Best car for under 8 grand??

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Author Message   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 06:48 pm:    Ok, first off my wife is expecting our first child, and he/she is due to arrive in March so I have some time to think. We currently have a 99 D1 and a 92 Mazda Miata. The miata will be a little tough for us to take out on the town with the three of us. SO we're looking at iether getting a third car, or selling the little miata and getting another car. We don't want a boring accord or camry (no offense to anyone owning one). So far our thoughts have been a mid to late 90's Saab 900, VW Golf, maybe a Chrysler Sebring convertible. I'd really love to get a D90 or Unimog, or Pinzgauer, but we need something that gets decent mileage, preferably above 30mpg or close to it. SO, any idea????? And if you want to donaite to our car fund I accept paypal, cash and checks. THanks, Zak   Evan Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 06:51 pm:    Volvo , Zack , Volvo .   Kyle Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 06:58 pm:    The Roo........ It hauls ......Asses... Kyle   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 07:08 pm:    Been thinking about them as well. Love to get a WRX but a little to much $$$ right now. The disco payment is high enough. I've been surfing ebay looking at Roo's. Kind of like the impreza's, so I'll have to up that on the lsit. We looked at Volvo's a few years back. Nice cars. How are they to work on? I'm also looking for a nice older 5 series BMW. We owned one a few years ago and a fantastic car. 30 mpg with a straight 6 with over 200HP. Loved that thing. Should have kept it. Oh well.   Evan Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 07:32 pm:    Kyle , are you saying I'm an ass? No ,you wouldn't do that (grin). Volvo is straight forward to work on . I've had a coulple of 240's ,a 740 wagon , and the 940 turbo I've got now . I don't care for the newer models ,850's and up .They don't seem as stout. Front brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced more often than I was comfortable with . The overdrives get a bit finiky with age . I had a 240 with 275k b/4 trading. I traded the wagon with 290k on the clock because I was tired of the car. I'll put 1-2k per week on the 940 when I'm on the road and its quite comfortable .   Kyle Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 07:37 pm:    Well , the experience I have with Volvo is from the shitty end. Always kicking out extension housing bushings and vibbing their asses off , leaking fluid , etc etc... Kyle   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 07:45 pm:    So what cars do you like Kyle, besides Discos   Evan Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 07:48 pm:    Yeh , I've got to agree with you . The 740 ate the rear bushings about every 20k and the rack and pinion always leaked . I bought the 940 with 32k on the clock at three years old . Its got the original bushings in the rear suspension and no fluid leaks to date ( 106 K ). Evan   Kyle Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 07:54 pm:    Steer clear of the "CHRISTler" and the "Slob". The Vdub aint a bad ride and always there when you need em. I think they are getting better and better actually. The volvo seems like its reliable and as I said earlier , my opinion of them is tainted from cursing them , those issues may not be present any longer... I am a ford guy at heart but have been off the line so long now I dont know what to avoid.. Kyle   RVR OVR (Tom) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 07:54 pm:    You have a first child on the way, for under 8K you cannot accomplish what you want and still be cool. Do the used Accord or Camry thing. When the new little bugger arrives into the world and your mind is racing on other things, you will be glad you did. Tom   Kyle Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 08:06 pm:    Accord? Jesus , thats like dying..... I drive an Amigo every day and thats as close to dying as I wanna venture. Kyle   Robert Sublett (Rubisco98) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 08:49 pm:    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1874784972&category=6003 I'm thinking this will be my next ride when my Disco gets paid off.   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 08:51 pm:    Zak- IMHO Tom hit the nail on the head. My suggestion is a Subaru, hands down. But do not expect great mileage from any AWD, maybe 25-27 mpg max. You ski right?, what better car for those weekend trips to the mountains (aside from a Rover). Ask any Suby owner and 99% will buy again, good luck. S-   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 09:14 pm:    Love those Audi wagons. Never had any experience with them much. Just never liked the Honda's and Toy's. I'm an ol Pontiac guy. First car was a 79 Trans Am with a nice 6.6ltr. Lot of HP in her!!! And i've had sports cars the rest of the time. Just want a funnish commuter car. Something sporty. We put a lot of miles on cars and go for drives all the time. Another key feature we want is a manual trans. Don't want another slushbox. Do Volvo's come in a stick??   Snowman Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 09:44 pm:    I believe the 850 GLT does. If you want to check Volvo's go here: http://www.brickboard.com/ I have two and it has saved me $$$ many times. S-   Todd Sanders (Sanderskog) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 11:14 pm:    My .02 is but the Subaru or the VW. I have not experience with Subaru, only know what I hear from owners who love them. My wife and I have owned two of the more recent VWs. Her Jetta was a 1998 and my Golf was a 1994. Both were fantastic cars. I bought the Golf (now gone) for commuting. At the times I was putting 30K+ on the car on an annual basis. Drove it for 2.5yrs like that with nothing but maintenance. It never left me stranded, did great in the snow, and had lots of interior room for the size. I'd buy another one to commute in if I had to. Go drive them both (VW and Subaru). You will notice they drive very different. Personally I'd suggest the Jetta. You'll get better MPG than a Sub and the trunk space is amazing, something you will soon learn you will need lots of with a little one coming. Todd   RVR OVR (Tom) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 11:34 pm:    Nissan Maxima. Damned reliable, comes with stick, and faster than your 6.6L TA. The 6.6 was a pig anyway, too much weight. My '81 301 Firebird kept even kept up with them. However, it is really hard to try and shift while reaching behind you holding a bottle in the baby's mouth and trying to remain sain as he or she screams it's head off. Go auto. Be sure to get a car with a large back seat. The baby seats take up a lot of room when they are in face backward position. Can pretty much make the front seat they are behind unuseable otherwise. Tom   KJ Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 11:40 pm:    New baby? I'd go Volvo, if only for the safety aspect. Our 1987 240 DL is STILL going and has been nearly bulletproof. Just replace the biggies, like timing chains, when they say, because THAT will go 1 mile after the designated replacement interval, guaranteed! Congrats on the new addition, and by that I mean the BABY! Karen   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 06:17 am:    Amazing, I've owned or do own every car mentioned so far, minus the TA. Of all of them I miss my Recaro interior Jetta GLI the most, very quick and comfy. The trunk was huge and with the baby seat in the middle it was the easiest to bend into to load the little one. This may seem minor now but loading and unloading a kid all day is a back bender so consider that with your choice. My Saab 900S was great all around except the roof is low and made loading my little dude harder and the backseat was pretty much taken up by the babyseat hence useless. I won't mention the "V" word for obvious reasons, but geez they haul alot of stuff. S-   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 08:22 am:    Forgot about the Maxima's. Good idea. Thanks for all the opinions. This will be my commuter car. My wife will be home for a few months, and after that she'll be working part time, and mostly from home. I'll have to go do some test driving, love doing that!!! RVR, stock, the 6.6 was a dog. Add some hooker headers, edelbrock intake, massive holly carb, plus it was the 4 speed. My father had one iwth the powerglide trans and it was a lot slower. Stock i think it had under 200hp, but after i was finished with it I was over 300, and it was pretty quick. Handled pretty well for a heavy car. A little scary in the snow though!!! THanks again, I've got a lot of driving to do. Might not be able to get a Jetta, everyone around here has one, especially at my office. Seems like it's a mandatory car for anyone under 35 to have one. BUt very good ideas.   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 08:23 am:    Now if i could just import a disco with a TDI, that would be perfect!   Paul D. Morgan (V22guy) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 09:11 am:    Volkswagen.....   muskyman Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 10:10 am:    for under 8grand i say 300series mercedees or a BMW 325ix 4 dr both have the safty you want are stylin and have the reputation to be the favorite car you will ever own. I have had both and can say they are both awsome.   common Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 11:01 am:    CAMRY! Might be boring, but you won't be posting here "just got a call from wife, car died, she's stranded with my newborn childed... " type post.   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 02:03 pm:    I've got to give muskyman some backup on the 300 series Mercedes idea. I have a friend with one (not sure what year) and that thing is a TANK, it simply refuses to break down. He drives everywhere in that thing, even from Arkansas to Canada and back last summer and it just will not die. It is so annoying, the thing is probably 15 years older than my truck (over 200,000 miles) and while mine is always breaking stupid little shit his just keeps going, NO problems at all.   muskyman Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 02:18 pm:    I have 189k on mine and despite my best efforts of neglect it still never has any problems. and its not a slow piece of tin shit either. big solid sound deadening rocket. Mine is a 89 euro rs model it has the 24 valve 260hp motor in it all i'v done to it is play with the modulator on the ZF so it holds the gears about 400rpm longer it will drive door to door with the old 5.0litre mustangs on the street and out handle them any day. all in a comfy leather appointed power everything wood lined stereo speaker inriched environment. you can find super clean ones with less then 100k on them for about $6500 if you look. oh did I mention they get 25mpg as well! the 89 has been harelded as the best sedan of all time by many auto writers even as recent as a few years ago when MB released there latest body   muskyman Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 02:21 pm:    read about the 300e here   Corey (Discobro) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 02:28 pm:    Plain and simple - go with VW or AUDI. If you're looking for more luxury items stick with the AUDI. The interior will seem familiar to you - very Britishesche. They've gotton much more reliable in the past years. Parts are a little more expensive than Rover (Bosch). Had a VW Fox in college - lemon - but you get what you pay for. Stay away from BMers and Saab - hard to fix and no online support! Have fun driving!   Axel Haakonsen (Axel) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 02:43 pm:    I dunno, Saab has some nice models: Saab Gripen   KJ Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 03:21 pm:    Mileage might suffer with that one, Axel. Tough wrestling that cart seat, too. Karen   Mike (Gfy) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 03:34 pm:    Zak, Kinda funny...my wife and I just had our first child 2 months ago. We had a Rover and a Miata also...my wife is a die hard VW fan so we went for the Jetta. We got a deal on a '99 for about 10k... Mike   Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 03:35 pm:    I would second the older 5-er. Or even a nice '02 if you dont mind a more vintage vehicle.   gp (Garrett) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 03:53 pm:    yeah my vote goes to a '94 on up VW Golf. great little ride.   todd slater (Toddslater) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 06:21 pm:    Zak,, I know you don't like Toyota's or Honda's, but that Trans Am thing...too much Smokie and the Bandit ??? If you could see your way past the land of the rising sun phobia and want something that will scoot and provide decent mileage... think Acura Integra. If you say damn the fuel mileage maybe a Lexus SC400/300. Sorry to offend anyone here but Volvo's and Saab's just make we wanna gak !   Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 06:23 pm:    That's okay Todd... not that I'm a Volvo (aka Ford) or Saab (aka GM) person but Lexus to me is the new Cadilac. If that's good or bad depends on what you thought of Cadillac.   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 10:25 pm:    I've owned my share of Japanese cars. I've had two 300zx's, on turbo, a Mitsubishi 3000GT, and a Honda civic. Sold the civic after 3 or 4 months. Jsut got really bored of it. At least I sold it for more than I payed for it. My wife and an old 1987 Mazda 323. Incredible car. We sold it with 210K on the clock and she only replaced the alt. and brakes and muffler. Everything else was original, even the timing belt and clutch!!! Just wish there was another mazda out there we liked. I like the new Proteshe (sp?) 5 but a bit more than i want to spend. Thanks for all the ideas. I've never been a MB fan except for Mogs, but I might have to check out a 300. My wife still really wants a Saab. We'll see. THanks again, Zak   Gil Stevens (Gil) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 11:11 pm:    5-speed tdi jetta or passat..   GregH Posted on Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 01:27 am:    As a long-time VW/Audi die hard I'm a little biased. On one hand-if you want performance go with a well-maintained Gti or also Audi A4 1.8turbo (nicer). On the other side if you want MPG go with a jetta tdi. I'm a former Pontiac freak as well...first car in high school was a '68 firebird 400 with blown engine for $400 that I transplanted a 455HO into. (i think i crawled through every junkyard from Sacramento to Redding). Next car in college was a black '77 trans am complete with (embarassingly) screaming chicken on hood with the 6.6 400-transplanted a WS6 suspension in it. 2 friends routinely kicked my ass in the twisty bits-one with modified '66 K-model Mustang fastback, the other with a modified '70 Mach 1 w/351C w4bbl heads. Ah, the memories...   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 01:30 am:    Screaming chicken?? Should put that on the hood of a Disco.   GregH Posted on Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 01:35 am:    That would look nice next to the Greg's Barney Disco...   Chris Dillard IM lvmyrvr (Cdillard) Posted on Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 09:31 am:    I have to say/agree that the Volvo is very reliable. We currently have two (along with the disco) and have had great success with each. My 240 DL (daliy driver)currently has 250K on the clock with no major mechanical repairs (routine stuff) and my wife has had a 97 850 Turbo for several years with about 75K miles. However, I do 90% of the maintenance and repairs myself on both as well as the disco so I haven't had the $$ outlay for labor. Overall, great cars. (now I just need the new Cross Crountry :-) ) Older Volvos have a lot of personality too. Cheers, Chris   Jeremy Hamilton Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 12:15 pm:    VW! My wife and I are on our 4th VW and we've loved every one of them. You drive 'em, put gas in it and get the oil changed, that's it. In the past we've owned older ones and they did great. We now have a new Jetta and my wife loves it. We're VW and LR owners for life. Plus VW's get great gas mileage and they're cheap to buy. Is it just me or are there a lot of LR/VW combo owners here?   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 - 02:23 pm:    Thanks for all the input. I'm really quite interested in a diesel Golf or Jetta. My wife still wants a Saab, so we'll see.   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 - 06:17 pm:    I also have been looking at Jetta's all week and I am pretty sold on them. I want to spend 10k max so the the TDI is out for me (this year). I am curious if any Jetta's are still made in Germany? My older GLI was German produced and the quality showed. It was very well built with no dash creaks ect. even after many, many miles. I am excited about a 5-speed after 4 years of just automatic's. Bring on the s-turns! S-   Lester Ray Gerber (Raygerber) Posted on Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 12:57 pm:    I fall into the LR/VW ownership category as well, I must say we love our 02 1.8T, its a nice looking car, subtle but can still get up and go when needed (and there is a lot of room for improvement with just bolt-ons, but that's for post-warrenty days) My wife had a 91 Jetta as well, in what was referred to as the "bad years" even by the VW salesman. Despite that it was a great car and never had any problems, and is still going at past 200k. VW's are the way to go for a good family car that isn't the normal Honda or Toyota. Just my .02   Andy Nix (Andy) Posted on Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 11:42 pm:    850 T5R's can be had. 1995 was the best year for the money. It's the only year for the light yellow, and they have 247 hp. I've seen them for under 10k lately.....stay away from newer volvo's and 940 volvo's. IMHO, FWIW, etc. or.....BUY ANOTHER DISCO !!! I JUST DID !!!   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 07:18 am:    I'd love to get another Disco, but with my 70 mile commute everyday, I'd like something with better mileage.   Snowman Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 07:44 am:    Zak- 70 miles one way? S-   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 08:00 am:    no, 35 each way. It's actually going do be a few miles less when our comanpy moves to a new building next year. Can't wait, we'll be getting off of Rt.1   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 08:01 am:    My supervisor's drive is 75 miles one way. And he's here at 6:30 everyday, and usually works 600-700 hours overtime every year. the man is insane.   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 08:33 am:    Dang, hate that I'm coming in on the tail-end of this thread, hat with Roos and TAs both in the discussion.... Greg, I dunno 'bout those Stangs.... back at that time, several of my friends had Stangs, and they were quicker on initial takeoff than my '76 because they were so danged light, but they couldn't run the curves as hard as I could because they'd get squirrelly... I liked driving the TA in a suicidal/invincible fashion when I was 16, but I wouldn't go back.... the little Roo is quicker, better handling, more comfortable, and a lot more fashionable than the black-n-gold w/ t-tops thing.... -L   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 08:44 am:    2 weeks ago I met a guy at a charity event and we were talking Rovers and VW's. He wants to get a Jetti TDI because his commute is 90 miles each way! I looked at him with a blank stare expecting him to tell me he was joking. This is in Vermont on our crappy roads, can you imagine that day after day? My sister does a 10 mile commute out west, 45 minutes most days. It always amazes me.   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 09:34 am:    I'm still trying to figure out a way to buy a small working farm in VT and have a 0 mile commute, I love that state.   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 10:15 am:    Zak- How far have you taken that idea of a farm? Many people here are "part-time" farmers. They sell at the local farmers market or to restaurants. Also organic is a great way to go and seems to always have a market, the main organization for organic farming is based in my town. Hope it works out for you. As you mentioned above you have some big changes coming in March so I am sure you are busy thinking of that. S-   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 11:27 am:    Snow, Haven't gotten to far with our "dreams" yet. I've search Monster.com and a few other places to see what the job market is like up there. We thought about just getting regular jobs and slowly trying to make more off of our land. Or maybe open up an Inn/Farm or somehitng. I'd really like ot have a Christmas Tree farm. And with the little one coming, I really need some monetary stability right now. But with the pretty low cost of housing up there, well depending on where you look, we can get into a house for a lot less than what we're paying in PA, and reduce our bills a bit. So we'll see. Thanks for the advice.   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 12:05 pm:    You will have a busy Spring for sure!   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 12:08 pm:    Z- My attempt at apples...the original 35 or so trees is now about 8 good ones! I am considering grapes or a big cape style house.   Max Thomason (Lrmax) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 02:53 pm:    Like Leslie said before, I'm comming in at the tail end of the conversation... I had to rent a car for about a week and got the Mazda Protege (or whatever its called). It was.......not too good. It got good gas mileage but that was about it. I just didn't like it, it wasn't nice in the inside and REALLY small. My mom's Buick LeSabre was nicer, and it is a 92! Speaking of Buicks, over the summer I was tasked at driving my Grandmother around Philly in her Buick Regal. That was a nice ride, of course I didn't dig the "old person" look too much. About a year ago, I drove my (other) Grandmother to Fayetteville from Charlotte in her Chevy Lumina. That was nice, got good gas mileage and was comfortable. She hasn't had any problems with it, but it sits a lot. So, that has been my experience with normal cars . Max T. Got all of this weird crap layin' around here....   chris Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 04:26 pm:    Congrats first of all. My .02, I would not go the saab route. I had one two years ago and it was the most unreliable car that I have ever own. I purchased a '96 900se turbo when it was 3 years old (60,000 mi)even though it drove very nice, it was seriously in the shop every three to five weeks. In the last 3 months of owning it, I had $4000 invested in it just to keep the stupid thing running. So I gave it all up for a rover.   GregH Posted on Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 12:39 am:    hehe-Leslie, those mustangs were very fast. The '66 K-model had a 271 hp 289, top loader 4 speed, hi-nod content 9 inch w Detroit locker. Alot of Shelby susp mods inc. frnt import brace, rear panhard rod, shelby typ ladder bars, etc. and Maier Racing lower stiff springs and Konis. Shelby wheels w NCT's or wingfoots. Very fast and handled well for 1983-84. '70 Mach 1 had 351C w 4 bbl heads, DNE 5 speed and 9 inch rear with alot of Maier racing and Boss 302 pieces. Not as fast off the line as '66 but better top end and gearing. I remember riding with owner on Silverado Trail one night and speedo showing 170 on a straight away. I believe it was accurate too. My TA had Herb Adams VSE antiroll bars, lowered WS6 springs, konis, and basically stock 6.6 400 (I did open up hood scoop-hehe) with TH400 and 10 bolt rear with posi, WS6 wheels with wingfoots. I had fun but I wasn't as fast...   KJ Posted on Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 01:48 am:    My first car was a '65 Mustang, 289. Fun car. David thought I drove like a maniac, but it was just a V-8 in something light as a feather. He nearly soiled himself the first time he drove it. He never called me a lead-foot again. Zak, watch what you wish for, you might just get it ;) I love my farm and my 0 mile commute to work, but it's oftimes 24/7. When you wish, wish COMPLETELY. Ask for full staff and about 20 million dollars in reserve funds for those rainy days. Karen   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 07:05 pm:    Snow, and all, We went and looked at VW's tonight. Very nice! I really like the Golf's. My wife likes the Jetta's. If we get one, I realy want a TDI. They have some very good lease deals right now, so we may wind up leasing a new one, we'll see. SNow, I was wrong about the jetta's, i'd take the 99. I didn't know they changed body styles in 99. The used ones around here are about 3grand more than the 99 you talked about. Those two are very good prices. Anyway, we'll be taking them out for test drives Saturday, so I'm going to have a fun weekend!!!   Todd Sanders (Sanderskog) Posted on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 10:40 pm:    Zak, Take a look at what the aftermarket has to offer for that TDI. Niiicccceee.... Wish I could afford one for a commuter. If you get one I'd recommend a strut tower brace for a little more spirited driving. I put one in my '94 when I used to commuter in it and it really handled the twisties MUCH better. Todd   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Tuesday, December 24, 2002 - 07:43 am:    Not sure if i'd do any mods to a TDI, unless there is sometime out there to get even better mpg. I really like the 49+ highway mileage, and with a 14.5 gallon tank, I'll be driving for a few weeks before I have to fill her up again. Now I just need to figure out wheither to keep the Miata and get an old RR for cheap or sell the Miata and get a Golf. Not sure.   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Tuesday, December 24, 2002 - 08:44 am:    Z- We drove the 99' and liked everything about it. The shifting was crisp and the acceleration was better than I expected. Unfortunately it was a serious smoker's car and I just can't deal with the permanant aroma in the headliner. Another dealer has a 97' GLS with 63k for an asking price of $8995.00, it's at his other location so he is going to bring it up for us soon. I have only read great reviews of the TDI and as mentioned above there are many things that can be modified under the hood. Do you know where the TDI is made? From what I have read recently the Jetta's built in Mexico still have some serious build problems, mostly the 2001-2002's. If the first number or letter in the VIN is a 3, it's built in Mexico. 9 is Brazil, 1 is USA/Canada and a German built VW is a W. I have to admit it's been fun driving them and since I am not in a big hurry to buy it's easier to negotiate the price. If you live in a densely populated area your prices might be higher. The dealer I am dealing with is small and low-key (very Vermontish). They buy mostly off-lease cars from the Boston and Conn. area. They have a great reputation here for price and service. If you want their website which has an updated inventory with pictures ect. I can send it to you. I have absolutely no financial connection with them.   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Tuesday, December 24, 2002 - 08:59 am:    Shoot me their site Snow. The dealer we went to is very highly rated. They're new prices are pretty good, but their used are quite high. 99's going for 12-13K. I liked the Golf a little better than the Jetta, and they have some really good lease/buying options. But, I'm not crazy about the fact that they are not made in Germany anymore, well at least the bulk of them. I've also heard about poor build quality of those models as well. A few people here at work have them, and some are great cars, and others are junk. We'll see. We're in the same boat, we're not in a huge hurry. So it's kind of fun to look and not ahve to buy unless they give us a REALLY good offer. We might take a look at hte Roo's tonight.   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Saturday, December 28, 2002 - 10:32 pm:    Well we test drove a Jetta TDI today. Very nice car. I was quite impressed, had pretty good power, very comfortable, and plenty of head room. They have some interesting financiang options right now and they're trying to get rid of their current stock, so if we can work out the numbers, we'll most likely have a Golf or Jetta in our driveway. I prefer the Golf a little bit, while my wife likes them both about the same. Hard part is picking a color. We're leaning to silver with black interior. Or if it's a Jetta, I really like they dark gray color. Plus you can't beat the 50+mpg they can achieve. Thanks again for all the help.   KJ Posted on Saturday, December 28, 2002 - 10:43 pm:    50+ mpg? Wow, that's VERY nice! Let us know the final decision. Karen   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Sunday, December 29, 2002 - 01:10 pm:    I've found a few TDI forums and there are a few people in there that have a few tricks to get better mpg for those things. A few guys can get over 60 for long trips, and there is one guy that has a pretty modified car that can get almost 90 on the highway. Pretty amazing little engine. We'll head back there tomorrow night and see what we can work out. Then all I need is to find a cheap, really cheap, RR or disco to play with!!!   Jake Hartley (Jake) Posted on Sunday, December 29, 2002 - 05:43 pm:    Stay away from BMers and Saab - hard to fix and no online support! I don't know about BMW, but http://www.saabnet.com is great and predates Discoweb. I would suggest a SAAB 900, you can get a nice one pretty right and still have money for $tuff for your Disco. Check out SAAB net. I have an 88 SAAB 9000 Turbo with 330 thousand on the original engine and it still hauls ass and is reliable...IMHO   M. K. Watson (Lrover94) Posted on Sunday, December 29, 2002 - 05:58 pm:    if you are still lookin for a car, i've got an Acura for sale. mike w   Rick Cordova (Imx) Posted on Monday, December 30, 2002 - 01:57 pm:    Zak- I would have to agree with Jake, I have a `96 900 SE. I love that car it has good Bhp and is very stylish, you get seat heaters, mirror heaters headlamp wipers full leather Clarion stereo, Trip computer, auto temp. and much more mine is kept in perfect shape, with not much money its all in the maint. Ive added a few toys and I still love to take road trips, it gets great MPG. I've nver had any major problems and it is my daily driver, it has over 100K. Look for a `95-`98 SE, they have the HP Turbo that still has more Bhp than the current stock 93. SAABs are sexy   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Monday, December 30, 2002 - 02:04 pm:    There was a car lot in town that had a Saab 900 for sale... never stopped to look at it closely, but it looked sharp at 50/50 (50 yards away at 50 mph, a geologist's way at looking at outcrops out the window while scooting cross-country).... Thing was, it was at $1600, then dropped to $1200... it dissappeared for about a week, then was back at the lot w/ "$900 firm" on it.... The day after Christmas, I passed it, sitting on the side of the highway, thinking that "someone must've had a rotten Christmas day"..... -L