Drove a 3L lupo TDI Last Week!

[Jtwizard]

Just got back from a trip to Germany. While I was there I had a chance to drive a Lupo 3L (TDI). The way that the gearbox operated took a little bit to get used to. But, once I did, it was pretty nice to drive. It was faster than I expected. The suspension was also very firm. My colleagues tell me that it is relatively expensive to comparable cars, but hey, its a TDI! I think that it would make a good "city" car, but I would leave the bahn burning to something else (like the Audi 2.5L / 6 speed TDI I drove a couple months ago).

Jeff

'00 Jetta GLS TDI 5 spd

 

[Eolair]

Of course, it´s a good city car, but you´d have to drive it on long runs to even get close to break even from a financial viewpoint.

 

[Jtwizard]

I am sure that is true. Our rental E-class sedan was certainly a better highway car!


- Jeff

 

[Diesel-Bear]

I'm not to sure about those long runs in order to break even. A 3L ought to bring a very good 2nd hand price when You decide to sell.

As a curious detail, I would like to mention, that the 3L is heavily subsidiced in Denmark. The goverment decided to put their money behind their enviromental salestalk, and that have lowered the price by 25-30 percent. Not bad, ehh?

In fact the conventional 75 Hp TDI (with no Xtras what so ever) is advertized at 187.000 Dkr, and the 3L incl tiptronic and the ultralight design is sold at 170.000. Dkr. So all thoungh You may find an ordinary 1.4 TDI on the sales lot. People ques for up to one year for the 3L. (And we used to laugh at deliverytime in eastern Europe, before the fall of the wall...)

The oficial exchangerate Dkr to $ is 838.52 Dkr to 100 US $. So in fact we in Denmark probably pay appr. twice the price in Ireland, Belgium or US.

Despite of this, the 3L is a major hit! It combines some of the things, women Usualy looks for in a cars:

- It sends a positive signal: "I'm enviroment friendly".
- It has a size that is easy to park and twist around corners in the city.
- It is safe.
- It's "cute".
- Last (but not least): Hubby likes it, as he thinks it will either last (Galvanic protection) or bring a good resale value.

[ April 13, 2001: Message edited by: Diesel-Bear ]

 

[Eolair]

I think it depends on the country when it breaks even. SInce the 3L is not that much subsizidized (you get tax reduction for 3L cars here) it has a tough competition from the regular TDI Lupo. Beside that, small diesels don´t sell too well here.