Wouldn't Own Anything Else!!

I absolutely love my car. My husband and I bought it certified used, and purchased the extended warranty. We were expecting our first child and wanted a safe car for her. I had previously owned a New Beetle, and loved the support I got from VW. I wasn't ready for a minivan, and didn't want a large SUV, so a wagon was the perfect choice for me.

I've read some of the other reviews posted here, and agree with some and disagree with others. Yes, the armrest is small. I've found it just the right size for extra keys, insurance info, etc. The glove compartment is useless, just like it was in the bug. It barely holds the owners manual and registration. I use the area below the armrest for my cell while driving. That leaves plenty of room for the earpiece cord, and doesn't get in the way. I like the fact that the cupholders fold back into the panel. The pockets on the door are plenty big enough for the things I need to carry. Some people complain there isn't enough space for stuff. I don't feel the need to carry my entire house with me. My husband and I have had plenty of room for the 2 of us in front, and our daughter in her carseat in back.

That said, the backseat does get a bit cramped. It's not a good idea to put a carseat and 2 large adults in the back seat. There just isn't enough room. Then again, I find that same arrangement uncomfortable in my sister's Expedition. Maybe it's just me. The backseat does have enough room for the carseat, diaper bag, and Mommy sitting next to Paige on long car trips. There aren't cupholders in the backseat, but get a drink with a resealable lid so you don't worry about spilling. The headrest in the middle of the backseat did get annoying. My husband removed it and put it with the spare. It works for us.

The back cargo area has plenty of room for us. Before Paige was born we went camping, and had room for the 10 man tent, camping supplies, clothes and even the dog. All we had to do was let down the back seat. Now with the carseat, we can't put the seat down, but still have plenty of room. We went to visit family for a week who live 10 hours away. We were able to pack everything for the 3 of us, including a pack and play, bouncer seat, and everything else a 2 month old needs. As any parent knows, that's a lot of stuff!

We have had a couple of problems with our car, but they would have happened with any car. The battery went dead. I called my VW dealer, and he had the car picked up at my house, the battery replaced, car washed, and delivered back to my house before I got off work that day. I took the car in for its 40,000 mile service, and they discovered one of the 2 cooling fans was broken. It was covered under warranty. All cars will have some problems with them. I can honestly say this car has a lot less problems than my bug did. The service you get will vary with each dealer you encounter. I have to say, I've had better service at VW than I have with the local Honda dealer. (Hubby owns an Accord.) But, customer service varies with dealers as it does with different stores in the mall. Having purchased 2 VW's from 2 dealers (moved states), I have to say they have both been wonderful.

The interior of the car is very quiet. I don't hear a lot of road noise, only a small amount. When the radio is on a low volume, I can't hear the road noise at all. The car handles very well. My husband loves driving it because of how it hugs the road! I have to keep reminding him the baby doesn't like his sudden movements when hugging the curves! The steering is wonderful, the car responds to slight movements without being jumpy. I've had to slam on the brakes up a couple of times. (People seem to really like to pull out in front of me. We have to get that cloaking device fixed one of these days!) The have responded well. I did buy the car used. My mechanic says the brakes will need to be replaced probably in Spring, 2006 or so. Blind spots are pretty minimal. There always seems to be one in the same place on every car I've owned: where the windshield meets the front doors. It's small on this car, it was a larger blind spot on the bug. The only other spot that bothered me was from the middle headrest on the backseat. As I said previously, we removed it, and placed it in the back with the spare tire. When I have to replace the car I'll know where it is, and can put it back quickly for the next owner. We have lots of pick up and go in this car. People are sometimes surprised to see a station wagon passing them on the right! I have to set cruise control as soon as I get on the highway. Otherwise, I'll look down to see I'm doing 80, when I'm in a 65 mph zone! The car drives so well, you can't really tell you're going that fast.

One of the things I really like about the trunk space is the amount of room around the spare. Of course all VW's come with full size spares. There was also room for a hydraulic jack, a small tool set, and extra room for whatever. The sides also each has a storage compartment for hazard triangles and a first aid kit. The rolling shade is great, but I rarely use it. To me it just screams "There's something nice back here, please try to break in. Thank you!" If I've picked up something small, I'll lift the floor cover and toss it in beside the spare. I don't like these covers in general, for the reason I stated above. The VW does have a good security system, so I'm not worried about someone actually breaking in, but you never know. They just seem to be an indicator for a break in.

Oh, gas mileage. Some have complained about it. I fill up about once every 2 weeks. Yes, I live close to work. I find the gas mileage to be what I expected from a station wagon. It's better than my sister's Expedition, and not quite as good as my husband's Accord. It's a wagon, it does not get the best gas mileage. If you want to get exceptional mileage, buy a hybrid.