Buyback vs. Keep & Fix - A few 11th hour questions

myxomop

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Location
Ithaca, NY
TDI
2011 Jetta SportWagen TDI (Charcoal)
Hi TDIClub,

I write you from the Ithaca VW dealership where my ~112,000 mi. 2011 Jetta Sportwagen is getting a much needed oil change. It runs as well today as when I bought it almost four years ago. Recent check engine light came up as a P2015 (Intake Manifold Runner Position Sensor/Switch Circuit Range/Performance Bank 1) which mister brooks brothers shirt at the front desk here said is common and caused by carbon build-up on the sensor and generally not a big, urgent deal. It's a $60 part on Rock Auto, last I checked. Point being, the car is in great shape with no major mechanical issues.

My question is how to gauge the value of turning this still fully functioning vehicle in for what this calculator says will be roughly $18,797, versus the keep and fix payout amount of $5,616.73 according to my official offer letter ($5,622 according to the agrahamg calc). Autotrader shows many 2011-2014 SportWagen TDIs with under 60,000 miles going for $10,000 to $15,000. I'm not sure what the differences were between 2011 and 2014 other than changing the ignition to push-button (yuck), but I'm guessing it isn't much based on the look of the interior and the lack of a stark difference in pricing between the model years.

So in short...:

If I gave my car back to VW and got $18,500-ish in exchange, and picked up a newer, less dinged up, lower mileage equivalent for $12,500 or so, leaving $6,000 in my pocket afterwards, would this not be objectively better than getting $5,600 from VW to keep my current vehicle?

Many thanks in advance,

-Danny
 
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251

TDI Owner/Operator
Joined
May 11, 2002
Location
NW IN
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
You'd be better off getting a 2015 if you choose the buyback/replacement route. Yes, a 2015 costs more but should also have even less miles than 2011-2014's have. Don't forget that a CPO 2015 from a VW dealer has a very good warranty - up to 160K miles! A fixed TDI will have a warranty as well but coverage is limited and only good for about 40K miles or so from what I understand.

Make up your mind soon if doing a buyback - ALL paperwork needs to be submitted by end of August 2018 but you can turn your car in late as December 2018. So check out the 2015 CPO TDI's in your area and see how the numbers work out so you can make a better informed decision. Good luck!
 

myxomop

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Location
Ithaca, NY
TDI
2011 Jetta SportWagen TDI (Charcoal)
You'd be better off getting a 2015 if you choose the buyback/replacement route. Yes, a 2015 costs more but should also have even less miles than 2011-2014's have. Don't forget that a CPO 2015 from a VW dealer has a very good warranty - up to 160K miles! A fixed TDI will have a warranty as well but coverage is limited and only good for about 40K miles or so from what I understand.

Make up your mind soon if doing a buyback - ALL paperwork needs to be submitted by end of August 2018 but you can turn your car in late as December 2018. So check out the 2015 CPO TDI's in your area and see how the numbers work out so you can make a better informed decision. Good luck!
I'm trying to have money in the bank when all is said and done. Not finding too many 2015s with my trim level (sunroof, leather, heated seats, etc.) which will allow me to do that. Most are listed on AutoTrader at or above my 2011's replacement value. Dealership man said that the engine on a fixed TDI would get a ton of warranty coverage, something to the tune of 100,000 miles. He referenced someone who'd been in recently for a fix with 180,000 on the odometer, now covered clear through to 280,000 (again, engine and diesel related issues only). Side note: the lower ground clearance on the 2015 does not appeal to me. On the contrary, I'm looking into lift kits as one of the ways of treating myself with all the spare $$$ post-replacement. Still, food for thought.

What, other than the possibly better warranty (which I can find no evidence for!), would you all list among the chief benefits of getting a 2015 over another Jetta SW?
 
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Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg

myxomop

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Location
Ithaca, NY
TDI
2011 Jetta SportWagen TDI (Charcoal)

AronS

Active member
Joined
Jul 2, 2017
Location
Bovey, MN
TDI
2014 Jetta TDI Sedan Premium 6 Speed Manual
I kept my 2014 Jetta and had the fix because, like you mentioned, I couldn’t find another TDI that had the same features as my current car with comparable mileage and save more money than doing the fix. Also, I would have paid money and time in traveling to get a similar or better car. That $5,600 or so from the fix comes with the least amount of hassle. Even if you were to get an extra few hundred buck from getting a newer model and lucky enough to find one near you, that money would most likely be absorbed by higher insurance costs. To me, the money alone isn’t worth it, and I’ve been happy with my “fixed” car. That said, your car is older than mine with more miles, and I’m not sure how the fix will impact your car’s performance. If your car’s performance would be altered too much, or you think it’s worth the extra money to get a 2015 with fewer miles, then you should go for the buyback.
 

myxomop

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Location
Ithaca, NY
TDI
2011 Jetta SportWagen TDI (Charcoal)
That said, your car is older than mine with more miles
That is the primary motivating factor. Looks like I can get anywhere from the same model year to a 2015 with as much as 75,000 fewer miles on it for an even trade or less $$$.
 

myxomop

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Location
Ithaca, NY
TDI
2011 Jetta SportWagen TDI (Charcoal)
That is the primary motivating factor. Looks like I can get anywhere from the same model year to a 2015 with as much as 75,000 fewer miles on it for an even trade or less $$$.
I've been keeping an eye on the CPOs as well, but I cannot increase the zip code radius on that page beyond 250mi, and searching using other zip codes is tedious. What, would you say, are the major benefits of CPO vs non-CPO? What about VW dealerships selling non-CPO vehicles?
 

AronS

Active member
Joined
Jul 2, 2017
Location
Bovey, MN
TDI
2014 Jetta TDI Sedan Premium 6 Speed Manual
That is the primary motivating factor. Looks like I can get anywhere from the same model year to a 2015 with as much as 75,000 fewer miles on it for an even trade or less $$$.

That may be true, but the point of my first post was that not always an "objectively better" decision, as you asked for--at least financially. For a new car, you pay more in insurance, taxes, registration, depreciation etc. Even if you get more money out the door from doing a trade in versus doing the fix, the latter choice often means more money in your pocket when it is all said and done, even considering the age, mileage, and maintenance costs of your current TDI. And, I haven't even mentioned the value of you time. There are excellent reasons to do the buyback (disappointing performance from the fix, for example, although that isn't true in my case), but doing it only because you think you'll get a few extra bucks is usually not one of them. Unlike the buyback, the fix guarantees you free money and is, by far, the less time consuming option.
 
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Organdonor

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Location
New London, CT
TDI
2011 Sedan 6MT
Something to keep in mind, I had the fix done to my 11 Jetta sedan, and it has not been the same car since. There is a bunch of lagging on decel, and it's not getting the same mileage.

Even after having the fix done, I'm going to take the buy back option.
 

GoFaster

Moderator at Large
Joined
Jun 16, 1999
Location
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
Something to keep in mind, I had the fix done to my 11 Jetta sedan, and it has not been the same car since. There is a bunch of lagging on decel, and it's not getting the same mileage.

Even after having the fix done, I'm going to take the buy back option.
You can't ... it was one or the other. Once you committed to having the fix, buyback is absolutely off the table. And this has been known since pretty much day one.

You can, of course, simply sell or trade in the car just like any other.
 

Galo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Location
Beaverton, OR
TDI
2010 Jetta 6mt, Malone Stage I, Goals
Something to keep in mind, I had the fix done to my 11 Jetta sedan, and it has not been the same car since. There is a bunch of lagging on decel, and it's not getting the same mileage.

Even after having the fix done, I'm going to take the buy back option.
Donor...before u decide to get rid of the car, please look around for posts from some of us who kept our cars, did the fix, hated it (same reasons as you) and corrected all of the issues (and then some) with a Malone Stage 1 tune.

Yes, you run the risk if something goes wrong with the car that warranty may be denied, but that is very, very unlikely to happen..

Cheers
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
I would be careful of advising someone it is very unlikely to happen. I would think VW will be keeping a careful watch on this myself. What better way to invalidate the warranty and be off the hook financially. At least one person has reported being denied already for a tune that had been on the car before they even bought it and after the fix had been performed.
 
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