GLI

1204_vw_cc

2012-13 Volkswagen Lease Rates – April 2012

Published by G

2013 CC lease rates is out with $500 lease cash incentive. I personally recommend snagging a remaning 2012 because of the 0% financing for up to 72 months. The lease cash on the 2012 is much larger too ($1750) and the lease rate on it is still pretty good: 49% @ 0.00009 MF (Thanks for the info Mac).

Leasing is all about timing folks. You also have to do your homework and be flexible with what you want to drive. Leasing vs buying also plays a huge part in what makes sense. 0% financing for retail purchases is a no-brainer for most people, however, that also depends on the car you plan to get. If you plan to get married and start a family, buying a 2+2 coupe probably doesn’t make much sense, but leasing one does.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5L S W/ APPEARANCE AT
MSRP – $23,460
Sale Price – $21,380 ($1250 lease bonus cash applied)
Monthly – $253+ tax
RWG Rating – 91.6

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2013 VOLKSWAGEN CC SPORT PLUS AT
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00015 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5L S W/ APPEARANCE AT
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00013 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN EOS KOMFORT AT
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00002 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00014 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GTI 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00034 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN S AT
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00014 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN SE AT (ALL TRIMS)
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00007 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GLI SEDAN AT
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00048 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON S AT
36 Month – Residual 49% of MSRP – .00011 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG VR6 SPORT
36 Month – Residual 44% of MSRP – .00055 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN S 4MOTION
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00033 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN S
36 Month – Residual 46% of MSRP – .00027 Base Rate

1203_vw_tiguan

2012 Volkswagen Lease Rates – March 2012

Published by G

VW just bumped the lease cash for the CC by $250 bucks AND is providing 0% financing for up to 72 month!!!! There is a drop in residual value, so I think the extra cash was introduced to offset that (keeping the lease exactly the same as Feb). The MF is already very low (0.00009 vs 0.00012 in Feb) so there was only so much they could go before having to drop some more money at it.

Either way you go (lease of finance), I think you’ll find that a good deal can be had on the CC this month.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC SPORT AT
MSRP – $30,435
Sale Price – $26,596 ($1750 lease bonus cash applied)
Monthly – $328+ tax
RWG Rating – 91.6

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2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC SPORT AT
36 Month – Residual 49% of MSRP – .00009 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5L S W/ APPEARANCE AT
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00013 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN EOS KOMFORT AT
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00013 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00014 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GTI 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00034 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN S AT
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00014 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN SE AT (ALL TRIMS)
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00007 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GLI SEDAN AT
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00048 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON S AT
36 Month – Residual 49% of MSRP – .00011 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG VR6 SPORT
36 Month – Residual 44% of MSRP – .00055 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN S 4MOTION
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00033 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN S
36 Month – Residual 46% of MSRP – .00027 Base Rate

1202_vw_passat

2012 Volkswagen Lease Rates – February 2012

Published by G

No change on the residuals, but you will notice a slight drop in MFs for a few models. That’s good news for us since it just got less expensive to borrow money from VWC. The CC is not a bad deal this month since there is $1500 lease bonus available to customers. However, nothing beats 0% financing for up to 72 months, so you may want to look into that as a possibility if you are open to buying. Check out the CC’s sample calculation below to get an idea on how the CC lease looks like this month. Not bad huh?


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC SPORT AT
MSRP – $30,435
Sale Price – $26,846 ($1500 loyalty cash applied)
Monthly – $328+ tax
RWG Rating – 91.6

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
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Edmunds.com
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2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC SPORT AT
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00012 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5L S W/ APPEARANCE AT
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00011 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN EOS KOMFORT AT
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00013 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00033 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GTI 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00052 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN S AT
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00044 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN SE AT W/ CONV + SUNROOF
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00011 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GLI SEDAN AT
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00055 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON S AT
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00030 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG VR6 SPORT
36 Month – Residual 45% of MSRP – .00001 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN S 4MOTION
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00084 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN S
36 Month – Residual 47% of MSRP – .00048 Base Rate

1201_vw_beetle

2012 Volkswagen Lease Rates – January 2012

Published by G

VW money factors are really good this month. The problem is that the residual and discounts off MSRP are just “okay” on most models. Not exactly a recipe for great leases if you ask me. If you factor the “trade-in” issue and disposition fees, VW leases begin to look somewhat unattractive.

Oh! Here’s a random VW related incident. Last weekend, as I washed my wife’s Jetta, I noticed the sheet metal of the passenger side’s door was loose. Apparently a screw came off, which was weird. In the nearly 20 years I have been driving cars, I’ve never experienced that. Dealer fixed it quickly and it really wasn’t a huge deal, but it did get me thinking about the long-term longevity of VWs as a whole. Funny how such trivial things leave such big impressions on me. LOL.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5L S W/ APPEARANCE AT
MSRP – $23,460
Sale Price – $22,630
Monthly – $274+ tax
RWG Rating – 86.6

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
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CarsDirect.com


2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC SPORT AT
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00012 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5L S W/ APPEARANCE AT
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00011 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN EOS KOMFORT AT
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00022 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00033 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GTI 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00063 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN S AT
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00052 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN SE AT W/ CONV + SUNROOF
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00022 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GLI SEDAN AT
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00064 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON S AT
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00039 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG VR6 SPORT
36 Month – Residual 45% of MSRP – .00037 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN S 4MOTION
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00084 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN S
36 Month – Residual 47% of MSRP – .00048 Base Rate

1112_vw_beetle_r

2012 Volkswagen Lease Rates – December 2011

Published by G

There has been a reduction on the MF for the Passat this month. That’s good news because I thought the .00099 MF last month was a tad high. It’s been reduced to .00058 plus the residual has stayed the same. The deal still isn’t as good as I thought it would be due to a measly 4% discount off MSRP in my region. Maybe you will fare better in your neck of the woods. If you are looking to lease one of these and then pay off the car in a balloon payment at lease end, it might not bad a bad idea since the interest rate is 1.39% on the lease VS 1.9% on a purchase. However, if you can’t do a balloon payment at lease end, just buy it using this 1.9% APR. It will be cheaper in the long run.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5L S W/ APPEARANCE AT
MSRP – $23460
Sale Price – $22530
Monthly – $288+ tax
RWG Rating – 83.7

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
TrueCar.com


2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC SPORT AT
36 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00028 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5L S W/ APPEARANCE AT
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00058 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN EOS KOMFORT AT
36 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00037 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00084 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GTI 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00105 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN S AT
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00055 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN SE AT W/ CONV + SUNROOF
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00028 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GLI SEDAN AT
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00069 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON S AT
36 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00068 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG VR6 SPORT
36 Month – Residual 46% of MSRP – .00064 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN S 4MOTION
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00129 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN S
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00094 Base Rate

1110_vw_cc

2011-2012 Volkswagen Lease Rates – October 2011

Published by G

It seems like VW dealers are giving only about 4% off MSRP on the GLI, CC and Passat this month. Given this type of discount, the CC and the Passat are probably the better options. The GLI doesn’t get much lease support (in terms of cash) while the CC gets $1250 lease cash and the Passat gets $1000 plus it has good lease rates. I can’t say the car is, but with numbers like that, the Passat S w/ Appearance pkg is shaping up to be a fairly good lease this month.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5L S W/ APPEARANCE AT
MSRP – $23460
Sale Price – $21530
Monthly – $250+ tax
RWG Rating – 92.4

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2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC SPORT AT
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00038 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5L S W/ APPEARANCE AT
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00030 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN EOS KOMFORT AT
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00025 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00070 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GTI 2DR HATCHBACK AT
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00094 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN S AT
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00063 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN GLI SEDAN AT
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00047 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON S AT
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00085 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG VR6 SPORT
36 Month – Residual 47% of MSRP – .00067 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN S 4MOTION
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00155 Base Rate

2011 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN S
36 Month – Residual 42% of MSRP – .00135 Base Rate

sonatamain

Replacing the G – Round Two

Published by G

I’m not quite sure how many rounds I will need in order to narrow the list down to my “top five” choices, but I can tell you that I have come much closer thanks in part to the 2010 OC Auto show and the test drives I have done so far. Here is an update of my “Wish List” along with some extra comments:

The Large SUV Group

  • Honda Pilot – This is barely making the cut right now.  Not overly impressed nor extremely disappointed.
  • Mazda CX-9 – It’s nice, it’s roomy and depending on the test drive, it could really be a contender.
  • Chevy Traverse – This car is relatively new, but it feels aged compared to Chevy’s newer offering. Even the GMC Acadia, which is practically the same SUV feels newer.
  • Toyota Highlander – Cheapness, is it’s weakness. Even a newly redesigned exterior can’t overcome the cheapness.
  • Ford Explorer – Much uglier in person, but I didn’t get to see the interior since they didn’t have a display model on the floor for people play with. Either way, I don’t think the lease will be attractive enough for it to warrant any consideration at this point. I may consider revisiting it down the road if an attractive lease pops up.

Overall, this group is starting to look really bad. I suspect the Pilot might get booted due to it’s styling and less-than-exciting interior, leaving the CX-9 as the top choice in this category.

The Compact SUV Group

  • Toyota RAV4 – Cost-cutting has really made this SUV hard to love. The hard plastics reeks of cheapness and the interior dash is uninspiring. Even if its inexpensive to lease, I don’t think I want one since Toyota’s lease program leaves much to be desired.
  • Ford Edge – This is a well-built SUV with a better-than-average interior. I haven’t seen any special leases on it, but it’s still early in the model year.
  • Infiniti EX35 – Test drove it a few weekends ago and my impression is that it’s a  solid crossover. It’s smooth over bumps, powerful, quiet and it drives like a G with higher ground clearance. There is also a lot of dealer cash on this car right now, which potentially knocks off a lot off the MSRP, making it a really good lease. Unfortunately I think it falls really short in two areas, cargo and MPG. It is still fairly practical since folding down the rear seats exposes quite a bit of cargo room, but I think of this car as a hatchback with poor MPG more than a true crossover.
  • VW Tiguan – Saw it at the show and I’ve driven it before; my folks also own one. Cargo wise its slightly better than the EX, but not by much. No Wolfsburg edition planned just for 2011 (yet) so my only choices would be the S and the SE trims.
  • Acura RDX – Test drove this as well and found it to be a serviceable crossover. I will not wow you, but it is all you should expect from Acura; Roomy and reliable with above average performance. The 4-banger turbo does not have a very noticeable lag which is impressive. Comes well-equipped, but it doesn’t have it all unless you go with the Tech. In my case, I can’t justify the cost. The exterior styling doesn’t really impress me much, but I think having an excellent lease program does.
  • Subaru Forester – I think it has a slight edge against the Outback. After looking at them side by side, I like it a little better.

If I had to guess, the Forester, Tiguan and the RDX will end up battling it in the payment department. I just don’t think Ford provides enough lease incentives to make the Edge a contender.

The Wagon Group

  • Audi A3 – I am a big fan of  TDI model, but I am willing to settle for a FrontTrak Premium. It’s driving dynamics shouldn’t be too different than my wife’s Jetta so I think it will end up coming down to a price war between the other finalists.
  • VW Jetta Sportwagen – Saw the TDI version at the show, love the Pano sunroof. Thankfully, it retains the nicer interior of the older Jettas, which is a plus. I did see the “new Jetta” and if you have seen “older” models, you will notice a difference. The interior materials haven’t been downgraded much, but the cabin certainly feels more “simplified”. The exterior styling isn’t too bad, but it feels more “vanilla” compared to the outgoing model.
  • VW Golf TDI – As nice as expected, looks like a more civilized version of the GTI and gets crazy gas mileage. Big fan, hopefully the lease rates will look good when the time comes.
  • VW GTI – I have to say, I am not a big fan of those cloth seats, but I love everything else.
  • Subaru Outback – I like it, but I have to admit that there are better cars. AWD certainly helps it’s case.

The Wagon group shows a lot more promise due to the more reasonable payments, practicality and fuel economy. My first choice would be the A3, but at this point any of these are a possibility.

The Sedan Group

  • Acura TSX – Acuras hold a special place in my heart, so this is a no brainer. I will likely opt for the Tech, but it all depends on the price.
  • Acura TL – Ditto on the TL. If a TSX with Tech were to be around the same as a TL base, I’d take the TL.
  • Hyundai Sonata – Saw the 2.0 Turbo and the Hybrid at the show, lovely inside and out. I got around to test drive the Limited model and I came away impressed. Quiet, smooth and with ample power. It’s no G37, but I didn’t expect it to be. Inexpensive, well-built and easy on the eyes. The closest thing to a win-win situation if there was one.
  • Infiniti G37 – I’ve been plagued with battery issues on my G37 this past year, with yesterday being the latest incident (I couldn’t get my car started for the 3rd time this year and I didn’t even leave any of my lights on). I think I will be skipping Infinitis this time around.
  • Nissan Maxima – Being the G37’s cousin dooms it’s chances. See above.

This is the “fall-back” category. I don’t think I would pick a sedan over the other categories due to my need for “room”. However, money talks and sedans have better lease programs than anything out there right now. The Sonata is a perennial favorite here, with the 2.0T being my top choice. My fall back would be the TSX, with the TL close behind.

g37main

Replacing the G – Round One

Published by G

I know I am jumping the gun by doing a write-up about my “next ride” considering I have another 10 months left on my lease. However, my wife has began dropping hints about what my next ride should be. “Something practical, something bigger…something that will keep your paws off my Jetta” she says.  Sadly, it looks like my G37 has become rather impractical and the wife has finally put me on notice.

I can’t say I blame her because in recent months, her car has become the designated “airport shuttle”. If that wasn’t bad enough, we have also been using her car to haul some furniture from Office Depot and weekly trips to Costco. Unfortunately, it seems that life has finally caught up with me and I can no longer ignore the other “needs” in life.

So now I am faced with a dilemma….what exactly can I get that will fulfill the following requirements…

  • seating for at least five people
  • practical cargo space
  • above average performance
  • similar or better MPG than the 18/24 I am getting now
  • costs no more than what I currently pay ($1300/$424 per month), preferably, less!

After careful consideration over the past month, I’ve come up with a general “Wish List” of potential cars/SUVs that may satisfy my needs.

The Large SUV Group

Honda Pilot
Mazda CX-9
Chevy Traverse
Toyota Highlander
Ford Explorer

The Compact SUV Group

Toyota RAV4
Ford Edge
Infiniti EX35
VW Tiguan
Acura RDX

The Wagon Group

Audi A3
VW Jetta Sportwagen
VW Golf TDI
VW GTI
Subaru Outback

The Sedan Group

Acura TSX
Acura TL
Hyundai Sonata
Infiniti G37
Nissan Maxima

For the next few months, I will take the time to do some test drives in order to narrow down the list some more. Keeping in mind the requirements listed above, I would love to hear your opinions and any recommendations you may have.