2013 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen - yea or nay?

[Rick Lee]

I wasn't shopping, but my BMW is way too much car for me. My situation did a 180 about a week after I bought it, and my new job has me really racking up the miles fast. I need something cheaper I don't care about really adding miles to.

This one below has a two year, unlimited mile warranty. Seems like prices on these are all over the place. What says the Pelican brain trust?

https://www.vwnorthscottsdale.com/inventory/certified-used-2013-volkswagen-jetta-sportwagen-4dr-dsg-tdi-wsunroof-nav-front-wheel-drive-wagon-3vwpl7aj5dm690673

[Jim Richards]

RL, this one's mileage is quite a bit less and it's offered at a lower price.
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/d/tempe-2013-vw-jetta-sportwagen-tdi-one/6866985330.html

[Rick Lee]

Oh, that's a nice one. Need to figure out if I can get out from under my 330i first. Supposed to rain tomorrow. Tues. I'll get her washed and photo'ed.

[speeder]

There is a massive supply of these cars for sale and that is not going to change soon. VW bought back 2-300k of them and the EPA decided the best thing to do w them is modify them and sell them back to the public.

I'm driving a 2010 JSW that I bought from Pelican RSBob for quite a bit less w the same miles as the car in the OP, (which is a 2013, however). I do not know how it drove before the diesel "fix" but it's pretty weak now and fuel mileage is way below what they originally got. The warrantee is great, though. I'm considering a tune on it which is pricey, (~$550), but is supposed to make it considerably stronger than new.

[otto_kretschmer]

I have a 2011 and I've been thru the emissions fix. Mine still gets around 46 mpg and I don't notice any power drop. I drive like a grandma so I probably wouldn't notice anyway.

I have the manual tranny.

I really like this car but I don't think I would buy another diesel. Diesel and gas are about the same price and the extra cost in buying a diesel doesn't offset its better fuel economy.

[Jim Richards]

RL, are you specifically looking for diesel? For a wagon?

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

RL, are you specifically looking for diesel? For a wagon?

I want a wagon. I need to haul band gear once a week. I've had some SUVs for that, but, with the mileage I'm racking up now, I can't deal with a gas guzzler SUV and also would like an iron-clad warranty. I don't have to switch, but I hate adding so many miles to my 330i. It has an unlimited mile warranty for four years, but I need some value left in there when I trade it in at the end of the warranty. Just seems I'd be better off getting out of it and into something cheaper now.

[Jim Richards]

Yeah, I like the wagon a lot more than getting an SUV. My wife's CR-V gets mediocre mileage. So, gas vs. diesel doesn't matter...just whatever's more fuel efficient.

It sure looks like the Jetta Sportswagen is a good fit for what you're looking for.

[RSBob]

Here’s an indication of how good they are. A good friend of mine’s son works as a service tech at a major VW dealer in Wa. Every single tech owns a VW diesel, mostly Sportwagens.

I owned one and just recently sold it to another board member and the only thing that went south on it was the radio. Picked up a newer used one cheap.

The cars corner and stop like you wouldn’t believe and 43 MPG highway at 80-85 is not too shabby.

[Jrboulder]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I want a wagon. I need to haul band gear once a week. I've had some SUVs for that, but, with the mileage I'm racking up now, I can't deal with a gas guzzler SUV and also would like an iron-clad warranty. I don't have to switch, but I hate adding so many miles to my 330i. It has an unlimited mile warranty for four years, but I need some value left in there when I trade it in at the end of the warranty. Just seems I'd be better off getting out of it and into something cheaper now.

The bulk of BMW depreciation is in age. I ran a regression on new MSRP vs CPO asking price on 328is and it was $4620/yr (linear over the first 3 years) plus 9.9 cents/mile and options except M-sport retained an average of 32% after 3 years. On the average car in the sample it was like $5800/yr calendar and $1200/yr mileage.

The lease payment estimator on bmwusa.com for a 330i with no options puts depreciation at $4256/yr and 7.5 cents/mi, after subtracting the cost of the money. They'll do an extra 5,000 mi/yr for $376.92/yr.

I bought my F30 with roughly average mileage on the day it turned 5 y/o for 29% of new MSRP, and it wasn't a great deal.

[svandamme]

What defines a sportwagon vs a wagon in the US?
We don't have that terminolog here and quite frankly any VW wagon is never going to sport anything around here since within VAG "sport" anything goes to Audi..

[osidak]

I personally wouldn't - the emission systems on that car is horrendously complicated. I owned a 2010 JSW that couldn't wait to sell back to them. In 100K I had to replace the entire emissions / exhaust system twice (well didn't have to replace the actual muffler) - Got luck both times and got it covered by warranty even though it was outside of warranty - the bill was approaching 10K if not. You also have to worry about the HPFP - if it goes you take out the entire fuel system - Last I heard that was a 5K job.


The 2000 Jetta TDI I had before felt much better and if she didn't die in a head on I would not of replaced her with the JSW

[oldE]

Osidak,
The fuel injection system changed around that time. I has an '06 Jetta Tdi and knew there was a chance the injection system might go Tango Uniform, but kept the car under 3000rpm 99.9% of the time and had no problems. The car is still on the road with a young fellow who has managed to ruin the transmission, but the engine is still strong with about 400,000km.

VanDamme, In North America, the Sportwagon /Sportwagen (spelling varies between USA and Canada) is just a Jetta or Golf wagon. When the Jetta went down market around '13, the wagon shifted to the Golf badge. The chassis remained the same but was updated about four years ago.

If I was putting on significant mileage, I would be into a TDi Sportwagen . However, we are both semi retired and don't do a lot of travelling, but we do need space for the dog and hauling stuff, so the 1.9l TSi Sportwagen is our current vehicle.
It has an automatic, which makes it our first automatic transmission car in 40 years. (However it has half as many cylinders, twice as many gears and about 50% more hp than the last one.)

I have driven some of the re-flashed diesels which VW Canada is making available and they seem to have the same amount of grunt as before. My neighbour reports no change in mileage with his GSW Tdi 6 speed manual.

Best
Les

[1990C4S]

Have you looked at the frequency and cost of DSG maintenance?

[peppy]

Not sure if there where options for the seats, but my wife's 11 jetta tdi was uncomfortable after about 45 minutes. I too was afraid of the DSG maintenance.

[BeyGon]

If you can find one the 2015 is the better car, the motor is completely different and the only fix they needed to work with the smog law was in the computer and a different cat converter which the dealer would have done by now.

[Rick Lee]

I really don't care about maintenance. I'd buy one like the one Jim posted above. It has another 100k miles left on the warranty. I'd drive it into the ground and then either buy another warranty or consider it a free, expendable car until it died and then part it out.

[chapo]

Bought a 2015 Passat tdi last year. Fully loaded, leather, av, Fender sound system. 14k with 22,000 on it. Great car thinking about getting another as a wagon or a golf

[speeder]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Have you looked at the frequency and cost of DSG maintenance?

Originally Posted by peppy

Not sure if there where options for the seats, but my wife's 11 jetta tdi was uncomfortable after about 45 minutes. I too was afraid of the DSG maintenance.

DSG maintenance is every 40k miles fluid change. The DSG seems to be fairly stout based on the number if high-mileage cars around w the transmission. I have read about failures on VW forums but they seem to be rare, about the same frequency as other manufacturers transmission failures.

[chapo]

Did the DSG at 40k at the dealer. Combined with the oil change and regular service it was 900$.