I just got back from my second test drive, and boy, am I impressed! I liked the car Saturday, after my first test drive, but I had only driven one car before that, so I didn't have much of a frame of reference. This time, I drove one at night, and it sure looks great inside. This dealer actually had a whole lot full of A4's - the place I went saturday only had 2 cars and they said I would have to special order and wait 3 months. Anyways, I have a few questions. Sorry if they have been asked recently; this is my first post.

-After seeing a whole lot of A4's it was pretty hard not to buy one on the spot. However, is it worth waiting for the 2001's with the 170 hp engine? The 150 hp seemed pretty darn good. I know about chipping, but I am assuming I won't be doing that, since I don't have a garage to tinker in, and I don't want to void the waranty.

-Any thoughts on cloth vs. leatherette? If cloth were cheaper, I would go with it since it looks nice and the seats are comfier. But leatherette dosn't cost any more...

-Bose stereo. I made sure to test drive a model with one after reading some of the comments here. It seemed to sound OK, and it sure looked nice glowing red and all. Is it worth $600, or is aftermarket the way to go?

-Finally, my salesman's offer was $780 over invoice. According to my calculations, that is 2% over invoice. Is there any chance of getting him down to 1% over invoice? He did, after all, have a lot full. I am in the Baltimore area.

Thanks your replies!

 

doesn't have dealer holdbacks. That is to say, if a car company has a 2% holdback then 1% over invoice is really ~3% profit. For and Audi dealer ship 2% over invoice is 2% profit. I don't quite understand it since VW has a holdback, but anyway, I digress...

Also, $780 over invoice is 2% if invoice is $39,000. That's S4 range! You were talking 1.8T so I'd put your quote in the 3%+ range.

They say that 5% profit (including any holdback) is a good deal for both you and the dealer. 3% is pretty good. You don't want him feeling all bitter now? I'd take the deal, but you can haggle at your own discretion.

End of March is end of Month and Quarter. He may be willing to deal even more to make any sales targets. Now that I think about it, I'd say wait a week a deal . . . HARD!!

Andrew C.
98.5 2.8qms

 

We purchased the '00 1.8T qms back in October. We waited over 5 months for the car (it was well worth it). Before we chipped it, I noticed it had a really strong pull in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear. There is speculation that the '00 models may be closer to 170 HP than 150 HP. If you want the car now, buy it. It sounds like you're getting a good deal. We paid 6% over invoice in Texas.

The leatherette is a good option. Even though it's not leather, people rarely notice. The seats are more of a personal decision. Sit in both.

The HP issue is a mute point with us. We now have a 200 HP / 245 LB-FT torque automobile. Either way, the car is great. With a chip, the car is awesome.

Good luck,

JR
'00 1.8T qms APR, K&N, Big Grin

 

Andrew...Double-check on VW holdback....My info says that VW has none.

 

When you say 2% over invoice are you talking about
the dealer's cost of the car "or" the sticker price of the car? Did you have to bargain much
to get this price offer? If it's 2% over dealer's
cost then it sounds good (I only hope I can get
the same price where I live - S.F. Bay Area).
Thanks, Crabbyron

 

When you say your salesman offered you 2% over
invoice, did you mean 2% over the dealers cost
of the car "or" the sticker price of the car?
If it's 2% over the dealers cost I think that's
a good offer! How much did you have to bargain
to get the offer? I hope I can get that price
in SF Bay Area when I go to purchase A4 this
summer! Thanks, Crabbyron

 

Edmunds says VW has a holdback of 2% of total MSRP

 

What dealer in Baltimore?

 

It was Len Stoler in Owings Mills. Tischer in Silver Spring was the place that only had 2. However, after reading the posts below, I checked my calculations, and found an error in my spreadsheet. The offer is actually 3% over invoice.

 

Unfortunatly, I re-checked my spreadsheet, and the offer is actually 3% over invoice. This is what he quoted me without any haggling at all, so maybe I could get him down lower.