Newbie waffle

[PhilH]

Well, I'm not really much of a newbie, but I didn't want to be stuck on 13 posts at carmudgeons, so I guess I'll have to make another post...

My wife may replace her Passat wagon, now that it has 95k miles on it, within the next 6 months.

Tops on the list to replace it are:

-2003 9-5 wagon (Linear or Arc)
-2006 Toyota RAV4 (maybe 4-cylinder, maybe 3.5 liter V6)
-2007 Passat wagon (probably 2.0T, because the 3.6 liter starts at about 33k and my wife thinks that's too much considering she hardly cares what she drives)

All would be slushomatic only.

Thoughts?

I think the 9-5 or Passat would feel "right" for us for the next 6 years or so. I'm worried the Toyota would feel like a throwaway car that we both would be itching to get rid of.

I have yet to drive any of them, but of course would drive all three (and possibly more) before making a real decision.

Pics for the heck of it...

[rumatt]

Wow. 95K miles already? When did you buy?

why no other choices in your list?

[dan]

mazda6 wagon?

328iT?

[Sharp11]

Originally Posted by PhilH

Well, I'm not really much of a newbie, but I didn't want to be stuck on 13 posts at carmudgeons, so I guess I'll have to make another post...

My wife may replace her Passat wagon, now that it has 95k miles on it, within the next 6 months.

Tops on the list to replace it are:

-2003 9-5 wagon (Linear or Arc)
-2006 Toyota RAV4 (maybe 4-cylinder, maybe 3.5 liter V6)
-2007 Passat wagon (probably 2.0T, because the 3.6 liter starts at about 33k and my wife thinks that's too much considering she hardly cares what she drives)

All would be slushomatic only.

Thoughts?

I think the 9-5 or Passat would feel "right" for us for the next 6 years or so. I'm worried the Toyota would feel like a throwaway car that we both would be itching to get rid of.

I have yet to drive any of them, but of course would drive all three (and possibly more) before making a real decision.

I get tired of recommending it, but Outbacks are excellent cars, built very tough with an excellent rough-road suspension, strong brakes, good steering and tremendous value.

At least check it out - my wife loves hers.

Outside of that, the new Rav4 looks very promising.

I think the Passat's overweight and cheapened in a way that doesn't justify the new price structure.

Ed

[lip277]

What's wrong with 95,000 miles?

My Yukon has 113,000 and going strong (and will continue to for some time)
Our Mercedes has ~210,000 and is also going strong (but we're getting in the 'replacement' mindset - That probably means 18 months...)
My 740i has 98,000 on it and also is going well. I'll have that car for many years.
My 2002 has 240,000 miles - But that's another story.

Seriously - I'd rather have a car that has treated me well for a few years (and 95k) on it than getting into something else 'just because'-

But - Then again - I'm probably the extreme to that mindset around here.

[PhilH]

Originally Posted by rumatt

Wow. 95K miles already? When did you buy?

why no other choices in your list?

It's a 1998 Passat wagon that we bought in 2000 with 44k miles on it.

There's plenty of other choices, starting with aty's suggestion of the Mazda 6 wagon. We've test driven it a couple times and even went to a Mazda dealer with the intention of buying one, but left after feeling "meh" about dropping cash on a car neither of us were excited about.

Also on the list are a used X3, used 525iT, used A6 Avant, and the new Acura RD-X (not out yet), but most are getting farther down the list at this point. Both me and my wife went to the Phila auto show this past week and sat in about 30 cars or so (mostly in the back seat, since this is the "family car") in order to winnow the list down.

As you guys may or may not remember, my wife has said many times that she doesn't want be "seen driving" a BMW, the A6 has poor reliability and the RD-X will likely be more expensive and slightly smaller than the RAV4 (and it's not out yet)...so the three cars in my original post are the most likely right now.

[PhilH]

Originally Posted by Sharp11

I get tired of recommending it, but Outbacks are excellent cars...

I agree, and think a new AWD wagon with good reliability for about $25k would suit us just fine. She, however doesn't like Subarus (for no apparant reason).

[rumatt]

Try to make her drive one before deciding. She might like it.

[PhilH]

Originally Posted by lip277

What's wrong with 95,000 miles?

That's why we've kept it for 6 years, and although she went to the auto show with me, she has argued many times for us just to keep the Passat until it no longer makes financial sense for us to do a big repair that comes up.

[Sharp11]

Originally Posted by lip277

What's wrong with 95,000 miles?

My Yukon has 113,000 and going strong (and will continue to for some time)
Our Mercedes has ~210,000 and is also going strong (but we're getting in the 'replacement' mindset - That probably means 18 months...)
My 740i has 98,000 on it and also is going well. I'll have that car for many years.
My 2002 has 240,000 miles - But that's another story.

Seriously - I'd rather have a car that has treated me well for a few years (and 95k) on it than getting into something else 'just because'-

But - Then again - I'm probably the extreme to that mindset around here.

I've always admired people who can keep a car into high mileage. The longest I've ever kept a car was my 1987 Honda Accord LXi, bought new and enjoyed regularly for nine years and over 90k miles. What a great car that was, never cost me anything and always looked good right up to the day I sold it.

I could've done the same with my last car, the E46, but I got a hankering for a sports car, so.......

Ed