Trading in your VW TDI? What will be your next car

Thiggins

Active member
Joined
Sep 8, 2012
Location
MA
TDI
2012 jetta tdi prem/nav
I am kind of tossed on weather to trade my car in for another VW, or let them fix it.

I purchased my '12 VW TDI Prem w/ Nav brand new and I have 110k miles. I have loved my VW since day one, and my plan was to drive this car into the ground.

If you are trading yours in, what are you hoping to get next?

If you are keeping yours and letting VW fix it, you think it will still perform the same?
 

Cptcrnch

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2014
Location
FredCo MD
TDI
2004 Jetta TDI wagon; 2014 Golf TDI (buyback 7/26/17)
I'm really hoping to keep my TDI but VW will not be "fixing" it. If the deal is too good to pass up and I decided to part ways with the car I'd look at a CPO MK6 GTI or a new Ford Focus ST or the RS models. Ford has some good incentives that could make one of those two models very attractively priced.
 

Rico567

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Location
Central IL
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
Given that we own the NMS Passat TDI, it's very difficult to see where an equivalent car would come from. A gas car would very likely not be a VW, if the efficiency of the diesel must be abandoned. Gaining the utility of a wagon (our other car is a rather elderly SAAB wagon) at the sacrifice of some fuel efficiency makes an Outback a likely contender. We've been pleased with the Passat, but circumstances are changing....
 

GyroRon

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2014
Location
Fort Mill SC
TDI
2013 Jetta tdi
I think anyone wanting to trade out or sell back their TDI for something else has to consider.... Do they want stellar MPG or just a good functional car or something else?

I bought my TDI strictly for the MPG. I drive alot on the weekends ( I have a truck I use monday through friday for work ) and alot of that driving is to and from motorcycle rides and races and I tow the bike or bikes behind the car on a small trailer. Sure I could throw the bike in the bed of my Toyota Tundra and drive that, but it only gets 13-16 mpg. And my truck is hitched up to a big enclosed trailer I use for my lawnservice business and I hate to unhitch it anytime I need to go somewhere not work related, hence why I have a 2nd vehicle.

Ive had a Toyota Echo, Corolla, Camry, Mazda 5, and a Honda Accord... and ultimately ended up with the Jetta TDI. I could get 28 to 30 mpg towing with the echo and or corolla, and only slightly less with the Camry. The Mazda 5 was only good for 22-25 mpg, same as the accord. With the TDI, I get 35 to as much as 42 mpg towing.... Big difference! and of course right now fuel prices are much lower than a year or two ago, but its still a substantial savings.

Before buying the TDI, I had considered a Prius or some other hybrid, But since I tow and do alot of towing down the highway, I felt like any hybrid would end up depleting the battery rather quickly and have to run the bulk of the time on the gas engine.... and doing so, it would not do much better than the echo or corolla did, plus it would have low torque since they have such small engines and would have to downshift and scream the engine on hills and the such. I felt like the TDI with all the torque they produce would have no troubles pulling my bikes and still be able to return good MPG and I was right.

So if I were to be tempted to let VW buyback my car or were to consider selling it or trading it in for something else, I would first have to decide is 35+ MPG towing still super important to me? If it is, I feel like there is only one choice out there that I would consider and that is the latest generation Accord Hybrid. It has a large enough engine under the hood that it should be able to pull my bikes without much trouble, it is a large luxurious good looking car and we all know Honda makes a reliable product. Not towing these cars equal or better the TDI in fuel economy.

If MPG isn't as important to me then the skyis the limit. And honestly, with gas costing 2$ a gallon or less... and if there was any certainty it would stay at this price level, I would be happy with anything that can do at least 20 mpg... I have two kids of my own, and have a semi new girlfriend who also has two kids. Other than my tundra both of our cars only seat 5 people tops. So anywhere we go we have to take two cars. I might look at a 3 row SUV like a highlander... or even might consider a MINIVAN! yeah no cool points for me.

I also have a slight urge to get something with performance. Ill be 44 in less than 2 months and I have never owned any kind of cool performance type car. Never had a mustang or camaro, never owned a BMW or performance Benz, No sports cars of any kind... I do have a slight itch to possibly get a 5.0 mustang or a BMW 335i or something along those lines. So who knows....
 

Cincy_TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2013
Location
Cincy
TDI
Passat SE TDI
Have a 2015 Jetta SEL and after 20k miles have decided MPG is great but the car is cheaply put together. Cannot wait for them to buy it back.

Entire new brake system, 2 new radios, now the home link button setup has fallen off the visor, so many head banging rattles.. Set fire to it as it is out of here..
 

NMRJock

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
TDI
'09 Jetta DSG
We already bought an 2016 AWD Sienna to replace the Jetta (we had twins). But I also have a deposit down on a Tesla Model 3. That's where any buyback money is probably going to end up.
 

phrinda

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2011
Location
Connecticut
TDI
2011 Golf TDI- bought back
If the deal is right and the timing works out, I'll be giving up my golf for the 2017 Alltrack. It's slightly larger than the golf, has AWD, but is essentially the same otherwise. It'll have to be a gasser, but I think it would be a good vehicle for me to have here. Now, that said, there hasn't been much said about these since March. And all that was said in March is that they are coming... Who knows?
 

2015vwgolfdiesel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Location
Oklahoma
TDI
2015 VW Golf S DSG Silver
I am kind of tossed on weather to trade my car in for another VW, or let them fix it.
I purchased my '12 VW TDI Prem w/ Nav brand new and I have 110k miles. I have loved my VW since day one, and my plan was to drive this car into the ground.
If you are trading yours in, what are you hoping to get next?
If you are keeping yours and letting VW fix it, you think it will still perform the same?
Until we know the "FIX" plus generous cash back --- hard to say.

We already KNOW there may NEVER be a "FIX." PERIOD

Even If you want to get a fix, and it takes up to 2 years to get it done, that's no way to live -- in limbo:mad::mad::mad:

Camry, Passat, Corolla, Civic, Nissan ~~ all gassers.

Will miss my DSG:(
 

drshaws

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2000
Location
Ipswich, MA
TDI
2014 JSW TDI 6MT
2016 or 2017 (most likely 2017 at this point) Wrangler Unlimited 6MT.

Willing to gamble on cheap RUG for a couple years. Also have no interest in worrying about HPFP or intercooler moisture issues on our 2014 JSW (having been stranded once due to intercooler icing - an no, I don't see drilling a hole in it is a valid fix).
 

LRTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2002
Location
Red Sox Nation
TDI
RIP 16 GSW... Just the LR diesel now
When my Golf tdi was deemed too small, I ended up with an outback cos no Passat wagon existed. A few years later, just as I was about to jump back in to a GSW tdi, (things change you know), hell freezed over or CARB freeezes sales and I end up with a Honda CRV.....Best mpg so far 38.4
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I'd be tempted by a Jaguar XE diesel. But given how they depreciate it's probably like throwing money away. They've promised a manual transmission, too, although it hasn't appeared on their web site yet.
 

Jimmy Coconuts

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2015
Location
Henderson NV
TDI
2009 JSW, 2010 Jetta, 2011 Q7 Prestige, 2012 A3 Premium, 2013 A3 Premium Plus, 2014 Beetle, 2015 Jetta
2016 or 2017 (most likely 2017 at this point) Wrangler Unlimited 6MT.
I've been considering an Unlimited Rubicon, but have heard of lots of quality control issues. They hold their value extremely well though.
 

n1das

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2002
Location
Nashua, NH, USA
TDI
2014 BMW 535xd ///M-Sport, 2012 BMW X5 Xdrive35d, former 3x TDI owner
I am kind of tossed on weather to trade my car in for another VW, or let them fix it.

I purchased my '12 VW TDI Prem w/ Nav brand new and I have 110k miles. I have loved my VW since day one, and my plan was to drive this car into the ground.

If you are trading yours in, what are you hoping to get next?

If you are keeping yours and letting VW fix it, you think it will still perform the same?
If I had a CR TDI to trade, I would be looking at a Ford F-350 SuperDuty truck w/6.7L PowerStroke Diesel to add to my all-diesel BMW fleet. The diesel pickup truck market has not been threatened at all by the dieselgate scandal and is expanding. I miss the 08 F-350 SuperDuty 6.4L PowerStroke diesel truck I had a couple of years ago. I have no buyer's remorse for getting my BMW diesels but I'm having some seller's remorse for selling the truck. While not my daily driver, that truck was too damn useful for those times when I needed a 4WD pickup truck. I coulda kept it and probably shoulda just kept it. That means I will probably have another one someday. While I can easily justify owning 2 vehicles given the miles I drive, I'm on the fence whether I can justify owning 3 vehicles given I'm the only driver of them.

If I had a CR TDI and wanted to keep it forever, I would not let VW touch it at all and would NOT allow any fix to be done. I DIY all routine maintenance and go to TDI gurus for major stuff. I avoid VW dealer service departments like the plague. My state (NH) does not require any emissions related recalls to be performed in order to renew registration. I would simply keep it and keep driving it. If I still had my 2010 JSW TDI today it would already be well past 200k miles and rapidly closing in on 300k.

If I had a CR TDI and decided to let VW fix it or buy it back, I would hold out as long as possible before letting VW touch it. IIRC, owners will have up to 2 years to decide what to do if they want to participate in a fix or buyback. In my situation, 2 years represents 120k miles of driving. I would try to get as much use out of the car as possible before participating in a fix or buyback. The car won't owe me anything by the time I'm ready to let VW touch it. I won't be worried about resale value and I'll take the $5k and run with it.

Have fun! :)
 
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paul_arc

Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2012
Location
Camarillo, CA
TDI
2012 Golf TDI 6M
I love my 2012 golf TDI with the 6 speed manual. The only thing I don't love about it and reason to have it bought back instead of being fixed is because of the HPFP issue. If that was not a common problem, I would want to keep this car for a long long time.

That being said, I am looking for another diesel either hatch back or wagon which does not have the HPFP issue. I was wanting the bmw 328d xdrive but read someone on here that has one had his HPFP go out at 20 or 30k miles.

I'm mainly looking for mileage which is why I drive this car over my truck and since I tow a small trailer almost every weekend when I go riding then I would like a diesel. Any suggestions on something without a major issue like the HPFP?
 

tophergrace

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Location
Ohio
TDI
Alh
for me i'm a german car guy, mostly vag and If I were to sell my tdi I would get a new a3 sedan. I would get the brown sport seats, white exterior. Do a flash tune and be happy for a while
 

ibsam2005

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2013
Location
Mobile, AL
TDI
2011 Jetta TDI 6M
I wish I could keep my '11 TDI 6mt, but honestly, this thing is built like junk. Rattles, never know if the AC is going to work or not, door locks that sometimes work, sometimes don't. All with just under 90k miles. My old '00 Jetta was going strong at over 200k.

Honestly, I would love to get a Mk4 5m with AC. I would pay $5k for one if it was well maintained, good int/ext, etc. Good mpg, can tow my kayaks easily... Dreams :/

If you think VW is going to give us a "sweet" deal, yall are crazy. I paid $17k w/ 64k miles June of last year. Now, people are giving them away for $11k. I expect for VW to say, at best... value is $13.5, plus we will give you $1500. $2500 if you buy a VW from us.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
ibsam, good MKIVs are out there. And good project cars, too. I'm picking up my '99.5 Golf from the paint shop tomorrow. Because that car is replacing my '12 Golf, which I sold a year ago.
 

Jimmy Coconuts

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2015
Location
Henderson NV
TDI
2009 JSW, 2010 Jetta, 2011 Q7 Prestige, 2012 A3 Premium, 2013 A3 Premium Plus, 2014 Beetle, 2015 Jetta
<========== Holding out for the inevitable #PINKBEETLE DUNE

You know you want one too.
 

WolfsburgGolfTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Location
Cincinnati, OH
TDI
MK VI Golf TDI
I got my 13 Golf last August and I've loved the car so far. I told myself last summer that my next car will be German and it will be diesel after reading that Audi set a new world record for going 1148 miles on a single tank of fuel.
So far only one issue with the intercooler freezing during the winter... dealer couldnt find the problem.
I've always loved VW and the Golf, and given that this was one of the last years it was built in Germany, I don't want to give it up that early. But if there would be a deal from VW (We'll see next week) that would make it stupid not to act upon, then I'd like to get into a Audi A4 Avant/Allroad or a mk7 GTI. I think I'll be a German car guy for life given the handling and qualities that German cars have over American or Asian makes.
 

jhinsc

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2014
Location
Coastal SC
TDI
2014 Passat TDI SEL Premium
Right now, depending on how the numbers work out, I'll likely trade to a 2016 Passat SEL or SEL Premium. I will be looking at fully loaded Sonata Hybrid too. I was thinking I would move to a midsize SUV, but fuel mileage is still important to me, and I still need a big car/big back seat room. Main reason to trade is get the latest safety stuff - lots of crazy driver out there!:eek:
 

Lucsar

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Location
Ontario
TDI
Returned to VW: 2015 Passat Highline DSG EarlyLease Termination
Just wanted to chime in here fellas. I'm from canada, the Toronto area; I got into a 15 Passat tdi SEL( Highline in Canada), and my vehicle is leased. I'm somewhat confused, as I thought from what I've been reading every now and then is that the newer tdi models with the EA288 version diesel isn't as problematic as the older versions. It's basically the cars that don't have ad blue tanks or urea injection that would be the ones receiving compensations with different options such as buy backs, repairs, ect. I was told my car would probably only require a software update only ? Is this correct ? Or does my vehicle fall into the whole damn lot ? I guess I'll find out in 3 days...as for a replacement vehicle , I'm not really sure, I agree that the newer Jetta is put together very cheaply., my compliments to the folks who build the Passats in Chatanooga, Tenn., very well built and solid. Have to wait and see....:confused:
 

gerry100

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Location
NY Capital Region
TDI
2011 Jetta sedan MT
watched Motorweek/Cars.com test of mid size sedans, criteria a little confusing but the Passat was the winner. ( one can check it out on Cars.com site0

We're thinking of moving up a size if the settlement makes it worth while.( now '11 Jetta tdi MT)

I've been thinking Mazda6/MT but I gotta believe a Passat deal will be sweeter ( not sure if MT available).
 

Rico567

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Location
Central IL
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
<snip> It's basically the cars that don't have ad blue tanks or urea injection that would be the ones receiving compensations with different options such as buy backs, repairs, ect. I was told my car would probably only require a software update only ? Is this correct ? Or does my vehicle fall into the whole damn lot ?<snip>
As far as anyone knows, you're in the mix. As to how far, or what the outcome is going to be for each model / model year, no one knows yet. It's quite likely we will know more on Tuesday. For Canada, YMMV......
 
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