2003 Jetta Wagon 75k Miles.. How Much?

[protalis]

Hi. I am a writer, and have had this '03 TDI Jetta Wagon (ALH) GLS Dark Green Exterior/Black Leather Interior for a while. I used it for long trips, etc., but not that much as you can tell it only has 75k original miles on it. Car was serviced by Jason/Madison-WI, with robo-bottom plate and upgraded stereo (have original).. and prof rustproofed by Krown, so underside is virtually free of rust and car is otherwise stock.

I was thinking about selling.. any idea what I should ask/get for the car?

 

[STDOUBT]

Manual or Auto?
If manual, I'm sure there's some fancy boy out there who'd pay up to 7k maybe more.
Has the timing belt ever been changed? Because it's a bout due lol.

 

[protalis]

Manual or Auto?
If manual, I'm sure there's some fancy boy out there who'd pay up to 7k maybe more.
Has the timing belt ever been changed? Because it's a bout due lol.

Hi. Thank you for following up. It's an automatic, 1M. Timing belt was changed at 70k.

 

[jmodge]

Probably about $1500

 

[jmodge]

Delivered

 

[shoebear]

There are many great things about your car -- 2003 model year, low miles, wagon, recent timing belt change, leather interior (probably with heated seats), etc. The main disadvantage is the automatic transmission. If you were to convert it to manual, I agree with STDOUBT that it would be worth $5-7K -- and it would have the advantage of retaining the automatic's 11mm injection pump instead of the standard manual 10mm pump. But I don't know what ii is worth as is. I would only buy it to convert it, and I don't have time or space for that.

A person who would buy your car as is would probably not be a TDI enthusiast, but just an average person looking for a used car. Maybe consult NADA or Blue Book for value?

 

[protalis]

There are many great things about your car -- 2003 model year, low miles, wagon, recent timing belt change, leather interior (probably with heated seats), etc. The main disadvantage is the automatic transmission. If you were to convert it to manual, I agree with STDOUBT that it would be worth $5-7K -- and it would have the advantage of retaining the automatic's 11mm injection pump instead of the standard manual 10mm pump. But I don't know what ii is worth as is. I would only buy it to convert it, and I don't have time or space for that.

A person who would buy your car as is would probably not be a TDI enthusiast, but just an average person looking for a used car. Maybe consult NADA or Blue Book for value?

very thoughtful reply, thank you. I appreciate your insights. I was thinking the '03 ALH would be in demand, but sounds like it's more a specialty item with limited market even amongst TDI enthusiasts. I will let this run for a week or so to see what other thoughts people have, and then let you all know where I end up.

I respect the knowledge in this forum and value all your insights.. even sarcastic ones! :-O Thank you.. keep 'em coming.

 

[shoebear]

very thoughtful reply, thank you. I appreciate your insights. I was thinking the '03 ALH would be in demand, but sounds like it's more a specialty item with limited market even amongst TDI enthusiasts.

Among those who know these cars, your car with a standard transmission would hit all the marks to be highly desired. It's just that the automatic transmission has a relatively short life, is expensive to repair, and hurts mileage compared to the manual -- so it's a fatal flaw.

It is a 20 year old car, so there are relatively few of us out there that know how great these cars are and how 2003 was a sweet spot in design and injection system. If I had time and space, I would definitely be interested in getting your car and converting it to manual. You might have luck marketing to the enthusiasts as a perfect conversion car. Still, I think the automatic takes thousands off the price you can get.

You have a unique car for sale, and if you're patient and seek out the right buyers, you may find that perfect buyer who has an extra manual transmission lying around and the time and expertise to convert it. You might reach out to vendors on this site.

 

[P2B]

That 01m probably has another 75k in it before it becomes a truly fatal flaw, so rust free and with a recent TB it should still go for ~4k IMHO.

 

[Genesis]

My daughter has my '03 with a stick in it; its her daily. It has a LOT more miles on it than your does and has never been kept in a salted-road environment and has zero corrosion issues despite being 20 years old. The interior and such is worn as you'd expect at that age and with significant use. But.... it's a stick and that's significant. If the transmission is working properly now (no flaring, harsh shifts, etc.) it will probably run for quite a while, but part of the reason the stick vehicles are so desirable to those who know what they are, beyond the "nothing seriously time-keyed to blow up in your face in a disastrously expensive way with reasonable maintenance", is that there is quite a serious difference in fuel economy between the two; the automatic loses, badly, in these vehicles in that regard.

 

[super1]

Hi. I am a writer, and have had this '03 TDI Jetta Wagon (ALH) GLS Dark Green Exterior/Black Leather Interior for a while. I used it for long trips, etc., but not that much as you can tell it only has 75k original miles on it. Car was serviced by Jason/Madison-WI, with robo-bottom plate and upgraded stereo (have original).. and prof rustproofed by Krown, so underside is virtually free of rust and car is otherwise stock.

I was thinking about selling.. any idea what I should ask/get for the car?

I’m interested
Can you send me some photos of it?

 

[Shoveltrev]

hell im interested too. would love to see some pics of it

 

[Prairieview]

He only writes....no photos..........

 

[turbodieseldyke]

1 picture = 1000 words, so he gave you 0.09 pictures.

 

[PakProtector]

I got one swap done. A southern, one owner car. I would do it again...and probably even for a wagon. Wagon is a bit in the super specialty list. It is a TDI nut/lunatic that will deal with the handling hit of the heavier wagon, but needs haul space and that it is a manual TDI. So...who knows exactly; the $4k guess seems legit; I would probably offer that if acquiring it was not too far away.

Douglas

 

[red16vdub]

Pics pics pics.
VW mk4 wagons definitely command a premium price. Yes automatic transmissions are a negative, but at 75k there shouldn’t be any issues. IMO the wagons that are more desirable are manual non sunroof units.