Oh the decisions....

[ohmab]

I'm very excited to be looking at either a 2005 Cyber Green GL, manual, one owner, less than 20K miles for just under $12K and a 2000 light blue GLS, automatic, seat warmers, 52K miles for just under $10K. Logic would dictate the newer/lower milage one - but is logic the right way to go? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!

[jkinzel]

I would say the first thing is; Auto or manual?

Do you want an automatic (is it a DSG?)
Do you like going through the gears? i.e. manual

That is the thing that will be the deciding factor.

[MichelleRoze]

Which one pulls at your heart strings more? Which one can you not stand to be without? Ok I know that's a bit steep.

For me, I'd get the 2000. But i'm partial to seat warmers...once you have them, you'll never go without them! Either one of them have a sunroof? What about other options? Power locks, seats, windows, mirrors? I too would pick the tranny you like best, but that also depends on your financial situation. What can you afford? Both have been driven about 5K to 6K a year on average so they must be in pretty good shape both with very low mileage.

Again, I'd probably go with the 2000, only because i'm sure you won't find one like that with that low mileage. I got mine almost 2 years ago and mine was a 2002 with 57k on it. Now it's got 108k. (I drive a LOT). Blue book each of them and see if they are charging fairly.

Good luck. Let them pick you!

[CoriBug]

Get the manual! Driving is more fun with a stick. Incredibly low miles for an 05. Mine has over 70K.

Does light blue mean vapor blue? That was a limited edition.

Still...I'd go with the manual tranny.

Also, aren't the auto transmissions known to have problems? Someone with more knowledge than me will chime in. That might be a concern, especially on an older MY.

[ohmab]

I am hoping when I take a look at them next week, one will speak to me. I used to love stick, but recently have been lulled by an automatic so I really could go either way! The 2005 is a basic GL and the 2000 has more bells and whistles, and a more powerful engine. I love both colors, the light blue may be the vapor blue I am not sure, I would almost call it a very light baby blue. As for the prices, they seem within the range although the 2000 seems to be priced a bit high. They're both at a local Carmax and I know they often price cars on the high side - but we've had good luck with them in the past. Keep the advise flowing, all info is greatly appreciated and I especially am interested in auto transmission problems, if anyone has info on that. Thanks!!!!!

[CoriBug]

paint colors for all years

Looks like the 2000 is vapor blue. So the 05 is a 2.0 and the 2000 is a 1.8T?

The one you are meant to have will choose you.

What about service records? Regular oil changes? I searched for "automatic" on the org and it looks like they need the fluid flushed every 40-60k. VW says it's a lifetime fluid but some owners would disagree.

[Oh Randi]

Originally Posted by CoriBug

What about service records? Regular oil changes? I searched for "automatic" on the org and it looks like they need the fluid flushed every 40-60k. VW says it's a lifetime fluid but some owners would disagree.

I disagree.
Lifetime oil my hiney!

Service records are important. You want a car that was well taken care of before you had it. A car that wasn't serviced regularly is expensive and you'll be kicking yourself in the butt for expensive parts and labor. Another thing is, if you can get an extended warranty, do it. You'll more than likely need it a lot.

[MichelleRoze]

Don't let people scare you out of an automatic. I have one and personally I love it. Yes indeed you should service them every 40K to 60K which is great because the 2000 is right in that range. If you do that you'll be fine. Always save up a pool of cash just in case. My auto on the other hand has 108K on it and has NEVER had a fluid change. So, my odds are against me. But at 108K, it's still strong as ever. Every auto tranny is a ticking time bomb; some are duds, some have short fuses. But that shouldn't keep you from getting one if you want it. Properly maintain it and you should be ok. But like I said, keep a savings for it, because it is indeed cheaper to make it a manual, even with all the mods and such, than to rebuild the auto tranny.

I still like the sound of the 2000. It's within reason. Now, you should be aware that around 80K you should replace the timing belt and waterpump before they break! So be prepared for that. Other than that, I think it's ok. I'm by no means an expert but I bought an 02 with the same mileage and have been through these things.

Also another thought for consideration. Check the tires. Which one has more tread left. You don't want to buy one that will need tires right away unless you can talk down the price to cover that.

Here's my advice. Do some research on local mechanics that know VW's, not the dealership, but small shops. Find a good one that seems trustworthy, but they should have lots of knowledge of VW. Not just a little discount shop. Then test drive both cars. Take each one to that shop and have them check the car. They will be able to tell you the things that will need some help in the future. I wish I would have done that with mine. I might have been better prepared for the things that have recently gone bad. Oh well, lesson learned! Good luck. We'll love whichever one you get, you just need to post pics!

[ohmab]

It appears the the 2000 has already sold! But, on the other hand it appears that the 2005 may have chosen me! I will keep you posted. All of your recommendations are GREATLY appreciated. It is nice to find such a nice group of people.

[CoriBug]

Aww, I hope the vapor went to a good owner who will love it! Just curious how did you narrow your choices to those two? You really need to drive it and then you'll know.

[ohmab]

Originally Posted by CoriBug

Aww, I hope the vapor went to a good owner who will love it! Just curious how did you narrow your choices to those two? You really need to drive it and then you'll know.

I hope it went to a good owner as well. It was on the lot less than 8 hours, so it may have been someone looking for it! It is true I have yet to drive the green one, and it may not really be "the one" - I will definitely let it speak to me. I used to own a MINI Cooper (the Beetle was an alternate then) and it spoke to me. Unfortunately, I had some neck problems and the MINI was not a good ride for that, I ended up trading it for an Acura TSX. The Acura is a nice car, but it is just a car! My youngest son goes to college in the fall so now is my chance to pawn the Acura off on my husband, so my son will get his car.

[mybugrocks]

I had a similar situation happen to me, I found a Uni-Red 2004 with everything I wanted and it was sold before I got the chance to look at it, it meants it wasn't the right car for me

I found my cyber green a week later and it was perfect, not everything I had hoped for but deffinitely an excellent choice, I LOVE her hope your decision is the right one and I hope you are happy with whatever happens

[ohmab]

Drove the Cyber Green today - what can I say but LOVE THE BUG! Although, this one did not speak to me. I think that I want to go GLS and Automatic. Although I love a stick, I have had neck surgery (cervical fusions) and doing the stick seems to cause a bit of residual pain. So I am on the hunt! Luckily I don't have to make any real decisions until July so I have time to find the perfect bug for me.

[wawalker]

Originally Posted by ohmab

It appears the the 2000 has already sold! But, on the other hand it appears that the 2005 may have chosen me! I will keep you posted. All of your recommendations are GREATLY appreciated. It is nice to find such a nice group of people.

I was gonna say that the 2000 was drastically overpriced anyway... It's a 9 year old car, and even though the mileage is low, age would dictate it would be smart to do the TB & WP on such a car--I think $7500 is more reasonable. I think that there should be a little wiggle room on the '05 since it's a GL and prolly just fell out of factory warranty recently.

[mrchaotica]

Originally Posted by ohmab

Although, this one did not speak to me. I think that I want to go GLS and Automatic.

Just make sure that automatic is a 6-speed -- if it's only got 4 gears forget about it. You might get lucky and not need to replace it for a while, but why take the risk?

By the way, 6-speed transmissions come in either "Tiptronic" or "DSG" varieties. The DSG uses two computer-controlled clutches instead of a torque converter, and is both more efficient and faster-shifting than the Tiptronic, but is only found on TDIs (i.e., Diesels). The Tiptronic, however, has the advantage of likely being cheaper to fix.

I'd still go for a good old-fashioned manual, though!