My previous vehicles: 1993 Nissan 240SX, 1999 Acura Integra GS-R, 2001 Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition 1.8T.

By far and away the Volkswagen was my worst vehicle ever. Constant problems, needlessly complex repairs, non-existent reliability, electrical gremlins, ZERO non-OEM replacement parts available, predatory dealer service pricing, problems getting warranty honored, etc. The list goes on. The only nice thing I can say about my Volkswagen was that it was fast, handled beautifully, and looked nice. That's it. The car was a piece of junk. I spent well in excess of my monthly payment and insurance on just keeping it running. If I ever had one again, I'd be putting $250 a month in a savings account to pay for the repairs because you cannot predict when they will screw up or how much it will cost. Everyone I know who had one had the same opinion... The owner groups are more like support groups.

My Volkswagen had a problem with its brake lights. They would just stop working altogether or would work intermittently. I was constantly hearing brakes screeching behind me. It was a known issue and there were actually THREE recalls to try to fix it. I was eventually rear-ended because they failed.

Any time a problem came up, the dealer would say it was from owner abuse or neglect, despite the fact that the car was 100% stock and was dealer-maintained. Did I mention that every 5000 miles (or 10,000 miles for the non-turbo) you have to bring them in for a $500 service that no mechanic can do other than the dealer or a VW-specific shop? Yeah, that too. They never paid for a thing under warranty. The only thing they paid for were the federally mandated recalls on the brake light switch.

The only people who enjoy ownership of Volkswagens are people with a lot of money to dump into a vehicle who want a great driving experience, regardless of the cost.

Even with your Ranger's poor fuel economy, you are coming out far cheaper than owning a Volkswagen. I know this first hand.

I love my B4000. Granted, I've had it a month, but it's working well for me. Everyone I know with a Ranger or a B-series has been satisfied. Reliability is more important to me than anything else. I look at the cost of ownership as a whole (fuel, insurance, cost of car, maintenance all together) and these trucks are very cheap to own.

If you want a good economy car that's a better overall value than the Ranger...get a Honda or an Acura product. They're consistently well-built and they stand behind their products. And, Honda and Acura owners are consistently satisfied with their purchases. Any carmaker can make a lemon or a car that's bad...no one even comes close to approaching Volkswagen's poor quality. The numbers back it up at Consumer Reports and several other reputable publications.

Steer clear of Volkswagen, man. You're going to thank me later.