My son will be starting his Sophomore year at college and will be needing a car, we were out shopping last weekend and I have been browsing for a few weeks online.

I was thinking along the lines of a Sentra, Civic, Accord, and the like. But he saw and went for a drive in an 02 Jetta and is fixated just on that car now. We also looked at an Aveo (which was my choice).

His budget is up to $10K but if he could go less, so much the better. My question is; what is the 411 on the VW Jetta, especially an 02 model - this one has $68K miles on it, loaded and clean?

Personally, I'm a believer in Consumer Reports and their reliability ratings for used cars. VW's get consistently TERRIBLE ratings when it comes to reliability. I haven't looked at this specific model, but no way would I buy a used VW anything for someone I liked! ;) :D

Your first list looks better to me.

Most vw's do okay to 100k but then will nickel and dime you to death. A couple coworkers have newer VW's and they say that is pretty consistent on the Jetta. The issue with the hondas since they popular they get stolen a lot. Other than that they are a good little car. My honda tech buddy recommends the 92-93 accords. Good mileage and usually less issues on the optional stuff. Typical power window motors need swapped out and make sure the timing belt gets looked after about every 90k. Until gas shot up they could be had in nice shape for 500-1500 around here. now most are above 2k if they are in decent shape.

I used to work for an auto warranty co I'm pretty jaded when it comes to domestic and imported luxury auto failure rates. I stay away from all mid-lower line cars made in Germany. The only Jetta I would consider is a mid 80's 5spd diesel. I'm in the same boat as far as a 2yr student in college needing transportation that gets more than 14 mpg. He's looking at the Suzuki SX4 and the Scion's. Since were paying half, I'm partial the the Kia's as they are cheaper and carry a better warranty a 5yr/60k basic and a 10yr/100k drivetrain.

I would stay away from the Jetta. I really think they have a switch in there to self destruct a little at a time when the clock hits 100k. A friend of mine has an 03 and although it has not had any major stuff go wrong, it only has about 40k on it. He said the maintenance costs will eat right through the wallet though. I did car audio installation for about 4 years and the problem that I always saw in them were the cheap interior parts. They become very brittle and the coating that is sprayed on them just peels off. As far as what I recommend: Honestly, we bought my fiance a 07 Kia Spectra SX, it is actually a very good car. This is the second one that we have had. The first one, we bought it, 5 hours and 187 miles on the car, someone pulled out in front of us going down HWY 380. We were going 65mph and t-boned a Toyota Sequoia. Both of us walked away without a scratch. I was surprised it did not total it. I ended up getting into an arguement with the other person's insurance company because they wanted to fix that car and give it back. I was not going to take a brand new car back that had been in a major accident. They ended up calling it "totalled". So now we are on the second one, and its been great. We got 41mpg on the highway on a trip. It gets 27-28 or so in the city. Maintenance is cheap and with a 10yr powertrain warranty, you can't go wrong for the price.

Just got a car for my nephew; 1989 Toyota Camry 4 cylinder/auto for $1500... My brother spent another $800 paying a shop to replace the brakes, one motor mount (that was known about when we bought it) and a few other maintanence things (oil/filter, distributor cap/rotor/plugs/wires). Car has a new radiator, and recently had the timing belt replaced. The rest checked out well.

I bought it from a co-worker (know for 10 years). He is the original owner, and took very good care of it.

We drove it around, and this "old guy" scared me by only going 55 on the freeway (cars passing on both sides). i was worried that it didn't run well, but when I drove it, it was fine. :D The only issue, is accelarating to merge on the freeway, thats where the little 4 cyl is scary...

Even on my short shake down run (about 70 miles, at 75-80 mph with the A/C on), it still got about 30 mpg!

My ex-sister-in-law didn't like it (she expected something "newer", so my brother/nephew sold it to my mom for what they had into it (an agreement we had when I found it for my nephew). My Mom loves it, especially since the gas mileage is much better than her 2000 Navigator...

I will just say that I sold my 95 bonneville a week ago for $2000. It was a big car with a V6. It gets just as good gas mileage as all these small cars you are mentioning. The GM 3.8L v6 is about as good as it gets. reliable, decent gas mileage and these larger cars are going to bring a smaller price tag. So you get more for less. DOn't count out looking at cars like the Bonneville, LaSabre etc. While they might not be sporty enough for a younger guy they will be safe.

my buddy tagman has only ever owned honda civics. He loves 'em. Never had any problems with them either (except for the civic del sol he riced out and juiced up) Only reason he's been through 4 of them is he gets bored or wants to get a newer model. They get pretty goos MPG too. They are one of the top rated small cars when I was looking around at some info last week.

Despite what others here have said, if you can find a VW Jetta/Golf TDI w/ 5 speed with under 200k miles for a decent price, I'd say grab it. (Note: stay in the 98-03 model range) My father has been using a 2002 Golf TDI for the past 20,000 miles as a work vehicle (large animal veterinarian) without one hiccup (this car now has over 120,000 miles). Just make sure the vehicle has a comprehensive service history, and you should be set!

What engine did this Jetta you've looked at have? The 1.8T had 'sludging' problems if the incorrect motor oil was used. Also, DO NOT buy a VW with an automatic transmission (this is specific to the 99-05 model years where a DSG automatic was not offered. The DSG gearbox is superb, while the slushbox 4 speed is death). They have a 'lifetime' fluid fill and don't usually last longer than 200k miles. They can be serviced, but the fuid change procedure is a pain and doesn't necessarily prolong the life of the transmission. In short: find a 5-speed

Toyota Camry's of the early '00 vintage are also quality vehicles, and don't possess the butt uglyness of the new models. If they have been taken care of, they usually last a long while.

I will just say that I sold my 95 bonneville a week ago for $2000. It was a big car with a V6. It gets just as good gas mileage as all these small cars you are mentioning. The GM 3.8L v6 is about as good as it gets. reliable, decent gas mileage and these larger cars are going to bring a smaller price tag. So you get more for less. DOn't count out looking at cars like the Bonneville, LaSabre etc. While they might not be sporty enough for a younger guy they will be safe.


Yeah, right...sure.....it gets excellent mileage. :rolleyes:

Respectfully,
John R.

Our kids really like Subaru station wagons. I remember when we bought the first one, my mom got mad at me for making them drive a wagon! But with a rack on top, they carry bikes, boards, kayaks, etc. Fold the rear seat down, and you have a pick-up truck. Subarus get good mileage, last forever, and don't draw the attention of thieves or officers. Anti-lock brakes, AWD, and just enough power to get around without the temptation to do stupid stuff.

I dunno, though, in SoCal, they might be frumpy, I don't see many there. Around here, intelligent people consider them cool.

Yeah, right...sure.....it gets excellent mileage. :rolleyes:

Respectfully,
John R.

I averaged 31 mpg on the highway with the A/C on, most of these so called small 4 cyl won't get that. Last fall driving to Wisconsin with the a/c off half the time I got 33 mpg. Ask anyone that owns a 3.8L they will tell you the same thing.

Thanks for all the replys. The Jetta he was loving was the 2.0, but I have since passed on information read here and some negative feedback I got from some co-workers so he is off of it now- but we still need to find a car. I wish he would be ok with the Aveo, I'm finding a couple of good deals there but once he drove that Jetta, he is sticking on power options not easily obtained on an available Aveo. I saw an article today that the most affordable car is the KIA, I guess we should look at those too but I have to admit that is a pretty plain wrap car for a young guy on the prowl :D,

How bout going a little cheaper and buy a Nissan Primera from '98/'00?

You'll be keeping money in the pocket because they should go for $8000 and under, and still proven to be quite reliable for it's age, at least, that's my expierience.

Try a 3 or 4 year old 6 cylinder Mustang, they are simple and reliable with good mileage.
Ron

Gary, You can't go wrong witht a dependabale Honda or toyota. But they are high on the stolen list.
The jetta, I have heard like has been mentioned can, be trouble. My neighbor bought a new one last year, an 07, one electrical problem so far. Had to be towed to Dealer for warranty work. Another one, a kid has about late 90's, one little problem after another.

I know you are off the VW kick, but just to pile on, I had a 95 VR6 Passat and a 96 Audi A4 and both started with all kinds of electrical issues at 100k miles. I love them, but I wouldn't be foolish enough to own one again.

I would think any year Civic in reasonable condition would be just about perfect for a college student. And the late 90's/early 00's were sort of sporty-ish. I would look for one of those.

Well thankfully the kid recognized a good deal and asked me to swing the sale on the 06 Chevy Aveo we found. Everything worked out well and we picked it up this evening. Thanks to all for the input, you saved he and I from some headaches I'm sure of it! :beers: