Michael S.

Gentlemen (and Ladies)...

I am looking for a daily driver that gets good gas mileage (60 mile commute) and is reasonably fun to drive. Before you say it, I know that a lot of you will recommend driving the P-car every day. While I can appreciate the logic of that plan, I intend to keep my C2S for a long, long time and would like to keep the mileage at a reasonable level.

Cars under consideration include:

VW Jetta / Golf with (1.8t or vr6)
Audi A4 (engine choice?)
Audi TT

Practical considerations are steering me towards the Jetta or A4, but I would consider other platforms.

Question is, are there any forums or web sites similar to Rennlist for VW's and Audis?? I like to fully research these types of decisions (thus, I own a 98 C2S!), and any help you can provide is appreciated!

cabrio993

For Audi you may want to go to www.audiworld.com
For VW you may want to go to www.vwvortex.com

I used to own a 1997 Jetta. Loved it. Then a 1998 A4. Loved it more. Now my 2002 A4 is my daily driver, but there was something about the 97 Jetta and 98 A4 that I was missing. The 993 gives me that what I was missing.

I have driven the Audi TT as I get one as a loaner when I take the A4 for service. Great ride, but it is just like my current A4...Great cars...but they lack what got me into German cars..they don't have the "feel"...don't know what...they have become more Hondaish? Japaneese? don't know how to describe it.

My choice...get a 1996-1998 Audi A4 1.8t. Chip it to 215 hp, 255 lbs torque and you'll be very pleased.

texas911

60 miles? How about a New Beetle TDi?

Rob 97 993c2

i frequently drive a friend's 1999 Audi A4 2.8 engine.
I think it is a great car .. very practicle and has a bit of fun in it - much better than the 1.8T motor. I also drove the 2000 S4 - which while it was quicker really didnt feel that different for normal commuter driving.
Find a good low mileage A4 (older shape 99-02) and you will be happy and have saved more $$ for your c2s mods.
For new, what about a mini - very fun.

Michael S.

My commute is actually someting like 32 miles one way... 64 miles a day total. I had thought about a TDi VW, but I want something I can "play" with at least a little bit... I that regard, the 1.8T is probably the way I should go (regardless of platform)...

I have seriously thought about a Mini... but not terribly practical with two teenage kids. That's why I'm leaning towards a Jetta or A4.

I typically respect fellow Rennlisters' opinions, so I'm just looking for input.

David in LA

Michael - I agree w/ Cabrio993 to go check out Audiworld. I must forewarn you though that the A4/S4 forums can get pretty juvenile at times...I usually lurk around the A6 forum.

If you're looking for a daily driver, I think the A6 w/ the 4.2 V8 is pretty good value of money for a used one - I have an S6 and it's a great car, and even more impressive when you consider that it's a station wagon. If space is not an issue and gas mileage is, then the A4 might be a better choice.

993 Guy

I also agree that AudiWorld is a great resource and you have to have patience in order to deal with some of the folks in certain portions of the forum. My daily is an A6 4.2 (modded nicely) and it's a great machine. If you're going to travel distance however, fuel will become an issue since she definitely has a thirst.

The look, power and AWD are a definite plus with the 4.2...but you'll probably want to have a warranty as well. If you have to fix it, it'll cost you...like with any German machine does.

Van1

I'll second the VW TDi idea. I really like my Golf TDi, it's the perfect commuter car. With only 90 hp, but 155 lb/ft of torque on tap at 1900 rpm, it can be a lot of fun. And 45-47 mpg to boot. New TDi is 100 hp, 177 lb/ft tq, more tq than the S2000. I want to get the TDi out on the track as much as I do my 993. I think that it would be hilarious to have a diesel out on the track. And if you don't think that you can "play" with a TDi, see what these enthusiasts at http://www.tdiclub.com/ have to say.

Good luck in the search!

Ray Calvo

Will agree with the Audiworld site. I have a '98 A4 30V Avant, 5 spd manual, Sport seats and suspension. Have 96K miles on it and still like it. However, has been far from bulletproof; has given me my share of headaches. Do searches on Audiworld and you'll discover problems of the Audi models.

nycarrera

My Daily driver is a VW R32. Very fun car and gets good gas mileage. They were limited to 5000 cars in 2001 and there are some still available. It was made in Germany, has 4 wheel drive and it definetly is quick.
Worth considering.

TroyN

I agree w/ Cabrio993, I had a 98 A4 2.8 and now have a 2005 A4 3.0. The new car is not as different from other cars as the 98 was. It feels more heavy (even w/ sports suspension), the interior parts don't have as nice a feel. I'm not sure if they are using more VW bits or what (no offense to VW). The 6 speed shifter is much nicer in the new car than the old 5 speed.

I have been eyeing the new IS300, the new GS (both Lexus) and even the new Infiniti M.

hoggel

Michael S., you didn't say what factors are important to you in the selection of your car. If cost is much of a consideration then the vw is the clear winner in my book.

I have used a volvo, three vw GTIs, an A4, and a 330ci for my daily commute (2 people, 66 miles round trip). The volvo was a nice car but it had a lot of maintenance issues and didn't inspire any enthusiasm. I liked the GTIs, one a vr6 and two 1.8Ts. I prefer the smooth torque and sound of the vr6 but if you want to mod the car the 1.8T has a LOT more off-the-shelf options. I was disappointed with the A4 (1.8T), it just seemed like a heavy vw. I loved the bimmer but I didn't want to drive it if it was wet outside, it was eating a lot of my monthly car budget and the commute was racking up a lot of wasted miles.

Right now I'm driving a 2002 Golf TDi and it is my favorite so far. The power is acceptable, the fuel economy is great, it is very comfortable (GLS package). Even though I think the car has some style I don't mind putting my snowboard on the roof rack and driving it in bad weather. I will probably trade this one for a mkV Golf diesel as soon as it is available.

Here's a pic of the Golf, it sits outside so the porsche and my wife's truck can be in the garage.

SolsburyHill

Michael,

I've owned a few VW/Audi Products as well. Can't go wrong with any of the choices you mentioned as far as I'm concerned.

Ryan S.

www.audizine.com much better layout than audiworld imo..

im on the zine, same name!

Ryan S.

if you tune - get the 1.8
if your staying stock - get the 2.8

i havent had any serious problems with my A4 1.8.
so far
- tie rods - 350ish i think
- timing belt tensioner - warranty
- hit a curb - 500 dollar deductable, lol
- tires - only changed once in the 3 years ive had the car... it came with dunlop something or anothers- and ijust put dunlop sport fm901s on it(cheap, and they still look aggresive with excellent wear)
-had a coolant leak- also warranty

umm, other than that, thats really all thats gone wrong

i think i have a rear differential leak, and a possible oil leak somewhere else
- both of these problems were most likely caused by me and my sporty driving lol

the 1.8t motor is bullet proof. if i remember right, it used to be a diesel block