anyone know anything about new vw's?

[denn454]

i'm almost sure i'm going to get one, i've driven a few so far and really like what i've seen. i'm trying to decide between a jetta and a golf, but i'm pretty well confused about whats what and so is everyone i ask.

i drove a golf gti 1.8t and it was very impressive, i think it ran every bit as good as my buick up to 40 mph (street tune, doesnt' stand a chance aginst 20# c16 and nitrous) from there it dies off a little.

I just drove a jetta gls 1.8t today and it didnt' run bad, not nearly as well as the golf did but still better than most cars.

given that they are the same engine i think they would run close to eachother, but they don't. did the golf get some factory goodies or whats the deal here? i did notice it had the k&n filter sticker on the stock air box, not that it would make much difference but maybe there was more done to it? I've also seen that they concider the golf and the gti as different cars, rather than the gti being an option.

 

[XLR8]

I think you should get a pink or lime-green bug. Don't forget to keep fresh flowers in the car. j/k

 

[denn454]

tie dye! and get the wheels that look like flowers! the ultimate chick magnet! thats wrong on so many levels...

 

[denn454]

i did some checking on a vw board, makes me really appreciate the type of people we have here. and the fact that we don't have ricers.

turns out its all the same engine, so i'm either looking at a sevirerly abused jetta (30k miles, and well cared for from what i can see, i doubt it) of the golf i drove had some goodies on it.

can't wait to get it, and then get low 14 out of it. should be very doable with stuff i have laying around. GN TURBO!!!!!!! WEEE!!!!!!!

 

[GN138]

Denn: Stop by our Colorado Racing Board (www.coloradoracing.net) and there is a European section. These guys should be able to help you out too and best of all they live up in this altitude too.

 

[seeyabye]

Run far and fast from anything made by VW in the last ten years! I was thinking about getting a Jetta TDI for my wife(GAS mileage+goodlooking car) Then I started counting how many of these cars I tow per week. (40+) When I started talking to the owners, I found that it was not uncommon for a new VW to be towed three times by the time it gets to 10000 miles. That is not including the times they were able to limp back to the dealer. The TDIs have a better record, but the whole reason for buying a new car was not to have to worry about it. It is a shame too, because they are some great looking and driving cars. If only they could get the quality under control.

 

[denn454]

thats the first bad thing i've heard about them.

i'm trying to figure out the best way to go financially right now, i want to take some time and go through my buick,build it up right hopefully get it in the low 11's, so thats going to mean having another car to drive (i need one anyways) and a good chunk of money, something i don't have.

if i get a new car its going to put the buick on hold for a little bit, but at the same time its going to help build my credit, sometthing i really need, i'm 18 and have 0 credit.

OR i can find a $600 rust bucket beater that will get me around for a while, when it kicks the bucket i can get another and be money ahead. good for getting the buick going, bad for everything else.

decisions decisions.

 

[XLR8]

If you need a driver, get a Toyota with a 4-banger and 150,000 miles for a few hundred. If you change the oil, they will go forever.
If you need a chick magnet (for 18 year olds) get an old Civic and add $500 worth of stickers, lights, a wing and put your NOS system on it.

 

[BLACK6PACK]

Wait till you start doing repairs on that german engineered car too. Parts are expensive and so is the labor costs. Like was said, at 18 I'd buy a cheep japanese car and forget about it. I have a GN and a 95 Eagle talon tsi. Its nice to have a little jap car to beat on and not worry too much about.

 

[Sleeper-6]

Cheap Jap cars rock!

My daily driver is 94 Toyota Corolla, 162,000 and it still runs like new. I just buffed it out and waxed it last night, The damn thing even shines like new now. 20$ for new hubcaps and I'm good to go for another 150,000! Just change the oil and beat the snot out of it.

Oh yeah.......My Mom's Passat with the 1.8T has gone back to the dealer twice now on the flatbed. It's only 2 years old and has 30,000 miles or so on it. I believe it was an ignition problem both times.

 

[gn85]

I'll sell you an 84 VW Golf with a raging 52 horses under the hood. 4 speed manual so you can bang the gears. Plus it's the EUROPEAN version, so you know it's fast... just waiting for stickers.

On an honest note, I can't speak on the reliability of the VWs. I've driven a few new ones here... I do like how they drive. They're very nice on the Autobahn. But as was said before, fixing any VW in the states won't be cheap. The TDIs here are little rockets though. Nice rides. Don't like the way the newest Golfs look though.

 

[cwelk87gn]

While I also like VW's to some extent, I would also agree that a little rice mobile may be the way to go if your watching your $$$. I have owned quite a few European cars, such as VW's, BMW's, SAAB's etc and NONE of them are terribly reliable or cheap to fix. Do some more research

 

[Turbo Indian]

I bought my wife a 91 vw golf gti for a beater untill she is out of school, we have a little small vw garage up the road from us, when I had a oiling prob. I went to him after talking to him & his customers I have detremined he is the GOD of vw,s. his dad owned the garage before he was born he's been working on vw's since he could p/u a wrench. he said any vw newer than I think he said 93 is JUNK. he says every year has probs. with power windows, & automatic trans. I'm telling you this guy knows his vw's.

 

[denn454]

i did find one place that sells wholesale, dirt cheap cars and as many as they have i don't think its because of problems with the cars. BUT i think i am going to look for something else. thanks for your help!

 

[1of1547]

My buddies wife had a newer Jetta with a VR6 in it. She finally sold it when the window started falling out of it. Something about a plastic pin would break and the window would fall down inside of the door. The MAF and the factory alarm also took a dump on it. I know she spent alot of money (thousands) on before she got rid of it. The Jetta only had 60,000 miles on it. And it was well maintained by the dealer.
A guy I work with has a 1.8T that has gone through 3 coilpacks and his windows also fell out. He tried to sell it numerous times but never has had anybody interested.
Plus like everybody said the parts are very expensive. And you need special Volkswagen tools to work on them.

 

[Reaper]

since no one mentioned this i will.......... VW are Female only cars. even the toregg (or however you spell it) is a bit feminine!




run away!


PS. i have heard a few stories about about VWs reliablity

 

[denn454]

Originally posted by Reaper
since no one mentioned this i will.......... VW are Female only cars. even the toregg (or however you spell it) is a bit feminine!




run away!


PS. i have heard a few stories about about VWs reliablity

very true but if you ever have nothing to do go test drive a 1.8t anything. there suprisingly fun cars to drive.

 

[Welby]

My wife has an '03 1.8T Jetta with a 5 speed, and it's a blast to drive. Not a race car by any means, but it's surprisingly quick. As far as falling apart, hers has 13,500 miles on it and hasn't even made a single squeek, let alone self destructed.
I have her old '97 Jetta that I use for daily driving, and it's been solid too. I did have to replace the starter on it, and the power locks don't work right, but other than that, at 89,000 miles, it's been great. Well as great as 115 horsepower can possbily be . I lowered it about 1.5" on Weitec springs, so now at least it looks better and handles like it's on rails, lol. As ungodly slow as it is, it's still a fun car to drive. Oh, it does like to eat front wheel bearings for some reason. Always has *shrug*
The 1.8's can easily be modded, and a chip change alone can give you 40 horsepower or more.

VW's are as much of a lifestyle vehicle as Turbo Buicks and Jeeps are. You can't explain to people what's so great about them, they just won't get it, because they're too busy buying cars according to some dots in a Consumer Reports buying guide..

 

[turbojkt]

Have you thought about a Dodge SRT4?? A lot of fun for the $$

 

[denn454]

i have, and that was my first choice, but i really need to keep it under $15,000 and something about getting raped on insurance doesn't sound too appealing to me. if i could afford an srt, it would be setting in my drive way right now.

i think i'm going to be able to get a deal on a 96 (?) grand am. needs tires and others stuff, but i'm figuring $800 for the car and parts, i can beat that around for a while.

then maybe i'll be able to afford a wrx or something...