The Mexican Car Market: A short series that's too long

Peugeot!  I remember when they were in the US.  Their cars were a bit odd looking, but luxurious and functional once you got inside.  The few people I knew who had them loved them.  The strike against them was that they never bothered to build a service network.  Outside of places like Los Angeles, owning one was a major headache. 

The second one from the bottom has a Dodge Attitude behind it.

The Mexican Car Market: A short series that's too long.

Welcome to Volkswagen do Brasil!  Mexico has lots of cars from there.  Here are the Gol (Portuguese for "Goal") and the Crossfox.  I talked to one Gol owner who is very happy.  These cars capture what Volkswagen should be, better than anything does from Germany.  They're cheap, fun and practical.  Both of these qualify as people's cars.  On the other hand, cars like the Phaeton make you wonder if the egos in Wolfsburg are capable of understanding their own language.

The Mexican Car Market: A short series that's too long.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!  This post is the Valentine's equivalent of Charlie Brown getting rocks for Hallowe'en.  Anyway, here's the word on Mexican taxis.

Volkswagen Jetta:  This was the newest taxi we rode in, with only 14,000 km.  It was also the most substantial.  It was a very solid car that didn't feel too heavy.  On previous trips, I had heard it said that Mexican market Jettas have much stronger suspensions than anything sold in the US.

Pontiac Matiz:  The driver didn't like the car at all.  It had over 300,000 km, and the check engine light was on.  The interior wasn't that great, and the dashboard was right on my knees.  The driver said his version of the Matiz was better, because it was a Pontiac.  Chevrolets, he said, were always the first to break down.  The car had some rattles, but it sounded like there was some life left in it.  The driver said that the cabs were often used 24/7.

Fiat Palio Adventure:  Riding in this Fiat was a big surprise.  It's a small SUV, that like all SUVs, looks outdated.  Inside, it feels light, very solid and up to date.  The drivetrain sounded perfect.  I was unable to find out how old it is.  Consequently I can't tell if Fiat has improved, or if it was a fairly new car with only a few thousand kilometers on it.

The Mexican Car Market: A short series that's too long.

Detroit used to own these streets.  Long after Honda dominated places like Ohio, Chevrolet and Mercury were prestige brands.  This was 1994.  At the time, change was in the air.  Detroit was blowing it again.  Greater brand loyalty than they had at home was going away.

Now, the Mexican market appears to be wide open.  If something with as bad a reputation as Renault can sway buyers, it's anybody's ball game.

Then again, if Renaults are on your street, you might live under the protectionist umbrella of the Euro zone.  Depending on how your cheap Renault works out, you can thank or curse French taxpayers.

The Mexican Car Market: A short series that's too long.

Happy New Year, and welcome to Mexico!  Mexico City is the capital of the Western Hemisphere and worth looking at on so many levels, even if many of the pictures were taken in Cholula.  We'll be looking at many topics, including the easiest one for automotive writers, how Detroit blew it.  From there, we'll look at fun stuff, Peugeot and who knows what else!

For now, here are two pictures from both places.  Enjoy the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and Cholula's very own Tacos Robert!