OH MY GOD, my auto loan app just got approved..........

RC_Sebastien_C

Look at my previous post and link. I`ll tell you the rest on Monday. Look at Drew`s post. If you only want nice looking fun to drive while it works and don`t care about reliability, maintenance price and quality of service, go ahead, I unfortunately have nothing to say against it. They`re so close to being great but yet so fat that it hurts.

brianwelsch

Get a '96-'98 3-series BMW if you want a German car. I've had a '96 328i for the past few years and it's been very reliable. BW

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
-- Steven Wright

Link2600

brianwelsch wrote:

Get a '96-'98 3-series BMW if you want a German car. I've had a '96 328i for the past few years and it's been very reliable.

Yes, BMW is my favorite. I have actually looked at that, and Audi too. But 96-98 models of BMWs sure must have high milage on the meter. When I first got my Jetta back in 2001, it had 130k, now it's 193k. This time I want a low-milage car. Now I'm thinking of a Mustang, since it's RWD, but I hate the interior in the Mustang...:^)

Link2600

kennster wrote:

How could I have forgotten my 1994 Camaro Z28???? Got 12 Mpg on premium, mostly driven by my wife as a babymobile, but boy oh boy was she ever fast...

What about a 2000 Ford Mustang V8? I've never owned am American cars before, I had a celica for several weeks before I purchased the Jetta back in 2001. I definitely prefer a german car, and never like american cars except Mustangs. I'm aware of the reliability issues of the 2000/2001 model of Jetta, so I'm looking for the alternative.

Joe Programm3r

Link2006 wrote:

now I'm thinking of buying a 2000 - 2001 VW Jetta

Make sure you do a CarFax check on any used car be purchased. Saved me a bunch of headaches. Especially since a bunch of cars are coming from flood areas (i.e. New Orleans, etc) with salvage titles. $25 for 30 days of unlimited searches.

Link2600

JediCodeWarrior wrote:

Make sure you do a CarFax check on any used car be purchased. Saved me a bunch of headaches. Especially since a bunch of cars are coming from flood areas (i.e. New Orleans, etc) with salvage titles.

But I'm buying from a VW dealer, shouldn't it be safer? If I do the carfax, that means I have to drive to the dealer twice, and it's a 1-hour drive.

Joe Woodbury

My daughter's boyfriend almost bought a 2002 Jetta last weekend. It was a very nice car and he loved how it drove, but as I did more checking I wasn't so thrilled. They have a worse than average repair record, especially with electrical. The model he looked at required premium gas. On top of that, the car salesman made most car salesmen look like angels. After doing more looking, I recommended he look at a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic. Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke

Joe Woodbury

You can get the VIN from the dealer over the phone. They may even have it posted on their web site. If it's a VW dealer, ask if it's a certified pre-owned, which will give you an extra warranty. Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke

Binary Boy

Congratulations! You're in debt! :)

Link2600

Joe Woodbury wrote:

The model he looked at required premium gas.

Both 1.8T and VR6 models require premium gas.

Joe Woodbury wrote:

After doing more looking, I recommended he look at a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic.

They are boring as hell to drive. :sigh:

Andy Brummer

I got a 2000 Jetta and had the same window problem. The random electronic failures were easier to deal with because at least the car actually broke. The window thing was about the most annoying thing because the car still worked yet you now had to park it somewhere safe and dry until it was fixed. Add Texas summer and repeated failures months after it was "repaired" and I danced a jig after I got rid of that lemon. It sure was a great car when it ran though. :((

I can imagine the sinking feeling one would have after ordering my book, only to find a laughably ridiculous theory with demented logic once the book arrives - Mark McCutcheon

Link2600

Andy Brummer wrote:

I got a 2000 Jetta and had the same window problem.

Besides the windows problems, does it have any mechanical problem or rattle noise? Which trim model you got? 2.0? 1.8T? or VR6?

Andy Brummer

I got the VR6 fully loaded. I had electrical problems like crazy, sensors that VW replaced for free every time I took it in for an oil change. The oil filter was a wierd type that required that I buy it ahead of time or only go to VW. The problems were endless. I had a friend that had a '96 Jetta and everything was broken on that model as well. They fixed it all a couple of years later. I'd stay far away from any early 200x models of volkswagen Jetta. One of my co-workers has a Passat and hasn't had any problems. That model seems to have more audi in it then VW. It's Japanese for me from here on out.

I can imagine the sinking feeling one would have after ordering my book, only to find a laughably ridiculous theory with demented logic once the book arrives - Mark McCutcheon

Joe Woodbury

Link2006 wrote:

Joe Woodbury wrote: After doing more looking, I recommended he look at a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic. They are boring as hell to drive.

The Camry definitely is, but I don't mind boring. After driving my daughter's fifteen year old Plymouth Acclaim for a while, when we switch, the Civic feels like a sports car. For pure driving pleasure, my favorite of all time is a Pontiac G6. I got one as a rental a few months ago when one of my cars was in the shop for an insurance repair (the other guy paid for it.) Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke

Joe Programm3r

Link2006 wrote:

But I'm buying from a VW dealer, shouldn't it be safer?

Nope. The car more than likely was delivered from another dealer or auction house.

kennster

Heh-heh... I was just pushing my own mini-agenda, for what it's worth. Me just being the typical programmer: customer asks for x, and programmer gives them 2xy ... The original post was asking about German cars, and ... if this thread were perfectly on track, if no one had anything to say about German cars, then they would have been off-topic. I have not a clue about Mustangs: my complaint is the stock seats/seating position in that generation of Mustang was very uncomfortable. After driving a Ford Winstar, and sitting in a sports car with almost the exact controls/steering column, etc, the last thing I wanted was a Mustang. Whereas, the Camaro seats are form fitted, wrap around the driver: the Camaro is much more of a sports car. Here are a few matching $9,500-10,500 under 45k miles. [^] I would personally rather drive my Neon :).