Quote:
Originally Posted by Eco_Bob
Does either of the three options have a higher likelyhood of leaving me stranded during the long commute or other long trip?
|
My anecdotal evidence with VW comes from a friend that owned 3 Jettas and 4 motors. He gave up on VW. From various internet sources and Consumer Reports, VW is garbage in general. Strangely, I have heard the Golf is somehow much more reliable than the Jetta, even though it shares the same power plant. I haven't heard why they might be more reliable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eco_Bob
Whoops forgot to mention, I have a mostly reliable 99' Mustang Convertible (auto, v6 - on a good day 24mpg highway) and the wife has a fairly reliable 06' Jeep Liberty 4x4 (auto, v6 - on a good day 20mpg highway)
|
I'd get out from under the Jeep before it has major problems. It's a little worse than average for reliability, with transmission and electrical problems being the usual weak points. Not only that, but the fuel economy is poor compared to the performance, and there are way safer/better handling vehicles to transport kids in.
I've got an '02 (122,000 miles), with some minor electrical gremlins, a minor evap emission leak, and I don't have much confidence in the clunky transmission. I'll be selling it in the coming weeks. It really adds nothing over something like a Subaru Outback, which is more reliable, gets better fuel economy, has more usable space, performs at least as well off-road, and handles better on the street.
Do private party selling/buying, and you don't loose any money in the conversion from one vehicle to another.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
The problem with Volkswagens are owners who neglect the preventive maintenance.
|
Likely true, but other cars don't require the owner to perform as much maintenance as a VW. Gaskets and seals should last a very long time. People shouldn't have to be concerned with the type of fuel they run (B10, LSD, ULSD, etc), or the fluids they use. I've heard that some TDI engines require a very specific type or brand of oil, which is ridiculous. People just go to Jiffy Lube to get an oil change, and they don't pay attention to what type of 10W-30 (for example) oil goes in.
Regular maintenance should include a timing belt every 100k miles, oil every 5k or so, transmission/gear oil flush every now and then, and brake and coolant changes every so often. It should not include more frequent changes, or replacement of other hardware such as water pumps, oil pumps, etc.