What wagon is right for me?

Hello,

The 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon 5-speed is my dream car. I currently own a 2002 Jetta 1.8T gasoline model in automatic (someone gifted to me), and I love the handling and the roominess-- but not the ****ty transmission or the mediocre fuel mileage.

I don't commute, but I travel a lot and often drive long distances on the highway. I took the back seats out of my Jetta and made a very comfortable bed back there which is wonderful when I do multi-day road trips and end up in towns where I don't know anyone.

Anyways, I want a car that is reliable, fuel efficient, and has enough room to make a bed in the back. However I'm young, poor, and I don't know if the fuel savings really make the increased maintenance and higher sticker price worth it.

But, I need to have a wagon, and since the US doesn't seem to like wagons very much, my options are slim. If only Honda still made Civic wagons, that might be the perfect car for me.

Anyways, what do you guys think? Is it worth it for me to spend $5000-6500 on a good '03 TDI? Or do you have other suggestions?

well you're on a TDI forum so opinions will be bias. take a look into the older outbacks and foresters too

gabrielkyne said:

I don't commute, but I travel a lot and often drive long distances on the highway.

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How many miles are you doing per year?

gabrielkyne said:

Anyways, I want a car that is reliable, fuel efficient, and has enough room to make a bed in the back. However I'm young, poor, and I don't know if the fuel savings really make the increased maintenance and higher sticker price worth it.

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Can you do said maintenance yourself?

gabrielkyne said:

Anyways, what do you guys think? Is it worth it for me to spend $5000-6500 on a good '03 TDI? Or do you have other suggestions?

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If you're young and poor, an old TDI might be a bit of a gamble. Even if you spend $6500 on a car that's in good condition, it's still almost 15 years old, and it will need maintenance and repairs.

Buying a car versus the free car you have is hard to justify. I would guess you can get around 30 MPG in the 1.8T on a long highway run if you don't work it too hard. You'd probably get around 50 in a TDI, if it's in top running condition.

Simple math, if you go on a 1000 mile trip in the 1.8T on premium at $2.59/gallon (I just picked a price) your fuel cost would be $86. Same trip in the TDI at the same fuel cost per gallon would be $54. You'd have to have a lot of trips saving $32 each to justify the cost of a TDI, much less the repairs cost.

One of my co-workers has a 1.8T auto Jetta Sedan. Paid $1,500 for it. A comparable TDI manual would cost at least twice that. He's keeping the 1.8T.

Rembrant said:

How many miles are you doing per year?



Can you do said maintenance yourself?



If you're young and poor, an old TDI might be a bit of a gamble. Even if you spend $6500 on a car that's in good condition, it's still almost 15 years old, and it will need maintenance and repairs.

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I drive 20,000 - 30,000 miles a year, 70% highway miles. Fuel costs aren't going to catch up to me. However, the auto transmission in my 1.8T (140k miles) has been questionable since before it was given to me, and I'm sure it'll go out soon. I'm imagining the TDI as a car that I can drive to 400,000 miles or more.

Currently the only maintenance I know how to do is change the oil, though I've always wanted to learn, I've stopped myself because if I mess something up I wouldn't have any way to get around.


Thank you for the questions and advice about a good TDI still being a bit of a gamble. Can you think of another car that fits my needs (wagon, economical, reliable)? I've been looking into Subarus from the same model year but they are surprisingly only marginally cheaper than the TDIs!

IndigoBlueWagon said:

Buying a car versus the free car you have is hard to justify. I would guess you can get around 30 MPG in the 1.8T on a long highway run if you don't work it too hard. You'd probably get around 50 in a TDI, if it's in top running condition.

Simple math, if you go on a 1000 mile trip in the 1.8T on premium at $2.59/gallon (I just picked a price) your fuel cost would be $86. Same trip in the TDI at the same fuel cost per gallon would be $54. You'd have to have a lot of trips saving $32 each to justify the cost of a TDI, much less the repairs cost.

One of my co-workers has a 1.8T auto Jetta Sedan. Paid $1,500 for it. A comparable TDI manual would cost at least twice that. He's keeping the 1.8T.

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Yes, there's no better deal than free, and I'm not looking to upgrade, but I know the transmission in the 1.8T is on its last legs. The owner actually gave it to me because she considered it easier to give me the car for free than to go through the process of selling it with the problems it has.

It shifts into 3rd gear at ~20mph and 4th at ~25mph, so I often end up lugging the engine, especially if I'm going uphill. I know it's not good but I have no control over what gear the car puts me in-- even if I move the auto trans to "2nd" or "3rd", it doesn't downshift.

If your car is otherwise in good condition, why not do a manual tranny swap? Less money than a "new" car.

I bought a 2003 TDI Wagon for $3000, The car was well maintained and the mechanic was a trusted mechanic.
That being said, it was due for a Timing Belt(TB) change the day I got it and I should have gone straight over and asked him when it was last done.
This wagon has 282k on the odo now.

Since I have owned it I have put $3000 into it including the recent TB.
I now have new tie rods, ball joints, cv joints, control arm bushings, and timing belt.
Soon to have a new turbo included in the above price as I ordered it the other day.
I still need to do the suspension all the way around and bushings in the rear axle.
Suspension and bushings are going to be between $550 and $1010 more

Not much left to replace after that, I will have nearly a new car minus the engine and interior.
All of the work I have done except the timing belt and that is because it was 11k overdue and I couldn't stand to wait until I had the time.

On the situation with a Subaru, good luck! I would not own one that has electronics.
They have horrible electrical issues and the transmission like to get screwy, not to mention the knock sensor that you have to take the intake off to get to.
If you didn't have to take the intake off, it would literally be a 10 minute job.
Hopefully Toyota, being the new owners of Subaru, will be fixing the electrical issues.

If you do not want to work on it and spend as much as I have on improving the 16 year old components then you don't really want to get one.

Honestly could have gotten away with the replace as necessary method pf beater ownership, but then I would have a beater.
I don't like being forced to work on my car along the side of the road. Been there, done that.

I will have a car that I can depend on for many more years with little left to give me issues and I have no payments or outrageous insurance costs.

30 mpg, not likely. I have one, lucky to get 20.

Anyhow, if you have any skills, I'd buy a wrecked TDI sedan and swap the powertrain over to your current wagon. Will take some time but you'll have the wagon you want and it won't cost $5000. As a bonus, you can do the timing belt while the engine is out.

If you can't or don't have the skills, then nevermind,

eddieleephd said:

.
Hopefully Toyota, being the new owners of Subaru, will be fixing the electrical issues.

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They own 16.5%, I don't see them being able to change much,

20-30K a year is fairly serious mileage. You could look at some other small wagons. Hyundai's Elantra Touring comes to mind. Kia sold a Rio5 that's more hatchback than wagon, but may be close enough unless you're really tall. If the looks don't sear your eyeballs, a mid-late-00s Pontiac Aztek or Buick Rendezvous might fill the bill.

None of them are going to beat the fuel mileage you're getting with the Jetta. It is hard to beat "free". If the rest of the car is in good shape, maybe a 5-speed swap would be your best bet. But it will cost money to do that, especially if you can't DIY.

All of the cars I mentioned were never in high demand, so they should be cheap to buy. And since most of them are not as high-tech as your Jetta, they should be dirt cheap to run -- provided you get one that was taken care of. At this point, maintenance is far more a decider of the future than original build quality.

Bump the age of your vehicle down several years and use cheaper parts and you can burn more gasoline without losing $$$.

Sounds like a 1st gen crv is that you need.