850/70 - car shopping - advice/opinions

[renns]

Anybody know anything about VW Jettas? (again a bit eccentric ) I was reviewing some VW forums, but they are not as detailed as MVS - thank you.

My wife traded her Corolla for a VW Beetle a couple years back., and I'm sure the Jetta/Golf/Beetle have much in common. Her Beetle, while feeling much more solid and well-built while driving, can't hold a candle to the Corolla in terms of reliability.

I comparison to the Volvo, my limited experience would put the VW a notch lower in reliability, and a few notches lower in quality of materials/components. I do love the diesel in that VW, though. Between the two, the Volvo would be my preference, although a good indie shop will be needed for either vehicle.

Now if you come back suggesting a Land Rover, I think I'll have fully changed my tune, and be expounding the virtues of the Swedish Bullet! It's all relative, so they say!

[j-dawg]

I actually have great respect for the models of Civic one might be looking at in that price range. Hard to find one that isn't a pile of powder, especially in the snowy salty Midwest, but they handle well and are dead reliable and easy to work on. Parts everywhere.

I had a '97 Maxima some time back, and that car was pretty nice. I paid $1500 for a rust-free 5-speed example with about 120,000 miles. It was super easy to work on and the drivetrain is more or less unkillable, even though the interior cracks apart at the slightest provocation. The VQ30 V6 is also a lovely piece of work.