Buy a 2011 Dealer Courtesy Car?

[Neilheeney]

Dealer in Dallas has a 2011 Lava Grey A3 TDI Premium Plus with Nav/iPod, sunroof, convenience, and cold weather package that they're using as a courtesy car through July 1. I drove it last week and loved everything about it. The car has a MSRP of approx. $38,500 They offered to sell me the car on July 1 for $30,500. It currently has 2,400 miles so likely that i would be under 5,000 by July 1. Can you help me decide if this is a good deal? I'm wondering if I should wait for the redesigned 2012 (I assume I'll like the styling and that it will be available as a TDI). Any feedback, comments or insight would be appreciated.

 

[tdi90hp]

deal sounds fair. remember that courtesy cars are driven hard usually..( I used to run dealerships)....they are maintained lightly but 5000 miles is not much....the diesel does not get hurt by getting booted around....I would go ahead BUT please make sure they put in writing on the BOS (bill of sale) that they certify that no panel has been damaged or repainted. This is important because you have no idea what they have done with body or repairs....

 

[DieselAudi]

Something doesn't add up...for those options and mileage, $30.5k is way too low...fishy to me.

 

[Oberkanone]

Something doesn't add up...for those options and mileage, $30.5k is way too low...fishy to me.

There are a number of the courtesy cars for sale right now. Most of them have convenience, premium and roof and do not have nav.
The price is good and miles are lower than typical.
Inspect the car thoroughly including the undercarriage (have them put it on a lift so you can see everything) and if your satisfied with the condition then I'd say this is a good purchase.
Waiting to July 1st to purchase would not work for me, I'd worry someone would crash it before then, and summer is the time of highest prices for TDI vehicles.

 

[Neilheeney]

The July 1st date is the date six-months after they've gone in service at the dealer, which, for whatever reason, is the minimum in service time for car at this dealer and maybe others. I asked the dealer today about the pricing and his response to my question was the following;

1. He gave me the impression that this just wasn't just end of "body style pricing" but end of "production pricing" on the A3 Sportback given the upcoming release of the Q3 and A3 Sedan.

2. He said his dealers allotment of the new Q3 and A3 Sedan was partially based upon sales of all 2011 new, courtesy and CPO A3's and hence the pricing.

While I just saw and drove the one Lava Grey one, he told me today that they have a total of 3 identically equipped A3's in their courtesy fleet that they'll be selling July 1. Two Lava Grey and one white, each are premium plus with Nav, sunroof, and convenience.

 

[DieselAudi]

There are a number of the courtesy cars for sale right now. Most of them have convenience, premium and roof and do not have nav.
The price is good and miles are lower than typical.
Inspect the car thoroughly including the undercarriage (have them put it on a lift so you can see everything) and if your satisfied with the condition then I'd say this is a good purchase.
Waiting to July 1st to purchase would not work for me, I'd worry someone would crash it before then, and summer is the time of highest prices for TDI vehicles.

Yeah but he's discussing one that's Premium Plus, Nav/iPod, etc...a 2011 with 5000 miles is not going to be $30k.

 

[Oberkanone]

Yeah but he's discussing one that's Premium Plus, Nav/iPod, etc...a 2011 with 5000 miles is not going to be $30k.

During my evaluation of a purchase last month I negotiated under $30k pricing for same equipment less nav at two different dealers. Both 2011 and miles between 4,600 and 7,200.

A new '11 with cold weather, nav, premium, convenience and roof can be purchased for $35K.
What do you expect to pay for a used one that was a courtesy car? $31 is reasonable, $30,5 is a good price.

 

[dieseldorf]

Any feedback, comments or insight would be appreciated.

Neil, welcome to Fred's!

Will you be buying this as a CPO car or as a new car with the warranty already in force? Or other?

 

[Neilheeney]

Purchase as a new car with warrenty already in force. Is that good or bad?

 

[dieseldorf]

Well, if you get them to sell it as a used car with CPO, you'll have a nice warranty for years to come (out to 6 yrs, 100k miles). Otherwise, the warranty will just expire at the balance of 4 yrs.


Ohh, BTW, does it snow in OK? Are you concerned about lack of Quattro?

 

[Neilheeney]

Have a 2007 A4 S-Line Quattro Convertible right now and would love to have Quattro on the new car but I really want a TDI. It does snow in Oklahoma and I travel a lot so poor weather performance is important but I can't imagine I would feel unsafe in a FWD A3.

 

[DieselAudi]

I'll just say if a dealer is willing to give me a car $8,000 less than its market value, regardless of the "courtesy car" moniker, something's wrong w/ it.

 

[Neilheeney]

So don't make the deal as it's "too good to be true?" if the car looks and drives great, which it does, and I see all (if any) service records, I have 35K of warranty to deal with any possible shortcomings. Really, where's the risk?

 

[Medic92]

The dealer invoice on the car was $34,800 when new. I don't know if they can sell it new with the miles on it. You have 4 yrs / 50,000 miles to find anything that is wrong with it (or longer if you extend the warranty). I would jump on the deal.

 

[dieseldorf]

I was chatting with my Audi salesperson about a week ago and he mentioned in passing that they just put a whole group of '11 vehicles into their for sale inventory. He did say specfically that they'd have the extended warranty out to 6 yrs and the pricing on these cars/SUVs would be very compelling....meaning they would be CPO vehicles, sold as used.

(The cars I've seen have been fully registered/titled meaning they're being sold as used vehicles, not dealer demos/quasi-new.)

 

[Neilheeney]

Update...sold my 2007 A4 Quattro convertible much faster than expected so I couldn't wait until July 1. Put a deposit on a 2011 Meteor Grey Premium Plus with black leather, open sky sunroof and cold weather package today that's also a courtesy car. Got most of what i wanted but not everything. Hope to pick up next week in Lexington.