I was planning to buy a car, my choice was between huyandai verna, opel corsa or vw pointer.
I finally decided to buy vw pointer (the released model to egypt is 1600 CC, 94 Horse Power)
Please advise me about that car and tell me if you tried it, what are its pros and cons and what is its price where you live?
I will be paying about 11,000 american dollars for it.
thanx

that car doesnt exist in western europe n north america.

i found the following about it (from wikipedia):
The Volkswagen Pointer was a family car sold by Volkswagen in South America, in the 1990s. It was based on the Ford Escort, being the result of Volkswagen's Autolatina joint venture with Ford Motor Company, which also saw the Volkswagen Santana rebadged as the Ford Versailles. Although there were sheet metal differences between the Pointer and the Escort, the styling cues (including the door handles) were still noticeably those of Ford rather than VW.

The Pointer was only available as a five-door hatchback, alsthough there was a two-door sedan, called the Logus, built on the same platform.

The Pointer name is still used by Volkswagen in Mexico, on a version of the Brazilian Volkswagen Gol.

<snip>

This is an English speaking site, thanks

What do you not speak English? Come on now.

I was waiting for this.. just wanted to try speaking in arabic on Neowin, I didn have the chance before as I couldnt find any arabs..

the translation for what I said was that the opel is the best out of his choices, and he can get a vw Golf mk4 for 70-75000 egyptian pounds.

do u have anything to say in this thread? or you just came to ask me to speak in english?

haahaa haa

pwned


but bak on topic, VW's are great cars, take car of them and theyll last forever. Even more so than a normal car. Good choice my man.

I typically like to find english posts on an english forum.

Not everyone speaks english.

And? If you don't know English, you wouldn't even be able to _read_ the replies, thus you really wouldn't be able to reply.

Agreed with above - look after a VW and it will last you forever. There are some pristine MK1 Golfs on the roads - not because they have been fixed-up but because they were cared for an just keep on going!

And off topic:

Neowin seems to have a majority of users who DO speak English. Many of us speak other languages too, but English is the one commonly shared language. Also, if you read the front-page, all the news is in English.

I am certainly not saying that it's an English-only forum, but it pretty much has gone that way.

ure rite, additionally the advantage of speaking english is that everyone understands u in this topic and can comment what u said wheather ure wrong or totally right...
well the vw is a pretty darn good choice, it actually really doesn't matter which one u pick. they all last very long... any1 saw the movie Herbie?

-fm
me-> German Patriot Jumps Happily

VW cars are good and live for a long long time, we had this VW beetles since 1970 and it is still working. I will go for the pointer, will receive it today or tommorow from the dealer and get it some license plates then hit the road
if you are in egypt and would like to experience it from the inside i might pass by and pick you up specially i have 1000 KMs to drive at only 60KMs/hour

a two door sedan?

i searched for images and the pointer looks pretty cool, first time i've ever heard of it.

i dont like VW becuase they have serious fluid leak probs.

code_red now i have the same question i don't know what i must by hayundai verna or VW pointer as u are was thinking as me and as u already get ur pointer i think so plz advice, i am from alex email me if u can lionhf75@yahoo.com

thanks

lion

i personally do not recommend huyndai, i used to have excel, a very bad car with tons of problems. I will take the VW pointer tommorow from the dealer as it was delayed a little due to customs.
I can't give u any opinion of the car till i get it and drive it
u can add me to your msn or contact me at
ahamdy@gmail.com if you need more details..

i got the car, it is lovely, a great choice with a relatively cheap price.
Got central lock, 4 speakers, electric windows, alarm system, speed alarm, nice space, good seats, tropical a/c.
I drove it to za'farana and back to cairo, about 300 KMs, using the new ain sokhna high way, it is stable and goes easily to 120 KM/h in less than 14 seconds or something, it is good with curves and turns.
Any questions please don't hesitate to ask me.

cong. on the new car man ..

i am in the market also for a new car here in cairo..but i am very confused , there is alot of cars these day really

and dont u think thats the pointer is very small compared with the Verna or the Corsa ??

so for how much did u pay exactly for this car??

thx mate
i paid 72,900 for it
haven't licensed it though, customs haven't released its papers yet..
i think it is better in price than corsa and huyndai as well as in engine, VW is reliable and durable than the other two cars..

Hi all,

I bought a new black pointer 2 weeks ago, just finished the 1st 1000Km maintenanc.
Here is a brief for my experience with it:
1- I got it for 72,9000 LE.
2- In my opinion, this price is a catch for the car's capabilities, the car is really a high tech. one ( Central lock, alarm with motion sensors inside the car and a remote built in the key, 4 elec. windows, power steering, 4 speakers and 2 tweeters, speed alarm, windows close automatically when u lock the car by the remote, the central lock shuts down when the car speed gets 20Km/hour, very nice seats and reasonably wide saloon, very nice looking dashboard. Only the mirrors aren't electrical and the fuel tank either, which are not a major difeciency.
3 - The A/C is really powerfull.
4 - Fuel consumption is great for a 1600 CC car.
5 - The car has an immobilizer that detects false keys and secures the car from theft.
6 - The windows glass are colored.
7 - Now to the hot shots, when the 92 HP works for that small chasis, the car feels like really jumping on the road, I enjoyed the fast response, acceleration and stability over high ways, additionally, the brakes are so powerfull.

For the things I didn't like, the radiator fan sound is relativly high compared to other cars. I used to have a BMW M40 and a new 2004 Lancer and both never had that loudly moving radiator fan. I checked other Pointers running around me and made sure it is not a defect in my car, seems it a factory default. However, when I am inside the car, I don't feel this sound, only when the weather is too hot and I get out of the car while the engine is turned on.
One more thing I didn't like is the car horn! Sound like a duck I am planning to change it with a Golf GTI one soon.

Conclusion, its a perfect car for its price. For quality lovers, its incomparable to the locally assembeled Verna and Corsa, where both have well knows deficiencies that impact the cars' performance, stability and the driver's security as well.

At last, for those who are suspecting in the car's quality because of its - somehow - low price. I think the car's price is that low compared to its capabilities because the dealer has to have a product that competes in the market in that price catagory, since the polo hatch back and sedan are now playing on the 100,000+ LE range, the dealer ( Automotive ) managed to get a resonably priced car to replace the old Polo that used to get sold around 80,000LE. Plus, being brought from Brazil lowers downs the foriegn curruncy impacts. As you know the Euro is getting wilder every day.

Don't hesitate to email me if you need more information/advises about this car on any other ones. I have a good knowledge base and would love sharing it with others.

-ashraf

WoW

Thats a great review man about the VW pointer

are u working with Automotive or whats

did u see the new Swift ?? very good really ....i am into the market for a car , and i am still looking

and really thanx for reviewing this car man ...

No, I don't work for Automotive. I am a softwre specialist.. However, I love the automobile world and spend most of my spare time in a friend's workshop playing with the old cars I used to have before buying the pointer.

Back to the point, I didn't have enough chances to check the new swift. But from history, the Suzuki Swift had been a trustable car for long years. I had some chance to drive and handle a Swift of my uncle and really enjoyed and respected it.

Anyways, I will check it ASAP and get back to you, if you are faster than me please feed us back, or open a new thread and lets start talking about it. ( don't forget to email me with the new thread ).

Last thing, I am happy and proud this new electronic mind exchange is starting to make benifit to all of us. Lets all encourage this and inform our friends. Who knows, one day, new cars in the Egyptian market will be marked as good or bad before anyone gets trapped in one

Good luck for everyone...

-ashraf

I have been today to the dealer for the second time, they fixed the front headlights position, tuned the motor, fixed the cassette wiring, checked the reverse gear..
i dropped it 9 am and took it back by 2 pm, they haven't fixed the joint between the speedometer and the tableau nor the sounds that appear after the car stops (droplets from motor heading backwards) the engineer explained that the first was common between all released models and that the second was normal as the exhauster or something is overheated and somehow these are droplets of vapour in its channel or something..
otherwise the car is great, it accelerates easily to 150 and more but i had no chance to exceed 150 over cairo ismaielia road on my way back, specially my license was taken over the ring road for a 95 KM/hr excessive speed!!
All pointer models and other VW models as it seems share a problem; a very loud noise from the motor fan, the engineer said it is totally ok..

getting my driving liscience tomorrow inshallah after alot of troubles , really anything related to goverment here in egypt sucks bad....

then will be free to check whats to get...

and ashadel here's the new swift pics for you untill we can try it out somehow...




and the inside




Looks greats really

Two Words, Renault Clio. 1400cc 98BHP, more than that 1600cc pointer! LOL!

since when? what fluid? brake? coolant? oil? fuel?

Hi Ashdal,
I am new to the forum. I am planning to buy a new car in the next month. I am very impressed about the specs you have worte about the VW pointer. But, there is something weird. Although the car seems to have a wonderful price/feature formula, i can not see much of it in Cairo streets . Another issue, I will buy in installments, what is the best dealer I can buy from or they are all the same.

Thanks for sharing knowledge to guide the others

LOL!!

Is BHP is what u care about in a car?
What about the fiber "plastic" external parts of the CLIO ? and the motor?
I had a friend who changed the motor CAM shaft 2 times during the first year in warranty!
He had the motor crashed during the 2 times and needed cam shafts replacement..
If you r "only" looking for hourse power, shoot for a korean car, or buy the Chineese ones

By the way, the CLIO Saloon 1400CC
http://www.renault.com/img/produits/clio_symbol.jpg
Specs:
http://www.renault-lebanon.com/vehicules/s...otorisation.htm

Isn't 98 HP its only 75HP only
Simply because the one sold in Egypt isn't 16V...

-ashraf

Plastic / fiberglass / carbon fiber panels on cars are becoming more and more common. They are lighter and in general provide more safety than conventional steel panels.

Lashin..

I disagree with you about the Pointer lake of popularity, personally, I know 4 friends who bought it same time I was buying mine ( without prior agreement ! )
In the street I live, I can see 2 more Pointers ( red and silver ) beside my black one.
At work, I daily salute 3 Pointer ( gold, grey and silver ) parking beside mine
Besides, because of my job, I do many client visits daily, moving almost everywhere in Cairo, I used to see the Pointer and the Parati oftenly and they are getting more popular day by day.
As you said, the car is showing a nice price/specs formula... But it needs to have some guts for the Egyptian market to overcome the fear of German cars and their costy spare parts. ( People used to think about spare parts before buying the car because of the low quality cars introduced to the market to meet the price )
But you must keep in mind that you are riding a VW. German cars like VW, BMW, Mercedes...etc aren't like others, even if in spare parts. When you need to change a spare part you buy it once "relatively expensive" but you install it and forget it.

For the installements thing..
99% of installment dealers have CITI bank covering the deal, i.e 13% complex annual intrest of the total remaining amount. For example, if the remaining amount is 20K it becomes 20x1.13xnumber of years of installements
Personally, I don't recommend dealing with such high intrest rate because it elevates the car costs to a limit that makes u hate it after u finish the installements!
Also, some doubts about bank loans make me prefer to stay away from a car bought in a sinnful way! I don't want to die inside it! lol

However, if you insist for bank loans, go to Naser bank, the interest rate there averages to 7.5% and can stretch to 7 years.
The 1% not dealing with/like CITI bank is Contact Cars.
They buy cars then resell it to you with appropriate interest rate with reasonable guarentees presented from you.
I heard that some minor dealers/car agents follow the same way like Contact but you have to look for them yourself, I don't know any.

Hope I managed to help you...

By the way my name is Ashraf Adel or ashadel

-ashraf

Well, VW is a German company, but, the Pointer isn't a VW Germany car. It's a VW Mexico design built in Iran by another company...

Hi Ashraf

Realy 1000 thanks 4 ur great effort in givin such a knowlege us...well i have question 4 me ...u know that car prices in egypt r vary from time 2 time during the year ....is it the best time now 2 buy a car specialy that i heard that the prices r @ minimum now bcoz of "Al Ahram fourmula 2006" Motor Exhibition 1-9 december so there will b some new cars ....& dealers wants 2 get rid of the old 1s b4 the new cars r into market
(4 knowlege i'm goin 4 the pointer)

Many Thanx

Obviously there are some cruddy cars where you live... I just think that Pointer is maybe it's a cultural thing. Clio Saloon? What the HELL is that thing? That's not a real Clio, the Clio is a small and relatively hot (think V6 and 182BHP models).

This is a Clio, very similar to mine:



It also has 4 NCAP stars and very good handling.

No company sells very good cars in Egypt, I've looked on some websites.

EDIT: Also there are only 2 plastic panels on the Clio that is the two front wings, means they are better if you have a crash 'cos they just spring back into space and it saves weight, even the 182BHP one has it.

here is how my pointer looks like..
it is not a very good foto but i will attach more soon..

hi,wich pointer are you talking about ? the mexican or the brazilian? . i from argentina and the pointer here is an awesome car . i let you a picture of a few pointers , is from the vw pointer club , i`m a member .
the firts in green color is mine....




if you clik on the picture you will see our site .
the pointer i have is the best version is a POINTER GTI whith an audi engine , 2000 cc and 115 horse power!!!
0 - 100 km/h in 9 seconds!!!

pd: is mi firts time here ..... sorry for mi ingles!!
bye rofer.

VWs can be tricky...take care of them and they're great and go forever, but vigilence is the key. Some models are more prone to problems than others; my mom had this '87 Jetta for quite sometime that *always* had something wrong with it, be it a leak or a squealing belt or you name it. But the newer ones are supposed to be quite reliable...

whoa im a vw fanboy, third gti owned currently and i had no idea of a vw pointer. i knew of polo's, bora's, but never pointer.. i would rock one of those.

lol

fishie are you a VW fan?? take a look of these pointer ,it was the oficial race team of vw in 1996 and it win a lot of champs.....



and another picture of the POINTER GTI ....




bye rofer

Hello Ashraf, I reside in Cairo as well and was planning on a black Pointer as well this week. I found one in Alex. It's now for 71500 because of reduced rear electric mirrors and keyless entry. I LOVE VW cars and always wanted a Polo or Golf. I love the fact that the Pointer is affordable.

I noticed the year difference in the post you had. I think we might be talking of two different generations of the Pointer as the one I'm buying is the 2006 model. Yours too?

I'm only very worried about the cheap price vs. quality. I've had several misfortunes with cars lately. I currently own a Lancer 1.3 2003 that I'll be selling this week to trade with a VW Pointer. I want something sporty, with good engine and acceleration, small and affordable. Is Pointer a good choice? I love its short shift manual stick as well.

How is it doing with you now after 1 year of owning it?

I'd appreciate any input after you've tried it for some time now... THanks

try not to bump 1year old threads..

PM him instead!