Getting rid of my VW 1.8T - What to buy?

[wavinwayne]

I will do some test driving this weekend or next. Probably next - too much going on right now still trying to get moved into the new house.

The Mazda 3 looks interesting. I may give that one a serious look. I also like the Nissan Sentra S, and would be willing to consider a 1-2 yr old Nissan Altima as well. My wife's Aunt drives an 03 or 04 Altima, & it's nice. I've driven it a couple of times. I could probably find a really good deal on a used '06 or '07 Altima.

I dread dealing with sales monkies again, but it's part of life, I reckon.

All this aside, if I didn't have a 50+ mile(ea. way) commute, I'd be driving a new 4x4 pickup. There are some really NICE ones on the market, but I'm not dropping that kind of money for gas every week.

 

[Auto-Union]

The Accord Coupe is pretty nice and $4k off MSRP gets you under $20, even under $19k for an EX that comes with a lot of stuff.

 

[MikeR]

The best car the size of the 4-door Civic is a 4-door Civic. The perfect commuter imo.

 

[Volvohead]

Don't overlook a new VW in your search. They're decent commuters and you already know how much fun they can be on the road.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Love my 05 Corolla. The last 7 tanks (over 3000 miles) have been OVER 44 mpg (47mpg the highest) and never been to the shop in 88k miles.

Not a single issue. Runs like a top.

A/C works great, allows my 6foot 5inch plus frame to be comfy and for a $14k out the door car, excellent value in my book.

Simple car , nothing to die. No nav screens, push button this or that. Just easy to work on and cheap to operate.

With 88k miles still has excellent resale value. (even though its got over 2.5 times the average miles).

Take care, Bill

 

[Anduril]

I know it's not the same engine anymore, but my 2002 Corolla was a real disappointment. Pinged on any grade gas since new, burned oil since about 60k, rod knock of death by 100k. Had its oil changed every 3-4k.

 

[Bill in Utah]

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I know it's not the same engine anymore, but my 2002 Corolla was a real disappointment. Pinged on any grade gas since new, burned oil since about 60k, rod knock of death by 100k. Had its oil changed every 3-4k.

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Interesting. Same engine as now. 1ZZFE.

I've never heard a ping. (wish I could say the same with my 07 Subaru) Uses about 1 qt every 7-10k miles when you run it consistantly high rpm. (I do, 2800-3000 rpm 98% of the time)

I do get a little timing chain rattle when starting up for less than a sec if sitting for 10 hours or more. The UOAs come back perfect, so I'm not concerned.

Sorry to hear yours did not do so well.

Bill

 

[BearZDefect]

Bill,

I'd like to propose that 3,000 RPM is a breeze for any modern 4 (or 6) cylinder engine, I wouldn't consider it "high rpm."

Most Honda 4-cyl cars for decades now are geared like that and run many, many more miles than most first owners care to keep them. I don't see why Toyota wouldn't be similar, even though they often give their cars taller gearing than Honda.

 

[ThirdeYe]

I wouldn't consider 3k to be high either. That's cruising highway speed in my car.

 

[Hermann]

I'll bet you could get a Base SE Fusion for about $14 to $15K range. Would probably get 30-35 MPG with a 5-speed.

 

[Norm Olt]

I would say you should take a look at the new 2008 Subaru Impreza: there is one in the paper Saturday @ $15,995.

There was also a new 2007 Impreza Sport Wagon at another dealer @ $15,998 and a 2007 Impreza Special Edition Sedan last week @ $16,995: that car has a sunroof and some other really nice factory extras...

Contrary to what "some" people believe Subaru builds some of the most durable, trouble-free vehicles available: take a look at most of the oil analysis results for Subaru's in general: Outbacks, WRX sti's, etc. Almost every one is excellent.

Standard AWD is "only of real value" if you happen to live somewhere where it snows a lot... Or ever RAINS!

Gas mileage on my 1992 SVX's last 400 mile trip was over 28 mpg. Mid 20's in town is pretty normal unless I'm in a real hurry or caught in traffic for an extended period. That's with the 230+ hp flat six, not the 170 hp (or so) in the N/A Impreza! The resale value for Subaru's with less than 200K miles is usually pretty excellent, too.

Cheers!

 

[Tornado Red]

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After driving a base 4 door GTI I absolutely loved the car. Even the retro(to original Rabbit GTI) plaid pattern seats. My close friends father owns one and average about 29MPG with regular fuel doing easy driving on back country roads.

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Not a bad choice -- the 2.0T gets better fuel mileage than the 2.5-liter 5-cylinder in the Rabbit. As much fun as the 1.8T, but better in a number of ways.

 

[wgtoys]

The Civic is hard to top given the stated requirements. A sleeper value can be the manual transmission Accord, if you can find one. 2007 Accord are being discounted heavily right now to make way for the all new 2008 redesign.

 

[addyguy]

I know this probably isn't an option, but have you considered keeping your GTI? The general consensus on here seems to be that a paid-for vehicle is better than making payments, and with how well-looked after your GTI is, you know it will easily go double the mileage you have on it now. Plus, in an era of unstable gas prices, a 1.8 gives you both good pawer and good mileage to meet all your needs (you did say mileage was an issue)....I've seen the pictures of your GTI, and it is in great shape, so its not going anywhere soon......

Just my $.02!

 

[wavinwayne]

I can't decide what I want to do. I think I need to wait a while, until I can be as close to 100% sure about what I want as possible. In the last week, I've gone from wanting a Mazda 3, to 2 different Subarus, to a couple of domestics, to wanting a new GTI 2.0T, which I REALLY like. What's wrong with me!?

 

[crw]

>> What's wrong with me!?

You're normal.

 

[VeeDubb]

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I can't decide what I want to do. I think I need to wait a while, until I can be as close to 100% sure about what I want as possible. In the last week, I've gone from wanting a Mazda 3, to 2 different Subarus, to a couple of domestics, to wanting a new GTI 2.0T, which I REALLY like. What's wrong with me!?

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Go with the 2.0T GTI. Over 30mpg per gallon, 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and handles well. Plus, you are already familiar with these cars.

 

[Cutehumor]

the scion xb is redesigned and looks super cool 2.4L camry engine 28mpg highway. msrp 16900. power windows, locks, auto standard

 

[mstrjon32]

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I wouldn't consider 3k to be high either. That's cruising highway speed in my car.

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Mine too, if I'm cruising at 110.

I couldn't imagine driving around in a car geared like that. I need 'ma torque!

 

[ThirdeYe]

I enjoy the quirkiness. Kind of creates a special bond, per se