Quote:
Originally Posted by canhonkey
We just sold the integra and are looking at getting a family freindly 4-door.
We'd like to try our luck with in inexpensive 97-99.0 Jetta or Golf diesel.  We'd be looking for a 5 speed, loaded with sunroof and A/C pref. What kind of fuel economy and reliability can we expect from a car like this?
The reason I chose these specific models is due to build quality. From the 99.5 model on, VW's quality control went down..that's not to say they're all bad, just quite a few of them are. I heard that you can't beat the reliability of the 97-99.0's..is this true? Plus, they're more in our price range.
How are they really, for road noise?
We live in Snowy, Canada..so its good that they start easy in frigid temps!
Ken |
I've a 2000, I hadn't heard about a general decline in the build quality, but I moved from a 86 Tempo to a 2000 Jetta TDI.
Mine has been a problem to start in VERY cold weather (-25C with winds, or colder). I'm suspecting an issue with my alternator, in my case. Since moving to Edmonton, I've resorted to swapping a second battery in, on those cold mornings. It's cheaper than replacing the alternator!
I have to take any quirks with my car, with a grain of salt too -- it has 272k kilometres on the odometer, and I'm the second owner (from 186k onward). All my previous cars -died- at mileages before I bought this one.
Tasdrouille owned a 99. If he doesn't chime in on your questions, drop him a note.
And if you hadn't come across TDIclub, you should make sure to visit that website (
Fred's TDI Page. TDIClub.com. VW TDI Enthusiast Community). It's one of the main resources I used when researching my present car.