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Leasing vs buying for a first time VW owner?

zr0z

Passed Driver's Ed
I'm currently out of the country but when I get back I'm going to be looking at getting a gti in my driveway :).

The one and only one thing that concerns me is VW reliability/cost of ownership. (and the fact that I'd be paying it off well into when the new model is out)

I'm going into college (late) this fall and leasing seems financially to make more sense, as well as not forcing me to be stuck with a brand that I do not have experience with.

The downside is that I'm going to be stuck getting a new car on my last year of college and it will lock me into another car (via loan or lease) for another X years into whatever career I get into.

I'm not planning on doing anything crazy to the car right now other than tint/exhaust, etc.

So, keeping in mind I have no experience with VW nor am I sure I will like (love?) the ownership experience just because I've never experienced it...

So what do you all think makes the most sense.


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fcbayern8

Ready to race!
I also came from an 09 Honda Accord V6 coupe! I say if you qualify for the 0% APR going on right now, buying would probably be the wiser thing. Many will say otherwise, but leasing you cant really go wrong with if you manage to get a good lease deal. Coming from the Accord, you will fall in love with the GTI. So much more refined and is just overall such a better car.
 

TRUboost

Go Kart Champion
If you have good enough credit to lease then it can benefit you financially while your in school with the lower payments.

slackin via taptalk
 

zr0z

Passed Driver's Ed
My credit is great and I've never had an issue qualifying for anything.

I CAN afford loan payments but leasing would just put less stress on my "free money" or it would allow me to work less and focus almost all of my free time on school/school related things.


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maxtdi

Go Kart Champion
Run the numbers for both scenarios you can't just make a blanket statement as to what is better.

Sometimes lease specials come up, sometimes APR specials come up. Sometimes ppl drive 5k miles a year other times 20k.

Those as well as other variables may skew the cost advantage to the other option.

Just don't be a payment shopper.
 

gvyz

Passed Driver's Ed
I was leasing a 2010 GTI , sold the car about a year after. Then I buying a 2012 GTI about 2 months ago.GTI is a great car which i love it a lot, and it is a very practical car even we have baby in our family.


For leasing, but they might ask you to buy the portection insurance around ($700). If there is any damage in the interior/exterior when you return the car, this insurance will cover it. I am not sure how they inspect the car when return it. But is good to have it.

Consider how many miles you drive.

If you are planning to modifly your car, I think buying the car is still a better option. Just the window tint and the exhaust might cost $1000. ECU stage 1 and the suspension upgrade very tempting too. So add all this cost if you are going to upgrade a lease car even though you can sell the parts out when return the car.


For reliability, if you are planning to upgrade the ECU (like APR/GIAC stage 1, make sure to have a good/reliable shop to do that. my first GTI car ran into problem of the ECU upgrade which it need to replace at the end. Other than this, i don't have much problem so far. And my VW service experience is very good.
 

booey1979

Go Kart Champion
I would get a mid 2000 accord if I were in your situation. Going to school while having a car payment is not a good idea IMHO
 

TornadoFast09

Go Kart Champion
i am 19 years old, and i was able to get a lease. however, i do have a co-signer. is a co-signer a possibility for you?

the good thing is, i am building my credit with this lease and by the time i graduate i will have great credit
 

turboti

New member
It depends on your situation. VW has great promos for buying and leasing (if you qualify) so mainly it depends if you plan to keep the car for a long time.

I like leasing because the payments are more affordable since I dont have to pay tax on it, only on the lease payments monthly. If you buy a car, tax is calculated right there.

I've owned enough VWs to know reliability isnt a strong suit so if I lease I still get the 3year bumper to bumper warranty.

With my lease it comes with the free 3-year maintenence which is same as buying so I feel i'll be saving money also since they'll pay for the general maintence.

In 3 years time, I can find out the market price and if its lower then i'll return it. If it's higher I can buy it if I love the car. Or if I want an MK7!

Again this is my perspective. There are tons of sites that talk about the details of buy vs lease so read up on those. There are a lot of variables that have to be considered, this is just my two cents.

Hope this helps!
 

rmchung

Ready to race!
Why not just stick with your current Accord? I would. What you spend on buy/lease would go to other things instead.
 

NYCSuits

Go Kart Champion
Why not just stick with your current Accord? I would. What you spend on buy/lease would go to other things instead.

+1 ...unless the accord is leased and the 36 months are ending soon
 

McQueen77

Banned
keep the accord. don't get a co-signer and put them in that position of it being their credit on the line if you can't make the payments. if you need a co-signor, don't get the car. keep the car and save your money. the GTI is just a car and after having it for a year, it'll just be your car.. same car it was when you bought it, just older but those payments wont go away. i got a credit card in college, racked it up, paid it down, never late etc. then i qualified for an auto loan. interest rate wasn't great but i paid off the car, never late and the next loan I applied for I qualified for 0%. you don't need a cosigner
 
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