mt_mapper
Well-known member
Scenario: My wife and I are semi-greenies who live in Helena, Montana. We are really interested in the high fuel mileage of the TDI and like the Jetta. Saving money is not the top issue (though it is a good one). I have placed a deposit on the next Jetta Wagon TDI to arrive at the Volkswagen dealer in Bozeman, Montana (January 2003). We do not put very many miles on our vehicles each year, about 10,000 miles, but virtually all of the miles are highway miles (it’s a long ways to anywhere out here). The car will be in our attached garage (45F/7C in winter) most of the time to be brought out mostly on the weekends. It does get pretty cold here on occasion (-20F/-28C) and generally sticks around 10F/-12C in the winter. We really want the car to start when we are done skiing!
I am somewhat mechanical but I have no desire to tinker with the car. I got my fill of that when I was younger and had old Toyota Landcruisers and Dodge Darts, etc. Of course, that was in the days of points, condensers, and carburetors. There is no Volkswagen dealer in Helena. The closest one is 88 miles away in Great Falls and 96 miles away in Bozeman. We do have an independent Volkswagen mechanic in Helena who has a very good reputation (one guy). What I really want is to be reassured that this is a reliable car. If it breaks down while it is still under warrantee it is a long tow to the dealer. We still have the dead reliable 1990 Nissan pickup to depend on but I really do not want a broken down car, especially when my wife is driving it.
I want to like this car but I cannot get over the question, can I depend on it? When I read the forums, especially the mechanical ones, I get the feeling that these cars can have quite a few problems. I see that the Consumer Reports recently gave the entire Jetta line a poor ranking on reliability. I really do not want to be monkeying around with it on my own. I don’t care about chips and other hot rod stuff. I just want it to go when I ask it to go, and hopefully burn less fossil fuel in the process.
Please help talk me back into it!
I am somewhat mechanical but I have no desire to tinker with the car. I got my fill of that when I was younger and had old Toyota Landcruisers and Dodge Darts, etc. Of course, that was in the days of points, condensers, and carburetors. There is no Volkswagen dealer in Helena. The closest one is 88 miles away in Great Falls and 96 miles away in Bozeman. We do have an independent Volkswagen mechanic in Helena who has a very good reputation (one guy). What I really want is to be reassured that this is a reliable car. If it breaks down while it is still under warrantee it is a long tow to the dealer. We still have the dead reliable 1990 Nissan pickup to depend on but I really do not want a broken down car, especially when my wife is driving it.
I want to like this car but I cannot get over the question, can I depend on it? When I read the forums, especially the mechanical ones, I get the feeling that these cars can have quite a few problems. I see that the Consumer Reports recently gave the entire Jetta line a poor ranking on reliability. I really do not want to be monkeying around with it on my own. I don’t care about chips and other hot rod stuff. I just want it to go when I ask it to go, and hopefully burn less fossil fuel in the process.
Please help talk me back into it!