Buying a used car

[jrdavid68]

How do you guys go about it? I have been looking for either a Jetta or a New Beetle for the daughter. I admit that I am being very picky and certainly don't want to pay too much.

Here's the latest numbers on a Jetta that we might look at tonight or tomorrow. It was traded in by someone who bought a new Jetta.

Details: 2002 GLS Jetta 2.0L 43,000 miles
- Very clean and maintained by the book at the Dealer
- Assume CarFax is clean and the car has been certified
- The only option I know about that is not standard is a CD Player

kbb.com shows:
$14,600 Retail
$12,000 Private sale
$10,300 Trade-In value

Stealership has it listed at $14,888

I want to walk in the door with an offer for the "out the door" price (tax, title, lic all included). Take it or leave it.

What say you?

[Tim Walsh]

well first of all is it a 1.8T, 2.0 or TDI? VW's are natorious for little things failing. I've got 25K miles and 1 year on my GTI and already I've had one window regulator fail and the hood latch fail as well.

[jrdavid68]

Sorry, left that out. It's a 2.0L

[cbeers]

Ross, my wife and I picked up a CPO Jetta two years ago exactly as you want to do, "here is our out the door price we'll pay, take it or leave it".

After haggling for a while, we threw another $50 on our figure and we had the car. I personally would have walked, but my wife had just fried her old Jetta when she did not notice that the coolant was leaking, then gone........(just roll eyes and move on)

-Chris

[nostatic]

seems really high. You can buy a brand new Rabbit for not much more than that.

[Jays72T]

If you want that price out the door then start lower and "settle" there. Walk if you don't get the deal, there are plenty of Jettas out there.

[id10t]

My Dad's method - warning - he took 5 years to complete this. Figure out exactly what you want, what you are willing to pay for it, and wait until you find the right one. I have 5 years worth of autotrader in the attic from when he starting looking for a "new car" after having "just the 356" for 20 years. I use this method, but I've averaged 3 weeks on a search (bought 3 vehicles).

10.5 tax tag title out the door. Show them the cash, give 'em a take it or leave it, and follow thru.

[jrdavid68]

Thanks Chris and others. I did this a year ago when we bought a '97 Jetta for one of the boys. A little research showed the dealer had the car for over a year so I knew they would be motivated. They had it tagged somewhere near $8k and I wrote a check for $5500 out the door and they eventually took it. Had to walk out the door a couple times, but they eventually came around. That car has been trouble free ever since.

I started this recent car search at the end of July. We have done a lot of business over the years with this dealer. Both the wife and daughter really want a used New Beetle. I'm ok with that as long as it meets my criteria. However, it seems that with used NBs, all the dealers around here look at what the retail price is and then jack their price up another $2,000. That makes negotiating a fair price rather difficult.

Given all that, we have started to look at Jettas too.

Any other opinions on an offer?

Thanks.

[Hetmann]

Go to craigslist. You will find someone who is in trouble financially and needs to sell their car fast. They will take your offer in a hearbeat.

[jrdavid68]

The car is sold, back to looking.

Hetmann - starting looking at craigslist last night.