got fed up and put the fone down. called another place and was told....yes mate got one in

[tim-spam]

Actually, it's a VW, which explains why some Ford dealers are even more ignorant of the Galaxy than they are of Fords.

[Masked Marauder]

Actually, it is a SEAT, but more Sharans have been sold. Your best bet for parts for a TDi is to go to your local VW dealer. It is not always the cheapest option though.

[Guest 3.5bullet]

Actually, it is a SEAT, but more Sharans have been sold. Your best bet for parts for a TDi is to go to your local VW dealer. It is not always the cheapest option though.

 

i beg to differ with you on this one, to quote the official line...

 

 

made possible by the combined efforts of two of the world's most successfull auto groups, Ford and Volkswagen........

....... Ford was in charge of the design concept and the construction of the 200,000 square meter plant , as well as logistics and production. VW was principally responsible for vehicle development.

 

 

my understanding is that Seat got the Alhambra as they didn't have a vehicle of this size in their range and was given it by default by VW when they joined the VAG group

[Masked Marauder]

So who makes them and who has always made them?

[Guest 3.5bullet]

people in blue shirts with the AutoEuropa logo on them ^_^

[Masked Marauder]

That would be in the big SEAT factory then?

[Guest 3.5bullet]

That would be in the big SEAT factory then?

 

no that would be the Auto Europa factory so named as it builds/built vehicles for three manufacturers, the workers worked and were employed by the local plant under the name of AutoEuropa not Ford, VW or Seat

minor technicality but it was done as a sign to bolster a spirit of equality and partnership within the workforce and not one of brand snobbery between the brands on the shop floor! that was left up to the end buyer of the vehicle to sort out ^_^

[Masked Marauder]

I was being facetious, the plants real name is actually VW Auto-Europa, although it was originally a SEAT site I think.....

[Guest Cepheus]

Move away from the egos boys ..... it's really not that important!! lol :lol:

[tim-spam]

I've generally found my local VW agent is better at supplying parts than the Seat dealer, and things such as the stereo, dash parts, etc. are straight out of other VW cars - Seat cars, although based upon VW platforms, tend to differ more in bodywork / trim, whereas the Alhambra and Sharan are virtually identical. In addition, Ford had very little input on the Mk 2, as they were 'bought out' in 1998 or 1999.

[Masked Marauder]

Move away from the egos boys ..... it's really not that important!! lol ;)

 

 

Please stand back from the ego, nothing to see here....... lol!

[dave_m]

I've started to buy my parts from VW, the benefit being they don't make me pay for them until collection whereas ford do,

 

I hate paying for something and then waiting ages for them to get it or finding out when you get there they have ordered the wrong part.

[tim-spam]

Generally, it's who designed and developed a car that makes it what it is - the detailed design and development of the Sharan / Alhambra / Galaxy was done by VW.

After all, does the fact that the VW Polo is made in Spain make it a Seat?

[Guest pepi]

so are they still made at the same car plant then? and is the new galaxy a ford or realy a vw?

[seatkid]

Ford's contractual tie up with VW ended in Dec 2005, so the last mkII Ford Galaxy was built then. They are living on stock until the all new Ford Galaxy is launched later this month. It is designed 100% by Ford and built using 100% Ford parts in Fords Belgian plant in Gent alongside the recently launched SMAX.

 

Meanwhile VW and SEAT will go their seperate ways. They no longer have anything to do with each other...

 

Pity as the Mk 1 had a lot of Ford input and stopped the Sharan as we know it from becoming yet another Caravelle.

[tim-spam]

Pity as the Mk 1 had a lot of Ford input and stopped the Sharan as we know it from becoming yet another Caravelle.

How do you work that one out? Why should the Sharan have become yet another Caravelle?? The Mk 2 certainly hasn't gone in that direction (even though Ford had even less to do with the design and development of it than for the Mk 1), and is a significant improvement over the Mk 1. The VW Touran also hasn't, and neither will the new VW Sharan (which is based upon the latest Passat platform).

 

But, to be absolutely clear, the new Galaxy is totally Ford (based, I believe upon the latest Mondeo platform), and looks as if it should be quite good. The new Sharan is totally VW and should be even better. As for the Alhambra, rumour has it that it ends with the current model - shame, because a VW Sharan a couple of grand less appeals.

 

By the way, I hope that the new Sharan doesn't grow as much as the new Galaxy, as the current cars seem to me to be an ideal size.

[seatkid]

Pity as the Mk 1 had a lot of Ford input and stopped the Sharan as we know it from becoming yet another Caravelle.

How do you work that one out? Why should the Sharan have become yet another Caravelle?? The Mk 2 certainly hasn't gone in that direction (even though Ford had even less to do with the design and development of it than for the Mk 1), and is a significant improvement over the Mk 1. The VW Touran also hasn't, and neither will the new VW Sharan (which is based upon the latest Passat platform).

Without Ford's commitment, VW would have done what they always do, build a niche model based on an existing platform. The only platform at the time was the caravelle/transporter chassis. They may have not bothered at all. Anyway Ford designed the MK 1 body/interior AFAIK and thats why is not like a passat or golf (of its day) inside. More mondeo I would say. In fact there are lots of Ford bits on the Mk1, electrical, transmission etc. With the VW diesel engine I like to think the Mk 1 has the best that both manufacturers could offer (a/c excepted).

 

But the "arrangement" has its drawbacks.... they have done very little to develop the car further....sure, when the MkII came along VW took over and tweaked it to their liking, but only in a minimal cosmetic way. (i.e. low cost)

[tim-spam]

Without Ford's commitment, VW would have done what they always do, build a niche model based on an existing platform.

Given the history, that is clearly not what they wanted to do. It could equally be argued that without VW, Ford would have produced yet another Transit, but again, history shows that that is not what they wanted either - hence the tie-up.

Having test driven quite a few Sharans and Alhambras (7 Mk1's and 5 Mk2's), and having chosen a Mk2, I can say with some confidence that the Mk 2 is a considerable improvement and definitely not just 'low cost'. Sure, using parts used on other VW Group cars is a good way of keeping costs down, but the Mk2's seem to put up with the rigours of MPV life better than the Mk 1's.

The Mk2 also has a stiffer body structure, updated passive safety equipment, improved engines and transmissions, more durable interiors, uprated brakes, etc. - far more than minor 'cosmetic tweaks'.

The first Alhambra I tried was a 90bhp Mk1 and seemed quite good until I drove a 110bhp - this was a very low mileage example and I was very tempted to make an offer, but after trying a 115bhp high mileage Mk2 Sharan (120000 hard miles) ex hire car, I could not believe how much better the Mk 2 was to drive (and how well this example had 'brushed up'). As a consequence, I increased my budget and started looking for a lower mileage Mk 2. Interestingly, on the used market, there does not seem to be a huge difference in price between Sharans and Alhambras - the main reason for choosing my Alhambra was its condition and mileage (and the price was obviously right as well), but it could just as well have been a Sharan or Galaxy.

[Guest Cepheus]

Nice discussion ... always nice to see knowledgable people debating on here instead of the usual twaddle!

 

Shall have to get myself a bigger anorak to join in this one though :unsure: ;)