off topic: new car advice for senior

That was my first question.

I think it's cute, different, not so small that a big husband can't sit in the passenger seat, and not so big that I feel like I'm still driving a mini-van.

Reply to
Muggles
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I don't have the numbers handy but I believe those are also a minor slice of VWs American market.

Reply to
rbowman

There certainly isn't a magical answer. My mother traded a full sized Dodge for a Gold Duster. It was a nice ride but it had me puzzled since she had always insisted the family bucket had four doors. Her rationale was if she bought something with four doors she would be the duty driver every time her old girlfriends wanted to go someplace but none of the old biddies were up to climbing in and out of the backseat of the Duster.

Reply to
rbowman

You just like the little flower vase. Admit it.

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No offense, but after VW discovered they'd built a chick car, they tried to reinvent it.

Its like the Miata. The Miata is really a competent car but it got the reputation of being a chick or gay ride and never overcame it.

Reply to
rbowman

A flower vase? Where? I love flowers! :)

What can I say, I'm a chick. (???)

Reply to
Muggles

We did a similar calculus with our recent purchase. SWMBO originally liked a larger vehicle. But, it didn't take long to realize her friends would be cheerfully suggesting *she* drive to most of the places that they frequent, weekly.

Ignoring the cost of fuel, wear and tear on the vehicle, etc. she had no desire to be worrying about *their* timetables as if a chauffeur: "I have a doctor's appointment at 12:15 so we'll have to leave early?" "Why don't we all go out for lunch?" "Can you pick me up a AFTER Mary next week (instead of BEFORE)? I have some errands to run in the early morning..." "Why don't we listen to WXXX today?" Plus, the obligation imposes requirments on her (SWMBO) attendance! She can't just decide at the last minute to "stay home"!

Reply to
Don Y

Do you have money to burn? I.e., do you care about the reliability and safety of the vehicle that hauls you around town?

Find something that is affordable and comfortable. If you want to be "cute", put a big red bow on the front grill. Or, "eyelashes" above the headlights. Or, a *tail* curving up over the back of the car from the rear bumper.

(seriously -- I have seen all of the above)

It will make your car more memorable (to you and others), won't cost you much, won't alter the value, reliability or safety of the ride, etc. A photo of a local vendor who is known for their crazy cars: Look carefully at the front end details...

Reply to
Don Y

You never saw those in the New Beetle? Not the new Beetle; they dropped the flowers in 2012. Little bud vase on the dashboard, sort of like a hearse. Sometimes the German mind goes off the rails. I mean what sort of manly man is going to drive a car with a damn sprig of pansies?

Reply to
rbowman

How come, don't want to fiddle with your car? You can reproprogram ECU for example. You modify any part of the car to your heart's content. Today's cars are more electronics than mechanics. Like Volvo has more than 20 microprocessors controlling the car one way or the other. Engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, drive train, collision avoidance system.... You name it.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Are you a motor vehicle operator or driver? Miata has grown little bigger now.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Some VW cars resemble Audi counter part. Tourag is pretty nice SUV, built sturdy. Neighbor has one with V8 and I'd rather drive this one than big Lincoln Navigator. Eventually we'll end up with one car when one of us loses driver's license. I am sure that'll be me. Wife does not care what brand or what type car as long as it's seat fits her and it is AWD no matter what. Everyone in my family drives AWD vehicles. Jeep, Subaru, Acura. On top of that we have to fit snow/ice tires in winter, she insists. Tire change over is my job having air tools and good compressor but some 18" tires are getting heavier by the year. I just passed medical to extend the license for 5 more years. After that medical every year. Went to niece's wedding who is marrying E. Indian. Had Hindu ceremony which was interesting. She is a PhD in forensic science working at RCMP crime lab. Boy is Nuclear safety engineer with MBA, interesting couple. Family gained one more engineer, Way too many engineers and MD in the family, not a lawyer yet.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

You can tell a lot by the vehicle someone drives. There's a guy at work, he's about 4'-2" and drives a new Dodge Ram 3500. I think he's a cross-dresser.

Reply to
Jack

Siesel VWs were 40% of North American sales in a recent month, from what I read somewhere recently.

Reply to
clare

You mean the shot glass?

Reply to
clare

If it was in 70's it was not all that quick.. I had a 69 Dart Swinger 340 and it was very quick. Someone ran a stop sign and total lost it. I ordered a 72 with the same engine. When I drove it home I opened the hood as I thought they had put in a 6 cylinder instead of the V8. Found out due to the emissions and such they had lowered the compression from about 10.5 down to less than 9. The horsepower went way down,. Boy was I sick. Damn thing turned out to be a lemon and always needed something and I traded it off after less that 20,000 miles. A friend bought one about a week after ai did off the lot from the same dealer. He had lots of problems with his also.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

No money to burn and I do care about reliability and safety.

I haven't bought one, yet, and I've looked at bunches of other brand cars, too. Haven't found one for the right price with the right options that had comfortable front seats, etc.

I've seen a few of those, too.

Can't a Beetle be reliable and safe?

Reply to
Muggles

LOL No, haven't seen the bud vase.

Reply to
Muggles

Miata? They seem a big small to me.

Reply to
Muggles

nine tenths of the time, nine tenths of the problems people have (or had, particularly back in the seventies) are the fault of the dealer as much as the manufacturer. The dealer was paid a pretty fair price to do the "per-dilivery inspection and service" before delivering the car. It usually ended up being a quick wash and detail - with virtually none of the actual "inspectio and adjustment" specified being done. The adjustments and repairs were done on a complaints only basis - and usually the dealer attempted to pawn them off as "warranty claims" Since in most cases those claims were denied - and rightfully so since the dealer had already been paid to ensure there were no problems, the dealers did as little as possible to remedy the problems, "pissing off" the customer.

Reply to
clare

They did a good job at that on me. That was the third and last Crysler car I bought. This car was especially bad in that it would not start. It was funny. You could crank on it and run the battery all the way down. As it was a manual transmission and I was living near the top of a hill, I could get it rolling and pop the clutch and it would start. I had it towed in about 3 times after running down the battery for them to repair and they never got it repaired. It might have been the switch not making contact or something in that start circuit.

I did not mention that when the car came in it had a bad spot on the paint. The car was dark metalic blue and there was a roughly round spot about 6 inches in diameter that was light blue on the part of the trunk lid that turns down. The dealer did repaint the trunk when I pointed that out. They should have caught that before they called me to pick up the car, especially as I bought it in a town about 20 miles away.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

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