Yesterday I went to Las Vegas and test drove a new Jetta TDI. I felt that I needed a good comparison to the Prius that I will be renting next week. I was very impressed with the Jetta but as luck would have it I passed a Prius on the freeway heading home and my heart seemed to switch back. Guess I just can't seem to fall in love with Ms. Jetta when little Miss Prius is around, but she better be as good as her reputation !!!!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(B Rad @ Jun 6 2006, 07:07 PM) [snapback]266929[/snapback]</div> The Jetta is a nice car and the TDI will get comparable MPG to the Prius. The only problem is that it's built by VW and won't be of the same quality as the Prius. Make sure you have a good dealer for the warranty work if you go with the VW.
Also, if you're concerned about clean air, don't buy the Jetta. Because of the emissions, they can't be sold here in California and the other states that use our standards. Also, VW reliability sucks.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Straw @ Jun 6 2006, 08:03 PM) [snapback]266969[/snapback]</div> Not so. VW will be selling 06 models in 07 (stockpiling them now) until the 08s with the clean diesel are ready to go in, well, 07/08. I had a Jetta and currently own a Prius. Only one car died twice, rattles like a coffee can full of pennies, has a recall out on it because the steering column can snap, has misaligned panels and gaps, and felt generally like a car that cost 12,000. And it wasn't the Jetta.
Traded my '03 jetti tdi (40mpg real combined avg mpg) on my '06 Prius PKG#8. Love the Prius, but miss the solid german engineering and handling in the Jetti. The TDI really gets the EPA mpg and better after break in. Priced about the same when comparably equipped.. i.e. get the base with one package for around 23k in either car and get the loaded version for about 29k. TDI/Jetti steering doesn't need the frequent correcting that Prius requires on the highway. it sticks to the road. but I still love my Prius now averaging 49.99mpg and lots of questions from curious observers.
Also go check out my post at http://www.priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?p=74910#74910 and http://www.priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?p=74941#74941 regarding VW's lack of reliability. Or, better yet, go look at the April 06 auto issue of Consumer Reports yourself. Alternatively, check out one of their car guides (Consumer Reports only, not sound-alikes) on a newststand. You'll see what I mean.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 6 2006, 08:21 PM) [snapback]266996[/snapback]</div> I started this thread and I have owned a 2000 Jetta since it was new. Yes there have been a few problems but they came early and were taken care of under warranty. They consisted of a Bad Mass air flow control, faulty brake light swith ( 2times) power window problem. transmission noise, My one lasting complaint is with the check engine light which comes on all the time for no known reason. And now I may have a air conditioning compressor on it's last leg. Is this really more than a 7 year old Toyota with 92,000 miles. I hope so as I will probably be buying a Prius very soon....
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(B Rad @ Jun 7 2006, 01:49 PM) [snapback]267330[/snapback]</div> I own a 96 Jetta GL, manual transmission, with 103K on the ODO. I bought it 10 years ago tomorrow. I've had fewer problems than you've had with your 2000. It still runs great. My 16-year-old is thrilled to have it. I gave it to her when I got my Prius.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(B Rad @ Jun 7 2006, 01:49 PM) [snapback]267330[/snapback]</div> yes, it is. DH has an 18 year old toyota with over 250k and aside from normal wear and tear items had no problems from the time he bought it to the time he restored it to new-parts condition as a hobby last spring. he will rebuild the engine (again as a hobby) in the fall sometime. no major problems in the service records either.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(B Rad @ Jun 7 2006, 01:49 PM) [snapback]267330[/snapback]</div> Yep. We traded in my wife's 11-year old Previa with 285,000 miles on her Highlander in 2002. We had exactly, count em, 0 repairs of any system including the engine - drive train. It had one brake job (pads all around), regular oil changes (synthetic), and a couple of sets of tires. At 67,000 miles, the 2002 Highlander has an equal number of repairs - 0, brakes are still good, and it still gets oil changes (synthetic) every 3 - 4,000 miles.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(B Rad @ Jun 7 2006, 08:49 PM) [snapback]267330[/snapback]</div> Well, my Priuse's compressor is much more louder than it is compared to a other Prius. I'm affraid too, that it might die sooner than later. And the car age is less than 3 years.. And yes, I have showed it to the Toyota technicians and they didn't want to replace it before it actually stops working.
Why anyone would buy a car that fails to shut off its engine at stoplights is beyond me. Unless they just can't afford to buy a new car. And even a "clean" diesel is filthy compared to a SULEV Prius. Of course, if you burn used fry oil in it you are at least carbon-neutral. But you still have the particulates.
i've never owned a VW... I had a friend that did. An older bug that's pretty nice. He's modified everything on it but kept the stock look. Nice car once moded. Not a prius though. As for my prius. after i changed the tires and got the BT Tech stiffening brace, it's like a new car. Come to think about it... A new jetta crashed outside my house the other day. I understand she was going fast. I also know that my prius would not have done that. I was impressed with how the car looked after the impact. The entire cage was perfectly fine. The damage was not even major. Just a few panels busted. After all, she did flip a park truck into another car. the parked truck was facing head on with her, on the other side of the road. When she hit the brakes, she went off the road... just barely... and over corrected into the cars. Good thing the house she crashed next to was full of doctors. i heard she's ok. sorry... back to topic now.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jonnycat26 @ Jun 6 2006, 09:03 PM) [snapback]266989[/snapback]</div> You've mentioned dissatisfaction with your Prius in several threads. Unfortunately, you can get a lemon with any car. That is too bad, and I can understand why you would have bad feelings about the car. Consumer Reports rated the Prius as the most reliable car, and Toyota is well known for their quality. VW's quality issues have been widely reported. That doesn't mean that you won't find someone who has owned a Jetta for years without a problem, or someone like Jonnycat who got a bad Prius. I'd look at Consumer Reports, JD Powers, and all the polls. After having a Volvo that drove me nuts with frequent visits to the mechanic, I'll never again buy a car that isn't made by Toyota or Honda.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ Jun 7 2006, 05:49 PM) [snapback]267585[/snapback]</div> As I pointed out to him in another thread, other manufacturers and cars have recalls too. I wonder if he's ever had his dealer try to fix the rattles he's complaining about since he's brought them up so many times. Back to recalls, I'd only start getting concerned if a given model year of Prius had maybe 7 or more recalls. These two cars have got to be the laughing stock of recalls of recent cars. Read through all of them for a laugh (ranges several for potential fires, loss of power, transmission going into limp mode, brake pedal arm coming off, loss of brake fluid, wheels coming off, losss of steering, inability for car to return to idle, drive belts coming off, loose seat belt anchors, etc.) 11 for the 2000 Ford Focus http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems...rintVersion=YES 10 for the 2001 BMW X5: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems...rintVersion=YES I subscribe to CR and do look at reliability ratings. Out of VW owners I know, it seems like 1/2 or more of them have had lots of trouble and there are a few who have had them for a long time and had litle or no problems. My guess is that VW must just have VERY inconsistent quality and when you add it all up, VW as a whole ends up having a poor (well below average) record.
