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A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

volkswagen

A week in … vrooom!

March 11, 2016

It’s been one week since I got my new Jetta.

I love it.

I worried about switching back to automatic from manual, but it’s been nice in all honesty. There are times I’d like to be shifting, but there are other times where I’ve thought … oh thank goodness!

This car is definitely an upgrade from the last Jetta I had. The engine is a 1.4 turbo, and it has some definite kick to it. I like the different choices with the driving (regular, sports, tiptronic). The radio setup is nice as I can hook up my phone and access things like maps and podcasts. I also have a three-month trial to SiriusXM, so that’s nice.

The best though is it’s a comfortable ride and fun to drive, which were important traits for me.

Anyway, below are a few images.

Old... and new.

Old… and new.

 

VW selfie.

VW selfie.

 

First wash.

First wash.

 

Rain on the car.

Rain on the car.

 

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please Like HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Filed Under: My world Tagged With: blue, car, jetta, new car, volkswagen, volkswagen jetta, vw, vw jetta

4 Comments

Time to move on

March 4, 2016

There comes a time when you need to move on from some things.

It can be anything in life – from a job to friends to family to personal possesions. It can be, pretty much, anything.

I’m moving on Friday.

A couple of years ago, I felt it was time to trade in my car. It was my first Jetta – a 2015 1/2 (yes, that was the year, as they switched body types in the middle of the year). That car was a first for me in many ways – first new car, first lease, first Volkswagen.

I had it for nine years.

My next car will be the first without stick shift in about 12 years.

My next car will be the first without stick shift in about 12 years.

Imagine that? Nine years. I ran out the lease and then bought the car. In the meantime, I had put almost 175,000 miles on that car and it had been really good for me.

But it felt like it was time. The car was costing me money here and there and I needed something to truly rely on as I had just started my new job a few months before.

Unfortunately, I fell for the “let’s do this quick sort of thing.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, this car I’m currently in isn’t bad. But there was a span where VW made the base models really base. For example, my first Jetta was pretty loaded for a base car. But this one – not so much. It didn’t even have cruise control, which was the first time in like 20 or so years where I didn’t have that.

You try doing a trip to a place like Pittsburgh – where you have hours of driving – without cruise. Yeah, it’s not the most fun!

That was my fault though as I thought it did have it. Needless to say, I rushed into it because I thought it was the “time to deal” and such. My old VW was going to need some work, too, so … I felt it was time to move on. I jumped at this one because it was a stick shift and was the color I wanted – and a price I could dig.

Look, this car hasn’t been bad for me. But it hasn’t been great. I want a car that’s “fun” to drive, not one where it’s “just a car.”

This one is basically that. At the time, I was enamored. I knew what I was getting into. Do I think there were a few things I probably should have been told? Maybe. But that’s irrelevant. I made the choice. And for the past two-plus years, the car has been fun.

But here was the issue – I’m already approaching my mileage limit for the lease – with more than a year left. That also means my extended warranty is coming up. On top of that, it’s not a car I could see me outright buying when the lease ends, so I had a quandary, of sorts.

What to do?

When I lease, I usually know I won’t keep under the limit. I drive to work and I like to go places. So 15,000 a year isn’t easy (though I’m going to try and be a bit better with this one). However, if it’s a car I love – I’ll buy it at the end and keep it longer. Makes more sense. Just add on an extended warranty and off I go.

So I had been looking into ways to get out of my lease. Turns out this month was a good one. I went back and forth with them, discussed different things, drove a new Jetta (with many more options) and after some dickering, I got a price I felt was perfect for what I was looking for. It doesn’t break the bank (it’s not much more than I am at now) and gives me some options I wanted going forward.

Shockingly, one thing I did, was switch from manual to automatic (though, to be fair, this Jetta has a sport mode and the Tiptronic) because … well, it was time. I still love manual transmission, but not as my everyday car. That was the issue with my current car – the engine and the transmission didn’t do well on hills or pickup. I’m ready to not worry about that.

I drove the new car the other day (on February 29) and love the feel of it. There are a lot of options, including – yes – cruise control, and I really like the peppiness the car has. It was fun to drive.

I look forward to my third VW. I’m pretty sure I won’t be worrying about this one in two years, so that’s a bonus.

I always have a hard time saying goodbye to a car, but this time I know it’s the right move. I’ve had some good trips with this one, but it’s time. It hasn’t been a bad car, that’s for sure. But it’s also not been one that I have “loved” as with several of my past ones. It’s done it’s job and for that, I can’t complain.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Filed Under: My world Tagged With: car, jetta, new car, volkswagen, volkswagen jetta, vw, vw jetta

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Goodbye, old friend

December 26, 2013

Best car I’ve ever owned.

It was 2005 when I first thought about a Volkswagen.

Well, I had thought about it long before that. But 2005 is when I had the chance to act.

At that time, I was working for the newspaper and my card — an Oldsmobile Alero (one which I had truly loved) was giving me some issues. Eventually, the engine decided to go. That put me in rush mode. I needed a vehicle. I tried to find another Alero (a stick shift this time) to no avail. I had a loaner for about a week, then a rental. Things were getting crazy.

I needed a car.

A lot of memories were had with this car, but after 8.5 years and a tad more than 173,000 miles, it was time.

My only requirements were a stick shift and something reliable.

Calling around to area dealerships didn’t get me many hits. Then I called VW. They didn’t have anything — but, for some reason, I asked about lease deals. There was one running for a Jetta that made it very affordable. It was a 2005 1/2 edition as the company was switching body styles. I went that day to try one out.

The salesman told me to get on it, take it for a ride, really give it a go. So I did. I only drove it about 6-7 miles, but I was in love. A day or two later, I had my first new car. It had a whopping (give or take) 350 miles on it.

That was July 2005.

The car has been by my side ever since. Sure, it had a few issues here and there. The brakes didn’t always seem the best. A timing chain went (the head of the service department at that time said he had worked on VWs for about 20 years and had only seen it happen twice). At the end, there were nagging issues that I had not been able to take care of, considering my employment status.

But this car kept going.

Despite the miles continue to pile up, the car kept rolling along. The heat only worked on level 4. The ABS and all weren’t great. There was a light out somewhere I couldn’t find. The gas pedal was broke, so you had to heel the pad when pressing it. The coils were cracked. The exhaust definitely would have needed work, if not replacing, too.

You get the picture.

If you factor in labor, I’d be willing to bet I’d have been looking at $3,500 or so to fix everything to get it back in full running order.

That’s all without considering the 172,000+ miles on the car. What if I fixed all of those issues and then something major went on it? As great of a car it had been, those miles weren’t always easy.

I went on any road possible. Back roads were never off limits. I traveled countless miles for the newspaper. I went for even longer rides when it came to personal fun. From geocaching to softball (I went to a state tournament with the car the first day I owned it) to trips all over the Northeast, it was a car that didn’t let me down.

Canada. Maine. Philadelphia. The Jersey Shore. GeoWoodstock. Allegany Geobash. New York City. Disc golf tournaments all over. State parks, national parks and local parks. Washington D.C. It’s the only car I’ve known for geocaching, so it’s been in at least 12 or 13 states.

My Jetta on one of many geocaching trips.

It’s safe to say, it’s been all over the place.

And to think about it this way — it’s become a bit of an extension of me. July 2005 to now is 8 years, 5 months — almost to the day I bought it. That’s a long time to own one car.

I think the longest I had ever owned a car before that was about three or so years, and I’ve owned plenty (a Ford Ranger, two Oldsmobiles, two Pontiacs and a Dodge Colt).

To say it was hard to hand this car over is an understatement.

Still, every car — no matter how long you’ve owned it — runs its course. There comes a bit of reality when it comes to fixing and such. I knew my Jetta was on its final path, so I figured I’d buy within the next few months. Unless, of course, a deal came along.

The sales manager at the local VW, Dave, is somebody I’ve known for 20 or so years. I coached him in baseball, worked with him for a bit at two newspapers, and have been friends for many years. So I touched base with him and he told me he’d give me a good deal. I noted to him that I was just starting my search, so I didn’t know how fast I’d get into a car.

Old and new.

It went faster than planned.

Let’s just say everything aligned. I got what I wanted for my car, got the payments I was hoping for and they had what I was searching for.

I went in on a Saturday to see what there was. The conversation was quick at first:

Dave: I have a car for you to test drive. 

Me: What color?

Dave: Blue.

Me: You’re one-for-one.  Stick shift?

Dave: Yeah. 

Me: You’re two-for-two. What year is it? 

Dave: 2014. 

Me: Three-for-three. 

So far, so good. He gave me the keys and told me “to drive it like you stole it.”

Talk about four-for-four.

The car had 18 miles on it when I pulled out of the lot. I doubled it that day and pulled in knowing this was quite the car. We dickered a little to get numbers where I liked them. I said I’d sleep on it and made my decision within 24 hours.

Final mileage on my car when I turned it in for trade.

On Monday (Dec. 23) I went in and filled out some paperwork. I went back Christmas Eve in the morning and Santa came early. It was tough to hand over the keys to the old gal, but getting the new bad boy was something quite exhilarating.

I had flipped 173,000 the day before I traded the old Jetta in.

When I handed the keys over to Dave, I told him it was actually quite hard. It’s truly quite amazing how attached one can get with a car. But this one, as noted before, was a little more. It was me. It was easy to see me coming (if you knew me) and, in recent months, probably easy to hear me coming, too!

This car has really been amazing and has gone through so much for me. And it kept going and going. I’m sold on VW and how good of a car is made by the company.

I took a couple of snapshots and watched as somebody from service came and drove it away. I then slipped into my new car — which now had a whopping 43 miles on it — and drove out of the dealership.

But it’s not without memories, that’s for sure. And, even after nearly 8 1/2 years, I still loved driving that car.

The first day I owned my initial Jetta, I told a few people I didn’t know if I’d ever drive anything other than Volkswagen again. I loved their cars that much. And though I was prepared to look at other brands and dealers, I had been honest with Dave that I’d be extremely loyal if he’d work with me. It’s kind of like a free agent in spots who gives his (or her) old team first cracks.

In the end, I just didn’t want to leave VW.

I’m extremely happy with this car and look forward to making trips and memories with it. Hopefully the miles on this one won’t be as hard as the last one, but I know what to expect and know what to get out of it.

And, I look forward to driving it every day, which is something one should always get out of a car. Here’s to new memories and many more VW miles!

The new ride.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Filed Under: My world Tagged With: buying a new car, jetta, new car, old car, volkswagen, volkswagen jetta, vw, vw car, vw jetta, vw loyalty

16 Comments

30 Days of Writing: Behind the wheel (4/30)

June 4, 2012

Being behind the wheel with a manual transmission is awesome.

This post is written in conjunction with the 30 Days of Writing, a blog challenge devised by Nicky and Mike at “We Work For Cheese.” I’ll be participating throughout the month of June. If interested, you can see my post with the details of the challenge. 

Please note that some of these posts will be serious, some will be normal, and some will be an attempt at humor. This one is on the fun side. 

There’s something to be said about feeling in full control of your car.

Heading down the road, shifting away, feeling the RPMs kick in and take off. A quick downshift on a corner and feeling as the car catches the road and smoothly glides into the next straightaway.

Several years ago, I was in the hunt for a new car. But this was one of those types of searches where I didn’t have a lot of time. My then-current car had engine issues and it wasn’t really reliable or safe to drive.

So I needed new wheels.

I've had this car since 2005 and I still love driving it.

About the only thing that I needed to have was a stick shift. Everything else was negotiable.

I searched and searched to no avail. The car dealer I always went to couldn’t get me what I had wanted. I opened my search and looked all over. Nobody seemed to have anything that met what I needed — in other words a stick shift with the mileage to match the price. (Sorry, I’m not paying $275 per month for five years for a car with 85,000 miles on it… not happening).

Then I got talking to the one salesman at Volkswagen. For some reason, I inquired about lease deals. I had never really considered a lease. With my job at the time, I put a lot of miles on a car. So it wouldn’t make sense.

He told me a great deal on new Jettas.

Intrigued, I went over to test one out. It had been a while since I had driven stick shift, so I asked him about the clutch and everything else. He told me to “get on it,” and “not to worry.”

Apparently, when VW people visit the dealership — as well as others — they really push the cars, as that’s what the cars are made to do. That’s according to the salesman, anyway.

I took the car out slowly. My test drive was no more than four or five miles, but I punched it a bit. I tested the feel of things. I shifted through and really got a feel for how things went.

When I got back to the dealership, I asked how long it would take them to get it ready.

After the paperwork and a day wait for detailing etc., I picked up my new ride. It had a whopping 325 (or so) miles on it. This was my first new car and I was stoked.

My car is now approaching 150,000 miles. It’s had a few downs along the way, but overall, it’s been one hell of a car. I’ve seen a lot through the windows of this car. And it’s still fun to drive it.

I was thinking about that Sunday as I drove through some country highways with the twists and turns I’m so used to. The sky changed from a brilliant blue to dark storm clouds and back to blue.

This car is more than two tons of metal and parts. It’s been a part of my life since 2005. It’s been so many places throughout the Northeast. Maine, New York City, Philly, Washington D.C., and other places. It’s visited Canada more than once. This car has traveled seasonal roads and zipped along long and straight highways. It’s been at events and everywhere else.

I've seen some great views from behind the wheel of my Jetta.

And for that, I love it.

As I came home today from a few different events, I thought about what this car has been through. I slipped through the gears with the ease that it has always had. As I crested one of the mountains I drive up over, I saw the tail end of a rainbow. Quite the view. I stopped and attempted a few images before I got back into the car and continued on.

It’s funny, too. Outside of taking it into the shop, only two or three other people have been behind the wheel of this car. That’s how much I think of this car and what it’s like to be behind the wheel.

I know, one day, I’ll have to move on to a new car. And that day will be hard, without a doubt. But no matter what, this will be one car that I’ll never forget. It’s been the best car I’ve owned and I’ve never felt more comfortable behind the wheel of any other car.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Filed Under: My world, Photography, We Work For Cheese Challenges Tagged With: 30 days challenge, 30 days of writing, 30 days of writing challenge, behind the wheel, car, drive, driving, ve jetta, volkswagen, volkswagen jetta, vw, we work for cheese challenge, we work for cheese.

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hoohaa29

Writer who loves images just as much as words! In search of perfectly poured pints of Guinness and great hot dogs. Find me on twitter @softball29.

Couldn’t resist stopping on the way to work too Couldn’t resist stopping on the way to work too quickly snap some photos of this scene. Hamden Covered Bridge. #bridge #coveredbridge #hamden #snow #winter #instagood #photooftheday #happy #picoftheday #fun #igers #bestoftheday #life #photo #iphonesia #igdaily #iphoneonly #love #beautiful #photography
A nice day to get out for a hike, grab a #geocache A nice day to get out for a hike, grab a #geocache and place a few. Felt good abs here’s hoping for a much better year!
Thought this wax seal came out pretty well! #waxse Thought this wax seal came out pretty well! #waxsealstamp #waxseal #waxseals #card #mail #snailmail
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QU_MIHQuinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey@QU_MIH·
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We're up a spot in the polls and back in the Top 🔟! #BobcatNation

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The time to move forward is now.

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I will not apologize for getting emotional and a little misty in the eye on reflecting on this moment and the story of our nation.

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