VW Jetta and/or Passat

[Ramprat]

Went used car hunting today as driving the PSD for work is really starting to be a pain in da ***, last week I put over $120 in the tank. I need a good all weather car that has room for medical supplies and the other junk I haul for work. They only pay me .31 a mile but every 6 months send a 2nd check to try and make up the difference between the .31 per maile & the average cost of a gallon of gas.

Found 3 cars we liked after checking out all the used dealers in town & funny enough they were VW's.

What are the VW Jetta's & Passat's like???

If I remember right the Passat was a 03 & the Jetta's were 03 & 04.

Oh and we don't have a VW dealer in town, think the closest one is something like 50 miles away.

I also don't know if I'd want a oil burner over a gasser. With the price of diesel running around .80 cents a gallon more than gas around these parts that very well could have a large impact on what we get.

 

[mocetane]

I would go for the gasser due to the cost of diesel. Also I have read on the VW sites that the Jetta/Passat diesel engines are major expensive to work on.
If I remember correctly, the oil filter is pricey and it is a PITA to change the oil.
One has to remove a large splash apron from under the engine before changing oil.
I have also heard that they are ******* timing belts. Need to be replaced more often than you would think (at $700.00 a pop)

In summary, the impression that I have gotten is that they are so expensive to maintain, that it is not worth it. Which sucks because until recently, I was considering one also.

Get the diesel Toureg and spend some real$$$$$$$$

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

I have also been looking at the VWs as well.... I wouldnt even touch anything thats '05 or older. Reliabilty issues dont fare too well there. The '05 was the new design for the Jetta. The Passat will not get a diesel again til '07

With the price of gas and stuff.... going with an oilburner might be kinda hard with a truck, but with a car, you may be able to recoup the cost anyway.

So yeah... I'd say pass up on both of those VW's and keep looking. Just my .02 cents.

 

[Diesel Music]

Went used car hunting today as driving the PSD for work is really starting to be a pain in da ***, last week I put over $120 in the tank. I need a good all weather car that has room for medical supplies and the other junk I haul for work. They only pay me .31 a mile but every 6 months send a 2nd check to try and make up the difference between the .31 per maile & the average cost of a gallon of gas.

Found 3 cars we liked after checking out all the used dealers in town & funny enough they were VW's.

What are the VW Jetta's & Passat's like???

If I remember right the Passat was a 03 & the Jetta's were 03 & 04.

Oh and we don't have a VW dealer in town, think the closest one is something like 50 miles away.

I also don't know if I'd want a oil burner over a gasser. With the price of diesel running around .80 cents a gallon more than gas around these parts that very well could have a large impact on what we get.

You might want to checkout the repair frequency and cost of a VW. My daughter in law currently drives a Passat wagon. What a nice car. That said repairs are very expensive and user serviceability is practially nil. The Jetta she had prior to this vehicle was the same way. Nice car, but expensive to repair and difficult to work on.

 

[BJS]

oil burning VW requires a special grade of oil, Castrol is the only us mfg/dist and from what I've read it's only in a few stores so dealer is the source for most buyers and it's relatively expensive.

As far as servicablity they are just as easy to work on as any front wheel drive car which roughly translates to major cussing and extreme profanities for doing something rather basic.

The redesign of the jetta in 05 did nothing to the drivetrain only a body redesign the TDI engine remained the same.

Since it sounds like you are looking for used vehicles TDI's even used are brigning original sticker price or even higher especially since VWoA announced they have imported the max allowance of TDI's for the '05 year (not sure if model or calendar year)

As far as gas vs oil burner... it's a toss up honestly when you throw a vehicle even gasser that is going to be pulling roughly 2X what your PSD is getting the difference between 30 & 40 becomes very minimal and would take quite a while for any additional expense to pay for itself.

Timing belts are a PITA and part of the routine maint on all of the little ricers. The labor is the expensive part and waterpump gets replaced while @ it for any one who has 2 cents for a brain since you've already removed it, and they tend to have roughy a 100k lifespan as well.

 

[sassyrel]

a diesel vw is not that bad as you responders say--sheesh--can do basic mech work--you can do it--just a little more time--also--the timing belts on the later vws are good for 100,000--and--you dont take it to a vw dealer as i said--doing it yourself--about 150.00!!!!!!!!!! changing oil--tricks to the trade like everything else--if yu want the FACTS--go to tdiclub.com--and do some reading!!!!!! owners of these all over the states--and a lot of them will drive some to help with your vw diesel-----get real

 

[lschultz]

Yeh Ramp if you get one of those VW TDI I will come up there to help you to work on it but you have to feed me and give me a place to sleep and some money to get me back to T E X A S

 

[scamp73]

The Vdub TDI's get very good milage. They can go from Denver to Vegas on one tank. I don't care who you are thats damn good. The best part is you can make them haul ass.

 

[lschultz]

Ah he us is on a Honda Accord now. He is like a wimon can't make up his mind.

 

[Ramprat]

Ah he us is on a Honda Accord now. He is like a wimon can't make up his mind.

Actually I've found that the Accord is cheaper to purchase, operate and service. Since the closest VW dealer is almost 50 miles from here and it's hard to gind a good german wrench turner it's just not smart to get one.

 

[lschultz]

Damn the weather is going to change the Ramp is doing something smart. or is somebody putting some pressure on you.