Augh – Car shopping is so frustrating!

[JSH]

We are looking to replace our Jetta Sportwagen TDI. The mileage has been a disappointment from the beginning and we have found that the dieselgate warranty isn’t worth much. Unless the car throws a code or something physically breaks the VW dealer won’t do anything. We’ve had issues with drivability since we’ve owned the car and they get worst during the winter. It has hydrolocked once and left us stranded and now it will randomly take 3-4 seconds of cranking to start. Basically I don’t trust it and Caravan is willing to give me $1500 more than a paid 3 years and 30K miles ago.

I’ve started shopping for other vehicles but the selection is so poor. Not because of the current supply issues but just in general. We want:

A reasonably fuel efficient wagon or hatchback.
Not super slow (0-60 in 8 seconds or less)
Fit 210 cm skis either inside or on a roof carrier.
6 inches of ground clearance - min
30 mpg combined minimum
Less than 7 years old
$20K budget


Having owned two 2nd gen Prius another Prius would seem to fit but they are just uninspiring to drive and slow. The 4th generation is supposedly better to drive but it is SO ugly. There are some interesting CUVs just out (RAV4 hybrid / prime and Maverick hybrid) but the older stuff has horrible fuel economy and most of the older hybrids are sedans.

Maybe I should just scratch the fuel economy requirement and buy a Subaru Outback like half of Portland. Even stretching the budget doesn’t help

[ME_Andy]

A Cruze hatchback meets all of those requirements and you can even get a manual and a diesel if you want.

They didn't make many hatchbacks and especially not many diesel hatchbacks though.

[redpoint5]

Get the RAV4 Prime just so I can hear all about it.

[ksa8907]

Originally Posted by JSH

We are looking to replace our Jetta Sportwagen TDI. The mileage has been a disappointment from the beginning and we have found that the dieselgate warranty isn’t worth much. Unless the car throws a code or something physically breaks the VW dealer won’t do anything. We’ve had issues with drivability since we’ve owned the car and they get worst during the winter. It has hydrolocked once and left us stranded and now it will randomly take 3-4 seconds of cranking to start. Basically I don’t trust it and Caravan is willing to give me $1500 more than a paid 3 years and 30K miles ago.

I’ve started shopping for other vehicles but the selection is so poor. Not because of the current supply issues but just in general. We want:

A reasonably fuel efficient wagon or hatchback.
Not super slow (0-60 in 8 seconds or less)
Fit 210 cm skis either inside or on a roof carrier.
6 inches of ground clearance - min
30 mpg combined minimum
Less than 7 years old
$20K budget


Having owned two 2nd gen Prius another Prius would seem to fit but they are just uninspiring to drive and slow. The 4th generation is supposedly better to drive but it is SO ugly. There are some interesting CUVs just out (RAV4 hybrid / prime and Maverick hybrid) but the older stuff has horrible fuel economy and most of the older hybrids are sedans.

Maybe I should just scratch the fuel economy requirement and buy a Subaru Outback like half of Portland. Even stretching the budget doesn’t help

30mpg minimum and 6 inches ground clearance minimum really limits the possibilities. I'd just go for a rav4 hybrid.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by ksa8907

30mpg minimum and 6 inches ground clearance minimum really limits the possibilities. I'd just go for a rav4 hybrid.

Yep and $50k and a year later he can get one considering he lives in one of the 3 regions that sells them

[oil pan 4]

It sux so much I'm putting a newish engine with about 200,000 less miles in our 13 year old V6 hyundai with a blown motor.

[Isaac Zachary]

Do you have a block heater in the diesel? I swear that if you have a diesel, any diesel, in any climate, get a heavy duty block heater and wrap the exhaust in thermal tape.

I put a 1,500W block heater on my 1.6L diesel and I would use it in the middle of summer too.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by ME_Andy

A Cruze hatchback meets all of those requirements and you can even get a manual and a diesel if you want.

They didn't make many hatchbacks and especially not many diesel hatchbacks though.

It does - THANKS. I forgot it existed as I don't think I've ever seen one in the wild. I'm done with diesels - there just isn't any savings between diesel being more than regular and the extra maintenance. (1.4L gas is rated at 32 mpg / the 1.6L diesel is 35 mpg) I would like a manual but they don't really exist in the used market. (There a 213 Cruze Hatchbacks listed on CarGuru in a national search. None are a manual) There are 4 for sale with-in 100 miles of me - 3 are less than they cost new.

I'll have to see if it will take a roof rack because skis aren't going to fit inside. (The Volt is out as nobody makes a roof rack for the 2nd generation that doesn't involve drilling the roof)

The Focus Hatch also meets the same basic profile. (Wow - I didn't know Ford sold the 1.0L 3-cylinder in the USA)

I've driven the 1.4L turbo in a Cruze and Equinox and it is pretty easy to beat the EPA estimate. The 2.0L NA engine in the Focus isn't very nice and the dual-clutch transmission is problematic.


I also found the Lexus CT200H and Ford C-Max since my earlier rant.

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Do you have a block heater in the diesel? I swear that if you have a diesel, any diesel, in any climate, get a heavy duty block heater and wrap the exhaust in thermal tape.

I put a 1,500W block heater on my 1.6L diesel and I would use it in the middle of summer too.

No block heater. My 2003 started fine down to -10F without a block heater. My current 2014 has also started fine down into the teens. The long cranking has been with temperatures as high as 70F. From TDIClub it is a pretty common problem without a definitive fix.

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Yep and $50k and a year later he can get one considering he lives in one of the 3 regions that sells them

You are likely thinking about the RAV4 Prime. The regular hybrid has been around since 2016. The cheapest one in my area is $22,500 w/ 74K miles

[Isaac Zachary]

A lot of people rightly think a block heater would help mainly with starting. Maybe 30 years ago it did. But nowadays all that diesel emissions stuff just works better the hotter everything is. Unless it's an electrical problem, those problems are probably from buildup somewhere. Direct injection engines already have carbon buildup problems. Then add like 50% or better EGR, a NOx trap and a DPF and who know what else.

If I ever got a diesel again I'd wrap the whole exhaust system past the last catalytic converter and put the hottest block heater on I could get.

Then again, I'd probably never get a diesel again either.

[Piotrsko]

Hydrolocking sounds like filled up intercooler. There was a recall for that. Dealers.don't like that one.

European and other vehicles will still have a manual tranny special order option, USA wont except mustangs and one dodge hotrod.

Diesel isn't the great thing it used to be but the 250 holds about 6 months worth of Golf fuel, and the Golf will do 700 miles to a tank on a trip. Go ahead and have a fuel shortage, im ready.