VW and Volvo tops with certified used vehicles
Looking to replace your rusted out Zastava? Buying brand new is a hard pill to swallow when you start to run the numbers. Given the durability of modern powertrains, pretty much any car will make it to 150,000 miles without so much as a whimper, provided you maintain it. Taking that longevity into account, buying used, *ahem* pre-owned, is a great way to stretch what you can get for your budget. We're all aware of the cracks about used car salesmen being shifty-eyed greaseballs upholstered in horrid plaid sportcoats. We've met a few of those, but the current fashion for pre-loved cars is factory-backed programs that pluck the plums from the rotten apples, gives them a thorough once-over and placing them just across the lot from the brand new ones.
Among all of the certified used vehicle initiatives, Volkswagen and Volvo come out on top, according to Intellichoice.com. This is the fourth year in a row that Volkswagen has been ranked the best in the non-luxury category. Volvo beat out last year's winner, Cadillac, on the strength of its compliance program. Intellichoice ranks the programs based on the warranty length, rigor of the inspections, roadside assistance, and return and exchange policies, as well as how well the standards of the programs are actually enforced. Among the top finishers are previous toppers Cadillac and Jaguar, along with MINI and Hyundai. Hyundai went from the bottom of the list last year to a third place finish by changing financing deals and applying it's crushingly good 10 year warranty to used vehicles, as well. Among those aforementioned brands, we think you'll be able to find something you'll like almost as much as that Zastava.
[Source: Auto News - sub req]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
leather bear 3:13PM (10/28/2007)
Thanks for the link to Zastava. In the midst of all the Tokyo and SEMA hype of the past few days, it's a jolt back to reality to know that the Yugo still lives on (as the Zastava Koral). The retro dance beat at the site's intro was just icing on this (very old) cake.
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Farris 3:22PM (10/28/2007)
I'm very surprised... this story has been up for quite some time without all the VW haters coming out of the woodwork.
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Vivek 3:55PM (10/28/2007)
You tempted me, so let me give it a shot: Maybe the reason VW has some of the best used cars is because the owners of new VW's can wait to get rid of them.
Kris 5:00PM (10/28/2007)
VW does still have its share of quality problems, but its usually the first owner that has to deal with most of the issues. By the time the second owner gets the car, it's either fixed, or the car never had the problems in the first place. And certainly not every used car gets "certified."
I bought a certified 2003 Jetta Wagon a year and a half ago and it's been great. I wouldn't have bought a used VW without some additional coverage.
Kris 5:00PM (10/28/2007)
VW does still have its share of quality problems, but its usually the first owner that has to deal with most of the issues. By the time the second owner gets the car, it's either fixed, or the car never had the problems in the first place. And certainly not every used car gets "certified."
I bought a certified 2003 Jetta Wagon a year and a half ago and it's been great. I wouldn't have bought a used VW without some additional coverage.
graviton 6:16PM (10/28/2007)
VW is teh suxor and is only for people who wish they could drive Audis. There how was that?
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Maestro1 6:31PM (10/28/2007)
Yeah but that's like saying Toyota is the suxor and only for people who wish they could drive Lexus. Or Nissan is the suxor and only for people who wish they could drive Infiniti. Or Honda is the suxor and only for people who wish they could drive Acura. Shall I go on? LoL!
graviton 8:47PM (10/28/2007)
LOL please do keep going on. I want to see what happens when you get to Ford, GM, and Chrysler.
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zamafir 12:17AM (10/29/2007)
bwahahaha man i'm with you... cuz those Lincoln models are so diverse when compared to ford products :)
Joe 4:14PM (10/30/2007)
I just bought a new car this weekend. I researched for weeks, and ended up with a Honda, trading my Jetta in after years of trouble with everything but the drive train, and even that was starting to go (rear end trouble). VW would have been one of the last brands I would have purchased based only on the research, but the personal experience put the exclamation point on my strict avoidance of anything with the (VW) emblem.
Consumer Reports rated several VW models on their most UN-reliable list, just published this last month. I think I trust them quite a bit more than Intellichoice.
I did not used to be a VW hater. For the first 6 months we owned our Jetta it was awesome. But it will take significant quality improvements from them to ever lure me back again.
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Random Task 1:00AM (10/29/2007)
You just don't understand superior German engineering. Drive your stinking appliances, while the German car conisseurs enjoy their VWs, BMWs, Porsches and Mercedes when they're not on the back of a flatbed car.
zamafir 1:57AM (10/29/2007)
you bought a 2.5? and it cratered after 6 months? what failed?
Rick 10:58AM (10/29/2007)
He had the VW for 'years'. The '6 months' was the car new and trouble free. I assume it fell apart over the years. My Jetta was in the shop every 4 months or so. No problem with a warranty. However, once that warranty ended those trips to the dealer became very expensive. I like VWs, but I'm reluctant to own another. Myabe a lease so I can turn it back in before it croacks.
Dr. Woo 11:08AM (10/30/2007)
Part of it has to do with how obsessive many VW owners are with their cars. I can tell you the GTI I just traded in will be a great buy for the next owner. I included all of my service records and my own personal logbook of everything ever done to the car, right down to the number of gallons per fill-up.
If the R32 gets traded in, it'll be the same situation.
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Sinan 8:35PM (11/08/2007)
Driving a diesel Mk. I here. Not a single problem with it. Changed clutch, brakes etc. But those are usual. Starting to rust, but only because its 1983. I think it depends which car you get. My luck with VW has been good. I have 5 of them in my family and none of them are near going bad. Three of them are high mileage (above 100K miles), while two are mid 20s.
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