Car advice

A late 1990s Nissan Altima is a good choice. I drove the hell out of mine before I got rid of it last Spring. I often drove it hard and put it up wet, and the next day it would start up just like it did when new. I'm sure you could pick one up for a couple thousand bucks, and I think four door cars are cheaper on the insurance.

 

VWs are a lot more high-maintenance than most makes. Part of it is being German, part of it is being a VW. From the sounds of it, he'd be a lot better served with a Honda or Toyota.

 

Ah, the fun of econoboxes.

I really wanted to consider the Mini-Coop the last time I conducted a major car search. But the cost of the parts, combined with not quite enough power compared to what I chose, kinda did it in.

But there are times I wonder if the Mini-Cooper could really be thrown around like that.

 

Don't go VW. My mother just got rid of one because no one but a dealer will even change the oil. It has some complicated oil cartridge that no one knows how to maintain. She went to get a 30,000-mile check, and it was going to cost her like $500. Seriously. That was a Jetta, and I don't know if the other models are different.

Here's what CR says about the best used cars in price categories:

Check your PMs.

 

You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!

 

Where on earth was she taking it? Cartridge-type oil filters are frighteningly easy to replace.

The $500 quote for a 30,000 mile service doesn't surprise me. Keep in mind, though, that some dealers will give you a quote for the service they "recommend" (i.e. "makes them money even though you don't need it") rather than what the manufacturer actually calls for.

 

Funnier still, my hometown dealership was a VW-Mazda at one site. Go figure.

It was funny how many of their vehicle that service department couldn't diagnose. They took it over to the guys who thoroughly enriched what little knowledge I possess, who troubleshot the problem within a minute of getting the vehicles.

This is why I was arguing a bit about VW, MacDaddy. It certainly wasn't that you were wrong, but Volvo, for example, has proven to be more of a headache for parts availability, cost and inconvenient maintenance stuff than VW.

 

Funny you should use Volvo as an example, because my mechanic sings the praises of Volvos and their dealers whenever he can. My only Volvo experience was with an '82, so it doesn't exactly apply to the current ones.

I agree with you that VWs (and sister brand Audi, for that matter) are pretty good for parts availability and working on. It's just that the require a lot of working on, partly because of maintenance needs and partly because stuff simply just doesn't last as long as it should. My wife jokingly (well, somewhat jokingly) rolls her eyes every time my Audi has yet another "common problem" that needs attending to.

I really like VWs and Audis -- I've had four of them -- but they're not the best choice for people who aren't into maintaining and diagnosing their own cars.

 

I've been more and more impressed with Hyundais of late. They're approaching (if not meeting) Toyota and Honda for quality, but you can get them cheaper.

VWs are too expensive for the mixed reviews they receive.

 

She tried taking it to every place in town -- dealers, Jiffy Lubes, etc. -- and no one would service it.

 

Quick search of AutoPartsWarehouse.com reveals that VWs use the same type of oil filter as every other manufacturer.

Some stealerships' service departments are dishonest? I had no idea. Really.

 

Yep, looks like every other oil filter on the planet.