Trade it or keep it???

A) Are you really prepared to switch from diesel to gasoline?

B) In the deepest part of your psyche, do you think that a new VW will be as reliable as the one you currently have?

C) Taking into account what you can get for your current car (sale or trade) plus the discounts, how much will the cost of the new car exceed the cost of keeping your current car running for the time you're prepared to keep it? [And, I think there's some Fed program which gives some credit or deduction for sales tax on new cars 'til the end of the year]

D) Don't you really, really want a new car?

Well Bert You've asked the same questions I've been mulling over. A) I like the mpg's, but we don't drive enough to really matter. Gas is everywhere and I don't need rubber gloves to fill it up. B) IDK, I hate to gamble. If your read these boards enough, you'd never buy any car. C) Again, a gamble. The Tranny could die tomorrow....You never know. D) Since we have a stripped down GL, a nice new loaded car would have some great options. Plus with the free service and such. Makes for a strong argument. Would you trade up?

Cecil

blah, blah, blah......

Well, I'm driving an '02 Passat GLS Wagon, so, yeah, I find myself thinking the same things.

On the other hand, just doing the arithmetic, I've convinced myself that spending $15-20K for essentially the same car with newer upholstery isn't in the cards right now.

The fact that I'm retired and the car hardly leaves the garage has a lot to do with my thinking too; that likely doesn't apply in your case.

I've driven some real pieces of junk in my life, but the Passat has been no trouble at all, so I think I'll keep it 'til it does something to change my mind :-) [My wife says: 'Damned right you'll keep it!']

I was one of the earliest Diesel proponents back in 1978 (I think).

I waiting for a VW Diesel to add to my Audi A6 Quattro.

41000 miles is only about 10% of its probable lifespan before a rebuilt.

I'd keep that thing and your money in your wallet.

I agree with CP...........keep the current ride, especially since you don't do a lot of driving anyway, and keep your money (maybe $10K) you were going to use for the new upgrade for any possible repairs.

Just have it maintained regularly so that any repair will be caught and will be small. ;-) Budget $2K a year and treat it like an Auto Health Savings Account! lol

JMHO >> No, I ain't talkin bout the wife :)

You can't afford any major repair bills but you can afford to buy a new car and take the depretiation hit? I say keep what you've got, it's barely run in.

Depreciation doesn't affect the wallet immediately like a major repair would. Also a new car has payments affecting the wallet a little at a time.

The best system is this...

Find out what the monthly payments on a new car will be.

Keep the old one, and each month (without fail) put in a seperate savings account that amount. When repairs are needed, raid this account. When...

The amount in the savings account equals the cost of a new car, buy the new car, or

The amount in the savings account hits zero because of excessive repairs, give up on the old car!

THEN your mind was already made up!!!

Have fun with your new ride! ;-)

Consider the positive effects of delayed gratification.

I find it amazing how many people, who actually managed to save enough to buy a new car, realize once they have the cash in their hand, that the new car really isn't that important...

I went through the same thoughts when buying an '08 Jetta to replace my '95 Jetta. After over 10 years I was bored, ready for a change. The kid needed a new ride and couldn't find one it as good a shape for $k's more or 5 years newer. Still seems to be holding up, even with a novice manual tranny driver :O

You probably won't need the expensive repairs if you keep up on the maintenance. You're in the middle of the 'golden' time for a good car, I.e. after break-in and before stuff starts to wear out. No payments, minor repairs, a little higher maintenance. Just run the thing, do the normal maintenance and save up for bigger repairs or the next car. Not only will you not be paying interest, you'll be making some.

For most folks tho', buying a car is an emotional decision, which they then wrap around with pseudo logical crap to convince themselves it wasn't. The biggest crock is not running their current reasonably sized car into the ground, but buying a hybrid to be 'green'. Yeah, right.

Better to save up and buy a car with cash, I think. By not getting a loan, you'll avoid paying several thousand dollars extra just for interest.

Eric

That sorta happened to me.. I bought a new '09 VW Rabbit in October

2008 and had saved up almost enough for it; I got a $6,000 loan for it and paid off the loan by June 2009. I have a new car that's paid for, but I often imagine I may have still been happy with my old car. My old car burned oil (so I just had to watch that often and keep its oil topped up), but it got good gas mileage. I was laid off 3 months after I bought my '09 Rabbit, and if I had the patience to continue saving money for my next car (or if I knew I would be laid off), I wouldn't have bought the new car in light of my current jobless situation.

Eric

The new car would be a simple small monthly bill versus a possible large lump sum repair bill. Smart money would say save the monthly payment to be prepared for the lump sum. Easier said than done, and I'm not so sure anyone can properly repair some of the parts to these cars. Hell, read some of the post in this NG and it'll scare anyone.

Cecil

The new car would be a simple small monthly bill versus a possible large lump sum repair bill. Smart money would say save the monthly payment to be prepared for the lump sum. Easier said than done, and I'm not so sure anyone can properly repair some of the parts to these cars. Hell, read some of the post in this NG and it'll scare anyone.

Cecil

Don't forget about the balance shaft upgrade which /will/ need to be done - many B5.5 Passat TDIs have gone TU due to the oil pump chain tensioner (or hex shaft) not allowing the oil pump to work. Read up:

Regards OSB

Will Hell! That's part of what scares me. How do I know this is my engine? Also, What about the timing belt? I know we aren't near the mileage, but wouldn't time play into this? At the rate we're going, the car will be nearly ten years old before we hit the replacement mileage. Will the belt survive ten years? I don't like or trust any of the dealer shops around here and am very leery about it all. And thanks for the info Ted.

Cecil

Don't forget about the balance shaft upgrade which /will/ need to be done - many B5.5 Passat TDIs have gone TU due to the oil pump chain tensioner (or hex shaft) not allowing the oil pump to work. Read up:

Regards OSB