I heard on the radio that some VWs and Audis have a serious design flaw that results in them stalling out, sometimes at highway speeds. The quality of German vehicles a few years back had deteriorated, and maybe they haven't fixed all the problems.

TenuredVulture wrote:I heard on the radio that some VWs and Audis have a serious design flaw that results in them stalling out, sometimes at highway speeds. The quality of German vehicles a few years back had deteriorated, and maybe they haven't fixed all the problems.

I have a 2003 Passat. Most mechanics won't touch it, so I'm forced to take it to a dealer whenever I need something looked at. Midas couldn't even top off my fluids for me because apparently VWs use different liquids.

Historically, consumer reports has given German low maintenance scores, meaning the upkeep is costly. But apparently VW is offering free maintenance with their new cars for 36,000 miles.

PTK - you will need to buy two Alphas so you have something to drive while the other one is in the shop! If you want budget fun, and depending on the model, the Mazda Miata (MX-5) and the MX-6 are both budge fun and have predictable maintenance records.

My 1999 Passat only stalls when someone forgets to shift. It does have a design flaw in the brake system which adds to the maintenance cost.

jeff2sf wrote:

lethal wrote:The Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner is actually a rebadged Mazda Tribute (which also qualifies for the tax credit).

minor update, would love to be corrected here, but as I understand it, the Mazda Trib Hybrid is only available in California. I don't think we're going to buck up for the highlander hybrid which leaves us at the CRV/Rogue/Rav 4 thing.

I also have a pet theory that if they can make it through the next 6 months or so, the next yuppie movement is going to be towards American cars (buy local for food, why not buy local for cars?)

So is the Trib Hybred a re-badged Escape that uses the Toyota system? I am not certain if Ford makes their own hybrid system, but I know it was, at one point, Toyota's (by license or manufacture I have no idea).

Just curious.

buy a used car PTK, if youre city driving just get a small compact car

Philly the Kid wrote:I haven't had a car in over 12 years. But I may be forced to get one in the next 6 months... I hate most care designs ... won't by German -- I'm thinking Alfa Romeo despite its lousy repair record... seems fun to drive, had one briefly an older one I bought for my sister when she moved to Cally...

If ya got the coin.



These run around 50K (last I checked)...

thephan wrote:PTK - you will need to buy two Alphas so you have something to drive while the other one is in the shop! If you want budget fun, and depending on the model, the Mazda Miata (MX-5) and the MX-6 are both budge fun and have predictable maintenance records.

My 1999 Passat only stalls when someone forgets to shift. It does have a design flaw in the brake system which adds to the maintenance cost.

There is an Alpha shop nearby... I know, they are notorious for weeks in the shop... I did date a woman a couple years ago with a sporty Mazda3 it had a little pick me up and drove well... so few cars are attractive to me ... i like those retro thunderbirds ... but they are already getting played out -- cars in the early 60's some from the late 50's were really cool to look at ... everything today is a morasse of sameness, bubble-butts and aero-dynamic something or others...

I may have to move north of the city about 20minutes ... the car would be for short runs, and poppin back over to the city... gonna miss my scooter -- man that thing is fun and easy -- i use 1 gallon a week of gas!

Philly the Kid wrote:

thephan wrote:PTK - you will need to buy two Alphas so you have something to drive while the other one is in the shop! If you want budget fun, and depending on the model, the Mazda Miata (MX-5) and the MX-6 are both budge fun and have predictable maintenance records.

My 1999 Passat only stalls when someone forgets to shift. It does have a design flaw in the brake system which adds to the maintenance cost.

There is an Alpha shop nearby... I know, they are notorious for weeks in the shop... I did date a woman a couple years ago with a sporty Mazda3 it had a little pick me up and drove well... so few cars are attractive to me ... i like those retro thunderbirds ... but they are already getting played out -- cars in the early 60's some from the late 50's were really cool to look at ... everything today is a morasse of sameness, bubble-butts and aero-dynamic something or others...

I may have to move north of the city about 20minutes ... the car would be for short runs, and poppin back over to the city... gonna miss my scooter -- man that thing is fun and easy -- i use 1 gallon a week of gas!

The new Camaro looks pretty bitcin to me.

TenuredVulture wrote:The new Camaro looks pretty bitcin to me.

I agree, and I also like the new Mustang. Both are thoroughly modern-looking cars that also recall their heritage. The retro T-Bird of a few years ago just looked like a caricature.

Why is diesel unpopular in this country?

I'm going to need to own a car for the first time in 6 years. I'll be commuting from the burbs to Philly and don't want anything nice that I'd actually worry about some mook scratching or hitting. 4WD would be nice. Looking at used Suburus and Mazdas, but I'm really out of the loop on cars. Will I regret buying a car with 70K + miles on it? Any thoughts?

TenuredVulture wrote:The new Camaro looks pretty bitcin to me.

Best Dead Milkmen?

EndlessSummer wrote:I'm going to need to own a car for the first time in 6 years. I'll be commuting from the burbs to Philly and don't want anything nice that I'd actually worry about some mook scratching or hitting. 4WD would be nice. Looking at used Suburus and Mazdas, but I'm really out of the loop on cars. Will I regret buying a car with 70K + miles on it? Any thoughts?

Im on record as being a Subaru guy so I'd say that a used Subie is a good bet, if you dont need a large car you can get an AWD Impreza for a decent price and itll usually last a long time as long as you dont get the turbo

The Crimson Cyclone wrote:

EndlessSummer wrote:I'm going to need to own a car for the first time in 6 years. I'll be commuting from the burbs to Philly and don't want anything nice that I'd actually worry about some mook scratching or hitting. 4WD would be nice. Looking at used Suburus and Mazdas, but I'm really out of the loop on cars. Will I regret buying a car with 70K + miles on it? Any thoughts?

Im on record as being a Subaru guy so I'd say that a used Subie is a good bet, if you dont need a large car you can get an AWD Impreza for a decent price and itll usually last a long time as long as you dont get the turbo

That's good to hear, as I was looking at the Imprezas. It seems like a good mix of being durable, but being compact enough for the city driving while I can still toss a good amount of stuff in it, too.

I bought a 95 Impreza at 20K miles that came off lease from a customer of mine while as a car salesman in 96, I got it almost to 175K miles before a tree fell on it in 2005. Aside from regular maintenance, (oil changes, scheduled maintenance, tires, etc) I only had to shell out about $400 in repairs in my time of owning the car. I absolutely recommend it.

EndlessSummer wrote:

The Crimson Cyclone wrote:

EndlessSummer wrote:I'm going to need to own a car for the first time in 6 years. I'll be commuting from the burbs to Philly and don't want anything nice that I'd actually worry about some mook scratching or hitting. 4WD would be nice. Looking at used Suburus and Mazdas, but I'm really out of the loop on cars. Will I regret buying a car with 70K + miles on it? Any thoughts?

Im on record as being a Subaru guy so I'd say that a used Subie is a good bet, if you dont need a large car you can get an AWD Impreza for a decent price and itll usually last a long time as long as you dont get the turbo

That's good to hear, as I was looking at the Imprezas. It seems like a good mix of being durable, but being compact enough for the city driving while I can still toss a good amount of stuff in it, too.

My dad went through a series of used cars awhile back. Far and away the best one was a Subaru. Alas, it was totalled in a wreck. Really ashame, as the insurance settlement didn't come close to finding an equivalent. The car could have easily lasted another 5-10 years.

Subarus are popular with lesbians, so I that's a nice endorsement.

TenuredVulture wrote:
Subarus are popular with lesbians, so I that's a nice endorsement.

That's because Subarau was one of the 1st companies to aggressively pursue the gay and lesbian market and even had a offer on the "rainbow" credit card that owners could earn rebates. I certainly had my share of gay and lesbian customers as a result.

The Crimson Cyclone wrote:

TenuredVulture wrote:
Subarus are popular with lesbians, so I that's a nice endorsement.

That's because Subarau was one of the 1st companies to aggressively pursue the gay and lesbian market and even had a offer on the "rainbow" credit card that owners could earn rebates. I certainly had my share of gay and lesbian customers as a result.

You mean it wasn't the cars rugged good looks, versatility, and reliability? I just assumed the Subaru was the sensible shoes of cars.

EndlessSummer wrote:I'm going to need to own a car for the first time in 6 years. I'll be commuting from the burbs to Philly and don't want anything nice that I'd actually worry about some mook scratching or hitting. 4WD would be nice. Looking at used Suburus and Mazdas, but I'm really out of the loop on cars. Will I regret buying a car with 70K + miles on it? Any thoughts?

so didja guys get a house?

+1 for Subaru. Some fuck at my apartment complex left a nasty door ding a few weeks ago. Worst part is I'll never know who it was.

I've actually been considering selling the car or trading it in for something cheaper, but it's just too much fun to drive