I would drive 100,000 miles….

Yesterday, 3/17, was the 7th anniversary of me taking possession of my beloved 2008 Volkwagen Rabbit.

This morning, while stepping on the gas to pass a far-too-slow blue compact car, it rolled over to 100,000 miles.

Of all the cars I’ve owned in my life, this one has been the best in almost every category. It’s been a reliable and amusing companion for a hell of a lot of commuting, and has helped make commuting lengthy distances through a crappy city a great deal more tolerable. It’s comfortable without feeling too cushy. It’s… comparatively economical, let’s say. It’s equipped to an ‘everything I need’ level. It looks good, if not as good as the new Golfs. It’s pretty practical and spacious for its size.

It’s also reliable. This one has been the biggest surprise. VW had a nasty reputation for reliability problems with the previous generations of this car, but in spite of the naysaying from friends, it’s been pretty rock-solid. In fact, below is a complete list of problems the car has had that were not related to scheduled maintenance:

  1. The in-dash 6 disc CD changer stopped working for a few days. It fixed itself and has been fine in the years since.
  2. The tire pressure monitoring thing freaked out one day after leaving the dealership. On the way back to make them fix it, it fixed itself, and has been fine in the years since.
  3. The satellite radio module stopped working for unknown reasons. Still broken, hardly matters now that internet radio from my phone is handling music.
  4. A headlight bulb blew out and needed replacing.
  5. Every now and then the transmission shifts a bit roughly and I get a noticeable lurch out of it.

And that’s it. 100k miles, 7 years, that’s the worst of the trouble I’ve had with this thing. It’s mind blowing, really. Even cars renowned for reliability would have had more problems.

But above all else, it’s fun. Throwing it into a corner at a mediocre speed feels amusing, even if it’s not like it would win me any races on a circuit. 170hp isn’t a heck of a lot but the engine always response when I need it, and makes a pleasing, grunty noise as it does so.

I love my car, and if it keeps going, I’d drive it for 100,000 more.