That and VW's customers in home market (EU) have different expectations WRT the cost and frequency of maintenance. To grossly generalize American consumers want

That and VW's customers in home market (EU) have different expectations WRT the cost and frequency of maintenance. To grossly generalize American consumers want cars that above almost everything else require as little maintenance as possible and use the cheapest parts/consumables. European customers on the other hand are more likely to think nothing of a car that needs regular care and feeding, including using manufacturer-specific fluids and consumables, in order to achieve higher levels of other things like efficiency or performance. It seems like 87.4% of this discussion revolves around differences in definitions of "better".