This! I bought a GTI last year with two cheap off-brand tires on the back and two BF Goodrich G-force A/S’s on the front. The grip offered by the cheap tires was so poor that oversteer became a constant worry. And happened. When I switched them to the front, it was suddenly like I was driving my wife’s old Camry in…

Good to know; I’d always ruled out any “just had new head gasket” car, at any price.

It’s NEVER just a head gasket. 

That much money and not a single Chevy conversion van?  Man, that’s the thing to get.  SO much space, SO much power, so much reliability.

[...except saftey...]And fun. And speed.

I like the car a lot, and if someone else owned it, I’d say “wow, cool”.

But for that price you could pick up an ‘07 GTI. As I did. And I’m telling you, that’s the right choice. Reluctant CP.

I once heard a Honda salesperson try to talk a guy out of an 2000. “Oh, yeah, I mean, the tires are different sizes and the tires wear out so fast...you don’t want this...people just don’t understand what a headache they’re signing up for.” As if you’d be happier in an Accord with same-sized tires than in something…

It must be said, also, that Costco does not carry diesel, at all.  So it would be a wasted trip for fuel, whatever you might save on giant jars of mayonnaise. 

Use the power of maths. Buy another 2007 GTI, a perfect one with 80,000 miles for $9k, spend the other $6k on the difference between the 30 mpgs you would have had and the 25 mpgs you’ll get in the GTI over the course of...$3 a gallon means each mile costs $.10 at 30 mpg vs. $.12 per mile at 25 mpg, which means that…

Straight pipes = cracked exhaust valves allow still-burning fuel to enter the catalytic converter, which cooked to bits, and the bits rattled out the exhaust pipe over the course of several years.

Then ebay.

Knowing there ever was a diesel 4x4 LUV is awesome. It would be worth a few grand in Radwood points.   But not 11.

What is individual car ownership if not a laboratory of ideas? A free market of infinite options, where ideas can come to life?

I am happy that this exists.

But also, CP.

Yes! The system is working.

Great car. And hooray for having what you want. But I’m from southern California. To remove an air conditioner is an editorial choice I disagree with. But to cut out the bracket holding it in place is unforgivable.

This is the automotive equivalent of ear gauges.

Best NP in months.

For me, it’s bolstered seat and elbow room. I got a two-door GTI a few months ago and my life changed. My elbow wasn’t always resting past the end of the padding on the left side like it was in my 4-door. My marmadukian tween boys will just have to deal with the two-door backseat troubles. I’ve found my home.

CP. Do you know how much wonderful and fast something-other-than-Ferrari this much money will buy? How much 911 Turbo, for example, which is infinitely more reliable, fast, and practical?

I did get the DSG. And yeah, you can’t beat it for the price. I didn’t get one as upgraded as yours, but I drove a few and mine felt the most solid, for whatever that’s worth. The funny thing was, I had a dieselgate Golf TDI in the same color, albeit newer, so I moved from black Golf to black Golf for most people.…

Agreed. I recently paid about 5k for a Mk5 GTI. I can’t think of a better 5K I’ve ever spent. No way this Merkur is half so good for the same price. The question isn’t whether the car would be fun, generally, but whether you’re getting more fun/performance/fashion/utility for the listed price than you would in the…

Exactly! The hood regulations in this case protect only NBA players. Everyone else will be ground to burger meat by five feet of vertical cheese grater.

Or this. This took 3 seconds. Just for proportion, obviously, but this is better.