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I am strongly considering buying a fixed low mileage VW TDI (Diesel). To share my reasoning for the background: Ultimately, we plan to buy an electric vehicle, but find the options are limited, and those that we find attractive (Tesla, Jaguar), although affordable, are overpriced and seem like a waste of money for the use we have in mind - mostly local driving. So, we are planning to get a very good used car for a 4-8 year horizon and switch when ready. We like the VW TDIs mainly for the fuel economy, torque (we live in an area with steep slopes), past satisfactory experience and preference for VW/Audi driver satisfaction. This is just for background.
The vehicle I am considering buying is an out-of-state with internet listing. The dealer is located is around 700 miles away. So, I can go there to pick up the car but will have to decide remotely whether to buy or not, as going there and to test drive or taking it for inspection is not practical.
The areas I need advice on is -
Pricing: To what degree are the internet prices negotiable. The price I have seen is in line with the prices of the model elsewhere (considering mileage). So, any negotiation has to be remote - and my interest would be evident in just considering the buying location this far away. FYI - I focused on this dealer as the vehicle mileage is low and alternatives have mileage of 10,000 or more when this alternative is below 5,000.
The dealer represents that there has been a single owner, no accident, CarFax etc. Does it make sense to skip the inspection and buy it remotely given the low mileage? Alternately, how can I have it inspected from far away - without knowing anyone there / nearby, and how much value it might add?
What contingencies can/should I put in an offer to buy?
Assuming I buy it with condition that it is as stipulated - what is the best way to pay? I can't exactly drive there and expect them to take a personal check. I also cannot exactly wire them money without taking possession of the car - and the amount is too big to take in cash.
Call them and tell them you are coming to buy the car, and ask for the total. Go to your bank and get bank check/certified check for that amount. Go to the dealer and give them the check. Drive away in your new car.
Last edited by Me007gold; 07-18-2018 at 01:55 PM..
Factor in the cost of getting it back home to you. Flight there, hotel (if you're going to stop overnight anywhere), gas, etc. It might not be that much of a difference.
Personally I would place more priority on how well a vehicle was maintained versus mileage. I'd buy a higher mileage vehicle that was maintained over a lower mileage vehicle that was not maintained. Low mileage doesn't tell the entire story.
As for payment, if you use a large bank where there are a lot of branches all over (Chase, etc.), you would be able to get a cashiers check.
Keep in mind that they know they have some sort of leverage on you when it comes to travelling 700 miles to buy the car. You could back out of the deal after you get there if they tried to tack on a few hundred dollars but would you? You've already spent the time and money to get there.
Thank you very much! I will look into getting a bank check. Will also query to get the final - final out-of-the door price.
Army_Guy - I agree. The problem is that it is hard to know how well the car was actually maintained remotely. I am thinking that less than 5000 miles (and likely mothballed by VW during the diesel issue) means that it cannot have been that bad. At least that's what I am thinking.
I've bought, and sold, several vehicles remotely. ALWAYS get an independent inspection, Always. Never skip this unless you Like traveling to find you were misled... Any seller worth dealing with will allow this, including dealers. It's usually somewhere between $100 and $200, but the information is priceless. Since I happen to be a TDI enthusiast myself, start with this map and ask whom ever is closest (if there's no one in the exact location) for a good recommendation.
Paying at a business is easy, debit transaction. I just bought a brand new 2018 vehicle in this way. There's no fees on their end like with credit cards, you simply need to call your bank and get it pre-approved. Some have limits, I had one with a $25k limit and another with a $35k limit. Gives you the ultimate in flexibility on adjusting price. Doing it with check means you have to rely on them to "refund" some of the money, which is a hard thing to do when negotiating.
As for price/negotiations, that's where the inspection comes into play. You'll know what it needs right now, what's coming due soon, and any issues so you can negotiate. Used cars are the cash-cow of the industry though, so there is ALWAYS a ton of negotiation room built in.
If you end up buying the VW, get to know an enthusiast mechanic locally. They'll be your best source for keeping the car on the road and issue free. We ran our 2001 for 300k miles without a single failure to start (other than when it was -40, an hour with the heater plugged in fixed that) or stranded situation, returning a 48.4mpg average over that distance. They Can Be very reliable cars, but the devil is in the detail, and with these cars that is being very detail oriented when it comes to servicing them. We sold simply because 15 years was enough (bought used), the headliner was falling down, foam blowing out the vents, rubber hoses/vacuum lines were pretty much an endless annoyance with splits and cracks and I was tired of tinkering with it.
When I've purchased remotely I've put in a deposit to hold it. Scheduled an independent inspection near the seller. Flown/driven out there, do the test drive/inspection. If it all checked out good. If not, get deposit refunded and just fly back. Purchased a round trip ticket for that very contingency and actually used it once.
Thanks for giving consistent advice on inspection. The question is how I get a mechanic that is local to engage inspect the car. If you have any advice on that - I'd love to take that up. Seemed like Brian_M intended to include a link that might be useful but there was no link.
I have enough money limit on my credit card. Just not sure if they will accept that. But - worth checking as that'd solve the problem.
In my most recent case I was looking at a Subaru and simply found a Subaru enthusiast group on facebook local to the seller and asked for recommendations.
Failing that just google for shops in the area with good reviews and call them up and see if they'll do a pre-purchase inspection by appointment.
Not much different from how you would find a good mechanic in your own town these days.
Dealerships network. Get the car sent to a dealer closer to your drive ability. Most will accept a conditional sale.
I had my car transferred from a dealership in Virginia to PA. With the cavet that it had to be in solid mechanical shape and other varients to protect my investment. The $500 was a good faith gesture.
Inquire if that is viable option. I cannot endorse buying sight unseen or undriven just based off the dealers ad.
Our freelance inspectors have both hands out..and dealers have been known to slide them some cash to improve the deal....
I am strongly considering buying a fixed low mileage VW TDI (Diesel). To share my reasoning for the background: Ultimately, we plan to buy an electric vehicle, but find the options are limited, and those that we find attractive (Tesla, Jaguar), although affordable, are overpriced and seem like a waste of money for the use we have in mind - mostly local driving. So, we are planning to get a very good used car for a 4-8 year horizon and switch when ready. We like the VW TDIs mainly for the fuel economy, torque (we live in an area with steep slopes), past satisfactory experience and preference for VW/Audi driver satisfaction. This is just for background.
The vehicle I am considering buying is an out-of-state with internet listing. The dealer is located is around 700 miles away. So, I can go there to pick up the car but will have to decide remotely whether to buy or not, as going there and to test drive or taking it for inspection is not practical.
The areas I need advice on is -
Pricing: To what degree are the internet prices negotiable. The price I have seen is in line with the prices of the model elsewhere (considering mileage). So, any negotiation has to be remote - and my interest would be evident in just considering the buying location this far away. FYI - I focused on this dealer as the vehicle mileage is low and alternatives have mileage of 10,000 or more when this alternative is below 5,000.
The dealer represents that there has been a single owner, no accident, CarFax etc. Does it make sense to skip the inspection and buy it remotely given the low mileage? Alternately, how can I have it inspected from far away - without knowing anyone there / nearby, and how much value it might add?
What contingencies can/should I put in an offer to buy?
Assuming I buy it with condition that it is as stipulated - what is the best way to pay? I can't exactly drive there and expect them to take a personal check. I also cannot exactly wire them money without taking possession of the car - and the amount is too big to take in cash.
Anything else you would advise me to consider.
I just did this. Bought a CPO 2014 Jetta Sportwagen TDI. In fact, it was even more complicated...I live in CA, bought the car in OR and had it registered in NV.
I am assuming you are buying a CPO car from a VW dealership. I think that saves some headache compared to buying a non CPO car.
I'm not sure how much price negotiation there is. When I searched there was no negotiation...in fact the dealers in CA wanted to add $495 to $995 for dealer added extras (3m protection on front end, teflon coating) which inflated the advertised price. I got fed up so I looked out of state, found a car in Oregon (also had the color I really wanted). The Oregon dealership did not add anything other than regular taxes and documentation fees. You will have to pay taxes based on where you will register the car.
Some dealerships are experiencing high demand for the TDIs and are loading up on them, so don't expect much negotiation. I wanted a specific interior and exterior color. You may have some luck if you want a silver or gray car with a black interior, those are more common. If the dealership has had the car for more than 30-45 days, they do often lower the advertised price of the car.
In order to have it inspected, you'll have to have a friend go by the dealership and look for you. Short of that, you'll have to rely on good HD pictures. My car is not perfect, there are a number of nicks and scratches, especially on the rear bumper. Don't expect perfection it is a used car. None of the cars I saw were perfect.
Look at the Carfax to make sure it is clean. With a CPO car, there should be less worry, they go through an inspection. CPO cars will have in the Carfax that it was bought by VW in Auburn Hills, MI. In addition, they have a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty and a 10 year, 120k (or 4 year 48k from time of sale, depending upon mileage of the car) warranty on the diesel fixes and fuel system.
I spoke with the dealer to confirm prices and make the deal. I had the dealership sign on the offer sheet for the final price (non-binding but a sign of good faith), they will ask for your signature also. The dealership knew I was serious and held the car for a short while without deposit. I flew up in about a weeks' time to complete the deal. I wrote them a check for the down payment and financed the rest (it was only 2.49% for 60 months). If you pay in full you'll have to ask the dealership what they will accept as payment. It is a little risky to buy a car from long distance. If buying a CPO car MAKE SURE YOU KNOW ALL WARRANTIES, FINANCING (if applicable) AND FEATURES of the CPO promotion. It's possible the car has an issue or they could renege on the deal, I've had the latter happen years ago (though I only drove 60 miles to the dealership). So there is a chance you will fly home empty handed. Be prepared to do that. But I had a good experience with my TDI purchase.
And I just had the car lifted so it's easier to get in and out:
Last edited by Vic Romano; 07-18-2018 at 05:50 PM..
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