Yeah, that was me. Had to do a head gasket on my sister's 2.0 Jetta ('02 I think). Nice little car, just really different. I had to go out and buy some special bits just to take the head bolts out of it. It really wasn't terrible to work on, it's just stuff like this that makes me want to falcon punch an engineer in the throat. Why in the Sam Blazes, can't you just use the same hex head (or torx, or Allen head) head bolts that everybody else uses? But Nooooo! I gotta go out and spend $60 on a set of special head bolt bits and then wait a week for them to get there...

Then there is the electronic system. The thing has more or less a data network in the dash and everything registers back to the PCM and talks to it. I'm sure it is a theft deterrent thing, but once again, it's just different. Maybe all the European cars are that way, I don't know.

I'm probably just jilted over the whole thing. I actually looked at the car for myself as a little work beater, but my sister wanted it more. Decided to buy it, went to pick it up, took it for a test drive, and promptly LOST the ONLY key for it. That was a fiasco that took nearly 2 weeks to sort out. The dealer wanted to replace the whole instrument cluster and security module because they couldn't figure out how to program a new key to it without a working key (this is after we bought the $75 switchblade key AND a valet key that wouldn't run it for more than 2 seconds). I ended up taking it to a good locksmith I use for a lot of stuff here locally and he was able to reset it and program the key. It was a lot of messing around and hauling the car on the trailer before she was even able to drive the car. All in all, I am just glad she ended up with it instead of me, lol. She's still driving it when she is home from Mexico and I actually drove it for a couple weeks last winter. She's happy with it (she doesn't have to work on it -- I DO) and I'm happy to have my little Toyota RAV4 for a DD.

Your question about a good AWD Daily Driver is a good one. I'm not really sure what to recommend. I know a lot of Subie drivers that absolutely love their cars, but I know an equal number of folks whose Subies are either busted or money traps, so I'm not inclined to recommend them. Audi makes a good car, but my VW experience has been so so and since they're more or less a dressed up VW, I don't know if I'd recommend them either. My brother has a buddy that is a big German car buff and he swears by the Bimmers, but that's way too rick for my blood. I'm not really sure what I'd recommend, especially if you want a wagon and not a little crossover or something. Anybody have any experience with the Volvo XC's?

 

Sucks about your experience Nate! But I think its because she chose to get the gas version!
I purchased a 98 VW Jetta TDI manual back in November for cheap. It is about to roll over 285k miles (I've put 4k on it since Nov) and all I have done is put oil in it! lol
Best tank was 49mpg when cruising 75 to Ohio.
Worst was 39mpg in the winter when all I did was start it and go .25 mile to class and never let it warm up.

 

Got it.

I was trying to stay away from the suv unfortunately. Its mainly since its her daily commuter, and we live out in the stix and we put a lot of miles on. The biggest reason I didn't want to go with a suv....because lets be honest, it would have ended up being a 7.3 excursion . I still wish she would be fine with one but if it was her DD I'd be broke as a joke from modding the crap out of it and all the bodywork of her side swiping cars each time she parked. I still might go that route someday, but man are they still expensive! I can work on those though!

 

I feel you on the pain for the head bolts. Toyota has the same dam bi hexagonal head caps. I never understood why the hell you wouldn't just use a simple 6 or twelve point head, Not toyota, not Audi, and not VW :-) Pretty sure BMWs are the same way. Luckily I have those stupid things if need be, but I sure as heel better not be pulling heads here on this car!

We will see how far it gets us. I am just happy I can do the majority of the work on this car with the motor still in the car, unlike the subaru. I can even start on my true hate of the god forsaken car, everytime I see a subaru commercial I want to put a foot through a tv. I have quite a few friends who continue to dump every penny they have into those things. My best advice is sell it before it hit 150k if its a turbo, you will already be 4-5k in repairs for the turbo and timing belt at that point.... then wait for the atom bomb motor to let loose

Moral of the VW key story, I have the spare in a mason jar upstairs...SHE SHALL NOT LOOSE THE KEY SHE HAS!

I did look at the Volvo XC70/XC90. I liked both of them. They were about the same as the AUDIs cost wise. However I don't know a person that owns one, nor did I know what I was looking at under the hood since I have never tooled around with one either. I think they probably have their own problems like all the others, but are just as good. I don't know???

BMW...hell no!

 

I just sold my subie. It was a good car, never did any major engine work, just normal wear and tear stuff. Tires, brakes, calipers, that sort of thing.

I think manufacturers do that so you don't try and do it yourself, they want you to bring it back to them. Or like Nate said, some brilliant engineer thought it was a great idea that pry saved them .000000000000000000001 cents to make. You know how those manufacturers like to pinch pennies. lol.

 

Well lets see what happens in 40k I bet it makes it there just fine! Wife drives 4k in a matte of a few weeks, its reliability over miles I was looking for.

I also looked at that newer VW sportwagon specifically for the tdi.... problem was there was so much crap on the motor for emissions it looked like a 6.4 EGR system on steroids. Seemed to be half the engine compartment! I had heard issues about the older ones and transmission problems, manual are next to gold out here it seems, and most of them had a quarter million miles on them and wanted the coin dodge owners think their piles are worth :-) The car itself was a bit smaller than other wagons as well, but I sure wish they made a small Inline 5 or 6 tdi in those cars about 10 years ago... that would have been the one!

I still think the TDIs are where its at....untill you are outside of warranty and have to sell your soul to replace anything at the dealer/local shop. I will always own cars outside of warranty due to budget and anything with less than 100k is usually outside that budget.

 

Was it a turbo? Miles? I'm glad you sold it...you will be relieved of future financial holes!!

Agreed, manufactures IMO are trying to design vehicles mechanics/electronics to only be serviceable at the dealer. Quote me now, but a decade from now I see ECUs completely locked and un programmable... due to security reasons since we need to twitter and facebook wirelessly now in our car...that will always be connected to the internet. Transmissions that have more computing capacity than my 2000 apple lap top, and so on... Replace your brakes, you are out of warranty!

 

FWIW, my wife and I have owned two Volvo wagons and they have been pretty darn good. We currently have an '89 740 that has 217k on it and runs like its new. The AC is out and that is about it. I have only replaced the heater core and have every receipt for every service on it ever done. It was owned by the family I bought it from since it was brand new. Before this car, my wife had a 2002 X70 that was a really good car that I wish we had not gotten rid of, but from my understanding, that was a Ford engineered car. The one we have now is a true Swedish engineered car made in Belgium and it shows, It is extremely well made and drive like a tank. I guess I say all of this to say I would own another Volvo before a VW or an Audi, but that's only due to the word of mouth. I love VWs, but sure wouldn't want to take the chance on the headache. But, like Alex said, I would probably take a chance on a diesel.

 

One other thing...we did own a 2007 Forester about 2 years ago and we HATED it. That car had more problems in the 2 months we owned it (yes only 2 months) that I ended up selling it for $200 less than I paid for it just to get it out of my hair. That was the worst car I ever owned, hands down.Loved it when I got it, hated it when we sold it.

 

98, Non turbo, 2.5, 196k miles, auto. I may still see it since I sold it to a family member. But at least it won't be my money. Lol.

We're seeing it more and more at the shop. They complexity of the systems are getting absurd. But a lot of the stuff we work on is older stuff. Sometimes I feel like I just work on junk for a living. And it's not even mine. Lol.

 

One of the highlights of RRE for me was when that 7.3 Ex rolled by and my wife looks over and said, "Yeah, I could see myself driving that." Up to that point she had been totally against SUVs, let alone and Excursion.


If I were to buy a DD AWD, it would be a Taurus SHO AWD. Never owned one, but it they are half as reliable as my little fusion I'd be good with it.

 

Good to know. I am not all to familiar with them Volvos.

Yup....All I can say is I agree!

 

Well key there is a non turbo. My uncle got 230 before he wrecked his...it was a turd at that point though.... took a while to get up to 80. It actually why we bought a Subaru, was because of his track record with his...little did I know.

The vac systems are a nightmare on them. Took a year to get our to idle properly... still idled like chit at lights when at running temp.

 

HAHA, sounds about like my wife. She said very similar until she looked at a couple oif them on the lot when we looked at the Touareg. I was pushing it for a long time and she wanted none of it. She liked how big they were inside. We just couldn't afford it. Hard to find a 7.3 one that has been somewhat maintained with around 200k on it for under 15k around here. Most are so beat, it would be worthwhile to completely start over with one if the price was right.

I liked the looks of the Taurus, SHO or not, but the cheapest one we found around here was over 4 times the cost of the AUDI, so that solved that.

 

I wanted the excursion bad as well. The wife was not having it.

What do I know. I'm just a dumb carpenter anyway. Lol