I Want (Doesn’t Mean I’ll Get)
I want a new car. It doesn’t have to be new new, but just new to me. Still, with the recent improvements in MPGs, new new might win out. I even have a legitimate reason for wanting a new car- we currently have two sedans. That means we do not have a car that can accommodate three dogs and a car seat. And since we won’t stop going to the dog park once we have a kid, we kind of need that functionality.
Because C and I are both MPG freaks, we’re not looking at mini-vans or most SUVs. The only SUV exception is the CRD Jeep Liberty they made for a couple of years. But we can’t find those used with less than 100k miles on them, and while diesel engines last longer than non-diesel, we don’t know what specs Jeep built the common rail diesel engines too.
Used Jetta TDI wagons are not only rare, but expensive. The only one I’ve seen for under $10k has over 300k miles on it, and they still want $7,500.
What we’re most likely looking at now is either a new VW Jetta SportWagen TDI or a new Subaru Outback wagon. In recent years, Subaru has made major improvements in their MPGs, and they are wonderful, long lasting, safe cars, just like the VWs.
The Subaru has a disadvantage that it has a regular gas engine, so no running B99 for us, but it’s also about $5k cheaper than the Jetta.
VW currently has a 1.9% APR financing deal for 5 years for TDI models. Subaru has a 0.9% APR financing deal, but their website doesn’t tell you the term length.
And before you ask, yes, I’ve looked at less expensive new cars. The Kia Soul has MPGs comparable to the Subaru for $10k less, but the space in the back isn’t actually big enough to hold two of our dogs comfortably- and my current dogs are small.
Of course, what this all really means is that I should clean out my Chevy (which we’d trade in) so that a dealer would even be willing to take it.
Make sure you look at the total cost of ownership including maintenance and repairs. Some cars are more or less reliable than others so make sure you do all of your homework! Best of luck and I hope if/when you do get a new to you car you get one that you'll have for a long time and drive into the ground 🙂
The reason that a diesel VW and a Subaru are at the top of our list are reliablility issues. Diesel VWs, as I mentioned above, last for over 300k miles, and Subarus are known for their safety and reliablility.
Add this week was the possibility of a Toyota Prius V.
We've got Consumer Reports. We will do our homework. And this will likely be the last car we buy for 10+ years.
Awwww so sweet you love to your pets can be seen in this writeup. What I will suggest you is to go with the VW Jetta SportWagen.
I do adore the dogs.
The Jetta TDI SportWagen is our default answer. We love our TDI sedan. However, it is also the most expensive of the cars, and we only have a one car garage. Winter in our area isn't too bad, but B99 doesn't need super low temperatures to cloud. So we'll see. We're taking our time on this and not trying to rush into anything.