Decisions decisions Suggestions?

To start off this is my first thread on here! so whooooooo lol. okay so ive been wanting to get a vw tdi for awhile now and now im getting close to pulling the trigger on it but i still dont know what year or generation i should get! Thats where id like your guys opinion. So it would be a daily driver for the most part and then road trips, i have a duramax i will drive on nice days and around town. Wanting the vw for the 45 mpg of course probably only mods i would do is emissions and tune. Suggestions? mk4 mk5? less than $16k Thank you!

Read some first. This same question is asked over and over and the answer is very different depending on a lot of things you must decide. Do you want a stick or auto? Can you do some or all of your own work? On and on. Read some first and get to know the different models and what their pros and cons are. These are things you can do by just reading the answers from others who posted the same. If you don't even know what model you want you aren't even close yet. Welcome to tdiclub! When you know what model you want and why, then you are close.

^^^ what he said. $16k affords many choices.

^^^^ Like a newer Prius.

Lots of information abounds, but the Coles' Notes version:

• Avoid automatic transmissions from 2003 and prior. They are fail-tastic.
• Automatic transmissions from 04-05 (Jetta) or 04-06 (Golf/Jetta Wagon) are better, but solenoids will still fail.
• The 05-06 Passat and just about any Touareg are not for those who fear maintenance costs.
• The 04-06 (BEW and BRM code) engine is very sensitive to the correct oil. Incorrect oil will destroy cams and lifters, but relatively fine with proper oil.
• Add the cost of a timing belt and water pump replacement to any used purchase. All components that touch the belt must be replaced. If it was "just done", replace it anyway - you don't want to find out the hard way that they forgot to replace an idler or they f*@%ed up setting the tensioner.
• The DSG transmission in newer VW's (google it) is fantastic, but it must be serviced every 40K mi and will cost you some fuel mileage. It takes a learning curve to drive and not everybody loves it.
• If you can drive it, a manual is usually the most frugal and efficient choice for a TDI, regardless of generation. Older automatics have a huge mileage penalty, while the DSG is far better. Any automatic transmission can fail (DSG is much better but not immune) with a steeper hit to your wallet.
• Both manual (1999.5+) and DSG (2006+) TDI's come with a dual mass flywheel (DMF) to smooth and quiet out the violent power pulses of the diesel engine; the DMF wears out (~100 k mi), rattles, and eventually grenades if you leave it too long. You can swap this out for a more durable solid single mass flywheel (SMF) for the earlier five-speed manual cars if you don't mind some extra noise. Six speed cars can do this, but many report damaged gearbox internals shortly after (synchronizer rings). The DSG requires a DMF, so you're stuck replacing them as they wear out, but newer DMF's may be somewhat more durable.
• Any old used car is likely to need substantial work to replace worn out bushings and shocks. A TDI is no different, but parts can be found very economically, especially for the "Mark 4" or MK4 generation.