Think my VW Golf TDI is totaled

[77 K20]

On Sunday I was driving back from my brother in law's with my Golf loaded down with Christmas presents and my wife and kids were following in her VW Passat TDI. On a narrow windy road near his place I looked up and saw a Trailblazer slide around a corner. Thought he was going to recover, then started to slide again. All of a sudden it snapped around right towards me and I tried to take the ditch to get out of his way but couldn't. The wife said that the impact sent the back of the Golf up in the air.... and if I would have missed him she probably would have been hit instead.

Ended up at the bottom of a 9' ditch thru someone's fence. A tree stopped me.

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Thought I broke my hand, but it was only bruised (1/2 of my hand is a bruise) and had a slight concussion and a sore neck. I was confused why my door wouldn't open after it. The top hinge for the door was sheared off and the fender was holding it closed.

It was a very slick day out. They reported 66 accidents that day around the area.

That car was a lot of fun to drive for a little commuter car. With the TDI I was getting around 50 mpg driving to and from California (work had sent me there for 8 months last year). In the last 2 years I put in a full H&R suspension with a rear sway bar, all new stereo equipment, larger injectors with a stage 2 tune, 2.5" stainless turbo back exhaust, new front control arms with polyurethane bushings.... it handled like it was on rails.

Not sure I want to start all over on another one. Took me almost a year to find that one and I had to travel 700 miles to buy it. So I've spent the last few days looking around pondering an eventual replacement. So far I've thought of:

Hummer H3
Audi A5
Golf TDI again

For long family trips I'd still have the Passat that can get 45 mpg, so I don't have to really get another economy car. The Audi A5 would be a fun sporty car- but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't allow the kids in it. I did love the hatchback of the Golf for hauling stuff... even my mountain bike would fit in there. So having something a bit larger that would still fit in the garage might be even nicer.

In the meantime I'll just drive my K20... so it is not like I need to rush out and buy something.

 

[Quadrajet Power]

Glad you were ok. What a mess that was. If you drive a bunch and change style/brand if car, test one enough to make sure it is comfortable for you.

 

[Rule_So_Hard]

Glad you are okay, that is really scary.

The exact same thing happened to me but it wasn't snowing and I recovered control of the vehicle. My 4 year old niece was in the back seat and some hotrod in a gradorix was flying in the oncoming lane. All I seen was his headlights curve into my lane and head for the ditch but it snapped right towards me and I swerved in the other lane to avoid him, we both ended up in a ditch and he hit a tree and I went back up the other side no problems. Best part is he then tried to convince me to not call the cops...after he almost killed me and my niece and my pregnant wife.

Its really good your okay and even better that your kids were not with you.

 

[89Suburban]

That sucks bro.

 

[77 K20]

Glad you are okay, that is really scary.

The exact same thing happened to me but it wasn't snowing and I recovered control of the vehicle. My 4 year old niece was in the back seat and some hotrod in a gradorix was flying in the oncoming lane. All I seen was his headlights curve into my lane and head for the ditch but it snapped right towards me and I swerved in the other lane to avoid him, we both ended up in a ditch and he hit a tree and I went back up the other side no problems. Best part is he then tried to convince me to not call the cops...after he almost killed me and my niece and my pregnant wife.

Its really good your okay and even better that your kids were not with you.

My wife tried twice before we left to get one of the kids to ride with me. Normally I let one of them, but told them not today as it seems to be a bit slick out. Probably the best decision of the year right there.

Anyone have anything to say about the H3? I know it was based on the Colorado frame with modified suspension. I drove a Colorado years ago and didn't like it much- but it was the cab I didn't like much.

I've only found one H3 locally. Figured I'd go test drive it tomorrow. This one is an automatic, but it is nice that you can get it in a manual trans if you look around enough.

 

[Old77]

Sucks

 

[bucket]

Sucks to hear, but it looks like it could have been much worse.

I don't think many H3's are around, but I think owners complained about poor mpg and a lack of power. I know people that have owned newer Audi's and I've worked on a bunch of them too, I wouldn't recommend one. A lot of owners didn't like them, and the ones that did like them, clearly didn't realize how much money they kept dumping into them. Not just one model either it is all off them. A4, A8, that TT thing... all of them.

 

[ScottyB]

I know I've towed more Audis than I thought I would. Several of the owners swore they would get out of them if they could. One lost $20k to get out of his.

 

[77 K20]

Sucks to hear, but it looks like it could have been much worse.

I don't think many H3's are around, but I think owners complained about poor mpg and a lack of power. I know people that have owned newer Audi's and I've worked on a bunch of them too, I wouldn't recommend one. A lot of owners didn't like them, and the ones that did like them, clearly didn't realize how much money they kept dumping into them. Not just one model either it is all off them. A4, A8, that TT thing... all of them.

How new are you talking? I've had a lot of Audis thru the years, but nothing newer than a 2000.

2 Audi 4000's
1993 Audi 90 CS sport
1992 Audi 100 CS Avant
2000 Audi A6 Avant
2000 Audi S4

Since Audi wouldn't import TDIs to the US I then bought a few VW TDIs. 2005 Passat (RIP), 2004 Passat, 2000 Golf (RIP).

One thing that is nice is I have the ***-COM program for doing diagnostic and adaption on them.

 

[bucket]

How new are you talking? I've had a lot of Audis thru the years, but nothing newer than a 2000.

2 Audi 4000's
1993 Audi 90 CS sport
1992 Audi 100 CS Avant
2000 Audi A6 Avant
2000 Audi S4

Since Audi wouldn't import TDIs to the US I then bought a few VW TDIs. 2005 Passat (RIP), 2004 Passat, 2000 Golf (RIP).

One thing that is nice is I have the ***-COM program for doing diagnostic and adaption on them.

I'm talking the 2000 and up types. I think the A4 is probably the worst, some of the worst cars on the road IMHO.

 

[77 K20]

The first offer was $3,400. I told them NO WAY as NADA shows the car is worth $5,500 and you can't find a decent one for under $6k. I asked to see a list of comparables they used... as diesels are hard to find. Their response? "Oh... that was a diesel? That makes a difference? We will get back to you".

It is now a month and a half later. The come back with a second offer. $5912.31. Ok... then I read their report. After providing them with thousands of dollars in receipts for the car they say all of it is worth $0 except for $20 for window tint, and $250 for the stainless exhaust.

Then the list of comparable cars. Only 2 of them. Both are thousands of miles away from me. Both at dealerships. One is $6,200 and the other is $7,991. See- they are expensive to buy.... but wait... Insurance then "adjusts" the price based on their mileage. They take $684.68 from the cheaper car because it has 151,000 miles on it. Then they take $2,128 off of the more expensive car for its mileage. Ready for this? The car only has 103,000 miles.

So now MAGICALLY the price of both cars is $5,515.32 and $5,862.26. WOW.

So OBVIOUSLY I'm getting a great deal!

Those bastards deserve to be in prison... but wait- it is ok since it is legal for them to screw people.

And there is nothing I can do about it, other than never modify a car again, don't drive something special, and never get attached to a car. Ford Taurus here I come!

 

[flyboy1100]

That sucks!