Car advice

I've been doing some thinking since I first posted, and I want to give you something else to chew on. It seems like gas mileage is important, but not the top priority, since I'm guessing you're under 10,000 miles a year. Cheap insurance, anti-theft and ability to take hits might be a higher priority.

If that's the case, you might want to think of a Taurus, Impala or Pontiac coming off lease. I'm not a huge fan of Detroit metal, as some on here know, but these might work out well for you. The engine should hold up as long as the rest of the car holds up around it under the snowplow assault. Vinnie the body shop guy can easily steal obtain parts for it, and no one wants to steal these cars. You can probably get one 2-3 years old for the price of a 4-year old Corolla.

EDIT: I still say the Toyotas, etc., are good cars. I'm just saying it might make more financial sense to go with an American car in your case.

 

Fiancee thinks the Beetle is the cutest thing.

Hope she doesn't think I'm getting one when my 18-year-old Lexus finally dies.

 

Jettas will eat your lunch on repairs. Even at an independent shop because the parts cost more. Last time I checked the Jetta even took a special power steering fluid that was about five time as expensive.

 

Ragu, I just got done reading the annual Car & Driver 10Best edition. The Fit is on the list for the second consecutive year - an amazing feat for that type of car to be on the list among vehicles three and four times the cost.

Honda Fit and Civic, Toyota Corolla, perhaps Nissan Sentra is about right. I've never owned a Volkswagen, but it's no different from the good Japanese makes in that if you take of it, it will take care of you. There's a reason the Jetta has continued to sell so well.

If you're going to take a look at VWs, though, consider the Golf/GTI. It's more compact, fits in smaller spaces and gets better gasoline mileage than the Jetta. I would think some older ones might be on the market, and the beauty of them is the trim levels - they vary from the economy run champs (something you're looking for) to the nice little pockets rockets that can really go (yeah, I get a little weakness for those).

Good luck with this, Ragu, and let us know how it turns out.

 

Apropos of the small car conversation, I wanted to post this.

 

Any mechanic worth his Snap-On tool chest has the same computer diagnostic tool the VW dealer is using (it's called a VAG-COM). You can buy a consumer-level version for about $250. Which is a good idea, because if you buy a VW it's going to need a lot of diagnosing and a lot of work done.

 

Entirely possible.

I have no idea. That's why I don't mind a car that I have to take to a dealership.

 

Import mechanics know this, MacDaddy. The ones who maintained my vehicles for years were highly aware of it.

But from a consumer standpoint, VWs aren't that much more high-maintenance than the other stalwart makes. If we're going to go at it from a mechanic's viewpoint, buy Toyota right now. Good parts availability, not overengineered, easy access to parts throughout the engine bay and chassis and nearly bulletproof. Hondas are bulletproof, but they overpack the engine bay and some things are confounding - such as putting the plug in the oil pan right where it would splash all over a crossmember on the underside when pulled and on a hoist. Same with Nissan, hence Toyota tends to win tiebreakers on this criteria.

I know these things, and I'm sure you do too, MacDaddy. Does Ragu really care? Doubtful.