Sept. 19, 2025 | VW price hikes; Pied Piper ranks brands by service drive scheduling practices
About this episode
Volkswagen is raising prices on most 2026 models, citing tariffs as a potential factor amidst a significant drop in U.S. sales. The episode discusses the implications of these price hikes and the ongoing unpredictability of tariffs on U.S. investments. Additionally, Pied Piper reveals new rankings of auto brands based on their service appointment scheduling effectiveness, highlighting the importance of seamless customer experiences both online and via phone. Lexus and Mini emerge as top performers, while the episode emphasizes the need for dealerships to improve their service processes to retain customers.
Volkswagen of America is raising starting prices on most 2026 models. Automakers and suppliers warn the unpredictability of tariffs makes it harder to justify U.S. investments. Plus, Pied Piper has a new look at which auto brands are best at scheduling service appointments by phone or website.
Volkswagen Golf Gti
"...d, the vehicles they get out of Germany, it's the Golf GTI and the Golf R and the ID bus. Those are all rela..."
Volkswagen Tiguan
"those are some really big volume nameplates. The Tiguan has historically been their best seller. We don't..."
Volkswagen Jetta
"...t in May of this year as a redesign. The Taos and Jetta were freshened last year, not significant."
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
Help improve this episode
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.