alright guys...gonna be gettin outta school (finishing graduate school) in about a year and a half.  so i figure i better start saving up for a new car.  first off i have a '98 escort 5spd zx2 that i have left completely stock as my gas car transporting me everywhere i need to go.  second i have my '69 mustang coupe that gets around 10 mpg.  it sees about 3 months outta the year and i bet you can guess which ones those are.  so my escort just rolled over 151,500 miles.  i figure being an american car and having that kind of mileage means it's gonna shit probably within the next couple of years.  although i would like to make it to 200,000 and i could possibly drive it til the wheels fall off.  so i'm sorry for all of this reading which may be long by arfcom standards but here is the question i leave you all with.  what do you guys think about the VW in the title line.  the specs and pics are posted below and i would probably go w/ blue lagoon or platinum gray.  they don't seem too high maintenance unlike the much more expensive Audi S4's (it's brother car) and can be modded easily.  this car would also get good gas mileage being it's a 1.8 4 banger turbo and has the looks, technology and interior. also i like it b/c it's a 4 door....something i have never had before....i also had a saab 900S before my escort and it was a coupe....basically i'm tired of these and they're harder to get ppl in and out of.  I would probably keep the stang but maybe not.  i would like this car as a daily driver and would probably only do a slight drop on the stance w/ some H&R springs, leave the rims the same....put some wheel spacers to sit'em flush with the fenders and tint the windows.  i would also probably chip this and add exhaust but that would be it.  these cars are easily capable of 340 hp or so on the stock block but with exhaust, cai, and a chip i would easily be above 200 which is good enough for me b/c like i said i will probably still have my 'stang to play around with and it gives me my speed junky fix when i need it.  so with out boring you guys too much here are the specs and pix.  also if anyone has had one or has any VW's lemme know any issues or things to look for.  i have been over at the VWvortex forums for quite some time just lurking and retaining info there.  but they're kinda biased over there and i need some unbiased opinions!


PROMO SHOT



ONE AT A STEALERSHIP....NICE THING IS THIS ONE HAS 2K MILES AND IS GOIN FOR 19.4 AND IT'S AN '05





MY ZX2 IS RED...I DON'T WANT A RED ONE...BUT STILL A NICE LOOKING ONE



DAMN I LOVE THIS BLUE



AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...SOME MORE BLUE...OF COURSE IT HAS BEEN LOWERED AND DIFFERENT WHEELS



SPECS:

1.8 liter DOHC 20V Turbo Charged
180 hp
170 lb/ft torque
FWD
6 spd manual
18" BBS wheels (factory)
Recaro seats (factory)


alright guys there you have it...tell me what you think

Quoted: alright guys...gonna be gettin outta school (finishing graduate school) in about a year and a half.  so i figure i better start saving up for a new car.  first off i have a '98 escort 5spd zx2 that i have left completely stock as my gas car transporting me everywhere i need to go.  second i have my '69 mustang coupe that gets around 10 mpg.  it sees about 3 months outta the year and i bet you can guess which ones those are.  so my escort just rolled over 151,500 miles.  i figure being an american car and having that kind of mileage means it's gonna shit probably within the next couple of years.  although i would like to make it to 200,000 and i could possibly drive it til the wheels fall off.  so i'm sorry for all of this reading which may be long by arfcom standards but here is the question i leave you all with.  what do you guys think about the VW in the title line.  the specs and pics are posted below and i would probably go w/ blue lagoon or platinum gray.  they don't seem too high maintenance unlike the much more expensive Audi S4's (it's brother car) and can be modded easily.  this car would also get good gas mileage being it's a 1.8 4 banger turbo and has the looks, technology and interior. also i like it b/c it's a 4 door....something i have never had before....i also had a saab 900S before my escort and it was a coupe....basically i'm tired of these and they're harder to get ppl in and out of.  I would probably keep the stang but maybe not.  i would like this car as a daily driver and would probably only do a slight drop on the stance w/ some H&R springs, leave the rims the same....put some wheel spacers to sit'em flush with the fenders and tint the windows.  i would also probably chip this and add exhaust but that would be it.  these cars are easily capable of 340 hp or so on the stock block but with exhaust, cai, and a chip i would easily be above 200 which is good enough for me b/c like i said i will probably still have my 'stang to play around with and it gives me my speed junky fix when i need it.  so with out boring you guys too much here are the specs and pix.  also if anyone has had one or has any VW's lemme know any issues or things to look for.  i have been over at the VWvortex forums for quite some time just lurking and retaining info there.  but they're kinda biased over there and i need some unbiased opinions!

I guess school hasn't covered the "run-on paragraph" yet?    

I'm going to make some assumptions here, which is always dangerous, but here's my POV:

1.  Keep the mustang.  Unlike most cars, this one is probably APPRECIATING in value.  If you get rid of it, you'll regret it later.
2.  Relax; you're supposed to count your eggs first, then your chickens.   Finish school, then find a job, knock out some student loans, then buy a new car.  
3.  Regarding VW:   I love 'em.  I've always been a VW person; that said, I don't own one.  I'd like too, but I've come to appreciate reliability and cost of ownership over styling.   Consumer reports shows VW as being one of the worst brands.  If you like to do your own repairs, then have at it.

Quoted: Quoted: alright guys...gonna be gettin outta school (finishing graduate school) in about a year and a half.  so i figure i better start saving up for a new car.  first off i have a '98 escort 5spd zx2 that i have left completely stock as my gas car transporting me everywhere i need to go.  second i have my '69 mustang coupe that gets around 10 mpg.  it sees about 3 months outta the year and i bet you can guess which ones those are.  so my escort just rolled over 151,500 miles.  i figure being an american car and having that kind of mileage means it's gonna shit probably within the next couple of years.  although i would like to make it to 200,000 and i could possibly drive it til the wheels fall off.  so i'm sorry for all of this reading which may be long by arfcom standards but here is the question i leave you all with.  what do you guys think about the VW in the title line.  the specs and pics are posted below and i would probably go w/ blue lagoon or platinum gray.  they don't seem too high maintenance unlike the much more expensive Audi S4's (it's brother car) and can be modded easily.  this car would also get good gas mileage being it's a 1.8 4 banger turbo and has the looks, technology and interior. also i like it b/c it's a 4 door....something i have never had before....i also had a saab 900S before my escort and it was a coupe....basically i'm tired of these and they're harder to get ppl in and out of.  I would probably keep the stang but maybe not.  i would like this car as a daily driver and would probably only do a slight drop on the stance w/ some H&R springs, leave the rims the same....put some wheel spacers to sit'em flush with the fenders and tint the windows.  i would also probably chip this and add exhaust but that would be it.  these cars are easily capable of 340 hp or so on the stock block but with exhaust, cai, and a chip i would easily be above 200 which is good enough for me b/c like i said i will probably still have my 'stang to play around with and it gives me my speed junky fix when i need it.  so with out boring you guys too much here are the specs and pix.  also if anyone has had one or has any VW's lemme know any issues or things to look for.  i have been over at the VWvortex forums for quite some time just lurking and retaining info there.  but they're kinda biased over there and i need some unbiased opinions! I guess school hasn't covered the "run-on paragraph" yet?     I'm going to make some assumptions here, which is always dangerous, but here's my POV: 1.  Keep the mustang.  Unlike most cars, this one is probably APPRECIATING in value.  If you get rid of it, you'll regret it later. 2.  Relax; you're supposed to count your eggs first, then your chickens.   Finish school, then find a job, knock out some student loans, then buy a new car.   3.  Regarding VW:   I love 'em.  I've always been a VW person; that said, I don't own one.  I'd like too, but I've come to appreciate reliability and cost of ownership over styling.   Consumer reports shows VW as being one of the worst brands.  If you like to do your own repairs, then have at it.

hehe well after doing schooling for so long i guess you could say that arfcom is my freedom away from all the rules and restrictions to using propper grammar  

with that said....i've heard my dad time and time again bitch about the '67 stang he had and sold and how he regretted it.  i know i would too but i really am leaning towards gettin rid of it b/c of costs.  it's a money pit...insurance....repairs....gas...etc.  my escort isn't gonna last too much longer which i know so i'm just trying to prepair myself for when it finally takes a shit.  ya i've heard the bad's about VW too but i'm pretty handy with a wrench and most of the stuff that goes wrong with'em is covered in warranties which an '04 and '05 would most likely still have.  i know it sounds like i'm jumpin the gun a bit but i'm just tryin to prepare myself.  thanks for your replies b/c it's guys like you who make the cars and bikes section wonderful...giving me some elderly advice and car advice...(no offense on the elderly thing but it sounds like you've been through it all before )

Go for it.  A friend of mine from high school has one and liked it at the time.

as long as the vw has a warrenty and a close dealership you'll be ok. when the warrenty runs out you'll need good credit.autozone and the likes will have trouble getting parts for doing it your self, and expect to pay $80 an hour for a mechanic to get involved. BTW wrenching on the old 289 is a whole different ballgame than a 1.8T. be prepared for that.

Quoted: as long as the vw has a warrenty and a close dealership you'll be ok. when the warrenty runs out you'll need good credit.autozone and the likes will have trouble getting parts for doing it your self, and expect to pay $80 an hour for a mechanic to get involved. BTW wrenching on the old 289 is a whole different ballgame than a 1.8T. be prepared for that.

lol well i pulled a 289 outta my '69 and now i have a 306 that used to run off the bottle....took that out....too damn addicting....rebuilding my 289 right now and am probably gonna sell it (the motor i mean)....i used to have to work on my 2.4 saab back in highschool and learning a new motor can't be a bad thing...but i hear ya on paying out the ass for labor.  oh and i refuse to go to autozone....after making 4 trips 20 miles one way for a damn coil (which they kept giving me the wrong one) i refuse to go back there...now it's carquest if i need something in a hurry...oh and thanks for the replies

also i got a friend who used to build turbo's for ...well all different kinds of applications and i work with him....sooooooo in our not so busy times he teaches me various things about them....my turbo fu is weak but i hope to be more knowledgable (SP?) about them by the time it's all said and done

I used to be in the tuner scene alot more than I am now (funny how ya spend so much more time tinkering with cars when you own a slow one) and had a few buddies with VW's.  Not only were they slow, but they were always breaking down or having issues.  I don't spend nearly as much time with the car guys as I used to, but VW's have never struck me as being very fast, or reliable.  I myself need both of those things...and the last car i'd buy would be a VW.

I personally am a big fan of the subaru legacy GT's.  Power, AWD, decent/more mature looks, and a good block with strong drivetrain.

VW's....well, they suffer horribly from boy-racer image.  For someone like yourself who is just finishing up grad school, I'd stick with something else...especially if you dont want to be in the shop.  Especially once you start modding.  Chip and exaust would be all it would take to burn up the crappy stock clutch and start mucking up that motor.

My good friend had around a 03 Jetta, nothing but problems.  Had several electrical problems that were quite annoying, but not too major.  It then also blew a head gasket, fixed under warranty, but didn't quite seem to run just right.  I felt it was about to crap the engine majorly...  All that and it had well under 50k miles.  At this point he got rid of the piece of junk before it could blow up for good and got a Civic of about the same year.  Not a single problem with it.  That's a fairly limited experience w/ VW but I'll be steering clear of them myself, mainly a GM guy anyway so it won't be too hard, hehe.  You seem to be a ford guy and like Stangs, why don't you wait a bit till you're making good money and upgrade to a newer 05/06 Stang GT.  I'm not a Ford guy but I've been digging the new Stangs.

The Jetta is a nice car. Goes pretty good and handles great. I have owned 2 VWs and I will not own a 3rd. Too many maint issues.

Ever make a decision? I picked up a 7th gen Accord 6MT when I finished grad school. Practical, yet fun.

I like VWs...heck, I was driving a Jetta 1.6L diesel when I finished... but I've heard some frightening things about service costs (always did my own) and quality control in the last few years. I doubt I could do my own service on one of those babies, though.

I think the Jetta is a good option.  I bought an 02 Golf TDI when it was new, and now have 75k miles, and it's been a great car.  A few months ago, I was thinking I wanted something a little bigger, that I could put a rifle case in the trunk without folding down the seats.  I wanted to be able to keep it completely out of sight.  Anyway, I sat in LOTS of cars at the auto show, big, small, import, domestic, etc., and was continually disappointed.  The only cars that seemed decent were a good $10k-15k above a VW.  After repeating "what a pos" so many times, and walking out of the show in despair, I sat down in my Golf and grinned like the day I bought the car nearly four years earlier.  I already have the perfect car!

VW definitely makes a "driver's car," which I can't say for some other car manufacturers.  If you like cars and love driving, the Jetta will be a good choice.  If you just want a device to take you from point A to point B, then try something else, because you just won't appreciate VW.

I guess I probably sound like a car snob, but I think anyone who spends a little time in different cars will agree.

I think the reliability issues for VW are over-stated, but it's there.  The image of perfect reliability in other cars seems exagerated to me as well.  I've had a handful of minor issues with my Golf, but nothing I couldn't handle on my own(and I have no mechanical experience and few tools).  It's never failed to start or left me stranded or anything like that.  I've spent $50 on repairs at the most.  I did however buy a vag-com diagnostic cable/software, which was about $200.  That's more of a toy than anything else, but it's very useful for troubleshooting and I recommend getting one or knowing someone who does.  If you're going to work on it yourself, you will be fine.  Most parts can be found on-line for reasonable cost compared to stealership prices.  On the other hand, if you plan on paying a mechanic, you may want to choose something else.

I own a 1.8t gti337 2002  without any problems. Chipped for 25k of 50k. I know a new clutch is on the way though(gota pay to play).  overall a fun car

For that price you may want to look at the 5th generation cars though. Drive the new gti or gli, and its apples to oranges. The new 2.0t is a monster(~300hp with a chip and exhaust). Same 6speed or that paddle shifter. And, most important independent rear suspension. Alot of other cool shit also, like an intercooler that actually works.