JonboyE

My Canadian VW experience. My first here was a "City" Golf - i.e. the cheapest bottom of the range model. It was built in Mexico. The exhaust fell off within the first two years and after five it developed a series of electrical problems that even the VAG specialist mechanic I used to take it to could not diagnose. When the rust broke through after seven years I got rid of it.

My next car was not a VW. But, dammit, there is something about VWs that I like so I got another two and a half years ago. This was built in the US. The car and the dealership experience has certainly gone upmarket. Two and a half years and 50K later I have not had any problems. Not that I would expect any in that time.

Pizzawheel

Ah, you've given me happy memories of my only VW experience- alos a Citi Golf, but this was the South African Golf MkI they produced alongside the Golf IV. Updated with airbags and bits and pieces but a new 1.4i engine, it was a cracking little gocart and I shed a tear when it was replaced with a Toyota Tazz (Corolla MkI also made as cheap motoring).

Atlantic Xpat

Which is one reason why I choose to lease vehicles rather than purchase. The others being the effect that a maritime climate, salt & potholes have on vehicles, the stupidly high prices of used/nearly new vehicles here, boredom with a vehicle after 3-4 years and that it works out as a lower monthly outgoing.

Our experiences over the past 11 years:

2 x Jeep Liberty's - shockingly bad build quality & the gas one was an absolute gas guzzler. (The diesel one was OK until the EGR valve crapped out but fortunately that coincided with the end of lease term)

1 x Kia Soul - reliable, reasonably well built. Value for money. Just got a little too small for us & we like the SUV / CUV style vehicle.

1 x 2004 Nissan Frontier crew cab. - Bought secondhand in 2011. Bad decision. Cost me a packet almost immediately in mechanics bills so I traded it for:

1 x 2005 Suzuki XL7 SUV - Actually a really good vehicle. Roomy, reasonably well screwed together, did us well for a couple of years until the steering box failed and it was beyond economic repair. Replaced with

1 x F150 Supercrew. The preferred family people carrying solution in this part of the world. Enjoyed it for 2 years (on lease) even though it was enormous, relatively thirsty (ecoboost 3.5l actually more economic than the Jeep I ran years earlier) and more than we needed. I'm tempted to have another one on a 2 year lease as gas prices will be low for at least that time.

1 x Ford Escape 2.0T. My current driver & the Mrs's beforehand. 2.0T ecoboost. It's a CUV so by design dull but reasonably, for the class, nippy and handles well. Seems well enough built. (in Mexico). Tows my utility trailer with the quad/lawn tractor with ease. Goes back this August.

1 x Toyota Rav4 - The Mrs's current motor. Automotive greige (to coin dbd's phrase) personified. I'm sure it's reliable as hell but it's dull to drive, has shockingly poor interior ergonomics and I prefer driving the Escape every time. We have 3 years on a 4 year lease left to run.

Who knows whats next. CUV's/SUV's seem practical enough tools given small kids, a bit of towing capacity required and a surfeit of weather meaning that AWD can be a useful thing!

R I C H

I've lots of experience of that. Over 8 months of lost use between various vehicles purchased here. The 2 long block replacements I needed took 2 months each to get parts shipped here for repair.

Resale has never been an issue fortunately. They've been leased or I've insisted on a new replacement.

scrubbedexpat091

Our's is only 3 so still fairly new, but we know a few people with 10+ year old Mazda's that are still running strong.

Our mechanic (independent not affiliated with Mazda) has nothing bad to say about the cars, he says they run pretty reliably in his view, but my god does he have so much to say about VW's, they seem to have issues from what he sees working on a variety of different cars.

My mom has a 2 year old Hyundai and she is always getting some warranty work done, thing is always in the shop it seems.



Mazda is the first foreign car I have had, so far so good. Will come back in 5 years and let you know how it's going...

Previously everything else was used and pretty old GM cars, I did have 1 new Chevrolet from 1999 to 2003 and it never had issues, and I didn't even change the oil on a regular basis, and I drove the crap out of it.

1998 Sunfire, aside from the a/c not working, was reliable and needed no major repairs in the 3 years I had it.

2005 when I was with the ex, she had it for 7 years and sold it, but she never had any maintenance issues.

dbd33

I had a VW (pastel Beetle convertible) for seven years and 195,000 miles before the current Mustang. I found it expensive to have serviced but the only persistent failure was of the headlights, it never made the service interval with both lights working. Ultimately it was a deer and a whippet that did for it but, by then, it had rusted through in a good many places. I was disappointed with the rust holes, seven years doesn't seem very long.

Piff Poff

Just asked OH if there is anything to be wary of or look out for with the new Mustangs and he said no

dbd33

The car has the chavtastic feature of programmable interior lighting colours; the dash, the footwells, the cupholders, various other bits, can be set up to illuminate in purple, orange, red and so on. I think there's cause for concern that one's outfit may clash with the scheme of the moment meaning a lengthy delay while working through the range of shades. I certainly don't wear my tonic suit in that car.

Piff Poff

Now there is a real problem. Ones vehicle interior must at all times enhance ones appearance after all.

Tootlepootle

I mainly wear black so I won't clash!!

Atlantic Xpat

[Fred Drift]
I frequently stay in a hotel in London that has a similar feature for "mood" lighting in the room. Somewhat odd in a hotel that is primarily aimed at the business traveller, albeit ones in Hipster Shoreditch. For a hotel I suspect it's less about highlighting your attire and more about highlighting what you might get upto once you've slipped out of your attire!
[/Fred Drift]

dbd33

Very much the same with a mood lit, leather seated, convertible on the beach at night in high summer (one would imagine).

Souvy

I stayed in a place like that in TO (the Drake). The rooms were stocked with condoms.

Pizzawheel

Friend of mine's dad had that feature in his Lincoln, though he was unaware of it. She helpfully programmed it to a beautiful pink for him...

Reminds me of the old jape when you'd borrow a frinds new Nokia to admire it and reprogramme the language to Finnish.

Souvy

You sound like as much of a bastard as me.

Years ago we had a training programme at work for new computer system that we were adopting. I didn't need the training because it was a system I already knew. I had to go anyway. Out of boredom, I reset the mouse to be left-handed. The person after me in the training room probably had fun.