Jetta

2006 · 2.5

Resale price

$3,600

5-yr depreciation

68%

Of original value, first five years

Yearly maintenance

$696

Parts and labour beyond oil and tyres

Combined MPG

EPA combined city and highway

Trouble-free miles

109,500

Before a first repair above $500

Known issues

Timing chain tensioner failure (2008-2013); water pump and coil pack faults.

Where it is made

Final assembly · Puebla, Mexico

Country of origin

Germany

Home market of Volkswagen, the brand that designs and engineers this car.

Parts from Germany

40%

Share of the car's parts content sourced in Germany.

Made in the USA

10%

parts

assembly

Finished outside the US; the figure above is US-sourced parts only.

Against the 2006 model year median

Measure	This vehicle	Median	Difference
Resale price	$3,600	$3,850	−$250
5-yr depreciation	68%	67%	+1%
Yearly maintenance	$696	$547	+$149
Combined MPG	29 mpg	28 mpg	+1 mpg
Trouble-free miles	109,500 mi	116,500 mi	−7,000 mi

Long-haul file · ten years old, half a million miles

Fun fact · 03

Hyundai Elantra · 2011 — 2016

500,000+ miles

The rideshare workhorse nobody expected

The fifth-generation Elantra is the proof that a high-mileage car does not have to be a Toyota or a Honda. Rideshare drivers took to its 1.8-litre Nu engine and six-speed automatic precisely because the service intervals are long and the parts are cheap. Several documented cars crossed 500,000 miles in urban service on the original long block, with the first transmission rebuild landing well past 300,000.

What it is

1.8-litre Nu inline-four, 148 hp
Six-speed automatic with manual gate
40 mpg highway, 10-year powertrain coverage when new
Timing chain and coil-on-plug ignition, no distributor