2003 VOLKSWAGEN Golf

Adequate basic transport

Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 3 Value Rating: 4

Don't delude yourself into thinking that you are getting "German engineering" on a budget because a lot of corners were cut to make a car this cheap. The engineering design thought is there, but it's betrayed by utilizing plastics instead of metals, and Brazilian assembly. This is most evident in the elegant, but squeaky interior. For the price, this car serves a very good purpose: a small yet spacious, relatively comfortable, nimble, easy-to-park city commuter that needs minimal maintenance considering it's German origins. The 2.0L non-turbo engine is reliable for a VW, easy on gas and acceptably quick in the city when combined with the equally reliable 5 speed manual transmission. I got this car in 2013 with ~80,000 miles on it, and have since put on another 35,000. Maintenance-wise, I have done the predictable, reasonable maintenance that has included oil changes (Rotalla T6) every 5,000 miles, timing belt, battery, engine mount, strut mounts, sway bar bushings. There has also been a small amount of unexpected maintenance, that is a result of design faults: original water pump with plastic impellers upgraded to metal impeller model ($70), coil pack cracked leading to misfires in wet weather ($120), low pressure power steering line cut by the nearby radiator fan ($15), thermostat failed ($30), center muffler rusted ($180). Future repairs include: grinding starter in cold weather, abnormal wear on rear disc brakes. Apart from the power steering line that almost left us stranded in middle-of-nowhere, Maine, the other repairs were not very urgent and not overly expensive.