Want to tell me about it? I’m thinking about buying one (specifically, this one at the moment.) Has yours been reliable? Cheap to run? Would you buy it again knowing what you know now?
Bueller?
It looks clean, but seems like a lot of dough for as many years old it is. For that kind of money you can buy a new car. Back in 2012 I paid $15,000 OTD for a new 2011 Ford Focus that had been on the lot for a year. It was a sweet car; tight construction, GREAT seats, and got great gas mileage although it didn’t have many fancy features, just air and an am/fm radio.
The car you’re looking at looks great with many extras, but maybe you should consider doing a (nasty?) low-ball number and offer 'em 11,000 cash??
Good luck!
Problem is that VWs hold their value a lot better than Fords (and cost more to start with.) Edmunds has the dealer retail value as $17,813 (for a “clean”, non-certified car.)
IMVVHO, Volkswagens have been rather overpriced for the last couple of decades. There are better cars, cheaper to own and maintain, with better performance and features, for less. Sometimes lots less. You’re sort of paying Audi-tinged prices for KIAlike cars.
The GTI is the “hot hatch” version of the Golf that has a fast engine and other various goodies. The equivalent Focus would be the Focus ST which goes for about $25k, just like the GTI. $17k is probably a pretty normal price.
Although there is certainly the school of thought that says buying these sorts of cheap performance-oriented cars used isn’t the best idea because their owners tend to flog them. I’d especially be nervous about the effect 50k of spirited driving would have on the DSG transmission used on them (plus, really, an automatic on this car?).
It’s a tiptronic/paddle-shift/whatever, not a true automatic. Unfortunately, a full-on manual is not an option because my wife will need to drive it occasionally (and frankly I spend far too much time in traffic to live with a manual now.)
I’m definitely cognizant of the fact that it might have been driven hard and put away wet. I know what to look for, mostly - I nearly bought an Integra Type R a while back, which is even more of a hooligan’s car.
Like another posted said, I’ve always thought these VW models seem too pricey though, for reasons I don’t understand, this year said models are winning car magazine awards, so maybe they’ve tweeked 'em out in some special way since last year and before.
I’d love to own one, because no doubt they are very nice cars, but at the moment I can hardly afford a bus pass.
I have a 2013 Autobahn (manual) with 23,000 miles. It’s been lots of fun so far, and not needed much unscheduled maintenance so far (the water pump and an O2 sensor have been replaced, under warranty; had to replace two tires wrecked by potholes).
We bought a used 2001 Golf convertible for fun and I worked briefly at VW of America in a past life. Don’t be fooled by “German Engineering”; that usually means technically excellent when brand new but sometimes strange, over-embellished designs requiring a $$specialist to repair. The basic drivetrain is as good as any other midrange car but I found a lot of plastic engine systems parts that fall apart over time. Again, really cool design when new at the factory. VW’s can have some neat interior details but there are way better car deals for $11,000. I might consider the current Beetle for cuteness if I found one for ~$3000.
Thanks! You selling? 
Is the Golf the same mechanics as the new Beetle?
I think I heard that years ago.
If it is and the population has turned on the Beetle (remember the VW 411/412?), you might save a bundle
Or not. Turbo Beetle.
This would be comparable to a GTI.
Yeah, Beetle’s no good. First, it’s way too kitschy for me, and second the whole reason I’m buying another car is so I can put furniture in the back (so I need a wagon or proper hatchback.)
