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2013 and earlier Volkswagen Jetta Prices Paid and Buying Experience
Karen_S
Member Posts: 5,092
Share your Jetta buying experience here.
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Went to nearest dealership and "orderd" the Jetta we desired. (One does not actually "order" a VW...but instead gets on a list for the next available vehicle that meets ones desires)
I put a downpayment down too.
After 2 months of waiting and calling the salesman weekly, I was informed that there is were 2 vehicles "on the dock" that meet my requirements and one was earmarked for me.
I received a "number" that represented my vehicle.
...wait .... wait.... wait... I called the salesman weekly asking where my new car is. Each time, I was given a different story. (Big snowstorm at the docks, trucker strike... etc etc)
Finally, I asked a VW person here on Edmunds about my "number" and he said it was showing as SOLD on the VW computer sytrem. I immedeatly called my salesman and after getting some more stories, he admiddited that it had been re-routed to another dealership and sold.
Giving the salesman the benifet of a doubt, I physically went in and sat with him. I had to FORCE him to printout the list of available Jettas on the east cost and we selected at least 4 vehicles that were EXACTLY what I wanted.... I left the dealership with the understanding that the sales-manager would be making some phonecalls and getting a vehicle for me.
...I WAITED ANOTHER 2 WEEKS!!..
Finally, I telephoned another dealership that was farther from my home and explained the above story. He said he could have my new Jetta on the lot in 3 days for the same price that I had negotated at the other dealership. I closed the deal over the phone.
Luckally, the origianl dealership gave me back my downpayment without any hassles.
Bottom line...
**The original dealership was obviously LYING to me at times and at the same time NOT TRYING to get me a vehicle.
**The second dealership has won my buisness and I have allready driven PAST the first dealersip several times to get oil changes and other sevice done.
CHOOSE YOUR DEALERSHIP WISELY!!
Again - congrats!
Thanks in advance
I think the dealers are having trouble moving Jettas lately. I'm sure they still made money on this deal... they wouldn't have sold us the car if they didn't. At least I hope they wouldn't!
So far, we are loving the Jetta!!!
I'm 26 years old, drove to the dealer in my nice clean Buick (not my cruddy Volvo), it was a Monday morning, and I was wearing a black dress shirt and black slacks. No mohawk, no piercings, no tattoos, no attitude. But I sure was in a mood to have an attitude when I left. I don't look like a kid, but I was sure treated like one. I did not deserve that kind of treatment and have sent a letter to the regional VW office and hope to be treated better at other dealers.
I would not buy a car from Broadway even if I was paying cash. Even if they had that TDI Jetta wagon at $5K off list. There are too many other VW dealers in the Dallas area that will work to earn my business.
Does anyone else recommend a dealer in North Texas for buying a VW? I plan on trying Lewisville VW, Park Cities VW, and Rusty Wallis VW, I can't think of any others in the area.
Got an '04 Jetta for $14,8 including all fees (before sales tax). VW Jettas must be selling a bit slower than Corollas or Civics b/c they had some hefty rebates going on both to the customer and to the dealer.
My biggest irk are the documentation fees (sometimes called dealer service charge). These show up as a way to pad the dealer profit, so make sure that you are negotiating based on your total drive-away costs so that you don't get surprised by the fees.
My VW dealership is great and the salespeople were very low pressure and worked out a good deal.
Once I get a few weeks of driving in, I'll post my review. This is a good 2nd car, but it's a bit small to be the primary family car - for that I'd move up to the Passat (sedan or wagon.)
Jetta TDI Wagon, GL trim, manual transmission with Electronic Stabilization Program,
for $19,577 ($383 over invoice) + taxes, tags, and $99 "documentation fee".
This is our "Amish" car.
Black inside and out, very plain (no options but the ESP).
Had to do a lot of hunting, calling, and waiting to find a TDI wagon with stick shift and ESP. Not much choice of colors and other options.
But it's the perfect color and size to take my old black Lab for an exhilarating spin.
Though the exact color was not on the lot, the sales person obtained it from another dealer at no extra charge. Very satisfying buying experience at Ellacott Shaker VW (Cleveland OH).Friendly staff, good price.
The Jetta has numerous safety features not found on other subcompacts like ABS, side airbags and ESP at the bargain price of $280.
Purchased my Jetta GL Auto on Saturday evening for $14880, but the experience was frustrating at Clear Lake VW. If I had any sense, I would have walked. Not once,but Twice. Not on price of vehicle, but bold face lying of the sales manager on incentives that I would be able to take. He said in front of my salesperson that I could have the $1000 loyalty rebate, and a $500 "down Payment" coupon I had as a previous customer of this dealership. (My previous experience was a good one) Well, when I asked them to match a competitor's advertised price, I was told I couldn't have the $500 incentive because of the price match.
Then, they screwed me on a $387 fee that they call "dealership fees". My final offer stated $12500 + TTL (including rebate and trade in). It was accepted. Stupid me thought the $387 fees were part of TTL. I went back on Monday to ask for a list of what these fees included and they don't even have one. Come to find out on this website (too late for me) that they have nothing to do with TTL. Just added profit.
The last issue was financing,they approved me at 4%, then after signing all the paperwork, and I'm ready for delivery, the finance guy runs in saying the auto had to be financed with VW due to the loyalty rebate. I was ok with that, but the kicker was I couldn't get the same rate that I had already been given.It will cost me and add'l $380 for 4.99% rate.
So, for those who may read this rant please:
1. Read this entire website for pointers.
2. When counter offering use words such as "only" or "drive out"
3. Walk out if not being treated respectfully
4. If your in the Houston Market, do not consider Clear Lake VW for your VW dealership (Since they don't advertise they reap the benefits of other dealerships that spend their advertising dollars)
The goal of any dealership should be for the customer to leave thinking they got a good deal.
I do know that in the end, I'm the one responsible for settling for this kind of treatment. I have already secured a "refinance" back at 3.9% to not give VW the satisfaction of making the interest on me. The dealership will get $387 of negative advertising from me.
What a great car to drive! We also have an Audi A4, and the Jetta gives it a run for its money!
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com
1. The VW website claims that it is the best of both worlds (lease and buying). If so, what's the catch? I am sure there is something that is obvious, but I am not seeing, and is not explained on the website?
2. The web site says it is based on a "finance contract". Is that contract any different from the lease contract?
3. Do you get tied to the contract as you would in a lease? i.e you cannot break a lease once signed without paying huge fees. Or, in this case you are free to sell the car if you want to in the middle of the contract?
4. Has any one here tried that option? What are your thoughts? Would you recommend it to others?
Thanks,
-Mitch&Murray
Due to some stupid trade in's in the past, I was quite a bit upside down on my trade in for the Jetta, but the price was reduced to around $19K (what they said was invoice, and end of year), but with my extra added back on, it drove it back up much higher. I was glad to get the whole mess tied up in 1.9% financing, through VW. Many people who i've talked to lately are surprised that VW got it to go through. At least if i'm gonna be upside down, let it be on a new car with warranty, and all at 1.9%!!!
What does everyone think? Did I do the best for what I have, or did I get screwed?
BTW, I love my Jetta. I will probably trade in down the road for a larger Passat for more room, but no troubles except for faulty ignition switch.
The dealer is claiming their cars are normally priced at 1% above cost - I have no idea what that is supposed to mean to me. In any case, he is willing to sell it for $21.5K, plus I would get the $1K appreciation rebate, and 0% financing. He is only willing to give me $4K on my trade - which is crap. The car has only 48K miles, is in great physical shape - (he even said it himself - "it's like new on the inside....you must never even drive".) And the body has next to no damage or flaws. He also will pay the $673 service bill I owe for having a fuel hose replaced today - the impetus for my having even decided to shop around. But really - let's be real here...that costs him nothing - the price of that part has been tripled for me already.
Specs on the new car are as follows:
GLS 2.0L 4-cyl AUTOMATIC
Reflex Silver exterior with blk leather interior
Monsoon sound (standard)
What are your thoughts- can I get this guy lower, and is he even DOING anything for me here, or not really so much?
I had also planned to put at least $3K down.
Thx for your help!
Katie
The Jetta wagon seemed a good choice for lots of reasons, including a nice test drive in a TDI sedan, but the kicker was the $3,500 in factory-to-dealer incentives for all non-TDI wagons. The TDI would have been nice, but I would have ended up paying about $5,000 more for it, and that's not worth it.
Interesting note: the factory-to-dealer incentive for non-TDI wagons is $3,500, and the incentive for non-TDI sedans is $2,000. The differential between the sedan and the wagon is only $1,000 (MSRP) to begin with, so this makes the wagon actually $500 *cheaper* than the sedan!
I called a VW dealer local to my work and asked if he could find "a Jetta wagon, manual transmission, GLS trim, 1.8T engine, in black, white, or any of the blue shades" (there are three or so blue-like shades available.) That was all I gave him to go on. He called me back within the hour and told me that an Indigo Blue wagon matching that description was available from a nearby dealership. It also had the Leather package (I was fine with or without it) and ESP (electronic stabilization program, a nice supplement to ABS and standard traction control). He offered to have the other dealership hold the car until he could meet with me to discuss it.
The costs break down as follows, according to Edmunds.com:
Item (MSRP / invoice)
Jetta GLS 1.8T wagon (21,940 / 20,022)
Leather (1,050 / 928)
ESP (280 / 247)
Destination (575 / 575)
Total MSRP: $23,845. Total invoice: $21,772, but the dealer quoted me an invoice of $22,114; he included a $342 fee package comprised of three profit-only items. Something like $25 port prep fee, $75 something-or-other, and $242 advertising somesuch.
On arriving at the dealership, I asked the sales manager, with whom I had been dealing over the phone, to let me (a) see a car in the same shade as the car he was holding at the other dealership, and (b) let me test-drive a manual 1.8T (sedan or wagon, as I had only driven the TDI at that point). We found a car on the lot and he handed me over to a floor sales rep for the drive. I took a drive and was highly pleased with the experience...the shifter was notchy but positive, the engine smooth, the interior very well put-together. I found out later that, oddly, I had not been driving a 1.8T after all, and had been impressed by the (very) base 2.0 normally-aspirated engine. Even though I had not driven the 1.8T, I was ready to deal...I was impressed enough with the base engine that I knew I would love the turbo version!
In my initial phone contact with the sales manager, he had readily agreed that there was $3,500 in marketing support available and offered not only to hand it *all* over to me, but to start the negotiation at invoice, not sticker. To *his* invoice price (including the $342 fee package) he added a $99 documentation fee. My counteroffer was simple: I offered to let them keep $200 over invoice (not $441). I went to take a cell phone call, and when I got back 15 minutes later, they agreed to my offer. Painless.
I signed a contract, after reviewing my numbers to make sure I didn't make any mistakes. Final figures:
Jetta as equipped: $18,373.38
State sales tax (5%): $923.62 (should be $918.67, but it's close enough for me)
Title fee: $23.00 (legit MD fee)
License fee: $128 (also legit MD fee; new tags plus two years registration)
"Profit fee": $156
Total out the door: $19,604.00
Total for the car (not including taxes, tags and title): $18,534.33...and MSRP was $23,845. I paid $5,311 (22.2%) less than sticker!
I did my calc based on letting them have $200 of profit over invoice; they apparently mis-mathed it out to $156 (plus $4.95 I got over-charged for MD taxes). Overall I think it's a great deal, considering how little effort it took. Yes, they took my first counter-offer, but I'm pleased to be getting a great car for a great price, and isn't that what's important? :-)
--Chris
Absolutely!! It's not always about getting the rock-bottom, lowest possible price. Sometimes working toward that can be stressful, and excessive haggling can leave you with negative feelings about the overall process. You got a very good price for a car that you wanted. Now go out and enjoy that ride!
kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
Reflex silver/Black leather/Sunroof & Monsoon
MSRP - - - $25675
Haggle - - -1475
VW incentiv -2500
Cust Loyalty-1000
Sale Price $20700
Here's what he bought: a "demo" 2004 Jetta GL Automatic w/ESP in platinum grey sold as "new" with full factory warranty (that begins counting from his purchase date and the existing odometer reading). The MSRP is $19160 and the invoice is $17984. We got it for $14131 + destination charge and TTL. I'd read a lot of pros and cons about demos, especially when they have a few thousand miles as this one did. But we checked it out thoroughly, gave it a test drive and felt fine about it having been, essentially, used.
The price seemed good, even if you research it as a used car, and especially compared to all the 2000-2002s that we checked out in our area. As a used car, Edmund's TMV pricing puts his Jetta at $13,982 private sale, and $15,746 dealer sale. They also suggest $16,461 as a dealer CPO price. Of course as a used car, you'd have no destination charge, so a fair comparison on price would be to include the $457 destination charge my brother paid, making his car $14,588.
So the numbers seemed right whether you looked at used car pricing or new car pricing. And he got all the benefits of a new car. My brother was basically able to get exactly what he wanted in a newer model, with lower mileage than what he'd found elsewhere and that was because it was a demo. There was simply more negotiating room because of the VW new car incentives. We walked out of the dealership feeling really happy about the car and the price.
Here's the breakdown:
Car: $14131
Freight: $457
Tax: $729 (5% MD)
Documentation Fee: $49*
Title/Tags: (I don't recall this number, but it was what we expected it to be)
Financing was done at 4.99%
* I was pretty sure this was a dealer profit add-on to the bill, but honestly, it wasn't big enough to cause a fuss over (they have to make thei money someplace).
I know it can be difficult shopping for a used car or for a demo because there isn't as much information. So I hope this experience helps someone else out there.
That's all I'm saying on this topic.
I think you can get a little better price on the car...but that's just me.
I am looking to buy a 2005 Jetta GLS (not the redesigned one). I know it carries 1.9% apr. Can these cars be bought below invoice with the introduction of the new Jetta? Any good deals people are getting?
Thanks!
Sticker is just under $26K and they are offering it for just under $21K.
I know it's a good deal, but considering the car is going to be 2 model years old in a few more months, I want it to be an exceptional deal.
Should I jump on this or should I get them to come down a little more considering I can spend a little more for the new model, which I also like?
Are you getting this quote from North Penn Imp? Have you bought from them already? I think $21,000 is a good deal since you got 200hp, 17" low profile tire wheel, ESP, ASR, EDL, sports suspension, which GL, or GLS have not got.
As a matter of fact, I bought one from them on Apr 1. I prefer this one over the new
2005.5, more hp, better handling and better VW look. The only compliant is the braking power.
My daughter is in college, 5 states away, with 7 YEARS of grad school before getting a real job - she currently has 3 part time jobs. I'm going to co-sign a car loan for her. Her 1995 Civic has been an excellent car, but it now has 95,000 miles and constantly needs repairs/part replacements. Anyway, she wants a Jetta, and I want a reliable, long-lasting, safe car for as little as possible.
Questions:
1. Does VW currently offer any financing deals?
2. Does VW offer "certified used vehicles"?
3. Anyone know Jetta's crash test safety rating?
4. Can anyone explain the 05a - how does it differ from the 05?
5. We'd like to buy an 05 demo, but if unavailable, would you suggest a used Jetta, or a new one?
6. What "off the lot" price should I aim for? ie: $200 over invoice, $1,000 under msrp...?
Thank you all so much for your opinions.
1. Does VW currently offer any financing deals? yes, I think 1.9% old Jetta and 2.9% on the new version. These are currently through tomorrow, so you will want to see what new incentives are in a couple days
2. Does VW offer "certified used vehicles"? yes
3. Anyone know Jetta's crash test safety rating? Good...check iihs.org and safercar.gov
4. Can anyone explain the 05a - how does it differ from the 05? A lot. New one is much larger and is a totally new design. When you look them up here on endmunds.com, the new one is 2.5 and value edition old one is GL GLS, etc.
5. We'd like to buy an 05 demo, but if unavailable, would you suggest a used Jetta, or a new one? If it was my daughter, I'd suggest she keep the used 95 Civic
6. What "off the lot" price should I aim for? ie: $200 over invoice, $1,000 under msrp...? Use edmunds TMV also look at the link to incentives when you do the TMV thing. Also look at carsdirect.com.
They lowered the price almost immediately to $16,880 and when I got home there was an email w/ the price at $15,900, but the blue book value looks like it's about $13,000.
Also, I read one review on epinions that said the the 2002 had terrible reliability problems and that it single handedly brought the overall reliability of the European import lower than the US car mfgrs to its lowest level in 30 years.
Any of this sound right, wrong, or??? I'm a bit confused. Considering the CarFAX report, but not until I've exhausted free avenues.
Thanx.
We had to go about 75 miles away to get it but (in addition to getting exactly what my wife wanted) the deal was worth it. Buying experience was completely painless at Zimbrick VW Marketplace in Middelton, WI. I emailed them asked what their price was on the specific car we wanted and they came back with $18,849. I asked for the "out-the-door" price and they sent back itemized price totaling $20,017, with the processing fee, tax, title and plates. This was the exact amount that we paid when we got the car.
The only surprise was they said edmunds was wrong about the 2.9% financing from VW. Edmunds says this is for up to 48 months, but dealer said it was only for up to 24 months. We took the 24 month loan.
Seem ok? Seem like a ripoff?
2005 new Jetta 2.5 with Manual Transmission
$229/month
36-month lease
$1,974 due at signing
(plus license, tax, options and dealer fees)
$2,199 due at signing for NY State residents
(plus license, tax, options and dealer fees)
Or, see your local VW dealer for one of the many other great lease deals available on Jetta sedans.
**US cars only. $229 first month's payment, $1,170 down payment, $0 security deposit and $575 acquisition fee ($800 acquisition fee for NY State residents) due at lease inception. Monthly payments total $8,244. Based on MSRP of $21,005 for a 2005 new Jetta 2.5 vehicle with 5-speed manual transmission, excluding title, taxes, options and dealer charges. Closed-end lease offered to highest qualified customers by Volkswagen Credit through participating dealers. Supplies limited. Offer ends June 30, 2005. Requires dealer contribution of $543.73, which could affect final negotiated transaction. Lessee responsible for insurance. At lease end lessees responsible for $0.15/mile over 36,000 miles for damage and excessive wear. Additional charges may apply at lease end. Purchase option at lease end for $11,762.80. Dealer sets actual prices. See your Volkswagen dealer for details.
http://www.vw.com/jetta/offers_incentives.html
The floor salesman gave us a price at $18,600 plus T, T & L and the internet guy said $18,999 plus T, T & L. Think we are being played, but not sure yet. Also not sure about VW "reliability" having owned Japanese brands since 1988.
I asked for "out the door" prices, as we always pay cash and will probaly have a trade. Our time table is between now and July 4th weekend. If she likes it, I will go and drive the particular car she wants to check for alignment/tire problems, radio reception & to make sure all electronics work as they should. Then I will go in with her and use the credit card and a check for the balance if they give us the price that they said, have a printed e-mail copy from the internet guy and a paper copy from the salesman. Hopefully, they will honor the "lower" price and be fair with the trade in.
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated, as a bit shaky about VW quality still!
The Sandman :confuse: