So.....over the weekend my service reminder went to "0", indicating the need to get the car's very first oil change performed. I was oddly excited about this, since I've never dealt with a non-VW dealer! hahaha! So I called up a local dealer to see if they had people to work on the car and then I would make an appt.

Well, to my surprise, I was very happy to know that the local dealer (Dambrosio Dodge, Chrysler, etc in Downingtown, PA) did oil changes on the fly. You just show up and get it done. I then asked how much it would cost, to which I was told 100.00. Seemed fairly reasonable for dealer work, so I said I'd be in later in the day.

I went in on my lunch hour and everything was as I was told----except the price. When it got time for the rapage to begin, the guy didn't even use any lube! He just gave it to me straight (maybe "straight" isn't the right word?)---"That'll be 154.00 sir!" Kind of a lot more than 100.00! And then the price was broken down for me. The guy even rechecked the prices for me!

10q of 5w40= ~90.00
1 filter= ~23.00
labor= ~20.00
tax= the remaining sum

Now, I'm still having a hard time sitting down in my office! I'm not sure that the excellent convenience warrants such a hefty repair bill. I may be better off doing it myself next time---as long as it isn't the middle of winter.

So the moral of this story is that no matter how cheaply you can get into a crossfire, unless you do the work yourself, these cars are definitely expensive to maintain. Even simple things like oil changes! I may as well have gone to a mercedes dealer and had the oil change done. At least there would have been more interesting cars in the showroom!

The car does run a little better though and it's a little quieter compared to what came in the car from the factory.