Thinking of Late model VW TDI

[wn1998]

I have been thinking about purchasing a 1999-2002 VW jetta TDI. It seems most of the ones in my area (Chicago) have about 100-125k and the owners are asking 5k-7500. How reliable are they? I currently have a 98 grand cherokee that is killing me on gas ($60/week). I think the fact the TDI gets 45-50mpg on diesel.

Let me know what you think!

 

[Dave Hess]

I don't know how reliable are they, maybe this will help.
http://www.carcomplaints.com/

If you find a Civic HX (5 speed) in good condition they can also get almost get 50 MPG. Some people can break 50 MPG when they hypermile it and they are dirt cheap/parts are very cheap for a Civic.

 

[expat]

We have a 2003 VW gas 2L, we did have electrical Gremlins, but they (I hope) have been worked out while the car was under warranty. We liked the TDI (pulled like a Steam train, nice flat torque curve) but found them overpriced.
I tend to agree with LT4Vette, there are a bunch of other cars (including the Civic) that will give you FAR better mpg than your Jeep for much less $ than the VW TDI

 

[The_Jeff]

You can get a saturn/neon/escort/cavalier and high 30s for MPG for $1500 in the same mileage range. 87 octane gas is about 7% cheaper here too. For bare-bones commuting at minimal cost per mile, you can't beat these cars.

The TDIs have expensive timing belts, well, the labor is expensive. Changing spark plugs on an inline 4 is no big deal at all, but a common excuse diesel owners use for why their vehicles are "maintenance free". The rest of the VW has a reputation for falling apart, and is tolerated for the well-loved oil burner.

Will you be doing work on it yourself?

 

[wn1998]

Thanks for the replies guys. Eljefino, yes I would be doing most repairs myself. What year civics are know to be the most reliable?

 

[FL_Rob]

60-70 bucks a week vs the price of a another car?only if you could make money on the jeep to justify the return...if there is one.Spend 'today dollars' on a depreciating purchase,thats a fine balancing act.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
You can get a saturn/neon/escort/cavalier and high 30s for MPG for $1500 in the same mileage range. 87 octane gas is about 7% cheaper here too. For bare-bones commuting at minimal cost per mile, you can't beat these cars.

The TDIs have expensive timing belts, well, the labor is expensive. Changing spark plugs on an inline 4 is no big deal at all, but a common excuse diesel owners use for why their vehicles are "maintenance free". The rest of the VW has a reputation for falling apart, and is tolerated for the well-loved oil burner.

Will you be doing work on it yourself?


If you were to get one of the cars listed here, make sure to get either the manual or the 4 speed auto.

 

[FowVay]

I highly recommend the TDI Jetta over any gas equivalent simply based on the fun factor. I drove my 1999.5 model Golf TDI for 10 years and 221,000 miles and it was as tight the day it died as it was when new. And it never failed to put a huge grin on my face each time I took the wheel.

I was TDI-less for 2 months while I awaited a replacement and you can't imagine how happy I was to hear the little 'grr grr grr' once I had another in my garage.

Are there issues to be concerned about? Sure. But learning about the cars and taking good care of them is half the fun of ownership. My only advice is to stay away from the automatic transmission equipped models.

There's too much to talk about regarding these cars to do it in one post. Visit the tdiclub dot com and look around. The chassis you're looking at is known as the A4 model, often called a MK4. The engine code you're interested in is the ALH, quite possibly the best TDI engine made.

My car had a UpSolute computer chip and Bilstein Sport shocks with NeuSpeed Sport springs. I had put 16" BBS RX-II wheels on it from a Wolfsburg Edition Jetta which greatly improved the appearance. It really was a blast to drive,, even if it wasn't blisteringly fast.

 

[Dave Hess]

you could also look at a 5 speed Corolla

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: wn1998
Thanks for the replies guys. Eljefino, yes I would be doing most repairs myself. What year civics are know to be the most reliable?


Oh the TDI may just be the thing if you're handy. Civics are preppy (VW too); IMO buy new or in need of repair; the runners are too expensive for what you get.

 

[dishdude]

If the Grand Cherokee is reliable, you might want to take another look at replacing it. Run the numbers, consider what you'll be able to sell it for, factor in sales tax, title fees, etc.

You might find it is cheaper to pay an extra $20-$30 in gas per week than buying a fuel efficent car.

Now if you WANT a new car, that is a different story. Just don't be penny wise and pound foolish...

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: wn1998
Thanks for the replies guys. Eljefino, yes I would be doing most repairs myself. What year civics are know to be the most reliable?


Oh the TDI may just be the thing if you're handy. Civics are preppy (VW too); IMO buy new or in need of repair; the runners are too expensive for what you get.

Toyota Echo sedans are good for this as they look "uncool" at best so their resale value is low, but I've driven them back to back with a corolla and there's no real difference between them, other than the Echo has more head room...