OT- Safe, cheap, reliable, fun commuter sedan suggestions under $15K
06-15-2010, 01:54 PM
#46
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Lol. The more I read this thread, the more it reminds me of the "What happens in an internet car forum" thread. Still voting for the Jetta 2.5 as the best car to meet your criteria. Coming from a p-car, you'll appreciate the German feel and nice interior over the Subaru options. If you feel like spending a couple of bucks on mods, Eibach springs, sporty alignment and a ram intake will make for a very fun but ultra low key driver. And that's my contribution to the above comment. 
06-15-2010, 07:04 PM
#47
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A brief look at Cars.com came up with more than a few VW Jetta sedans being offered For Sale by private parties. Hey, there were several GLI Jetta cars which could be interesting as a comuter ride.
Basically a GTI with a trunk. If ya go Jetta we'll pass the hate here to get you into a set of Eibach springs ASAP. LoL. The Jetta's for North America look stupid with the suspension raised 2" not unlike like a 4x4.
On second thought here's an idea; The VW brand warranty once was 50K/4 years bumper to bumper until MY09 I believe so there could be $15K used Jetta's with factory warranties out there. (The VW brand warranty had been decontented in MY09. IIRC its 36K/3years presently) VW corporate needs to take me to lunch or something in return for the sales pitch here. Actually, the usual disclaimer's apply.
P.S., The Ross Tech Vag-Com vehicle ECU to PC interface dongle allow's the examination of a Jetta/Golf/Audi A3 and other VW/Audi vehicles history to a large degree. The Vag-Com is a great tool to own if you're DIY enabled. The price is a couple of hundred dollars IIRC.
Basically a GTI with a trunk. If ya go Jetta we'll pass the hate here to get you into a set of Eibach springs ASAP. LoL. The Jetta's for North America look stupid with the suspension raised 2" not unlike like a 4x4.
On second thought here's an idea; The VW brand warranty once was 50K/4 years bumper to bumper until MY09 I believe so there could be $15K used Jetta's with factory warranties out there. (The VW brand warranty had been decontented in MY09. IIRC its 36K/3years presently) VW corporate needs to take me to lunch or something in return for the sales pitch here. Actually, the usual disclaimer's apply.
P.S., The Ross Tech Vag-Com vehicle ECU to PC interface dongle allow's the examination of a Jetta/Golf/Audi A3 and other VW/Audi vehicles history to a large degree. The Vag-Com is a great tool to own if you're DIY enabled. The price is a couple of hundred dollars IIRC.
Last edited by M. Schneider; 06-15-2010 at 09:19 PM.
06-16-2010, 03:19 AM
#48
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I drove a Legacy today. Pretty cool, but man, the shifter was really tall! '07 and earlier Impreza is out. Just too tight. '08 up Impreza is sort of in between size. Nylon upholstery on all three versions was weird, but not a show stopper. I like that the you can go back to '05 on the Legacy and get the same basic car.
08-15-2010, 07:13 PM
#51
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Bought: '08 Jetta 2.5
Just a follow up to my original post. The finalists were Saab 9-3, Legacy and Mark V Jetta. 5-speed Saabs are hard to find around here. To get stability control on a Legacy you need to go high end GT or Limited. Also hard to find locally.
Did find a 2008 Jetta 2.5 SE in Tucson. Worked the deal over the phone. Flew in yesterday, overnighted in Havasu, then home today. 35,800 miles, 170 HP engine, kid-friendly leatherette, bumper to bumper CPO through December, 2013. $13,700. Eats 87 octane gas at 85 MPH, but I observed almost 32 at 70 MPH. Great seats and stereo, smooth and composed on the road. Solid feel that reminds me of my old E46...I like it!
Did find a 2008 Jetta 2.5 SE in Tucson. Worked the deal over the phone. Flew in yesterday, overnighted in Havasu, then home today. 35,800 miles, 170 HP engine, kid-friendly leatherette, bumper to bumper CPO through December, 2013. $13,700. Eats 87 octane gas at 85 MPH, but I observed almost 32 at 70 MPH. Great seats and stereo, smooth and composed on the road. Solid feel that reminds me of my old E46...I like it!
Last edited by dcdude; 07-24-2014 at 02:54 PM.
08-16-2010, 01:46 AM
#54
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Did find a 2008 Jetta SE in Tucson. Worked the deal over the phone. Flew in yesterday, overnighted in Havasu, then home today. 35,800 miles, 170 HP engine, kid-friendly leatherette, bumper to bumper CPO through December, 2013. $13,700. Eats 87 octane gas at 85 MPH, but I observed almost 32 at 70 MPH. Great seats and stereo, smooth and composed on the road. Solid feel that reminds me of my old E46...I like it!
A friend of mine is a Jetta wagon fanatic and he bought one of the last of the injector type ('07) TDI wagons and with a stick (he had to buy it out-of-state and register it out of state before getting it legal in CA.) It's been fairly trouble-free for him except for a few small niggles.
