First day in 8 years with no VW.

Sort of down. Had to buy a new car but could not even get close to swinging enough $$$ for a new Golf. Had an A3 Gold for 8 years, nearly 150k miles. But it was old and after putting 2 grand in repairs, another 1.5 grand showed up. I was tired of putting money into a car with no end in sight. So I had to buy a new car on the cheap. I hate used cars so never buy them. I had not really followed VW's prices recently so was taken aback at how much the Golf costs. I sure would buy one again if I had the $$$. So I got what I could, a (UGH) Chevy Aveo hatchback. I never got to drive an A1 Golf, but I imagine it was similar to this car. Light as heck. Tiny, fits nearly anywhere. Amazing fuel milage. Maybe it doesnt handle as well as an A1. And it only costs 10 grand. Decent warranty. I'll see how it holds up. Not expecting much. I just wish VW had a cheaper car. They used to be the people's car.

Its hard not driving a VW anymore. and I hate Chevy's.

Reply to
rat
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Be glad you got a new car at all. I don't know how anybody can afford them. How come you didn't shop around and buy a good used VW from somebody like I did? Fred

Reply to
Fred Fartalot

Probably because he said: "I hate used cars so never buy them."

There was a time that I'd agree but after we bought two used cars (late model, low miles) and two years later they're doing well, I'm a convert. We bought a '00 BMW 328Ci in summer of '02 with 18K miles on it and a '00 VW Eurovan in spring of '02 with 25K miles on it and each has been relatively trouble-free since then, yet we got good deals on them and didn't pay that several-thousand "new car tax" (aka: depreciation) for the privilege of driving it off the lot.

Reply to
Matt B.

It's hard for a small light car to handle *bad*, since the automaker would have to make it overly squishy deliberately. If there's anything bad about its handling, I'll bet it probably just has skinny tires. Wider rims and tires would help that. Otherwise I'm sure it handles fine.

For that price, the Aveo would be in my top three to search for. Plus I kinda like the small-Euro-car styling (even though it isn't from a Euro manufacturer). I sat in one at last year's auto show and for the price it's not bad at all. Roomy/airy interior and I believe it's a 16V engine right? Should have decent pep.

An important consideration when price is concerned and it sounds like your #1 criteria is cost (purchase and maintenance), so I think you did well.

Me too. VW needs a model here like the Polo or the old Fox (but newer of course than the old Fox was...such as its successor...the Gol/Pointer). But VWoA continues to ignore that part of the market. I heard a year or so ago that the Brazilian-made Polo sedan was of interest to VWoA, but lately I've heard nothing new.

If it's any consolation, the only thing Chevy about your Aveo is the bowtie badge. The car is a rebadged Daewoo.

Reply to
Matt B.

It's still a better looking car then the Toyota Echo, especially the diminuative hatchback version (Canada only car... US gets the Scion brand... which Canada should also get, since we buy more smaller cars over midsize/larger ones).

$10k is a difficult range to get a good car in, especially used... they all tend to be higher Kms, old enough to have no more warranty, and right on the verge of hitting that point in age where every car needs some major parts replacement... There's almost no point to buy a used car that is going to need another 5 grand to get it running perfectly again... Most $10k cars my friends have bought seem to need brakes, timing belt, exhaust, some minor things, usually new shocks, definately tires - and in the case of one friend... a new transaxel after only 6 months .

One poster said he lucked in with late model low kms used cars... well the thing is these would still go for around $20+k around here - easily.... Sure you save money in depreciation but they will need replacement parts sooner, and the insurance may be higher due to it being a more valuable car.

Reply to
Rob Guenther

Yeah I know that. I really want to take a chisel and remove that Chevy bowtie! have to control that urge!!!

So far its ok for its price. I tried to find a cheap Golf GL but they hardly exist. Only 2 in the entire Northern Illinois area.

99.9% of the Golf's here are GLS's. Too far out of my price range at this moment.

If this Daewoo lasts 4 years I'd be happy.

Reply to
rat

That transaxel better have been a warranty job!!

Oh I'm up the corporate ladder. Its the kid that is costing money. I really cant spend money on myself getting a car I want when it could go to him and his upbringing. That time will come later.

On the plus side, I'm looking forward to the extra milage with my 80 mile per day commute. Thats another point about the Golf I aint crazy about. The diesel would be the way to go there but I am more of a gasser.

Reply to
rat

And even a no-options GL is a bit spendier than you want I'll bet.

With the Golf/Jetta V on the horizon, they'll probably slide a tad more upmarket, making the need for VWoA to bring in a lower priced VW even more necessary. There's a gap at the bottom of the VW range that's big enough to drive a Polo through :)

I've no experience with Daewoos but I know someone with a Kia Rio sedan that uses it as a courier for his business. They run the wheels off that car and it just about refuses to die. They did bust a timing belt at close to 90K miles I think it was but they had already ignored the normal replacement interval (60K I think) so it wasn't the car's fault. Kia replaced the engine under warranty anyway! How's that for service? VW should be just half that nice. Anyway, if Kias are anything to go by in terms of Korean cars these days, Daewoos should be OK too.

Reply to
Matt B.

The exact model is the Daewoo Kalos.

There is about $2000 in markup over what it sells in Korea for, btw, even if you factor in the poor exchange rate right now. (6,650,000 - 9,090,000(hatch) 7,780,000 - 9,200,000(sedan)) $6,263 - $8,561(ABS/etc) $7,327 - $8,665(top model made)

Note - a month ago, this was an even wider gap. I passed on considering one just because of this - it is obvious that they are making enough money in Korea to make a profit and keep the dealers in business, as this is *MSRP* in Korea, yet they gouge more for the same car shipped over to the U.S.(and also shipping in addition - we pay for the cost to get it to the U.S.)

In reality, the budget model is probably $6000 base price after conversion, in Korea, and the top model is ~$8000.

You pay GM $2-4K for the Chevy badge.

Oh - this also should give you an idea of what the car is worth in materials compared to even a Echo. If it lasts 4-5 years without problems, I'd be amazed.

I'd take a few year old Jetta V6 with low miles over any of those econo-boxes. It really is one of the few ~10K used cars out there that is a good deal.

Reply to
Joseph Oberlander

Does it look like _this_?

Not bad looking.

TBerk

Reply to
T

For $6,500, no. For $10K after GM has its way with acessories, it's just not worth it.

Reply to
Joseph Oberlander

Well all I can say is you seem typical for corporate America! Don't take this wrong, as I know we're all brain washed from toddlers to the "American dream".... but spending ten grand on a POS car (& I bet you financed it - how much are you *actually* paying for it?) to save $1,500 on a repair on a *nice* car is well, just stupid to me. Of course I could never afford *any* new car since I'm just a skilled laborer in this country (auto body & frame). Another thing wrong with this country is people driving OUTRAGEOUS distances to work! 80 miles???!!! We are FAR too dependent on foriegn oil for everyone to be doing that!!! My $.20 (adjusted for Bush's inflation due to massive deficit) BTW; that bowtie is probably a stick-on. Get out your hair dryer & heat it up & see if it dosen't peel right off...

~ Paul aka "Tha Driver"

Giggle Cream - it makes dessert *funny*!

Reply to
ThaDriver

Reply to
Rob Guenther

That's the sedan model. There's a 5-door hatchback version too.

Reply to
Matt B.

Even if the cars aren't the most advanced (but they're nipping at the heels of Toyota and Honda these days), you have to give the Koreans credit for trying to make the ownership experience fairly painless. VW(oA) could learn quite a bit there. When shopping for a car for my partner's sister two years ago, we visited Hyundai (Elantra) and VW (Jetta) and the Hyundai dealership was by far more polite, courteous, and not antagonistic at all. The experience at the VW dealer was downright miserable.

Reply to
Matt B.

The Aveo Is made by Daewoo which also makes the Suzuki Swift.

Reply to
M Power

Really depends on the dealer tho... I know of a bad Hyundai dealer, and I know of a good VW dealer and a good Volvo dealer... so my families bases are covered for cars... 2 Golf's and a 960 wagon.... Hopefully soon to be 1 Golf, 1 Jetta/Golf V (or 1 Volvo S40 if I have the cash next year, or the current style Passat... I haven't made up my mind yet... all I know is I want: larger, more power, gasoline engine, and manual tranny, and a decent stereo syste,), and 1 XC70.

Reply to
Rob Guenther

In 1991 Pontiac made Daewoo's because my sister had 1 but it said Lemans on it and fooled her when she buoght it..

Reply to
Fred Fartalot

Pontiac didn't make that Daewoo. Daewoo made that Pontiac.

That Pontiac LeMans was started for the '87 model year and went through '93 and it was a previous (at the time) generation Opel Kadett where the tooling was shipped to Daewoo in S. Korea.

Reply to
Matt B.

I work in a laboratory as a scientist, not a pencil pusher or bean counter.

POS why? And I would be financing waaaaaay more if I bought a VW.

Hence the need for a better milage car. There are 5 SUV's in the parking lot where I work for every car. Its a suburb and I want to live in the city, again, the reason for the long commute.

Reply to
rat

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