3 ms·

VW and AUDI do make good cars.

TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
It depends on your definition of good. If by good you mean: needs a new turbo at 223,000 kilometers, and removing and replacing the alternator is a 6 hour job, then yes I agree, my 2004 VW T5 Transporter is a great car! The alternator in the T4 was accessible from underneath the car. I suppose they intend for you to sell the car to someone else before those things need doing. Oh wait, that's me. I'm suspicious of any claims that "auto manufacture x makes good cars, because the auto manufactures mostly don't make very much of the car at all. Toyota have a reputation of assembling a reliable set of components. VW not so much. The trouble with all of this is we can't know what is a good new car* to buy today, because we don't have statistics on maintenance and repair costs for new cars. I reckon your best bet is to look at those guides that detail maintenance and repair costs of used vehicles, then find one you like in your price range.
- ginko 8y ago
  So needing some repairs after over 200,000 kilometers is considered unreliable these days?
  - TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
    I'll admit I'm having a bit of a whine. But yes, a turbo diesel engine shouldn't need a new turbo before 500,000k. It's not uncommon to hear "oh, the turbos a bit tired", but it shouldn't be pumping the entire oil content of the engine out in to the engine bay every three months at 220,000k. I say I'm having whinge because, of course, I understand how mean time to failure rates work. My larger point was more about checking the reliability stats though.
    - wolfi1 8y ago
      there was a time when the diesel fuel pumps of a certain brand were the predetermined braking point of many diesel cars. but the turbo itself...
- rusk 8y ago
  > It depends on your definition of good. My '96 Mk 3 Golf still runs beautifully, but I suspect that is was designed and built by a very different organisation to what is there now.
fgheorghe 8y ago
No they don't.
doikor 8y ago
They do have some baffling decent decisions every now and then though. I remember having to change the headlight on a VW transporter in the army (200X model can’t remember exact model). My hands (and all the other guys around) were too big to fit the space/hole left for such a routine operation. Had to take off the whole front mask. Took around 4 hours (never done that before). A 4 hour headlight change...

It depends on your definition of good. If by good you mean: needs a new turbo at 223,000 kilometers, and removing and replacing the alternator is a 6 hour job, then yes I agree, my 2004 VW T5 Transporter is a great car! The alternator in the T4 was accessible from underneath the car. I suppose they intend for you to sell the car to someone else before those things need doing. Oh wait, that's me. I'm suspicious of any claims that "auto manufacture x makes good cars, because the auto manufactures mostly don't make very much of the car at all. Toyota have a reputation of assembling a reliable set of components. VW not so much. The trouble with all of this is we can't know what is a good new car* to buy today, because we don't have statistics on maintenance and repair costs for new cars. I reckon your best bet is to look at those guides that detail maintenance and repair costs of used vehicles, then find one you like in your price range.

ginko 8y ago
So needing some repairs after over 200,000 kilometers is considered unreliable these days?
- TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
  I'll admit I'm having a bit of a whine. But yes, a turbo diesel engine shouldn't need a new turbo before 500,000k. It's not uncommon to hear "oh, the turbos a bit tired", but it shouldn't be pumping the entire oil content of the engine out in to the engine bay every three months at 220,000k. I say I'm having whinge because, of course, I understand how mean time to failure rates work. My larger point was more about checking the reliability stats though.
  - wolfi1 8y ago
    there was a time when the diesel fuel pumps of a certain brand were the predetermined braking point of many diesel cars. but the turbo itself...
rusk 8y ago
> It depends on your definition of good. My '96 Mk 3 Golf still runs beautifully, but I suspect that is was designed and built by a very different organisation to what is there now.

fgheorghe 8y ago

No they don't.

doikor 8y ago

They do have some baffling decent decisions every now and then though. I remember having to change the headlight on a VW transporter in the army (200X model can’t remember exact model). My hands (and all the other guys around) were too big to fit the space/hole left for such a routine operation. Had to take off the whole front mask. Took around 4 hours (never done that before). A 4 hour headlight change...