Anyone try the new VW SportWagen?
 

It's time to go car shopping and this one looks like it fits the bill. Though I can't recall ever seeing one in person. This Sunday is the first chance I'll have to go visit some dealers. Anyone know about these?

It's a stretched Golf. So far my GTI has been pretty flawless, and I liked my Jetta SportWagon (which was a bit bigger than the current one) was a pretty good car. Probably hencho en Mexico, but mine was and their factory evidently is pretty amazing.

This will be my daily driver and band gear hauler. Thinking of going with a lease, since I can't recall ever keeping a car more than 2.5 yrs. other than my 993 and E30. I drive exactly 12k miles a year and can always dial it back and use the bike more if I approach the limit.

Same reason I have the GTI, though I've been commuting a couple days a week by moto. The GTI has a ton of room, the wagon will have a bit more. Mines on a lease but I've only put 15K miles on it and I'll be at 2 years in Nov.

Ok, what's the best strategy for getting a good deal on the lease? Tell them I plan to buy and finance through them, get the best total price I can and then say I want to lease?

This is always my approach. I'll even use Truecar. Beware, some finance/sales people will try to trick you into believing you cannot negotiate on a lease. Complete BS. You can typically negotiate away any cap cost reduction, and get a better lease than any "deal" they have going on.

But isn't cap cost pretty much your out the door price? I always like to get an OTD price, so I don't have to add in all the BS dealer fees and taxes. Then I try to work down from there.

Do car salespeople make more or less of a commission on sale vs. lease, assuming same OTD price? I just wonder why they'd try to change the price if I got them down to an OTD number and then said I wanted to lease.

Cap cost is the amount financed, The “cap cost reduction,” refers to any cash down payment, trade-in credit, or rebate amount that decreases, or reduces, the amount being financed (capitalized cost).

If I walk and buy their lease special, the car is probably at full sticker and I have to pay 2500 in cap cost reduction. However, what if I negotiated the price of the car 3000 off sticker and decide to lease? I essentially have an additional 500 cap cost reduction, and my payment and taxes will be lower.

Should I bother with a trade on a lease? I have read it's a bad idea to put money down on a lease, since you'll not get it back if you total or lose the car early on in the lease.

I wouldn't do a trade. Dealers seems to be offering the lowest auction price for the car you are trading. In my experience, the days of KBB, Edmunds, etc, are over. My wife was offered 9K for a 2008 MBZ ML350 with 80K on the clock. Absurd.

I don't put down cash either, that's why I negotiate the best deal and lease on that amount. I am usually out the door for sec deposit, first month payment and taxes. I waste no time with finance and the add on crap. Nip that at the bud....