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Need input from Vanagon experts

I'm about to sell our '98 Grand Voyager, which has been a complete nightmare as far as cost of ownership, mainly due to the $2700 we got to put into the transmission, which, it turns out, is normal, even though Consumer Reports says it was fixed for '98. Anyway, my parts guy says I should consider a Vanagon, specifically '86+. I've owned two Sciroccos, a Ghia, and a Beetle, so I know my way around a VW as far as keeping it on the road. I want to get some input on what to expect from a Vanagon in the way of specific problems, strong points, fuel economy, or anything else anyone can share. The GV is on its way out; it's just a matter of gathering the information required to decide what to get as a replacement.

We need to put three child seats in whatever we buy, so if anyone has a recommendation on a reliable car that will fit the bill for somewhere in the $3-4k range (or less, if possible), let me know that as well. We recently sold an '87 BMW 528e with 200k miles, and it was outstanding, but too small for what we need now. I'm not sure if an older 735i would do it for us or not.

Feel free to e-mail me privately if you want.

Thanks in advance. Aaron '88 MR2 NA '70 Beetle project '92 Pathfinder

Reply to
Aaron and Aimee Ness
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Reply to
Jo Bo

Having owned a 84 Vanagon and selling it when we bought our 93 Eurovan-mv I can say that Vanagons are a very roomy and handy vehicles. However the cylinder heads are a nightmare! They seem to be fine in Europe but are subject to corrosion and leakage in the US. In addition to that the newest Vanagon is a 92 in the US. That's 13 years old. I don't think many 13 year old vehicles are real reliable. VW's EV are a more modern design, handle much better in the snow and have more power. Enough power for air conditioning. Lots of room for three child seats in the rear seat. Look at a MV version with the folding, rear facing center seats. Even if you don't camp the center seats folded up gives lots of room for strollers. The wife loves her EV-MV for caring for the 2 grand kids during the day.If you look you can find them reasonablly priced. Like any front wheel drive vehicles the engine compartment is cramped. the radiator folds outward to give access to sparkplugs and stuff. The I5 audi derivved engine is a workhorse and gives little problems. Some owners of the ZF automatics have had early and costly transmission repairs. Mine is fine so far but they all shift rough. As far as consumer reports goes I find them very biased and unreliable. Take what they say with a grain of salt.

Joe R.

Reply to
Jo Bo

Vanagons are affordable fairly reliable vehicles with a ton of room inside. The 7-passenger trim can handle 5 child seats and still have plenty of room for adults and cargo. The problems are:

1) They're old. You need to find a well-maintained example, and those are getting rare. 2) They had a design flaw in the cyl heads that can cause coolant leakage. Make sure the heads have been "done", flush the system regularly and you'll be fine. 3) They're underpowered and are not aerodynamic. Plan your acceleration windows, and be prepared to wrestle a bit against the winds and truck wakes, etc.

I've owned 4 and loved every one of them. There is nothing like 'em.

Reply to
Patrick Owen

Stay away, and then think newer like a Eurovan with standard transmission.

Reply to
Woodchuck

The Vanagon, for all its' desirable assets, is not going to be a zero maintenance vehicle. Virtually any example you get in the market today, will require some work (and some more than others).

The Vanagon (later years in particular) have a unique engine in VW's history. Derived from the aircooled engine, it wasn't a particular sucessful design for the US market. It required a serious attention to maintenance that is just didn't get in most people's hands. This lead to the "head leaking" issue.

By today's standards, the engine is also pretty underpowered. The inital outlay of $3-4K is only the beginning point with most Vanagons now-a-days (unfortunately).

If YOU really want to go with a Vanagon, your best bet would be the air-cooled variety (80-early 83). You wouldn't have air-conditioning, but you'd likely have a reliable vehicle in your price range.

Later models would entail more cost (initial and subsequent).

I own 3 Vanagons (86 7 passenger, 90 Doublecab, 91 Camper....all with the 4 wheel drive mechanism, Syncro, that VW offered on a few Vanagons.)

"I'm sorry, all my money is tied up in currency." W.C.Fields

Reply to
KimBrennan

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