I’m embarking on a journey to buy a new\/used (new to me) car. This all started some weeks ago when my mother mentions how nice it would be if I had a vehicle with lower miles and implies that my truck will soon fall apart and die. I’ve been nervous about the truck since I’ve noticed an odd burning odor from the engine compartment in the last few months. And then there’s that time last summer when I got stuck in stop and go freeway traffic on Detroit’s I-696 and almost overheated the engine. Really, in maintenance costs, this truck is only running me about 300 bucks every other month (which is much lower than a car payment), and if I removed the box cap I’d probably be able to swing 22-24 MPG highway. <\/p>\n
But Mom is under the impression that a lower mileage vehicle is more reliable. So I’ve started looking. Beyond the superficial look and distracting gadgets, vehicles have not changed much since the late 80s. Fuel economies are still rated around 22 MPG for small pickups and in the mid 30s for mid-sized cars (not enough fuel improvement to warrant a different vehicle). <\/p>\n
So what will make me purchase a new vehicle (pay attention American Auto’s)? Its gotta get 40+ MPG (50 MPG cruising highway would be excellent), still have enough torque to be quick on the accelerator, and have a traditional manual transmission (unless someone can show me an automatic technology that gets better fuel economy than a manual). <\/p>\n
The only vehicles I’ve found that meet these demands are either Hybrids or Turbo Diesels. In my research, Hybrids seem to have two major disadvantages for my lifestyle: they are currently untested in longevity and total cost of ownership (I’d like to keep my next vehicle for 15 or 20 years), and have lower fuel economy on long drives. So diesels cars are where I’ve ended up: they get high gas mileage, have lots of low end torque, and don’t have as much computerization in the transmissions. Diesels also have the cool advantage of being able to burn almost any kind of fluid. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the selection of diesel cars in the US is severly lacking. Ford makes a diesel version of its Fiesta in Europe. The Fiesta is scheduled to be release to US markets again next year, but it doesn’t look like a diesel engine will be a part of that. I’ve never heard of a Chevy diesel car. Honda has a civic that runs on compressed natural gas. Cool as that may be, its not within my realm of possibilities (homeowners using natural gas can have a hookup installed in the garage to fill the vehicle at home). Really the only company that has a US presence of diesel cars is VW, which has a current lineup of the Jetta TDI and the Touareg (some kind of SUV). Up until (I think) 2005 they were making a TDI Golf.<\/p>\n
Essentially that’s everything I’ve been thinking about for the last few weeks. I’ve found some Jetta TDIs online, but they’re across state lines and I’m not sure how much of a hassle registration and taxes are going to be coming back to Michigan.<\/p>\n
So, my community of readers, talk back. What’s your experience with purchasing a car? Why did you make the purchase a new(er) vehicle instead of keeping your old one? What tips do you have for someone looking around? Anyone have experience with the TDI VWs (like what is the real fuel economy)? Or have experience with interstate auto purchases?<\/p>\n