sinjun: (Daisy-cat)
sinjun ([personal profile] sinjun) wrote2008-08-11 09:12 am

following up on drives ...

I still want to test drive:

Kia  Spectra
Saturn Astra
Volkswagon Jetta.

[identity profile] courtly.livejournal.com 2008-08-13 05:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay Jetta (wagon, TDI)

[identity profile] courtly.livejournal.com 2008-08-13 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Cons:

- diesel is expensive these days.

- seats fold down, but the seat-pads and headrests have to be removed from the car for complete fold-down. This can be inconvenient especially if you intend to put them back in half-way through your trip.

- as with most diesels, rapid acceleration will generally cause blasts of black exhaust.

- There are rumours of a single timing belt that causes catastrophic failure if it fails. (i.e. the repair cost will be much higher than just replacing the belt if it fails during use).

Pros:

- handling is good.

- fuel economy is excellent. A 60L tank will have nearly a 1000km (1Mm?) range in good driving conditions. Even with higher diesel prices, that still makes for good fuel economy.

- Roomy enough for our needs, without too much extra room, or width! (YMMV!)