High Mileage Volkswagen Passat

[Mr.Mischief]

Preface: I'm a senior in high school. I won't need a car during the school year. The university has a bus stop in my neighborhood, and I live 2.5 miles from the campus.

That said, I kind of want a vehicle for the Summers. Over this summer(and subsequent Summers), I might get a job a few miles from my house. If I don't get the job, I would be driving 3-10 miles a day to play sports. With that kind of usage, I don't want to spend much on car. I found a 1999 Volkswagen Passat on craigslist for $1500. Apparently, it works great, but it has 200,000 miles on it. Is it even worth looking at? The MPG is pretty good(20/29). It would basically be used as an around town car.

 

[NutBucket]

Unless you're mechanically inclined and have a source of income for replacement parts avoid this.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Its a $1500 car. If it lives a year you win and anything extra is a bonus.
Six months ago I bought a 04 vw jetta with 215k miles on it and it is still going strong but it is a diesel. A gas VW wouldn't be my first choice but if it is in good shape and has been maintained again it is $1500. Any car you find for $1500 is a bit of a crap shoot. I had 89 dodge caravan for 12 years that I paid $800 for lol.

 

[Jimzz]

A high milage VW with no warranty... hahahahahahaha

Please don't do that. Find a FWD 3.8L GM car. Like buick, oldsmobile, etc... they drop in value fast as they are not flashy but can last a long time.
The other car to look for is a 98+ Saturn S series. Those seem to go forever and get good gas milage.

 

[rommelrommel]

Autos in those cars are terrible and any problems exceed the value of the car. If it's not a 5 speed I would not even consider it. They also have some electrical issues but those can often be ignored. I would suggest that you could find a more likely to be reliable car for 1500 bucks but as said, quite a crapshoot in that price range.

 

[nerp]

Find a cheap Buick Century.

 

[basslover1]

I don't have problems with mine (98 1.8T) @ 135k miles. It needs work don't get me wrong, but it starts every time and hasn't once gotten me stuck (minus the one accident I had but that was my fault).

The MPG ratings are off, I still get 25+ mpg on mine, which is 99% of the time driving back and forth to work (~9 miles each way), with about nine stop lights on the way so it isn't just a straight shot.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Probably the biggest Passat head around here.....and the web.

I've had 2 B5 Passats past 14 years and have put over 300k on them....

Without getting into too much detail and writing a book, best advice I can give you is to STAY FAR AWAY.

If you do decide to buy it make sure it has been well taken care of. Even then, check for oil leaks, suspension issues, oil sludge issues........I can go on and on.

Mind you, my 2 passats have been EXTREMELY reliable by your average "passat owner standards".

:|

 

[CraigRT]

For $1500 I'd be looking at a Saturn S-series or something. They are dirt cheap to own and operate.

 

[desy]

S series
Just what I was thinking

 

[Mr.Mischief]

I appreciate the advise. On the off chance that I do pursue this wagon, I wouldn't purchase it unless I could get him down to near $1000.

 

[alevasseur14]

I can chime in on this one! About 4.5 years ago I bought a '96 VW Passat GLX 5sp with 133k on the clock for $1250. It's about to turn 183k and it's been a blast. I've had to do tires, tires, tie rods, wheel bearings, ball joints and exhaust work but to me those are wear items that are bound to go with a 17 yr old car.

I'm not a mechanic or anything but I can change my oil and generally tell whats going on with my car. I work at a shop also so that helps with repair costs too. I've got so many electrical gremlins I couldn't tell you about and my AC, ABS, cruise control, and trunk don't work but again, I expected that because I love VWs and I love driving the car.

Point is - with that budget and what you're looking for in a car, I'd say go for something with a bullet proof record. Saturn S series is a good recommendation!