If VW buys back your JSW, what will you replace it with?

The JSW is really nice a great overall package though I feel we could use something a little bigger in the future.

My issue if we stayed in the VW lineup is i'd have to upgrade due to our towing requirements for our camper (TSI+DSG vs TDI+6MT). The Tiguan is okay but for that price Hyundai and Mazda have some nice offerings too. I'd probably also look for an older diesel truck/suv. Drove a new Ram 1500 the other day it was nice but 50K for a crew cab 1/2 ton is nuts.

EricVA said:

I really like the new Subaru Outback. That's almost what I bought in 2010 when I got my JSW. It was a question of TDI fuel economy vs. AWD and the TDI won.

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That was my exact situation too. Both were within a couple of hundred dollars and both in a stick. I do wish that the new OB was available in a stick still.

Depends of course upon VW's buyback offer, but I'm interested (maybe even excitied) about the Golf Alltrack, especially if 6-speed manual is offered like they are saying.

VW, if you're listening: you need to make the buyback offer on the generous side of fair or I'll take my money elsewhere. I like what you make in general, but you're in the dog house because of your actions. Making good products is not enough to get you out of it.

Wow, I'm surprised by the responses. A lot of them cost significantly more than a sportwagen tdi (alltrack, ram 1500, tesla, etc.) A lot of them don't get the mileage of a tdi. A lot of them don't have the space of a tdi. I guess the question was/is "what would you get" rather than "what would you get that's an equivalent"

I need space and mileage. Around the same price. Pretty much narrows it down to some type of wagon suv.

a) Prius V (more space than a tdi; can get the current model #2 new for about $22k)
b) Kia Niro (not yet out but should get > 50mpg)

Not a whole lot of other options that I see.

That's exactly the problem. There is no competition for the JSW TDI in regards to space, performance and fuel economy because it was cheating to achieve what it does.
Now, everyone gets to decide what kind of compromise they want to make, because you're not going to find a direct replacement.

If the intercooler hadn't iced...

I'd consider keeping our '14 JSW with the fix IF the intercooler hadn't iced and left my wife stranded. I've got only middling faith the updated IC wont' repeat (I know it's a small portion of replacements that have had repeats, but I also refuse to drill a hole in the required pipe given what we know is also a lie about these cars).

That said, a Wrangler Unlimited is the top choice. Had one before, should've kept it. Have also looked at trucks (such as Ram 1500).
Replacement just needs to have a touch of fun, hopefully still MT, still fit 2 larger dogs and 2 kids, and I'll deal with high gas prices when they come.

Debated new Mini Clubman, but they're as expensive as a Wrangler when reasonably kitted out, and service history is iffy (they have great service depts - because they know they have to be nice since you're back so often). Trying to avoid beige SUVs (CRV, RAV4, etc). GTI is only thing in VW lineup worth considering, and I'm even more displeased after the recent "We made a PPT deck to describe how to cheat" findings.

Not everyone here has a JSW! Ugly things! I have a 2 door golf/ DSG, tech pack/ sport suspension and it's the best car I've ever owned. Didn't buy because of space, mileage or performance- although they were all nice bonuses!!! I liked the idea of a 2 door diesel that doesn't sound like a tank. Is there a comparable car out there? For me, the Tesla 3 is pretty close. Stylish, nerdy and no engine under the hood -so it has space. Also the price is slightly higher, but hell if VW does the right thing, it may be offset.
Still, all speculation on price for the buy back. That will be an equation even Einstein would struggle with.
Yes, I said it -JSW's are UGLY! looks like a Golf in a fun house mirror!

Uh, read the title of the thread...

That said, it's sure looking like the unique attributes of the JSW (in TDI form) make it tough to replace.

Ditto on toneman's comment. There is certainly nothing in the same price range that could replace the JSW that my Wife or I are interested in. One thing I do know is that a diesel will be replaced by a diesel. IF, I have to choose something right now it would probably be a new baby Duramax as a partner to my big Duramax. I would have to change my screen name though dang it

Ditto in my comment, it's not all JSW's in here.

I'm kinda surprised that folks here haven't said anything about the ELO. Seems like a interesting car that gets epic mileage. The real issue that I raise with them is they need to get it into production before they are a forgotten memory.

That said, the Elo wouldn't work for me because I often have friends in the car for weekend outings.

Sooo... I've thought about this a while and I have a few ideas:
-MKVII GTI
-MKVI Golf R
-Golf Sportwagon
-Subaru Forrester
-Previous gen WRX STI wagon
-Mazda CX-5
-Audi AllRoad

The unfortunate thing is all the above (save the GTI, R and STI) don't offer a manual transmission beyond the base models. And with Subaru it's a MUST because I hate CVT transmissions.

Some other sportier options that I am also thinking about, because if I burn gas I want to have fun doing it :
-BMW 328i
-BMW 335d
-*maybe* a Audi S4/S6 or RS4/RS6
-BMW M3 or M5... No not really, I'd be happy with a BMW that has a proper sport package for the seats alone

Humanaquarian said:

Ditto in my comment, it's not all JSW's in here.

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Are you thick or purposefully being an ass?

ATR said:

I'm kinda surprised that folks here haven't said anything about the ELO. Seems like a interesting car that gets epic mileage. The real issue that I raise with them is they need to get it into production before they are a forgotten memory.
That said, the Elo wouldn't work for me because I often have friends in the car for weekend outings.
Sooo... I've thought about this a while and I have a few ideas:
-MKVII GTI
-MKVI Golf R
-Golf Sportwagon
-Subaru Forrester
-Previous gen WRX STI wagon
-Mazda CX-5
-Audi AllRoad
The unfortunate thing is all the above (save the GTI, R and STI) don't offer a manual transmission beyond the base models. And with Subaru it's a MUST because I hate CVT transmissions.
Some other sportier options that I am also thinking about, because if I burn gas I want to have fun doing it :
-BMW 328i
-BMW 335d
-*maybe* a Audi S4/S6 or RS4/RS6
-BMW M3 or M5... No not really, I'd be happy with a BMW that has a proper sport package for the seats alone

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I've had similar thoughts. Getting a manual transmission wagon with good fuel economy is near impossible outside our current cars. Wish I could import this guy

Ideally is like to hold on to my jsw depending on the fix as I really don't want another car payment. But if the deal is sweet enough I'm looking at a wrangler unlimited or a grand Cherokee.

toneman said:

I've had similar thoughts. Getting a manual transmission wagon with good fuel economy is near impossible outside our current cars. Wish I could import this guy:

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Maintenance costs scared me away from Volvo. There also doesn't seem to be the same type of passionate driver type driving them. They are great cars however! I drove a v60 from St Louis to quincy to Springfield in one day for work about a year ago. MPG was a major downfall of that car too... but it had very good manners on the highway. As of now I'm looking forward to hearing what vw will offer once June 21st rolls around. I'll see what things look like then. I'm leaning towards keeping my car if the fix is tolerable. Otherwise I'll consider a trade for a gti or maybe some kind euro wagon/hatchback.

1001 lb-ft said:

Are you thick or purposefully being an ass?

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Name calling? Lame. Just pointing out that JSW's seem to be the preferred flavor of choice on here and some of us own Golfs. Do I really need to start yet another lame thread about what you'd replace your TDI Golf with? I think not. However if my observation bothers you, feel free to do so.
And JSW's will still be butt ugly.

Humanaquarian said:

.......And JSW's will still be butt ugly.

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The tail lights of the mkvi JSW were a major reason why I opted for the Golf. The mkvii gsw looks much MUCH better

I will however say that sometimes I miss the extra cargo space when I put my xl MTB in the back

ATR said:

Maintenance costs scared me away from Volvo. There also doesn't seem to be the same type of passionate driver type driving them. They are great cars however! I drove a v60 from St Louis to quincy to Springfield in one day for work about a year ago. MPG was a major downfall of that car too... but it had very good manners on the highway. As of now I'm looking forward to hearing what vw will offer once June 21st rolls around. I'll see what things look like then. I'm leaning towards keeping my car if the fix is tolerable. Otherwise I'll consider a trade for a gti or maybe some kind euro wagon/hatchback.

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I once owned a 1995 Volvo 850 wagon, which had a 5 spped MT along with the leather seats, sunroof, etc. I REALLY loved that car- it might be my favorite that I have ever had. The JSW is the only thing that has come close. My neighbor has an XC90, which, while nice, has been frighteningly expensive to maintain.

I think my options are (assuming the TDIs are not ever certified) (i) forgive and forget, and find a GSW gasser; (ii) die a little inside, swallow the CVT, and find an Outback or Forester; or (iii) die a little inside, and find a CRV, RAV4, or Edge.

Pewp.

I haven't seen anyone say that they'd look at a pre 2009 TDI as an option. Great mileage, but an older car. You could walk away with cash in pocket.

kevin_in_idaho said:

Wow, I'm surprised by the responses. A lot of them cost significantly more than a sportwagen tdi (alltrack, ram 1500, tesla, etc.) A lot of them don't get the mileage of a tdi. A lot of them don't have the space of a tdi. I guess the question was/is "what would you get" rather than "what would you get that's an equivalent"
I need space and mileage. Around the same price. Pretty much narrows it down to some type of wagon suv.

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"Equivalent" depends on your priorities, and the JSW is apparently many things to many people. Before I bought mine, I was cross-shopping it with cars that had much less mileage and cargo space, because while I like these things, they're not top priority for me (this might make me an outlier in the JSW camp). My process of elimination is (new cars only for the sake of simplicity, and I'm leaving off most anything that starts over $40,000 or so):

1. Manual transmission
   This one is absolute, and unfortunately rules out the V60, as much as I like everything else about it.
2. Driving enjoyment
   Subjective, but for me means no SUVs, crossovers, or similarly lifted vehicles. It also means the car needs to feel reasonably fast and powerful, even if it isn't. The TDI is good at this, but I've been told that something like an Impreza 2.0i would not satisfy me here.
3. Style
   I'm not a fan of the way a standard-length Golf looks with four doors, or the appearance of tall vehicles of any kind, so SUVs/crossovers are doubly ruled out, and so are a number of four-door hatches including the Golf/GTI. It also rules out the Ford Focus, which I generally like, but I can't stand the interior.
4. Cargo access
   This basically means I want a hatch, liftback or wagon. I don't need a cavernous cargo hold, but I do need to be able to occasionally place a large object in it without without trying to squeeze them in under a trunk lid, or over folded-forward front seats. Any of the now-extinct sporty liftbacks would be fine here because their modest cargo space is wide open from the back of the car, but something like an 86/BRZ or any sedan is a tough sell because of the fixed rear window.
5. Cargo space
   I could live with much less than the JSW, as long as it's accessible. Something like a Miata is not really enough, though.

I'm not even going to put mileage on this list, really, because I haven't cross-shopped anything with mileage so low as to be a dealbreaker. The major advantage of the TDI in this category, to me, is its range more than fuel costs or environmental impact (real or perceived). This is a nice benefit, but I would sacrifice it before any of the listed criteria above.
That outlook leaves me with a very small list of new cars in the case of a potential buyback:

• GTI MkVII two-door
• Mazda3 2.5

As it happens, both of these cars were unavailable (the Mazda3 2.5 was mandatory automatic for model year 2014) when I bought my JSW, and had they existed there's a chance I would have gotten one of them instead. If I'm willing to sacrifice "cargo access," a few more options appear...

• WRX
• BRZ
• BMW 228i

...but I would rather not if I can help it. Anything I'm missing here? I don't see anything else on the new market that would interest me short of cars like the Cayman that I can't afford even with no options. Any of these cars would be "equivalent" to the JSW for me in that they provide the things it has that I really care about, but if we're defining "equivalent" in a more literal sense, there's nothing, because any other car offered to the US in wagon form is either mandatory automatic, lifted, or both.

Given the limited selection, I can't see myself taking a buyback unless it's mandatory, the "fix" hurts performance and is mandatory, or the buyback offer is outrageously generous. I don't see any of this as likely or even possible, so the above is primarily a thought exercise.

PFCoppinger said:

.......I think my options are (assuming the TDIs are not ever certified) (i) forgive and forget, and find a GSW gasser; (ii) die a little inside, swallow the CVT, and find an Outback or Forester; or (iii) die a little inside, and find a CRV, RAV4, or Edge.
Pewp.

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You can get a base model Forrester with a 6 speed manual. Friend of mine has one and loves it. You're also forgetting about the Mazda CX-5. To get it optioned up you'd be stuck with a automatic transmission, however having driven the new Mazdas with automatics a few times, it's not as soul sucking as many others in the segment.

akrievins said:

I haven't seen anyone say that they'd look at a pre 2009 TDI as an option. Great mileage, but an older car. You could walk away with cash in pocket.

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My only complaint is that vw didn't offer more than a Jetta sedan with the older PD engine. Well they did offer a 05 mkiv wagon. But I really would like a newer car that's safer than a mkiv. Mkv or better. Mkiv are really beginning to show their age as well unfortunately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUOwrucywKg

VW Volkswagen Passat GTE Wagon

Not that the North American market will ever see this Passat, much less in wagon form.

I am beginning to think my JSW is irreplaceable.
Just made a quick trip to Fl. & back .
Carried all tools down (200 lbs.) Avg. speed 68.6 . Avg. mpg. 46.8 for the
596 mi.
In Fl. loaded a 6'step ladder + 8' box. Did job.
Same #'s as above for mph & mpg from Fl. to TN
Same trip with Dmax would have been in 14-15 mpg range @ the 68.6 mph.
Which would have been 3x the fuel

BTW. 68.6 mph avg. includes going thru 3 major cities. Times on interstate was over posted limit (140KPH) for a few hrs.

(sidenote) I did not see a single TDI on interstates. I usually see or pass 3-6 each trip

I just bought my JSW a month ago.
There's nothing else that I want

Hey, ottomatic
I was in upstate NY this past week. Otherwise you would have likely seen me out and about

toneman said:

If you take a buy back, what cars are you considering as a replacement and why?

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"Oh man. I'm sorry your puppy died. Let's go to the pet store and get you a new guinea pig."



When I was shopping for my JSW, my neighbor mentioned he saw a used prius at one of the corner lots in town. Have you ever driven a prius??

CruzinMomma said:

"Oh man. I'm sorry your puppy died. Let's go to the pet store and get you a new guinea pig."

When I was shopping for my JSW, my neighbor mentioned he saw a used prius at one of the corner lots in town. Have you ever driven a prius??

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The prius is one of the worst cars I've ever driven. Gutless, zero fun, not exactly comfortable for long trips. Shoot I'd be happier taking the bus or biking to my destination then driving a prius.

CruzinMomma said:

I just bought my JSW a month ago.
There's nothing else that I want

Hey, ottomatic

I was in upstate NY this past week. Otherwise you would have likely seen me out and about

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I from upstate NY near Danbury . I will keep an eye out for a silver wagon with GA plates as I travel over WNC & north Ga. depending on which way I decide to go to Fl. & who I feel like visiting

toneman said:

I've had similar thoughts. Getting a manual transmission wagon with good fuel economy is near impossible outside our current cars. Wish I could import: ...Snip Image...

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Hey toneman, any chance you can downsize the image? It runs about twice the width of my screen. Thanks

CruzinMomma said:

"Oh man. I'm sorry your puppy died. Let's go to the pet store and get you a new guinea pig."

When I was shopping for my JSW, my neighbor mentioned he saw a used prius at one of the corner lots in town. Have you ever driven a prius??

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There seems to be a widespread media perception that JSW buyers were only aiming at reduced fuel consumption and were cross-shopping the Prius. We've heard from a few of those people here but I would be surprised if it accounts for most of us. It's definitely not me - the only Toyota that managed my cross-shop list was the 86.

Fortunately the puppy isn't dead; the government just really wants you to put the puppy down, and can't make you do it except maybe if you live in one of three or four states.