help me buy a car?

[SallySparrow]

So, I'm torn between the rational adult decision, what I want to get, and the middle of the road compromise. They're all used cars, New isn't an option.

Car 1) Prius. 2012. 48,000 miles. Clean history. One owner. $15,980. 50 mpg.

2) VW Jetta. 2013. 22,000 miles. Clean history. One owner. $16,500. 35ish mpg

3) VW Tiguan. 2012. 26,000 miles. Clean history. 2 owners. $16,900. 23 mpg


I drive every day for work, sometimes 100+ miles. More often around 50 miles. I do get paid mileage, 44 cents/mile.

I want the Tiguan, the jetta (which is what I drove before) is the compromise. The rational adult part of my brain says get the Prius. I didn't like driving it as much, but gas mileage!!1!

I'll try to add a poll, on my phone, but what would you do?

EDIT: I accidentally listed the Prius as a 2010 on the poll, it's a 2012. I can't edit it from my phone. Or I don't know how.

[Deleted]

I would do the Prius or the Jetta. That's a HUGE difference in gas mileage between the tiguan and thejetta. And the jetta has fewer miles (not a lot, but some) and is cheaper. The Prius has more miles but I trust Toyotas for the long haul.

[SallySparrow]

Everyone is going to vote Prius and then I'm going to feel guilty for wanting a VW. lol

I feel like a little kid, "but I want that one!", when I know what I want isn't the most responsible choice.

[BAMFMrsB]

I drive a Jetta (TDI) so I'm biased, but the Tiguan actually has a VERY limited cargo space. If you're looking for something that makes hauling 'kid stuff' easier, I don't think it will be the right fit for a family car. A good read blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2013/09/2013-volkswagen-tiguan-family-checklist-.html

I really do like the mpg's of the Prius. My diesel gets 33-35 in town and can get up to 42 highway. 50mpg is just whoa.

I get the hesitation. I think the rational/adult choice is the Prius. 

[SallySparrow]

Jul 17, 2014 9:46:42 GMT -5 @mrsbecky07 said:

I would do the Prius or the Jetta. That's a HUGE difference in gas mileage between the tiguan and thejetta. And the jetta has fewer miles (not a lot, but some) and is cheaper. The Prius has more miles but I trust Toyotas for the long haul.

Yeah, the Tiguan gas mileage sucks. It's just so cute and roomy.

[SallySparrow]

Jul 17, 2014 9:50:43 GMT -5 BAMFMrsB said:

I drive a Jetta (TDI) so I'm biased, but the Tiguan actually has a VERY limited cargo space. If you're looking for something that makes hauling 'kid stuff' easier, I don't think it will be the right fit for a family car. A good read blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2013/09/2013-volkswagen-tiguan-family-checklist-.html

I really do like the mpg's of the Prius. My diesel gets 33-35 in town and can get up to 42 highway. 50mpg is just whoa.

I get the hesitation. I think the rational/adult choice is the Prius. 

Thanks for that link. We are planning on having another child at some point, and we don't pack light, so maybe it would be harder to fit everything than I thought...

[SallySparrow]

Jul 17, 2014 9:52:41 GMT -5 TamiTaylor said:

The Tiguan is a small SUV, right? I'd pick that one for the room. But I also have 3 dogs plus DS so we need all the room we can get.

Yeah, they also have the Toureg, which is a little bigger, but even used one's are more than I want to pay. And the gas mileage is just as bad.

[CrazyLucky]

Is the Prius a 2010 or a 2012? Your poll and the description are different.
I was in exactly your place in 2010. The baby made my Mustang useless and I had to get a grown up car. I wanted the Sonata, but the Toyota dealer gave us a good price, and we got the Prius. We drive 45 miles each way. The car is almost four years old and has 120k miles on it.
As far as practicality goes, it really is good. All of our miles are highway, so we only get about 45mpg, but compared to the mustang, it cuts gas consumption in half. We can fit both kids with their giant convertible carseats in the back. We can take it for a quick weekend trip to Grandma's, but most trips require us to use the minivan. I hate the stereo. Hate. Not the sound, I hate that it only displays 10 characters or whatever, so I don't know the song title. And it scrolls through so slowly...The sound is good though.
For reliability, and this better not jinx me, it's been great. I've had all the scheduled maintenance done. The only things I've had to replace are reasonable, like tires, filters, windshield wipers. No major repairs yet.
If I had to do it over again, I'd still get the Prius. I don't LOVE the Prius, but the idea of spending more than the approximately $400/month we presently spend on gas makes me like it well enough.

[SallySparrow]

Jul 17, 2014 9:57:35 GMT -5 CrazyLucky said:

Is the Prius a 2010 or a 2012? Your poll and the description are different.
I was in exactly your place in 2010. The baby made my Mustang useless and I had to get a grown up car. I wanted the Sonata, but the Toyota dealer gave us a good price, and we got the Prius. We drive 45 miles each way. The car is almost four years old and has 120k miles on it.
As far as practicality goes, it really is good. All of our miles are highway, so we only get about 45mpg, but compared to the mustang, it cuts gas consumption in half. We can fit both kids with their giant convertible carseats in the back. We can take it for a quick weekend trip to Grandma's, but most trips require us to use the minivan. I hate the stereo. Hate. Not the sound, I hate that it only displays 10 characters or whatever, so I don't know the song title. And it scrolls through so slowly...The sound is good though.
For reliability, and this better not jinx me, it's been great. I've had all the scheduled maintenance done. The only things I've had to replace are reasonable, like tires, filters, windshield wipers. No major repairs yet.
If I had to do it over again, I'd still get the Prius. I don't LOVE the Prius, but the idea of spending more than the approximately $400/month we presently spend on gas makes me like it well enough.

Crap. It's a 2012. I'll see if I can edit the poll...

Thanks for the info!

[andthentherewere10]

I've heard bad things about jettas.

I have no idea what a TIguan is.

[SallySparrow]

Jul 17, 2014 10:00:16 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

I've heard bad things about jettas.

I have no idea what a TIguan is.

Yeah, I had one, until I just wrecked it, which is why I need a new car. I loved it and had no issues, but I've heard some people do.

[lilac05]

Do you have another car for weekend trips? If so, I'd get the Prius. If not, I'd keep looking. If you don't pack lightly & plan to have a second child relatively soon, things will get very tight when traveling. (We take road trips often, so that's a big deal for us. If you don't travel often, you can rent a bigger vehicle for trips with the money that you save on gas...and "profit" from reimbursement.)

[WinterWine]

Can you get a TDI Tiguan? They are more expensive but have a better engine and better mileage( though it still will be much lower than the other two).

I understand the want, but given how much you drive I would be tempted towards a sedan.

[SallySparrow]

Jul 17, 2014 10:12:14 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

Do you have another car for weekend trips? If so, I'd get the Prius. If not, I'd keep looking. If you don't pack lightly & plan to have a second child relatively soon, things will get very tight when traveling. (We take road trips often, so that's a big deal for us. If you don't travel often, you can rent a bigger vehicle for trips with the money that you save on gas...and "profit" from reimbursement.)

The only other vehicle we have is my husband's Toyota Tacoma. Not exactly good for travel.

[SallySparrow]

Jul 17, 2014 10:13:02 GMT -5 WinterWine said:

Can you get a TDI Tiguan? They are more expensive but have a better engine and better mileage( though it still will be much lower than the other two).

I understand the want, but given how much you drive I would be tempted towards a sedan.

I looked, but there aren't any for sale in my area/price range.

[rbp]

Jul 17, 2014 10:00:16 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

I've heard bad things about jettas.

Yeah, anecdotally I've had enough friends with problems with VWs that I'd be nervous to get one, but obviously lots of people like them. The Jetta you're considering is not diesel, correct?

What kind of miles do you drive? The Prius gets great mileage in all conditions, but it's best in city/stop-and-go driving and a little less on the highway.

ETA: Maybe look for a Prius v in your area? I think they started making them in 2012. They're a few grand more expensive than the original Prius, but they're HUGE and still get good gas mileage (~42 mpg). I am in love with mine.

[chicago]

I responded in your thread for Prius owners, but I was in a similar scenario. I wanted to get an Acura RDX because it's cute and closer to what I was used to (SUVs), and peppier, etc. I went with the Prius because it would save me more money in the long run. I still love the RDX when I see them on the road, but you know what I don't like? Going to the gas station and, with my Prius, I only go once a month to fill up. I think I mentioned that I like riding in my husband's car better because it's got a nicer interior, but i really don't notice that when I'm driving the Prius. It's really a great car and I would buy it again in a heartbeat, and I've driven it through two Chicago winters having come from only owning Jeeps.

[curbsideprophet]

I say get the Prius or look for a Prius v if you are concerned about size.

I also have no desire to own a VW. I would not want to deal with taking it to the shop all time. This is just my impression from the people I know who own VWs.

[magpie]

I would get the Prius, but I have a Prius and am a fan. I don't see why you would get the Jetta at all though. It seems really impractical. At least with the hatchback, the Prius seems a lot more practical in terms of space.

[turtletop90]

I'm biased because I love our Prius. The gas mileage is awesome, and the cargo space is surprisingly roomy because of the hatchback.

For perspective, I have a long commute too, and I only have to gas up once a week with the Prius vs. once every 2-3 days when I have to take our CRV. Also, it's $25 to fill the Prius tank vs. $45+ to fill the CRV.

Seems like a no-brainer to me!

[SallySparrow]

Uhh...I just test drove a 2013 Passat on my lunch. Same mpg as the jetta. More room. 36000 miles.

Guys, I need to stop driving things.

[carolinagirl831]

I think there is no comparison between a toyota and a VW. I think you're going to have more repairs and way more costly repairs with a VW no question!

[jackie011]

I think you know what to do, but I will say this- I had to get a new car last year because mine was totaled in a storm. I had what I thought was an SUV with decent gas mileage. I bought an SUV with excellent gas mileage and it makes a huge difference. I drive a Mazda CX-5, and while there are things I don't love, the gas mileage always seems to trump those other factors. I do mostly in town, surface road driving. DH just took it on a 3,000 mile road trip and cannot stop raving about how great it was to go so far between filling up.

[SallySparrow]

I'm going to drive the Prius again tonight. Maybe I'll get used to it.

[mrscreanium]

I have a 2012 Tiguan and H drives an 09 Jetta. We love VWs! Tig is fun, I LOVE it ... however I got it before the baby was born. Had I known how much room a stroller was going to take up in the back, I would have bought something else. Thats my only complaint with the tig -- there just isn't a ton of cargo. My groceries end up on top of the stroller. We will have ours for another year then replace it with a bigger SUV. H wants to replace the Jetta with a Passat, yesterday. I wouldn't want a Jetta with 2 carseats or a double stroller so I'd definitely take the Passat over the Jetta.

[SallySparrow]

Well, the Prius sold before we got there, so that is that. They're going to look fit one at their sister dealership for us and we'll see what they find.

At this point I just want it to be over with. I am stressed out and tired of driving a rental.

[imojoebunny]

I would get the VW, if you can afford the gas. My old neighbor has had one for 12 years. My Prius friends all rent cars for road trips with there families of four, though not three.

I have a hybrid Toyota highlander, and have never gotten the stated gas mileage, not even close. It's suppose to be 30, but averages around 23, sometimes as low as 19. I live in the south, where you run AC 7 months a year, which seems to make the mileage much worse. You are also suppose to get better gas mileage around town, but this is only true, if you don't accelerate very fast, and by very fast, I mean anything that won't annoy the crap out of people behind you.

Low miles are also a huge bonus.

[bowies]

I owned a Tourareg (the Tiguan's big brother) for under a year because it sucked so bad. It wasn't a good decision to buy it to begin with and I took another hit getting rid of it. I'd never buy another VW product again. So I'm heavily biased towards the Toyota choice.

If you're wanting a small SUV, have you considered a RAV-4, CRV, or Hyundai?

[curbsideprophet]

I get the stated mileage one my Prius v.