Used 1998 Volkswagen Cabrio

"Fun summer car - economical too"

"I have owned my 99 cabrio for a bit over three years and have to say it has served me well as a great summer car although I drive it all year round. Its decent in snow believe it or not. The one drawback is power: you have to push it to get above 80 on the highway (but that's breaking the law where I come from). Also because it is a convertible it is a bit loud to drive on highways. I have had a few VWs and this one's far better better than most. The styling is good and is aging nicely (much better than Jettas) Its also still really fun. If you are looking for a decently priced summer car that's great for cruising around town, hitting the beach or just having fun this is the best choice for less than 7,00 dollars. You can comfortably fit four average sized adults in the car and the trunk is ample enough for a bit of equipment. I would not recommend this if your intention is lots of road trips. - Ted"

"Excellent Vehicle!"

"I purchased my 1999 vw cabrio GLS over a year ago as my first car. It had 63K miles on it and I am the third owner. The good: heated seats(!), power-down windows, original top has NEVER leaked, great mpg (approx 32 mpg when I went to Wisconsin), small and practical (can fit in ANY parking spot), safe and extremely solid and smooth for such a small car, lots of room in the backseats compared to any other 2 dr car, very reliable. I feel a lot safer than a lot of other cars! Super fun in the summer! The bad: the cupholders are annoying...a pop can fits nice but no large drinks, I had the front wheel barings replaced shortly after I purchased it (couldn've been the person before me), the speedometer/tachometer recently quite working...I need a new instrument cluster which will cost $850. They said it rarely happens, but it happened...that one is the big kicker. I had the [automatic] transmission checked...doesn't shift well in cold weather. The mechanic said that it's a small summer car with a small amount of tranny fluid so I let it run in the winter for a few min. before I drive. It does fine in the summer, it just doesn't like the cold. It does fine if I let her run for 10 min. in the morning before work. The AC didn't work when I bought it. I had the frian recharged in the spring for $20 and the AC still works (pin hole leak?). We've never got stuck in the snow...it does super well for only being front wheel drive...never kept me from getting up the steap driveway. Other than the things above, everything else works PERFECT in this car. This car is expensive to fix, but the reliablility is well worth it. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone! It has been a great vehicle for how much I drive around!"

"Yes....but......"

"I purchased this car new for a bit over $25K, now 8 years later it's only worth close to $5.....not great in my opinion. I have had lots and lots of electrical issues from the beginning: rear side windows don't always open and close, cruise control is very hit & miss (mainly miss), and the top no longer works automatically (thank God it can be opened manually). Oh yea, and I had to replace the engine 2 years ago at about 70K. BESIDES ALL THAT....I do love my car! It is zippy, great pickup, the A/C absolutely rocks, the seats are ultra comfortable, and I've had no leakage problems from the top. The ride is pretty darn loud, which makes it tough to ever make any calls, but I expect that the same can be said for most convertibles. MY ADVICE....if you can buy this car for under $5K go for it. You will have a lot of fun driving it."