a4 TDI resale value in the United States

http://www.edmunds.com indicates that, for a4 cars, the TDI models seem to have the best resale value by far. In some cases, 1.8L and VR6 engine cars are cheaper than same-trim TDI engine cars. Versus 2.0L engine cars, the TDI engine seems to be maintaining its full new price premium even as the cars depreciate by 35% or so.

Yep!

Also... go to www.kbb.com

That's Kelly Blue Book's website. Compare apples to oranges and you'll see for yourself the differences that are there.

Shawn

www.NADA.com is what the dealers use. The Kelly's is the Playskool version of the real thing. Just FWIW.

one thing that sucks is that whenever VW
offers incentives late in the model year
to make room for next year's models, all
the cars take a hit by at least the amount
of incentive. it almost makes no sense
to buy a car without the incentives.

I think it is relative to your location. In Hawaii, resale for TDI's suck.

Mainly because there are so few...and folks just aren't tuned in. This is where the supply/demand equation doesn't work.

Are there any "truck stops" in Hawaii?

I am a truck stop junkie, especially since I can get fresh diesel at about 10 cents less per gallon and greasy food to boot.

I used to have a diesel motor home and have friends who are truckers. Its a sub culture just like TDI's.

I'm not a rocket scientist, but I am a compulsive car trader and purchaser. On the left coast, the dealers usually use Kelley, not NADA. This, I find strange considering that NADA is a delaer association, not a random 3rd party evaluator. In the middle part of the country you may find the Black Book, which is an auction report.
I find the fluctuation of the TDI values interesting. When my car was about 18 months old, it was worth more than the original sticker said. Then, gas prices fell, along with the value of the TDI. Gas goes up, gas goes down!!

Originally posted by Tin Man:
Are there any "truck stops" in Hawaii?

I am a truck stop junkie, especially since I can get fresh diesel at about 10 cents less per gallon and greasy food to boot.

I used to have a diesel motor home and have friends who are truckers. Its a sub culture just like TDI's.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">nope...no truck stops....diesel costs $0.40 more per gallon than gas......but plenny local grindz (good greasy food).

eh Bra! Horzit? I go see you at Zippy's parking lot, we go talk story over chili plate.

eeehhh bruddah....chili, rice, fries, and no forget the macaroni salad.

Hey, bruddahs. Dont forget the tabasco and (ew) spam. I'll be in the land of aloha for a couple weeks round the turn of the year, when it just rains howlies. What island are you on? Perhaps a gtg? We'll be renting the the bio-beetle on Maui (we may even be the first ones), but as a pilot I always rent a plane and go island hopping while i'm there.

Anyway as for the original post. In upstate NY, this would be no suprise to anyone looking through a want ad. Newer molders usually have a good grand lead and the older passats and jettas (upto 98) ask up to double for a similar trim, but with more miles! The sellers know what they are holdin.

Wally II

oohhh...must be hard get local food on your island (da' reely beeg island).....you mus' be stahhvin.

Check us out when you come this side....buy you one shave ice at Matsumoto's.

I like go Mane, to check da kine narrow gauge railroad, the bugga stay 2 footer ya know? I stay fix your TDI and you can fly da kanaka (locals) around. I gotta stay work over cristmas so I no can be back home in Hawaii.

If you stay go Maui, you need to check out da Tedeschi winery on the sloaps of Hale'Akala. Bugga stay ono.

I going eat spam musubi as soon as I get home, and then boots & Kimo's fried rice and macadamia nut pancake in Kailua, right down my street. Bra broke da mout. Dey's local moko ain't bad either. Bumby I check you guys out.

Here in the Northeast, dealers use Galves for market value estimation. They seem pretty lowball though.

I am a truck stop junkie, especially since I can get fresh diesel at about 10 cents less per gallon and greasy food to boot.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Don't forget about the "Commercial".

A little "trucker lingo" there, for those "in the know"...

[ November 01, 2002, 21:04: Message edited by: LagoonBlueTDI ]

RESALE VALUES:

Yes, rebates and special incentives dilute used car residual values like there is no tomorrow.
Why do you think Ford and GM products do not hold their values and lose residual like mad? Why do you think the big three does not lease many vehicles? Leases are based on residual values!

Honda and Toyota branded products as well as a select few German products tend to have the highest residual values in the marketplace.
They build a good solid product and do not give product away. As far as I am concerned rebates are just a "smoke and mirrors" American marketing gimmick anyway, but that discussion is for another time and place.

In reference to the values:
Dealers like to quote KBB (Kelley Blue Book)because it carries the highest resale numbers. Why do you think dealers cram KBB figures down yout throat? KBB is a big joke! Dealers do not pay any attention to the KBB when they buy or appraise a used vehicle.

We (mfg reps, mfg execs, dealers) either use the Nada wholesale edition or the black book for our values. When buying at auction or appraising a used vehicle for a trade or "Lemon Law buy back" we use the Black Book here in the midwest, mainly because the numbers are a true representation of used car values at wholesale. I rarely use the NADA unless I need a comparable value for litigation purposes.

Bank and credit unions tend to only use the NADA for loan values. Most banks and credit unions only loan 80% anyway, but tend to like the NADA for consistency and reputation. Most banks and credit union have no problem letting you take a free look at their NADA book.

I have the black book here and would be happy to provide you guys with a used value. Please keep in mind this publication is kind of a "big secret" in the business so mums the word if anyone asks where you got your numbers.

It is true the TDI does tend to hold its value pretty well when compared to the gas motors.

Originally posted by Henke4:
Why do you think Ford and GM products do not hold their values and lose residual like mad?

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Fleet sales probably have a lot to do with it. All of those fleet cars hitting the used car market after one to three years can't be good for resale values.

Residual value? I just sold my '83 Rabbit diesel (238k mi--yes, it was a mere youngster of a car) and bought an '03 Jetta GLS TDI. I thought one of the purposes of buying a diesel was to be able to have a paid-off car that still ran like a top!