If you are considering buyback which cars are you looking at as replacements?

[ATR]

im looking at another 00-04 jetta tdi.. or maybe a v10 tdi touraeg.. or a 05-06 jeep liberty crd, or 07-08 grand cherokee crd

I'd stick with the 00-07 jetta if you want reliable. I'd side with the mk5 jetta to be honest.

The jeeps you listed have numerous issues. That v10 tdi mostly reliable but when something breaks things get VERY expensive.

 

[jims2321]

Probably going the route of CPO BMW 328d. seen a couple of them for around 26K with BMW CPO warranty and under 45K miles. Color is not important, and I will probably pay the balance off in a few years. Then it goes to my youngest, when he graduates high school for college.

 

[jjk58]

Salesperson I talked with seemed sure that end of year deals will be better than what is offered with buyback. .

I spoke with a boston area dealer today that called me about a truecar price query that I had made. He said that they have no info from vw about what may happen for incentives. He also stated that VW in general is being secretive wrt upcoming deals. (I find that typical for car dealers anyway)

 

[dropnosky]

Next generation wrangler might be offered with the 6cyl diesel. I would be very tempted. Unlikely it would be mated to a manual unfortunately though

 

[yadent]

Probably going the route of CPO BMW 328d.

Also looking at a CPO BMW 328d but with xDrive. Winters in N Nevada would make it very practical for me and the wife along with the vehicle's highway mpg for the monthly trek to SoCal.

 

[turbobrick240]

I love everything about the 328d besides the price tag and lack of manual or even dual clutch trans.

 

[ATR]

I love everything about the 328d besides the price tag and lack of manual or even dual clutch trans.

The auto transmissions that BMW uses seem quite good from what I've found. Probably the best slush boxes out there. Sure it's not as fast as a dsg, but the ones I tested responded exactly how I needed it to.

 

[MichaelB]

Of course you think you know it all. Know-it-alls always do.

I guess I'm not a "true TDI lover" if this emissions issue makes me think this car has too much risk and I'll begrudgingly CONSIDER (which is in the title of the thread) taking the exit. All of this is more work I didn't want to do.

I like the TDI. I had hoped to do something crazy like building a dune buggy out of the powertrain one day when the rest of the car had died. Depending on the fix, I might still keep the car.

To quote Ygritte... you know nothing.

Well look who's talkin' the guy bashin' know it alls who knows it all and quotes Ygritte a fake game and movie character.

 

[Fixmy59bug]

Oh my god Michael, I have never been so tired of someones crap after just 3 posts. Congratulations, you just set a new record.

Thank god TDIClub has an ignore feature.

I'm like you. Cars are things that people need to have. The buy back is just a money grab to move on to a different car and they now have the opportunity to do so.

I am not using the buyback as a "money grab". I am seeing it as an opportunity to get a new identical car for exactly what I owe on my older car. Someone would have to be a halfwit not to take someone up on the offer of trading their 3 year old car with 60k miles for no increase in payment or term length.

And they will just get under another car payment. You probably could have bought the Jeep without buying the VW. I see it as a bunch of opportunists not somebody that really wanted a TDI in the first place. How many were harmed by VW deceit as i said it is just a money grab. They did not like their VW anyway. Well wait till they buy the next car they don't like after owning it for a while. I'll bet there will not be a buy back on that one including your new Jeep.

Wow... I think you truly may be the halfwit I just spoke of. Not everyone who gets out from under their car payment immediately gets back into one. Remember my options? Obviously you (sorta) do because you commented on it.

If I buy a Jeep Wrangler for $5k-$8k I would not have a car payment. I would own it outright. And speaking of the Jeep, it should be BLATANTLY obvious that a $5k-$8k Jeep would not be subject to a buyback from Jeep because it would be approximately 10-15 years old....

So to say anyone who takes the buyback is an "opportunist who never really wanted their TDI in the first place" is just asinine. I have been driving diesels for about 10 years now, the last 6 of which were with Vw. I had an 09 Jetta TDI that I traded in to get the Passat. If I really didn't want a TDI in the first place, why did I get the Passat after having the Jetta for 3 years? You would think I figured out by then that I didn't really want a TDI and would have gone back to a gasser. No, I really do like my TDI's

Well look who's talkin' the guy bashin' know it alls who knows it all and quotes Ygritte a fake game and movie character.

So now we're not allowed to use a quote unless it came from a real life person?

 

[zoomydu]

Well look who's talkin' the guy bashin' know it alls who knows it all and quotes Ygritte a fake game and movie character.

Oh, the irony...at least he almost certainly knows that the character is from a novel and cable TV drama.

 

[St.Hubbins]

The auto transmissions that BMW uses seem quite good from what I've found. Probably the best slush boxes out there. Sure it's not as fast as a dsg, but the ones I tested responded exactly how I needed it to.

would love to hear more about the differences in these two trannys - did you find any lag/hesitation off the line as found in the untuned dsg?

 

[deuxdiesel]

We just drove a Mazda 3 hatchback with a manual transmission and the 2.0 engine yesterday. It might be a worthy replacement for our Golf. It drove very well, and even though it does not have quite the same punch off the line as the TDI, it is a much more flexible engine. It is also rated at 40 MPG on the highway. It lacks the fog lights, alloy wheels and heated seats of our Golf, but for $17,500 (we are getting $19,500 for the Golf), it is really tempting.

 

[da_jokker]

We just drove a Mazda 3 hatchback with a manual transmission and the 2.0 engine yesterday. It might be a worthy replacement for our Golf. It drove very well, and even though it does not have quite the same punch off the line as the TDI, it is a much more flexible engine. It is also rated at 40 MPG on the highway. It lacks the fog lights, alloy wheels and heated seats of our Golf, but for $17,500 (we are getting $19,500 for the Golf), it is really tempting.

Do not buy the 2.0. Buy the 2.5 ... you won't regret the larger engine. It gets almost as much as the smaller engine but with 30 more horsepower. Plus there are several differences when you go into the 2.5 Arena. The 2017 are coming in the next couple of months and there are huge changes.

Just some of those differences: made in Japan, different dash gauges, larger brakes, paddle shifters and more. The "S" trim line is their flagship M3. The 2.0 is their budget car and you can tell.

If you want to see what's up coming check out the Mazda Australian website. They just released it in English

 

[bring]

would love to hear more about the differences in these two trannys - did you find any lag/hesitation off the line as found in the untuned dsg?

I had an '01 325xi for 15 years before trading it in last year for my TDI. The auto trans on the BMW shifts like a DSG in "S" mode without the hesitation off the line.

I'm thinking the DSG hesitation off the line on our TDIs has more to do with the emissions cheat software than the transmission. I bet GTIs or GLIs with a DSG have no hesitation off the line.

 

[MaddogTDI]

I drove a GTI today. Thought I might be able to delete that one from my list. No way. I loved it. The steering and turn in, and handling felt so good, especially compared to my current Passat, which tends to wallow over bumps. .

I test drove a GTI w/ Performance Package a few weeks back. Prior to driving it, I was sure it was the car I was going to go with when I turned in my TDI. But truthfully, I was disappointed.

The beauty of the TDI is that it has gobs and gobs of usable torque at low RPMs. Exhilaration comes without drawing attention to yourself and acting like a hormonal young kid.

But I found the GTI to actually be quite boring to drive unless you wind it out into the high rev zone. Then it is incredible for a 4 door family car with great utility. I'm too old to do that with my daily driver. I want to be engaged by my car at normal speeds without risking a ticket.

Bottom line: After the test drive, what I had previously considered my #1 post TDI option, dropped completely off the list.

 

[gatz]

I test drove a GTI w/ Performance Package a few weeks back. Prior to driving it, I was sure it was the car I was going to go with when I turned in my TDI. But truthfully, I was disappointed.

Isn't this just a complaint about gas engine dynamics? What kind of cars are at the top of your list now then?

I see alot of people talking about the BMW diesels but holy cow are they expensive. Really in my mind they're not even comparable to the VW's just based on the price point.

 

[iwegian]

We have decided that VW has lied to us too often and will take the buyback although we felt the Sportwagen would be impossible to replace. We love the diesel torque and the room and just everything about the car. We just don't trust VW anymore. They lied to us about the gasoline in fuel (NTSB test proved that wrong) and made us pay for an HPFP failure. That failed immediately again due to them replacing it incorrectly. I worshipped VW for years....bugs with flowers, microbuses. I drove a lot in Europe and fell in love with European cars, especially diesels. (I grew up on a farm and have been around diesel for half a century) But we found something that gives us that same low end torque with a low rumble growl. So far it has 300 miles on it and is averaging 41.6 in combined driving though not deep traffic jams yet. If you ride in this car and don't know what engine it has you would think diesel from the sound and the low end torque. Manual 6 speed, off turns in 4th at 1200 rpm it will growl up to speed quicker than the TDI till about 2000 RPM where it would fall behind by quite a bit. But it gives us pleasure and will fill the hole in our hearts for the TDI. It is a 2015 Ford Focus with the SFE package which is a 1.0 liter Ecoboost. I am shocked too. I will watch VW and see if they show any sign of the corporate managers having learned any kind of lesson. I doubt it will happen but would love to get another TDI someday.

 

[TDI_Dad]

I just parked my '10 Jetta tdi with 199,930 miles on it. It needs tires, 40k mile DSG service along with all the other crap, plus the A/C compressor's valve needs replacing, again... I will get $10,475 for it.

Instead of spending $1,500 on tires & service. I bought a 2016 Honda Accord, sedan, 4 cylinder w/CVT, EX-L with Navi & Honda Sensing. I know I'm losing a fun, sporty driving car for a larger more comfortable less sporty car. But, I love it! Quiet ride, cheap maintenance, good mileage No more $90 oil changes or $350 DSG service or timing belts!

I loved my Jetta, but the maintenance costs are ridiculous.

 

[ZippyNH]

I just parked my '10 Jetta tdi with 199,930 miles on it. It needs tires, 40k mile DSG service along with all the other crap, plus the A/C compressor's valve needs replacing, again... I will get $10,475 for it.

Instead of spending $1,500 on tires & service. I bought a 2016 Honda Accord, sedan, 4 cylinder w/CVT, EX-L with Navi & Honda Sensing. I know I'm losing a fun, sporty driving car for a larger more comfortable less sporty car. But, I love it! Quiet ride, cheap maintenance, good mileage No more $90 oil changes or $350 DSG service or timing belts!

I loved my Jetta, but the maintenance costs are ridiculous.

I know what you are saying....but $1500 us what, 3 maybe 4 car payments to keep driving a car with (now) zero value loss if you kept using it for the next 18 months?...
Sure you would have missed the "end of the year sales THIS year, but next year would still be there....sure the risk of higher interest rates if you finance....and some folks are just "done with VW", NOTHING wrong with that...it's like love...when it's gone it's gone...
I figure most cars are going to cost about that $1000-1500 per year is basic extra $$ items you listed....so to get another year or more you would have broken even at worst.
But I get the new car thing...I have a 15 and it makes me wonder if I should fix, or move sideways to a similar used car, or slightly up to a new one....guess I will choose at some point.

 

[bubbagumpshrimp]

Isn't this just a complaint about gas engine dynamics? What kind of cars are at the top of your list now then?
I see alot of people talking about the BMW diesels but holy cow are they expensive. Really in my mind they're not even comparable to the VW's just based on the price point.

They aren't comparable. At the end of the day...Volkswagen marketed these cars to people that could afford something nicer, but might opt to settle on a VW. ex. Myself. Though I was a previous VW owner...budget wise...I cleared myself to spend up to $35k on a new car. I drove my TDI and said "that'll do..." and didn't drive anything else.

I'm in the same boat as you...I have difficulty processing spending that kind of money on a car. That's why I settled for what I did. However, if you're one of the people that are similar to me and opted to save a chunk of money because a VW TDI was "good enough" for you...but now you want a nice car...I get why they'd step-up to a BMW or Mercedes (new or used).

 

[St.Hubbins]

I had an '01 325xi for 15 years before trading it in last year for my TDI. The auto trans on the BMW shifts like a DSG in "S" mode without the hesitation off the line.
I'm thinking the DSG hesitation off the line on our TDIs has more to do with the emissions cheat software than the transmission. I bet GTIs or GLIs with a DSG have no hesitation off the line.

that makes some sense - by all accounts a DSG tune eliminates said hesitation

We have decided that VW has lied to us too often and will take the buyback although we felt the Sportwagen would be impossible to replace. We love the diesel torque and the room and just everything about the car. We just don't trust VW anymore. They lied to us about the gasoline in fuel (NTSB test proved that wrong) and made us pay for an HPFP failure. That failed immediately again due to them replacing it incorrectly. I worshipped VW for years....bugs with flowers, microbuses. I drove a lot in Europe and fell in love with European cars, especially diesels. (I grew up on a farm and have been around diesel for half a century) But we found something that gives us that same low end torque with a low rumble growl. So far it has 300 miles on it and is averaging 41.6 in combined driving though not deep traffic jams yet. If you ride in this car and don't know what engine it has you would think diesel from the sound and the low end torque. Manual 6 speed, off turns in 4th at 1200 rpm it will growl up to speed quicker than the TDI till about 2000 RPM where it would fall behind by quite a bit. But it gives us pleasure and will fill the hole in our hearts for the TDI. It is a 2015 Ford Focus with the SFE package which is a 1.0 liter Ecoboost. I am shocked too. I will watch VW and see if they show any sign of the corporate managers having learned any kind of lesson. I doubt it will happen but would love to get another TDI someday.

man, i think any reasonable person with that experience would ditch VW - what a bummer!
and you're not the first to sing the praises of the Focus - sounds like a pretty decent automobile.

 

[MaddogTDI]

Isn't this just a complaint about gas engine dynamics? What kind of cars are at the top of your list now then?
I see alot of people talking about the BMW diesels but holy cow are they expensive. Really in my mind they're not even comparable to the VW's just based on the price point.

I agree it definitely has to do with gas engine dynamics, but it felt particularly exacerbated in the GTI. I think that's for at least a couple of reasons including: a ton of turbo lag low in the rev range, high expectations (mine) on off the line dynamics, it's set up to be a "hot hatch" so just tooling around on the daily commute isn't much fun, it weighs a ton...

When I finally felt like I was having fun in the GTI, I looked down at the speedometer and I was doing 50 in a 30 mph zone...
In addition, it felt very contrived. Which was topped off by the electronically pumped in engine noise!

It's very refined... beautiful car... but not fun at "around town" speeds.

I actually drove a Mazda MX-5 the same day. Completely the opposite experience. I expected not to like it much. But it had a naturally aspirated, extremely quick revving engine with a good long, flat torque curve that kicks in early and sticks around though the 6500 rpm mark. It is extremely engaging at any speed.

When both my wife and I felt I was going too fast, I looked down at the speedometer and I was going under 35 in a 35 mph zone!
Huge fun... limited ticket potential... trackable out of the shop and huge modification potential (if that's what you're into)... BUT... no backseat and absolutely minimal storage.

 

[Itzed]

I test drove a GTI w/ Performance Package a few weeks back. Prior to driving it, I was sure it was the car I was going to go with when I turned in my TDI. But truthfully, I was disappointed.

The beauty of the TDI is that it has gobs and gobs of usable torque at low RPMs. Exhilaration comes without drawing attention to yourself and acting like a hormonal young kid.

But I found the GTI to actually be quite boring to drive unless you wind it out into the high rev zone. Then it is incredible for a 4 door family car with great utility. I'm too old to do that with my daily driver. I want to be engaged by my car at normal speeds without risking a ticket.

Bottom line: After the test drive, what I had previously considered my #1 post TDI option, dropped completely off the list.

But for me it's a lot more about handling than acceleration or speed. The GTI just handles and steers so well. I don't need to floor it from a stop or even exceed the speed limit to enjoy that.

 

[gatz]

In addition, it felt very contrived. Which was topped off by the electronically pumped in engine noise!

Yea that soundaktor is ridiculous, but they are putting that in every brand these days -- it's pure marketing wank. You can disable it. Reminds me of when you go to an electronics store and all the TV's have their color vibrance set way too high so as not to look "dull" compared to other sets. Did you see this Acura NSX test drive that was just posted by Engineering Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sC1cPSogD4. How it goes from loud as $*%& to quiet with a button press.

In my mind the MX5 is nice but as a second car, not a daily driver. Its just not practical enough. Also yea, its engine is slower and its a convertible so its not going to feel as civilized.

 

[ATR]

would love to hear more about the differences in these two trannys - did you find any lag/hesitation off the line as found in the untuned dsg?

No lag really... I'd suggest a test drive to see how you like it

I agree it definitely has to do with gas engine dynamics, but it felt particularly exacerbated in the GTI. I think that's for at least a couple of reasons including: a ton of turbo lag low in the rev range, high expectations (mine) on off the line dynamics, it's set up to be a "hot hatch" so just tooling around on the daily commute isn't much fun, it weighs a ton...
When I finally felt like I was having fun in the GTI, I looked down at the speedometer and I was doing 50 in a 30 mph zone...
In addition, it felt very contrived. Which was topped off by the electronically pumped in engine noise!
It's very refined... beautiful car... but not fun at "around town" speeds.
I actually drove a Mazda MX-5 the same day. Completely the opposite experience. I expected not to like it much. But it had a naturally aspirated, extremely quick revving engine with a good long, flat torque curve that kicks in early and sticks around though the 6500 rpm mark. It is extremely engaging at any speed.
When both my wife and I felt I was going too fast, I looked down at the speedometer and I was going under 35 in a 35 mph zone!
Huge fun... limited ticket potential... trackable out of the shop and huge modification potential (if that's what you're into)... BUT... no backseat and absolutely minimal storage.

My biggest problem with the mx5 is lack of legroom. I think the new mx5 has less legroom and headroom than the s2000.

 

[faultymechanics]

No lag really... I'd suggest a test drive to see how you like it


My biggest problem with the mx5 is lack of legroom. I think the new mx5 has less legroom and headroom than the s2000.

I know people who are 6'4" who fit in the ND. They are excellent roadsters.

Very excited to be getting one myself once I get my Buyback check! My GF has an SUV so I get a roadster

 

[MaddogTDI]

But for me it's a lot more about handling than acceleration or speed. The GTI just handles and steers so well. I don't need to floor it from a stop or even exceed the speed limit to enjoy that.

Agreed... the GTI is an amazing vehicle. It is probably one of the best handling front drive, practical cars on the planet if not THE best. It's just that you don't reach that threshold of fun handling until you're over the speed limit. There are many, much better handling cars (i.e., rear drive, lighter, better balanced). But none that combine that handling with the utility, comfort, and refinement of the GTI.

My biggest problem with the mx5 is lack of legroom. I think the new mx5 has less legroom and headroom than the s2000.

Yeah... It's not big. I'm certainly not saying it's for everyone, but the new generation MX-5 (ND 2016+) has more leg room and headroom than previous generations. I'm 6'2" and fit with more than enough leg room (I keep the seat one notch closer than all the way back) and about an inch of head room (although the soft top is almost never up).
MX-5 is not a logical direct substitute for my Golf, but given my situation (older kids, a third and fourth car in the family if needed) it should work fine for my situation.

 

[MaddogTDI]

I know people who are 6'4" who fit in the ND. They are excellent roadsters.
Very excited to be getting one myself once I get my Buyback check! My GF has an SUV so I get a roadster

You will absolutely love it!

If you're waiting for the buyback to purchase, the RF version should be close to available. I love the soft top, but the RF provides a really interesting option for you!

Either way, enjoy the drive!

 

[cmarcho]

We have a 2013 Passat TDI SEL, and it's the primary car for my wife. She really liked the car a lot until all this mess happened. We have just shy of 60,000 miles on it and it's starting to have all kinds of little issues pop up now, too. Front marker light has a short, we have to hit the fender to get it to come on and make the dash warning go away. About 80% of the time, the A/C will not work for about the first five or ten minutes of driving. When it's over 100 degrees outside this really sucks. Garage door opener button on visor broke. The main thing is the emissions issue has really made my wife angry with VW and does not want to support the brand any longer. They can't buy this car back fast enough for us. I was going to wait until the buy back to get a replacement but this weekend, we ran across an excellent deal on a '15 Cadillac ATS that has certified warranty and only had 400 miles on it. It's the premium model with every upgrade and it pretty nice. So we have now parked the TDI until the buyback and wife is happy with the ATS. We were also looking at BMW 355i Convertibles as well, but the deal on the ATS was too good to pass up.

 

[ATR]

I know people who are 6'4" who fit in the ND. They are excellent roadsters.

Very excited to be getting one myself once I get my Buyback check! My GF has an SUV so I get a roadster

Oh, I can technically fit in a ND MX-5. I'm 6'4" as well... The problem is it's not a comfortable fit

Agreed... the GTI is an amazing vehicle. It is probably one of the best handling front drive, practical cars on the planet if not THE best. It's just that you don't reach that threshold of fun handling until you're over the speed limit. There are many, much better handling cars (i.e., rear drive, lighter, better balanced). But none that combine that handling with the utility, comfort, and refinement of the GTI.

Yeah... It's not big. I'm certainly not saying it's for everyone, but the new generation MX-5 (ND 2016+) has more leg room and headroom than previous generations. I'm 6'2" and fit with more than enough leg room (I keep the seat one notch closer than all the way back) and about an inch of head room (although the soft top is almost never up).

MX-5 is not a logical direct substitute for my Golf, but given my situation (older kids, a third and fourth car in the family if needed) it should work fine for my situation.

I guess that's why the Golf is one of the most popular cars in Europe. you really can have your cake and eat it too.

A 2 seater would work for me 90% of the time since I'm basically using it to go to and from work daily. The big issue for me is that I have a dog and I like to take a friend or two along with the dog on weekend getaways. Or when I take my bike out to some of the local rail trails in Maryland. I also love to be the driver when going out with friends on weekend fun days so having more then one seat is nice to have

IF I could have a sports car I think I'd seriously consider a Cayman S. I test drove a standard cayman a few months back and I had a tough time leaving the lot without the keys in my hand. What a fun car that made all the right sounds and feels