Thinking of buying a used car...

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
Originally Posted By: silverrat
100 bucks says some one recommends a Crown Vic.


I wouldn't mind one, honestly, but they're a bit larger than I need and most seem to be high mileage. Could be fun to zip around in a P71..


Pfeh. Unless it has 300,000 miles or more on it, the CV isn't high mileage. And they get good gas mileage (relatively speaking_)

+1

The Mustang GT sounds awesome...A late model P71 from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol would be awesome also...You can tint the windows [like they do here] and it would look awesome and you can drive it into oblivion.

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: chet2
i would not get the vw turbo, sludges easily


True of Audi A4 and VW Passat due to differing oil sump from fore-aft engine mounting. However in the VW Golf/GTI/Jetta has a transverse mounting (FWD) and does not suffer sludge problems.

 

[Steve S]

Study up on the reliability ratings and the mpgs.

 

[SZR48207]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
How far is your commute? If its less 10 miles each way then I wouldn't worry about mileage at all. I think around 50 miles a day is the range where a TDI begins to make financial sense.
A Mustang GT would be much more fun than the Maxima IMO, unless you get snow often.


15 mile commute one way to work each day. The route is via back roads that are paved, but are getting rough and neglected because all of a sudden, everyone has to take my same route to work. Lots of pot holes and buckles.

In my truck, the ride to/from work sometimes feels like getting forced into a box and thrown down a hill. Pretty rough.

Originally Posted By: eljefino
The lowly chevy cavalier has a soft suspension for a small car, and the newest model years (02-04 or so) have the super ecotec motor. You can get one with 100k for $3k most likely.

You may find a certain amusement in a Lesabre, near 30 MPG highway and pretty good 3.8 powertrain. Oldster owned ones are all over the place. Tauruses handle really nicely and by the end of the model run they brought transmission reliability up to tolerable.

I'm probably all too practical. You want something cool, it seems.


I've considered the Taurus, but I think I need something more "fun". Not much of a Chevy guy, to be honest.

On this topic, though, I was surprised that some Buicks and Oldsmobiles had supercharged engines. Kind of made me pause for a minute to think of the possibility, but then it just seems sort of ridiculous....

Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
Originally Posted By: silverrat
100 bucks says some one recommends a Crown Vic.


I wouldn't mind one, honestly, but they're a bit larger than I need and most seem to be high mileage. Could be fun to zip around in a P71..


Pfeh. Unless it has 300,000 miles or more on it, the CV isn't high mileage. And they get good gas mileage (relatively speaking_)

+1 The Mustang GT sounds awesome...A late model P71 from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol would be awesome also...You can tint the windows [like they do here] and it would look awesome and you can drive it into oblivion.



Now you're just tempting me. ;-)

 

[Thermo1223]

If you are seriously interested in a TDI commute matters little.

It didn't for me. I drove it exclusively in the city for the first year for work. I took highway drives on the weekends but even with my very short commute I still got over 30MPG.

Search on TDIClub.com and don't get an automatic if you want a manual. Get a manual, please.

They are no higher to maintain than any other vehicle with a Timing Belt. They have one expensive part which is the injection pump but those can be had used for less than $400 if you should need it.

In my 4 years of owning one I had one thing go wrong other than a bad battery. It was a coolant temp sensor. The rest was oil changes & brakes. I replaced the glow plugs even though they didn't need it. I regret ever selling that car, should have kept it and drove it into the ground.

 

[DieselTech]

Coolant temp sensors are the norm on the TDI. We replace them all the time. Parts only 30.00