If you are considering buyback which cars are you looking at as replacements?

[ATR]

The one over the hatch is the one I always look for.

Except when they don't work

 

[gte770m]

W/ little over 16.5k I will be getting from buyback, I am trying to look for a car that I will like almost as much as my MK6 MT Golf TDI, but there just isn't one. Driving up to White Mountains for hiking yesterday again reminded me how much I enjoy the torque, handling and mileage...

Just thinking about trading this one in for a MK7 Golf gasser or Mazda 3 makes me sad, but I think it will probably be one of those two. I am trying to stay under 20k so I won't have to take out a loan even if it's a relatively small amount.

 

[soccerpeople]

There really is no equivalent car. But I will not miss the poor reliability I have had with mine.
Test driving a Subaru Crosstrek later today - the AWD would be nice. Otherwise maybe the CX5.

 

[gte770m]

There really is no equivalent car. But I will not miss the poor reliability I have had with mine.
Test driving a Subaru Crosstrek later today - the AWD would be nice. Otherwise maybe the CX5.

Actually only thing I have had to do for mine is replace cracked DPF 2 years ago done under warranty. It's been pretty reliable for me.

 

[Mike in Anchorage]

I'm surprised none of you station wagon lovers have mentioned the new Mini Clubman. It's longer than before, and now comes with awd. You can still get it with a manual trans too.

On the way back from a ride today, since I had one of the bikes with me, I stopped at the Mini dealer to check. I'd have to remove the front wheel to get the bike to fit. Not certain yet about my wife's Trice [tricycle recumbent.] Seems like a nice car and the salesperson said you'll be able to get AWD with the 3 cyl later this year for an estimated 41 mpg highway. It's a traditional tranny with 8 speeds, and he wasn't sure about a lockup.

Maybe. Still considering, but I also know nothing will replace my TDI JSW.

 

[MaddogTDI]

2016 Mazda MX-5, Ceramic, 6M... liked it so much I bought it this week so I could enjoy the summer with the top down. It took me a long time and a lot of research to find that equivalent alternatives to my Golf TDI just don't exist. So, I had to compromise. And with the kids being older, a two seater works for us now. It's amazing... love it as much or more than my TDI.

Criteria #1 was that the car had to be engaging... it had to have a manual... it had to handle well... it had to have great throttle response... that criteria alone limited my selection to just a hand full of cars. Add in a requirement that it needs to be affordable and the selection is super limited.

I visited the Mazda dealer to test drive a Mazda 3 and was incredibly disappointed with the acceleration and road feel.

Then I test drove an MX-5... never looked back. Just a blast to drive. Incredibly engaging... However, the sacrifice is space and storage. There is none.

Economy is excellent. 250 mile trip over the weekend through the back roads of Mass, RI, and CT and I averaged 39 mpg. Not quite what I would have gotten in my TDI, but incredible all the same (I'm not light on the accelerator).

Very happy with the purchase... if any of you happen to be in the same situation we were with your kids, give an MX-5 a test drive, you'll be glad you did!

 

[soccerpeople]

Actually only thing I have had to do for mine is replace cracked DPF 2 years ago done under warranty. It's been pretty reliable for me.

I have replaced the master cylinder, slave cylinder/hydraulic system (that was fun, parts came from Germany and took 3 weeks), the fuel pump, door window switch, my sunroof opens randomly by itself, and I have the sticky exhaust flap right now (dealer wants $1100 for exhaust manifold). I also have a bad tire pressure monitor, and the fuse box needs to be replaced because it shows signs of burning.... and that's with only 55,000 miles. I am sure I am forgetting something... Fun car to drive, great gas mileage, but for me not worth the hassles. No more VW.

 

[zoomydu]

They arent the only ones. I have asked 3 Mazda dealers about ordering a 2017 Mazda 3. Ive also talked to 2 Chevy dealers about the 2017 Cruze Hatch. All except for 1 Mazda dealer acted like I was asking for an act of God to order a car. I get that they would "prefer" to sell off the lot, but none of the 5 dealers could tell me what would be on the lot come November or December. And my answer was "thats precisely WHY I want to order a car". I want specific options and color.

The 1 Mazda dealer said "yea not a problem, let us know when you are ready, its a $500 non-refundable deposit", BUT they werent willing to deal much.

The odds of me ever finding a car that checks all of my boxes on a dealer lot are pretty much nil. If a dealership has manuals, they are almost guaranteed to be on a stripped-down model. We've had to order my last 2 cars. We're assuming that will be the case with whatever replaces the JSW (planning to trade in our 11 year old Mazda 3s hatchback at the same time), too. Yeah, it's tough to wheel and deal with a special order, unfortunately. But we keep our cars for at least a decade (and since this next car will likely be the last manual, we'll have incentive to try to keep it around for closer to 15 years), it's worth it to get exactly what we want from the get-go.

 

[r_jojola]

Well with the buyback and my families situation times have changed. We bought the 2014 Passat TDi because it was roomy (our 15 year old son is 6'4 225 pounds) and it got good mpg (we were driving at least 100 miles per day). The son will be driving soon and we don't need to commute as far anymore. So we are hoping that VW offers some sort of returning customer incentive and we are thinking about getting one base model Jetta for the kid to drive, and a 1.8T Sport Jetta for a second vehicle. Yes...we are thinking about leaving with two VW...

 

[grawk]

2011 a3 tdi

 

[grawk]

What we need is the GTD to come to the states. All would be forgiven.

this, for sure

 

[nwtim]

I'm surprised none of you station wagon lovers have mentioned the new Mini Clubman. It's longer than before, and now comes with awd. You can still get it with a manual trans too.

It seems it would be a fun car to drive, but I'm not a big fan of the barn doors and the view out the back they obstruct. Perhaps if they made the barn doors half-height while integrating a flip-up back glass window?

 

[JMugmon]

2017 BMW i3 Electric.
Had it for a weekend test drive and loved it. It's like driving the future. Thinking of leasing it as the technology is changing in EV so fast that in a few years the value will be half and the new ones will go 2x to 3x the distance. I only need a city vehicle and this will do fine. L

 

[Exstereo]

2001 Passat wagon 1.8t in surprisingly good shape. I was tired of payments and don't mind doing the up keep...

 

[sunnyjim]

I have to agree, the sportwagon has one of the largest cargo volumes of any vehicle in it's class, including SUVs.
I'm in the market for a larger vehicle and have been researching many different vehicles based on cargo space.
VW sportwagon has 65cu. ft. which is more than most mid-sized SUVs.
Even the Audi A4 Allroad only has 57cu ft.
I was keen on the Subaru Forester, but some have issues with oil consumption and the Turbo XT only comes with a CVT.
I may be "forced" to buy another VW with the buyback money, although I was really looking for an AWD. Not sure if I can wait for the VW Alltrack coming out in the fall, as I need the room now for moving.

I know you'll dislike the lack of power issue but the 2016 Prius gets 52+MPG and has over 65 cubic feet with the seats down. Drove one ... quieter, stronger, and more comfortable than earlier models ... AND, nothing breaks. It's a Toyota!

 

[STLTDI]

I'm thinking about placing an order on a new car. Worse thing that happens is I'd lose my deposit if the buyback falls through (unlikely) or (more likely) don't get my buyback processed until Spring and my Passat sits for a few months. It's paid for, so wouldn't be a financial burden. I've been really disappointed with the lack of any communication from VW or dealers for TDI owner incentives, and there's really nothing I want much anyway from VW. Sure, Golf R is fun, but not with a RF and FF kid plus their strollers.

 

[rgoetz]

2001 Passat wagon 1.8t in surprisingly good shape. I was tired of payments and don't mind doing the up keep...

I had a 2000 Passat wagon 1.8T. Chipped it and it was a blast. Enjoy!

 

[rgoetz]

I know you'll dislike the lack of power issue but the 2016 Prius gets 52+MPG and has over 65 cubic feet with the seats down. Drove one ... quieter, stronger, and more comfortable than earlier models ... AND, nothing breaks. It's a Toyota!

Your quoted text wasn't originally by me.

Although based on my experience with a 2007 Sienna, I agree about Toyota reliability.

 

[derbo]

I'm considering a 2017 Civic Hatchback that is releasing in the fall. It might not have the go get as the MK6 TDI but it will fit the bill for my 114-mile round daily commute. A 2017 Touring model w/ 6MT (when it comes) will have decent power + okay MPG and all some good standard features.

 

[Exstereo]

I had a 2000 Passat wagon 1.8T. Chipped it and it was a blast. Enjoy!

Will do that for sure! Only problem besides the normal needs new shocks and what not is the interior has a lot of the soft touch paint that has turned to goo. I have an insane amount of experience fixing auto interiors though, just not done it for 10 years. It will be a fun project.

 

[redneck47441]

Titan XD........

 

[Mike in Anchorage]

I had a 2000 Passat wagon 1.8T. Chipped it and it was a blast. Enjoy!

My wife has an '02 Audi Avant Quattro with the 1.8T, 225HP stock from the mfr with a sport suspension. I get to drive it twice a year - once when I put the snow tires on and once when I put the summer tires on. Of course, I need to check for shimmy and such. It's a blast to drive up in the mtns to check shimmy on curvy mtn roads going up and down. And I'm sure that I blow a lot of buildup out of it. I doubt she ever gets it past 3000 Revs, whereas I take it close to redline frequently.

It is a very good car, and does surprisingly well for fuel usage when she drives it.

 

[amstel78]

I'm looking at either a fully loaded 2017 Mustang Ecoboost with performance package, or a base GT 5.0 with Performance Package and Recaros... or for the truly impractical, a 2016 MX-5 Miata.

I don't commute to work anymore and still have my truck for winter so why not...

 

[ATR]

I'm surprised none of you station wagon lovers have mentioned the new Mini Clubman. It's longer than before, and now comes with awd. You can still get it with a manual trans too.

A follow-up on this...

Yesterday I test drove both the standard clubman and the S with manual transmission in both.

My thoughts on the clubman:
The 3 banger has some great low end grunt for a 1.5L engine. Problem is the passing power, or rather lack of passing power. I tried a WOT in 3rd gear to see how it went... In a word, sloooowly.

The S had sufficient passing power.

Handling on both cars were similar. Very tight and direct steering. Sport mode seemed to tighten it up a little bit more. Ride and handling was sporty without being too harsh.

Still, I feel like they felt bigger then they were.

The biggest downside was that the headroom seemed a bit lacking.

 

[drshaws]

A follow-up on this...
Yesterday I test drove both the standard clubman and the S with manual transmission in both.
My thoughts on the clubman:
The 3 banger has some great low end grunt for a 1.5L engine. Problem is the passing power, or rather lack of passing power. I tried a WOT in 3rd gear to see how it went... In a word, sloooowly.
The S had sufficient passing power.
Handling on both cars were similar. Very tight and direct steering. Sport mode seemed to tighten it up a little bit more. Ride and handling was sporty without being too harsh.
Still, I feel like they felt bigger then they were.
The biggest downside was that the headroom seemed a bit lacking.

Hah! I too test drove a 6MT Clubman (vanilla, not S). In SPORT mode, the thing was a hoot. In regular mode, it seemed adequate around town, although I missed the torque. I put it in ECO mode once, and.... that didn't last very long. The boy did really like the dedicated rear moonroof, and didn't complain when the front sunroof opened (as often happens in our minivan due to airflow/noise issues)

We looked at a 2017 Forester. While you can get the sunroof with the 6MT, it's still pretty plasticky in there, and felt so boring (it's our safe fallback).

We also looked at a Jeep Renegade, as you can also get the 6MT with a host of reasonable options. Sadly, the dealer didn't have a 6MT immediately around for us to drive - so they may just lose out. Also, our smaller dog crate still fit in the cargo area of the Renegade, which was a win.

The Wrangler Unlimited is where our heart is, but the head is saying no (vehicle cost, fuel costs).

Coming out of a JSW, it's going to be hard to find a vehicle with similar trim, cargo space, and MT (as has been noted). Really trying to not go back to VW, but if the filthy lucre is of high enough quantity to draw us back in, we may opt for a GTI SE w/PP and DCC. Can't see us going down to a gas GSW - the de-contented 5MT trim just doesn't do it.

 

[bring]

Yesterday I test drove both the standard clubman and the S with manual transmission in both.

Were they fwd or awd?

Impressed they had manuals to test drive....

 

[ATR]

Hah! I too test drove a 6MT Clubman (vanilla, not S). In SPORT mode, the thing was a hoot. In regular mode, it seemed adequate around town, although I missed the torque. I put it in ECO mode once, and.... that didn't last very long. The boy did really like the dedicated rear moonroof, and didn't complain when the front sunroof opened (as often happens in our minivan due to airflow/noise issues)
We looked at a 2017 Forester. While you can get the sunroof with the 6MT, it's still pretty plasticky in there, and felt so boring (it's our safe fallback).
We also looked at a Jeep Renegade, as you can also get the 6MT with a host of reasonable options. Sadly, the dealer didn't have a 6MT immediately around for us to drive - so they may just lose out. Also, our smaller dog crate still fit in the cargo area of the Renegade, which was a win.
The Wrangler Unlimited is where our heart is, but the head is saying no (vehicle cost, fuel costs).
Coming out of a JSW, it's going to be hard to find a vehicle with similar trim, cargo space, and MT (as has been noted). Really trying to not go back to VW, but if the filthy lucre is of high enough quantity to draw us back in, we may opt for a GTI SE w/PP and DCC. Can't see us going down to a gas GSW - the de-contented 5MT trim just doesn't do it.

I'm still thinking vw gti for the next car. Simply because it has all the needed headroom I need. The other option is the bmw x1. The X3 surprisingly has less headroom than the x1

Were they fwd or awd?

Impressed they had manuals to test drive....

Both were fwd. There was one section of the test drive where I had to stop for a light on a hill... lit up the front tires in both cars

 

[bring]

Both were fwd. There was one section of the test drive where I had to stop for a light on a hill... lit up the front tires in both cars

If no need for awd, the GTI is hard to beat

 

[newWorldTDI]

Would like to hear more from those choosing Volvo v60 or Subaru Outback. Impressions, comparisons to JSW.

Leaning that direction.

 

[tanner]

I'm holding out till the end, I don't want more money. I'm hoping since they are using trade in value that we get some sort of tax credit for our next vehicle, that can be from any brand.

Personally my needs have changed and I don't need fuel efficiency as much anymore. Thank goodness i'm about to graduate college.

I'm hoping with the money from buyback, plus what I have in savings to buy a
16/17 TRD Off Road Tacoma
17 Ford Raptor
15 Duramax LTZ
15 Cummins Laramie

all trucks will be crew cab 4x4, here's the kicker, i've asked insurance for a quote to add any one of these vehicles to my plan in place of the 2013 Golf TDI and would you know it they are all within 20 dollars of the golf with same coverage and 50/250 deductibles.

I'm leaning a bit more towards the mid-size and 1/2 ton, but only because my brother and I built my dads truck up which was a 2003 F250 Lariat 4x4 Crew. The head gasket went finally at 250k miles and we swapped a 2004 Cummins engine with 90k miles in there. Sorry just had to mention it as the project has only been finished about a month. I know the swap sounds expensive, but the truck was just to nice not too. Plus we had just put an ATS transmission and torque converter in 50k miles ago.