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VW reliability/new car advice

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StarboardDeac

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I currently drive an almost 20 year old Volvo. I'm starting to lose acceleration power, which my dad tells me probably means the engine is losing compression and would need an overhaul to fix...sooooooo he told me to start looking at new cars in case it dies soon :(

I want something with good fuel mileage, and it would be a plus if it was fun to drive. My family has always had European cars, so that's what's led me to VW. I'm looking at the Golf TDI, specifically. However, in looking around the internet, the reviews on the new car itself seem to be positive, but there are so many horror stories about VW reliability...new cars being in the shop a ton during the first year, people fighting to get the car declared a lemon and selling it at wholesale just to get rid of it, etc. Anyone had any good or bad experience with VW?

Also, if anyone has any other Euro or Japanese car suggestions, let me know. I would really love it if Volvo would just make a freaking hybrid, but all their cars, including the little C30 hatchback, get crappy mileage. I'm maybe thinking about looking at Minis too and maybe would think about considering a Honda hybrid but they just seem so boring to me.
 
VWs are nice cars, but like most European cars, they are expensive to maintain.
 
If ones only source of income is student loans how would one go about getting a car loan?
 
I am praying that it will hold out for another year until I can get out of school and have some income. My parents would likely have to cosign though.
 
My dad wants to sell his truck. I want to buy it. I'm about to have no income though.
 
Think of the mini as you would a BMW - fun as hell to drive (assuming you get the Manual), but expensive when it breaks down. I don't know if the market has changed, but most of the tires on the mini's seem to only have a 30K life.

I just dumped a 2005 VW Passat that was a a maintenance nightmare the last 18 months. The car was not fun to drive and it was expensive to maintain. I would have a hard time recommending VW's to anybody at this point.
 
I got a Jetta TDI almost two years ago now and have 50,000 miles on it now with no problems so far. I was definitely aware of the maintenance reputation before buying but sold it to myself that my type of driving (highway) was beneficial to a diesel so it wouldn't break down as much. I had only ever had SUV's prior to this so while its not a sports car, its got enough spunk in it to be entertaining for me. I really enjoy mine and love the 42 mpg's!

A note of caution, I heard that starting with the 2011 model year, VW really cut back on the quality of parts to make the sticker price lower. I'm not exactly sure what changed but there are plenty of people on the VW boards that were not happy about it.
 
Thanks for the input, guys. My dad actually has the A3 TDI - he's had it for 18 months or so with no problems and loves it...but the cheap parts rumor on the new VWs doesn't sound so good.

Maybe I'll just look for a low mileage used Volvo that I can drive for a little while if my car doesn't make it through this year.
 
Why not just buy a Japanese car?
Generally, they are cheaper, more reliable, and less expensive to maintain.
I have owned American, German, English, and Japanese cars. For overall cost of ownership, the Japanese cars are the best values by far.

If you are looking at the VW GTI; look at the Mazda 3 (cheap), Mazdaspeed 3 (sporty), or Subaru WRX.
 
how many miles are on this volvo that your dad thinks the engine is losing compression? that seems like an extreme diagnosis
 
230k, and it's one of those old 4 cylinder engines that are supposed to last forever...hopefully that's not really what's wrong with it, but I do really have to floor it to get any acceleration from being stopped at a light or going up a hill most of the time. Haven't taken it to the mechanic for this yet but I did just get it serviced and the catalytic converter was replaced last month, I think.

I think he mostly just wants to get me to start looking anyway since this car isn't getting any younger :)
 
My fiancee just got a Hyundai sonata turbo. I had my doubts but the car seems awesome. I've got a BMW 3 series all wheel drive and no problems for last 5 years since I got it. One of the guys I work with has the golf tdi and he loves it. No problems for the year he's had it.

Good luck. Sounds like you are due something newer!
 
Amazingly, you're better off buying a Hyundai than a VW these days.

VW's are dirt cheap for a reason. They're basically giving away Jettas these days.
 
DCDeac said:
Amazingly, you're better off buying a Hyundai than a VW these days.

VW's are dirt cheap for a reason. They're basically giving away Jettas these days.
Click to expand...

In VW's defense, the new Jettas had to cut some corners to drop the price. The older ones were much better.

Passats have always been bad news. Maybe the 2012 version will be better.
 
I'm telling you guys, facts are facts. If you want to find a hot woman, look to the Volkswagen Jetta. Chances are there will be one inside. For three days, I got disguised as a homeless person and I'd walk downtown. And whenever I saw a Volkswagen Jetta, I'd do a little check on a banana leaf and 92% of the time, hot women inside of the Volkswagen Jetta.
 
I looked long and hard at a Jetta Sportwagen TDI 6M, but the catastrophic failures of the HPFP that VW begrudgingly acknowledges, if at all, turned me away. We have a diesel F350, a MB 320 CDI, and a diesel tractor, so I am a proponent of more diesel vehicles in the US, but I think VW may have dropped the ball on this one...

www.tdiclub.com
 
BacktoBack said:
My fiancee just got a Hyundai sonata turbo. I had my doubts but the car seems awesome. I've got a BMW 3 series all wheel drive and no problems for last 5 years since I got it. One of the guys I work with has the golf tdi and he loves it. No problems for the year he's had it.

Good luck. Sounds like you are due something newer!
Click to expand...

#HumbleBrag
 
I had a Passat for a while. Fun to drive but the electrical and electronics systems kept screwing up, and when they did they were expensive as hell to fix. Would not buy another VW.
 
I dont think the humblebrag bro understands what humble brags are.

My brother has had a Toureg for like 5-6 years and has never had any problems with it.
 
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