My Vw Gti

[nc211]

I think there is hope for VW! I love those A6's! I actually love every car they've got out right now, I think they're very stylish, unique, and classy in a timeless sort of way. Just a little to expensive for my budget though. Speaking of which, I tried the Costco car buyer service this morning for giggles on a new GTI Autobahn model (top of the line). MSRP of $32,500, invoice of $30,000. Went through the easy steps online, and before I could finish reading the computer screen, I had a call from a VW here in town. In short, if what he said is true, the Costco approach would bring it down into the high $20's for a 4 door 2012 white GTI. He wouldn't give me the exact price without coming to visit in person, but said "way under invoice, thousands". When I said "so, the first number is a 2 then, not a 3", he responded "absolutely". Don't know if anyone has ever gone this route before, seems a little too good to be true, but if it is true, might be one in my garage a lot sooner than next March! I like the 0% 5 year money too...

One other thing I forgot to mention in my "likes" list on the car - the mpg's. SW knows our traffic around here, and knows my daily commute route, which is almost 40 miles exactly round trip. Heavy traffic, yet still average around 28 mpg's with my jack rabbit turbo happy right foot. Cruising speed of about 75mph gives me around 32mpgs. I can't argue with that.

[nc211]

I couldn't resist fellas. - at the dealership now waiting for my brand new 4 door Autobahn GTI to be brought around, White this time, black leather, Bluetooth, Nav, premium sound, adaptive bihid headlights. Will post pictures later! Dealer gave me $200 over payoff, an cut price by over $2k!

[LEXIRX330]

Where are the PICs? good stuff!

[nc211]

Can we not post pics from the mobile site setup? I cant find the button anywhere?

At the end of the day, my 07 was bought used, still had a loan balance on it, and was facing around $1,900 in repair costs for the mileage and Chocago rough roads. Rotors were literally staring to rust through the surfaces, tires were cupped, and it turned out that 3 of the 4 rims were bent. All of this was outside the warranty blanket. Facing the 60k mile marker (literally traded it in with 59,943 miles) for value hit, plus the needed 60 fluid change to keep the warranty in line (again outside of warranty), it just didn't make sense to spend the money on a car that apparently had a carfax blemish, which killed its value anyway. I knew I was going to trade it in during bonus season, but realized when I almost ran into someone on Monday morning that the brakes weren't going to make it to March, it was time to do the math. $2,000 spread across 7 months, was going to cost a lot more than car payment differences from 07' to fully loaded new 2013 over the same time period. So, basically I bought all the repairs needed today for about 50% of the price, and ended up with one badass little German speed monkey! Can I not post pics from iPhone?

[LEXIRX330]

No pics unless you upload the photo to another site and post the link! (I know). We need to work on the mobile site. The Mod features are really limited too!

Congrats in the VW NC! That is awesome...was kind of facing the same dilemma with the BMW, just did brakes front and back and rotors on the front. Will need tires soon. But I am keeping it, so far it has been great (knocking on wood). And I think I am getting ready to put in a pool! Maybe...

[pj8708]

I couldn't resist fellas. - at the dealership now waiting for my brand new 4 door Autobahn GTI to be brought around, White this time, black leather, Bluetooth, Nav, premium sound, adaptive bihid headlights. Will post pictures later! Dealer gave me $200 over payoff, an cut price by over $2k!

It's obvious we need to talk with your family about an intervention, then getting you into a 12 step program for those that have the inability to drive by a car dealership. LOL

Sounds great and good looking. Congratulations!

[nc211]

Haha! Good luck with that Paul!! I counted tonight as I was waiting for the car - been married 6 years. In that timeframe I've had 4 addresses - 2 owned and 2 rented, three towns, 3 jobs, 2 kids, 3 cats......and 8 cars! Aren't gonna be anymore kids (or a doctor is getting sued). I'm done with cats in general. Love my wife, she is simply awesome, probably will change up the job again in a few years towards higher levels of management (knock on wood), and have absolutely no desire or need for another house (sorry Steve, you worked yourself out of a job with me last fall!)

That....leaves me with cars....lots and lots of cars! Of course, it doesn't help when my office is located in a high concentration of real estate bankers, lawyers, investors, and ego fat heads, whereby the main drag is lined with every car dealership known to man, from Masserati / Austinmartin / Lamborgini, to Kia. Everyday I am forced to slowly creep by the Porsche dealer with his 911's siting front, and they are so nice, oh so nice. The GTI though is probably as close to owning one as I'll ever get, and I'm ok with that actually.

This new one definitely has a lot more "Audi" in it. Story goes that VW had Porsche redesign the GTI for the 2006 model series, and that's when they started to win back the praise for the car. This series, delivered in 2010, seems to keep much of that influence, with Audi softening up some of the interior edges. I hear on the VW boards that the next series, due here in the states in 2014, is going to be a completely new ball game for the GTI, and should be just fantastic. But also a complete change in manufacturing process as well....which we all know, when it comes to the Germans trying to reinvent the wheel, it can get a bit messy at first. So we'll see how those turn out. All I know is, this MKVI series of the GTI is hands down, simply phenomenal! And very easy to live with in just about every situation on a daily basis. I'll get picks up this weekend for sure. But if you use cars.com, zero down to a white 4-door GTI "Autobahn" model, and that'll be the car.

[lenore]

Hey the fun begins, wait till the kidlets want wheels...More cars yippie.

[nc211]

I'll get more this weekend, but for now, here are a couple from yesterday. The 07' is the black one (if you couldn't tell). My folks are here visiting, and 30 of the 80 miles on the car as of right now, were put there by a 72 year old man who was gigglin' all over Loudoun County, Virginia last night (he's the one checking it out in the driveway about 5 minutes after I got home last night).

[lenore]

they look fun to drive....Hey now you have spare parts....

[nc211]

Thanks Lenore, they are indeed a blast to drive! I traded the black one though for the white one. My spare parts days have been replaced with warranty coverages ;-)

[lenore]

I love Loudin County by the way spent many years there getting training at the Old Xerox Training center. Walked all of those old woods and learned a lot of history of the area. (Leesburg)....Lots of nice two lane roads to practice on also.....

[SW03ES]

Unfortunately Lenore, a lot of those old woods are now housing developments! Incredible development in loudon county.

Congrats Rob, she's a beaut! Enjoy your folks being in town too!

[nc211]

Very true indeed! It's guys like Steve and I who have ruined it too. I pay to have it developed, and he gets paid to sell it, and he's quite good at it. Read a report last week that where I live, from June 2011 to June 2012, average median price for a home jumped nearly 8%! But is not just in Loudoun either - where Steve lives is also booming. In fact, Steve, you're about to have a massive development start in about 90 days in your backyard too. I'm literally finishing up the committee package as we speak for Wednesday. The last (I hope) of the year, so I can get my head out of the bunker and get out more, starting with that lunch!

[SW03ES]

We're the marauders of all that is natural in the metro DC area LOL

In fact, Steve, you're about to have a massive development start in about 90 days in your backyard too. I'm literally finishing up the committee package as we speak for Wednesday.

Which project? The one on the Crown Farm site?

The last (I hope) of the year, so I can get my head out of the bunker and get out more, starting with that lunch!

Just tell me when and where!

[nc211]

Rocks = concrete. Trees = studs. Grass = "lot premium"!

Yep, the first phase is about to start, high end retail with 500+ luxury apartments over top. Two of the areas top players doing it. Nearly identical to one I did in 2007 on the VA side.

I'll send you an email, let's catch up next week!

[lenore]

sorry to see the old bottle dumps, and canal that washington built go away. I was last there in 2004....condo's like crazy on the land that used to be forest. Just shows too much growth in government. Average wage over $121k per year while the private sector average is only $66k....Government has grown 15% probably all in the beltway area.

[SW03ES]

ust shows too much growth in government. Average wage over $121k per year while the private sector average is only $66k....Government has grown 15% probably all in the beltway area.

I don't want this thread to get political, but you'd be surprised how small a percentage of these new home buyers are government employees, LOT of private industry. $121k a year is not high income in DC.

[nc211]

This whole no posting pics from iphone ipad thing is a bit of a hassle. finally got time on the home pc to transfer some pics this morning. Here's a few of the new GTI, one comparing the old (black) to the new one at the dealership last week. I must say, the driving expereince of the new one is an improvement over the 07', but in terms of styling changes, I am impartial as I really loved the tight look of the 07' series. But the little tweaks and improvements they've made with this new series, makes up for all of that by a 100x's. Being as the 2013 is probably the last of this series, rumored that 2014 is giong to be entirely new from the ground up, I'd say they really perfected this series with this model (Autobahn). I.....do love these cars! I've also included a picture of why a sports car is so much fun here in Virginia in general... I think you'll see why

[SW03ES]

Cool! I still miss the big pile of dirt across the street from your house. The swingset is so...ordinary... ;)

[nc211]

Ha! Yeah, some of the neighborhood kids miss it too! We still need to have you and the Mrs. over for some grilling on the back deck. Plus, we still have a picture to take!! I say we wait a few more weeks for the temps to drop though, cause its damn HOT! If you haven't been out here lately, you be surprised at the activity. They'll be 100% complete by probably Thanksgiving, if not sooner. Pushing (and I hear are getting) prices on the back lots north of $60,000 above what we settled at. Those lots are a lot smaller, no views or breeze, same houses as our phase. Stunning, especially coming out of Illinois and the near 3 years I had to watch that market implode. That temp drops a bit, and I get over 1,000 miles on the GTI, I'll hand you the keys and we'll got take her out for a spin out here on these roads. If its anything like my old one, 70' degree cool damp air going into that turbo, turns it into an absolute friggin' riot to drive! Something that if you haven't experienced before, you really should. Just so happens, your buddy NC has one with your name on it!

Hey Lenore - maybe you saw where Obama has an 85% approval rate in this town! Personally speaking, I'm shooting myself in the pud by not voting for him.

[lenore]

Well of course he has a 85%approval in that town...Look at whom he has catered to. Go Figure. I remember the makeup of that part of the woods....Our nations capital is surrouned by welfare recipients. And the government makes up the rest. Who was the 15%....the conservatives hiding in their homes with guns and bible.

[nc211]

Hahaha!! Man, seriously, you really don't believe that as reality do you?

Yeah, more armed bible thumpers is just what we need. I'd think the past ten years of the top stories in the world would sort of prove how dangerously stupid combining the two really are (religion and guns). Besides....the 15% number should be a tip-off... ;-)

[lenore]

Oh man, where is steve and paul, you started it NC....Hey I remember walking through the streets of DC back in 69, from out by the Air Force Base....Not much knowledge and too young to realize the danger. Good thing for a kind black couple that asked why we were walking the neighborhood so late at night. We told them that we were just poor servicemen that couldnt afford a taxi, and saw the lit capitol dome and thought it would be a great night to take a walk. Good folks everywhere, they gave us a ride into town from Suitland Parkway. Pays to trust your fellow man, God bless the honest folks of our nation. They recognized that we could have been a target (my buddy and myself) and did the right thing to show what we Americans are all about. I have always enjoyed my jaunts into the Beltway area....But hey back then the ghetto surrounded the city. Its better now, but kind of sad in those days.

[SW03ES]

Our nations capital is surrouned by welfare recipients.

What!?!? LOL...you have no idea WTF you are talking about. That is the stupidest thing you've ever said . If you think welfare recipients can live anywhere near where nc lives, or where I live...you have no idea what you are talking about. We have some of the highest housing values, and highest rental values in the country. If you want to find welfare recipients...look where you live.

Hey I remember walking through the streets of DC back in 69, from out by the Air Force Base....Not much knowledge and too young to realize the danger. Good thing for a kind black couple that asked why we were walking the neighborhood so late at night.

You need to realize that was 43 years ago and has absolutely no relevance today. Its not only "better now", its one of if not the most prosperous cities/metro areas in the US.

Sure am glad the nice "black" couple stopped you. Thanks for being specific.