I'm never buying a VW ever, bloody ever again...

[Neil]

I think a couple of points worth raising - as LGF says, VW - and for that matter, the rest of the German marques - trading on their reliability, are largely singing about the days gone by.

And for those talking about whether cars are reliable, look at the mileages being talked about - if the cars we're talking about have passed 200k miles OK (original engine, no need for the head to come off, original transmission (if auto)) then I'll buy reliable. But if just owned for 5 years, averaging 12k miles a year, then it's no great shakes.

Reliable, to me, means sailed through 200k miles, heading for 300k with no major issues (ie engine fundamentally sound, and transmission, if an auto).

 

[fingers]

I think a couple of points worth raising - as LGF says, VW - and for that matter, the rest of the German marques - trading on their reliability, are largely singing about the days gone by.

And for those talking about whether cars are reliable, look at the mileages being talked about - if the cars we're talking about have passed 200k miles OK (original engine, no need for the head to come off, original transmission (if auto)) then I'll buy reliable. But if just owned for 5 years, averaging 12k miles a year, then it's no great shakes.

Reliable, to me, means sailed through 200k miles, heading for 300k with no major issues (ie engine fundamentally sound, and transmission, if an auto).

No car i drive will ever make 200k without an engine rebuild...

 

[Neil]

I think a couple of points worth raising - as LGF says, VW - and for that matter, the rest of the German marques - trading on their reliability, are largely singing about the days gone by.

And for those talking about whether cars are reliable, look at the mileages being talked about - if the cars we're talking about have passed 200k miles OK (original engine, no need for the head to come off, original transmission (if auto)) then I'll buy reliable. But if just owned for 5 years, averaging 12k miles a year, then it's no great shakes.

Reliable, to me, means sailed through 200k miles, heading for 300k with no major issues (ie engine fundamentally sound, and transmission, if an auto).

No car i drive will ever make 200k without an engine rebuild...

On the road?

 

[fingers]

Yup.

 

[Neil]

Yup.

Then why would 200k be unassailable?

Are you talking about vintage, or highly tuned or something? Because for normal, reasonably modern cars, my idea of reliable means that 200k miles should be a reasonable expectation - in fact I'd hope for a whole deal more.

 

[brocklanders023]

My car history goes...

'89 Citroen AX 1.4 GT. Ace when it worked.... Never worked though.
'99 Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec. Lovely car, never missed a beat.
'01 Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec. As above.
'04 Ford Focus 1.8 tdci Zetec. As above.
'01 Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec. As above (except for when a spanner monkey didn't fit a new hose correctly).
'04 Ford Focus 1.8 tdci Zetec. You know the rest....

Boring yes, but I have tried many other cars and always come back to the Fords. Never given me reason not to.

One of my sisters paid too much for a '01 Golf recently. She's chopped it in already!

 

[fingers]

Yup.

Then why would 200k be unassailable?

Are you talking about vintage, or highly tuned or something? Because for normal, reasonably modern cars, my idea of reliable means that 200k miles should be a reasonable expectation - in fact I'd hope for a whole deal more.

Because every higer mileage or older engine I have driven has required somthing major...

 

[Neil]

Then why would 200k be unassailable?

Are you talking about vintage, or highly tuned or something? Because for normal, reasonably modern cars, my idea of reliable means that 200k miles should be a reasonable expectation - in fact I'd hope for a whole deal more.

Because every higer mileage or older engine I have driven has required somthing major...

Then you're buying the wrong cars, or not looking after them well enough.

Clearly there's always some aspects of luck with cars, especially those built on Fridays... but if you're looking for reliability, you have to have them serviced regularly, and have sufficient idea at the outset to buy a car capable of it.

By that I mean it's not exactly likely that buying an aging small hatchback, with a 3 cylinder, 1 litre engine, and expecting it to do big motorway miles, is going to happen - horses for courses - but reasonably chosen cars, looked after reasnoably well, should easily cover big miles.

And I'd also agree, that the traditional usual suspects for reliability (ie the German marques) aren't really what I'd choose. The Japanese makes, and petrol Volvos seem to go on forever IME.

 

[fingers]

Then why would 200k be unassailable?

Are you talking about vintage, or highly tuned or something? Because for normal, reasonably modern cars, my idea of reliable means that 200k miles should be a reasonable expectation - in fact I'd hope for a whole deal more.

Because every higer mileage or older engine I have driven has required somthing major...

Then you're buying the wrong cars, or not looking after them well enough.

Clearly there's always some aspects of luck with cars, especially those built on Fridays... but if you're looking for reliability, you have to have them serviced regularly, and have sufficient idea at the outset to buy a car capable of it.

By that I mean it's not exactly likely that buying an aging small hatchback, with a 3 cylinder, 1 litre engine, and expecting it to do big motorway miles, is going to happen - horses for courses - but reasonably chosen cars, looked after reasnoably well, should easily cover big miles.

And I'd also agree, that the traditional usual suspects for reliability (ie the German marques) aren't really what I'd choose. The Japanese makes, and petrol Volvos seem to go on forever IME.

Ive never owned a car with a 1 litre 3 cyl lump...

And any car can suffer a mishap leading to further issues, Im just commenting on my experience. I always look after cars servicing - wise.

I have been lucky with my german cars, more so than with the fords and the volvos. And jap cars leave me cold, so simply arent an option.

And TBH I wouldnt do 200k in a car... I tend to move them on before the 60k mark...

 

[sancho]

Go jap.

Lesson learned.

Or go air-cooled. Those old VW's were astonishingly simple.