Also I noticeed that the top was going down less and less easily. When I took it to a shop, they told me there was a leak in the line (probably there when I bought it...the things you don't see!), and they didn't know where it was and couldn't find it, but that I could just continue to add fluid every so often ($40). I chose to do that and not fix the actual problem.

The airbag light also began to come on and go off at random times. When I took it to the dealer, they said they could just "re-set" it or find out what was really going on, and they said that would be expensive, so I decided to just re-set it, in hopes that it would not come back on. It still does this on-and-off thing.

In the third year, I parked the car on a hill, with the emergency brake up, but not in gear. I learned my lesson. I came outside to find the headlights peaking at me from the brush. SCARY! I had a tow truck come and get her. She was rattling somewhat and also the plastic rim near the bumber was torn.

very unique, cute, smells good, smooth ride, not many out there, engine purrs.

constant repairs (some big, some small, some ignorable, some not), pricey repairs

I have such mixed feelings about this car. I must admit that I did my research on forums such as these before purchasing my cabrio, so I knew what I was getting into.


When I first got the car, she drove like a dream. No apparent problems, until it seemed like she hesitated a little off the line. I didn't know what it was, but just decided to ignore it (I know I know, not the best idea).

In the next year, she drove well, the hesitation aside. I don't think I had to do any maintenance to it at all other than change the oil.

The next year, a sensor blew, and I want to say that costed about $100. I believe I also replaced the brakes then.

Also I noticeed that the top was going down less and less easily. When I took it to a shop, they told me there was a leak in the line (probably there when I bought it...the things you don't see!), and they didn't know where it was and couldn't find it, but that I could just continue to add fluid every so often ($40). I chose to do that and not fix the actual problem.

The airbag light also began to come on and go off at random times. When I took it to the dealer, they said they could just "re-set" it or find out what was really going on, and they said that would be expensive, so I decided to just re-set it, in hopes that it would not come back on. It still does this on-and-off thing.

In the third year, I parked the car on a hill, with the emergency brake up, but not in gear. I learned my lesson. I came outside to find the headlights peaking at me from the brush. SCARY! I had a tow truck come and get her. She was rattling somewhat and also the plastic rim near the bumber was torn.

I took her to meineke, and it turned out she needed a new muffler $500, but this was my fault. We just tacked the plastic bumper up and it doesn't hang or look to bad. I chose not to fix that.

Now later in her third year with me, I am noticing the hesitation problem getting worse. The check-engine light has come on and gone off ocassionally. I also notice that there is a loud spinning/grinding sound with I try to take her into 5th gear.

Also, the passenger-side seat started rattling for no reason and the plastic at the bottom broke (no-one has told me the real story on that one...probably a passenger broke it when trying to adjust it and didn't tell me). However, the rattling quit on its own.

About a month ago I took her to the dealer because of hesitation, and they told me the following. She needs new belts, a new timing belt (soon), the tie-rod has some play in it and eventually should be replaced, it needs a tune-up and a distributor cap, it needs new brakes again, and it needs a coil. They told me to fix all of it would be at least $3000. I said thanks for the diagnosis, and gave them $80. I thought that maybe I could get the work done elsewhere cheaper. I also wanted to buy some time to see if I really wanted to fix her, or trade her in.

I took her to a tire shop that I thought also did tune-ups that I am familiar with. When I explained the hesitation to the guy there, he asked me to pop the hood. He then watched as I shifted into 1st and reverse. He said he thought it needed a new clutch.

So, if what everyone says is true, my 2000 cabrio, with 86,000 miles on it and 2 years left of payments, needs the following: a leak in the hydrolic line to be fixed (for top), coil, distributor cap, windows squeaking when rolling down (forgot that one), new headlight, passenger-side plastic at rim of seat fixed, tune-up, brakes, new clutch, and new belts (including timing). Admittedly some of this is just regular maintenance stuff that comes up earlier in this car then say, a honda or a toyota. So, that being said, purchase this car if you have the money to maintain an average-high maintenance car. You likely will not just make car payments and change the oil throughout the length of your loan, if you have one.

On the positive side, I don't know anyone that has my car. :) I love the color scheme (blue on outside and cream leather interior). Her engine sounds so sweet. I love the squeaking sound the material of the top makes when I go over speed bumps (the top kinda makes a little noise...). I also feel kind of like I am camping every time I get into the car because it feels so "close-to-nature" with the ability of the top to go down (which I can do manually now with the help of another person).

Also the car has always smelled so good. A friend of mine tells me all volkswagens smell like crayons. I agree...sweet crayons :).

So all in all, the car has been so much fun, but I think that here is where the fun may end. I am gonna take it to a friend's mechanic soon to get an "honest evaluation" of the situation. If need be, I may trade it if it truly is going to be costly. I am concerned about how much money I will get for my trade and also disappointed that I didn't get to drive her until my loan was up, and then some after then without a car payment.

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VW Jetta

i never thought i would enjoy a convertible. but i do. and i like it. it feels stable and drives incredibly smooth. sometimes im crusing along jamming to the tape deck (or cd changer) and i look down realizing i'm going way too fast. oops. that's what cruise is for! and it works! it is not nearly as noisy or breezy as i would have thought. in fact, it's sort of fun now that it's really cold outside. every now and then there's a funky little cold breeze that comes out of nowhere. they are short and sweet and no matter since the heated seats and heater work awesome. gas mileage is decent. exterior in great shape. the front seats are more worn than i would hope for...??? i will just have to purchase or make seat covers that will be satisfying to me. a little more personal touch then! the top, since it's brand new, looks great :) car runs well. it has a slow pick up and sometimes shifts slow, but i have no need to have some power hungry car. it drives like a vw and i love the way vw's drive - almost stiff feeling.

the weakness section has the negative aspects of the car, but most of it isn't really negative. i recommend it. she's a friendly car - remember - we're in love!

These are some inconveniences:
* sure, the leather at the window seal has come unsealed. it's amazing what a little glue will do.
* brakes needed replacing. brakes aren't pricy - $35 and an hour and a half later. it's an expected maintenance issue.
* the rattle under the hood while driving - my jetta had that and so did my brother's. he said it was some cap under there that rattles. i guess my car is kind of like a snake now.
* my check engine light came on and i was confused. but, after checking out the butt of my car, it appeared as though the muffler split in two. $50 and again, a couple hours later, the car was excited to have a clean, new, shiny canister.
There are 3 items of concern for me.
* There is a drip that comes from the top onto my left thigh while driving. It's not in top itself, but from the plastic part where it hooks on the inside. i have yet to figure out where it comes from, but it's just a small drip and only when it POURS outside.
* the temp. light kept coming on and i was leaking coolant. it was not the thermostat, which is incredibly difficult to get to under that hood, but the hose seal. it took two attempts to get the seal to seal, and 2 bottles of leaked coolant, but it was a $10 fix and now there is no leaking and no light blinking at me so it's really no concern anymore.
* i am not comfortable driving it in the snowy weather. it just feels different from any other vehicle i've ever driven. maybe it's because it's so small. i don't know. but that is a personal issue, not of the car itself.

i had no intentions of purchasing a new car this summer, let alone a 2-door convertible, but it happened, and my cabrio and i are still deeply in love.

i knew purchasing this car that it needed the top replaced, and the estimate for it was taken out of the purchase price (so the cost was really $4000). still, at 87,000 miles, i couldn't say no. being a 1997, it's almost 10 years old, and some general TLC is only expected.

i am disappointed in many of the reviews. it seems as though much of the stuff that is looked poorly upon is not really worth complaining about, just more of an inconvenience or normal wear and tear.

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1995 vw jetta

tight handling (tiny turn radius), FUN FUN FUN!, good gas mileage, reliable, holds 4 people (though those in the back might complain a little about leg room, but in my experience, they've just been happy to be in a convertible!), Good stereo you can hear easily even with the top down, great heater even keeps me warm when I have the top down during cold weather.

the keys are ridiculously expensive. I've found some on eBay for cheaper, I'm just trying to figure out how to get them cut. Cup holders. 5spd transmission sometimes slips out of gear for the first couple of minutes before the car warms up if it is really cold outside, but not often, and not enough to be a big bother. Just something I've noticed.

I love my car. I've had it for 4 years (bought used) and it now has 60,000 miles on it. I haven't had many problems with it and the ones that I have had are relatively minor. Mine had a power top that went out, but putting the top up and down manually is actually faster than using the power top, so that really wasn't an issue. A freak accident with a friend slamming the passenger door caused the window to not go up and down, and that was a pain in the butt that cost about $150 to fix (doing the labor at home), but that is really the only trouble I've had. The check engine light came on once during the first year I had it and I had a learning experience there: Go to Auto Zone to have that checked out, not the dealer. Parts are expensive, but since I haven't had much trouble, that's not much of an issue. I would recommend this car for people who have to be on the road a lot (good gas mileage) or who are around town because it is very maneuverable and easy to parallel park. It has been a great college car for me. Duffle bags are generally better than luggage for road trips though because the opening for the trunk is a little small. The trunk is surprisingly big for such a small car though. I plan on holding onto this car so my kids can drive it some day, and the way it's driving now, that won't be a problem.

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1997 Toyota Avalon - also a great car!

converible, cute, roomy for being a small convertible car, good speakers, lots of features at least on the GLX, good on gas, comfy seats

small cup holders drive me nuts, trunk is on the small side, starting to have minor problems already

I fell in love with this car as soon as I saw it. Convertible, red, black leather heated seats, cd changer, sounded like a dream. 5 months later I still LOVE my car but I have thought of trading it in a few times for something cheaper and more reliable. I have been nervous about it having problems because I have read a lot about that here. So far the only thing I have noticed is the peeling door handles. It drives fine in the rain. I did have a problem with cd changer, it just stopped working all the sudden as did one of my headlights. My boyfriend unhooked the battery and hooked it back up, which for some reason made everything work again? But then had to get the factory code to get the radio back on, which was a pain. Yesterday it started making a rattling loud noise near the rear tires, like something is going to fall out the bottom of the car, I am taking it to get looked at today and hoping its nothing major, car only has 42,000 miles on it and I have heard horror stories about dealing with VW to get things fixed. If it is something major, will probably fix it and sell the car, cant afford paying so much for a car that I am going to have to work on constantly, as much as I love it :(

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chevy blazer(POS), ford escort zx2(even bigger POS), toyota corrola..compared to my old cars this car is a dream but im not sure its going to stay that way :(

Good paint. No leaks inside. easy to service
I like the car so well that I am getting ready to do a new trans and Timing belt. The car is worth it. It has been realitively a good dependable car

Check engine light. No information on transmission service or repair.
Parts are expensive

Only Probplems were Altinator has been replaced several times and the check engine light comes on when ever. This is a great car. I have put over 200,000 miles on this car. I do my own work, so cost has not been prohibivitave. The car is fun and handles great. I did replace the axelshafts at 130,000 miles. I am putting a new transmission in tomorrow. It is shifing hard and the parts and manuals for this part of the care are readly not available. You have to look at the high miles on the trans and the engine and realize that this car has been driven. Great car

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Honda, Toyota, Volkswagons,
Hey, I teach Auto shop and collect cars. I am a good judge of cars

convertable

have changed:: fuel pump (2), exhaust, mechanics, ignition switch (2), tires, axles, vacuum hoses, throttle, also the check engine light comes on for 900 different reasons (no seriously ask the dealer), prices for parts are expensive, no room in trunk, cd player is installed in the trunk

my car became discontinued...

Easy and inexpensive to fix IF YOU DO YOUR OWN WORK! Reliable. Durable. Fun to drive. Well engineered. Clever car. Big car features on small car. Why buy a full size car to get full sized features? Features I like: a convertible with a real trunk! GREAT heater! Excellent 5 speed tranny. Auto/express down windows on ALL 4 windows. Excellent a/c system. VERY adjustable seats. Stereo with very good range from highs to lows. Cruises at speeds WELL over legal speeds (we used my '84 rabbit convertible on the Italian Autostrada at 100 mph for hours often!). It is not going to win alot of drag races but it is more of a touring car. Plenty of room for a couple and 2 kids for travel (limit your stuff of course). Alarm is excellent. Love the ability to raise or lower the windows with the door key. I can park the Cabrio and hours later before bed go back outside and raise the windows without getting into the car and turning the key on. It's small touches like these that keep me buying VWs and Hondas. Gm and Ford need to wake up! It rides nicely. Not too stiff, not too soft, still handles well!

Dealer network is expensive. VW doesn't sell cars in America I can afford new. Theya re aiming at the BMW/Audi (which they own/Mercedes markets. They ought to leave those markets for Audi to conquer.

Great car. This is my 2nd VW convertible (first was an '84 Rabbit with 190K when I sold it). Durable, fun, well engineered and frugal. Ours has 119,000 miles on it and it has cost me $200 in 15K miles to repair. Mostly repairing items neglected or broken by the previous owner. Replaced the ignition switch ($20 for the part at NAPA) after several mysterious problems began like failing stereo, lighting problems, etc. Ignition switches are not a strong point of engineering for VW! But then again my CR-V had a recall for the very same reason (love that car too!). Cruise control has failed (common item) but after taking it all apart (easy) and opening the controller module (brain box) it has become obvious that the relay inside failed. $5 part if you can solder. No VW won't sell you that relay. It's a speciality item. Buy it from an electronics component store. Leather on top of passenger door has lifted at the edge. it's because a $5 door clip failed. Remove panel, reglue leather to door panel backer board, replace clip, and be happy for another 8 years. In my experience VW's (we own 3) are very easy and frugal to maintain. Often the dealers and import specialty mechanics are either needlessly expensive or less than honest. They may quote you $500 for a starter that costs $150 at NAPA and takes 40 minutes to replace. In reality your car might only need the $20 ignition switch! Beware of your mechanic. Like with doctors get 2nd and 3rd opinions. Buy the FACTORY repair manual (Bentley) and learn a few things. Join an enthusiast club on the web (thousands are out there for free!). VW would not be the 2nd largest auto maker if the cars were truly poor quality.

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'65 Beetle '73 Beetle '84 Rabbit Convertible '78 VW Transprter (van) Westfalia (camper) '84 Honda CR-X '86 Honda Accord 4-door '97 Honda Accord LXi hatchback (300K miles!)

It looks awfully cute; epitamizing the phrase, "looks can be deceiving." It's small so parking is a great and a convertible so driving it is fun when it's drivable!

The whole car and its components. Completely unreliable...cannot be driven in the rain! A car dealer's dream...make money selling the car and make money fixing the car! Warranty gets cut in half when sold. Dealer unwilling to properly diagnose mechanical problem - attempted to wait out warranty!

I am the 2nd owner of this car and it's ready for a 3rd owner because I'm tired of dealing with it....and can't afford every repair that creeps up. From the beginning, it doesn't have much pick-up...it almost caused an accident within the first week of owning it when I tried pulling out of the gas station and the car just stopped mid-road. But, I was told that's how VW's are, get used to it. By the way, this is an automatic transmission. Then the driver's side door handle broke off, and my nice car turned ghetto. That was $50 to fix. After that the real problems started...It needed to be towed 5 times over the course of 2 weeks. Thank God for AAA. First, I had to shell out $550 to replace the starter! At this point the car had less than 23,000 miles on it. Then it kept breaking down after that, and the dealer kept saying 'There's not a problem with it." But that same week, guess what happened? Yep, it left me on the side of the highway, again, but this time in another state!....So, the garage did about $300 more work to it and did point out that the car doesn't seem to shift in a timely manner. Once again, several months later, it totally died driving down the highway. Please keep in mind, I do not drag race or abuse my car in anyway. This time, the dealer finally admits that it is indeed having transmission problems...basically needs a new transmission, in the amount of $4500 (estimate). My cabrio has 32,000 miles on it, and the transmission is shot! Thank God for the powertrain warranty, I finally lucked out...it will expire in 3 months, so VW has to cover the transmission. I kind of feel it was a gamble on the dealer's part to try to bet on the transmission lasting until the warranty expired...because I'm not savvy on the inner workings of cars, but even I had the suspision that the trouble was with the transmission...but everytime the dealer came back and said it was fine, I was thankful it wasn't as serious as I thought. My best advice would be to NEVER purchase a VW. I took my chances because I had always wanted a Cabrio and it was just too cute and a convertible...but don't let the looks fool you! It is a MONEY PIT! It's totally unreliable and a mechanical nightmare (and a mechanic's dream=cash cow) Please, whatever you do, don't buy a VW. I wish I would have heeded the warnings of others before my purchase, but I didn't and I'm paying for it 10 times over.

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1984 Jeep CJ7 - 21 years old and has had less mechanical problems than my 2001 VW Cabrio! I'd rather have the Dodge Aries I drove in high school back!!

chick magnent, looks cool, 5spd manual, smooth drive, no major problems.

some minor problems with engine

This is my first car and it is great. It looks cool and i love the 5 spd manual transmission. It is really fun to drive and i have not experienced any difficulities described in the reviews yet. However, the engine light has come on twice and it was missing a part that made the passenger seat shake a little bit. It's not a big deal because it has all been covered by warranty. The car has 55k miles and it runs fine... the interior looks perfect and the car really attracts the ladies.. I highly recommend the 2001 Cabrio.

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