PlaneCrazy
Top Post Dawg
It's been a while since I posted. I used to own a '99 Jetta GLS TDI. Great mileage and not a bad car until around warranty expiry when all sorts of things started to go wrong. In short, I now drive 2002 Accord SE sedan. Boring, but, like a fridge that keeps the beer cold, who cares? It's been a great car, reliable and very comfortable, with actually surprisingly agile handling for what I consider a "large" car.
But, the lease expires in around 1 year and I've started to research my next car (never too soon!). I drove a buddy's TDI the other day and it brought back fond memories.
Here's the question. Up here in the Frozen North VW has earned a well-deserved reputation for crappy quality. My experience would tend to confirm that. I have a friend with a Passat wagon that endured three coilpack failures. My buddy with the TDI has had his share of problems, currently a glowplug issue. This board shows up a lot of problems.
Thing is, a Jetta TDI wagon suits my needs perfectly: economical (86 cents/liter up here), practical (can haul plane parts around), good looking. But is it reliable? My list so far is fairly short due to the paucity of dealers in my area: I'm considering another Accord (4-cyl), a Civic Si sedan, an Acura EL, or just buying out the current ride's lease and hanging on to her for a couple more years, but none of those offer wagon practicality, the only real competitor to the VW Jetta wagon is the Ford Focus wagon and that isn't exactly a pristine example of reliability either (actually for the price of a Jetta a Taurus wagon would be a possibility but that throws the economy idea out the window). Then there's the TDI idea kicking around in my head: either a Jetta wagon, or to save pennies, with similar practicality, a Golf. I did note that TDIs still have outstanding resale value, so I'm thinking the risk might be worth taking again.
Anybody out there with a fair amount of mileage on a recent VW TDI, especially the new PD100 engine, have any good stories or horror stories to tell? I'm almost prepared to give VW a second chance but I'm not encouraged by the thread elsewhere talking about VWs horrible problems. My neigbour has a relatively reliable Jetta TDI. Anyway, I ramble on too long, I look forward to honest responses, good and bad.
But, the lease expires in around 1 year and I've started to research my next car (never too soon!). I drove a buddy's TDI the other day and it brought back fond memories.
Here's the question. Up here in the Frozen North VW has earned a well-deserved reputation for crappy quality. My experience would tend to confirm that. I have a friend with a Passat wagon that endured three coilpack failures. My buddy with the TDI has had his share of problems, currently a glowplug issue. This board shows up a lot of problems.
Thing is, a Jetta TDI wagon suits my needs perfectly: economical (86 cents/liter up here), practical (can haul plane parts around), good looking. But is it reliable? My list so far is fairly short due to the paucity of dealers in my area: I'm considering another Accord (4-cyl), a Civic Si sedan, an Acura EL, or just buying out the current ride's lease and hanging on to her for a couple more years, but none of those offer wagon practicality, the only real competitor to the VW Jetta wagon is the Ford Focus wagon and that isn't exactly a pristine example of reliability either (actually for the price of a Jetta a Taurus wagon would be a possibility but that throws the economy idea out the window). Then there's the TDI idea kicking around in my head: either a Jetta wagon, or to save pennies, with similar practicality, a Golf. I did note that TDIs still have outstanding resale value, so I'm thinking the risk might be worth taking again.
Anybody out there with a fair amount of mileage on a recent VW TDI, especially the new PD100 engine, have any good stories or horror stories to tell? I'm almost prepared to give VW a second chance but I'm not encouraged by the thread elsewhere talking about VWs horrible problems. My neigbour has a relatively reliable Jetta TDI. Anyway, I ramble on too long, I look forward to honest responses, good and bad.