Trade-in day: 2004 Passat TDI

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deanh

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2004
Location
central MD, USA
TDI
NB 2006 TDI (Gecko)
Bought new in May, 2004. Definitely the favorite car I've ever owned.
Getting traded today for a 2014 Impala. We retain my wife's 2006 Beetle TDI as her daily driver.
Even though it's an inanimate object: it's taken me, family and friends to a lot of big days and nights in nearly 10 years...and I'll miss it.
By the numbers:
  • Trade-in mileage: 220,500 miles (exactly)
  • Average miles (month): 1850
  • Maximum miles (month): 4959 (July 2013)
  • Minimum miles (month): 296 (Jan 2014)
  • High MPG (month): 38.7 (March 2008
  • Low MPG (month): 30.89 (Nov 2010)
  • Lifetime MPG: 35.91 (gradual decline from steady 36.1 began in Jan 2012)
  • Cheapest per gal price: $1.70 (July 2004, Winfield MD)
  • Costliest per gal price: $4.80 (June 2008, Gamber, MD)
  • Longest tank: 607 miles, July 2005
  • Best MPG, tank (over 300 miles traveled): 41.44 MPG
  • Farthest northern travel: Cuyahoga County, OH
  • Farthest western travel: Franklin County, Ohio
  • Farthest southern travel: Wake County, SC
  • Farthest northern travel: Cuyahoga County, OH
-The odo on its last trip into the garage:

-Mice prefer TDIs too! We later found this insulation material missing from my car in my wife's battery compartment

Some drying and cracking of the leather; one of its few real signs of age:

Ding from a college move-in day. Dad was not a happy camper when it happened. Now it's part of ten years of charm.

Seriously: there was nothing like the feeling of this car waiting to take to the places where the sun was coming up!
 
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TomJD

TomJD

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Location
St. Louis
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI GLS, 2015 Golf TDI
tomo366 said:
why didn't you try and sell outright??
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Right! People here would have paid a few thousand over what any trade in value.

The dealer only paid $2,000 for the car I am currently driving. That is $2k for MKIV ALH with a manual and 186,392 miles. Thankfully I was able to pick it up cheap off the dealer.
 
D

deanh

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2004
Location
central MD, USA
TDI
NB 2006 TDI (Gecko)
tomo366 said:
why didn't you try and sell outright??
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All the usual reasons, mostly having to do with the time available to arrange a private sale (and yep, understand totally the differences between dealer and allowances and private sale prices).
Also needed some work (including attention to blowing dark smoke not yet accompanied by a check engine light), and creeping up on timing belt #3 time soon enough.

OEM tranny went at 140K....just wasn't feeling so lucky with a high mileage ride any more...
 
BCRacing24

BCRacing24

Active member
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Location
Central IL
TDI
2012 VW Jetta 2.0T TDI\DSG
2014 Chevy Impala.....?!?! I have owned 7 GM's, 2 Mopars & 1 Ford in my life. The Ford was great as was most if the GM's. Both Dodges had nothing but problems (both 2012) and unfortunently so did the 2012 Chevy Tahoe..... I tried to maintain my American Patriotic mentality but Chevy & Dodge has fell off the quality bandwagon over the years. When we finally bought our 2012 VW Jetta TDI (First foreign vehicle) I was amazed at the quality (for a $25k car). The only other vehicle I had considered was a Ford Focus Limited. If your dead set on the Impala then by all means congratulations !!! But at least drive a VW CC (comparable to Impala size wise) before your final purchase please..... =)
 
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deanh

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2004
Location
central MD, USA
TDI
NB 2006 TDI (Gecko)
BCRacing24 said:
2014 Chevy Impala.....?!?! I have owned 7 GM's, 2 Mopars & 1 Ford in my life. The Ford was great as was most if the GM's. Both Dodges had nothing but problems (both 2012) and unfortunently so did the 2012 Chevy Tahoe..... I tried to maintain my American Patriotic mentality but Chevy & Dodge has fell off the quality bandwagon over the years. When we finally bought our 2012 VW Jetta TDI (First foreign vehicle) I was amazed at the quality (for a $25k car). The only other vehicle I had considered was a Ford Focus Limited. If your dead set on the Impala then by all means congratulations !!! But at least drive a VW CC (comparable to Impala size wise) before your final purchase please..... =)
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Too late!
The bowtie has been in the garage for four hours already:)
It's gotten rave reviews....only the next five years will tell...
 
D

deanh

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2004
Location
central MD, USA
TDI
NB 2006 TDI (Gecko)
BCRacing24 said:
Congrats on the purchase !! =)


Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk
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Thanks. Funny thing: during snow here yesterday morning, while my wife was waiting for HVAC guys to show up and restore heat in the house...she insisted I drive her NB TDI to work instead of the new arrival:)
 
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2.2TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
May 1, 2011
Location
⠀
TDI
⠀⠀
I'm surprised you went back to a gasser after 10 years of a tdi... I don't think I can ever go back, and even if I do it would have to be a German car... just curious but why not the new passat tdi?
 
D

deanh

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2004
Location
central MD, USA
TDI
NB 2006 TDI (Gecko)
Not diesel-free yet; still have my wife's 06 NB as a non-sparkplug ride...so don't kick me off the island!
I was ready for something slightly bigger that wasn't an SUV. The growing gap between regular and diesel has eaten up a good part of the fuel savings since I first went diesel. The 2014 Impala has had good reception from auto writers (who I mostly lump in with movie and wine critics...but read 'em anyway) and I really liked the test drive. Obviously it and I honeymooning right now. how it holds up over the next five years (and the five AFTER that!) will be its real test. At the moment, it reminds of my when I had my first Passat (1991) and then my first TDI (2005): not seeing a lot of "twin cars" on the road..which is kind of a cool feeling too. Much like when I first drove a TDI, there was a very positive first impression....that went beyond the new car rush. My wife wanted me to look at three (or five) more models. I wanted to get the deal done and away from the showroom before the next major repair came up on a 10-year old car:)
 
JDSwan87

JDSwan87

Black Swamp Thing
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Location
Michigan near Toledo
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI, 5 speed Lagoon Blue Metallic(sold); 2005 Jetta TDI Wagon auto
Mcgink said:
:eek::eek: I think you're supposed to cut the pills in half :D:D
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Funny story about that!! When we finally put my late grandfather into an assisted living facility we cleaned out his house. While cleaning the bedroom my aunt found the blue pills cut in half. Well we all knew what they were for but couldn't resist asking. "What are all these blue pills cut in half for?" Grandpa replies, "Well I figured out they were costing me $30 a pill and she (his lady friend) just isn't worth that much." He was 77 when he told me that, true story...
 
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tdi90hp

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2002
Location
Canuckland
TDI
2011 Golf TDI 6 speed(gone but NEVER forgotten)
deanh said:
Too late!
The bowtie has been in the garage for four hours already:)
It's gotten rave reviews....only the next five years will tell...
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Absolutely fantastic looking and driving car. Nice choice although we do love diesels.....
 
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