Pros and Cons: To Keep or to Sell and What to Buy

Buying/Selling
,
1

Pros and Cons: To Keep or to Sell and if so What to Buy

My current car: beloved 2003 VW GTI 105,000k 1.8t manual, sunroof, seat heat and even a tape deck!
Pros: it still runs!
No major issues/well maintained
Paid off
It’s the perfect size for me- inside and out!
It was a pretty good year for this make and model

Cons:

  1. All good things come to an end and can I handle being the owner when that day comes?
  2. My income is limited and so is my health -I need to decide how much money to put into it vs selling and putting that money into something a little newer.
  3. My mechanic said that there are a lot of electrical problems with the gti’s between about 2005-2010 and that it would be best to replace it with a 2011 or newer (= more expensive)

I’d love to hear feedback from another gti enthusiast about whether to keep or sell and if I sell, what could possibly compare? Where is the best place to buy and sell gti’s?
(Note- I’m smallish- 5’2 and find the visibility and comfort to be excellent unlike things like the Toyota Prius, Mazdas or Hyundai Alantra.)

Thanks,
From Wilmington, NC

2

Right now your GTI is worth maybe $2500 or so in trade. I’d keep driving it while saving like crazy for the replacement.

3

You’d be nuts not to keep it.
IMHO a car’s value to its owner is far greater than it’s KBB value if it meets the above criteria. It’s true value is the money it SAVES you every month combined with the peace, security, and comfort it gives you every day.

Many years ago I had a Toyota pickup truck that I loved. At 200,000 miles the timing chain started rattling. Everyone told me I’d be crazy to fix it because it wasn’t worth much. I fixed it anyway. 138,000 very happy and almost entirely trouble-free miles later, after many more years had passed, I passed it on to my daughter, who drove it until it got totaled in an accident.

So, how much was that vehicle really worth to me at the time I changed the chain? I would argue that it’s true value was the money I saved by keeping it rather than the Kelley Blue Book stated value at the time I did the chain.

1 Like
4

I certainly would not replace it with a used Volkswagen period. Only you can make a decision like this.

2 Likes
5

Agree with all the posters… Its in great shape and 100,000 miles is NOT a lot of miles for a modern car. Keep it and save for repairs its eventual replacement.

1 Like
6

i agree with everybody else. Drive it until it starts giving you trouble. Then buy something other than a VW.

1 Like
8

It is a lot cheaper to repair your GTI than to buy a newer car until you need something big like a transmission or engine. Yours doesn’t have those problems, and doesn’t have the electrical gremlins your mechanic tells you about. I would also keep it for a few more years. As long as you continue to like it and it doesn’t break the bank, keep the VW. BTW, my son in law loves his GTI too.

9

In 2015 I bought a new 2015 GTI and it drove nice and was fun. Just like all the vw’s I had prior to this one it started giving me trouble. After 15k and a few trips to the dealer I sold it last August. I gave VW another chance and they failed, so no more VW’s for me.

1 Like
10

Thank you all for your feedback-- it has been very helpful and I appreciate your stories! The first vehicle that I used before my gti was my dad’s 1992 Toyota pickup. I liked it a lot, but of all the cars that I’ve driven, my gti has been my favorite- nothing else seems to compare. Hopefully, I’ll find something as great as this car when the time comes to replace it. Thanks again Car Talkers