Any Insight on VW Sportswagon Turbo Diesel 2013

[roseyscot]

my 1995 Audi S6 is running on fumes and starting to give me $$$ fits. the tdi wagon has been on my radar for replacing the Audi but I only put about 5k miles on my car a year, so I'm not looking to buy new. Anyone purchased a tdi wagon used? Good, bad, indifferent experience?

[znfdl]

I bought new, as we usually keep our cars for 10+ years.

[Britishbane]

Rosey,
We bought ours used in mid-May. We got lucky and found one that was a year old with only 4k on the odometer, the color my wife wanted, and pristine. Got a good deal after some negotiation, but other than loving the vehicle, the experience of dealing with the salesman was a pain. Dude tried every trick, including making a phone call to the manager and having a fake conversation. The whole process took about 3.5hrs after we sat down to discuss price. Then after the whole ordeal is over the salesman explains how the VW satisfaction survey works and how anything less than 10/10 is a failure. If he gets a 9 he doesn't get paid. Oh, and he wanted us to fill it out while he watched. BS.

Car is great. We love it. Go in knowing what they're selling for in the area and don't buy their bs. We ended up knocking the price down a few thousand. Probably not unlike most used car experiences.

[davids]

Then there is hope.

A wagon is a sedan with options.

[sine]

The whole process took about 3.5hrs after we sat down to discuss price.

Man, you have patience. If negotiation isn't heading in the right direction, I'm done after 10 minutes. I never sit down...stand next to the door. I've walked out before...I don't need to purchase a car right then and there.

[Britishbane]

Man, you have patience. If negotiation isn't heading in the right direction, I'm done after 10 minutes. I never sit down...stand next to the door. I've walked out before...I don't need to purchase a car right then and there.

Next time man, next time. This was my first rodeo. We ended up with the price we wanted, but they really didn't have their shit together. Lots of waiting while things were done one at a time rather than simultaneously.

[72gmc]

british, was yours a lease return? I figure the next time I buy a car I'll look hard at lease returns. I leased a Jetta back in the mid-90s. Given the maintenance and mileage requirements lease return VWs should be good buys.

[Britishbane]

british, was yours a lease return? I figure the next time I buy a car I'll look hard at lease returns. I leased a Jetta back in the mid-90s. Given the maintenance and mileage requirements lease return VWs should be good buys.

No, it was some sort of fleet vehicle in Michigan. Our best guess is that someone was given the car while they attended some sort of corporate training. Then it just sat in a garage.

[robin3mj]

No, it was some sort of fleet vehicle in Michigan. Our best guess is that someone was given the car while they attended some sort of corporate training. Then it just sat in a garage.

Or, a leadfooted intern at Dow Chemical beat the crap out of it for a summer, hitting every pothole on 8 Mile Road.
I'm sure it's probably the former!

[Britishbane]

Or, a leadfooted intern at Dow Chemical beat the crap out of it for a summer, hitting every pothole on 8 Mile Road.
I'm sure it's probably the former!

Could be! Its history checked out as far as we could tell. Every used car is a bit of a gamble though.

[rphetteplace]

Man, you have patience. If negotiation isn't heading in the right direction, I'm done after 10 minutes. I never sit down...stand next to the door. I've walked out before...I don't need to purchase a car right then and there.

+1 I write my phone # down on the guys business car with how much I will pay for the car and tell him to give me a call if he wants to make a sale.

[rydesteel]

I'll try and move us back on track. The sport wagon also comes in a gas version get decent mileage and cost a bit less than the TDi. In order to make up the difference in cost you should be driving 15-20k a year. I bought my TDi when I was traveling 30k or more a year. Stu if you like tracking mileage look at Fuelly.com easy way to track mpg, average price per gal and other interesting bits.


BTW I'm a car salesman the nightmare cuts both ways fwiw.

[spopepro]

The sport wagon also comes in a gas version get decent mileage and cost a bit less than the TDi. In order to make up the difference in cost you should be driving 15-20k a year.

Or if you live in Indiana. Or possibly Minnesota or other states considering B20 laws.

[zetroc]

Rosey,
We bought ours used in mid-May. We got lucky and found one that was a year old with only 4k on the odometer, the color my wife wanted, and pristine. Got a good deal after some negotiation, but other than loving the vehicle, the experience of dealing with the salesman was a pain. Dude tried every trick, including making a phone call to the manager and having a fake conversation. The whole process took about 3.5hrs after we sat down to discuss price. Then after the whole ordeal is over the salesman explains how the VW satisfaction survey works and how anything less than 10/10 is a failure. If he gets a 9 he doesn't get paid. Oh, and he wanted us to fill it out while he watched. BS.

Car is great. We love it. Go in knowing what they're selling for in the area and don't buy their bs. We ended up knocking the price down a few thousand. Probably not unlike most used car experiences.

I've never bought a new car, but it'd be real tempting to hit the speaker button on the phone while he's "talking to the manager".

But seeing how this is special circumstances and all I can knock $100 off that True Coat.

[rydesteel]

Or if you live in Indiana. Or possibly Minnesota or other states considering B20 laws.

VAG doesn't recommend over 10% Bio Diesel. It's been awhile but the last I checked it could cause warranty issues. A good source of Information is Freds TDi Club the 2010 and newer common rail systems using a Bosch HPFP are very sensitive to what you feed them unlike the older systems that would burn about anything.

[j44ke]

my 1995 Audi S6 is running on fumes and starting to give me $$$ fits. the tdi wagon has been on my radar for replacing the Audi but I only put about 5k miles on my car a year, so I'm not looking to buy new. Anyone purchased a tdi wagon used? Good, bad, indifferent experience?

I bought our Golf TDI used from friends, and I am really glad I did. They were TDI heads, and they did all the required maintenance on the engine at the mileages recommended. There are several things that need to be done at various mileages that keep the TDI engine running for a long long time. I cannot remember them all (fuel filter was one) but I have the schedule written out. Sort of like old Hondas and timing belts. You just have to be aware. Anyway, it is a good idea to look at the schedule for maintenance and ask if the things listed by mileage have been done to the car, partially because they cost money and partially because it will tell you a lot about the care with which the car has been treated. Our car is closing in on 150,000 miles.

Mostly, read the forums for TDI to familiarize yourself with the things to look for in your particular model. Here are the two I use. The TDI Club helped me figure out that a stuck relay in the Central Comfort Module in my car was causing it to eat batteries. These days, if the mechanics don't see it on the computer it doesn't exist.

Fred's TDI Page. TDIClub.com. VW TDI Enthusiast Community

My Turbo Diesel has a pretty decent selection of buying guides along with technical stuff.

VW TDI, Audi TDI, Porsche diesel forum, FAQ, and DIY maintenance

[ned]

I'll try and move us back on track. The sport wagon also comes in a gas version get decent mileage and cost a bit less than the TDi. In order to make up the difference in cost you should be driving 15-20k a year. I bought my TDi when I was traveling 30k or more a year. Stu if you like tracking mileage look at Fuelly.com easy way to track mpg, average price per gal and other interesting bits.

BTW I'm a car salesman the nightmare cuts both ways fwiw.

Agree. We couldn't justify the price difference between models. Our '09 5 cylinder averages 30mpg. Fantastic car. We like it much, much better than our Allroad (except when heading up canyon on powder days).

[znfdl]

I'll try and move us back on track. The sport wagon also comes in a gas version get decent mileage and cost a bit less than the TDi. In order to make up the difference in cost you should be driving 15-20k a year. I bought my TDi when I was traveling 30k or more a year. Stu if you like tracking mileage look at Fuelly.com easy way to track mpg, average price per gal and other interesting bits.


BTW I'm a car salesman the nightmare cuts both ways fwiw.

I only drive about 10K a year, but I like having to fill up the tank every 600+ miles. I am averaging over 20mpg more than my Subaru Forester XT. Thanks I will check out the website.

My salesman was great and we agreed at the time (over the internet) that I would pay their invoice minus $1K. I believe that he needed this sale to make his month end bonuses. I went in for a test drive and then sat down to buy the car. I also got them to throw in mud flaps.

[SteveP]

i had an 02 jetta w/ the 2.0 turbo diesel.
got great gas mileage.
i was extremely disappointed when i learned that the timing belt had to be changed at 100,000 kilometers! it is a pretty expensive job on this car... its not on a gas jetta. after the belt i may as well have been getting 25mpg for all the $$ i saved.
i gave it to my kid after changing the belt.
this motor should have a timing chain. i hope it does now.

[znfdl]

i had an 02 jetta w/ the 2.0 turbo diesel.
got great gas mileage.
i was extremely disappointed when i learned that the timing belt had to be changed at 100,000 kilometers! it is a pretty expensive job on this car... its not on a gas jetta. after the belt i may as well have been getting 25mpg for all the $$ i saved.
i gave it to my kid after changing the belt.
this motor should have a timing chain. i hope it does now.

SteveP I think that timing chains are a thing of the past.