Shopping for a New or Used VW? Here’s What to Look Forward To
Chances are, it’s been a very long time since you’ve set foot on a car dealership’s lot. The last couple of years have been fairly eventful. Now that things are getting back to normal, you may be considering either a new or used vehicle purchase.
Considering that Volkswagen is one of the nation’s leading brands, you probably have your eye on a vehicle like the VW Jetta, the VW Tiguan, or the exciting, all-electric VW ID.4, which was last year’s winner of the World Car of the Year Award. When it comes to picking out a fantastic compact, sedan, or SUV, you really can’t go wrong with a Volkswagen.
So, what should you expect when you visit a Volkswagen dealership? To give you a preview, we’ll walk you through some of the main aspects of car-buying when working with the friendly folks at VW.
Research Before You Visit
Car shopping isn’t like it was 20 years ago. Gone are the days where you would visit a lot with no idea of what they have to offer. The beauty of shopping with Volkswagen is that they list their entire catalog of used and new vehicles right on their website.
This allows you to shop at your leisure and identify the cars that seem like a good fit for your driving style, storage needs, and budget. Having a general idea of what you want will greatly speed along the process and help your salesperson figure out which cars are going to be the best candidates for test driving.
Working with a VW Salesperson
The salespeople at Volkswagen are widely regarded as some of the most knowledgeable and friendly in the car buying industry. Your salesperson isn’t going to be interested in selling you just any car – they want to help you find the right car. This means that they’re going to ask several questions to narrow down the selection to a handful of vehicles that are going to be the ideal fit.
Some of these questions include:
“Are you more interested in a new or used vehicle?”
“Do you see yourself driving a compact, sedan, or SUV?”
“What vehicle attributes are most important to you? Features, storage, fuel economy?”
“What is your approximate budget for your vehicle purchase?”
Questions like these are important because it helps zero in on the handful of vehicles that are going to best suit your needs. For instance, if the most important thing to you is getting great fuel economy, then your salesperson would more than likely show you a new or used Jetta. The 2022 VW Jetta gets up to 41 mpg on the highway, which makes it one of the best vehicles in its class.
Or perhaps you have a large family dynamic and require a lot of seating. In that case, your salesperson would likely recommend the Volkswagen Atlas, which comfortably seats up to seven people.
Don’t be afraid to tell your salesperson exactly what you want or need. It helps them help you.
New vs. Used
If you are struggling with figuring out if you want to go with a new or used vehicle, your Volkswagen salesperson can breakdown the pros and cons. On the one hand, a new vehicle is going to be covered under the Volkswagen Carefree Coverage warranty which protects your vehicle and covers many of the routine maintenance services. This also ensures that you get every modern safety and convenience feature offered by VW. Additionally, a new vehicle gives you peace of mind knowing that it’s never had a previous owner.
However, used vehicles also have their own distinct set of advantages. Most new vehicles depreciate by 20% within the first year of ownership. By going with a used vehicle, you dodge the depreciation issue and can save a ton of money on the sticker price. Additionally, you can buy with confidence knowing that certified pre-owned vehicles have undergone a 100+ point inspection and come with their own limited warranty and roadside assistance.
Test Driving
Nothing quite seals the deal on whether or not you want a car quite like a test drive. Once your Volkswagen salesperson narrows down the vehicles you want to a few choices, you can then take a few test drives to see how these vehicles handle. This also gives your salesperson a chance to further explain the vehicle’s specific features and benefits that you can look forward to once you’ve purchased it.
Working With You on Financing and Trade-Ins
Most people don’t buy their vehicles in cash, so you can rest easy knowing that the staff at Volkswagen will work with you on your trade-in and securing financing for your new or used vehicle. Oftentimes, this process is quick and easy.
For trade-ins, all they need to do is give your current vehicle a quick inspection to determine the trade-in value. They can then apply that value to your new or used vehicle purchase. For financing, all that needs to be done is a quick check on credit to determine the financing terms that they can offer you. In some cases, they can lengthen the financing terms to make your monthly payment more manageable.
Finding a Volkswagen Dealership Near You
Volkswagen dealerships are so numerous that finding one near you should be no problem at all. You can kick things off by searching the phrase “Volkswagen dealership near me.” That should bring up at least one or two locations in the nearby area that you can visit.
Remember, if you’re making plans to visit a dealership, it always helps move things along if you shop on their website first. Try to narrow things down to two or three vehicles that you’re interested in hearing more about. This will help your salesperson facilitate the process of finding you the perfect Volkswagen for your needs and budget.
