Car shopping

Bob Dobbalina

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Feb 23, 2016
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ERbb braintrust:

I sold my 01 Tacoma roughly 2 years ago and bought a used 2015 Vw Golf Sportwagen Diesel with 20k on it. It's been phenomenal, but now it has 103k on it and I'm looking to pass it on before issues start to arise. German cars are typically a bit $$ to maintain after warranties expire.









I need great gas mileage, including freeway miles. the VW was averaging 40mpg, but has dropped to 37ish.I'd like to exceed 40 on average/freeway if possible.
I want something that a 6'2" -6'10" will fit in without coming through the front seats (truck bed, folding rear seats, etc). I'd prefer not to be forced to use racks every time I want to surf.
Something that fits 4 comfortably.
Something affordable. Don't bother with anything that retails at 30k+.
Be somewhat compact. I live in SF and larger vehicles are a pain to park
No Plug ins (I park on the street)

Frontrunners are a used Prius V (holy sh!t. These are selling like used Tacomas! Even nearly 10 year old cars around 100k+ miles are in double digits)
The newest Rav4 Hybrid (I need to do more research on interior size. I'm not a fan of the crazy Jetson's hybrid whine these are exhibiting, but I could get past it).


Sidenote: Any german auto fans want to buy a well maintained Diesel wagon. Still has some dieselgate warranty left on it
 

Sharkbiscuit

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Aug 6, 2003
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I wholeheartedly agree with your comment about German cars costing $$ to get fixed once stuff starts shitting the bed. But if you don't have a shitload of advanced electronics, and/or there's not a list of known issues that start popping up with that VW, I'd just keep it.
If you've had it since 20k and it's a well-maintained diesel I'd drive it into the ground.
 
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Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
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Honestly, the standard Prius is hard to beat. It fits 4 comfortably and can fit a board under 7 ft without much issues. The Prius Wagon is also nice but super expensive on the used market.

The new Toyota Venza is a nice hybrid wagon that replaced the Prius V. Not sure how much you want to spend but I'd be looking hard at one if I was in the market. AWD Hybrid is standard.
 

Bob Dobbalina

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Feb 23, 2016
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I wholeheartedly agree with your comment about German cars costing $$ to get fixed once stuff starts shitting the bed. But if you don't have a shitload of advanced electronics, and/or there's not a list of known issues that start popping up with that VW, I'd just keep it.
If you've had it since 20k and it's a well-maintained diesel I'd drive it into the ground.

The thought has crossed my mind. It's the base model (no sun roof, but power everything) but I've been told the DSG tranny is a prohibitively expensive fix. The other issue is the premium on diesel relative to price drops for regular unleaded kinda cancels out some of the savings. I'm still making payments and my savings account is nil at the moment, so if I can use whatever value it still has toward getting out of the loan amount and getting into something new, it would be nice. The alternative is that I run it longer, hope the bottom of it's value is relatively good, and save for a new car while praying that nothing happens. Driving 50k miles/year gives me pause with this plan.
 

Bob Dobbalina

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Honestly, the standard Prius is hard to beat. It fits 4 comfortably and can fit a board under 7 ft without much issues. The Prius Wagon is also nice but super expensive on the used market.

The new Toyota Venza is a nice hybrid wagon that replaced the Prius V. Not sure how much you want to spend but I'd be looking hard at one if I was in the market. AWD Hybrid is standard.
I saw that they re-released the Venza. The wife isn't sold and I don't know if it's bigger than the V. It definitely looks bigger.

I'd imagine it'll have a higher price to a relatively equipped Rav
 

ULUSURFER

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Jan 2, 2007
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The problem with the new diesels is the emissions system. Nothing else on the car really goes if you do normal maintenance.
Between my dad sister and I we have had 5 vw brand diesels. No problems on any of them.

when the emissions systems go out it’s catastrophic. It’s unlikely but those things cost 5-12k replace.

I am getting rid of my golf tdi as soon as my bronco sport order is delivered. The diesel gate warranty is good to120k I’m at 107 so sell while it still has warranty
 

gbg

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Jan 22, 2006
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My civic turbo hatchback is sick. I can get 2 6'4 boards diagonally in the hatch. Still get luggage in it too for longer road trips. Room for me and my wife. When we go to Paso at xmas we sometimes go to SC and we both have a suitcase and xmas gifts in boxes. Only gets 34 MPG but man is that car fast and fun to drive.
 

Sharkbiscuit

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Aug 6, 2003
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The problem with the new diesels is the emissions system. Nothing else on the car really goes if you do normal maintenance.
Between my dad sister and I we have had 5 vw brand diesels. No problems on any of them.

when the emissions systems go out it’s catastrophic. It’s unlikely but those things cost 5-12k replace.

I am getting rid of my golf tdi as soon as my bronco sport order is delivered. The diesel gate warranty is good to120k I’m at 107 so sell while it still has warranty
If he's driving that much and living in SF he's going to get priced into Arizona in short order anyway. His one job is now to roll coal on ifallalot in a VW wagon sporting K A L I plates with half his sh!t in it.
 

hotCheetos

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Mar 28, 2020
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wife has a 2019 rav4 xle premium and it was getting 37 mpg when she was commuting on the hwy 45 mins a day. i hand calculated to verify. seats fold down. pretty comfortable.
 

sussle

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Oct 11, 2009
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Honestly, the standard Prius is hard to beat. It fits 4 comfortably and can fit a board under 7 ft without much issues. The Prius Wagon is also nice but super expensive on the used market.

The new Toyota Venza is a nice hybrid wagon that replaced the Prius V. Not sure how much you want to spend but I'd be looking hard at one if I was in the market. AWD Hybrid is standard.
yup. "nice Prius" said no one, ever, but fvck 'em. great car, 45 mpg, 5th gen hybrid, 90+% of them are still on the road. and it's a Toyota.
 

GromsDad

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Last year my car got totaled and I was forced back into the unpleasant world of car shopping. I hate car shopping with a passion. My needs were pretty similar to the OP. I ended up going with an Outback. Its a great little hauler and surfmobile. Falls right at the $30k mark. Gas milage I'm averaging about 28 across the board. Probably 33+ highway. Tons of room and love the roof rack system. I may get a second one when the lease on my wife's Ford Explorer comes due in 6-months.

The Crosstrek would also be something to look at if you want something smaller. There is a hybrid version of that one for about $35K or the gas model for $12k less. By the way, there is no way to cost justify the $12K difference in cost for the hybrid based on fuel economy. The ROI would be 120,000 miles if you're lucky and none of the expensive systems break.
 

Bob Dobbalina

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Feb 23, 2016
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Thank you to everyone for chiming in. Keep em coming.

I'm resisting a Crosstrek simply because I think they are ugly and I see so many of them.

wife has a 2019 rav4 xle premium and it was getting 37 mpg when she was commuting on the hwy 45 mins a day. i hand calculated to verify. seats fold down. pretty comfortable.
Yeah, my car will tell me I'm averaging 41-45. But I log my mileage and it comes out to around 36-39 right now.
I'm hoping after the service tomorrow it bumps up to 38-41 again.
 
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oneula

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Jun 3, 2004
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I have a 2010 Jetta Sportswagon TDI just broke 100K hoping to get to 200K on the diesel that's why I bought a diesel.
Never "fixed" it because I didn't want to affect the performance so I'm a polluter.
Love the turbo and manual "punch" when I need it and the mileage although it's gone downhill over the year and diesel is expensive.
But I can go 2weeks or around 400-500 miles with out having to fill up
Been looking at an outback, crosstrek or prius as a replacement, I want a hybid and not a full electric because I don;t trust the grid here. I think if you can get a full tesla solar panel setup to charge your car offline, it makes sense for a full electric.
The outback has allot of interrior space
I can pack 4-5 boards in my car and 4 more on my roof racks as needed.
I want something with allot of clearance like the subarus.
Even considering a small truck like a ranger or transit van for hauling stuff for the home when I retire
 

silentbutdeadly

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Sep 26, 2005
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If your car isn't even paid off yet the worst thing you can do is get another one. Pay it off and run it into the ground or dump it when something catastrophic hits.

Then get something that's proven to last a long time.

Cars are such a waste. I drive an o4' and an 06" and spend my money on fun instead.
 
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surfadelphia

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Nov 15, 2010
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My civic turbo hatchback is sick. I can get 2 6'4 boards diagonally in the hatch. Still get luggage in it too for longer road trips. Room for me and my wife. When we go to Paso at xmas we sometimes go to SC and we both have a suitcase and xmas gifts in boxes. Only gets 34 MPG but man is that car fast and fun to drive.
Leased one of these for my wife for super cheap, It's a nice enough and useful car. We're way below the allotted lease mileage so I'm almost definitely going to buy it out at the end. The back is pretty ugly though, looks like a robot dick
 
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