Bhj0887

I say since you don't want a honda, an a3 jetta would be great for you. Plenty of room for the kids, pretty cheap on maintenence and if you get a well maintained one, it will last over 300k miles.

If your looking for a real beater-mobile. A ford escort would ok. I used to go with this girl that has one 382k miles with original engine and auto trans, but she drives it right (if you know what i mean). Or if your in for a "little" more excitement, a Ford Escort GT. They're actually not that bad.

Bhj0887

O yea, DO NOT get a contour/mystique. It has to be the biggest peice of scrap metal I've ever driven, they're slow, handle like ****, IMO are ugly, and not worth the gas money to even look at.

No offense to anyone who has one. My grandfather has one and it's been nothing but trouble.

Dave

Thanks again all, My wife and I actually test drove a new contour back in '98, then we walked over to the other side of the dealership and bought the stratus, it wasn't even close. Ribs had me thinking about the MR2 for a minute but then I realized I left out one important requirement. I'll have to drop off or pick up my kid in it so space for a child seat is a necessity (any pick-up would have to be an extended cab), seating capacity must be equal to the 944. Autox isn't an issue, that's what the 944 will still be used for!
I stopped to think about Luis' post for a second also, then I remembered VW's annoying habit of releasing everything in europe and then making the US wait a year, A3 Jetta probably DID come out there in '92. OTOH, the '93s went on sale in the fall of '92, so there are a couple explainations.

steve g

My luck has been good with diesel Jettas and I've seen Cabrio convertibles for $5K.
My wife likes using her car to get trees from Lowes and Home Depot !
You might want to consider a late 80s/90s BMW E30 - great handling car with loads of room. I'd like to find a 325IX 2 door or 4 door.

Dave

A jetta diesel would be great. An E30 would be nice as well, but I would think that maintanence costs would be as bad as my 944, no?

Luis de Prat

Yes, we bought it new in Europe on exactly 7/16/1992. The model denomination for it there was "Vento." When I gave my father the 944S2 cab for Xmas. I wouldn't let him sell the Veedub because it's been such a reliable car and was now practically a free ride except for gas and parking.

Drove it extensively last year, myself. The trunk space is huge for a "compact" car. Did everything from hauling firewood in it, to car pooling my buddies to the beach, to long distance highway trips. Great runabout. No wonder they're such popular cars. Probably quite cheap to buy now, in the U.S., too!

steve g

re:maintenance - timing belt job is 50% cheaper on the E30 325i vs 944NA, from my experience. Definately a fun car to drive crusing Route 9, 88 and 35.

Luis de Prat

steve g, what about BMW parts? I've always heard the aftermarket wasn't any cheaper than what we source for 944s.

David Ray

Buy another 944! They're inexpensive and you'll have lot's of help keeping it running.

I just bought a 1997 Jag off Ebay and it was the sweetest deal ever. Don't discount the Ebay connection. Auctions rule.

Micah

Luis,

Thanks for the explanation... I, for one, always liked the shape of the Jetta IIIs as well.

Micah

Serge944

A little more family friendly...

Hell, she even looks good with clothes on!

86 951 Driver

I would say get a newer neon like a 98-03. They are cheap and for the most part really reliable. I have only been stranded once with mine. parts are really cheap and definitely readily available. I have a 96 and the only two major problems I have had is the head gasket and the crank sensor. Otherwise it has been a nice little car. If you do get one get one with a 5-speed.

Shutemup

I guess I'm just a truck kinda guy, it just comes in so handy to have one around.

a full size chevy 2wd with a 4.3 l will still get decent gas mileage and be able to pull a trailer if need be.

I'm just the type that has to own something that is able to pull a trailer or haul something if need be, even if you only use it on occasion

Skip

FWIW, I've had a 97 Jetta (MK III - GL) for ~2 years now and really am "satisfied" with it. It's not great, or fast, or plush - but, it's a hell of a lot better/sturdier than the same era/cost Honda/Toyota. The only complaint I have is with the 2.0l na. It has okay power, but it takes a bit of work to get it going anywhere in a hurry. Definitely go for the 5-speed - I hear the Auto trannies were junk. Consider getting the VR6 or even GLI - better engine, brakes, suspension, etc for not much more - not the great 32+MPG I get in the Jetta GL 2.0l though.

If you can swing it, get the new model Jetta (MK IV) with the V6 or 1.8T - leaps ahead of the previous model in interior and exterior styling and features, fit and finish. Many upgrade options available for not too much - I've seen a few track capable but not too many. I was at a dealership last week where 3 late-20's friends were in picking up their new 04 Jetta GLIs in Black, Blue and Silver. Neat car - every bit worth the price they charge over the normal Jetta. Comes with Wheel, Body, Interior, Suspension and more upgrades - very tasteful styling IMHO. I digress...

thf944

i like the vw's as well. i have over 200k on my gti and its a daily driver with a lot of performance mods. a lot of performance stuff is available if the need ever arises. very reliable. i prefer the golfs over the jettas but have had both and either will do well as a daily. the 2.0 crossflows are little lacking in power for the heavier mk3 and mk4s, but put one in a lighter mk1 or mk2 and it does quite well. also the 2.0 is cheap and very reliable. if you can afford it, a vr6 or 1.8t are great engines and are a lot of fun, plus they usually arent too much more than the 2.0s.

we've been doing our landscaping lately and have carried everything from a six foot tall tree to sod and bricks in the back of the golf. with the turbo you don't even notice the extra weight!