How many have or had VW TDIs

[RalphVa]

Our 2010 VW Jetta TDI was bought back by VW on December 22nd. Right after getting the notification and selecting a buyback in September, we bought a replacement car and parked the VW, to keep it safe and to ensure that the mileage stayed down within what I submitted.

I'd researched what to replace it with and had settled upon a Mazda3. It was basically the only "40 mpg" sedan that could be fitted with all the stuff we wanted and still retain the stick shift. My wife has severe problems dealing with an automatic transmission (yet, she ignores stuff like fuel gauges).

We test drove a Mazda3 iSport 6M at the local dealer. It was fine, but we didn't like the black interiors on all the ones that dealer had. I was going to have to go to the 2.5 liter engine and lose the 40 mpg to get a lighter-colored interior. I went looking on Autotrader and found one about 6 hours away. Went back to the local dealer. He sales person there with Dunlaps disease says, "Doesn't mean it's there." He apparently didn't know how to use his computer to do a search. He disappeared. I found him on the other side of the room with another sales person. That person promptly informed me that there was no stick shift on the East Coast. I left and went home and immediately went onto Autotrader. Got the # of the dealer that listed the car I wanted. Called him. Said he'd check his inventory. Took him all of about 2 minutes to call me back and to tell me that it was there. We negotiated and went up the next week and picked it up, driving a Hyundai rental up and it back.

The day after selling the VW, we went and picked up a 2013 Miata GT 6M with 8,800 miles on it at a dealership about 75 miles away. I'd test driven it and made the deal for it the week before.

Attached are some picks.

 

[milkman]

Really like the Mazda 3, beautiful car and fun to drive.

 

[tjkubota93]

That's funny, I had to look up dunlaps. Probably a side effect of laziness.
I have been treated the same way by salesmen with cars and my tractor. It takes a lot less effort and smarts than they think to go somewhere that wants your money enough to get what you want and be reasonable.

 

[MossRoad]

Now you're supposed to drive back to the helpless dealer in your new car and tell them you thought you'd come over and give them some helpful pointers on making a sale, because, well, it sure looks like they could use some pointers...

There's a repair shop katty-corner from my employer that once changed my leaking gas tank in my truck for a very reasonable price. I was satisfied.... until I drove it home and it started spewing black smoke, belching and sputtering. I turned around and took it back. They kept it overnight and the next day they tried to tell me that when they changed the fuel tank, it did two things. 1. sealed up the air leaks in the tank, so the truck was running too rich and 2. knocked a bunch of dirt loose in the lines and I would now need a new $800 carburetor. I called BS and took it to another mechanic, who changed the fuel filter and apologized because he had to charge me for a full can of Gumout when he only used 1/2 a can. About $25 VS $800.

So I went back to the ripoff mechanic and told them what I thought of them and that I'd tell everyone I knew about the way they work. They told me to get out. So I did. And just about every day for about 10 years, as I rolled past his business in that same truck, I'd stop at the light in front of his shop, toot my horn until they'd look, and give them the finger. And about once a year I'd call them and remind them that it was X years since they tried to charge me $800 for a $25 repair and it was still running just fine. The owner was the only person in my life that I'd meet in a store and say "Hey you pr***". In all honesty, I don't know why they never served me with a restraining order. :laughing:

 

[Stowe Boy]

VW bought my 2009 Jetta TDI back from me on December 23. I now have a Subaru Impreza. Great car, so far.

I have looked at cars. I have priced cars. Lots of information on the internet to educate a person.

The buy back happened at the same dealership as it was bought. The salesman was mad that I would not buy or even consider a VW. He tried to tell me it was because I was mad at VW over the emissions.

Nonsense. I was mad at the dealer.

To prove my point, I walked over to the latest and greatest model. I asked him how much. He looked at the sticker and read me the price.

I said we needed to start again. I told him I would not pay over dealer invoice. I then heard some nonsense how it was a new model, in high demand, etc, etc.

I know that model has say for 2 months. Great thing when dealers list VINs on their website. I told him that.

I said I could go up to Chicago and buy the car at invoice. And still save $2,500 from what he read on the sticker. (My parents live there so I could kill two birds with one stone if I bought up there.)

He then brought up the issue of me being mad at VW. I said no. I was not mad at VW. VW paid me a fair price and a penalty on my car. I then asked what he was going to do about the $2,900 premium on sticker (yeah I was in a bad spot in terms of needing a car and not as educated as it am now. )his dealership charged me when I originally purchased the car from them.

He told me not his issue or problem. To which I responded and that is why I will not buy a car from your dealership.

The owner of the dealership has called me twice trying to make a sale. He said asking to pay invoice would not allow them to make a profit. I said that was a lie. Owner then said that charging me a premium in 2009 was only fair. I said the premium was on sticker, not invoice, So consider that 2009 premium my early payment of your profit to sell the car at invoice now. He laughed and said he could not agree. I then asked if he knew my point of view why he keeps calling to try and sell me a car.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've rented them in Germany and have been very pleased and would have considered one here had I been looking.

The last few weeks it seems that so many in retail are in a bad mood... not to get too far off topic but I think it is because I live in the SF Bay Area and the media has been non-stop as well as many politicians simply fit to be tied with the election...

At the local chain hardware... one that I have gone for years I needed a one foot length of bulk hose... they had a shear tethered at the rack... but I did not have a tape measure... asked a clerk I recognized and he became unglued that I would even think I could cut my own rubber hose... and more so when I asked how am I suppose to know when there is no sign...

Only reason I mention this is a friend asked me to go with her car shopping... she was treated horribly... simply told "Lady" the price is on the car... and all she asked is how much the car would cost out the door... we left.

Somehow the we have gone from valuing customers to berating them...

Called at 10 am to order 12 Togo's sandwiches for 11am pickup... the person told me I needed to call 2 hours ahead and said they are busy and hung up???

 

[RalphVa]

The VW sales people gave us no trouble. They did rave about how good our Jetta looked, yeah, like new. That's the way I keep cars. Our 1983 Benz was like new when we sold it in the fall of 2009. Saw it advertised 3 or 4 years later as "pristine" for at least $1,000 more.

Test drove a BMW 320 right after driving the Mazda3 at the uncooperative dealer. The Mazda was better, rated exactly the same as the 3 Bimmers by CR. Saved about $12-13k. Sales guy said there was only 1 stick in the US.

The Miata drives much like our Benz, very solid feeling. Its exhaust rumble subs for the diesel engine rattle of the Benz.