Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Volkswagen Passat 2005 and earlier

1…457910…162

Comments

  • chazelcornchazelcorn Member Posts: 1
    I am new to site. What is this about new passat
    what is changing and when is it available. Also, is a passat fwd with good winter tires safer that 4 motion? if so, what winter tires would you recommend.
  • slummyjslummyj Member Posts: 57
    My dealer sells only VW's at this location. The family that owns this dealership, owns about 15 other dealerships of all different brands.
    The best example of their customer relations was when I made an appointment 2 weeks in advance. They told me they didn't know how long it would take (fixing the radio again). I figured why sit there and tie up my time...so I dropped of my car the evening before my 8 AM appointment. At 1:30 the next afternoon I called to see if the car was ready. They said they hadn't started working on it yet I said, I had an early morning appointment, why hadn't they looked at it? There answer was I wasn't sitting there waiting for it..what difference would it make when it was ready? Of course, they said, I should know that this is their policy! I said, what is the point of an appointment and publcizing that you can drop off your car until midnite. Their answer was-don't get smart with us!
  • r34r34 Member Posts: 178
    Slummyj:

    Where do you live ? That dealership is liked the one in Madison,WI....
  • snurplesnurple Member Posts: 130
    In my business, we negotiate all the time. Perhaps, that's why I have a few thoughts on negotiating at lease end. For what it's worth...

    I am not suggesting that VCI has a policy of negotiating residuals. But vwguild, by saying that VCI contracts are "binding," you seem to be saying that the lessee has NO OPTIONS. In fact, the lessee can completely ignore the whole residual thing and walk away from the lease at its end. At that point VCI loses a customer. Because customers can walk away, they have a degree of leverage. At that point, they can effectively turn the tables and offer to "buy" the car from VCI for a lower price than their residual. VCI may refuse such an offer, but the customer has the right to offer whatever they want to pay. VCI may say, "but you promised." Wrong. No one who leases promises to buy the vehicle at the end.

    This negotiating strategy has nothing to do with California or binding contracts. At the end of the lease, people can offer less than the residual to the whomever they leased from. Period.

    In a sense, this is a similar discussion to the one about paying MSRP. Dealers say: "This is the price." And, anybody who has half a brain says, "What if I don't want to pay that much?"
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    It's a fact that Honda artificially inflates it's residuals on leased... I've dealt with it first hand.

    I leased a Civic in '96. At the end of my lease, the difference between my residual and the cost of an identical used Civic on the lot was about $2k! I could literally, turn in my car and buy the "same" car off that dealer's lot and save money!

    Buying out that lease would have been stupid financially for me since the residual had been inflated so much. I have friends who have had similar experiences with leasing Hondas. It does make for nice low lease payments though. :-)

    I lease specifically so I get a new car every 3 years and never have bought out my lease. If you plan on buying it anyway, then leasing it first is not a good way to go since you wind up "financing" that car for 6 or 7 years by the time you're done.

    This certainly doesn't happen with everyone.
  • snurplesnurple Member Posts: 130
    for just this reason Sporin. The banks realize that there's a flip side to jacking up residuals to lower the lease payments--they're stuck with an overvalued vehicle at lease end. This situation is becoming increasingly prevalent--and that's why leasing companies will take less than the residual in some cases. They want to make up some of their loss.

    Because of this recent trend, we will see lower residuals, and therefore higher lease payments. People will be less inclined to lease, if the difference between monthly payments on leasing vs. buying begins to shrink dramatically.
  • kartezkartez Member Posts: 48
    I have the 1.8T manual. How does the auto compare to the manual? I know the power to weight ratio favours the stick. How does it compare otherwise?
  • melechmelech Member Posts: 27
    I assumed, in my earlier question about a lease-end buying strategy, that the dealer to whom I turned the car in would have the first opportunity to buy the car from VWCredit at the residual price. Since this would be below wholesale, I could use the difference as leverage to bargain on a new Passat.
    VWguild, did I understand you correctly, however, that the dealer merely acts as agent for WV, and has to compete on the price for my turn-in, probably paying the true wholesale price? If so, I can see why my idea doesn't hold water.
    On the question of negotiating the residual if I decide to buy the leased car: I think both vwguild and Snurple are making valid, but somewhat different points. 1) Yes, I have heard of one person negotiating down the residual in order to buy at lease end, but only on a Chewy, worth less than the residual worth; 2) No, I do not realistically expect to be able to do this with my vw, where the opposite is true.

    Melech
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    First of all, if you know anyone on N. Desert Tree Dr.; we may have a mutual friend...
    Mr. Melech...This is not a game of chess...Your
    Lease with VCI is a binding and legal contract.
    Regardless, of the meandering and derisive posts
    that are sometimes found here, the following are
    the facts:

    1. You have the right to pay off the the Residual
    amount on your leased Passat; gain Title to it,
    and Sell it for the Best Price that you can get
    and keep the profit.
    2. You can return the Passat to your VW Dealer and
    Lease a New Passat.
    3. You can pay off your Lease, the Residual amount,
    and drive it till the cows come home.

    If you elect option #2 the Dealer, at his discretion has the 2 options:

    1&2 He can pay off the residual, keep the car,
    and sell it as a used car, or simply return it
    to VCI via the Auction System. It all depends
    upon the condition of the car.

    As I said in a previous post; you can not leverage
    that which you do not own...why is that so hard to understand??? There is no competition involved.
    The Residual is an actuarally computed Dollar value of the car in question...it is not a pull
    it out of your *** number. Sir this is Banking...
    this is business, this is NOT a day at the Leather auctions in Morocco.

    Your VW Dealer will not bid or compete or pay wholesale...The dealer will pay the same amount that you would to take Title to the car...Which is why I advised you, several posts ago, that if you are interested in keeping the equity in your Passat; Buy it & sell it yourself. Just as the Dealer would...

    Reread your last sentence in post #309 and you will understand all of the above...
  • snurplesnurple Member Posts: 130
    If your lease return is indeed as clean and bright as you suggest, then it should be quite valuable to a dealer to sell as a used vehicle. You can shop your return around and see if you can entice a dealer to give you a better deal on a new Passat based on your returning your vehicle to their dealership rather than another. Though this is not the most efficient way to get money out of your auto--selling it yourself will be more efficient (though more time consuming)--it may still be a good exercise in getting to know the local dealers who will be competing for your business. In fact, they may be more willing to negotiate if they think that you will be turning in your vehicle--you could make the rounds and get "best quotes," then sell the car yourself, and then come back to pick up a Passat at the dealer that was most flexible on price.

    vwguild may be insinuating that I was beaten by dealers as a child, but the fact is, he has every intention of containing this discussion within the confines of his dealer's negotiating handbook. The fact that you are "thinking outside the box" is to be commended! I think it is wise to ascertain any and all leverage that you may have at your disposal when shopping for a car.
  • slummyjslummyj Member Posts: 57
    Minneapolis, MN.
  • carguy5000carguy5000 Member Posts: 146
    The days of playing with residual values at the end of the contract are basicly over. Everyone has a "friend" who has done this and the stories keep getting more and more far-fetched. The fact is most of the largest lending institutions (GE Cap, FMC etc.) never allowed this practice!
    The bottom line is this: a lease car is a rental. You have no more "benefits of ownership" than you do if you foolishly tried to seek equity in trying to trade in a Hertz car.
    While this is an incredibly "oversimplified" example, it illustrates the fact that when you lease, you exchange "lower payments" for equity. You can not play both sides of the fiddle.
  • snurplesnurple Member Posts: 130
    He never suggested that the days of playing with residuals "are over"--he refuses to admit that this practice has ever occurred, or acknowledge that it might be a possible negotiating strategy.

    But, carguy5000, you're right about everything else in your post. Leasing is a bad financial move for most people.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Once again, it is necessary to *unspin* my posts
    on this matter.
    History never once entered into the topic...we were addressing a current topic and what Melech
    was suggesting doing in the year 2001; not 1985.
    And for this particular topic, today is all that
    matters. If you would like to discuss the history of this practice; open a new topic.
    And on the same note...it is not a viable negotiating strategy with VCI in the year 2001,
    where the Residual amount is considerably lower than Actual Cash Value.
  • snurplesnurple Member Posts: 130
    it's about all who read this board, and the related questions they may have. After our lengthy--"meandering" even--discussion, I think that we can agree that melech will not have much luck negotiating his particular residual with VCI. This does not mean that other people will not be able to negotiate with their leasing companies at lease end. A recent article in the New York Times reported that this was especially true with regards to leased sport utility vehicles.

    Of course, as melech has noted, this was not really the central point of his query. See his #309 & my #311 for the issue of negotiating with the dealer at lease end. While he has zero, zip, nada equity in his vehicle, he does have a choice of where to take his business (returning his car/picking up another). This is always the best car buying advice--shop your buying power around and around.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    If I am not mistaken; the above is the Topic here.
    It is not Sports Utility Vehicles.

    And Paul, I am not so sure that shopping just for
    price is always the best policy. I do believe that
    finding the Dealer that is going to take care of you for the next several years is even more important. The one that will take care of you when
    you REALLY need your car fixed quickly...the one that will step for a FED EX vs. UPS ground to make
    sure that the part you need is delivered the next
    day. That has a staff that is polite & kind. That has a Sales Staff that has been in place for years, and Service Techs for even longer.

    I think it is unfair of you to be so mono-focal,
    and simply look only at price. Cars today are sooo expensive...it is such a major investment that a customer has to look at the long haul as well.

    Here in Monterey we are very fortunate; the Mercedes Dealer's Dad opened their doors in 1928
    as a Packard dealer, Our Chevrolet Dealer has been
    here for 25 years, the Audi Dealer has been here
    since Pearl Harbor, and my store opened in 1960.
    The Willingham's just sold the Jaguar franchise
    last year after 50 years. There is a heritage & family committment here that has spoiled me, I must admit. But as important as it may be to get
    a "fair price" it is just as important, if not more so, to be treated fairly and with the knowledge that once the customer commits to this major outlay that they will be taken care of.
  • carguy5000carguy5000 Member Posts: 146
    Absolutely...an old friend once told me "price is only an issue in the absence of quality". While I will not pay list for a vehicle as a matter of principle, I believe that you must weigh all factors when clumping down hard earned $$ for a new vehicle.
    Case in point: Our Passat went in for its first service yesterday as well as to fix the remote fuel door release that decided to retire after 3 months of outstanding service. The dealer had a loaner ('01 loaded up Golf) waiting, called me when the car was ready and explained the work that was done to the car when we got there to pick it up (as they were closing).
    This dealer happens to be the closest of about 5 dealers in the area that we could have easily bought our car from.
    The point is this: You must take service that the dealer will provide after the sale before signing the bottom line. That 200 bucks that you might save by shopping and buying 60 miles away will quickly be forgotten with one bad service experience!
  • ajeetajeet Member Posts: 11
    Do we *have* to go the the SAME dealer for scheduled maintenance from where we buy the car ??
    I thought that you could have your maintenance / service done at any dealer !!
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Why do you ask?
  • carguy5000carguy5000 Member Posts: 146
    By franchise agreement, any dealer cannot refuse service to their particular brand for warranty work etc. However, when it comes to loaners, fast appointments etc. some "unproven" favoritism can be played!
  • ajeetajeet Member Posts: 11
    Simple VWGuild ! I asked that one because of last paragraph in post #318. Also, If I find that I do not like the service of one particular dealer, I would like to go to another one. Not having this choice DOES bother me !!

    I went for 2 test drives at a dealer near to me. If I get a better deal at another dealer, I'd buy my car from there. Again, if the service at my nearest dealer is good, I'd get my maintenance done there - Choices! choices !! Dealers would frown upon the idea but the consumer will always go where the "best" is found .. Be it cost or service.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I bought my Passat at the nearby dealer with the good prices and good sales force, but a crappy service department. I have it serviced quite a bit farther away at the dealer with EXCELLENT service, but higher sales prices. Best of both worlds.

    Dealerships make a lot of money off service, I doubt many care where the car was bought.
  • snurplesnurple Member Posts: 130
    try to guess which ones I disagree with... ;)

    The odds of getting consistently good VW service are not so hot. Over the course of several years, any number of elements within a particular dealer's service department will change. Overpaying for a car because you think that you will get good service for as long as you keep the car is not too bright. An old friend once told me that, "A bird in the hand, is worth two in the bush." Shop for a good price, THAN shop for a good service department. vwguild's marching orders are to do everything he can to instill a sense of "customer loyalty." He knows very well that you will get your best price if you pit one dealer against another.

    As for those alleged "perks" of buying from a dealer and having them treat you like royalty, you will probably get further by talking on a regular basis with those in your service department.

    It's not like they teach you a secret dealership handshake that gets you the primo quality service when you sign on the dotted line ;)
  • carguy5000carguy5000 Member Posts: 146
    we paid $234 over net cost for our Passat....which at the time was actually $516 under invoice. I never implied that I overpaid for the car..but I know that there are those out there who will try to get the same car for $34 over net...to me, my time and energy are worth far more.
    You do not need to waste your time
    "pitting" one dealership against the next. You need to get your facts straight (invoice pricing, incentives offered etc) and calculate a fair price and present it to the dealer of choice. This way YOU are in control of the entire process. There is no magic in getting a great deal..it is all in the numbers.
    If you understand costs and supply and demand, you are sure to get a realistic deal that you and the dealer can live with.
  • snurplesnurple Member Posts: 130
    I think that dealers will be realistic and reasonable when business is slow. When business isn't so slow, I think that good ol' fashioned competition will get dealers to pay attention to the accuracy of your numbers and the fairness of your offer.
  • carguy5000carguy5000 Member Posts: 146
    Again..."understand supply and demand"!!!
  • traveler14traveler14 Member Posts: 1
    am thinking of buying passat v6 automatic with cold weather package sedan. anyone out there purchase anything close to this? i live in so. n.h. also heard they are changing body stylr on wagons, sedans too? i read several car magazines and have NOT readof any change in bodys. thanks
  • bthomassenbthomassen Member Posts: 19
    traveler14, i live in so. nh too, and am looking for the same car, but not immediately. let me know how you make out in your buying process (eg what dealer is good) etc. looks like inventories of wagons are slim right now,/ the new body style is a 2001.5, all they changed was the grill, added some chrome. the v4 has more horsepower, these are the biggest changes.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Actually, it's an inline-4, not a "v."

    The body change is mostly a re-skin, but there are a few nice new features. I disliek the new chrome body strips... tacky IMO, yours may vary.

    Slightly different looks on the inside too, with steering wheel mounted radio controlds, better cupholders, etc.
  • bthomassenbthomassen Member Posts: 19
    traveler14, i live in so. nh too, and am looking for the same car, but not immediately. let me know how you make out in your buying process (eg what dealer is good) etc. looks like inventories of wagons are slim right now,/ the new body style is a 2001.5, all they changed was the grill, added some chrome. the v4 has more horsepower, these are the biggest changes.
  • r34r34 Member Posts: 178
    I may ask this question before...
    Did anyone upgrade the monsoon system ? I am still not satisfy with its bass. I don't want to put a large subwoofer inside my trunk. Is speakers and/or amp replacement able to give me a little bit more bass ? Thanks.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Easiest, least expensive, and most effective...
    Amplified Bazooka Tube.
  • r34r34 Member Posts: 178
    VWguild:

    I am not very famaliar with car stereo stuff. Is it similar to a subwoofer or it is just an amp added to the stereo ? Thanks.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    It is both...Call around to a couple of AutoStereo
    Shops; they will be able to help you...
  • ekkoh99ekkoh99 Member Posts: 17
    After 30K on my 1999 1.8T, the manual part of the tiptronic doesnt wokr. when i shift it over, it still in to automatic mode. No 5,4,3,2,1.
    What should I do?

    What kind of synthetic oil should I use?

    Erik
  • mamamia123mamamia123 Member Posts: 30
    Hello all,

    Im looking to lease a Passat very soon. I went in today to look at a VW Passat GLS sedan. This is the deal I came up with after some negotiating. I went with a 10k mile lease because thats all Im going to need. I would like to know if the following offer that I got is a "good" deal:

    2001 VW Passat GLS
    Leather package
    Luxury package
    Monsoon sound sytem

    1500$ down (includes first payment)
    39 month lease
    10K miles per year
    299$ monthly payments (does not include tax)

    Please let me know how good of a deal this is. I need to make a decision failry quickly.

    Thanks very much in advance,

    David
  • mamamia123mamamia123 Member Posts: 30
    Hi,

    I forgot to add that the 2001 Passat that was offered in the lease mentioned above had the Tiptronic automatic transmission.

    Thanks.

    David
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    I would take it to my VW Dealer...Your Passat carries a 10 year/100,000 mile Powertrain Warranty
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    And, by the way, in Manual mode it is supposed to read 5,4,3,2,1. In Automatic mode it should read out as P,R,N,D,3,2,
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Pricing & Options Guides available by fax as well
    as *What's New*... email your request...
  • mamamia123mamamia123 Member Posts: 30
    Hi,

    I forgot to add that the 2001 Passat that was offered in the lease mentioned above had the Tiptronic automatic transmission.

    Thanks.

    David
  • mamamia123mamamia123 Member Posts: 30
    I posted a message earlier regarding a Passat lease. Ive been doing some research about this vehicle and Ive seen pictures of the new 2001.5 models that will be out soon. The body shape is not much different than the 2000 model which Im interested in leasing. The new model has a different grill and more chrome. I want to know if VW will be redesigning the Passat for 2002, or will the overall 2001.5 basic look stay around for the next couple years with no major changes?

    Thanks again for ur help,

    david
  • snurplesnurple Member Posts: 130
    I think that the latest news is that the Passat "B6"--a completely new model will probably be out sometime in 2003, as a 2004 model. Check out vwvortex.com for more info. But this means that the 2001.5 shape should be around until then--with the possibility of new features being added of course...

    If you are considering waiting and leasing a 2001.5, I think that you will have to wait for some months before you could come close to the leasing deal you could get on the "old" model. It may be worth it, however, since there are some significant tweaks.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Could you define signifigant tweaks? I haven't seen anything on the B6's.
  • snurplesnurple Member Posts: 130
    1998--2001 Passats are B5's
    2001.5--2003 Passats will be considered B5.5's
    2004--? Passats will be B6's

    Accurate information on the "signifcant tweaks" to the new "facelifted" B5.5 Passat can be found at vwvortex.com Innacurate information is everywhere--so don't believe everything you read.

    Information on the B6 "completely new model" is spotty at this point, though I think vwvortex has some information/conjecture...
  • jmaterojmatero Member Posts: 253
    To the person with the tiptronic problem where it won't shift manually. There are a number of cars with this problem and the fix is simple. It involves a magnet in the shifter itself that has to be replaced. The dealer should fix it free of charge.
  • jbrigance1jbrigance1 Member Posts: 2
    My 99 GAS that I have owned for 10 days has this stupid light on. I have about 29,250 miles on the car, of which I have driven 300 miles. Yesterday I filled up with 92 octane gas. Drove about 35-40 miles before coming home. This morning the check engine light stayed on. Needless to say I was furious. Haunting memories came back to me about my 85 GI and it's quirks and the 84 Quantum I had too.

    I truly was reluctant to buy this used GAS with nearly 29k miles. But, I decided to.

    What is the deal with these lights???
    Why is the on board diagnostic so sensitive?
    I tightened the gas cap this morning but who knows if it worked.
    I called the used dealer I purchased the car from and he was able to set me up for an appointment this coming Monday am. The other WV dealer was booked through Feb 1!!!!!!!
    I was also ticked to hear that the infamous 10/100k Powertrain warranty is only half that to second owners.
    I am having second thoughts about this car already.
    Please, any comments or advice on the engine light??????

    Thanks,
    Jim
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Paul...I think sometimes that, secretly, you want
    my job...

    Alan...The *A* and *B* designations that VW applies to it's cars has to do with the generation
    of the frame.
    The *A* designation is for Jetta/Bora/Golf; they
    are all the same. The *B* designation is for the
    Passat.

    We are presently in the 4th generation of the *A*
    frame; so all of the current Golfs, Jettas, and
    Boras are A4 frames. The New Beetle rests on an
    A3 frame, but with axles that are 30% wider.

    The current Passat evolution is a *B*5, or the 5th
    generation of the original *B* Frame.

    The Next Generation Passat will not be a *B6*...
    It will be a totally different car, a Passat
    "variant" called the Concept *D*, or *D1*.

    The scheduled debut of this totally new VW, for No. America is the 2002 NAIAS Show in Detroit; The International Launch will be at the Frankfurt Trade Show in October 2001.

    The "D1" will be similar to the Audi A8 in it's
    size, but the "D1" will not rest on an All Aluminum Alcoa frame like the A8, but will boast the same W12, 5.6L, 420HP engine, and in Europe
    a variety of others. VWVORTEX.COM does profile the
    "D1" under *News Archives* for October 1999...this car should retail for about $60,000USD

    I hope that this has been helpful, and if you have any further questions; please do not hesitate
    to ask here, or email me...
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Checking to see if the Gas Cap is "closed to click" after the *CHECK ENGINE* light is on; is
    akin to closing the barn door after the cow is gone...I only say that because you admit to knowing that you have to do that because of the
    Sensor.

    As to the Warranty...It seems that you are blaming
    the car, or VW...It has never been a secret that
    the 2nd Owner gets a 5/50 less time and miles.
    This Warranty has been the same since the 95/96
    Model year cars. I would be really shocked if you
    were to tell me that you REALLY expected to get a
    10 Year/ 100,000 mile Powertrain Warranty on a
    Previously owned car, of any manufacture...for free...or at any cost...Hellooooo
  • qqq1qqq1 Member Posts: 8
    Did anyone see the February 2001 issue of Road & Track? It included a "First Drive" report by Jim Hall entitled, "2002 Volkswagen Passat: More style and advancements for VW's popular sedan". (It seems that what vwvortex refers to as the 2001.5 model, Jim Hall of Road and Track refers to as the 2002 model. Hall says, "The restyled Passat is expected to reach U.S. show room floors in early 2001.")

    Towards the end of the report, he says of this new Passat's steering, "On the road, it's clear to me that Volkswagen engineers need to rework the Passat's steering. In its present form, it's over boosted and numb, unable to complement the more rigid chassis and sporty engines. With better steering, the new Passat can legitimately be called a 'sports sedan.'"

    I was really surprised when I read this. I have been following the Passat since 1998 and this is the first time I've heard anything negative about the car's handling/ride/steering. In fact, I once heard the steering described as "perfectly weighted", or something to that effect.

    Has anyone else heard anything along the lines of Hall's comments? If what he says it true, I hope that VW corrects this problem immediately and doesn't wait until the next model comes out. I was tempted to buy a 2001.5, but now I wonder if I should wait 6-7 months for the next model. For me, it would be worth the wait if I knew it was going to mean that the steering would be "perfectly weighted" instead of "over boosted and numb".
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles