Car advice...

I'm thinking of replacing my '92 Civic soon and am looking at different options. Right now I'm looking at both the Toyota Prius and the VW Jetta TDI Wagon. Both get good mileage, but the Jetta has more storage space.

I've heard that VWs are plagued with electrical problems - or does that only apply to older models?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Andrew

I hate working on VW's. They are a pain and parts are way out of line. If I were looking I would go with a Toyota.Not a Prius. Overpriced and not as green as you would think. A used Highlander would provide plenty of room and Toyota quality and decent mileage. A Rav4 is another good Toyota choice or a Honda CRV. Again good room, good mileage and knowing it will last. VW"s are plagued with problems down the road. Then when you get something you can pick me up on the way to Sea Ranch next year. HAHA!

Thanks Craig,
That confirms what i thought about VWs - bummer, because they would be great for lugging gear.
I'll keep my eyes open for any deals.
Andrew

How about another Civic?  I'm about to list a 2008 Civic Hybrid with only ~10K miles on it.  I hate to see this one go as it's a good car, but after our move down, we have too many cars and need to cull the herd.

-Allen

Hmm...I'm probably not ready to dive in just yet, and to be honest, I want something a little bigger than the Civic. Plus, the roof rack on my '92 (maybe the '08 is different) creates a break in the door seal and rain will leak through.

Mid 90's jetta, check engine light always on, used to cost me an extra 2-300 bucks to replace the o2 sensor and have the light reset in order to pass the visual smog check....then a day or two later the check engine light would go on again.  Had a fuel pump, ignition switch, u-joints all go out....car had under 70K miles. In its defense, the chick I bought from beat it up pretty good before I bought it but I think I got my 500 bux worth of use out of it.


My sister has a highlander, it doesn't drive.....it glides, so smooth.  Has 4 wheel and the seating in the second row is way roomier than any other small suv on the market, third row is kinda small but you can't expect too much out of third row seating in a vehicle that size. Kinda pricey, even used have a big sticker price but a quality vehicle.

This is all great info - thanks!

If I go with an SUV, I'll probably get the smaller RAV 4 or CRV - money talks.
And yes, Craig, I'll pick you up on the way north!

A shift of gears here: What about the Subaru wagons? Outback, Forrester, etc?

My opinion.  I worked for a Toyota service department four years that serviced 5000 cars a month.  Every one loved there Prius and it seemed to be the most bullet proof car Toyota made.  I don't remember any one ever complaining about their Prius.  We replaced two batteries in Four years that I remember.  Plus in my experience Toyota service departments are a whole lot better to deal with in the event you do have some problem.  Go to your dealer and as if it is possible to drive one around for a day.  Highlanders are nice but the hybrid is not worth the extra dollars in my opinion.  Ravs are a bit bumpy on the ride but great cars also.  Andy

Wife had a VW bug and the whole electrical system fired, head lights always shorting out, AC quit working, Errr.. hated that thing, SOLD IT!

Also have a Toyota 4 runner 1999, GREAT car 170,000 miles of hard driving, 4wding, towing shit too big and long dusty camping trips, never a single problem, only one tail has gone out! Best car ever!

My dream car was the forrester (i know, pretty granola for an LA kid).  The eddie bauer version had a moonroof that stretched all the way to china, like driving a convertible.  But the sticker price kinda threw me off.  The wife was like no way we're paying that for a subaru. 

If your into subaru, consider a 2002 Saab 9-2x.  Its got Saab styling and subaru functionality, earning it the nickname SAABARU.  you see em on craigs every now and then. pretty nice package

Malibu two you should go down to Toyota and ask a coulple of the techs that work on Prius or any Toyota you are thinking about purchasing what they think.  They hate doing warranty work so they'll let you know what kind of problems to expect.  I know they wouldn't mind at my dealer. 

When we bought we were looking for similar options that you mentioned. We ended up buying the Toyota Matrix. Good mileage and great storage. The seats fold down flat and have a hard plastic backing like a pickup truck bed, plus tie downs and several cargo carrying configurations. We paid about $17.5k for the top of the line version (not the sport touring) with sun roof, all electric comfort package, etc.

Andrew, I love my 05 subaru outback.  I had the same problem when i was choosing a vehicle, but i guess you could say my subie found me.

It's long enough that I can put even my longest kayak on it and it does not protrude much from the rear.  its short in height compared to an SUV so i do not have to lift my kayak as high to get it on.  gas mileage is not bad but not great.  i average about 24 city/27 hwy and around 23-24 with the kayak on top averaging 70+mph.  i drive a lot so it hurts me but i don't think you drive nearly that much since you live in the city.

subaru makes good strong vehicles, pretty much always rated #1 in crash tests.  i love that they are AWD all the time (some problems come with that of course) and the one i bought used came with everything, heated seats, cruise control, power everything.

one great addition is that when you fold the rear seats down you can sleep in the back as long as you're not too tall.  i slept in there one night with my wife and we were comfortable and warm.  

one problem:
the factory cross bars are weak and they suck.  yakima or thule bars would be a necessary addition.  they are easy to attach to the factory rails.

if you have any more questions about my subaru let me know.

Why not get a Tacoma? I'm in the market for a used pickup, but only have about 3K to spend. And that's what I'm looking for: a used Tacoma.