they are both the same price.in good condition.the asking price is about $3000 for either.does anyone suggest one over the other.and which one will be better for some on on a very strict tight budget?thank you
When a vehicle gets to be 10 years old there’s really no sure fire way of saying one vehicle is better than another; no matter what make it is. A thorough inspection will increase the odds in your favor but even that is not a slam dunk.
That being said, I would suggest the American made pickup for the simple reason that many repair parts (on average) if needed, will be much easier to obtain and often much cheaper.
With the VW you would also be looking at possible issues related to the timing belt/water pump/tensioners. This is a major maintenance expense that you likely won’t have on the pickup.
Jetta vs Domestic pick up. You state the budget is around $3000 for purchase. How is the repair budget? The VW Jetta with the 1.8T engine can and will cost 3-4 x’s the amount of the purchase price to maintain. One good thing related to the Jetta is that when the window regulators break, I believe they have a lifetime warranty from VW because they break all the time, window will fall into the door and its over. The 1.8t is prone to premature timing belt breakage and will definately bend 16 out of 20 valves. Don’t care how careful the oil change Tech is, the alum. oil pan can and will strip out, the up-graded assembly will be available at VW for over $200.00 plus you have to buy the drain plug. If it is a manual model and the clutch wears, your local dealer will have it on the shelf, its a dual disc flywheel so that is another $900.00, you can call DIAL A CLUTCH out of Miami and score it for $475 plus shipping though. Oh yeah, when it just doesn’t feel right the air mass meter that will be a diag nightmare for everyone except VW, possibly because they just throw one at it to verify before they sell it to you, that’s $300. I am in automotive and these are the events that occured when I met a girl with one. When asked Jetta vs Domestic Pickup… I say pick up. You will only fix it once with the PU. When her Jetta went bad, it was cheaper to purchase the head reman from Audi than it was to repair, the valves cost $104 intake and $110.00 exhaust, it bent 16 total, Audi had tons of heads on the shelf and sold for $1496 jobber, thats 20% off the going rate. Do your self a favor, stay away from VW’s that aren’t under warranty.
I would make my decision based on two very different vehicles. I would have almost zero use for a pickup so my choice would be easy. Add in the fact that the Jetta is likely to give you a lot better fuel mileage, it would be a no brainer.
My suggestion is to pick the vehicle that will fit your lifestyle and needs.
Well the Jetta will be a lot more fun to drive most likely, but will also cost you a lot more in maintenance and repair.
Why are you limiting yourself to either a Jetta or a pickup, two very different vehicles? Why not another brand of car?