Mark 7 Boot Less Depth

[team_v]

Not bad coming from a supposed "moderator".

And yet you're the one who thinks your chances of winning the car in the Monty Hall game increase from 33% to 50% after the host opens one of the doors to reveal a goat. I think that fits the very definition of "delusional".



No it is not; it is called product design, otherwise the Golf brochure would be proclaiming the "new, shorter boot".



No, **** happens, product differentiation is planned and rarely involves reducing the practicality of any aspect of the design unless there is an offsetting benefit.



But you conveniently ignore the fact that boot length is the only aspect of the Mark 7 about which I am dissatisfied. Given the Mark 7 is the first Golf to have a reduction in boot length, and by Tigger73's account it has less length than his Mark IV, this is not only remarkable but should give you pause before suggesting alternative cars that over-compensate for the loss of boot length while failing on the count of size (Octavia wagon) and fun factor (Tiguan) to meet all of my other needs.

You also ignore that fact that in your earlier post your suggested alternatives were predicated on boot space being "essential". Well, it is not, we can always buy new luggage, and would rather do that than drive a Tiguan, but such a retrograde design change still makes for an interesting topic of discussion.

Why? Because most people would not have taken the relevant suitcase to their VW dealer as I did yesterday and so those assuming their existing items will fit (as did Tigger73) could benefit from learning of the shorter boot as many have found their wheelchairs and other items did not fit until it was too late.



What is a "targeted VW model, team_v"? Do you even know what that string of words means, because I don't. What is the "targeted VW model" you have in mind, team_v? Please do not answer that, I could not stand another tortured explanation.

For me, the Golf is my target car because it checks every box in terms of price, performance, size, fun to drive, available in a manual and its Tardis-like qualities. I just lament the step backwards in boot length such that I cannot fit our existing pair of large suitcases as my Mark V can. Seems like a reasonable lament. Not to you, team_v. You have to moderate by calling me "delusional" and generally missing the point. Bravo!

But then, reasonableness does tend to be at a premium on these pages.

So you are hapy with everything else about the Mk7 Golf hatch but aren't happy with the boot space.
Enough so to make statements that you would exact revenge on VW if you do ever actually buy a mk7 .
To me that sounds like it is an essential requirement for purchasing the car.

It is product differentiation.
VW targets different buyers with differnt model options.
You want a performance hatch, get the GTI/R/scirocco.
You want the fuel economy version, get a 77/90SI or a TDI.
You want more boot space, get the wagon/octavia/tiguan.
You want a convertable, get the golf cabrio/eos.
Want something bigger, get the Passat/Superb/Audi A/Q(>4)/Touareg/Panamera/Cayene etc.
Want something smaller get the polo/A1/fabia.

[Arnold]

Okay, team_v, taking that thought a bit further, who is VW "targeting" when it reduces the length of the boot by an amount that is imperceptible in the showroom and not heralded in the brochure but which renders previously Golf-compatible luggage incompatible and golf buggies and wheelchairs harder, if not impossible, to carry in the boot?

Are you still sure it's "product differentiation"?

Sorry, team_v, but this thread has nothing to do with "product differentiation" and is all to do with a quirk of design that has seen the length of the Golf's boot decrease for the first time. And for that I will have my revenge as stupidity must be punished!

It is something about which I thought other prospective Mark 7 owners should be aware however your contributions make it all the harder for that to occur, because you think it is about marketing when it is about an ill-conceived design with real world impacts (having to acquire new luggage etc) affecting real people who could not be bothered with irrelevant concepts such as "product differentiation".

[team_v]

Okay, team_v, taking that thought a bit further, who is VW "targeting" when it reduces the length of the boot by an amount that is imperceptible in the showroom but which renders luggage incompatible and golf buggies and wheelchairs harder, if not impossible, to carry in the boot?

Are you still sure it's "product differentiation"?

Sorry, team_v, but this thread has nothing to do with "product differentiation" and is all to do with a quirk of design that has seen the length of the Golf's boot decrease for the first time in over years. And for that I will have my revenge as stupidity must be punished!

It is targeting all the buyers who rarely fill their boot to capacity and have passengers who sit in the back seat row.
Which would be almost all of their potential buyers, hence why they have made the decision to increase cabin space.
If you put 2 or 3 people in the back seat of the golf and they get an extra few cm of space, the passengers and the driver are going to be more happy than being able to fit your 2 suitcases in the boot in a specific configuration.

If you have a need for a bigger boot, you can buy the golf wagon, octavia wagon, tiguan, touareg etc.

[mui_michael]

Arnold, I totally understand the point you are making and yes I do tend to agree with you about the new golf not having the boot size(dimension) of the previous generation of golf's.

As a designer(product and interior) myself, sometimes we do not have the luxury of creating "The unicorn". In 99% of the time we are bound and gaged by different factors such as company's vision, cost, market's direction etc... we love to give everything a customer wants but sadly we do not live in a perfect world nor does we always get what we wanted.

The mk7 really is an exceptional car for what it is and you have said it yourself, it ticked all your boxes except the boot space issue... I'm sure there are ways to get around the luggage dilemma... how about brushing up your Tetris skills a bit? Haha jks

Look, at the end of the day you are buying a car for yourself(family) so only you will know what is best suited for your needs, buy the golf hatch if you can work around it, buy a wagon if you want the boot space, either way you will forget your two luggage in the back very soon as you shifting through your manual mk7...

[Arnold]

It is targeting all the buyers who rarely fill their boot to capacity and have passengers who sit in the back seat row.
Which would be almost all of their potential buyers, hence why they have made the decision to increase cabin space.
If you put 2 or 3 people in the back seat of the golf and they get an extra few cm of space, the passengers and the driver are going to be more happy than being able to fit your 2 suitcases in the boot in a specific configuration.

Targeting my arse.

People who rarely fill their boot?

Who have passengers who sit in the back row?

You just described nearly every single car buyer.

But VW does not target the Golf at people carrying four passengers one bit. The car is a compromise for 4, but a bloody good one that did not need to have its boot length reduced as it had sufficient rear legroom for 90% of its buyers - singles and those with young families. Expressly not those carrying 3 adult passengers sufficiently often to warrant an increase in rear leg room at the cost of boot length.

So back to the drawing board with that thought bubble, team_v. (Have you figured out the Monty Hall problem yet?)

Anyway, whatever the decision to increase legroom at the expense of boot length may be, it is a mistake as it is very rare to see a Golf with more than 2 adults on board let alone 4 adults. Two adults and two children would be the typical max load. Any more than that and the journey would be so short as to not warrant increasing legroom at the expense of boot length.

If you have a need for a bigger boot, you can buy the golf wagon, octavia wagon, tiguan, touareg etc.

There are many options if I need a bigger boot, thanks, team_v, but a Touareg would quite clearly not be among them for someone considering a Golf given all of the reasons they might be doing so and some of which I have highlighted (manual fun to drive, compact, Tardis-like etc etc).

[brad]

Added this fine fellow to my ignore list ages back. I can highly recomend the action.

The word "concession" is not in his dictionary.

I mean this:

And for that I will have my revenge as stupidity must be punished!

Seriously? I'm sure the designers all sat around their beer steins laughing their backsides off when one proposed "Lets shorten the boot length just to annoy Arnold in Australia."

[team_v]

Added this fine fellow to my ignore list ages back. I can highly recomend the action.

The word "concession" is not in his dictionary.

I mean this:


Seriously? I'm sure the designers all sat around their beer steins laughing their backsides off when one proposed "Lets shorten the boot length just to annoy Arnold in Australia."

Have taken your advice.
Apparently VW should bring Arnold in as a design consultant and build the car to meet his explicit design specifications and price point.

[Arnold]

Arnold, I totally understand the point you are making and yes I do tend to agree with you about the new golf not having the boot size(dimension) of the previous generation of golf's.

As a designer(product and interior) myself, sometimes we do not have to luxury of creating "The unicorn". In 99% of the time we are bound and gaged by different factors such as company's vision, cost, market's direction etc... we love to give everything a customer wants but sadly we do not live in a perfect world nor does we always get what we wanted.

The mk7 really is an exceptional car for what it is and you have said it yourself, it ticked all your boxes except the boot space issue... I'm sure there are ways to get around the luggage dilemma... how about brushing up your Tetris skills a bit? Haha jks

Look, at the end of the day you are buying a car for yourself(family) so only you will know what is best suited for your needs, buy the golf hatch if you can work around it, buy a wagon if you want the boot space, either way you will forget your two luggage in the back very soon as you shifting through your manual mk7...

Thanks for your intelligent and thoughtful contribution which is like a breath of fresh air among the stultifying contributions of brad and team_v. I think Brad is probably one of the people who took exception when my alter ego suggested to an enquiring prospective Golf buyer, years before the DSG recall, that the DSG was probably less reliable than the 6MT based on the number of threads and posts lamenting DSG issues and the relative dearth concerning the 6MT.

I've driven a Mark V manual GTI since May 2008 when I first joined this forum of petrol heads and assorted dolts. And if I get a Mark 7 it will be the same, but with DAP in addition to leather and roof. And it will be fun.

But the retrograde boot dimensions will be an issue and irritation as my two large suitcases sit perfectly flat, side-by-side in the Mark V and until team_v set me straight I had thought it perfectly reasonable to expect this to be possible in a later, larger successor, such as the Mark 7. But it has less length than a Mark IV, Tigger73 informs us all, something team_v and brad do not find in least bit remarkable. So let me repeat it: The Mark 7 is longer than the Mark IV and the Mark Fix and has less usable boot space.

The incongruity of that clearly does not register with the intelligentsia comprising Brad and team_v (who despite his perspicacity in matters of "differentiation" and "targeting" still fails to grasp the Monty Hall dilemma). One day; uno giorno; un jour . . .

[tonymy01]

Can you have the cases vertically instead of flat, and just unclip the parcel shelf thingy?

I think you need to fix your vocabulary checker, Mark Fix LOL. Well, it isn't really funny actually, just comes across as pretentious.

[Arnold]

No, on their sides it does not work as the bags become taller and the boot length shortens the higher you go due to the rake of the seats. Maybe on their sides parallel to boot lip might work, but I think I would have tried all of these before working out I could squeeze the bags in flat into the Mark V if I put the seats forward first and then slammed them shut. It is tight I am tellin' ya (is that better)?

So you like "Mark Fix" for Mark V/VI but think my words are pretentious? I prefer "highfalutin". But it is how we speak around here and even at the risk of sounding pretentious, I would rather use my usual vocabulary than curb it for the benefit of the audience as that could create a false impression, and we wouldn't want that!