Paralyzed and Agonizing: Buyback vs Fix 2013 TDI JSW

[loop7]

I cannot seem to make a decision. I love my car and, because I'm one of those drivers who never drives over the limit nor accelerates rapidly/brakes hard, the vehicle is in remarkable condition (50,000) miles.

The buyback is substantial but, when I look at new and used cars, I just get deflated with the entire process of buying another car.

Anyone else stuck in this cycle of indecision?

 

[MichaelB]

Anyone else stuck in this cycle of indecision?

No, I took the fix..........the car was paid for so no issues there. Yes, the buyback money was enticing but then what would I have?. I did not buy my car to get anything more than it would be worth because of some fiasco that may incur in the future. I wanted a VW Passat TDI. I still have it and about 7 grand and some change to boot along with the gift cards. No regrets. This car owes me nothing. If you like your car and it serves your needs take the fix and keep it. To me, it was a simple decision.

 

[chief poncho]

loop7, check the market for used TDI's that have the fix. You may find you can sell your car back and purchase a like new '15 for less money than they'll give you for yours, plus you still get the fix and extended warranty. Otherwise, if you love your particular car and understanding the JSW's are a bit rare, then keep it. I will say you will most likely never be offered more money for your car than the buyback is paying today.

Here's a couple typical examples.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...ectedEntity=d2307&zip=85142#listing=203286309

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...=false&filtersModified=true#listing=175437866

 

[skinnyv]

Yep we have a 13 Passat we will eventually sell back, just renewed the tabs for $300+ to use it until the deadline.

You can sell it back, buy a 15 SEL and still have a few $k to keep after. I have been in the fence also about keeping it but the buyback is just too good to be true.

I also have a confession.... I have extracted $6k and counting using it on Uber ... fun to drive and it’s going back anyway. I am planning on another $6k possibly and then sell back for approx $24-25k

Btw: we have bought the replacement already wife shuts me down when I say “maybe I should keep this” and use it on Uber continuing to make $$ off it. Who knows few months to go

 

[loop7]

Gosh, I didn't research prices like those you sent.
I'm going to search in my area and maybe I'll find a 2015.
Thanks!

loop7, check the market for used TDI's that have the fix. You may find you can sell your car back and purchase a like new '15 for less money than they'll give you for yours, plus you still get the fix and extended warranty. Otherwise, if you love your particular car and understanding the JSW's are a bit rare, then keep it. I will say you will most likely never be offered more money for your car than the buyback is paying today.
Here's a couple typical examples.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...ectedEntity=d2307&zip=85142#listing=203286309
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...=false&filtersModified=true#listing=175437866

 

[bizzle]

I sold my 2012 JSW back to VW and searched high and low for over a year for a suitable replacement (wasn't even looking at TDIs) until my wife and I came full circle to a 2015 SEL GSW for $17K out the door.

 

[bitslop]

I am a new owner of a 2015 GSW TDI S Manual (and this is my first VW, and first post here - woo!). Since I just got done with the process of shopping for a TDI, let me share my experience in searching for a 2015 TDI before I found my unicorn:


1. In my area at least, I had to drive ~3hrs to find any. Availability and pricing seem to vary greatly by region.

2. A lot of the TDIs on independent lots were in rough shape - missing stuff (a couple had steel wheels, linings missing, mismatched tires, airbag warning light on, etc..). Most of this was not seen in the photos, either. My impression was that these places were just buying them from auction and flipping them, and either were not knowledgeable or just didn't care (high-volume dealers).

3. Even the VW lots had rough samples - poorly patched dents and scratches, etc. One 2014 that was even CPO had nearly bald tires, one with a fist-sized bulge on the side, and one wheel missing the VW hubcap center. Drove like crap, too. Of course, all the photos "accidentally" left all this out.

I had almost given up, until I found a listing for one (when searching on cars.com by "newest listed") and put a conditional deposit down. It was a 2015 that wasn't a buyback (was sold after the fix), and thus had an in-service date of 11 months, and only 13k miles. So 4 years of bumper-to-bumper unlimited miles warranty, plus the emissions warranty (and I prepaid $189 for the 20k and 30k service plan). Driving this until the wheels fall off...

I don't know if this helps with your decision, but keep in mind that what you see listed might be a bit misleading (more so than normal used car shopping, in my experience). This may vary by region, of course, so I could just be tainted by my regional experience.

Either way, good luck!

 

[KITEWAGON]

If you love the car keep it. You still get plenty of money back. Or as others have said it would be easy to find another very similar car. Lots of '13 and '14 JSW TDI's available. Many of them CPO. So if you don't mind swapping out your beloved car to get another few grand. You've got two great options to choose from.

 

[tdi54]

bitslop, your observations are accurate. I had to search for almost a year before I bought my 2015 Jetta sel. As you mentioned, there are many of them out there but finding the one that is not abused and cared properly--even the CPO's--was a big challenge. However, the good ones are out there it just requires patient and time to find them out. And after having put 4000 miles on the 2015 Jetta, I would say the EA288 engines are better in many ways than EA189; They're more efficient, acceleration is more refined and are smoother running machines.
So Loop7, if you can find a good 2015, I don't think you would be disappointed.

 

[jibberjive]

It was a 2015 that wasn't a buyback (was sold after the fix), and thus had an in-service date of 11 months, and only 13k miles. So 4 years of bumper-to-bumper unlimited miles warranty, plus the emissions warranty (and I prepaid $189 for the 20k and 30k service plan). Driving this until the wheels fall off...

I did the same thing. Was able to buy a literally brand new 2015 TDI S, literally the exact same car I was trading in, with less than 100 miles, 27 months left on the factory 3 year 36k mi warranty (and 2 year CPO warranty after that, and then the 11 year 162k mi extended emissions warranty to cover the time after that) for the same price as the car I was trading in (the vehicle buyback price only, I still have the restitution money on top of that). It didn't make sense to not trade it in, in my situation.

 

[MyTDIRocks]

I'm looking at my options if I go the Buyback route but I can't find anything out there that even comes close to my Jetta TDI (sedan, Premium Nav pkg & 6spd MT).

Because of low miles on the car, I'd be getting just a bit more than what I paid for it brand new so you'd think it was a no-brainer since I would've basically owned this car free for 6 yrs (excl. gas, insurance and 1 oil change post-warranty) but I will ONLY drive manual which leaves me with very little to choose from in terms of replacement. Sadly, very few stick shifts out there! And even less with great fuel efficiency!

After having driven this German beauty for 6 yrs, everything else pales in comparison (I've owned Japanese, will never buy an American car - no offense to anyone, just don't like them).

But if I opt for the fix then the biggest negative that I'm dealing with is maintenance issues on a 6yr-old car that will eventually start happening. Granted it's been extremely reliable up to now, but still... it's eventually going to need repairs (sooner than if I got a new car). So far, I've only had the brakes done in Nov 2016 and new tires. That's it. No other issues.

This is the best car I've ever driven hands down (in 30 yrs of driving) but if I could find a replacement for my TDI, I'd be all over it because I'll never have another opportunity like this in my life but I can't find anything even close! Wish I could afford a BMW or Audi but their fuel efficiency isn't that great and they're notorious for having high maintenance costs. Not a viable option for me. The only option I can see so far is a new Jetta that has MT (but fewer features than my TDI). It sucks.

I could care less about all the fancy tech the new cars have. I know how to parallel park without cameras, I always check my blind spot, I like to drive the car myself not have the car drive for me... so my current car has everything I need but it's 6 yrs old.... Can I trust it to last a few more years before the diesels possibly re-enter the market giving me more options? With MT? (Unlikely me thinks..) And if I wait, my resale value is likely to be far less than if I'd taken the buyback.

Anybody else stuck in this quandary?

 

[MyTDIRocks]

Was able to buy a literally brand new 2015 TDI S, literally the exact same car I was trading in, with less than 100 miles, 27 months left on the factory 3 year 36k mi warranty (and 2 year CPO warranty after that, and then the 11 year 162k mi extended emissions warranty to cover the time after that) for the same price as the car I was trading in

OMG, how I wish I could find a deal like that here! Except I'm looking for manual transmission - it's like finding a needle in a haystack. I won't drive anything else. No exceptions. I was so adamant about this when I bought my car initially that the dealer had to drive to another state to get the exact car I wanted with MT

 

[bizzle]

If it means that much to you spend the few hundred dollars to fly to where one is. They're out there. Might as well forget the notion of diesels coming back, the 2015s will be the last offered. The tech packages you dislike are nearly as rare as the MT so chances of them presenting an issue are slim to none. A manual S will have all you seem to want with a more refined drivetrain and much better cabin in terms of space and noise isolation. Keep in mind the GSW is the venerable Golf platform.

 

[jibberjive]

OMG, how I wish I could find a deal like that here! Except I'm looking for manual transmission - it's like finding a needle in a haystack. I won't drive anything else. No exceptions. I was so adamant about this when I bought my car initially that the dealer had to drive to another state to get the exact car I wanted with MT

Where I bought the car is closer to you than to me. You won't likely find the deal you want locally, but, even with the shipping, the deal made sense. There exists manuals as well like my deal.

 

[ezshift5]

Manuals are rare, aren't they?

Buyback took my '13 JSW TDI 6M.

Got me a '17 Jetta TSI 1.4 turbo/5M.................

And - hard to believe - this 87 fueled 4 cylinder is averaging 39 (MPG) and change.



ez

 

[MyTDIRocks]

Where I bought the car is closer to you than to me. You won't likely find the deal you want locally, but, even with the shipping, the deal made sense. There exists manuals as well like my deal.

Oh? Where?? I don't mind paying to have the car shipped to me or even flying out and driving it back myself but the numbers have to make sense.

I looked online (nationwide) for manual cars with similar specs to my TDI, found only 1. It didn't have what I wanted.

Are there any websites where I should look?

 

[MyTDIRocks]

Manuals are rare, aren't they?

They were rare 6 years ago! It's getting worse!

Buyback took my '13 JSW TDI 6M.
Got me a '17 Jetta TSI 1.4 turbo/5M.................
And - hard to believe - this 87 fueled 4 cylinder is averaging 39 (MPG) and change.

How do you like the performance overall?

I was looking at the 2018 Jetta 1.4 T SE. It comes in MT but missing a few features that my TDI has. Frustrating..

 

[bizzle]

Are there any websites where I should look?

I used CarGurus

 

[MyTDIRocks]

I used CarGurus

Thanks - That's where I looked... nothing there right now. I'll keep looking. I have a couple of months before I have to decide.

 

[bizzle]

Here's one (just barely) within 500 miles of New England:
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...=false&filtersModified=true#listing=198632582

and a national search of all 2015 manual TDIs:
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...ion=M&modelChanged=false&filtersModified=true

 

[MyTDIRocks]

Looks like there are a lot of Golf wagons, I'm looking for a Jetta though and when I do a search on that, there are no 2015's - mine's a 2012 w/ low mileage, so 2015 would be the only one worth looking into imo. Not enough difference w/ the older ones to make it worth selling mine esp. since mine has had NO issues whatsoever. I'll keep looking.. maybe I'll get lucky and find something... it's all about timing

 

[bizzle]

Sorry, for some reason I thought you had a Jetta Sportwagen, which no longer exist and are now Golf Sportwagens.

Aside from aesthetics and features you don't seem to care about, I believe the 2015 Jettas received the same newer engine my GSW has that delivers 10 more hp and better fuel economy than the older models.

I upgraded from a 2012 JSW to a 2015 GSW and the differences were substantial in both form and function, but if the differences don't appeal to you then there's no reason to buy a newer model just for the sake of change. If you want to be certain that the differences won't appeal to you, at least so you don't question your decision in the future, test drive a 2015 that is local to you before digging for the elusive MT.

I don't know your reasoning for buying a TDI but if your vehicle's mileage is so low that you're not really benefiting from the savings of a diesel, it's worth it to test drive a brand new gas version. Fuel costs are a mathematical consideration so should be easy enough to resolve but that won't matter if you prefer diesels for other reasons that can't be met with a gas version.

Unfortunately, the only way you're going to be able to definitively answer these questions is by rolling your sleeves up and test driving the various Jettas.

 

[peterdaniel]

I have no idea why people are so head over heels for the 2015. They are cheaped out, insanely complicated, one year only in the U.S. engines. They are smaller inside, cheaper materials and ugly in my humble opinion. You will never really be able to modify them and there are enough sensors and emissions crap to drive you crazy for years to come.

 

[bizzle]

The 2012 and 2015 Jettas are listed as having identical interior volume for both passenger and cargo spaces. Cheaper and uglier are obviously subjective.

The main reason I've seen people talk about why they prefer 2015s over their older models is because potentially less wear and tear, it's the last model year available in the US, they tend to come with more advanced safety features and technology, and whatever functional refinements they find appealing.

At least in my case, the Sportwagens were updated to an entirely different platform. Also, my personal opinion is that if someone is driving a 5+ year old TDI with such low mileage that they can't justify letting it go, a diesel was more likely than not the best fit for their driving patterns and an obvious starting point for replacement should be evaluating what the vehicle is being used to do. Assuming mileage was the driving factor in the purchase, it's extremely difficult to justify the economics of a diesel for light travel.

 

[MyTDIRocks]

Also, my personal opinion is that if someone is driving a 5+ year old TDI with such low mileage that they can't justify letting it go, a diesel was more likely than not the best fit for their driving patterns and an obvious starting point for replacement should be evaluating what the vehicle is being used to do. Assuming mileage was the driving factor in the purchase, it's extremely difficult to justify the economics of a diesel for light travel.

While I agree that most people who bought a TDI probably bought it because they put a lot of miles on their car, it's wrong to assume and judge whether a diesel is a "good fit for their driving patterns" for someone who doesn't rack up the miles. I.e. not everybody who bought a diesel bought it because they put on 20-30K miles/year into the car.
So why a TDI in my case? Because I had a list of requirements that I wanted in a car and the TDI was the only car on the market that ticked all the boxes. While the fuel efficiency was certainly a factor, it was not the ONLY factor or THE determining factor (otherwise I could've just gotten a hybrid). There's something to be said about only having to fill up once or twice a month. It's easy on the pocket. There's also something to be said for knowing that you have a car that will last you the rest of your life since diesel engines can easily go past 200K assuming the rest of the car doesn't fall apart. Since I had planned to keep this car until the wheels fell off, having a solid car that performs well and will last the course is yet another incentive to owning a TDI, AND I get to drive manual And while I admit that VW screwed up big time with this whole emissions scandal, they still in my opinion make a kicka-- car.
So, I have to respectfully disagree with you. I definitely made the right choice in buying a TDI in spite of all that's happened and in spite of not piling on the miles. Best car I ever owned. The only reason I'm on the fence is that I'm a little concerned about the cost of maintenance that comes with a 6-yr old car and a buyback would solve those problems IF ONLY I could find another car that ticks all of my boxes and falls within my budget.

 

[tadawson]

Between your low mileage, and the lengthy warranty that comes with the fix, the choice seems clear from here. The expensive stuff is covered, and if you don't have all the fancy electronics, the rest is pretty easy and cheap to maintain. It's not just about $$$ - you have to like what you drive, and you clearly do!

 

[MyTDIRocks]

Between your low mileage, and the lengthy warranty that comes with the fix, the choice seems clear from here. The expensive stuff is covered, and if you don't have all the fancy electronics, the rest is prettyeasy and cheap to maintain. It's not just about $$$ - you have to like what you drive, and you clearly do!

I wasn't aware of the extended warranty that came with the fix - thanks for reminding me of that. It certainly does ease the anxiety. And yes, I do have to like what I drive

 

[Lightflyer1]

No other new car I could buy comes with a 162k/11 year warranty that covers most of the engine and emission components. I bought a basic version Beetle but adding a RNS 315 with BU camera and projector headlights myself. Very nice for my commuting needs and fun to drive.

 

[MyTDIRocks]

No other new car I could buy comes with a 162k/11 year warranty that covers most of the engine and emission components.

Good point!! Glad you enjoy your Beetle!

 

[skinnyv]

Amen on low mileage TDI users. We have not even put 60k on ours after 5 years.. and yes we replaced it with a TDI. I will give it back at year end, the driving experience is what I liked the most. It gives a nice change up from our other vehicle (toyota hybrid).