want to get one

[cybersecretary]

hi everyone, i am new here and do not own one yet although i am looking to buy.It would be for my son who is in college, 3 hrs drive away, and he is not mechanically inclined yet . my husband is good with cars
my question is how do they hold up if they have like 120,000 miles on them? i see quite a few for sale like that. should i save more $ and i hold out for one with less miles?
there is one in brooklyn, iron man with 123000 and didn't know if i should travel to go see it. has anyone here looked at that one yet?
thanks
dee

[wekilled]

Speaking for myself (as a complete hypocrite) , but the VX isn't the most practical college vehicle for someone who isn't mechanically inclined. They are little gas hogs and have several quirks (windows, wiper chatter, the "smooth" suspension, blind spots) to name a few. That being said, mine has been extremely reliable for the most part and I never get bored of doing modifications, or the neck-snapping looks in traffic.
As you can see from the website it is a really labor of love that is well worth it-just know what sort of addiction you are getting into.
If you end up getting one I would think about getting one with less mileage. That being said you could get a low mileage one with "hard" miles and no maint done to it. Also know that you've got this site with about a million answers to any questions you might have.

[Mile High VX]

I would tend to agree with Doug although I have had no problems with mine since purchased last December with 69K miles. As an aside, I love working on my VX and take time every week to check for leaks and listen for any odd noise. I have time to regularly keep her lubed, washed, and in top shape.

It had already had the window fix done and was in great shape with all maintenance up to date.

If you purchase one in good shape the mechanical side may not be an issue, but for me the gas mileage for a college student, and the fact that it's hardly 4 people friendly due to the difficulty getting into the back, is the real concern.

If you decide to purchase you can probably post a request for a member here to look it over before you make a trip. I know you'll find the family here more than willing to help where needed.

Good luck with the search.

[circmand]

It is hardly teh ideal college vehicle with the gas mileage. Of course with the difficulty of getting in the back it might keep it from becoming the road trip vehicle. Although college students are quite a bit more flexible than the owners on here. The visibility is a big concern for a novice driver. The long haul is not bad but how busy is the college town? How good a driver is your college boung young one?

[Marlin]

For non-mechanically inclined kid, this vehicle should be far from consideration. The offroad capability may be too much temptation for a college boy and his friends. Offroad=big trouble, and broken parts. If he really wants a 4x4, as much as I hate to say it, get a Jeep, something like a cherokee. They are easy and cheap to work on. Upgrades are readily available and also very cheap.

[cybersecretary]

Thanks a lot for the input... as i am looking at them i think that I want one for me! have to think practical for my son. Gas milage is important for him as we are pretty poor most of the time.
He is an excellent driver but not big on fixin stuff, my husband is..

With electric guitars and amps we call it GAS, gear acquisition syndrome...
I get it bad sometimes

with this car i got it bad too!

so i'll look for a ford escape or explorer or something for my son... we have about 6 -7000$ to spend and i want something reliable and if it has to go to the mechanic where ever my son may be i don't want them going What the heck is this...? and mess it up.

all the used cars are expensive or high miles... was that the cash for clunkers messing up the used car prices i have heard about?

[cybersecretary]

we had a jeep cherokee sport? that fell apart.was always something.. JEEP Just Eats Every Penny
thanks people.

[Y33TREKker]

For something reliable and trouble free for a college student driving three hours one way, I'd personally go Toyota (car or truck) or Honda (car).

Since all the vehicles you've listed are suv's of some sort though, is that what he wants/you want him to have?

[samneil2000]

.... so i'll look for a ford escape or explorer or something for my son... we have about 6 -7000$ to spend and i want something reliable and if it has to go to the mechanic where ever my son may be i don't want them going What the heck is this...? and mess it up.

I would say a Ford Escape is a good consideration. I have a 2003 I bought new with the 3.0 V6 and auto tranny. I have put 155,000 miles on that thing and it's still going strong, all with no serious issues. I just had a leaky front seal replaced but that was pretty simple. It's plenty roomy for 4 and can squeeze 5 if needed. There's a good bit of storage behind the back seat as well. Has great visability for an SUV and gets low 20 mpg. The newer ones get upper 20 range, but for 7 grand I'm thinking you'll be looking at a 2005 or 2006 maybe.

Whatever you do, good luck, and like others said, this is the most helpful bunch of knuckle-heads as you're likely to ever "meet" on the internet.
I love my Escape for my daily driver. I'll probably get another one when that thing is toast.
My 2 cents.

[tom4bren]

... as i am looking at them i think that I want one for me! have to think practical for my son. Gas milage is important for him as we are pretty poor most of the time.
He is an excellent driver but not big on fixin stuff, my husband is..

A kid with a hotter car than Mom or Dad. That's just wrong on so many levels.

How 'bout you get the VX & kiddo drives what you have now???

Actually there are many factors that go into an ideal car for a college student: amount of driving, # of moves anticipated, finances, parking on campus, congestion on campus.

etlsport gradumacated last year from college so I'm sure he would recommend the VX as the ideal college car. But I think he went to school on the 8 year plan (working to support his VX habit) so he may not be the ideal example.

When I went to college (yes, they had internal combustion engines back then), I drove a 1974 Plymouth Duster. It wasn't the hotrod version though, it had the slant 6 engine, 3 speed on the floor, drum brakes all around & you had to pump the windshield washer with your foot. It was the perfect car for me though. Decent gas mileage, decent capability in the snow (for Tennessee), very reliable (1 fan belt, 1 battery, 1 oil breather & 1 PCV in 5 years) & absolutely nobody wanted to steal it or anything in it. The most important thing though was that by my sophomore year, I could fit all of my worldly possessions in the trunk of the car. That was of paramount importance since I was moving every 3 months. I Co-Op'd for 2 years alternating quarters working for the Air Force and school.

Living in VT, I'm sure you'll be wanting him to have 4WD so that's going to narrow down your choices.

It'll need room for all his stuff, be reliable, get good gas mileage, easy to drive in congested traffic and easy to park.

The Escape isn't a bad choice but open the market a little & look also at Subaru's (wagons aren't popular with college kids but he won't turn down a free car - but there's also the Outback). KIA also makes some decent SUVs. The subcompact market just doesn't seem ideal to me since he won't have much room for hauling laundry home to Mom (I never did that).

The VX really isn't a bad choice for a college car with the exception of the gas mileage. There's room for his stuff if the rear seat is tumbled or removed & it is 4WD so Mom won't worry too much about him in the winter. My personal experience with the VX is that it is reliable (of course, I only have 50K miles on mine).

[ZubrAZ]

make your son happy and get him VX, if he likes it. it is not easy to get to the rear seats, but once the girls hop in there, there is no way out

as far as maintenance: all cars break down, and I wouldnt be distinguishing them by brand, but rather by a previous owner(s). Just find the one in a good condition and keep it that way.

and your son will be super happy. oooh! i wish I had a vx during my teen years.

[vt_maverick]

I'll agree (x4?) with what's been said above, but also throw in that I don't think you want anything for a college kid that requires attention. Our trucks LOVE to drink oil, so most responsible owners end up checking their oil at each fill-up or at least once every two weeks. I don't know about others here, but I can tell you when I was in college preventative vehicle maintenance was the LAST thing on my mind. And btw I also had a Jeep Cherokee in college, an '84 model with the carbureted 2.8 V6, and it was an absolute POS. Broke constantly... the alternator went bad so I had it replaced, the new alternator overcharged the battery and (not joking here) caused the battery to explode under the hood, bowing the hood up and back down again by a good 3 inches. Before that the throttle got stuck wide open, so I was literally at 6000 RPM in park. The final straw was when the intake gasket failed and allowed water into the engine... a nice puff of white smoke and that was it. Never happier to see a vehicle go than I was with that one.

I think Tom's got a good point there, take a hard look at Subaru's, maybe even a WRX (insert WormGod's recommendation here) since they have AWD capability with good space for people and stuff.

make your son happy and get him VX, if he likes it. it is not easy to get to the rear seats, but once the girls hop in there, there is no way out

Lol...

[cybersecretary]

thanks everyone. love all the photos and videos of the VX on this site... but i am thinking that it may be too small...Son turns 20 soon. he is about 220 lbs and i feel he needs something with room in it... he lives on campus in the middle of no where in northern Vt. comes home once a month and for holidays.
We will keep saving and after we find him a car/suv/truck i want to get a VX for me!!!

i was looking at the Escape for him. probably better mileage than an explorer... He had a subaru forester last spring that was crashed in a wreck (girlfriend driving) he has been car less for 6 months. He didn't want another subaru unless it was a Baha... and those look small, chintzy and are pricy!
at this point he'll take anything , even said i should look for a honda element! what a joke! personally i think they are fugly!
it is his money too from an inheritance and i want to get him something that he can haul his possessions to where ever he may move to over the next say 5 years..since trucks get poor gas mileage i thought SUV would be better. The Extera is cool , and many for 7K but get crappy gas mileage.
There is a black chevy equinox near us for sale..8400$ looks cool but read on Edmonds were bad?POS.

And yeah, i'd give him my car but it is not 4x4.. it is a vw passat wagon front wheel drive and i have a hard time in the snow.(I am planning on moving south soon to NC coast or Fl) and it's not cool for a young guy!
Hey i should sell my VW and get a VX then i can drive it on the beach!!!

[vt_maverick]

Livin' the dream.

[RickOKC]