I drove a Fox when they were new and thought they were quite nice for an econobox. The biggest problem might be finding one that's been properly maintained. The earlier comment that a 900 is better than a VW is only somewhat right; they are far different cars. Safer I will certianly agree with (especially in the VWs with those evil, mouse-driven seat belts), but that has almost as much to do with mass and age as anything, and I am still a firm believer that 99% of all automobile safety relies on what you put behind the wheel. We have a C900 and have had a bevy of VW products, and they really aren't the same animals (that might account for the foreign language problem at the Vortex :-).
The 900 is going to be larger than any (non-Passat) VW, and it is certainly up-market from all of the VW cars, but not everyone likes that. You can get a solid Fox wagon, for example, for a great deal less than a decent 900 hatch of the same vintage, and any of the A-bodied cars (Golf, Jetta, Fox, Cabriolet) are going to be nimbler (think easier to park, not faster around the track) than the Saab. Parts seem to be easier/cheaper to come by on the VW products (though the Fox has a few unique ones that are hard to find). You will also find a whole new set of oddities if you are used to your Saab, and you will also need to find a VW-oriented mechanic or suffer the same fate as people who take their Saabs to the local gas station. You will also find that while VW does not build Toyotas, and the electrical systems on the A2 cars are generally flaky, they are remarkably hard cars to kill.
Really the best thing for it is to let her hop into a bunch of cars and see what falls out. She may completely surprise you. That's what finally got my wife into her 900. We played the "do you like this car" game for years before she finally said, "hey, this one's cool, but where do you put the key? - and why does the heater blow cold out the middle..." Before the 900 she would not even consider a four-door, and she only liked red cars if they were Miatas.
Good Luck!
-Eric

• anybody here ever own a VW Fox?, KL, Thu, 31 May 2001 12:15:34
  • Fox=Polo in Europe...? n/m, Kalle, Tue, 5 Jun 2001 11:48:29
    • Re: Fox=Polo in Europe...? n/m, JMC, Tue, 5 Jun 2001 17:30:00
  • Re: anybody here ever own a VW Fox?, EricU, Fri, 1 Jun 2001 16:24:13 <-- Viewing This Message
  • I had an '88 Fox from new for 130K (long), Timmy, Fri, 1 Jun 2001 11:17:31
    • New Golfs are built in Brazil, too. n/m, Tcar, Fri, 1 Jun 2001 15:03:49
      • Um,no, actually New Golfs are built in Germany, aardvark1, Tue, 5 Jun 2001 22:09:15
  • whew! went to the VWvortex boards, KL, Thu, 31 May 2001 15:37:39
    • a 900 is definitely safer than the VW, n/m, Savary , Thu, 31 May 2001 18:00:34
  • Good friend had one in college, larry, Thu, 31 May 2001 14:15:35
  • I had a 1990 Golf, Savary , Thu, 31 May 2001 12:48:44
    • Re: I had a 1990 Golf, JMC, Thu, 31 May 2001 14:28:27
      • thanks,by the way, what's an A2 Jetta? n/m, KL, Thu, 31 May 2001 15:39:17
        • Re: thanks,by the way, what's an A2 Jetta? n/m, JMC, Thu, 31 May 2001 16:01:51
  • Honestly, ......., GM, Thu, 31 May 2001 12:25:30

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