Quote Originally Posted by organic_smallhome View Post
I would love to find a study somewhere where someone randomly took a new VW Passat off an American car lot and compared it, part by part, with the German equivalent. Could be interesting.
They couldn't do it, because they are two completely different cars. The current generation of Passat and Jetta sold in the USA are unique models designed for and manufactured in American markets to compete in different segments than the European models. In the USA, a car with the size, power, and efficiency of the European Passat is (barely) in the high-volume mid-size family sedan segment. When the European Passat was sold here it was usually the smallest, most expensive car in its class. In Europe, the Passat is a more expensive "executive" car (kinda like Buick here), while that mainstream family car segment is represented by cars like the Golf and Focus. So, to be more competitive with the size and price of cars like Camry, Fusion, etc., they created a new, unique model but kept the name Passat.

Japanese companies have been doing this for years. For example, take that Accord Duane mentioned - the name Accord is used on two completely different vehicles depending on if you are in an American market or in Europe or Japan. The USA-built model is a mainstream mid-sizer, sold against Camry, Malibu and Fusion. The Japanese-built model is slightly smaller, more expensive car sold in a more exclusive segment. In fact, you can buy a Japanese Accord in the USA if you want, but in order to be price-competitive it has to be sold in the near-luxury class. To find it, head over to an Acura dealer and ask for a TSX.