Want 2012 TDI, but need to trade 2008 Audi A6: local dealer bad, suggestions ?

[Mawgie]

Folks -

I own a 2008 Audi A6 quattro, 3.2, S Line, CPO through late 2013, with 40k miles. Loaded, good shape, clean CarFax. I own it outright. It's a great car, but I want to get my mpgs way up, and fuel costs way down. Audi gets high teens around town; and mid 20s highway.

I want to trade the Audi for a loaded 2012 TDI, likely either a Golf sedan or a JSW. Probably JSW. Today I stopped at my local VW/Audi dealer, which is where I bought the Audi. Didn't go well:

1) no JSWs in stock at all;
2) one Golf sedan TDI, a 2011;
3) "not sure" when 2012s will be here;
4) "not sure" if I can order the car I want, but they will "find" me me any car;
5) salesman had very poor product knowledge;
6) I had hoped that there would be some cross-dealership love between Audi and VW (the dealerships are 50 feet apart), but no one gave me the impression that my trade would be valued any higher because VW would route it back to Audi to resell as a CPO, or because I am a repeat customer.

Any thoughts on how to trade the Audi and minimze the bath I will take?
My thoughts:
1) Perhaps I should just keep the Audi until the CPO ends, then trade it.
2) Can't ebay it, checked, and they don't sell well;
3) Craigslist is, at best, a low percentage shot;
4) I thought a combined VW/Audi dealership would be the best, but maybe not;
5) guess I will have to shop the h*** out of the car, which will be a hassle and elevate my blood pressure. Would like to avoid that.

I have a call into Chris Farnham to see if he can help.
Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks - Mawgie

 

[IMAAaron]

You are on the right track. I'd venture to say that if Chris can't help you, nobody can. Otherwise, just wait patiently for your Audi to sell privately.

 

[Mawgie]

Thanks IMAAaron-
I guess I may have to post it on autotrader and cars.com.
Regards-Mawgie

 

[HaveBulldogWillTravel]

I guess I may have to post it on autotrader and cars.com.
Regards-Mawgie

NOOOOOOO!
Don't used Cars.com! I recently put an ad there for my 335i. I priced it slightly lower than every comparable 335i coupe within 100 miles. Mine was white with all option except NAV...it was PERFECT! My pics were better than all other ads.
I got ZERO Interested buyers. What I did get was numerous calls from parties interested in selling my car for me for a price...always claiming that they had people lined up to pay even more than I was asking. All I had to do was sign up with them for a FEE. TOTAL BS!
I also started getting SPAM SPAM SPAM...tons of it from all over. I'd used this email addy for 5 years with next to no spam and all of a sudden...UGH!
CARS.COM SUCKS!
I recommend you find a CarMax and see what they'll offer you. They'll buy your car outright and write you an offer(good for 7 days) on the spot. That will be a good guage for what you can expect to get...probably 5% more than what you would get in trade and 5-10% less than what you might get selling privately.
I drove 275 miles to get my Golf TDi just because I couldn't get a local dealer in southeastern VA(none of the 4 would even quote me) to order one for me. Dealer in Roanoke, VA (First Team VW)was all too happy to help. If you really want to get a new VW right away...be willing to drive or fly a short distance to get it. This opens up so many more possibilities. GL!

 

[Arne in Oregon]

I haven't traded a car back in to a dealer since 1981. You're much better off selling the A6 outright, then making a cash deal on the TDI of your choice.

 

[Mawgie]

Thanks Arne and HaveBullDog-

I recently used cars.com to sell a 2002 Porsche Carrera Coupe, and sold the car for my asking price, with no hassles at all, to a private party, within thirty days of listing the ad. Having said that, I seriously doubt getting that kind of luck with the A6, because the car is: 1) not rare; 2) not particularly highly sought after.

Carmax.com I will check. However, if the difference between Carmax and trade in is only 5%, and I don't pay sales tax (at least in New York, where I live) on trade in value, it may not be a great deal.

Thanks for the input.

 

[bvencil]

If you still really like the Audi, you might want to calculate how long it will take for the fuel savings of the TDI to make up for the combined loss that you will take on the Audi and the cost of the new TDI. You may find that it is long enough that it might be cheaper to drive the Audi.

 

[HopperTDI]

If you still really like the Audi, you might want to calculate how long it will take for the fuel savings of the TDI to make up for the combined loss that you will take on the Audi and the cost of the new TDI. You may find that it is long enough that it might be cheaper to drive the Audi.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'll be willing to bet that the numbers won't add up. Plus, going from an A6 to a Golf is pretty dramatic. I know this is a TDI site, but if I were in your shoes I'd keep the Audi.

 

[Tinfish]

Financially, you are probably better off keeping the Audi, but if everyone did that, not many of us would have new TDIs...

Anyway, it's super easy to trade in a car long-distance. You tell them what you have and describe the condition, and they give you a price that assumes you are telling the truth. If you show up with a car that looks like it has been rolled down a cliff, then I guess they would have to adjust. But seriously, it just isn't a big deal. (Of course it is usually easier and financially better to keep the transactions separate, though in this state you save on sales tax when you trade in, so that can take the savings out of selling it on your own...)

 

[P0234]

You have a few things going against you:

-A6's have very little interest in the used car market. A4's sell like hotcakes while A6's sit forever.
-Your car's value is too close to the new car, dealers hate almost even trades for some reason. Even though the math works, they seem to shy away from it.

The one good thing you have going is the S-line. I'd put it up on the Audi forums and Craiglist as well as taking it to Carmax. Add 10% to Carmax's price and you should sell it within a month or two.

 

[mike100]

CL works- I sold a $24k car to a guy on it last year. it's not just for high mile sh!tboxes- just keep your scam hustle radar tuned.

 

[Camarones]

CL works- I sold a $24k car to a guy on it last year. it's not just for high mile sh!tboxes- just keep your scam hustle radar tuned.

I also recommend getting and using a google voice number for any posted sales. This keeps your real phone number private (if you use it correctly) and allows you to screen calls easily.

 

[Tinfish]

-Your car's value is too close to the new car, dealers hate almost even trades for some reason. Even though the math works, they seem to shy away from it.

I recently did the reverse -- trading in a more expensive vehicle for a cheaper one. The dealer didn't blink, even though they had to write me a check. So it certainly can be done, even though it's unusual.

I think that a lot of trade-in values are calculated to help out people who are upside down, and that won't work when the values are close. So if that's your situation, this isn't a good idea. (But if that's your situation, a new car just isn't a good idea, period.) However, my experience has been that if a dealer knows they can sell your car for more than they are paying, they will go for it.