JohnLockesGhost Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 I've been driving around a Honda Accord coupe since 2001. It's been a really good car for me. Looks sharp, plenty of pep, reliable. However, its transmission is really going and will be over $3000 to replace. On top of that, I have a 5-week-old baby girl. It's quite a pain in the butt to get her in and out of my little red coupe. So, I'm in the market for a new vehicle. I think my only requirement is that it's a sedan with enough room to get her in and out comfortably. I can afford to spend around 25,000 on it. I went out this Saturday with my brother to look at some cars and we checked out the VW Passat, which won 2012 MT Car of the Year. http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/1201_2012_motor_trend_car_of_the_year_volkswagen_passat/viewall.html Looks like a nice car and a good value. Does anyone have experience with Veedubs? Are there any other cars out there I should check out? Is there any truth in the idea that you get the best deal after Christmas or at the end of the month? Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Check out Hyundia. Seriously. They've changed a ton in the last ten years and are producing quality automobiles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLockesGhost Posted December 15, 2011 Author Share Posted December 15, 2011 Check out Hyundia. Seriously. They've changed a ton in the last ten years and are producing quality automobiles Yeah. I've heard good things and I went to look at them too. The Sonata is the comparable model to the Passat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Paging DCsportsfan53...paging DCsportsfan53... Seriously, he's a VW mechanic, you might want to PM him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdcskins Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Bentley Azure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.T.real,lights,out Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 I have a 2012 Passat. I have the SE without the sunroof...I love it. I would def go with the SE. Having the heated seats, touch screen radio and heated mirrors is def worth it to me. And there is a ton of room in it. I have a baby seat in the back and still can get two people back there. If you have any questions about it shoot me a PM. This is my 2nd VW, love the service and have yet to have any serious problems. And P.S. i dont see very many of these on the road atleast in NY....so push hard for a good deal on one. I got a really good deal on mine b/c they just came out and they wanted them on the road. Ive had mine for three months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dockeryfan Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 If I were to get a new car I would get a VW high efficiency diesel like the Passat or the Jetta. They just get phenomenal gas mileage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Paging DCsportsfan53...paging DCsportsfan53...Seriously, he's a VW mechanic, you might want to PM him. Really? I think I'll be PMing him in a few weeks. I'm dieing to know about the diesel engines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Disclaimer: I'm a long time VW enthusiast and I work on them for a living. That said, if you look through my history here I think you'll find I'm pretty realistic in my evaluation of cars and have no problems noting my own manufacturer's faults and mistakes. Now, on to the car. Simply put, this new passat is an absolutely fantastic car and was just recently named Motor Trend's Car of the Year. It's more refined, better looking (obviously just opinion) has better fit and finsh and interior qualities and layout (a staple of VW for some time) and better ride and handling than the competition. It's built in the US in a brand new factory and a majority of the parts are manufactured in the US, too, not just imported and assembled here. Imo, as a family sedan it can't be beat for the money by its competition. I'd be happy to answer any question you have about it. Also, another thing to note is that VWs are masterfully engineered when it comes to their sturdiness and safety and they deservedly have a reputation as such. Just to give you an idea, here's a little video comparing the VW small suv vs a Kia (Hyundai) small suv. Personally, I feel safer in a VW than in the Japanese (or American) competition. I know they know how to build a safe car and I've seen the results first hand. -IwOwog3skk A couple more links [url=]http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1112_2012_hyundai_sonata_gls_2012_toyota_camry_le_and_2012_volkswagen_passat_se_family_court/ [url=]http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1112_2011_hyundai_sonata_se_vs_2012_toyota_camry_se_vs_2012_volkswagen_passat_vr6_sel_comparison/ Edit: Saw others commented on the diesels while I was writing this post. They are fantastic engines. Understand, though, that there are a few things to consider. These new diesels are very sensitive to fuel quality. Poor quality diesel fuel can wreak havoc and require expensive full fuel system rebuilds. However, because VW is pushing diesels in the US hard and because they understand how little experience we have with them vs Euros they pretty much have been covering everything no questions asked, even in cases where the customer misfueled with gasoline and drove the car until it shut off. Also, it should be noted that while not hugely different, there are some extra costs associated with owning a diesel. For one thing, the fuel filter needs frequent (every 20k miles) replacement, it uses a timing belt (most newer cars and all other VWs uses maintainenece free chains nowadays) and the diesel particulate filter has a usable life of approx 120,000 miles before it needs replacement. Both of those last two issues are really only relevant if you intend to keep the car beyond 100k miles. Lastly, in the Passat in order to comply with emissions testing there's an additive (called Ad-Blue) that gets injected into the exhaust stream to aid in the breakdown of Nitrous Oxide emissions and that tank needs to be re-filled every 10 or 15k miles. The car will not run if that tank runs empty. This is true of many modern diesels, including MBs, BMW, the Touraeg TDI, ect but IS NOT true of the Jetta TDI because, as a smaller lighter car, it is able to comply without it. The Ad Blue is covered as part of the carefree maintainence program for 3 years/36k miles but not after. It's not horribly expensive by any stretch (might cost $100 or so per re-fill) but it should be a consideration if you're thinking about a diesel. All that said, they're fantastic engines with none of the smoking, noisy, smelly and underpowered drawbacks of yesteryear's diesels. Imo a 110% better option than a hybrid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Mazda 3, Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord (new one) i don't think you can get any better than those Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TradeTheBeal! Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Been in the biz a long time. I would not let my worst enemy drive a VW. In my experience, they are remarkably unreliable. This is why VW markets their cars almost exclusively to people that know next-to-nothing about cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulane Skins Fan Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 GM Volt? Why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tone_dubbz Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 If I had the money I would get this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Been in the biz a long time. I would not let my worst enemy drive a VW. In my experience, they are remarkably unreliable. This is why VW markets their cars almost exclusively to people that know next-to-nothing about cars. It's a reputation that's largely deserved but largely in the past, too. Today's VWs are much, MUCH better than they were in the past and are on par with their competition in today's market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destructis Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 If I were going to buy a new car now, I would buy the new Dodge Charger. I am so in love with that car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mayor of Fed Ex Field Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Buying a new vehicle after Christmas usually gets you a better deal, but if you are ready to purchase now, I would purchase the car on the 23rd, late at night, chances are you will get a better deal at that time. They wont be as busy, therefore you can negotiate more, and they will be in a hurry to just get home for the holidays. After Christmas, dealers sell more cars in that 6 days than they did the 24 days prior. So they will be busy those last 6 days. 23rd. Best bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mayor of Fed Ex Field Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Also, if you find a car you want to buy, PM me the VIN and the dealer, and chances are I could pre-negotiate you your best deal, and have everything ready for you when you walk in. Ive done it for ES members before, and I don't mind, I actually like doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Also, another thing to note is that VWs are masterfully engineered when it comes to their sturdiness and safety and they deservedly have a reputation as such. Just to give you an idea, here's a little video comparing the VW small suv vs a Kia (Hyundai) small suv. Personally, I feel safer in a VW than in the Japanese (or American) competition. I know they know how to build a safe car and I've seen the results first hand. I've had my Jetta Wagon for about 8 years, and I agree that the body holds up very well. The car is solid German engineering with lots of heft. It is excellent in the snow, without the need for 4WD. Also, given the choice between my wife's newer Mazda 3 and my car, she'd pick my car every time for safety. Edit: Saw others commented on the diesels while I was writing this post. They are fantastic engines. Understand, though, that there are a few things to consider. These new diesels are very sensitive to fuel quality. Poor quality diesel fuel can wreak havoc and require expensive full fuel system rebuilds. However, because VW is pushing diesels in the US hard and because they understand how little experience we have with them vs Euros they pretty much have been covering everything no questions asked, even in cases where the customer misfueled with gasoline and drove the car until it shut off. With the move to ULSD in this country, issues with diesel fuel should be minimal even with the newer diesel engines. Also, it should be noted that while not hugely different, there are some extra costs associated with owning a diesel. For one thing, the fuel filter needs frequent (every 20k miles) replacement, it uses a timing belt (most newer cars and all other VWs uses maintainenece free chains nowadays) and the diesel particulate filter has a usable life of approx 120,000 miles before it needs replacement. Both of those last two issues are really only relevant if you intend to keep the car beyond 100k miles. True, but if you do your regular maintnence, the diesel probably will last you a lot longer than that. Mine is up to 155k, and other than an intermittant turbo problem I haven't been able to track down, it is still going strong. All that said, they're fantastic engines with none of the smoking, noisy, smelly and underpowered drawbacks of yesteryear's diesels. Imo a 110% better option than a hybrid. Agreed. If you want to find out more information, go to www.tdiclub.com. There are a lot of knowlegable people there who know a lot more about diesel engines than I do. It is an excellent resource. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Longshot, one of the issues with the diesel fuel is that there are currently two levels of low sulfur diesel and, unless you look closely at the pump, you won't know the difference. There's low sulfur diesel fuel (500 ppm) and ultra low sulfur diesel fuel (15 ppm). On an older diesel like yours neither will be an issue, newer ones it can be. In particular the 500 ppm fuel can cause failure of the diesel particulate filter. The other issue is that quality of fuel is not consistent in the states like it is in Europe. Water contamination is an issue for one. Modern clean diesels also use the lubricosity of diesel to lubricate moving parts in the fuel system (such as the high pressure fuel pump) and if it isn't right (or if the engine is cranked extensively without fuel flowing to it) it can destroy that pump and the resulting metal shavings will contaminate the rest of the fuel system. Now that said, almost all the cases of fuel system failures we've seen have been because the customer filled the car with gasoline and realized it when the car shut off and wouldn't re-start. As diesels become more popular, and they will (the Japanese and American manufacturers are currently developing their own, Toyota and BMW just traded techs, hybrid for diesel for example) the fuel quality issues should be significantly reduced. I hope I wasn't trying to make it sound as though it's hugely expensive to own a diesel, it's really not but in the interest of honesty and full disclosure I thought it necessary to point out that there are some additional maintainence costs along the way that you wouldn't necessarily see with a gas engine. However, those are quite easy to accept when you're getting 50-60% better fuel economy. I know the VWs are rated at about 41 mpg highway but from experience these new diesels will routinely see 50 and better highway on a consistent basis. My buddy (2010 TDI sportwagen) recently took his on a trip from DC to NYC and back with four adults in the car, luggage and a roof rack on it and averaged 54 mpg for the entire trip. That's impressive. Btw, what's the intermittent turbo problem you've been having? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dockeryfan Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Been in the biz a long time. I would not let my worst enemy drive a VW. In my experience, they are remarkably unreliable. This is why VW markets their cars almost exclusively to people that know next-to-nothing about cars. I know one person that worked in automobile parts for like 50 years, and he can't say enough about his Jetta. This guy is very knowledgeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bostic Hog Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 I bought a new car for my wife in April -- we got the Nissan Altima V6 3.5, loaded. This car is the bomb -- highly recommend you check out the Altima. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stadium-Armory Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I had a 2002 Jetta VR6 and loved it. It was on the heavy side, and slightly more expensive to repair than my Honda, but it is well worth it to gain the styling and feel of the VW. It wasn't any more unreliable than previous cars I owned. Loved that farfegnugen so much, I stayed German and got a Mercedes Wagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryE Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 If I were going to buy a new car now, I would buy the new Dodge Charger. I am so in love with that car. I had one of those as a rental about 6 or so weeks ago while our Volvo was in the body shop. I guess if you like a car that is very good at going from 0-60 in a straight line on dry even pavement (as is not up or down a hill) then they are ok. But if you even barely touch the gas going from a stop uphill in the mild damp your wheels are going to spin. If you are going around a turn in the wet and your foot wanders near the accelerator . . . the wheels are going to spin. Seriously when you make a car that powerful you need to put in traction control or the car is almost undrivable in the damp forget about full wet. Seriously that car in the wet is the worst car I have ever driven (yes including my 1973 Dodge Dart). I have to admit when dry it was a ton of fun blasting away from the stop lights but at the end of the 10 days or whatever it was I was done. If you do get one . . . get traction control or be very very very careful in the wet (and that is coming from some who learned to drive in the aformentioned 1973 Dodge Dart that could spin all season tires for about 35 feet in the dry). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I had a 2006 Jetta VR6 and loved it. It was on the heavy side, and slightly more expensive to repair than my Honda, but it was well worth it in my experience. It wasn't any more unreliable than previous cars I owned.Love the German feel, and drive a Mercedes wagon now. They killed their reputation in the early 2000s when sales went up rapidly in the US and a combination of quality problems with the cars and a suddenly overloaded and unable to cope with the volume dealer network. Two major things that killed them at that point were ignition coils and window regulators. I'm still not sure how those regulator clips made it out of testing considering every single one of them had a window drop in the door at least once in the first 40k miles. My 01 GTI made it 19k miles before the driver's window fell in the door and about the same before one of the ignition coils crapped out. There's been a huge and dramatic effort within the company from a product testing and quality control at the production level aspect as a result of the experiences of 99-03 and it's paid off big time, imo. They are making very good cars right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLockesGhost Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Thank you all for the advice, information and offers. My wife enjoyed me reading the responses to her. She has a Mazda 6 and really likes it, but certain repairs/replacements (tires and headlights) are more expensive than we'd like. Also the Hyundai Sonata does look like a nice car. How does it compare to the Passat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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