I found a preowned used 1999 passat that I am considering purchasing. It has all the options I want except leather interior. Does anyone know if leather can be installed with the side airbags? Does anyone have experience with this ? Thank for all your input...
has anybody gotten early word on 2002 warranty? will it be extended beyond the 2/24? or do you suspect they will wait to the last minute to reveal since it could be tough to sell the 1.5's with less warranty? true, cost will be less, but not expected to go up a lot for 02.
I've been searching for a used Passat V6 automatic. Now I've found one but "consumer reports" recommends avoiding the 1998 V6. Does anybody know how bad it is? Is it foolish to buy one? Is "consumer reports" usually to be heeded?
Not quite that simple. The warranty change would have to be across the board, not just on the Passat. Do yourself a favor and don't get hung up on the warranty. The 100k powertrain is more than enough. the problem with most of the punks that are buying VW's today is the fact that they were still in diapers when the industry standard was 1 year 12k, and that was it. On top of that, the product that you were buying was not nearly the quality that it is today. If you still cannot sleep at night, buy the Masterguard.
I love my new 2001.5 Passat GLX 4 Motion, but I didn't like the buying experience at various dealerships in the Washington Metro Area! (Especially Stohlman VW in Tysons Corner...) I ended up buying from Alexandria VW, and I will recommend that dealership to anyone looking for a new or used VW in the D.C. Metro.
A word to the wise for those who are worried about the short 2/24 bumper to bumper warranty on new VW's. GEICO Insurance has an excellent new vehicle Mechanical Breakdown rider that extends your warranty to 7/100 bumper to bumper. Instead of paying the extra $1300 from the dealership, I will end up paying all of $105.00 for the exact same coverage over the next 7 years! (Seriously, check it out!!)
Glad you are love the car, sorry to hear about your poor dealer experiences.
Will be picking up my Passat GLX within the next two weeks. I've been reading in these Passat forums to stay away from warranties not put out by Volkswagon because of delayed payment and for some other reason. I can't recall. But, for $105 the Geico insurance sounds too good to be true. How did you go about getting it? I would doubt the dealer sold it to you.
Has anyone else had any experience with Geico Insurance?
I'm considering buying a 2001.5 Passat GLX. I've read complaints that VW doesn't care about its customers safety and satisfaction when their warranteed vehicles break down.
After finding out that Hyundai would sooner see my family dead than replace a defective transmission, I'm reluctant to deal with a company whose customers have similar complaints. Any thoughts about VW's willingness to repair defects?
GEICO WARRANTY? - Not really ============================
I have GEICO's Multirisk (coverage in excess of warranty) You can add it to your policy if the car is new (under 11 months/ 11,000 miles) and you are the first owner. Worth switching your insurance? Quite possibly. For less than $15 per 6 month period, GEICO covers damage resulting from minor hazards. They also lower your glass deductible to $50.
My windshield had a crack recently which was too extensive to repair. I went into the parking lot at work and found a huge crack in the glass. I took the car to the shop, went to lunch and called GEICO. A few hours later, I picked up the car, paid $50 and went on my way.
They also cover mechanical breakdown of engine, transmission, drive axle, steering, suspension, air conditioning, brakes, electrical, cooling systems, and more. You are responsible for maintainance and normal wear components. You must also take your car to the dealer or licenced mechanic for the repairs.
I think its a good deal. But it is still insurance. Not a warranty.
Hope this helps.
============================
Also, do you recommend that I go with the VW or a Jeep (for more reliable warranty work)?
Per message 962, I called about that GEICO "warranty". IT costs $49.99/6 months and then it has a $250 per incident deductible!
SO, it isn't quite as good as it sounds. It does cover everything but routine maintenance, but $250 per incident could add up on you, particularly with smaller items.
I've heard of other warranties that do NOT have deductibles. I'm looking for more information on them. If I find good info, I'll post it.
Just remember that the most shady industries ever invented are the auto industry and the insurance industry. So "Auto Insurance" IE extended warranties are bound to be especially shady. Any warranty that you find will always be risked in favor of the "house". Most of these warranties have loop holes and large deductibles. Do yourself a favor and buy the factory(in this case masterguard)warranty or nothing at all. Ain't no such thing as a free lunch...even at Geico.
I just purchased 10/100k extended warranty from WarrantyDirect.com, which complements the VW 10-year powertrain warranty (except for fuel and vacuum pumps, air-bags and maintanance) for $ 899 with 0 deductible ($799 with $ 100 deductible). I think it sounds good at least on paper. They have road assistance, so it is sort of just ``slightly'' more than paying for the AAA (?) I did not feel good about the Masterguard or any other extended warranty, typically covering for up to 7 years. I don't think that anyting worth of the premium can happen to a car like VW within the first 7 years (you have the first 2 years of the VW warranty to ``correct'' your problems). So, I would not recommend to pay for any warranty that lasts less than 10 years. I have my old Jetta made in Mexico in 1990 and it started to have more or less serious problem only after 7 years (still $ 1300 for Masteguard is less or about the same than I spend though on Jetta so far out of the things an extended insurance covers). The same I heard from other people who owns VW and Audi cars. Of course, I don't have any statistical back-up other than that.
You must not have seen Tom G in the Internet Sales Dept. I had HORRIBLE experiences at Alexandria and Fairfax VW. Stohlman was the only one that had my car, and gave me a fair amount on my trade. Alexandria were rude - have run into the problem of looking too young. Even though I am 27, I look like a kid, so some dealers won't even help me. Their mistake. Stohlman pulled my credit report, and I was treated like a King I would never recommend Alexandria VW because they don't treat all customers the same, obviously.
Weird how different people have different experiences.
I've never purchased an extended warranty despite owning a few supposedly high maintenance vehicles - 3 BMW's a Mercedes and a Range Rover. I owned two of the BMW's, Mercedes and the Range Rover for several years and put over 150k miles on each of them (200k + on the MB). I wouldn't have used anywhere near what the extended warranty would have cost on any of these vehicles in covered repairs past the original warranty period up to the 100k mile mark. Now I'm so far ahead of the game I'll never buy an extended warranty.
Currently own a 98 Audi A6 Avant that has close to 65k miles on it now without a warranty issue - ever. My 2000 Passat has also been totally trouble free in close to 2 years, with that track record I expect it should stay that way - both of these cars have been more reliable in the first few years of ownership than any car I have owned.
I take extremely good care of my cars, don't abuse them, always take them in for all the factory maintenance schedules and usually exceed the recommended oil change intervals, that seems to be all the insurance I need. The BMW's and Range Rover never needed a major repair - they all had the original engines and transmissions (even clutches) in them when I sold them and ran really well at that high mileage. The Mercedes needed a transmission at 130k and a valve job at around 150k. Usually when they hit about the 100k to 120k mile mark it was time for some seals, sensors, fuel injectors etc, nothing major before that mileage.
Last week, I visited various dealerships in the D.C. Metro Area to find a new Passat 4 Motion GLX. Since I've been saving awhile for a car and did my research on the web, I decided to take a day off and look for a 2001.5 4 Motion Passat. I work for an IT company based in Mclean and Stohlman's is the closest dealership to my job, so logically that was my first stop. First off, I had to basically chase down a salesperson to help me, and when I finally got assistance the salesperson treated me like garbage until I filled out a credit application. (Even after I stated that I would pay cash for the vehicle!!!) I even left a message for the sales manager in order to get a buyers order for the car. (I wasn't bojangling, I was ready to buy this car!) I didn't hear anything from Stohlman, so I knew this dealership didn't want my business. Saturday I drove to Wes Greenwood's Alexandria VW, and recieved excellent service from my salesperson Christopher Hayes and met the owner of the dealership! Needless to say, I drove off in a Black GLX 4 Motion that day without any issues, was treated as a valued customer, and got a great price!
Now here's the funny part.. The rude salesman and later on the sales manager of Stohlman VW called me at work on Monday pressing me to come back to the dealership so we could do business. It felt good to tell those arrogant clowns that I already purchased the car the VW I wanted from another dealership! I guess when they found out that my credit was flawless, and that I planned on buying the car outright, they were willing to work with me.
Well, there's my story.. Enjoy those VW's folks, and please shop around!
I decided to risk it. I financed the car over four years and put enough cash down so if the thing starts giving me a lot of problems(which I doubt it will), I will be able to easily get out. $1500 is a lot of cash considering that similiarly equipped Toyota's and Honda's can be B2B'd for 100k for under $700. So I'll take my chances, after all I drove my Explorer over 100k miles beyond its warranty with no regrets.
Congrats! Interestingly enough, I JUST got back from Crystal City and was going to stop off at Alex VW. When I drove through the gate there were two slimy looking sales guys just waiting to pounce. I HATE that. I guess what I liked about Stohlman was that I DID have to ask for help. I did not leave feeling so gross as when I have to deal with slimy sales people. But our experience was mainly different because with Stohlman my experience was all with ONE guy, Tom G. Did it over the Internet, agreed on a price for ANY model Jetta GLS VR6 w leather and luxury they had on the lot (this was in 99, before sport suspension pack/wheels). I drove there, tested three cars, picked the one I wanted, did the ppw, and left. Was perfect experience.
The way I have always looked at it...if you take good care of it... it will take care of you...
The only reason that I got into this was secondary to all of the complaints about the 2/24, and that if that was of such a great concern...people could disuage their concerns by going with the Mastergurd.
I'm still very attracted to VW...both the Passat and the Jetta. but like many others the basic warranty is just too slim. I don't think VW has faith in their cars if they only warranty the engine for 100k but the remaining components for a pathetic 2/24.
Now many people will rebutt that they had a VW Passat and put 2 million miles on it with no problems. Great. Real nice for you. But I beat the heck out of my cars...every on-ramp is a chance to push the car to the precipe of its capabilities. Every off-ramp is a chance to see how good those brakes really are. Twisties are met with enthusiasm and every ounce of the engine's torque and HP is sucked out of the car. Stoplights, on-ramps and any other acceleration points always entail shifts when the engine's power is finally declining.
I want a warranty, from the manufacturer included in the initial cost, that clearly states..."in the first 4 years of ownership, if anything busts, we got your back, Ronin." I don't see that from VW. I do see it from the likes of Acura and Infiniti and Audi and even lowly Mazda. If I'm experiencing major problems in those first 4 years with build quality, at least the dealer is paying for repairs and that gives me time to pawn off the car on some more staid driver. VW's two year warranty though...I worry that's not enough time to really see if the car's gonna last 6-8 years of my kinda driving (I like to keep cars at least 6 years). If I get to year 3 and the suspension's going nuts, I don't wanna foot the bill. It's too soon after the purchase to pay for anything beyond tires, oil and gas.
does the warranty thing really matter that much? I mean, is VW losing Passat sales over at the Camry or Accord lot? I have a feeling the answer is no. That is why they won't increase the warranty. Until the Passat gets a real competitor for the price and style and performance it offers, VW will just be able to keep the so-so B2B warranty...
What I've found is it doesn't really matter how you drive it - I've done a bunch of performance upgrades to my Passat - Eibach springs, Neuspeed chip, exhuast, swaybar, 18" wheels/ tires etc, etc - I love to push mine to the limit as well. I did the same sorts of upgrades to my BMW's so the "limit" on a modified car is way beyond something from the showroom. I was into serious off roading in Colorado when I had my Range Rover which never caused anything major to fail.
What matters most is how you maintain it - keep the fluids and filters changed on a regular basis, including brake, transmission, differential, - especially if you drive it hard.
I think the hardest thing on a car is neglecting it's maintenance, not necissarily how it's driven.
How much should I pay for a new passat? GLS 1.T w/ luxury package (wheels, sunroof,rear shade) and possibly leather package? Im in Sarasota FL and salesman has offred retail at 22,825 + luxury option at 1500 total comes to 25,055. That sounds pretty high compared to edmunds TMV stuff. Help anyone? Also what is homelink? Can't find it on the edmunds site. Thank so much please respond quickly. thanks!
I've been cruising through the myriad posts on this topic and have seen a couple of questions about the availability of trailer hitch receivers for the passat. I haven't noticed any replies. This leads me to believe one can't buy a trailer hitch receiver for the passat. I visited the draw-tite web site and they are offered for the jetta, golf, and beetle. I can't imagine why they couldn't handle the passat, too, but they don't.
oh sorry - yeah it's the auto not the manual - no tax on the 25k - just a flat number for now. Yeah Homelink is pretty much on every car already so no biggie, but for sure no leather package. So we're talking the retail price I was offered plus the luxury package at $1500. Thanks! Cuadan
Eibachs and swaybar made a huge improvement. Actually the Eibachs alone had the biggest effect - amazing how they tightened up the ride just right - lowered it about an inch and the ride is still nice and compliant, not harsh at all. These are the same springs you can buy as a dealer installed accessory from your local VW dealer. As far as the engine goes I did the Neuspeed exhaust, a K&N air filter and a Neuspeed chip - my 1.8t now puts out about 225 HP with the same drivability (minimal turbo lag, excellent response, etc) amazing, amazing improvement.
check out www.greedspeed.com www.vwvortex.com www.clubb5.com www.1552design.com www.goapr.com www.newdimensions.com
And it doesn't offer comfort, handling, style or decent resale. There really is not one good reason to buy a hyundai. I just wish VW would stand behind their Passat/Jetta as they do their A4. Makes me believe the rumors I hear.
I just bought a 2001 Passat(which so far has been the best car I've ever owned),but I have to dissagree about the Sonata.Sure it's got a low rent name,now for the most part undeserved,but the car itself is quite handsome.Really look at one-try not to be a snob about its "K-Mart" name.Both front and rear light treatments are exceptional.One generation of the Sonata was designed by,and I know I'm probably misspelling it,Guigario.I still enjoy seeing the current Sonata on the road-I think it is a very attractive design. One reason I bought a Passat,though,is that I think it has the nicest lines of ALL current sedans.bar none(even beating the Jag XK8).The short overhangs and mildly humped roof-I love just looking at it.I was a little surprised that the June issue of C&D reported ho-hum looks,although I do think all the new chrome inside and out is tragic.
My point was that even if Volkswagon offered a better warranty you still would not buy it if everything else was not in place. Every manufacturer has a mix of product attributes that make their offering appealing or not appealing to a given consumer on any given day.
Ronin-You need to rely less on the "rumors" that you hear and more on solid evidence like "Consumers Reports".
When I bought my 96' explorer, half the people I showed it to said "oh those things are total crap" and had stories like "my brother in-laws, uncle's, cousin's butcher had one and the tranny went out...blah...blah". This kept me worried the entire time I owned the thing. Five years and 170k miles later it had given me very little problem.
From reading your posts it sounds like you like to abuse your equipment. Maybe the Masterguard extended warranty is the premium you have to pay for that fun.
Abuse to me is not getting oil changes or tune-ups or driving quickly over gravel. Pushing deep into corners, accelerating hard and giving the brakes a good how's-your-mother is just part of the fun I call driving.
When I say rumors, I'm not talking about anecdotal reports from people...I'm hinting at all the bad press VW/Audi receives for poor electrical and in Vee-Dub's case poor customer service. Consumer Reports does give the Passat high ratings, yet its JD Power Initial Quality puts it a little below mid-pack (a startingly high number for my tastes when matched with the short-term warranty). At leaat it's not the Jetta, which is a blast to drive, but rings in at the bottom of the rankings among our venerate Hyundai and Daewoo and Kia.
I also heard about a NAV system being available on European and Canadian VW's in the 2002 model year. Who knows, maybe the 2002.5's will include it in the U.S. Market? My salesman told me that the only changes on the 2002 demos they saw were the addition of the Onstar service for all VW's and a redesigned center console which features a new CD Player headunit.
Wanted silverstone with black leather, but it proved an impossible combination to get, trying to decide beween reflex silver and black, both with black leather. Really like the looks of the black, but was told that it is a difficult color to keep clean and is more prone to showing scratches. Anyone have any advice?
hey dumbdog, i have the reflex silver and it hides dirt very well. i've heard some complaints about silver in the town-hall forum. they were saying things like "silver is a harder color to see in the daytime and has caused more accidents". uhhhh............, yeah........... i love that color and it will probably be the color of all my cars. silver is also worth a little more when you trade it in, believe it or not.
i recently test drove a 2001.5 passat gls automatic. i was wondering if it is common that you have to depress the gas pedal down quite a bit to get the car moving? it seemed that the first few movements of the pedal did nothing. then i was having to push it further (or faster if i had to pull out quicker now that my reaction time to pull into traffic was delayed) creating a rush of power. i realize the turbo kick in but i dont want to have to do this each time i pull out. can u accelerate from a stop smoothly with out haveing to dip into the gas pedal so much. its sort of scary knowing you have time to pull out into traffic and then the car doesnt move. is this common and is it somthing you get use to?
Dude, try taking your other foot off of the brake pedal when you are trying to accelerate. Sounds like you are looking at the 1.8 automatic, try the 2.8 and see if it does the same thing.
Colors....wait for the Silverstone. Why? Because it is new and there are not nearly as many on the road. As the owner of a '00 silver one, I must admit the car looks great, but there are an awful many of these on the road!
I felt the same thing when taking the automatic out for a test drive. There is little resistance on the gas pedal and then you press it a little more and there's resistance. This is normal. I ended up with the 5-speed...much more fun!
Black is the best looking and hardest to take care of color. Silver is easier, but prone to fade and tough to match when repaired. Gold and white are your best overall all colors for resale, longevity, and ease of maintenance. Blue is nice but not for everyone, and green is on its way out in terms of popularity. I choose the gold(mojave beige) because it looks classy and is easy to take care of. My last car was bright red so I was ready for something a little less "in your face".
After looking for three months and comparing models, I ended up purchasing a 2001 Acura TL rather than the 2001.5 Passat GLX? Why? First, trying to get a VW dealer in this area (upper midwest) to even respond to requests for price quotes was virtually impossible. Second, the 2001 Acura TL was about $3000 cheaper. Third, I drove both cars, read all the reviews, and ended up concluding I just couldn't purchase a car that only had a 2 year 24,000 mile warranty. VW needs to address the warranty issue immediately, as well as motivate its dealers to at least respond to potential customers. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Read on Edmunds' update that the 2002's Passat automatic vehicles will come with 4Motion as standard equipment. Is this true? Can't imagine why they would do that. Maybe I didn't understand the article?
I had been toying with the idea of waiting for the 2002's GLX Passats came until I read that. I don't want to spend extra money for something I don't want or need.
Just curious. What's the difference between 4Motion and all-wheel-drive? One of the salesman I talked with mentioned something about it, but I forgot. Are they basically the same? Thanks!
Congrats on buying yesterdays newspaper! The reason you got such a good deal is the incentives on the '01 models b/c the '02's are on the market. To each his own but the TL really is just another boring Honda, you step on the gas and it goes. Big deal. As far a dealers responding to your quotes. Why don't you just walk into a dealership and do a deal face to face? It is alot easier. Dealers are having no problem moving '01.5 models, especially GLX's in popular colors. The last thing they want to do is waste their time with some jerk with a fax machine offering to be a superhero and buy their car for a nickel over cost. It is quite clear that price was your number one deciding factor. As far as the warranty goes. It is what it is. If something is going to break due to a mfr defect, it will in the first 2 years. I am sure that I have more experience in this department as I recall buying cars with 12 mo. 12 k warranties which were on vehicles that couldn't hold a candle to VW's warranty.
I disagree with Carguy5000. Fact is the car industry is sloowwww. Every possible sale or sales lead is important to these guys right now so I don't see anything wrong with E-mailing or faxing dealers. The lots are full of Passats-especially GLX's. Once you step on the lot you are in their domain. Anyone who suggests that stepping onto a dealers lot and hashing out a deal with some old sales hack is the proper way to strike a deal must be a masochist.
Comments
One of the guys on www.clubb5.com had his done in MA by CST I think. The quality varies shop-to-shop, so make sure you get referances.
http://www.classicsofttrim.com/
For 99 and 00, both the 1.8T and the V6 are recommended and neither engine had changed one bit.
If you still cannot sleep at night, buy the Masterguard.
A word to the wise for those who are worried about the short 2/24 bumper to bumper warranty on new VW's. GEICO Insurance has an excellent new vehicle Mechanical Breakdown rider that extends your warranty to 7/100 bumper to bumper. Instead of paying the extra $1300 from the dealership, I will end up paying all of $105.00 for the exact same coverage over the next 7 years! (Seriously, check it out!!)
Will be picking up my Passat GLX within the next two weeks. I've been reading in these Passat forums to stay away from warranties not put out by Volkswagon because of delayed payment and for some other reason. I can't recall.
But, for $105 the Geico insurance sounds too good to be true. How did you go about getting it? I would doubt the dealer sold it to you.
Has anyone else had any experience with Geico Insurance?
After finding out that Hyundai would sooner see my family dead than replace a defective transmission, I'm reluctant to deal with a company whose customers have similar complaints. Any thoughts about VW's willingness to repair defects?
GEICO WARRANTY? - Not really
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I have GEICO's Multirisk (coverage in excess of warranty) You can add it to your policy if the car is new (under 11 months/ 11,000 miles) and you are the first owner. Worth switching your insurance? Quite possibly. For less than $15 per 6 month period, GEICO covers damage resulting from minor hazards. They also lower your glass deductible to $50.
My windshield had a crack recently which was too extensive to repair. I went into the parking lot at work and found a huge crack in the glass. I took the car to the shop, went to lunch and called GEICO. A few hours later, I picked up the car, paid $50 and went on my way.
They also cover mechanical breakdown of engine, transmission, drive axle, steering, suspension, air conditioning, brakes, electrical, cooling systems, and more. You are responsible for maintainance and normal wear components. You must also take your car to the dealer or licenced mechanic for the repairs.
I think its a good deal. But it is still insurance. Not a warranty.
Hope this helps.
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Also, do you recommend that I go with the VW or a Jeep (for more reliable warranty work)?
SO, it isn't quite as good as it sounds. It does cover everything but routine maintenance, but $250 per incident could add up on you, particularly with smaller items.
I've heard of other warranties that do NOT have deductibles. I'm looking for more information on them. If I find good info, I'll post it.
Just my $.02.
WarrantyDirect.com, which complements the VW 10-year powertrain warranty (except for fuel and vacuum pumps, air-bags and maintanance) for $ 899
with 0 deductible ($799 with $ 100 deductible). I think it sounds good at least on paper. They have road assistance, so it is sort of just ``slightly'' more than paying for the AAA (?)
I did not feel good about the Masterguard or any
other extended warranty, typically covering for up to 7 years. I don't think that anyting worth of the premium can happen to a car like VW within the first 7 years (you have the first 2 years of the VW warranty to ``correct'' your problems). So, I would not recommend to pay for any warranty that lasts less than 10 years. I have my old Jetta made in Mexico in 1990 and it started to have more or less serious problem only after 7 years (still $ 1300 for Masteguard is less or about the same than I spend though on Jetta so far out of the things an extended insurance covers). The same I heard from other people who owns VW and Audi cars. Of course, I don't have any statistical back-up other than that.
Weird how different people have different experiences.
Currently own a 98 Audi A6 Avant that has close to 65k miles on it now without a warranty issue - ever. My 2000 Passat has also been totally trouble free in close to 2 years, with that track record I expect it should stay that way - both of these cars have been more reliable in the first few years of ownership than any car I have owned.
I take extremely good care of my cars, don't abuse them, always take them in for all the factory maintenance schedules and usually exceed the recommended oil change intervals, that seems to be all the insurance I need. The BMW's and Range Rover never needed a major repair - they all had the original engines and transmissions (even clutches) in them when I sold them and ran really well at that high mileage. The Mercedes needed a transmission at 130k and a valve job at around 150k. Usually when they hit about the 100k to 120k mile mark it was time for some seals, sensors, fuel injectors etc, nothing major before that mileage.
Last week, I visited various dealerships in the D.C. Metro Area to find a new Passat 4 Motion GLX. Since I've been saving awhile for a car and did my research on the web, I decided to take a day off and look for a 2001.5 4 Motion Passat. I work for an IT company based in Mclean and Stohlman's is the closest dealership to my job, so logically that was my first stop. First off, I had to basically chase down a salesperson to help me, and when I finally got assistance the salesperson treated me like garbage until I filled out a credit application. (Even after I stated that I would pay cash for the vehicle!!!) I even left a message for the sales manager in order to get a buyers order for the car. (I wasn't bojangling, I was ready to buy this car!) I didn't hear anything from Stohlman, so I knew this dealership didn't want my business. Saturday I drove to Wes Greenwood's Alexandria VW, and recieved excellent service from my salesperson Christopher Hayes and met the owner of the dealership! Needless to say, I drove off in a Black GLX 4 Motion that day without any issues, was treated as a valued customer, and got a great price!
Now here's the funny part.. The rude salesman and later on the sales manager of Stohlman VW called me at work on Monday pressing me to come back to the dealership so we could do business. It felt good to tell those arrogant clowns that I already purchased the car the VW I wanted from another dealership! I guess when they found out that my credit was flawless, and that I planned on buying the car outright, they were willing to work with me.
Well, there's my story.. Enjoy those VW's folks, and please shop around!
$1500 is a lot of cash considering that similiarly equipped Toyota's and Honda's can be B2B'd for 100k for under $700. So I'll take my chances, after all I drove my Explorer over 100k miles beyond its warranty with no regrets.
Anyway, now you have your black VW. Good luck!
it will take care of you...
The only reason that I got into this was secondary to all of the
complaints about the 2/24, and that if that was of such a great
concern...people could disuage their concerns by going with the Mastergurd.
Enjoy you car!!!
Now many people will rebutt that they had a VW Passat and put 2 million miles on it with no problems. Great. Real nice for you. But I beat the heck out of my cars...every on-ramp is a chance to push the car to the precipe of its capabilities. Every off-ramp is a chance to see how good those brakes really are. Twisties are met with enthusiasm and every ounce of the engine's torque and HP is sucked out of the car. Stoplights, on-ramps and any other acceleration points always entail shifts when the engine's power is finally declining.
I want a warranty, from the manufacturer included in the initial cost, that clearly states..."in the first 4 years of ownership, if anything busts, we got your back, Ronin." I don't see that from VW. I do see it from the likes of Acura and Infiniti and Audi and even lowly Mazda. If I'm experiencing major problems in those first 4 years with build quality, at least the dealer is paying for repairs and that gives me time to pawn off the car on some more staid driver. VW's two year warranty though...I worry that's not enough time to really see if the car's gonna last 6-8 years of my kinda driving (I like to keep cars at least 6 years). If I get to year 3 and the suspension's going nuts, I don't wanna foot the bill. It's too soon after the purchase to pay for anything beyond tires, oil and gas.
What matters most is how you maintain it - keep the fluids and filters changed on a regular basis, including brake, transmission, differential, - especially if you drive it hard.
I think the hardest thing on a car is neglecting it's maintenance, not necissarily how it's driven.
cuadan
does the final $25k include tax... how are the numbers adding up?
home link is 3? buttons built into the car that can be programmed to operate garage doors, gates, etc
at 130$ not really a big deal either way..
Cuadan
check out www.greedspeed.com www.vwvortex.com www.clubb5.com www.1552design.com www.goapr.com www.newdimensions.com
http://bagecompany.hypermart.net/hitchlistsp.htm
p.s. Never need to tow anything, just like using a hitch-mount bike rack.
One reason I bought a Passat,though,is that I think it has the nicest lines of ALL current sedans.bar none(even beating the Jag XK8).The short overhangs and mildly humped roof-I love just looking at it.I was a little surprised that the June issue of C&D reported ho-hum looks,although I do think all the new chrome inside and out is tragic.
Ronin-You need to rely less on the "rumors" that you hear and more on solid evidence like "Consumers Reports".
When I bought my 96' explorer, half the people I showed it to said "oh those things are total crap" and had stories like "my brother in-laws, uncle's, cousin's butcher had one and the tranny went out...blah...blah". This kept me worried the entire time I owned the thing. Five years and 170k miles later it had given me very little problem.
From reading your posts it sounds like you like to abuse your equipment. Maybe the Masterguard extended warranty is the premium you have to pay for that fun.
When I say rumors, I'm not talking about anecdotal reports from people...I'm hinting at all the bad press VW/Audi receives for poor electrical and in Vee-Dub's case poor customer service. Consumer Reports does give the Passat high ratings, yet its JD Power Initial Quality puts it a little below mid-pack (a startingly high number for my tastes when matched with the short-term warranty). At leaat it's not the Jetta, which is a blast to drive, but rings in at the bottom of the rankings among our venerate Hyundai and Daewoo and Kia.
If only...
i love that color and it will probably be the color of all my cars. silver is also worth a little more when you trade it in, believe it or not.
Colors....wait for the Silverstone. Why? Because it is new and there are not nearly as many on the road. As the owner of a '00 silver one, I must admit the car looks great, but there are an awful many of these on the road!
I had been toying with the idea of waiting for the 2002's GLX Passats came until I read that. I don't want to spend extra money for something I don't want or need.
Just curious. What's the difference between 4Motion and all-wheel-drive? One of the salesman I talked with mentioned something about it, but I forgot. Are they basically the same?
Thanks!
I bet I know where the confusion comes from. With 4motion, VW requires you to get the automatic tranny. Not the other way around.
As far a dealers responding to your quotes. Why don't you just walk into a dealership and do a deal face to face? It is alot easier. Dealers are having no problem moving '01.5 models, especially GLX's in popular colors. The last thing they want to do is waste their time with some jerk with a fax machine offering to be a superhero and buy their car for a nickel over cost. It is quite clear that price was your number one deciding factor.
As far as the warranty goes. It is what it is. If something is going to break due to a mfr defect, it will in the first 2 years. I am sure that I have more experience in this department as I recall buying cars with 12 mo. 12 k warranties which were on vehicles that couldn't hold a candle to VW's warranty.