We are considering buying a new car. We currently own two cars. One car is my 1996 Jeep Cherokee Sport with 134,000 miles on it. The other is our 2002 VW Jetta Wagon with 80,000 miles on it. My Jeep runs like a trooper. Has a new radiator, new brakes. Needs a little tune up but seems to keep going. The VW is also in good condition, been used to travel and for the family.
The question is which one should we sell or trade in? We were thinking that since my Jeep is a standard and an older car, it is relatively cheap to get fixed when needed. The Jetta is an automatic, has lots of electronic stuff running it and may be more expensive in the long run to maintain.
What do folks think? Tom and Ray, got an opinion?
Trade or sell the Jeep unless it gets 22 MPG overall. Tom and Ray give longer answers but only if the subject matter warrants it. Simple questions get easy answers.
I’d say both. You’re going to get a lot more money for the VW, and you are correct that it will likely be much more troublesome down the line. On the other hand, if you’re considering selling it, I’m guessing you don’t actually need the Jeep for any sort of off-road travel and, as you are no doubt aware, it’s a pretty thirsty vehicle just to drive around town. I’d say maybe sell both and look at a less expensive used car if you need two cars.
I would ditch the Jetta.
I guess it depends if you really need a jeep. I have an old cherokee kicking around that only gets driven when absolutely necessary, it’s no fun to drive and gets horrible mileage but it does work in the snow and it’s pretty good for hauling stuff I wouldn’t put in a decent car. The downside of selling the jeep is that it probably isn’t worth very much.