Volkswagen auto group likely wants you to forget about the scandal that rocked the automotive world a few years ago. Recently, Volkswagen released a software fix for the effected vehicles that resulted in a slight reduction of power and fuel economy, but now it meets the exhaust emissions requirements enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency.
For those who don’t know, Volkswagen released the “Clean Diesel” vehicles that were relatively powerful, and achieved remarkable fuel economy while producing outstandingly low engine exhaust levels. This was previously thought to be impossible, but Volkswagen had claimed they had worked tirelessly to develop a “clean diesel” engine.
What had actually happened, was a way to cheat traditional emission testing was developed. When vehicles are tested for emissions, typically they are placed on a dynamometer, where the drive wheels are on rollers, to simulate driving, while the non-drive wheels remain stationary. The engineers developed a software that noticed the cars drive wheels were turning, but the non-drive wheels weren’t, triggering the engines computer into a mode that produced less power, used more fuel, but made fewer emissions. As clever as this was, eventually independent dynamometer operators caught this odd software glitch, and the word got out; Volkswagen cheated.
I’ll spare the specifics, but in the end, it cost Volkswagen an estimated $7.3 billion US dollars in fines and costs to buy back and fix the cheating cars worldwide. Also, quite a few Volkswagen executives resigned and at least one even went to prison over the scandal. Approximately 500,000 cars were cheating emissions in the United States alone. Volkswagen offered to buy the cars back, offering thousands over what the fair market value of the vehicle was. The end result was Volkswagen rented out huge paved lots in places all over the United States to park thousands of bought-back cheating cars, such as the abandoned Silverdome in Detroit. There they sat for over a year. Nobody seemed to know what the future was for these cars, many only a year old with very low miles.
Now that the fix is out, there are a ton of low mileage TDI cars available on the used car market. This made me start searching. I searched only cars for sale under Volkswagen’s Certified Used vehicle program for two reasons; first, a lot of these cars have been sitting for a while. The Certified program offers a 2 year unlimited bumper to bumper warranty. One would think that any of the problems that could pop up in a car because it sat without running for a year or two would likely show up within 2 years of regular use. The other reason is that it is a Volkswagen, and Volkswagens haven’t had the most spotless record of reliability during the past few decades. Granted, this generation of TDI engine has been proven to be relatively reliable, it never hurts to protect yourself, at least for a couple of years. The most significant issue I have been able to find with this TDI engine is caused by the poor quality diesel fuel sold in the US, and if you pour in a little diesel fuel additive at each fill up, it seems to drastically reduce, if not eliminate the fuel system failures experienced by some owners.
Please bear in mind, I did a nationwide search on cars.com, so I encourage you to do a little searching close to home, but if you are willing to travel, the deals will likely be better.
I want an almost new car for really cheap!
First up is this 2015 Jetta with only 17,200 miles for only $12,900. What else can you find in the used car market that offers 2 year warranty that covers just about everything, with under 20,000 miles that isn’t a really basic entry-level car. The Jetta is a decently sized car, with power windows, keyless entry, heated seats and even satellite radio! It has a real back seat that can hold adults or rear facing child seats.
I want a hatchback and a little more European flair!
Well then check out this Golf! The Golfs of this era were a little more upscale than the Jettas of the same timeframe. They had a nicer dashboard, gauge cluster, and HVAC controls than Jettas. It was believed among Volkswagen enthusiast circles that the Jetta was made as a price leader for the US market, and the Golf was offered for more traditional European buyers in the US market. This one in particular has Volkswagen’s excellent Dual Clutch automatically shifted manual transmission. Low miles again with a really affordable price.
I want a huge family sedan, with limousine like back seat space and enormous trunk!
Have you looked at the Passat? These cars have a ton of space. I have heard a number of automotive journalist refer to the Passat as the German Buick. They have a comfortable ride, somewhat more premium materials and they are made in Tennessee. This one in particular is nicely optioned with VW’s excellent V-tex, which is their own brand of premium leatherette. It’s know to wear well and require less maintenance than real leather. It also has a sunroof and nice wheels.
I want a convertible!
Can you believe Volkswagen made a Beetle convertible with a diesel engine? Well they did, and they are significantly cheaper now than when they were new. When Volkswagen redesigned the New Beetle, they dropped the “New” and based it off of the significantly improved 6th generation Golf chassis. The interior is a huge improvement with great materials and cool certer gauge pod. This one has under 15,000 miles, and is less than $17,000 dollars. There isn’t a much better deal on a lightly used convertible out there. I find the silver exterior with black interior color combination on this particular car appealing also.
I want a wagon!
I actually managed to find a great deal on a 2015 Golf Sportwagen. This is significant because it is based on the 7th generation Golf chassis which is an improvement over the previous generation. Really low miles again with a super cheap price.
I want a premium 2 row SUV!
Moving a bit more upscale, I had to bump the miles up a bit and the year back a little, but this is still a significantly great deal. The Touareg is a high end platform that is shared with the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. Everything about it is pretty premium. The interior is well made, has wood and it features the 3.0 V6 TDI engine. These were really expensive when they were new. This is likely less than half of the original MSRP. It competes with the Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel, but in my opinion, this is a much nicer car, and is available for much less.
I want a car with a premium brand name!
The Audi A3 is a handsome sedan that is based on the Volkswagen Golf Chassis. It has an extremely nice interior and is perfect if you want to arrive at your destination in a premium brand. This one has under 20,000 miles and is under $20,000. New Honda Civic? Or slightly used Audi A3 TDI? It’s a compelling argument. I do think it is worth pointing out, for some reason, Audi’s certified program only offers a 1 year bumper to bumper warranty. I don’t know why a premium brand offers less warranty, but it does.
I want a 2 row SUV, but with a premium brand!
The Audi Q5 is a perfectly sized SUV that shares a chassis with the Porsche Macan. This one only has 22,000 miles and it ringing in under $30,000. It’s an extremely nice SUV.
I want a three-row SUV with a premium brand!
The same great chassis that is under the Touareg and Cayenne is right here but with a third row of seats, so you can haul around 7 people if you like. This one has some more miles on it than a lot of the others I’ve listed, but it’s a ton of vehicle for the money.
I want a diesel Porsche!
Ok, I don’t think that phrase has ever been uttered before, but you have an opportunity to own one for a very reasonable price! 42,000 miles for 32,900. It looks like Porsche has a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty and the ad mentions something about it still has powertrain warranty. I think the reason to go with the Cayenne is it an already good chassis, tuned by Porsche, with an incredible interior. I don’t think the diesel is the right choice for this application, but perhaps a drive in one could change my mind.
Is a diesel right for you?
Ok, perhaps buying a diesel Volkswagen product with a diesel engine isn’t the best decision for you, but the deals are certainly compelling. Almost every genre of vehicle is represented here, all great prices for their segment. I would have to give it serious consideration if I were shopping right now.