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i am relocating to SF from Europe, got a lot of useful information on this site, but here is my question:
I would like to buy a VW Touareg by the end of July. My budget just allows me a 2005/2006 one. I went on Buy New & Used Cars, Research Prices, Sell My Car, Find Auto Dealers and found some for around 27000 US-$. How much do i get car trading companies down when negotiating? Is there a difference paying cash or cheque? In Europe, they give discount if you pay cash. What about in California? Is it rude to offer 3.000 US-$ less? Or will they shoot me?
i am relocating to SF from Europe, got a lot of useful information on this site, but here is my question:
I would like to buy a VW Touareg by the end of July. My budget just allows me a 2005/2006 one. I went on Buy New & Used Cars, Research Prices, Sell My Car, Find Auto Dealers and found some for around 27000 US-$. How much do i get car trading companies down when negotiating? Is there a difference paying cash or cheque? In Europe, they give discount if you pay cash. What about in California? Is it rude to offer 3.000 US-$ less? Or will they shoot me?
When I bought my Toyota Matrix, I went through an internet dealer and got it at invoice price + tax and license. So I have no idea where they truly make the money.
And car dealers expect you to haggle -- so it's not rude--- but if you're going in too low, they won't deal with you. They won't see you as serious, and they deserve to make some money -- they have overhead. That said -- 3K might be reasonable to knock down price, but I don't know anything about VW's pricing.
Cash and check are usually the same thing here.... in the US any cash transaction over 10K triggers an IRS form to be filled out with all sorts of info... so you'll have to fill one out, and when the dealership takes the cash to the bank they'll have to fill one out, the cash needs to be counted and deposited and that costs the bank valuable teller time -- so cash ends up being a more expensive way for a business to do business, checks are cheaper.
Thank you, got an idea...Will try to start with 2.500 less. Is there any insurance out there that would not classify a foreigner as a beginner? Anybody having the same problem?
i am relocating to SF from Europe, got a lot of useful information on this site, but here is my question:
I would like to buy a VW Touareg by the end of July. My budget just allows me a 2005/2006 one. I went on Buy New & Used Cars, Research Prices, Sell My Car, Find Auto Dealers and found some for around 27000 US-$. How much do i get car trading companies down when negotiating? Is there a difference paying cash or cheque? In Europe, they give discount if you pay cash. What about in California? Is it rude to offer 3.000 US-$ less? Or will they shoot me?
Would be great to get some advice! Thanx
Thomas
Hi Thomas!
You might also check Carsdirect.com
It is a good research source because they will provide real time prices...
My Mom has only ever bought one new car and she was getting rather frustrated with the whole process until I gave her a print-out on prices which boosted her confidence enough to tell the sales staff that the Bay Area is full of Car Dealers wanting her business...
Some cars like the VW Toureg have poor resell and you might be able to get a big savings buying used vs new. The same savings generally is not possible with Honda and Toyota.
I have a friend that has been trying to sell his Audi A4 for 5 weeks on Craig's list without even one inquiry. Last year he sold his wife's Honda Accord in 3 hours on Craig's. The same also goes for the Audi Allrad.
why is the resale of a Touareg so poor? Is it the the fuel getting more expensive or does the car have a bad reputation in California?
My girlfriend has a lot of problems to sell her Nissan Sentra, so it probably just depends on the model
The reason the Toureg has poor resale value is because the things are poorly built. I'm not sure if the European models are made in a better assembly plant, but the reviews of them in the US are so far poor.Lots of mechanical and electrical problems. Many VW's in the US are actually made in Mexico in a plant that has had some 'teething' problems. One of my co-workers has a 2005 Toureg and it blew the transmission in the first 10,000 miles.
As far as looking for used/new cars, Craigslist is probably one of your best bets. many people are constantly moving in and out off the Bay Area, and often times they sell the cars they don't want to take with them for cheap.
As Ultrarunner mentioned, Japanese cars- particularly Toyota and Honda sell for far more than most others because they have a sterling quality reputation. That might be true, but on the other hand, I have a friend from Romania who just wanted something to get him from point A to point B. He bought a 4 year old Buick Park Avenue for $6,000. It had originally been a $27,000 car, but since it was a Domestic car, they lose their value quickly- especially in the Bay Area where everyone is kind of import-happy. This car was absolutely loaded. Power everything, leather, and so on. Ya- it's a Buick, but he's still driving it 5 years later and if you think about it, you could buy 4 used Buicks, Fords. or Chevrolets before buying one Toureg. They are actually pretty reliable cars.
Don't get me wrong- My 12 year old Toyota Truck has over 200,000 Miles on it and still runs great. But I am also eyeing up used Ford Crown Victorias too. My commute is about to get a lot longer and having a cheap, big, cushy car would be kind of cool. if you want something that will run longer than you will, get a Toyota or Honda. If you want something really nice but inexpensive-more bang for your buck- look into some of the Domestic brands. Besides- I bet they don't sell Crown Vics in Europe. It'd be exotic for you!
As I'm sure there is in Europe, there's a pretty big rivalry between cars' countries of origin over here. European cars are loved by many Americans since many think they're nicer (I'm one of them) and the luxury cars from Europe completely blow everything else away in terms of poshness, but a lot of Americans want something they can run into the ground, too.
European cars truly have a different design philosophy that many Americans either don't get or think is worthwile. For example, German cars require more maintenince than a Toyota, so some people don't think that they're worth it. It's the different design philosophies of roadability versus reliability as top priority. You may get more driving pleasure from a Tourareg than a Crown Vic, but the tradeoff is that you pay for the maintenance. If you aren't a car enthusiast (many Americans aren't, they just see a car as an appliance), it's probably not worth it.
My mother complains about her car's temperamental nature all the time to me. I gladly take the quirks of my European car for the beauty of it's handling, but cars are hobby for me... so it's a personal decision.
Americans spend a lot of time in the car, so enough of a majority value reliability over roadability that it negatively effects many European cars' values.
To say the least, Car culture in the US is almost as diverse region per region as the population is.European cars actually make up a small portion of the car market here. Most European cars sell on the coasts in big cities like NYC, SF, LA, and so on. In SF, VW's were kind of a counter-culture car from the 60's. Lots of hippies bought them and now today you'll see many a hippy turned yuppie driving them.On the other hand, go to say- Alabama, Wisconsin, Florida, Kansas, Georgia and you'll see mostly domestic cars and very few European makes.
Americans drive the crap out of their cars too. My brother has 220,000 miles on his car. I have over 200,000 miles as well. I know some people with 400,000 miles or more. This is why Toyota has been successful.They build a car that has a simplified engineered powertrain that are easy to fix and maintain. I read a report that mentioned that one of the newer Mercedes sedans has 130 electric motors in the seats and windows. To me the difference between many European cars and Japanese cars is that European cars tend to be unnecessarily over-engineered. These days I'd go as far as to say that Lexus, a Toyota brand, is getting right up there with BMW.Cadillac isn't far behind either. Just a little more fine-tuning. I also think domestic makes have gotten significantly better. The funnest car I've driven was a Pontiac Gran Prix- which in years past was BORING. The things are cheap too.
But to be frank, most cars are merely hiding behind their badges.For example, The Chevrolet Captiva is a Euro model that is really a Daewoo with a Chevy badge.It is also sold as a Vauxhall Antara. The New Ford Taurus sold here is really a Ford 500, which is a car that uses a Volvo Frame, an engine with a crank from India, using a hybrid design from Mazda and Ford, and used in Mazda, Ford, and Volvo models. The Mini Cooper has had no less than 3 different engines: A 4 cylinder engine made by Chrysler and used in the PT Cruiser, a Japanese engine, and a BMW variant. But if you look at the people who buy them- they would NEVER buy something American... even though many actually have Chrysler engines.
When you buy a car today, not only is it probably made in 5 different places, but it might also have powertrains that are shared with numerous brands at once. The badge and national origin have less to do with the car itself. I simply read the reliability ratings because the brand sometimes can be misleading. For example, they used to sell a car called the Geo Prizm here. It was actually a Toyota Corolla made in Fremont, CA right along with Toyota trucks. The resale value of Prizms was half that of the equivalent Corolla just because people thought it was a Chevrolet. So you could theoretically get a very good car for a lot less just because of the stupid badge! But... people love badges and people in the Bay Area are attached religiously to them. Nevermind that many Volvos are built on a cheap Mazda or Ford chassis... the idealized image of looking smart and "safety conscious" is important to people. But tell them that their Volvo SUZ has the same V8 engine as the Ford Explorer.. Not sure if they'd be as happy. Same with people who buy Chevrolets who think: " Buy American, damn it!"- when in fact their car is made in Canada with French, German, American, and Chinese parts. Heck- the new Chevy Equinox has a Chinese made engine under the hood. Speaking of which, Buicks in China have incredible status with the young and highly affluent. One Chinese Buick model has a WINE CHILLER built in. Ironic since Buickss are seen as stodgy old-people cars in the US.
In regards to VW... well I'd say that if you have to own a European car, I'd probably go with a BMW. I've had several friends with some of the more recent VW's and the problems weren't from lack of maintenance. One of my friends had a New Beetle. The intake manifold cracked, which subsequently blew the head gasket and overheated the engine. Plus the window cranks broke and the window glass fell into the door. The car was so incredibly bad that VW was forced to give him a new one under the California Lemon law. Yet another friend of mine had a VW Golf. The radiator was less than 4 inches off the ground. He parked it and the radiator bumped the parking block, busting a hole through it.The design itself was just plain stupidity.The radiator was unprotected and too close to the ground. My friend with the Toureg was driving it to Lake Tahoe. The transmission somehow started leaking and it actually sprayed transmission fluid on the windshield. How that happened, I have no idea.
Bottom line- no offense but VW's are junk. At least in the US they are.Perhaps in Europe they're fantastic... but the US spec models are horrid. BMW might be better, but get the warranty. Electrical problems are rank on these things and a new power sunroof mechanism can set you back over $3,000. Yes- I know someone that had to get one. I see little enjoyment driving a car if they're unable to get me to point A or B without requiring me to take it to the mechanic for repairs. Anyhow- you have been warned about VW from an American. You might thank me later!
As I'm sure there is in Europe, there's a pretty big rivalry between cars' countries of origin over here. European cars are loved by many Americans since many think they're nicer (I'm one of them) and the luxury cars from Europe completely blow everything else away in terms of poshness, but a lot of Americans want something they can run into the ground, too.
European cars truly have a different design philosophy that many Americans either don't get or think is worthwile. For example, German cars require more maintenince than a Toyota, so some people don't think that they're worth it. It's the different design philosophies of roadability versus reliability as top priority. You may get more driving pleasure from a Tourareg than a Crown Vic, but the tradeoff is that you pay for the maintenance. If you aren't a car enthusiast (many Americans aren't, they just see a car as an appliance), it's probably not worth it.
My mother complains about her car's temperamental nature all the time to me. I gladly take the quirks of my European car for the beauty of it's handling, but cars are hobby for me... so it's a personal decision.
Americans spend a lot of time in the car, so enough of a majority value reliability over roadability that it negatively effects many European cars' values.
Four years ago when I was looking for a new car, I asked my two mechanics who I trust tons about buying a VW. Both looked at me and said "I don't work on German cars".
I agree VW's are poor cars, I used to have one. I would consider an Asian or American car.
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