Can't Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

<font color="blue">I can't convince my wife to buy a VW TDI wagon, she wants to stay with her Caravan for obvious reasons. She uses it for work, and the Sto and Go seats are a plus for her.
Anyone own a 2005 Chrysler or Dodge SXT minivan with 3.8 engine. Spec's say 18/25. Figure that's all she'd get +/- 2.
Appreciate the help here folks. Price is the same as I can get Chrysler green sheet pricing, so it would actually cost less than the Jetta wagon by several grand final.Drop me aline at Glampman.wi@netzero.net if you can help me out.
In the mean time, I'll keep bugging her. </font>
coulee

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

don't force TDis upon people who don't want them 99% of the time it won't be a happy relationship.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

I have also found in 23 years, let them make there own decision. That way only they have to live with it. Not both of you.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Your marriage is more important than your choice of fuel driven vehicles.
If she is going to be the primary driver, let her pick the vehicle.

You will be better off, and it's cheaper than a DIVORCE or THERAPY.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Well, I personally do not care about Chrysler products or the supplier "give away" prices ( A plan). Chryslers do not hold their re-sale values at all and they are notorious for Transmission problems.

The Jetta Wagon is a great car and the TDI is really neat, but if she is already accustomed to a minivan; it will be really hard for her to acclamate to a compact wagon like the Jetta.

I would recommend for her the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey or even the Mazda MPV /Nissan Quest line up. The Toyota and Honda are the two red hot top of the line Minivans for 2004/2005 and I suspect they will both be Consumer Reports
"best picks" for the next few years. They Toyota and Honda also hold their re-sale values like no other minivan on the market. I am sure with my contacts I can get you a super grreat deal on the Honda Odyysey van.

If you do want to suugeest a Wagon then take a look at the Passat TDI Wagon or the Subaru AWD Outback Wagon. We have the Passat TDI Wagon and we love it and our two dogs like it as well. We felt the Jetta Wagon was just too small!

Just my .02

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

It's better this way. When something goes wrong with the minivan, instead of feeling responsible for it, you can just point and laugh, Nelson Muntz-style.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

I'll agree with the majority ... lay out the options and do your best salesmanship on her but let her make the decision.

One of our other cars in a Chrysler Town and Country and it is nice to have. I've put less than $1000 in repairs over 200,000 miles and found that it has been a great car. (minus the gas mileage)

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

A wise man once said:

"In my family, my wife makes all the small decisions and I make all the big decisions. After 50 years of marriage, there have been no big decisions."

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Maybe get a divorce...

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Get the Jetta. They attract chicks and gay guys... Maybe you need a change in your life!!!!!!!

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

The purchase after THIS one will likely be able to offer something you'll BOTH be able to get excited about. By that, I mean that there will likely be many choices along the lines of awd/commonrail/minivans in the next 4-5 years, especially if fuel prices stay high - or higher.

Bide your time.

~BG

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

I especially like the older Caravans that now smoke more then my little 86 Golf D!

sa

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

There's no way a Jetta wagon could carry anything close to what a Caravan can swallow, particularly the long wheel base model.

If you're worried about the transmission or whatever, get an extended warranty on it.

The mileage it gets is pretty much up to the way she drives it. I routinely get about 10% better mileage than my wife does. But she gets us places about 10% faster. When we're in a hurry to get somewhere I let her drive and risk the ticket.

Anyway, it could be worse. At least she didn't want an Aztek.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

hey,
If she wants a minivan, i'd say steer her her in the toyota direction.... my old man has an all-trac previa. the thing's a tank in the snow. He's had it ten years as a daily driver. It's got almost 300,000 miles. And he just replaced the ORIGINAL battery a month ago. After 10 hard maine winters. No other major problems i can recall. Cheers.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Is it a GRAND caravan?

I mean, you can't talk her out of a ... (get ready)

Grand Coulee? Dam.

moondawg

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Ah, I'm glad I wear the pants in my marriage

Or at least, I am glad my wife refuses to drive anything other than a diesel Volkswagen now! And with the new Passat, having "40 MPG" staring her in the face on the MFA every day really makes her appreciate them even more!

On the minivan thing, though, just to put it in perspective...yes, the Chrysler 42TE transmissions are troublesome, but the Honda Odyssey was actually under a recall for transmission failures, and the previous generation Sienna had some issues about transmission updates as well.

The Mazda MPV is smallish, and uses a Ford Duratec V6 bolted to a Mazda automatic.

The previous Quest/Villager is gone, and the new Quest is funky looking but likely a pretty stout vehicle.

The Ford Freestar is just a facelifted Windstar, with an ancient pushrod V6, albeit with a few more cc's this time around.

I would not recommend a GM minivan to my worst enemy

I'd get a Sprinter

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

The Mazda MPV 00-04 transmission is made by JATCO and not by Mazda. Our 00 MPV handles better than our 03 Jetta wagon. Also the MPV is about same lenght as the Jetta wagon. BTW my sister has 02 Honda Oddyssey and is her third tranny.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Is it a GRAND caravan?

I mean, you can't talk her out of a ... (get ready)

Grand Coulee? Dam.

moondawg

Click to expand...

Stow-n-Go are only available on Grand Caravans (and T&C). They are really nice (the stow-n-go). My parents have a 93 Caravan that's been very reliable (3.0L SOHC Mitsu V6 with 3-speed auto), with about 150,000 miles on it.

The Sienna is nice, with the available AWD (probably similar to a Haldex AWD system, also in the Matrix AWD)...but it's fairly pricey. (Then again...Previas weren't cheap either)

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Just be thankful she'll drive a minivan. Mine wouldn't touch one with a 10 foot pole. Or a Jetta wagon

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Is it a GRAND caravan?

I mean, you can't talk her out of a ... (get ready)

Grand Coulee? Dam.

moondawg

Click to expand...

Stow-n-Go are only available on Grand Caravans (and T&C). They are really nice (the stow-n-go). My parents have a 93 Caravan that's been very reliable (3.0L SOHC Mitsu V6 with 3-speed auto), with about 150,000 miles on it.

The Sienna is nice, with the available AWD (probably similar to a Haldex AWD system, also in the Matrix AWD)...but it's fairly pricey. (Then again...Previas weren't cheap either)

Click to expand...

*sigh* Grand Coulee DAM. Grand COULEE DAM. GRAND COULEE DAM!!!!

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

I don't blame her for not wanting a diesel. I fill my wife's TDI up with diesel when I drive it. I can imagine a lot of women wouldn't want to mess with the oil around diesel pumps. I know my wife wouldn't, and she really likes the Jetta TDI.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

tango, pretty much every Mazda automatic is a Jatco unit..that is what I meant, that it was NOT a Ford unit. Mazda used the crappy CD4E Ford unit in some later 626 cars with the 2.0L I4 with bad results. I just find it interesting that the MPV gets a Ford engine and a "non-Ford" transmission

The Chrysler 3 speed autobox in the minivans was a vastly more durable unit that the 4 speed, but the 3 speed is now gone.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

We went through a similar crisis. We ended up buying a Passat TDI and keeping the old minivan as an occasional bail-out vehicle when we need the capacity. It's got 120,000 miles and still runs like a top so in this role it should last a long time. The Jetta wagon is now my wife's daily driver. At least she acknowledges that it's more pleasant to drive than the van!

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

I don't blame her for not wanting a diesel. I fill my wife's TDI up with diesel when I drive it. I can imagine a lot of women wouldn't want to mess with the oil around diesel pumps. I know my wife wouldn't, and she really likes the Jetta TDI.

Click to expand...

My wife actually likes the fact that she doesn't have to fill up as often (even though the diesel pumps can be messy). She's been driving her Jetta TDI for the last 5 years and just loves the thing. Also, it has been one of the most reliable cars she's ever driven. I open the hood every month and check the fluids. Other than that, I don't do anything special (just the required maintenance). She never warms it up before driving or lets it cool down. So far, it's survived 70K of this behavior and it still goes like a champ.
As for the minivan conversation, get a used Eurovan. They're built like a tank, reliable as can be, haul a bunch of stuff and gets more comments than anything else I've ever driven. If you get the Weekender (with the pop-top) you end up being the envy of all of the other campers around you.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

I get to pick the cars (with her input) and she gets to decorate the house (with my input).

I just bought her a B4 Passat sedan. Her request was for auto, cruise, ac, int. wipers.

After looking at the budget and the prices of TDIs I decided on the B4. She never complained and is starting to like the ease of driving and long refueling intervals even though it isn't an auto.

Oh... I forgot to mention that one of us has to make the final decision.. and it's me. So as long as I include her in the decision making process and explain my decision reasons we have a happy marriage. Remember communication is key followed closely by unstressed finances.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Who's gonna pay for it? Pull your pants up and make a stand!
"Come to kindly terms with your ass, for it bears you."

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

"*sigh* Grand Coulee DAM. Grand COULEE DAM. GRAND COULEE DAM!!!! "

I got it and thought it was funny...

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

"*sigh* Grand Coulee DAM. Grand COULEE DAM. GRAND COULEE DAM!!!! "

I got it and thought it was funny...

Click to expand...

As did I...

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

This is about saving some money on transportations costs. Once you spend money on fuel, you won't get it back. By purchasing a TDI you're saving money on fuel that will pay off greatly in the long run. An extra $50 a month saved in the retirement fund will go a long way towards your future instead of wasting it on fuel in the here and now with a gas hogging SUV or minivan.

Sound off like you've got a pair, and make the right decision for her. You've both got to live with the finances so override a poor decision on her part.

Can\'t Get Wife to Buy Jetta Wagon Diesel so

Our 96 Grand Caravan now has 95,000 miles on it and 8 interior Alaska winters. Total shop costs over 8 years has been about $1000 with me doing the little things (oil changes with Mobil1 only, filters etc). The quality has been equal to our 98 Camry or better. It also doesn't have the sometimes wierd engineering of our Beetle TDI.

The Caravan burns twice as much fuel as the Beetle but has been a very good vehicle. I believe the Dodge is a higher quality vehicle than VW's overall and if it wasn't for the TDI I would not own one. To many other good choices that are a better value.

Maybe get her the Van and a used TDI for you. ..