WTB-VW jetta, manual

[Jake]

1.) I am confused now as to what I want.

Nothing wrong with options... find nice examples of both cars (Yetta & E36) and drive them, see what you like and dislike. You may drive both and end up liking both or neither.

2.) BMW?..hmm...why not a jetta again? E36=sexy...E34=not so much

Like Goodspeed said, RWD vs FWD. It's not that Jettas are bad cars - they appear to do just fine for all of Tri-Delt and Tri-Sig :roll: but the driving dynamics of each will be different. The E36 is comparable in size to the Jetta, the E34 is larger and not a sports car - it's a cushy ish sedan that has a sportier driving feel than a Lexus of the same era.

3.) I like the smell of crayons

The kids you babysit will feel right at home as well!

4.) I don't want a "fixer upper" here, I AM A GIRL...yeah crazy, I know. I kind of just want something that doesn't need work all the time, I do babysit quite often and I need a car that is SEMI practical (Throwing the kids in the trunk doesn't count *cough-JAKE-cough* and I am literally going to be broke after I buy a car so I don't want to be putting money into it all the time.

Hey now, being a girl is no excuse for not knowing or being able to work on your shit. I see where you're coming from - and my car falls into the category of "doesn't need work all the time" too - but I enjoy wrenching on it when I decide to upgrade things or do oil changes, etc.

Definitely find a car that has past maintenance records from the seller. I keep a binder of receipts and log the work I do - date and mileage - to help myself remember when stuff is due for upkeep, and also to prove to a future owner that I took care of my whip.

I know - at least with the BMW, probably with the VW too - that it is easy to find clean, needs-nothing cars for sale on enthusiast forums. Check out bimmerworld.com and bimmerforums.com for the E36, and vwvortex.com for the Jetta. Craigslist is fun to look on, and occasionally you'll get a good ad that's worth calling about - but WEN THE AD IS IN ALL CAPS AND SAYS TEH CAR HAS LOW MIELS AND A MANUEL TRANSMISSION - you should keep looking.

Oh, and demand good pictures. If you're selling a car, you should either own a digital camera (not a cell phone cam) or have a friend who will let you borrow theirs. You want several large, well-lit pictures of the car's exterior, interior and engine bay. Cleanliness should match all around... if the car is dirty everywhere but has a shiny engine bay, they may be trying to hide a leak of some sort.

If you want advice on potential cars, post ad links here, we are always happy to critique and spend other peoples' money!!