Bought myself a commuter car today....save some miles on the Raptor

[EricM]

VW's are disposable cars

Agree. They are total junk. Sell that thing before the warranty is up.

 

[jamanrr]

How about some R E S P E C T

tell me what it means to me, R E S P E C T --

 

[Gerald]

I had a stick about 6 years ago and I got my kids to drive it a bit, hoping they would learn how to drive one. But they never did want to drive it much. Then about 2 years ago (maybe 3), my daughter is in Europe and the group she was with rented a car even though no one could drive a stick. She said it was horrible that none of them could drive it! So she calls me up when she gets back and says she is going to sell her car and buy a stick. She said the only way to learn is to completely immerse herself in it with no other options. She's in Maryland and I travel up that way for work some, about an hour away. So at the end of one of my trips, she picks me up in the morning and we start looking for a car for her. Spent from 9-1 pm looking at various options and settled on a Toyoto Corolla from a CarMax near her. Then I took her to a school parking lot and she practiced from 2-5 pm, trying to learn how to drive the stick. The parking lot had some good slopes in it so she could practice starting from an uphill stopped position. Taught her how to use the hand brake when starting on a slope like that. Then we spent another hour (5-6 pm) driving around a neighborhood so she could practice shifting up and down. Then she took me the airport after that and she was on her own!! She's never looked back and is still driving that stick today! I'm a proud papa on my little girl!!

 

[jamanrr]

I had a stick about 6 years ago and I got my kids to drive it a bit, hoping they would learn how to drive one. But they never did want to drive it much. Then about 2 years ago (maybe 3), my daughter is in Europe and the group she was with rented a car even though no one could drive a stick. She said it was horrible that none of them could drive it! So she calls me up when she gets back and says she is going to sell her car and buy a stick. She said the only way to learn is to completely immerse herself in it with no other options. She's in Maryland and I travel up that way for work some, about an hour away. So at the end of one of my trips, she picks me up in the morning and we start looking for a car for her. Spent from 9-1 pm looking at various options and settled on a Toyoto Corolla from a CarMax near her. Then I took her to a school parking lot and she practiced from 2-5 pm, trying to learn how to drive the stick. The parking lot had some good slopes in it so she could practice starting from an uphill stopped position. Taught her how to use the hand brake when starting on a slope like that. Then we spent another hour (5-6 pm) driving around a neighborhood so she could practice shifting up and down. Then she took me the airport after that and she was on her own!! She's never looked back and is still driving that stick today! I'm a proud papa on my little girl!!

This is very important, I learned to drive a three speed, then progressed to a 4 speed. From drift cars to the six speed driving a stick shift is very important. The transmissions are a lot cheaper to maintain and they give you a lot more feel/ control over the vehicle. The now generation don't want to do that so they pretty much have eliminated shifting in modern vehicles. Paddle shifting an auto is not the same as rowing your own gears.

Great story.

 

[goblues38]

Sorry, did not mean to start an argument. Just trying to understand the thought process. In my mind if you bought a Raptor and are already concerned about resale value...why buy it? Life is short, work hours are long, enjoy what those work hours bought you!

for me....10-15k a year is normal and enjoying my cars.....when circumstances make me drive 20k+ a year....driving becomes a chore not an enjoyment.

splitting those milees between 2 fun cars keeps it new and who wants a 3 year old truck with 80k miles.

 

[goblues38]

Agree. They are total junk. Sell that thing before the warranty is up.

sorry....but my experience is 100% opposite. 2 Audi's and 3 VW's tell me otherwise.

 

[EricM]

sorry....but my experience is 100% opposite. 2 Audi's and 3 VW's tell me otherwise.

You don't have to apologize. Your anecdotal stories do not override the fact that they are junk. Junk cars made in 2020 are still pretty good compared to the best car from 50 years ago- but compared to the modern competition, VWs are not reliable and it's not even a close competition.

I know the guys who actually service them, the service writers, etc. They all have plenty of experience with other brands, both import and domestic. All cars fail no matter the brand, but they all think VWs are junk compared to nearly everything else on the market. It's job security for them though.

They are more reliable than a Merc, but that ain't saying much.


Edit:
Not a fan of CR, but when VWs make up 20% of the 2020 10 least reliable list and are butt buddies with Chrysler, Chevy and Tesla... well, I don't know what else to tell ya.


10 least reliable models of 2020, according to Consumer Reports:

• Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon (same body style, different badging)
• Chevrolet Camaro
• Jeep Wrangler
• Alfa Romeo Giulia
• Volkswagen Atlas
• Volkswagen Tiguan
• Acura MDX
• Tesla Model X
• Chrysler Pacifica
• Chevrolet Traverse

 

[isis]

I’m not a fan but it’s a tradeoff. It’s a low budget premium. So is a subaru in different ways. They won’t be quite as reliable as a toyota or Honda. Or as cheap as a chevy. Or as fun as a Mazda. You just pick what’s most important to you. These days 20-30k doesn’t get you everything even in a compact car.

 

[jamanrr]

Most around here that actually own Raptors, we should only talk about them since obviously that ends up to a lot of hurt feelings. I drive a SH@tbox according to most everyone on this forum.

What does it matter what anyone on this forum thinks about what you drive other than you?

VWs are fun cars, you like them. I respect that, enjoy the car and keeping miles off the Raptor. Most around here would like to do the same if they could.

You do you, no one else matters.

 

[EricM]

I’m not a fan but it’s a tradeoff. It’s a low budget premium. So is a subaru in different ways. They won’t be quite as reliable as a toyota or Honda. Or as cheap as a chevy. Or as fun as a Mazda. You just pick what’s most important to you. These days 20-30k doesn’t get you everything even in a compact car.

We're just saying, enjoy it while it is under warranty, but don't get married to it.