Jump to content

VW Passat, GMC Acadia or Nissan Pathfinder


jsharr

Recommended Posts

Pretty sure I am not going to get another truck.  I loved it, and it served me well and it held value incredibly well, but I think I want a change.

The cars I am considering will be 2015 or newer, 20,000 miles or less and under $20,000

I can get a nicely equipped 2017 Passat with around 10,000 miles for that

Or a 2016 or so GMC Acadia or Nissan Pathfinder.

The GMC may be too small and the Nissan has a CV transmission, which I do not think I will like, but I plan to go drive all three cars this weekend, or as soon as GEICO gives me the check for my truck after we pay off the loan.

I am also looking at newer year model Chevy Impalas and the Nissan Frontier pick ups.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

VW repair costs are going to be more expensive, but hopefully with a relatively new Passat you'd have some time before yours needed a lot of work.  I suspect Indy may offer a more negative VW opinion.  I drove my 2000 Jetta for around 120K miles with few problems, then I traded it in as a number of big repairs were looming (suspension, clutch, timing belt)

When I bought my Accord I test drove a Passat with the 5-cylinder engine and found it to be on the sluggish side, but a huge and comfortable interior (and for that reason it was a real close call between the two)

Wasn't your Silverado having some weird electrical problems?  Our Traverse (Acadia twin) was having issues like that and it was part of the impetus to get rid of it.  

I can offer no meaningful experience with Nissans.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Even with the CV transmission?  I had one in the Ford for almost 10 years and it was okay on even ground but sucked ass in the mountains when we invaded Colorado

I live in flat land with no real mountain experience with Nissans.  I recently bought my wife a Murano and it is a nice driving car.  No issues with the CV T at all. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Even with the CV transmission?  I had one in the Ford for almost 10 years and it was okay on even ground but sucked ass in the mountains when we invaded Colorado

They had some issues with them at first, but everyone is pretty happy with it now that they've got it down.

Personally, I prefer the old Pathfinders though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, AirwickWithCheese said:

I get tired of you people lording your new car purchases, and your fancy automobiles over the forum. :(

I will use this to transport Martha and the puppies to and fro.  It will also transport my 6'4" and growing man beast, so it must be large.  I may go with the Pathfinder.

  • Heart 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, TrentonMakes said:

VW repair costs are going to be more expensive, but hopefully with a relatively new Passat you'd have some time before yours needed a lot of work.  I suspect Indy may offer a more negative VW opinion.  I drove my 2000 Jetta for around 120K miles with few problems, then I traded it in as a number of big repairs were looming (suspension, clutch, timing belt)

When I bought my Accord I test drove a Passat with the 5-cylinder engine and found it to be on the sluggish side, but a huge and comfortable interior (and for that reason it was a real close call between the two)

Wasn't your Silverado having some weird electrical problems?  Our Traverse (Acadia twin) was having issues like that and it was part of the impetus to get rid of it.  

I can offer no meaningful experience with Nissans.

I had numerous issues with my VW Tiguan that had the turbocharged engine.  I think it's the 1.8 turbo they use in several of their products. It's a peppy engine but does prefer premium fuel.

 But they have a history of fuel injection issues and I had regular problems at around 60k miles.  They were all warrantied but I had a VW mechanic pull me aside during one visit and tell me, If I were you trade this in before it comes off warranty...

I had it in for fuel injection issues 3 times in a one year period so I traded it in after the third time in. I think it was warranties up to 115k miles.

Other than that I really liked the car.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, ChrisL said:

I had numerous issues with my VW Tiguan that had the turbocharged engine.  I think it's the 1.8 turbo they use in several of their products. It's a peppy engine but does prefer premium fuel.

 But they have a history of fuel injection issues and I had regular problems at around 60k miles.  They were all warrantied but I had a VW mechanic pull me aside during one visit and tell me, If I were you trade this in before it comes off warranty...

I had it in for fuel injection issues 3 times in a one year period so I traded it in after the third time in. I think it was warranties up to 115k miles.

Other than that I really liked the car.

Yeah, the 1.8T scares me.  I figured it might be spendy to maintain, but I love the look of the interior and it does not look like every other car on the road.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, jsharr said:

I will use this to transport Martha and the puppies to and fro.  It will also transport my 6'4" and growing man beast, so it must be large.  I may go with the Pathfinder.

It would be a good choice as I think it tends to depreciate a little quicker, so since you are buying used, you get more vehicle for your money.  The CVT's are weird if you aren't used to them, but they are not bad once you get used to it.  Just takes time so try not to over think that part on the test drive.  Just remember it's going to be different.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Indy said:

It would be a good choice as I think it tends to depreciate a little quicker, so since you are buying used, you get more vehicle for your money.  The CVT's are weird if you aren't used to them, but they are not bad once you get used to it.  Just takes time so try not to over think that part on the test drive.  Just remember it's going to be different.

I drove a Ford Freestyle with a 3.0 v6 and a CVT for almost 10 years prior to the Silverado.  I know what to expect, to a degree that is.  Have not driven the Nissan and the technology has probably advanced.  

I know my heavily loaded Freestyle did not do well going down steep mountain passes in Co.  Slumgullion pass was hard on it.  But then again, it claims the steepest roads in Co, so there is that.

https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/3799-slumgullion-pass.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, jsharr said:

I drove a Ford Freestyle with a 3.0 v6 and a CVT for almost 10 years prior to the Silverado.  I know what to expect, to a degree that is.  Have not driven the Nissan and the technology has probably advanced.  

I know my heavily loaded Freestyle did not do well going down steep mountain passes in Co.  Slumgullion pass was hard on it.  But then again, it claims the steepest roads in Co, so there is that.

https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/3799-slumgullion-pass.html

The Pathfinder is a completely different beast, it's actually still has a decent towing capacity.  So if it can handle towing 6k behind it, I don't think going up a mountain pass with nothing in tow would be an issue.

 

Freestyle had basically no towing capacity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Yeah, the 1.8T scares me.  I figured it might be spendy to maintain, but I love the look of the interior and it does not look like every other car on the road.

There was a lot I liked about the VW.  if you can find one with a different engine it may be worth looking at.  I think the 2.5 non turbo engine has been solid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, ChrisL said:

There was a lot I liked about the VW.  if you can find one with a different engine it may be worth looking at.  I think the 2.5 non turbo engine has been solid.

After my last VW, I'll never own another German vehicle.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Indy said:

After my last VW, I'll never own another German vehicle.

yes, that's what I thought. ;)

My Jetta had a 1.8T, but I think that engine was not quite the same as the current version.  At the time I was shopping they were just starting to sell Passats with the 1.8T (only the automatic Wolfsburg).  If they had Passats with the turbo and a stick when I was shopping I think I'd be driving one now.  (I did not choose the Accord for its looks.)

My Jetta was as much fun to drive as any car I've owned, and it had by far the best stereo of all of them.  (I did not choose the Accord for its sound system.)

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

Which year & model VW did you have and what kind of problems?  I don't necessarily disagree with your sentiment, just curious.

Had a Tuareg, those haven't improved.  Freaking unbelievably great vehicle when it was right.  It was hardly ever right and even VW mechanics were just guessing at what the problem was, so I started doing all the work myself.  I could usually get everything right and going for about month, then it was back to guessing what went wrong this time.  The problem is, they over design things so bad, that it ends up being bad.  I actually had repairs where the repair was to cut things out and just remove the system causing the issue and then everything works perfectly, that's nuts when things are so complex, that removing it when it fails is the best fix.

  • Awesome 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Indy said:

Freaking unbelievably great vehicle when it was right.

^^^ This.  LOVE my GTI, but right now as it sits in the driveway with it's coolant on a  street in Philly, I hate it.  I have the 1.8T in the Passat, the engiine is fine.  Most of that car's problems are due to poor treatment by the PO.

I can't complain, the GTI is 17 years old, I should expect to be repairing some things

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, 12string said:

^^^ This.  LOVE my GTI, but right now as it sits in the driveway with it's coolant on a  street in Philly, I hate it.  I have the 1.8T in the Passat, the engiine is fine.  Most of that car's problems are due to poor treatment by the PO.

I can't complain, the GTI is 17 years old, I should expect to be repairing some things

Yeah I felt the same about my Tiguan.  Great car when it worked...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

Yeah I felt the same about my Tiguan.  Great car when it worked...

I actually had the Touareg off the road, out in fields, a little light mud and rocky trail.  We didn't use it as a mall crawler, my wife called it tank because that's what it felt like, thing would go anywhere and barely slip a tire.  Couldn't make it slide in the winter.  Thing was good.  In less than ideal conditions, I said it felt like a much more refined version of my old Jeep Cherokee, just an incredibly capable vehicle.  But got tired of constantly chasing gremlins and the MDX has been a suitable replacement, not as good off the road, but better on.  Pulls the boat like a freaking rocket ship too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had the 2015 Passat diesel that VW bought back from me for more than I paid for it. Good thing, because Passats don't hold their value that well but you are buying used so you benefit. Loved the diesel, and the car was OK. Just kind of bland. The Passat body is different than what is built in Europe, with the current model much larger specifically designed/built (and physically built) for the US market. A lot of room in the car. Never drove the 2.0L TSI, and when shopping, focused on the Audi A4 with the same drivetrain. One other passenger car to consider that was impressed with is the Ford Fusion Hybrid (not the base rental car).

Hopefully the $20,000 that you are referring to on a 2017 is not the negotiated price, but the starting point of asking price to begin negotiation. Negotiated price on new 2018's is not that much higher ($5000 or so) and has full warranty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Tizeye said:

I had the 2015 Passat diesel that VW bought back from me for more than I paid for it. Good thing, because Passats don't hold their value that well but you are buying used so you benefit. Loved the diesel, and the car was OK. Just kind of bland. The Passat body is different than what is built in Europe, with the current model much larger specifically designed/built (and physically built) for the US market. A lot of room in the car. Never drove the 2.0L TSI, and when shopping, focused on the Audi A4 with the same drivetrain. One other passenger car to consider that was impressed with is the Ford Fusion Hybrid (not the base rental car).

Hopefully the $20,000 that you are referring to on a 2017 is not the negotiated price, but the starting point of asking price to begin negotiation. Negotiated price on new 2018's is not that much higher ($5000 or so) and has full warranty.

Thanks.  $20,0000 is my max spend pre tax.  Most of what I am looking at is well under that.  The 2017 Passats are in the 17s with very low miles.    I will have to pay a bit more or go a year model older on the GMC or Pathfinder.

If I opt to find a V6 Passat to avoid the 1.8 turbo, I will have to go to a 2015 or 2016 and a bit higher mileage.

I am also looking at the Ford and Chevy full sized sedans.   

Have not driven any of them yet.  Going to hit up CarMax this weekend as I know I can drive a lot of the cars on my list at one place to get a feel.  Not sure I want to pay CarMax price though.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's the budget, what does it have to do (like tow), list the stuff you have to have.

But.. if I was shopping right now, I'd look at Hyundai Tuscons, Santa Fes and Sonatas.

The Sonata has severed me well for several years. It's not as reliable as a Honda, but what is. I'd say Honda but they  cost too much used for my dime.

If I had to switch, I'd look at Santa Fes and Tuscons.

Also like Mazdas..

https://www.caranddriver.com/flipbook/practical-matters-every-compact-crossover-suv-ranked-from-worst-to-best#16

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, late said:

What's the budget, what does it have to do (like tow), list the stuff you have to have.

But.. if I was shopping right now, I'd look at Hyundai Tuscons, Santa Fes and Sonatas.

The Sonata has severed me well for several years. It's not as reliable as a Honda, but what is. I'd say Honda but they  cost too much used for my dime.

If I had to switch, I'd look at Santa Fes and Tuscons.

Also like Mazdas..

https://www.caranddriver.com/flipbook/practical-matters-every-compact-crossover-suv-ranked-from-worst-to-best#16

 

Max budget that I want to spend is 20k pretax.

Only real NEED is to seat 4 comfortably and my son is 6'4' and 270 lbs, so I need full sized or roomy, or lots of head room.

Do not have to tow.  

Needs decent cargo capacity.

I would prefer not to drive a Hyundai.  Just sold one a few years back.  Decent SUV.  Earlier Santa Fe.  

My leading contender right now is the Nissan Pathfinder.  

I am driving a Toyota RAV4 right now and it just not big enough for my son to fit in and still seat 4 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Max budget that I want to spend is 20k pretax.

Only real NEED is to seat 4 comfortably and my son is 6'4' and 270 lbs, so I need full sized or roomy, or lots of head room.

Do not have to tow.  

Needs decent cargo capacity.

I would prefer not to drive a Hyundai.  Just sold one a few years back.  Decent SUV.  Earlier Santa Fe.  

My leading contender right now is the Nissan Pathfinder.  

I am driving a Toyota RAV4 right now and it just not big enough for my son to fit in and still seat 4 

So this starts and ends with the kid. I doubt this will help, but submitted for your consideration:

 

"Both eyeroom and VLH are better than headroom for picking out the best cars for tall people. As to which is better, this is debatable. For those willing to do modifications, VLH will be better. Otherwise, eyeroom might be better. But VLH has the added bonuses of being simple to measure and also evaluating how easy a car is to get into and out of; even small increases in roof height have been shown to improve posture during ingress and egress.58 When I was searching for my own car, I was desperate to find something that permitted me a straight spine, even if that meant seat modifications, so I went with VLH. You’ll find a list of VLH measurements for various cars at the bottom of this page.

The top cars for VLH are the Ford Transit Connect (51-1/2″), Ford E-series vans (49-1/8″), the pre-2007 Scion XB (47-1/2″), and the Honda Element (46-5/8″). Other noteworthy cars are the Nissan Titan (46″), the Honda Pilot (46″), the Ford Escape (46-1/4″), and the Ford Flex (46-3/8″). If you are truly desperate, there is also the commercial Mercedes Sprinter (52-3/4″)."

 

https://tall.life/best-cars-for-tall-people/

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Further said:

I know a few folks who swear by Pathfinders. One guy was in a wreck that totaled the Pathfinder and landed him in the hospital for well over a month. He credits the car with saving his life, and bought another one. 

Good to know.  Here is one I may go drive tonight

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/731668997/overview/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Max budget that I want to spend is 20k pretax.

Only real NEED is to seat 4 comfortably and my son is 6'4' and 270 lbs, so I need full sized or roomy, or lots of head room.

Do not have to tow.  

Needs decent cargo capacity.

I would prefer not to drive a Hyundai.  Just sold one a few years back.  Decent SUV.  Earlier Santa Fe.  

My leading contender right now is the Nissan Pathfinder.  

I am driving a Toyota RAV4 right now and it just not big enough for my son to fit in and still seat 4 

You didn't mention them so I didn't recommend them but Hyundai has really upped their game the past  few years and each model is replaced with a far superior one.  My wife has had 3 Elantras (she leases) and each has been great.  My SIL has a Tucson which has been trouble free.

If you are test driving anyway doesn't hurt to take one for a spin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, jsharr said:

2016 or so GMC Acadia

I have an Acadia, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  It is large enough for my needs without being too large, gets decent mileage, and has decent power and handling.

Note:  All new (2018 and later) GM vehicles now have auto stop/start, which I would not be able to live with.

 

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, jsharr said:

At the price I am willing to pay the mileage would be too high for the year model would be too old or both. My criteria is under 20000 newer than a 2015 and less than 30000 miles

While this may limit you to dealerships for specific models, within the relative new used category, consider the "Certified Pre-Owned" program car. They typically are off-lease, service courtesy cars and low mileage pre-owned that they take through a comprehensive inspection/rehab and includes an extended warranty, typically covering the car up to 100,000 miles - typically better than new car warranty. They will be at the more premium end of used cars though.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, jsharr said:

At the price I am willing to pay the mileage would be too high for the year model would be too old or both. My criteria is under 20000 newer than a 2015 and less than 30000 miles

I'm facing the same dilemma with the van purchase. I'd really like a Toyota Sienna  AWD but there are next to none available used, new they get into the mid to high thirty's real fast. I can get a low milage 1 or 2 year old dodge for around 20,000.

Wants & needs.....

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, smudge said:

Ohh, you just like that one because it's red. ;)

I do like red cars and trucks, that is a fact.  But, here is my list of cars by color

1976 Chevy Nova - silver

1980 El Camino - Blue

1988 Jeep - Red

1990 VW Fox - Champagne

1991 VW Fox - Silver

1999 Chrysler Concorde - White

2005 Ford Freestyle - Silver

2015 Chevy Silverado - Red

So I have owned more silver cars than any other color.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...