Buy new 05 or used 03? Newbie here :)

Ok I have a small problem. I NEED to get rid of my 2003 Dodge 2500 diesel. I just got a promotion at work and now need to drive 110 miles a day round trip instead of 12 miles round trip. (yes the pay is that good!!) and I need something more economical. The Dodge gets 18.5 mpg and I'm looking at the TDI Jetta. Dealer has a new 05 5spd with leather, ESP for $22,645 and not willing to deal too much plus low balled my trade in. Another used car dealer (large franchise) has an 03 TDI with cloth seats , 5speed, cold weather package for $15998. The 03 has 27k miles. What would you do? Anything to look for when I check out the 03? Help. I'm going tomorrow and may have them transfer the 03 so I can check it out. Thanks for all the info. Chris

Personally I think that at 27K the '03 is practically new.

Depending on where you live, the cold weather package is really nice to have. I have an '01 with 65K and it still feels new. The cloth seats are considered easier to take care of than the velour ones (which I have) but leather is nice too. I don't have ESP on my car but most report that it's a great feature.
$15K for a diesel with low miles isn't a bad deal. I would ask to see all maintenance receipts and have them look up the dealer maintenance record for you (assuming they had the maintenance done at a dealer).

Other than that, it's really a matter of personal preference regarding color and interior.

The moonroof is a nice feature to have as well as monsoon stereo unless your going to put in something aftermarket.
You're going to spend a lot of time in this car, I would go for the one that has what you want inside.



Keli

I'm looking at the TDI Jetta. Dealer has a new 05 5spd with leather, ESP for $22,645 and not willing to deal too much plus low balled my trade in.

Click to expand...

Some dealers will be trying to get rid of their inventory before December 31. So if you want a new Jetta, try some different dealerships

Another used car dealer (large franchise) has an 03 TDI with cloth seats , 5speed, cold weather package for $15998. The 03 has 27k miles.

Click to expand...

That's practically new, so there's not much to look for, even if poorly maintained.

The 03 should get slightly better mileage and can use more common oil compared to the PD's. But then again the 05 will have a bit more power.

If it were me I would go with the 03

only way to really find out is drive them both, it's not really what someone here would think cause they aren;t buying the car and don;t have your needs or wants. I'd say both are a good idea, 03 is proven, 05 is a new model year, either way I bet ya will be happy

NEED
I guess you can't do both. The ’03 Dodge is 2 mpg lower than the ’01? Are you a leadfoot ?

As for the VW dealer low balling the trade, ours did also. We got 2k more as a trade at the chevy dealer when my stepson was car shopping. See if you can sell the Dodge somehow on your own. Yes it is a hassel, you'll probably end up on the right side.

I'd give preference towards the 2003MY car. You're likely to return somewhat higher fuel economy with that engine.

Sell the truck on your own.

Yeah I'm going to try a few more stealerships today. Heck, I'm even going to see what carmax will give me for my truck. Can't hurt to try. The reason my 03 Dodge gets the mileage it does is because it is an auto,4x4, with 4:10 gears The fact that a little more fuel and different timing of the injectors should have nothing to do with it (biggrin) It seems the 2nd Gen 12 and 24v cummins get better mileage while the 04 and 05 dodges have gotten worse.

this thread is a new dealer who has a bunch of tdis.

he has this listed (amoung others)
5-spd. Platinum Gray w/gray leather ESP and Leather pkg.
MSRP: $22,645.00 DISCOUNTED PRICE: $21,826.50

he is in wisconsin, but at least this could give you some dealing leverage with your local. also make sure you mention/complain about the (temporary) higher cost of diesel these days.

i figure that if you buy the '03, someone else takes the 25 cent per mile depreciation. that is a big main reason i bought a used '02 with 8,000 miles last year. just make sure that the maintenance records are in order.

you may want to check the classified for sale cars for used tdis from club members.

good luck!

Yeah I saw that post thanks. It is kind of wierd that the invoice price of these tdi's and the msrp isn't that much off. When I bought my Dodge msrp was over $42000 but they knocked off quite a bit with my employee discount. They give Verizon employees $1000 under invoice. I'll check the classifieds here right now !!

Take the '03. You can use the $6k on something else.

This guy is selling them at invoice and the money you save would be worth the short trip for you. With VW's quality so iffy, I don't think I'd ever buy a used car with someone elses problems.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showflat.php?C...true#Post894068

A low-mileage 2003 actually may be the better deal. First, it's cheaper. Second, non-PDs typically get at least 1 or 2 more mpgs. And third, because it's been driven and tested, it may actually be less likely to require a trip to the dealership for warranty repairs -- a consideration if the new buyer depends on a car ready-to-go five days a week. Of course it still has more than 25k miles of warranty remaining, in case something goes wrong.

Finally, there are more mods available for the 2003-and-earlier non-PD models. Want bigger nozzles? Easy and cheap. Not so with PD models. Saving $5k or more on the purchase price, that can buy a lot of cool stuff.

Ok guys as much as I wanted to save some money. The stealership gave me over $5000 more for my trade then he originally offered making the 05 a better deal. Keep in mind the lower interest rate on a new car plus *I* get all the warranty and break in the car as i see fit. Thanks for all the help and I'll post some pics when I pick it up tomorrow! Thanks again. Chris