Yeah, Brad.... V8s do not make for good economy... shoulda stuck with the VWs on these one, at least then I wouldn't be going
...Well, insurance tends to be a problem on the Vee-Dubs unless he is getting an old school model with PLPD...
If thats the case, I'd highly recomend an MKII Golf or Jetta. They're a helluva lot of fun to drive, fairly easy to work on, and get wonderful gas mileage. My old Fox (slightly smaller than a Jetta, used the same parts from the car) returned 30-33 MPG on most weeks, but my God did the car hate the cold weather.
If you want a sweet, fun-to-drive, old-school VW, this may not be a bad idea:
1988 VW Scirocco
Its got a 16V, which is arguably one of the best engines VW ever assembled...
Otherwise, you're going to want to go MKIII. Early models were screwed together pretty well, but after production moved to Mexico, some of the cars were a bit more shoddy than others.
For less than $3500, you can get this 1996 Jetta TREK Edition. I have a '96 Jetta Wolfsburg, and the differences between the two are minimal. I love driving my MKIII, as it is excelent around town and on the highway. I average about 27 MPG on my trips, but get me anywhere near the highway for a lot of driving, and that mileage can shoot well above 30 MPG without a problem.
Pretty... I've always had a thing for white cars...
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Either way, insurance is likely going to be a bit more costly on a Vee-Dub over other cars. I'm set at about $130 a month for full-coverage on my Jetta, but PLPD could probably dip below $100 a month depending on model, trim, etc.
They're excellent cars... Just make sure they're in good running order.
Mkay? Domestics generally don't get as good MPG as their foreign counterparts... so I tend to avoid them.
I will champion the domestics whenever possible, so I made my oppertunity. Police Vehicles are often some of the best used models you can get, as they are usually maintained quite well, and generally hold up better than most "average" cars and trucks out there today.
Sure, gas mileage isn't great, but as long as you're keeping your foot out of the gas, you should be fine. JCE's quote of 8-11 MPG seems outstandingly low, given that even the nearly Police-spec Caprice we had with a carbed 305 got well above 20 MPG on average. But I don't see that as the only reason why not to get one.
...People bitch about gas prices where there is an obvious alternative: A bike, your feet, a horse, etc. The less you drive is less fuel spent up, which means that I don't have to spend as much money on gas. We're still paying less than the Europeans are, so I suggest we all stop complaining...
Either way, the Japanese vs Domestic on fuel consumption isn't always the best comparison either. Compared to the new(ish) Grand Prix, the Camry wasn't any better (both get less than my VW, the Pontiac usually better than the Toyota). I'd be willing to bet that our Avalanche gets better MPG than the new Tundra as well, given that its HWY MPG doesn't even crest 20 MPG (its actually rated at 18 MPG). We average about 17 MPG in a full-size truck, and have toped-out at 23 MPG going back and fourth to Chicago.
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Either way, I still like Cop Cars...
...But theres always a VW to be had...
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Yuk. Really YSSMAN, a Lumina? A decontented, stripper Lumina? Not even blind patriotism, or Nazi Torture for that matter, explains that suggestion.
I've seen nice ones around here. Sure, they're decidedly "average" cars, but its just a cheap idea. Most of them come with Recaro front buckets, and with fuel economy capable well above 25 MPG on the highway (likely would be similar MPG compared to the Grand Prix, given that they are the same car), it would be a halfway decent choice. I guess my experience with a nice Florida-spec Lumina 9C1 ruined me. It was green, had a nice-looking tan interior, and seemed rather quick for a car like a Lumina.
I know its not as exciting as my usual VW selection that I normally bring up, but it was a few cheap ideas I had laying around...
DO WANT
