- #119 of 491
-
Re: no spare tire [studeman]
by snakeweasel
-
Feb 29, 2008 (3:49 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: studeman (Feb 29, 2008 10:25 am)
Not to sure about that, most of the people I knew/saw that had one (not to far behind you in age) were refugees from Woodstock and/or were beat up by police in Grant park in '68.
|
- #120 of 491
-
Re: VW Beetle TDI is a great alternative. [dmathews3]
by subienewbie2
-
Feb 29, 2008 (3:51 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: dmathews3 (Feb 29, 2008 3:17 pm)
I don't understand what you were trying to say ( At .60 a gal. different on a Smart at 40mpg compared to lets say 80 mpg for 25,000 you would spend $750.....) What gets 80 mpg?
My point was that a VW TDI Beetle gets better mpg than the US smart, accelerates better and is an all around car. Four passenger, much better for highway driving and does well in the city, it's a better choice for a person or family with just one car.
As a pure short haul commuter and as a second car Smart is just fine.
|
- #121 of 491
-
Re: VW Beetle TDI is a great alternative. [subienewbie2]
by snakeweasel
-
Feb 29, 2008 (3:52 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: subienewbie2 (Feb 29, 2008 11:10 am)
With diesel now being 20%+ more than gas the diesels will have to have a lot more gas mileage.
Secondly with VW's current reliability records I will stay away from them like the plague.
|
- #122 of 491
-
Re: VW Beetle TDI is a great alternative. [subienewbie2]
by dmathews3
-
Feb 29, 2008 (7:02 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: subienewbie2 (Feb 29, 2008 3:51 pm)
My point was you are toting diesels as a great deal and I'm saying that since yours don't get 80 miles per gal. that my figures are going to be a lot worse than what I quoted for the 80. You bought a used vehicle I believe so you aren't taking as bad a hit but the diesel is not going to be the magic answer to saving money if the price stays as high as it has been for the past few years. I'm also betting that they will tighten up more yet on diesel fuels and smog controls for the diesel engine further creating a larger break even point in a diesel purchase.
|
- #123 of 491
-
Re: VW Beetle TDI is a great alternative. [dmathews3]
by gregg_vw
-
Mar 01, 2008 (5:26 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: dmathews3 (Feb 29, 2008 3:17 pm)
Here in Madison the difference is 40 cents at teh station where I buy diesel. And as I pointed out before, that difference tends to be even less in warmer weather. In any event, the overall difference for the year comes out to less than 20%, and most diesels do at least 30% betterr than the gas engine same car. Look at the difference between the 2.5 liter Golf (base model) and the diesel version. It is greater than 30%. Diesels are more likely than gas burners to better their EPA estimates, once broken in.
Furthermore, additives on these newer vehicles are NOT necessary. My 2003 Golf starts when it is 20 below, and I never put any anti-gell additives in. Bottom line, diesels are a compromise, like anything else. But no matter how you cut it, they get better mileage and cost less to fuel.
Oh, and the new clean diesels coming from VW in 2008/2009, are more powerful, quieter, and get much better mileage than before. The cleanest, most smog-free cars in Europe are now diesels. It is no wonder that they have captured so much of the market there. Develop anything in great numbers, and it tends to get better.
|
- #124 of 491
-
Re: VW Beetle TDI is a great alternative. [gregg_vw]
by subienewbie2
-
Mar 01, 2008 (5:53 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: gregg_vw (Mar 01, 2008 5:26 am)
I couldn't agree more. The Europeans always seem to be years ahead of the US when it comes to automotive technology. In part the governments in western Europe often promote technologies that are good for the public. Here Washington seems to be more interested in what's good for big oil.
In my case, I switched from a Subaru B9 SUV (which recommended Premium) that was getting 13 to 14 mpg in the city to my Bug that is getting even in the worst times better than 100% better milage. I now fill it up about once a month.
If we had laws requiring gas stations to have a least one diesel pump, we would see lower diesel prices due to competition and more diesels because of easy access to fuel.
|
- #125 of 491
-
Re: VW Beetle TDI is a great alternative. [snakeweasel]
by stanwict
-
Mar 05, 2008 (5:57 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: snakeweasel (Feb 29, 2008 3:52 pm)
I have one of those so called "poor reliability" VWs (not TDI) with 210,000 miles on it and all I can say is it's been the most reliable lowest cost of ownership car I've ever owned! Now that it needs new sneakers and exhaust I'm considering a SMART as its replacement.
Doesn't anyone have one yet that can give legitimate feedback? I just got the call that my reserved car will be in this month. Ironically the same day I got the call was the first time I saw one on the road here that wasn't a ZAP version!
|
- #126 of 491
-
Re: VW Beetle TDI is a great alternative. [stanwict]
by walterquint
-
Mar 06, 2008 (4:25 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: stanwict (Mar 05, 2008 5:57 pm)
Well, that's the point. There are plenty here who champion the Smart but no one can give a decent ownership report. There are a few Consumer Reviews but nothing you can hang your hat on. Heck, at this early stage, some of the reviews you read may be written by Smart-car marketers posing as owners....
I suggest you abandon your Smart plans. Wait a year for more in-depth ownership reviews. Is the vehicle practical to live with? Is it worth the real-world economy that is only 15-20 percent better than a Yaris or base Scion? Better yet, wait for some real-world crash results.
|
- #127 of 491
-
Re: VW Beetle TDI is a great alternative. [stanwict]
by scwmcan
-
Mar 06, 2008 (4:43 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: stanwict (Mar 05, 2008 5:57 pm)
Well you can look for some european comments on the new model to see what they are saying, it won't be a perfect result due to the different expectations though. You can also try and find some comments by owners in Canada of the previous version, though it will be the deisel, it will at least let you see how north americans deal with the size issue etc. The new model is (I believe) starting to trickle into Canadian dealers too so ou should see more owner reports for north amaerican soon. All that said , just don't take delivery until you are sure the car is right for you (i.e. make sure it will suit your needs and wants) no one else can tell you wether the car is right for you or not.
Scott
|
- #128 of 491
-
Re: VW Beetle TDI is a great alternative. [stanwict]
by snakeweasel
-
Mar 06, 2008 (4:58 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: stanwict (Mar 05, 2008 5:57 pm)
Well most I know with VW's do have issues with them, more so than any other brand. Plus I have heard some salesmen say that they wouldn't do deals on used ones/the dealership won't sell used ones simply because of reliability issues.
As for the Smart I did take one on a pretty decent test drive, It handled well was pretty peppy (more so than I thought). Transmission in automatic mode wasn't so great but all problems vanished in manual mode. It was a fun car to drive nimble and more responsive that I would have thought. But while it rode well over smooth roads it did let you know when you hit a pot hole.
|
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Hatchbacks 
