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Comments
I'm thinking a trade might null sales tax (not sure though)
I live in Northern Calif. ; where's UMI?
is your's a lease?
is it black on black?
you can e-mail me at stevea@verisity.com
Much thanks for your extremely helpful posts. My husband and I secured a red TT Coupe 180 Quattro with audio and premium packages last night from HBL of NoVa (John G.--highly recommend). After 6 months back and forth, thinking the car lacked practicality, we followed our heart and bought one of my top 5 all-time favorite cars.
As to price--for all prospective buyers--we held fast on $1500 off MSRP, and got it. Negotiations were civil and reasonable. Once we secured a purchase price, we went back to finance, and again thanks to Packerfan2, we did just fine head to head. I used your formula to run all of their numbers, and got within $10 each time--and it's a tremendous relief to be able to comprehend the other side's calculations.
After a lot of thinking, we rejected their best lease offer: $1500 down (simply not willing to put more cash on the table), 36 months, residual 62% at $550/month (Chase Manhattan was the lender); money factor .0033. What we went for instead was flex financing, through HBL's Mercedes affiliate. What the flex does is it grants Mercedes a DOT on your house, collateralized by the car (yes, of course it's legal in Virginia--we are attorneys!), at a rather high interest rate (9.49%--yeah, we choked too). The reason for the high interest rate is that you can deduct part of the interest, which is very important for those of us in high tax brackets. The real/effective interest rate works out to be around 6.5% after the interest deduction. Anyway, write with any questions.
The coupe, to be named Lanibug (my nickname as a kid was Lani) is amazing. We're taking it out to the mountains in Deep Creek tonight for a spin. I can't believe we got a red one, but we're turning 30 soon, and maybe the cops will give me a lot of mulligans (fat chance?). There is no bad angle on it, and it drives almost as spectacularly as the S4. Bonus is our poodle fits in the back seat, and yet is close enough for "correction" when whining (rather frequent-- he's a Frenchman). I'll post later after we play a little.
Ladybugnova
$18,756. No mileage restrictions, and the TT really holds its value well.
But my question is, which is better - lease or buy? And how do I know if I have a good deal? I am actually an intelligient person but find myself at a loss when I walk into these dealers! I just get so excited that I lose the "poker" face.
I am kinda finicky and change my mind alot, which leads me to believe leasing or that "premier purchase" plan Audi has will be best - since I'll want to change every 2 years or so. I don't want to put much money down (no more than 2k.)
The gentleman at the dealership offers the 225hp coupe (no options, i'm guessing) for 34,500 which seems good since it is like 1.5k below MSRP. This price includes "everything" (destination charge, etc.)
Sorry to ask such a generic question in the TT forum, but, figured someone would not mind helping me out!
Thanks,
MiLarthia
good luck... We have already cleaned up a few places that would have possibly been scratches or chips. John
As to lease vs. buy, I suggest reading Packerfan2's posts very carefully as to lease calculations--I ran calculation after calculation, before and during negotiations, and got within the dealership's numbers by $10-15 bucks each time. The standard thing on leasing is that you can put no money down, or hardly any, and get yourself into a good (read: expensive) car with a pretty low monthly payment, at least compared to a purchase. For example, if you lease a $35,000 (after negotiations) car for 36 months with no money down, you would be looking at a car payment of $570 or so a month (assuming 62% residual and money factor .0033), versus $750-800 for a 60 month purchase (assuming 8%, which is high). Obviously, you're spending less total for the lease--but you have nothing left afterward. Whereas if you buy the car, and I guarantee, assuming strong credit, you can get a lower interest rate for a purchase, probably 6.5%, you own it, and with a TT, you should expect a high residual.
The thing with leasing, there are a lot of disadvantages. For one thing, you lose your bargaining power, unless you make yourself an expert. Even if you understand all the numbers, you still get screwed at lease turn-in--and/or you hold your breath every time the car gets dinged. Except for subsidized leases (i.e. high residual rates and/or lower money factors and/or lower capitalized costs), you usually lose money on a lease vs. a purchase. If you have any question, compare the total cost of a lease vs. a purchase (i.e net cost after cost of financing, and what you have left over). With the TT, lease cautiously--here's a car that holds its value beautifully, has a strong warranty, and receives absolutely no subsidies from dealers--it doesn't need any help.
All that said, we almost leased the TT we bought last Thursday. We ran all the numbers and were prepared to lease for the right price ($1500 off MSRP, $1500 down, 36 m for $500). But the best we got from a dealer (180 Quattro, premium and audio pkgs) was $550 for a 36 m. Leasing would have been very good for us, b/c I like to move cars after 2-3 years, and we're planning on having kids in a couple of years, but we decided to listen to all of our financially astute friends (that so doesn't include us!) and buy the car (actually flex finance it but that's a long story and given your age, I will assume you don't yet own a house).
There are a lot of good discussions of leasing vs. buying, both on the townhall and in the Edmunds' advice section. I strongly suggest researching the pros and cons, especially relative costs, of leasing vs buying before you buy. Overall, the TT is one of the least advantageous vehicles to lease, given its strong resale, warranty, and lack of dealer subsidization.
By the way, $1500 is pretty solid. That's what we shot for--but maybe go for more off if they are that willing to deal on the car--we are getting near year-end for the 2001s.
Go over to the Finance, Warranty and Insurance forum and go in the Lease Questions - Ask Here topic. Car Man will be able to give you specifics on what to expect on a lease.
In general, if you want a new car every 2-4 years, leasing can be a great way to do that. If you want to drive it for a long time, buy it. It's not quite that simple, but I would not lease if you want to keep the car for a long time.
what was the capitolized cost of the car?
Also would love to hear from anyone on the merits of the coupe over the roadster. I have received a couple of really good quotes on roadsters, seems they are more negotiable on price than coupes. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
THX
I though you were "Mr. I Pay Cash".
Then someone mentioned the Audi TT. I haven't driven it yet, but I probably will in a few days. I'd like to hear what everyone thinks about it. It looks pretty sweet. I want, what I consider an entry-level luxury car, and it seems the TT may fit.
Is it a pratical winter car (I'm from the Chicago area.)? I'd probably get the 180-fwd model. I'd want to keep the all-season tires on it, but I want to have heated seats. From what I gathered from Audi's website, the only way to get the heated seats in the TT is to get the performance package, which comes with 'summer' 17" tires. That kind of options strategy would definitely make me NOT want to buy...
I'd really be interrested is what you all have to say.
Thanks.
there is only not yet and so far.
I haven't leased yet, but will continue to crunch the numbers to see if it makes sense
for me.
I've heard stories of people buying this car new for upwards of $45,000!
Are the differnces between these two cars so much to warrant double the cost?
I can't see it.
I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of it off the top of my head. But the TT is a much better car than the Beetle.
Bottom line - winter without quattro and snow would be a mistake.
Beetle to TT -- no comment is the best argument
I put 16 inch wheels and Blizzak snows on in the winter and the car is unbelievable in the snow and on ice. I don't think the stock high performance gum balls would do well in the snow. Get the car and invest in the wheels and snows. You won't regret it. Being able to drive a car like the TT all winter and not worry about the weather is fantastic.
Has anyone else had problems with the turbo diverter valve? I had mine replaced at about 12,000 miles and now with about 25,000 miles it is making noise again. I can't believe Audi has not figured this one out with all the turbo-charging experience that they have. Does anyone know exactly what the problem is with the diverter valve that causes the noise? The performance is fine it just makes a shuttering/vibrating noise when shifting and dumping the boost.
Any comments would be very welcome, I am trying to decide whether to bite off on this or play some more numbers.
TX
Beetle fan--Beetle is cute, but the performance differences are so innumerable, it's not even worth trying, but I will. This isn't an Accord/TL situation. Acceleration, brakes, suspension, handling (espec. Quattro in TT), tires, structural rigidity, etc. are all far superior in the TT; paint, finish, styling, materials, interior design/ergonomics far more expensive and/or superior. The Beetle/Golf/TT may share some of the same body, but they don't have the same soul.
Chicago driver: most optimal is snow tires with Quattro. It doesn't matter if you get the 17 inch high-performance tires so that you can get the heated seats--you can still pop some blizzaks on them, and, along with the Quattro, you will do great in winter. You would also do fine, of course, with winter tires and the FWD, and okay no doubt with the all-season 16 inchers and FWD, but if you're spending this much anyway, get the best equipment. There was a good discussion of this in Car and Driver's (I think--I get three of the car mags) last issue. They did a long-term road test on the TT and she performed great once they smacked the blizzaks on her.
LBnova
One last thing, I am concerned about some of the mechanical problems people seem to be having with this car. Is this car still full of bugs?
Anyway, I don't have the time to go over it all again, but the answer, the short answer, is no for persistent bugs. The factors I included in my analysis:
1. Townhall and other third party opinions (the TT used to be much more popular and the old site should be archived);
2. Warranty and free service for 4 years/50K; generally not great reliability for Audis/GM cars, but not bad at all, nothing like VWs.
3. Magazine/JD Powers ratings of Audis in general (slightly behind Yota/Lexus/Honda, in similar class as BMW, Jag, Merc for initial quality, way above American cars, Subies, VWs, Hyundais, etc.). See also Car and Driver's recent l-t road test for a 1st Model year TT--generally good.
4. Not the first model year--time to work out the bugs. See, e.g., high speed spoiler.
5. The 180 horsepower turbo- 4 banger in the car you're looking at is tried and tested; I might avoid the 225 engine for cost, lack of necessity, and reliability/lack of history; but that's moot in your case.
Watch out for rattles--I test drove my TT over some rough roads to get a careful listen--that's the only serious complaint I have heard (omitting the rankled poster on the cover page of the TT review). . . everybody makes a lemon, but overall, I think you're in good, not great hands, with Audis . . . and I am a reliability freak really.
Good huntin'. And if this gets deleted again, I will frickin' scream . . . back to reviewing documents (yeah, and I'm a fifth year).
LBnova
As it was I got the TT in the Pearl Blue with audio and premium for $33500.00. Thought that seemed like a pretty good deal. So tell me what to look for in the break in period. BTW, I am a solo, hated firm life.LOL
THX
Congrats! I think you will love your blue TT, great color, and I still find myself smiling and shaking my head (just a wee bit ruefully) at how good of a price you got, as my Nova dealer held firm on $1500 off sticker.
The guidelines for break-in are easy to understand, and pretty easy to follow:
As a very simple guide, keep the RPMs under 4500 and the speed under 100 for the first 1,000 miles. You can relax as you get closer to the 1,000 mile mark, and it isn't the end of the world if you disobey the guidelines a wee bit, espec. since the 180 TT sounds and behaves beautifully at high revs.
Thanks for asking about my TT. I absolutely love it--I still grin everytime I walk up to LANIBUG, who is bright red (?!), and the road feel, especially around curves, is phenomenal. The ergonomics are just too cool, from the funky seat heaters, the cooling vents, to my husband's favorite feature, the metallic cover on the radio. I have no complaints, at all, and when the ride harshness or the stick shift irritates me in city driving, I just trade cars with my husband for the day.
I agree re the 225 horsepower--unnecessary, too expensive, etc. The 180 h offers me plenty of power--god knows I get in enough trouble as it is.
The main thing I am considering adding to the TT is winter tires from tirerack, and maybe but not likely a radar detector. I usually am not a fan of radar detectors (I think you can avoid the vast majority of tickets by paying attention), but I don't know, with this car.
Let me know how you're enjoying it.
Where do you practice? I don't hate big firm life--the paychecks make it a lot easier to deal, and I am lucky (and grateful), I think, to be at a pretty humane DC office that treats me well. How do you enjoy running a solo show?
Talk later,
LBnova
Lots of looks. I love just looking at it myself and it really rides great. Had to drive from Louisville Ky to Cincinnati Oh to the dealer who gave me the deal. The ride back was great. The car takes long trips well. Does not beat you to death like the miata would. Also just love the Denim blue color and haven't seen many in that shade. It is a real head turner.
That being said a couple of questions. What should I use to wash wax and clean the TT? How about good stuff for the interior? Also, I have heard there is a plastic film you can get that protects the front hood/bumper from stone chips? Anybody who has any suggestions please let me know.
BTW Lady Bug, I practice in Ky, hence the Kylawyer screen name, and also IN. Louisville is on the river and borders both. Not many big paychecks down here working for a firm, this is an extremely crowded and bad market for attorneys. In fact not many folks who bill over 250/hr even at the biggest firms. Solo practice offers better opportunity here IMHO, but still nowhere near DC. I would be interested in hearing war stories and how tough it is to move into other markets. Would like it if you or husband could email at PQuebbemanlaw@aol.com, with your opinions or comments on anything from DC law to TT's.
THX
My big bro used to live in Cinci when he worked for P&G, so I am familiar with the area--pretty nice place to raise a family and all, but yeah, I have heard the legal market stinks in Cinci/Louie--I will e-mail you re the DC legal market.
As far as what to use on the exterior/interior, I don't have those answers, but you could check the BMW 3 series townhall site, where such issues are much discussed, or www.auditt.org. I am a little ashamed to admit that I do not handwash either the TT or Gunther the Beamer--I take the cars to Embassy autowash, which is brushless, and where they do the interior, tires, wheels, etc. When I work on the leather seats, I just use Armorall Leather cleaner or Pledge if the car smells like Poodle. As far as good waxes, I have good intentions, but I honestly rely on Embassy. I know that Zaino makes really good products--the beamer guys are a great resource on this.
I agree with you re style--lots of looks for sure. Then again, you never know why someone is checking out your car. I mean, this morning, I grinned when I noticed a neighbor peering into the TT and, apparently, checking every corner of Lanybug. My husband helpfully pointed out that this is the neighborhood guy responsible for enforcing parking permits, that Lanybug didn't have a permit yet, and that we had one car too many (the third car is going in off lease this weekend) parked in the lot. As usual, bringing me down to earth.
LBnova
No I'm not a salesman for Expel, just a Bimmer owner and big fan of the TT. Congrats on your new vehicles. As for paint protection on a brand new vehicle, I would highly recommend Expel. Best if done while paint surface is very new.
I pulled these General Questions from their web site:
http://www.xpel.com/index.html
Can it be removed?
Yes. It can be removed easily and will not damage the paint. To remove the film, you must heat the surface to approximately 150°F while working a corner of the film with your fingernail. Once you have enough of the material free from the surface to hold on to, slowly pull the film from the paint.
Will it really stop rocks from chipping the front of my car?
Yes. The material that it is made from was originally designed by 3M engineers to protect the leading edges of aircraft propellers and rotor blades from rock chips. It is a much easier task to protect your vehicles paint than it is to protect a propeller moving at nearly the speed of sound.
Can I see a line where the shield stops?
A line is slightly visible where the shield stops, but the three alternatives to that line are a bug shield, a bra, or rock chips.
How hard is it to see on the car after it is applied?
The material is about 99.5% clear. On any color darker than stark white, you can't see the film. On a stark white car, you can see that .5% of color, but it still is "invisible" at a short distance.
How long will it last? When will I have to replace the kit?
Our product is warranteed for 4 years, though the material has an average life span of about 7 years. Except for rock chips, the same factors that affect the life of your cars paint affect our product. Whether or not the car is garaged and whether or not it is kept washed and waxed will make a big difference.
How is the kit applied? Do you spray it on?
The plastic material comes to us in a large roll. Our machines cut the plastic into shapes designed to fit various parts of your car. These pieces are then applied to the vehicle in a very similar fashon to that of window tint. The pieces and the painted surface are wet with a solution and moved into position, then the solution is squeegeed away.
Will my paint fade differently under the shield than it does on the rest of the car?
No. The material does contain an inhibitor to prevent the plastic from reacting to the sun's UV rays, but this does not prevent the UV rays from passing through the plastic into your paint.
Is this material safe to use on the new water based acryllic paints that are being used by some manufacturers?
Yes. The material has no harmful effects on water based acryllic paints and still provides the same level of protection.
As far as the Premier Purchase Plan--we researched all options very thoroughly, and went with the "FLEX" purchase, which is only available in conjunction with MBENZ (my dealer is HBL of Tysons). We priced a lease, a premier purchase, a regular purchase and the flex purchase, and our numbers for the lease were within $5 a month of the Premier Purchase. All the Premier Purchase does different from the lease is you finance the cap cost of the car through Audi, and then you owe a balloon payment at the end of the (most likely 36 month) term. Obviously, you can then 1) buy the car, 2) trade it in, or 3) sell it yourself and give the dealership the difference. It all sounds good, and we liked the idea of a balloon payment but you need to do your homework. The numbers and tools for that are available a few posts back--check out Packerfan2's posts for leases, and I think I and a few others put some numbers on the board as well. The excellent residual of the TT should ensure that you won't lose your shirt when you go to trade it in after 3-4 years.
Beware, however, that the Audi on-line calculator is misleading. According to it, you save $40-75 per month by doing the Premier Purchase over the lease. This did not pan out when my husband and I went through financing (we did qualify for the best credit), and the (fairly honest I think but wouldn't bet mt car on her) finance woman complained that the calculators are inaccurate, misleading, etc.
LBnova
rip
Thanks
From what I recall, and we were in the dealer 1 month ago with numbers, months and payments a-flying, the Premier Purchase is just like a lease, the distinguishing factor being you own the car after the payment period (say 36 m), and then owe 1 balloon payment, which would equal the Cap Cost. So what you're financing is the amount the car is expected to depreciate over the financed term--just like a lease. I think there is a mileage allowance (which parenthetically Audi sets at $15,000, btw). The other difference may be in how the car is inspected after a lease versus after the time period for the Premier Purchase has expired-- I would of course check on this if you are comparing the options.
If we hadn't done the FLEX, we would have done the Premier Purchase over the Lease, I think. The TT should have a great residual, so when it's time to make that balloon payment, it should be no problem selling the car for more than the balloon payment (IMHO). Hope this helps, and the key is to run all the numbers yourself before you go into the dealer--I am not in anyway a math expert (read:liberal arts degrees).
LBnova
Why would you want to use Carsdirect? The target price there, at least for my area, is only $500-700 off MSRP. I got $1,500 off in Nova, KD got more than $2,000 off in Louisville, and Packerfan2 got around $1,500 off in, well, I don't recall where--maybe Wisc. is too much of an assumption. Just go in to a dealer and negotiate your best deal--make sure you know exactly what you want, are willing to get, and willing to pay, and be prepared to walk. Hope this helps,
LBnova
Carsdirect didn't give me the best price either. I'm in San Diego, CA and got a better price using carpoint.msn.com from a dealer in my area ($1500 off MSRP back in May, 2001 off a TT roadster/225 hp). No hassle and everything was handled via email. Just had to go into the dealership to sign the paper work and pick up the car.
I'm in Orlando and will be in the serious buying market around the new year. Are they worth the money? Can I get into a low mileage (under 25K) model for under 25K? Any major problems I should know about? Anybody know of a reputable Orlando dealer?
Thanx for the input.
jbreez1
I have looked at or researched the following sedans:
WRX, BMW 3 series, Audi A-4, Acura TL
Drove the Audi and the TL. TL was a very comfortable car, but not "fun". Disappointed in the A-4, found the interior lacking for this price vehicle. Did not drive the BMW, but price is high even for used. Want to drive the WRX and have an appointment this week. Good thing is, they are also audi dealer.
Sorry for the chatter, just thought i'd add some info.
jbreez1
LK
I'm in the market for a new TT convt. (180, FWD) and was wondering if anyone has experienced any discomfort due to all of the interiors being black. Here in Atlanta, the summer sun can be brutal. My father said buying a car w/ a black interior is similar to sitting in a frying pan on the stove. If there's anyone who lives in a warm (hot) climate such as Atlanta and knows how to keep his/her TT drop top cool, please share your secret. This is the only thing holding me back from buying one these. Thanks.
We have been looking into the Audi A6, their stats according to the German auto club ADAC, is that the A6 have the least amount of malfunctions of any German car, at 16,7 per thousand, second spot was 20,7 per thousand, clearly Audi is doing well.
Black interior is not as bad as black exterior, at least most of the interior is covered, but black is a color that will absorb all the radiation from the sun, when I lived in the tropics I had a black car for a short while, it was an oven, since then I avoid black cars like the plague, the freshest cars are white.
As far as the "back seats" go, banish their existence from your mind as they are a total joke. My sister has an MX-6 (typical mid-90's Japanese coupe) which has an almost unusable back seat, but that car is a limo compared to the TT.
Here's where the WRX comes in--ugly as sin, exterior and interior. We went to test drive one, despite its ugliness, and the SOB car salesman said we couldn't, unless we were going to buy it. No joke or exaggeration. This may be a great handler--the AWD is great, and the car mags love it, and be priced right (around $25k), but this turned me off, not to mention its "I'm still an Impreza" dowdy looks. Also, I've owned Subies, and they haven't treated me so well.
TL--man what a great concept, especially the S type--0-60 in 6.2, reasonable price, good value, solid and reliable. Can't go wrong here--but the exterior appearance--the front bothers me, and the car is too long and thin (I mean this totally subjectively, and no offense to any TL owners). Also, it didn't come in red (type s), the leather seemed cheap, and the ugly as sin black wood on black interior horrified me (can be rectified for a few hundred) (and I don't like the tan interior b/c the dashboard is like a dark brown). Again, I am well aware this is subjective.
The A4--well, have you driven an S4??? The A4 itself is a great car--but it seems not to do anything for you. If you are a serious driver, and want a nicer interior, try the (not cheap) S4. The interior is seriously gorgeous, except for seriously ugly black wood on the dash (replaceable aftermarket I am sure), and it is the best driving thing I ever set foot it--slightly better than my TT (and way faster-- 0 to 60 in 5.8--man you put your foot on the gas and it keeps coming). We were very close on the S4 and the TT--the TT is a bit slower, doesn't come in automatic, not practical, rear seat just big enough for the dog, etc., etc. But I couldn't resist the beauty of the TT, not to mention the $5 grand cost savings (we got a TT quattro coupe with Audio and Premium Packages for $34.5k).
By the way, I take issue with the idea that only non-drivers buy the TTs. Man, I am so not a non-driver. The TT handles gorgeously, especially with the quattro. It's not a vette, it's not an S4, it's not a boxster, and it's not a 330xi--but it ain't no slouch.
Speaking of 330xis and 3 series in general--our other car is a 2001 325xi. We love this car, albeit wish our "Gunther" was a 330xi with the 225 horsepower--G is a bit underpowered. The 3 series handles great, sticks it through curves, and well deserves the "ultimate driving machine" title. (All that said, the TT handles better at high speeds around curves--allright, I'll get off this not a non-driver thing.) The 3 series are beautiful inside, plenty of rear seat, well-designed ergonomically. As far as price--yeah, expensive, but worth every penny. Also, don't forget to factor in depreciation--it's a hot car now, but it will be hot later, when you sell it and recoup your money.
One other thing about the TT, a negative or maybe just realistic comment--with the 17 inch tires, the car is rough as s***. I do a lot a DC city driving, and man, Gunther drives like a limousine in comparison.
Have fun test-driving the 3 and the WRX (if they let you). And think about giving the S4 a run.
LBnova