WriConsult
01-06-2008, 08:04 PM
Well, it's finally time to step up and get better mpg. We've decided we can get by with a smaller car than the Subaru for our family's needs, as long as it still a 5-door hatch or wagon (we have a child and a big dog, so a second sedan is out of the question).
Our budget is the problem. We would love a 2nd gen Prius, but even used ones are way out of our price range. A Honda Fit, Matrix/Vibe or Mazda3 wagon would also have enough space, but we can't justify $12-14k (used) for the mpg benefit we'd get. We could get a Focus Wagon or ZX5 hatch for half that price, but it turns out that (despite the EPA website) only the Zetec engine was offered in these body styles, and that only does 2-3mpg better than the Subaru. Again, can't justify it.
There's only one other family-friendly car we can buy for under $10k that would give us the dramatic mpg jump we seek: a TDI Golf. We've been tempted many times -- we even ordered a new one back in late 1999, then canceled it after taking a second look at our finances -- but always got scared off mostly due to reliability issues. Finally we've decided that this is important enough to us that we need to just suck it up and deal with it.
We knew we wouldn't be able to get one locally though, because 5sp TDI Golfs are fairly rare -- and Portland prices for any diesels are through the roof because everyone wants one: even our beater Volvo is probably worth $3-4k locally. We bought that car off eBay and had it shipped from TX, so we're comfortable buying over the internet.
After weeks of watching, we finally found a 2000 Golf offered by a tdiclub member in the midwest. We spoke with the mechanic who's worked on it the last couple of years, and it sounds to be in excellent shape. It will take a few weeks for it to get here, but we couldn't be more excited! Sounds like the 42/49 EPA estimates aren't too hard to reach. Of course I'd be thrilled even with that mileage, but I'm hoping I can apply the skills I've learned with the Subaru (30+mpg over 6 months) and do even better than that. I'll keep you all updated once we take delivery.
Our budget is the problem. We would love a 2nd gen Prius, but even used ones are way out of our price range. A Honda Fit, Matrix/Vibe or Mazda3 wagon would also have enough space, but we can't justify $12-14k (used) for the mpg benefit we'd get. We could get a Focus Wagon or ZX5 hatch for half that price, but it turns out that (despite the EPA website) only the Zetec engine was offered in these body styles, and that only does 2-3mpg better than the Subaru. Again, can't justify it.
There's only one other family-friendly car we can buy for under $10k that would give us the dramatic mpg jump we seek: a TDI Golf. We've been tempted many times -- we even ordered a new one back in late 1999, then canceled it after taking a second look at our finances -- but always got scared off mostly due to reliability issues. Finally we've decided that this is important enough to us that we need to just suck it up and deal with it.
We knew we wouldn't be able to get one locally though, because 5sp TDI Golfs are fairly rare -- and Portland prices for any diesels are through the roof because everyone wants one: even our beater Volvo is probably worth $3-4k locally. We bought that car off eBay and had it shipped from TX, so we're comfortable buying over the internet.
After weeks of watching, we finally found a 2000 Golf offered by a tdiclub member in the midwest. We spoke with the mechanic who's worked on it the last couple of years, and it sounds to be in excellent shape. It will take a few weeks for it to get here, but we couldn't be more excited! Sounds like the 42/49 EPA estimates aren't too hard to reach. Of course I'd be thrilled even with that mileage, but I'm hoping I can apply the skills I've learned with the Subaru (30+mpg over 6 months) and do even better than that. I'll keep you all updated once we take delivery.