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2013 and earlier Volkswagen Passat Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Don't be offended...Several things involved here...1st...regardless of market conditions, no
    one will ever give you *Wholesale* for your trade.
    This is just not done, unless the car is very special...When your trade-in is appraised a couple
    of things happen...The first is a look at *Karpower* the Kelley CD for the current 2 months,
    March/April, etc. Next someone will drive the car..it starts, turns left, turns right...well you get the idea...No one really knows until the
    Trade-In goes through the very basic Smog & Safety
    does anyone get the 411 on the car...Problems that
    the previous owner may have been genuinely unaware of...and so it goes...

    The other very important thing to bear in mind is
    the fact that the Used Car Market today is suffering... big time. Since 9/11. 0 Down, big Rebates, 0% financing, have created a very rough
    environment for previously owned vehicles.

    Most Dealers will look at any trade from this point of view...

    Best advice...If your car is not an integral part
    of this transaction; sell it yourself...you will
    receive the better return...
  • data2data2 Member Posts: 3
    I'm sorry to beat the dead horse......

    But, If the port prep fee ($25), floor plan interest ($92), and the regional advertising fee (that varies depending on your area) are costs that VWOA dealerships must recover and are not negotionable, then why doesn't VWOA just list this information right under the destination charge? VWOA could even list each regional market and its corresponding ad fee in A-Z order if there aren't too many, i.e, Northeast Regional Ad - $345, Southeast Regional Ad - $150. (Listing regional markets on the MSRP would compensate for dealers who need to ship cars outside of their regional marketing areas.) Surely, the word must be going back to VWOA that these charges are confusing their customers and causing them a less than satisfactory sales experience not to mention the amount of time dealers must spend explaining the charges. Since the port prep fee, the floor plan interest reserve fee, and the regional ad fee must be paid by every dealer on every car in every state, then the simple solution would be to list them on the MSRP just like the destination charge.

    I did read Edmund's small print on the regional ad fee. So that I could budget the amount I would need for my area (according to the posts here some dealers charge this and some don't), I called VWOA Customer Care Center to get the fee for my region. (I didn't mind that Edmund's didn't list the fee. I was just glad that they gave me a heads up about it. I've got enough where-with-all to take it upon myself to take it to the next level.) So, I went right to the source and called VWOA and asked them myself. I assumed they could punch in my zip code and tell me the fee for my area. I called. The rep didn't know the answer but placed me on hold while he checked. He returned and stated that VWOA doesn't charge a regional ad fee. He then asked for the dealer who wanted to charge the fee. I explained that I didn't have a dealer yet, I just wanted to know the fee for my area so that I could account for it in my budget. I thanked the rep and hung up the phone. I didn't go ballistics. I thought either I didn't explain it well or it's not a direct charge from VWOA but some other type of charge. I plan on calling VWOA again.

    And no, I don't have a problem paying mandatory fees. I just want to be prepared for them.
  • landru2landru2 Member Posts: 638
    I don't sell VW's but I imagine they are similar to other makes in that the manufacturer does not charge the ad fees directly. They are typically charged by the regional associations of dealers that produce the ads for a given region. I would expect that VW0A doesn't charge any ad fees but the regional associations do.

    This is why these fees are not seen on MSRP stickers. The stickers come from the manufacturer but the ad fees are levied by whatever regional association the car ends up in.
  • peachtree103peachtree103 Member Posts: 182
    If the fees are all mandatory, and included in the cost of every car sold to every dealer, why doesn't VW just up their invoice cost to the dealers to include the fees? These fees don't increase MSRP, so there shouldn't be a marketing advantage to accounting for the fees in the current manner. It would seem to eliminate a lot of real world confusion that exists throughout the VW posts.
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    I think there are 2-3 reasons why VW (or any manufacturer) doesn't up the invoice. The first is that they don't acknowledge the fact that we know what the invoice is - to them its private business even though everyone knows it. Second, it's probably more convenient for their accounts department to break the shipping/whatever costs out from the car's value. Finally, for the advertising costs, like landru was saying, they vary from region to region. The manufacturers all hold true to the fantasy that the MSRP is the price and leave the dealers to handle the reality.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    You have it down cold...They are on the Invoice...
    just as you have described...If you would care to see examples of several invoices, get me a fax number, and I would be happy to send them out to you...
  • peachtree103peachtree103 Member Posts: 182
    If it's all on the invoice, then it seems to be more of an Edmunds (& others) problem. I'm not actively shopping for a VW, so I'll take your word for it. You make a great ambassador for VW. From reading these boards, if more VW dealers were like you, they could increase their market share by an easy 10%. keep up the good work.

    Off topic question: Any info on the release date of the New Beetle convertible?
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Right again...I have made mention of these line
    item omissions many, many times here, but to no
    avail...

    New Beetle Cabrio productiom is scheduled to commence in August...
  • lotus7lotus7 Member Posts: 3
    Looking at this car. No other frills. Maybe Homelink, maybe not.Will try to offer dealer a price of $21,575. That's with a $500 profit accoring to Edmunds. Also included $25 Port and $92 Other charges. What am I missing? Ad fees? How much in Fla. Does this sound reasonable? Dealer says he will offer me car at $300 over invoice, but I haven't seen it yet. What other extra fees might be in there. Sticker price on it is approx. $22950. Let me know. Thanks.
  • peetertpeetert Member Posts: 124
    There's a VW dealer offering this car for 16995. It's green w/ 39k miles, power sunroof, cloth int 1.8L Turbo Auto trans. I'd like to get a good idea whrere to start negotiations for the price. I checked out the TMV and came up with the following

    Trade - 12315
    private - 13924
    Dealer - 15590
    Certified - 16590

    Any suggestions.

    I am still trying to figure out if i'm going to trade my current vehicle ('90 Volvo 740) in or sell it myself.

    Thanks,
    Peeter
  • goaheadgoahead Member Posts: 1
    2002 Passat 1.8T sedan with monsoon, luxuary and leather packages 25K including $100 ad and $92 interest. It is good?
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    If it's an auto, then that's a good deal. If it's a manual, it's a bit high.
  • couldahaddav8couldahaddav8 Member Posts: 2
    I just negotiated a deal over the weekend for a 2002 GLS Wagon 1.8 Manual, loaded (Leather, Luxury, Monsoon) for $25K out the door. It's the first time I've done an "out the door" deal, as I usually prefer to stick with an invoice-plus-profit kind of negotiation.

    Any comments on whether that's a good deal? Only problem is they say they can't find a manual trans in California, so I will probably have to renegotiate for an automatic (I would really prefer the manual, though).
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    You should expand your search...There are 5 Speed manuals
    available in California...
  • sands2sands2 Member Posts: 6
    I ALMOST negotiated a deal over the weekend for a 2002 GLS 1.8 Manual, loaded (Leather, Luxury, Monsoon) for $24K. This included the port fees ($25), floor plan fees ($92), and ad fees for the state of FL ($208). However, the dealer then added another $500 saying its the 'dealer fees'. I was not sure what the hell he was talking about so I did not sign the deal. Does anybody know what it is and should I pay for it? How is it different from holdback? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Was that $500 is mark-up from Invoice?
  • sands2sands2 Member Posts: 6
    I am not sure what you mean ... Here's the breakdown of all the cost associated. The invoice (including all the options, destination charge, ad, port plan, and floor plan fees) was $23,770 .. I offered him $24K. He accepted my offer but then told me about the dealer fees (which would then make the total $24.5K). I refused ... Does that help?
  • couldahaddav8couldahaddav8 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, Sean Mac. I'll continue the search for the manual trannie.

    It seems like $25K OTD is a pretty reasonable price for the fully loaded GLS wagon, since even just taking out the sales tax puts it back to $23,310.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Your dealer is offreing you this 5 Speed Manual
    for $739 over Invoice...What is TMV on this car???

    This sounds Fair to me...I would not sell it for
    $239.00 ovwer Invoice...It ain't a Neon...Oh that would be $239.00 Below Invoice...:)
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    The $500 is probably a "Dealer Fee" here in FL.

    Its basically a doc fee charged by the dealer. in FL they get out of hand... $500 is highish, but not at all surprising.

    They tend to be highest in South FL. Here in Orlando, $300ish seems to be the norm. It is, however, illegal for the dealer to waive the fee (If the DMV does a spot-check and finds that you waived it for one person, they will require you to pay a fine AND refund that amount to everyone you charged it to!)

    That being said, that is an agressive deal overall in FL. Although, depending on where you are, the places to deal with seem to be:

    Gunther in Ft Lauderdale (If youre in South FL) and Royal if you're in Central FL.

    If nothing else, those are the places in South and Central FL to go for service. Also, be cautious with color down here... Dark colors (ESPECIALLY with dark interiors) can get slammed at trade-in time and be tough to re-sell.

    Good Luck!

    Bill
  • scrdnscrdn Member Posts: 8
    Im looking to lease a 02 Passat GLS. Im a little unsure about the payment calculator at vw.com. For a 24 month/12K miles/yr lease, they are quoting me $130/mo for the drivers option lease. $192/mo for the standard lease. This is with $5500 down. Are these numbers real???
    Thanks,
    Scott
  • sands2sands2 Member Posts: 6
    VWGuild,
    The TMV on this car is $23,870. I think you are correct about the deal ... it is not as bad as I first thought. Maybe I will shake the dealers hand afterall, but it helps to know that I am not getting duped unnecessarily .. you know?

    Bill,
    Thanks for your input about the 'dealer fees' and the color combination. However, I dont plan to sell the car for at least the next 5 yrs ... besides, a silver exterior and black leather has always been my dream combination, so I wont compromise on it, especially if I am paying big moolah for it :)

    Take care all,
    sands
  • biyonic1biyonic1 Member Posts: 8
    Oh, man. I have had my eyes on a Passat as a company lease for a long time. I have not been thrilled about the existing engine choices until now. The V8 was a great idea - the bad part is that the price is going to be $8000 more than the V6 car loaded! This equates to almost $100 per hp! To understand that look at it this way, at $100 per hp the engine makes up $27,500 of the total price of the car!!! What a rip off!

    Very snooty if you ask me - joe consumer.

    Totally bad example but the Ford Explorer option to go from V6 to V8 is only $800

    The 330i is at this new Vdub pricepoint and no amount of hp makes the Vdub come even close to the total BMW package. Sorry, almost 40K for a VW??? Uh Uh

    I'm very disappointed. I so wanted that car. $33 was my company lease cap.
  • sands2sands2 Member Posts: 6
    Just out of curiosity ... Who has manufactured this music system? Does it play mp3 files? How does it sound?
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    It is a Bose variant...For $287.00, it is awesome...
  • jake101jake101 Member Posts: 4
    VW credit is running a .9% int rate till the end of april. Does anyone have any idea what kind of godlike credit one must have to be approved for this interest rate? Thanks for the help

    Corey
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    680+ on the Fair Isaac Score should be sufficient...if you go to www.equifax.com you
    can see your entire credit history...
  • jpvwaudijpvwaudi Member Posts: 139
    as long as that 680 doesn't include any current derogatory credit and you make more than minimun wage you should be ok
  • praetorianpraetorian Member Posts: 1
    I am looking for a 2002 Passat GLS 1.8T Auto with the least extra options available. I have received an "Internet quote" from a local dealer that he said was open to entertaining any offers I have.
    "If available, the Internet price for a 2002 VW Passat GLS 1.8T Automatic, will be $23,180.14 plus fees (Locate, Doc., Tax, Title, Plate).

    If available, the Internet price for a 2002 VW Passat GLS 1.8T Automatic, will be $22,577.36 plus fees (Locate, Doc., Tax, Title, Plate).
    "

    These are a little high compared to edmunds TMV and Invoice pricing.

    I am seriously considering the demo, but have no idea what to reasonably offer the dealer for a price out the door for a slightly used car(below TMV?, below invoice?).

    Also looking advice on what to offer for a new passat with similar configuration based on his "Internet quote"

    Thanks guys!

    Tim
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    Yeah, those are high. It may be because a stripper Passat is hard to find. Most come with either the Monsoon or the Luxury package, or both. You might actually be able to get a better deal on a Auto w/Monsoon sitting on their lot.
  • ejhomejhom Member Posts: 2
    I'm looking to buy a Passat V6 Sedan AT Luxury Package this weekend. What price should I be paying?

    He tried offering me the 1.8T AT with cloth and Luxury package for MSRP 25,730 + $211 Fees + $1867 taxes. ~$28,000

    He then said he'd "try to get me a V6 off the lot" for something similar.

    What should I pay for the V6...before state tax and fees?
  • peachlacespeachlaces Member Posts: 3
    Hey people! HI!

    I just went to a VW dealership last night...pls shed some insight on how they calcuoate the ACTUAL amount of financing...these are the numbers/figures I have and the procedure a salesman from another dealership explained...

    2002 VW auto Passat GLX

    PRICE OF VW CAR: $ 28,500
    TEXAS Sales TAX: 6.25%
    TRADE IN VALUE: $7,500 (??? Another dealership gave $8500 on it, NOTE: 2000 NISSAN GXE W/ONLY 13000MI)
    DOWNPAYMENT: $0
    PAYOFF AMOUNT FOR NISSAN: $10,500
    TTL FEES: $ 1,800 (more or less)
    OTHER DEALER FEES + EXT. WARRANTY: $2000

    This is how the salesman at another dealership explained how it's calculated...i hope you'll follow...and let me know if this is correct.

    a. Take price of car and deduct trade in value:

    28500 - 7500 = 21000

    b. Take that difference and calculate sales tax:

    21000 + (21000 X .0625) = 22312...i'll just this round off to 23000 (plus title & license fee)
    NOTE: 23000 total now, after TTL added!

    c. Take the DIFFERENCE of your Trade in and Pay off...? This is where it gets confusing!!!

    10500 pay off - 7500 trade in value = 3000 difference (negative equity?)

    d. From here do i add -3000 or +3000 to 23000 taxed price. From what it looks like it should be like.

    3000 + 23000 = 26000

    e. 26000 + 2000 (any other dealer fees warranty) = 28000...

    AMOUNT TO BE FINANCED AT 6% APR/60 mo = $28000
    MONTHLY PAYMENTS: 542
    Is this correct?????? Let me know what's wrong. Thank you!

    Even if i plugged in the values on edmunds.com calc...i am not sure if the value of trade in and pay off amount is considered on that...
  • peachtree103peachtree103 Member Posts: 182
    In the above calculation, you give yourself credit for the trade to get the price down to 21000, but then you are not adding back in the amount of the total loan, just the negative equity. Instead of adding back the negative equity, you need to add the total payoff. Using your rough numbers, I'm getting your total amount financed, with no down payment assumed, at $35,500.

    Also, I don't know VW's programs, but $2000 in extra fees and warranties sounds excessive. Warranty prices, like anything else, are negotiable.
  • gregariusgregarius Member Posts: 2
    After going to over 10 dealerships in the SF Bay Area, looking for the best buy on a Passat GLX, I finally found Sonnen Motors in San Rafael. Joseph Gerbosi is in charge of all Internet sales. Standard policy there is 2% over dealer invoice. Nice guy, lacking any of the smarminess that I found at Walnut Creek, Oakland, and San Jose. No fuss. Check it out!
  • jdb92626jdb92626 Member Posts: 5
    Has anyone seen what Mckenna VW in Huntington Beach, CA is doing on their window stickers? They are charging a $1995-4000 "market fee" because they believe the Passats and Jettas are hot commodities. I questioned the sales manager "Barry" and he simply shrugged his shoulders and said "yep." The price of a Jetta GLX with the mark-up came to almost $29K - 325i country. Their cars are good but not that good.
  • cpm2cpm2 Member Posts: 3
    I was quoted $28,054 for a GLX w/ automatic by an Internet/Fleet manager at one of the local dealerships here in Dallas (zip = 75238). Is that a good deal? According to the TMV and Consumer Report pricing service it appears that this is very good. If so, is there anything I need to look out for when I go to buy the car (e.g. additional fees)?
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    If you're happy with the deal, that's great. Expect a $50 doc fee, plus tax and tags.
  • zzabczzabc Member Posts: 3
    Hey all- I am looking at a '99 B5 w/27k, tip, leather, moonroof, cold weather, fog lights,cd changer, it is in near-new condition. A reputable local VW dealer is asking 19k, what # should I be aiming for???I am thinking 17.5 range?? thanks in advance,
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Is this a Certified Pre-Owned Passat?
  • zzabczzabc Member Posts: 3
    No, it is not certified, but they said they could certify it for $700 or so.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    This car is Not at a VW Dealership is it?
  • jbstljbstl Member Posts: 5
    Think that VW may be offering dealers some $$ incentives to move cars. Was offered to buy 2 cars at 2 dealers at slightly BELOW invoice (brand new) 1st - GLS, 1.8T (auto), lux, leather,monsoon,CWP,homelink, - prix offered was
    $24,866 delivered (excluding T,T,L)but including the doc fees. 2nd offer was same w/out leather was
    offered $23,250??
    Can anyone confirm the dealer $$ and if so how much... They're not even adding any "advertising"
    $$ to this??
    just last month, the best prix received here was
    $500 over edmunds invoice.
    both still offered the low % financing as well..
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    the Sedan board...Nothing as of this morning...
    Programs start 1st of the month, typically...
  • library1library1 Member Posts: 54
    Wife and I just went to a VW dealer (open on Sunday!) and were offered a GLS with auto and Monsoon (only options) for 21,500 inc. shipping. $400 below invoice price. They want us to purchase by 8pm on Monday 10th. Pressure!
  • avillanuevaavillanueva Member Posts: 11
    Purchased a gls 1.8 automatic 4 cylinder with homelink, luxury, cold weather, and luxury packages for $23,412 (plus 7% tax and $135 tags and registration fees) in Philly. This amount is below the invoice price suggested by edmunds tmv ($23,471). There are deals out there right now.
  • library1library1 Member Posts: 54
    Passat 1.8T auto, Monsoon. $21,500: a few hundred below invoice, about $2,000 below list. And I estimate the dealer made about $1,000 profit. 2% holdback on list price, Summer clearence $ from the factory, and we got the .9% financing which brings the dealer more factory money.

    Capitalism über alles or Farfignuggen.
  • inkyinky Member Posts: 370
    I also have a 01 Jetta, I saw $500 owner loyalty rebate from VW on KKB.com. is this so?
    INKY
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    is not a REBATE...This $500 coupon is to be used
    as the 1st payment toward the purchase/lease of
    your new VW with Volkswagen Credit...any balance
    goes toward 2nd payment...Offer ends July 1st!!!!
  • inkyinky Member Posts: 370
    cool! I guess, I get the coupon at the dealer.
    Thanks for your well informed info.
    INKY
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    If you did not receive a *coupon* in the mail;
    you will need to take the Registration from your
    current VW to the Dealership. There they can Xerox it and Fax it to Program HQ.

    Remember, you NEED NOT trade in your VW, and the
    *coupon* ONLY applies to a New VCI Lease/Purcahse.
    If you have a problem; let me know...;)
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