VWVortex lists additions to 2002 Passat are CD/radio player and a few minimal things (trunk escape handle, cruise control indicator light); the new Jetta is getting the 4 year/50,000 b2b warrenty, so one assumes that goes for the Passat too. But no prices yet. Any one have any hints?
Those 2001's have been sitting on Niello's lot for almost a year. If you are happy with your deal then that is great.
My only thoughts would be that:
A)The whole MSRP/Invoice thing does not really apply to a car that is last years model. Even though your car had never been sold it does not qualify as "new" in most consumers eyes.
B)Even though those guys at niello threw everything but the kitchen sink at me to get me to buy one of those "old school" passats there was no way I could make four years of payments on yesterdays news.
C)Resale will be less on the old style since is outdated looking. IE "Pay me now, or pay me later". When it comes to cars, sooner or later everyone pays.
I'm very interested in getting a Passat -- I'm in Southern California. Do you know what colors the dealer had? I'm interested in either the "Indigo Blue Pearl" or the darker green color, with beige leather interior. Let me know a little more about the dealer please.. cls7@drpepgirl.virtualave.net.
Cls7 - Niello's inventory is listed at www.niellovw.com, and appears to be current. I had a good experience with them. Read cliffyb's message #1155 and #1150 by vwguild, and you will have more information than I did going into the purchase.
Cliffyb - all your points are good ones. Fortunately for me, it just fit my situation perfectly. a) I didn't have much of a preference for the new styling over the old, b) I tend to keep cars for a very long time - this was replacing an '88 Toyota with 230K miles on it. I guess what i t boils down to is I felt like I was getting a new car at a used car price.
Ironically, my neighbor just bought a 2001 passat down there at Niello. Its green lux pkg, cloth, and manual V6. It's pretty nice. One thing I do like better about it is that it looks less like a "chick car" than the new one! So many people have told me my passat is a chick car I'm starting to beleive it.
Just bought a 2001.5 New Passat GLX (Pine Green, Gray) from The Volkswagen Store in Richardson, Texas, just north of Dallas.
First, let me say "thank you" to all of you who have taken time to post to this board. Your comments and insights were extremely useful as I came down to make my final decision as to what car to buy and where to buy it.
If I may, I'll share some lessons from my car-buying experience. Perhaps they'll help some of you, in return.
My decision came down to a 2001 Maxima SE (or 20th anniversary SE) or a 2001.5 Passat. I loved the exterior of the new Passat, but I thought the interior styling was quirky, even cluttered, and I'm not partial to the wood trim. The Maxima was very sporty inside, but the exterior couldn't escape the "blah" styling that is common with Japanese sedans.
I settled on the Passat. (If you're still undecided, test drive the Passat after sunset. The nighttime gauge and console lighting will seal the deal. It's very cool, almost 3-D like. The brochure doesn't do it justice.)
I visited 3 dealerships in the Dallas area -- Park Cities VW, Metro VW and the VW Store. Treated very well at all 3 stores. Specifically, I can recommend Phil at Metro, and the Jack/Lisa internet sales team at the VW Store.
I'm thankful I live in a large market with 6 dealerships overall in Dallas and Fort Worth. That ensured a free-market competition to win my business, as well a decent inventory of cars on the lots from which to choose. Still, even though there are lots of new Passats on the lots, finding cars in the bright colors is somewhat difficult, given that we're near the end of the model year. (Lots of silvers and beiges on the lots down here. And, has anyone actually seen an Ink Blue Passat? No one around here has.)
The day before I planned to buy was a Sunday, and most dealerships in Texas are closed on Sundays. (State law prohibits dealers to be open *both* weekend days, so most close on Sunday.) I drove around to each of the 3 above-named stores, and took inventory of what they had on the lot. From my list, I chose 10 cars whose color-combinations I would accept. (One nice thing about shopping for GLX's is that they were all exactly alike - there are no options on a GLX except M/A transmission and optional dealer-installed CD equipment.)
My plan was to start at the dealership with my #1 favorite color combo. If things didn't work out there, I'd regroup and move to the dealer with the #2 and #3 cars.
First on my list was the pine green/gray GLX at the VW Store. I showed up at 9am on a Monday morning, and asked to test drive the car. (I had driven other Passats before, so this was simply a test of how "this" car ran.) When we returned, I made an offer of $200 below invoice. He said the going rate was $500 over invoice. We settled at $250 over invoice. (Edmunds TMV is about $800 over invoice.)
Tried to haggle on an extended warranty, but the F&I guy didn't want to negotiate their $1,000+ list prices, so I declined for now. (Salesperson at the VW Store says you can buy extended warranty from VW anytime up to when your 2/24 warranty expires.)
I drove the car away 3 hours later, and I've enjoyed it the past two days. Rides firm, steers great, the stereo rocks, looks cool.
Thanks again, and I hope these comments help someone out there.
Regards from Texas, TexasShopper (now TexasBuyer, I guess).
When the sales rep and I discussed pricing, we started at the invoice price for the car (GLX w/auto, $27187). He added only destination charges ($550), plus port ($25) and floorplan interest reserve charges ($92). (Edmunds doesn't mention these fees, but I did see them listed on cars.com, so perhaps they're legit.) The sales rep did not add any advertising fees.
The only thing left to add was the $250 that we agreed upon, and that's how you get to my final price.
The entire negotiation on price took about 5 minutes, and the person I was dealing with had the authority to OK the sale himself. I didn't get passed along (TO'd) from sales rep to sale rep, or any of those other stupid sales tricks. Very professional.
Just wondering if the scarcity of passat wagons limits my negotiating ability. I'd likely get the GLX with tip (not 4motion) though a GLS with leather and lax package seems as good if the colors are right (preferably red/silver). The dealer in my area (only one) only had one wagon on the lot (GLX but wrong color). He did locate others in Illinois (I'm in WI). I'd only do this if I'd still get a reasonably good deal (near TV), despite the dealer trade. Not worth it if I have to pay much extra for delivery by truck, or if they insist on near MSRP. I don't even want to start dealing if I'll likely wind up walking away.
Alternative is wait for a 2002, especially if the warranty is 4/50 and includes CD. These are the two main problems with this car as I see it. Overall seems quite overpriced compared to Subaru cutback where I can get 6 cyl., CD changer, AWD at a good deal. According to the TMV, the subaru BB LL Bean and the Passat GLX wagons should be almost the same price. I'd probably pay $500-1000 more for the passat, but not $3000 which is what the difference would be at MSRP.
Any help is appreciated- do I just need to be a tough, hard-nosed negotiator on a Passat, or get the Subarus that are available at a good price?
I have been to a couple of WV dealers in the Bay Area. They either have VERY LIMITED inventory, or are not really willing to negotiate. One of the best offers I have received on the Pas sat Wagon is $1,000 over invoice! Not too sure if I should wait for 2002 instead when selection is better and better warranty... Any of you has recommendations on where should I look? I am actually thinking about purchasing out of state.
What a great looking car. Is it Silverstone w/Gray leather or black. The BBS wheels make it awesome, they must have cost a fortune. Is the rear window tint a film or stain. I'd love to do it to my GLX, indigo w/gray. My car is leased, think I have to ask the dealer before making changes. ENJOY!!!!
If you plan on keeping the car at the end of the lease, you go right ahead and do anything that you want...if you are planning on returning the car at the end of the lease DO NOT do anything that does not have UNIVERSAL appeal, ie. your taste is not mine(figuratively speaking). A lease return should be clean, not customized, unless you do things that you can undo, and bring the car back to the way it looked when new.
When you say "inventory to break loose" -- what models do you mean? Do you mean they will "break loose" when the new models arrive? I'm dismayed over rumors that my color of choice is being discontinued for 2002 and despite lure of great warranty, can't see myself driving anything but a red car (I have for 24 years), so am back to considering 2001.5s. If 2001.5 are limited (or did you mean 2001s?), does it mean that should I by chance locate a Colorado red with beige leather interior anywhere in the country -- that I am going to have to pay through the nose to get it? Or will dealers be so desperate to move their "stinker" reds ("breaking loose?"), that they'll be pleading with me to buy (one can hope)? Is August/September a better time to buy if I do go with the 2001.5? TIA.
Have been delayed. You might want to track down vwguild for a more educated opinion, but I'm finding supplies tight. I have seen some decent deals in Los Angeles, you may want to shop there via fax and email.
If you want to see the basis for the TMV calculations, click here: Edmunds.com TMV Home page. You will find links at that page for each of our TMV calculations (New, Used, Finance).
I live in Maryland. Right now I am trying to buy a New Passat 1.8T (without any package on it ) in MetroWashington area. I am looking for a silver or white exterior car. It seems to me that there is no car like this available in the area. One dealer told me he can order one for me, but it has more than 200 miles on it... the other one declared there is no car like that in Mid-Atlantic area.... what's going one here.... I am very frustrated, why there is no New Passat available at this moment. Are they telling the truth? When will 2002 Passat come in the market? Please tell me if you have some idea what's going on in the market.. Thanks a lot
I recently purchased Reflex Silver 1.8T 5spd GLS with leather/luxury in NY area. Called around to all the delareships in the NYC area and literally found the last one in silver. Lots of Greens and Reds with that yellow/biege interior. I dont like the light interior as it makes the cheaper parts of the interior look more visible than in black.
I think there are some silver ones in GLX in the area
Silver and Whites GLS are pretty much impossible to find IMHO. Might want to wait for the 2002 but you'll pay more.
We got all of our Passats with no options on them early in the model run. Almost all of what we have now in the GLS 1.8T have luxury and leather at least. You should be able to find a White one though. Were you looking for a 5-speed or automatic?
Really consider a trip to chicago or contact a dealer up here. I went to a local small vw lot and they had 35 2001.5's in stock they also had a couple 2001's left. I didn't talk numbers just drove but you can bet with all those passat's on the ground they are ready to deal. I probably won't buy till christmas and it's still a toss up between passat and Acura TL. But the supply here is good. They had about 5 or 6 wagon glx's also.
There seems to be a certain reluctance among East Coast Dealers to locate cars for their customers...
A couple of months ago I was contacted by a Customer from New Jersey who was looking for a specific Passat...Dealer "could not find it"...In two minutes we found the Exact Passat in Laurel, MD...The Jersey Dealer either didn't look or lied...
Got the following from a dealer in the Philly area:
Passat GLS 20,863 Automatic, Black Exterior/Black Velour Interior Luxury 1369 Monsoon 287 Homelink 115 Cold Weather 287 Destination 550 Phila Advertising 150 Floor Plan Interest Reserve 92 Port Prep 25 PA Inspection 100 Total Invoice 23838
Their offer: 23938 (100 over invoice)
Most importantly, they pressured me heavily to take a car from their inventory. My color choices were 1) Indigo Blue, 2) Blue Silver, 3) Reflex with grey interior. I will not buy the beige interior regardless of the price. They were not at all interested in finding one of my color choices but gave what I think is a good deal on the black (which I would put as my fourth choice anyway). I hate all of the fees, but what can you do realistically about them? I also didn't really want the Homelink but I can live with it looking down the road to where I might have a house to actually use it with. So what do you think?
It also took two plus hours and talking with a salesperson, the sales manager, and the "owner" to get to this point. I actually started my offer at 500 over invoice for an Indigo Blue. They were hardly interested in that, since it wasn't on the lot.
It has been my experience that the dealers with lots crammed full of inventory are the least motivated. If they were price friendly in the first place, then the cars would not stack up. And the longer the car sits on the lot, the more they have into the flooring costs. Here in Sacramento, the dealer with the biggest selection is Niello. After having visited them, and many others in the area several times before buying, I can knowingly say that they are the least motivated in terms of price. Of course all of 2001's sitting on their lot since last christmas should have tipped me off on that.
You may be right. I was curious and sent out a request for quote through auto vantage (bought my present car through them) Dealer came back with 750 over invoice as their standard price and if I buy tomorrow (end of month) he will give it to me for 450 over invoice. This is not the same dealer I test drove though. I drove by their lot after closing and they had about 15 passats instock including all the combo's I want GLX no 4motion w/auto with black leather in either indigo reflex or black. So if you want to come to chicago those other midwesteners can expect 750 over or less. I could probably still haggle a little if I wanted to.
If I were buying one right now, then I would wait for a 2002 because of the better warranty. You should not have to pay more than invoice for a 2001.5 though. I got mine for invoice in april when most dealers were only discounting a $1000 off MSRP. Just be patient. If you convince yourself you absolutely have to have a certain color/equip combo then you will might not get the best deal. A black on black GLX does sound sweet though!
I was mainly posting those prices for the people in STL who couldn't get more than $500 off sticker. I personally am leaning towards the TL because of the extra features and HP. I have a not so great deal written on one as we speak. However I am considering waiting for the 2002 with the longer warranty and the cd player (probably those were the deciding factors for the acura at this stage in the game). I'm really just looking unless the acura dealership comes down another 500-1000. I do believe invoice is definitely doable in this area.
I would like to know if anyone has recently used this plan through vw. or knows more about it. Are there any disadvantages to be aware of? How are the payments figured out? I posted questions on this once before in other places but didnt seem to get any responses. i was planning on leasing or using the buyers option on a new passat..thanks for your time..
I obviously have a few questions: 1. On June 25 in Phila. suburb, purchased 2001.5 GLX Auto Passat, blue silver, black leather(beauty!). Total cost with tax, etc: $26,829.74. This was with $700 over invoice of $28,004, trade-in of '94 Ford Explorer XLT 4wd (86,200+ miles)of $3,500 (it needed some mechanical work). Good deal? Honest invoice price?
2. Should I purchase an extended warrantee through VW or elsewhere-- via the internet?
3. Should I have the 6 cd changer installed by VW or go elsewhere?
Any opinions or personal experiences welcome! PS...I absolutely LOVE my car and hope to drive it for MANY years! After 30 years of driving wagons, vans & suv's...I feel like I'm REALLY driving now!!
An acura TL would be a good choice as well. The thing that kept me from buying it was that you can get a honda accord V6EX for about 5 thousand less and it is the same car! Maybe a tiny less power than the TL but more or less the same thing. Also, the faux wood grain on the TL bugged me, along with the cramped back seat. But when I have 120,000 miles on my car and am trying to sell it, I am sure I will wish it were a TL instead of a passat!
That is exactly why I am considering the acura. I would be trading in a Dodge stratus that has lost over 60% of it's value in 28 mos. Looking for something that I won't lose as much money on this next trip around.
I use this as a basis for comparing resales. Market conditions will also have an impact come resale time. here are residuals for passat vs tl vs maxima hope this helps
I know we have had this resale discussion before. In theory(using things like clpurnell's tables for instance) the Passat seems like it will do very well on resale. But in reality, if you want people to be ready to box in your driveway over your used car it had better be a Honda or Toyota. Same is true if you are like most people and you trade in. Dealers simply cannot look you in the eye with a straight face and say "Well there is not much demand for used Accords or Camry's". I hope you are right and that I get top dollar for my Passat after four or five trouble free years. But had I bought an Accord, TL, Camry, ES300, or other boring Japanese offerings the odds of that happening would have been stacked more heavily in my favor.
..Thanks all for response on Passat future... I'm a bit wary giving up my Honda (although delighted to probably get what I'll get for it), but also feel the Passat is a good risk, if not the absolute best in holding value. I'm planning on 2002 GLS, luxury, leather, so hopefully that will help five years down the road.
Comments
My guess is, given the popularity of the Passat that they can get away with a small increase. But I SERIOUSLY doubt more than 1-1.5% or so.
The 4yr/50K is the truth
Bill
My only thoughts would be that:
A)The whole MSRP/Invoice thing does not really apply to a car that is last years model. Even though your car had never been sold it does not qualify as "new" in most consumers eyes.
B)Even though those guys at niello threw everything but the kitchen sink at me to get me to buy one of those "old school" passats there was no way I could make four years of payments on yesterdays news.
C)Resale will be less on the old style since is outdated looking. IE "Pay me now, or pay me later". When it comes to cars, sooner or later everyone pays.
Cliffyb - all your points are good ones. Fortunately for me, it just fit my situation perfectly. a) I didn't have much of a preference for the new styling over the old, b) I tend to keep cars for a very long time - this was replacing an '88 Toyota with 230K miles on it. I guess what i t boils down to is I felt like I was getting a new car at a used car price.
Pics from a proud owner who doesn't wear a dress <g>.
http://home.pacbell.net/spellbnd/pstinitfrtqtr.jpg
http://home.pacbell.net/spellbnd/pstinitrear.jpg
Bill
Silver 01.5 GLX in driveway
First, let me say "thank you" to all of you who have taken time to post to this board. Your comments and insights were extremely useful as I came down to make my final decision as to what car to buy and where to buy it.
If I may, I'll share some lessons from my car-buying experience. Perhaps they'll help some of you, in return.
My decision came down to a 2001 Maxima SE (or 20th anniversary SE) or a 2001.5 Passat. I loved the exterior of the new Passat, but I thought the interior styling was quirky, even cluttered, and I'm not partial to the wood trim. The Maxima was very sporty inside, but the exterior couldn't escape the "blah" styling that is common with Japanese sedans.
I settled on the Passat. (If you're still undecided, test drive the Passat after sunset. The nighttime gauge and console lighting will seal the deal. It's very cool, almost 3-D like. The brochure doesn't do it justice.)
I visited 3 dealerships in the Dallas area -- Park Cities VW, Metro VW and the VW Store. Treated very well at all 3 stores. Specifically, I can recommend Phil at Metro, and the Jack/Lisa internet sales team at the VW Store.
I'm thankful I live in a large market with 6 dealerships overall in Dallas and Fort Worth. That ensured a free-market competition to win my business, as well a decent inventory of cars on the lots from which to choose. Still, even though there are lots of new Passats on the lots, finding cars in the bright colors is somewhat difficult, given that we're near the end of the model year. (Lots of silvers and beiges on the lots down here. And, has anyone actually seen an Ink Blue Passat? No one around here has.)
The day before I planned to buy was a Sunday, and most dealerships in Texas are closed on Sundays. (State law prohibits dealers to be open *both* weekend days, so most close on Sunday.) I drove around to each of the 3 above-named stores, and took inventory of what they had on the lot. From my list, I chose 10 cars whose color-combinations I would accept. (One nice thing about shopping for GLX's is that they were all exactly alike - there are no options on a GLX except M/A transmission and optional dealer-installed CD equipment.)
My plan was to start at the dealership with my #1 favorite color combo. If things didn't work out there, I'd regroup and move to the dealer with the #2 and #3 cars.
First on my list was the pine green/gray GLX at the VW Store. I showed up at 9am on a Monday morning, and asked to test drive the car. (I had driven other Passats before, so this was simply a test of how "this" car ran.) When we returned, I made an offer of $200 below invoice. He said the going rate was $500 over invoice. We settled at $250 over invoice. (Edmunds TMV is about $800 over invoice.)
Tried to haggle on an extended warranty, but the F&I guy didn't want to negotiate their $1,000+ list prices, so I declined for now. (Salesperson at the VW Store says you can buy extended warranty from VW anytime up to when your 2/24 warranty expires.)
I drove the car away 3 hours later, and I've enjoyed it the past two days. Rides firm, steers great, the stereo rocks, looks cool.
Thanks again, and I hope these comments help someone out there.
Regards from Texas,
TexasShopper
(now TexasBuyer, I guess).
congrats on your new car! I hope you enjoy it.
was the $250 over invoice including all the advertising and regional fees? i am trying to see what the final price actually was.
thanks.
When the sales rep and I discussed pricing, we started at the invoice price for the car (GLX w/auto, $27187). He added only destination charges ($550), plus port ($25) and floorplan interest reserve charges ($92). (Edmunds doesn't mention these fees, but I did see them listed on cars.com, so perhaps they're legit.) The sales rep did not add any advertising fees.
The only thing left to add was the $250 that we agreed upon, and that's how you get to my final price.
The entire negotiation on price took about 5 minutes, and the person I was dealing with had the authority to OK the sale himself. I didn't get passed along (TO'd) from sales rep to sale rep, or any of those other stupid sales tricks. Very professional.
Hope this helps. Let us know how you fare.
texasshopper
Alternative is wait for a 2002, especially if the warranty is 4/50 and includes CD. These are the two main problems with this car as I see it. Overall seems quite overpriced compared to Subaru cutback where I can get 6 cyl., CD changer, AWD at a good deal. According to the TMV, the subaru BB LL Bean and the Passat GLX wagons should be almost the same price. I'd probably pay $500-1000 more for the passat, but not $3000 which is what the difference would be at MSRP.
Any help is appreciated- do I just need to be a tough, hard-nosed negotiator on a Passat, or get the Subarus that are available at a good price?
leather or black. The BBS wheels make it awesome, they must have cost a fortune. Is the rear window tint a film or stain. I'd love to do it to my GLX, indigo w/gray. My car is leased, think I have to ask the dealer before making changes. ENJOY!!!!
right ahead and do anything that you want...if you are planning on
returning the car at the end of the lease DO NOT do anything that
does not have UNIVERSAL appeal, ie. your taste is not mine(figuratively
speaking). A lease return should be clean, not customized, unless you do
things that you can undo, and bring the car back to the way it looked when new.
If you want to see the basis for the TMV calculations, click here: Edmunds.com TMV Home page. You will find links at that page for each of our TMV calculations (New, Used, Finance).
Hope that helps.
kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and FWI Message Boards
I think there are some silver ones in GLX in the area
Silver and Whites GLS are pretty much impossible to find IMHO. Might want to wait for the 2002 but you'll pay more.
btw, luv the car.
Jason
Really consider a trip to chicago or contact a dealer up here. I went to a local small vw lot and they had 35 2001.5's in stock they also had a couple 2001's left. I didn't talk numbers just drove but you can bet with all those passat's on the ground they are ready to deal. I probably won't buy till christmas and it's still a toss up between passat and Acura TL. But the supply here is good. They had about 5 or 6 wagon glx's also.
Chris
to locate cars for their customers...
A couple of months ago I was contacted by a Customer from New Jersey who
was looking for a specific Passat...Dealer "could not find it"...In two minutes
we found the Exact Passat in Laurel, MD...The Jersey Dealer either didn't
look or lied...
Passat GLS 20,863
Automatic, Black Exterior/Black Velour Interior
Luxury 1369
Monsoon 287
Homelink 115
Cold Weather 287
Destination 550
Phila Advertising 150
Floor Plan Interest Reserve 92
Port Prep 25
PA Inspection 100
Total Invoice 23838
Their offer: 23938 (100 over invoice)
Most importantly, they pressured me heavily to take a car from their inventory. My color choices were 1) Indigo Blue, 2) Blue Silver, 3) Reflex with grey interior. I will not buy the beige interior regardless of the price. They were not at all interested in finding one of my color choices but gave what I think is a good deal on the black (which I would put as my fourth choice anyway). I hate all of the fees, but what can you do realistically about them? I also didn't really want the Homelink but I can live with it looking down the road to where I might have a house to actually use it with. So what do you think?
It also took two plus hours and talking with a salesperson, the sales manager, and the "owner" to get to this point. I actually started my offer at 500 over invoice for an Indigo Blue. They were hardly interested in that, since it wasn't on the lot.
-tvsfrank
I can't think of the last totally base car we got in. But that's the southeast.
Only GLS 4-cyls we have are, like ffxvw said, more well-equipped cars.
ffxvw: Did you guys pick up Volvo? And do you know Frank Gomez?
Bill
Jason
Tell him Bill Weismann from Montclair says Hi and I hope all is well. I lost his e-mail. Give him my best regards!
Bill
1. On June 25 in Phila. suburb, purchased 2001.5 GLX Auto Passat, blue silver, black leather(beauty!). Total cost with tax, etc: $26,829.74. This was with $700 over invoice of $28,004, trade-in of '94 Ford Explorer XLT 4wd (86,200+ miles)of $3,500 (it needed some mechanical work). Good deal? Honest invoice price?
2. Should I purchase an extended warrantee through VW or elsewhere-- via the internet?
3. Should I have the 6 cd changer installed by VW or go elsewhere?
Any opinions or personal experiences welcome!
PS...I absolutely LOVE my car and hope to drive it for MANY years! After 30 years of driving wagons, vans & suv's...I feel like I'm REALLY driving now!!
2002 Acura TL 3.2 Std
24 month: 66.0%
36 month: 57.0%
48 month: 50.0%
60 month: 44.0%
2001 New Passat (i.e. 2001.5)
24 month: 57.0%
36 month: 49.0%
48 month: 43.0%
60 month: 37.0%
2001 Nissan Maxima GLE
24 month: 55.0%
36 month: 48.0%
48 month: 41.0%
60 month: 36.0%
24 month: 40.0%
36 month: 34.0%
48 month: 28.0%
60 month: 24.0%
Passats are now being discounted quite a bit more than they used to be, so its' affecting their values (Same thing with the TL).
In reality, Passats are still doing better than roughly anything else in their class.
A 98 GLX V6 can still do $17-18K at auction if its' nice and with low miles and not in a stupid color combo (I.E Black/Black in Miami)
That's off of a $28K or so MSRP back then IIRC. The car are still retailing for $20-21K or so.
A 99 GLX is worth about $20K, about what a 99 TL is worth.
GLSs are doing much better.
Bill
In theory(using things like clpurnell's tables for instance) the Passat seems like it will do very well on resale. But in reality, if you want people to be ready to box in your driveway over your used car it had better be a Honda or Toyota.
Same is true if you are like most people and you trade in. Dealers simply cannot look you in the eye with a straight face and say "Well there is not much demand for used Accords or Camry's".
I hope you are right and that I get top dollar for my Passat after four or five trouble free years. But had I bought an Accord, TL, Camry, ES300, or other boring Japanese offerings the odds of that happening would have been stacked more heavily in my favor.