What would your replace your mk1v wagon with?

What would your replace your MKIV wagon with?

Our 05 is visiting the local shop too much. things like crappy headlights oil leaks wheel bearings are being replaced too much and I just am not happy with the bew engine.

Wife wants something more reliable, she doesn't want an SUV 2wd preferred for gas mileage wagon space is a must. TDI not necessary gas is cheap these days.

We just want something A couple years old and in the 15k range that will be reliable.

Not buying soon just want to get a feel for why to keep our eyes open for so we can watch prices and buy end of summer or fall.

Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V, and Hyundai Santa Fe or Tuscon depending on your size needs.

people don't often speak about tail lights and headlights burning out. everyone has just come to accept that as part of owning these cars. There is a flaw in the circuit. I haven't replaced a bulb in nearly 10 years now; kinda stumbled upon 'a fix'. I was replacing bulbs pretty steady every 8-12 months. I wanted to do the 5 light brake upgrade. Put the extra bulbs in, and I haven't replaced a headlight or tail light bulb since. Don't ask how it fixed it, I have no idea... but it's too much of a coincidence to ignore.

Good luck with the search. I've tried for years to find a worthy replacement for my Jetta Wagon. So far it hasn't happened.

GSW might be an option. They're a bit above your price range but I think people are getting the base one new in the high teens. Otherwise not much out there that meets your criteria.

Oh you did totally say no suv, that's my fault.

Accord crosstour

If I wasn't concerned about reliability I would say Volvo xc60 or some other Volvo product.

I love the look of BMW and MB wagons, but I wouldn't think of actually owning one, and that means you definitely shouldn't either.

The wagon field is rather slim these days. The old Subaru legacy would have been perfect for you.

Yeah not too excited about KIA, Hyundai brands at all. Honda Crosstour might be an option kind of homely and don't see to many of them. We've contemplated the Subaru cross trek but still don't need 4WD . If we were to go 4WD or SUV she would prefer a Tacoma pickup. If we had the budget I'd go for a another German car from the fancier mfgs. Volvos are cool but we have no options for a euroshop in our area in case things go wrong. Her biggest reason for the wagon is interior space for gear and dog, and low enough to stack large paddle boards and other gear on top.

We all know the MKVI TDI is the best, which generation VW wagon is the 2nd best that can be found with less than 50 or 69K under 15K doesn't have to be diesel powered.

HI,

I'll throw in the idea of a minivan....

I have a Gran Caravan...plenty of space, features, etc.....great reliability...about the only downside I can think of is the 23 MPG mine gets on the highway...other than that just think of it as a bigger station wagon.

Andrew

PS - If you need better economy and space (and depending on your mechanical abilities) , I saw a thread on this forum where a person put a TDI into a minivan and gets good MPGs....I would LOVE something like that!

I'd keep the Jetta. No reason it cannot be reliable.

I am doing some 1/4 million mile TLC to a 2004 J-wagon today. New flywheel/ clutch, starter, tandem pump, sway bar links. It has been maintained by me since it was new, it is in great shape, and has always been a reliable car, and has never left him stranded.

I see it every 10k miles for normal PM, check it over and if it needs anything else, it gets taken care of on that visit. Easy peasy.

oilhammer said:

I see it every 10k miles for normal PM, check it over and if it needs anything else, it gets taken care of on that visit. Easy peasy.

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Absolutely. Problem is a lot of people don't do that. They put things off, they feel like the car's not worth spending money on, or who knows what.

If you drive these cars things wear out. But if you keep after them the cost of maintenance feels more manageable. If you let things pile up it can become overwhelming.

I'm impressed with how dead reliable these cars can be as they age. Between my sons and me we have five TDIs, with 215, 251, 283, 329, and 345K on them. I wouldn't hesitate to get in any one of them and drive anywhere.

kirmet said:

If we had the budget I'd go for a another German car from the fancier mfgs.

We all know the MKVI TDI is the best...

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wait, so you complain about the reliability of your current car, then state you want to get into some more of that. never understood that.

my uncle bought a new chevy venture in 1997, was super displeased with it... so he bought another chevy venture in 1999.

i agree on ALH cars, they do wear well for those that know them. I've maintained dad's car since we bought it Aug 1999, and with 365K kms on it now I still don't worry about them when they take it on cross country trips.

minivans are pretty awesome too, I have a 2000 odyssey that I just rebuilt the trans on, I'd rock that thing as a daily driver no problem if I needed the room. easier on gas than my 02 Dakota was, and more practical than my 03 Pathfinder was.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

I wouldn't hesitate to get in any one of them and drive anywhere.

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this is true of any 'owner maintained' vehicle where the owner is capable.

I would drive cross country in any of my vehicles too, regardless of what the odometer reads. there was a guy on the saturn forums, he kept all the cars he's ever bought, and each of them had over 400K miles on it (including his early 90s saturn). but the guy could drive over a small pile of change and tell you how many dimes were in the pile; he was that in-tune with his cars. heck, I think he could tell you the brand of gasoline in the tank by the smell of the exhaust

I'd simply have the BEW completely gone over and bring it up to snuff. By almost any measure, this will be far less expensive than a newer (and less soul-full) vehicle.

No reason this vehicle should be unreliable or nickle/diming you.

I've got about 150K on my '04 Golf and it's immensely reliable. I keep up on the maintenance and am proactive with much. All in all, it's far less costly than a car payment.

I've been daily commuting in it since 2006.

bbarbulo said:

wait, so you complain about the reliability of your current car, then state you want to get into some more of that. never understood that.

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It's not that simple. I've lost faith in this car, it has had too many issues at 180k, due to some dumbass tuning the car with a chip. Which has caused early clutch, turbo and cam failure. It's low on power, fuel mileage that averages 32mpg, the headlights are dangerous and rust issues are starting to rear its ugly head. The wife would like a newer version of what she has. I was mostly wondering what the best VE wagon was aside from the MKIV may be.

Unfortunately I haven't found a guy that I trust enough or will even drive the car long enough to say yeah it has a couple issues with fueling/boost etc and an oil leak. I don't have a shop and the willingness to gamble on tearing it apart myself.
After talking to oilhammer and buying his cam kit I have considered making the trek to his shop. And having him sort this car out. It may happen if the wife finds a car she wants, I'll most likely keep it for myself.

There's simply no replacement for the Mk4 wagons. Well maybe a 5th gen accord wagon...? I would go about repairing it, even if that means driving a distance to someone who knows what they're doing and spending a few grand. These cars are relatively "simple" compared to newer stuff. Cam turbo and clutch are common problems with the BEW, regardless if it's stock or tuned. The turbo is small and prone to irregular boost behavior, the dual mass flywheels go, and if the correct oil isn't used the cams will fail fairly quickly. Tune definitely didn't help though but if they knew what they were doing it would be within safe parameters for stock components, except for the clutch which should be replaced with a sach single mass kit or similar when the time comes.

Toyota, subaru or honda if going newer. If you think that MK4 is giving you headaches you don't want to be in a newer german vehicle.

old answer, new answer

My old answer to this question was newer JSW/GSW TDI. Absent TDI, the 2.5 TSI is likely to be very dependable. Look for a used one to get to the price range you need.

I got a much better deal on a Chattanooga Passat 1.8 TSI, so that is where I ended up (when my 2014 JSW TDI got totaled).

It seems like NOTHING will measure up to the overall quality/features compared to my '14 TDI JSW. I got used to the comfort features. Gassers just seem to be lacking in soul, even if they have similar list of comfort features (for me, it is the engine-no way around it).

I DID get an '03 Jetta wagon TDI to "replace" the '14 JSW TDI. CoolAir did a fantastic job reviving it. Now I have a lot of work to do to bring it closer to the long list of comfort features I got used to. But it has that TDI soul, so it will be worth the effort.