Leasing a 2011 GTI

Hi all! I've been eying the BMW 328i Coupe for a while, but after thinking about my finances, I started looking into the GTI and it looks really promising. I had a couple lease questions that you guys can hopefully help me out with.

First off, my current lease ends in June so I still have a couple months to decide. But if I do decide to go with the GTI and I can't find the one that I want on any dealer lots, how long does it take for a GTI order to come in? I just want to make sure I time this right so I don't have a period where I have an extra or missing a car.

Also, I'm stuck in deciding between the regular Sunroof package and the Autobahn package. Do you guys think the extra $3k is worth leather seats, navigation, and the better sound system? I don't see myself using the navigation that much but I think it would make a really neat toy to have.

Do you guys also know if VW has a Multiple Security Deposit program? I know Audi does, where for every X amount of Security Deposits, it lowers your lease money factor by Y amount. Although the GTI already has a low money factor, any further reductions would be welcome.

Lastly, is there any major difference between the RCD 510 (non-navigation) and the RNS 315 (navigation) systems besides the navigation part? Do both systems have USB/MDI capabilities? And which one is better for music, SD or USB/MDI?

Thanks!

just on this point:

Do you guys also know if VW has a Multiple Security Deposit program? I know Audi does, where for every X amount of Security Deposits, it lowers your lease money factor by Y amount. Although the GTI already has a low money factor, any further reductions would be welcome.

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Never ever ever put more money up front on a lease than they force you to. That money is GONE. You are far better off negotiating an aggressive sales price on the vehicle to get your payments where you need them. If you can't afford the car at the minimum security deposit, then you can't afford the car.
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if I do decide to go with the GTI and I can't find the one that I want on any dealer lots, how long does it take for a GTI order to come in?

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It depends. Typically they can do a dealer trade and get you one quickly. Mine could not be done via dealer trade and had to be ordered. Luckily it was already built so took about 3 weeks to get to me from Wolfsburg. Not sure how long lead time is if you are getting it built from scratch. Guess would be 1.5 - 3 months.

Leasing my GTI here.
For me, "no" the additional money for the Autobahn package wasn't worth it.
Love the Interlagos.
Love the Sunroof and Touchscreen Stereo.
The Xenos look great but so do the Halogens, and I don't miss the Xenons.
I've got little to no use for a nav, and if I do I can borrow my wifes of pick up a Magellan next time I'm at Costco.

Bender said:

just on this point:

Never ever ever put more money up front on a lease than they force you to. That money is GONE. You are far better off negotiating an aggressive sales price on the vehicle to get your payments where you need them. If you can't afford the car at the minimum security deposit, then you can't afford the car.
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I know about not putting a down payment on a lease and I plan on not putting down any capital cost reductions, but MSD's work a little differently. You actually get the money back at the end of your lease and it can save you up to $50/month on a lease. It comes out to anywhere from 10-15% return on investment, which is really good for times like these.

Using BMW as an example, you round your lease payment up to the nearest $50 and that's your MSD. Each MSD you put down lowers your money factor by .0007 (up to a total of 7 MSD's). And at the end of the lease, you get your original MSD's back. You basically loan out the money to the maker's financial services in return for decreased monthly payments. But the key point is that you get your original deposit back at the end of the lease.

I know Audi has a similar program and so I thought VW might have one too, which would be pretty snazzy.

oov said:

...Lastly, is there any major difference between the RCD 510 (non-navigation) and the RNS 315 (navigation) systems besides the navigation part? Do both systems have USB/MDI capabilities? And which one is better for music, SD or USB/MDI?

Thanks!

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Very interested in the response here. I've become very used to using my thumb drive full of songs on my current aftermarket radio. Do any of the GTI radio/packages support this hardware??

Buck268 said:

Very interested in the response here. I've become very used to using my thumb drive full of songs on my current aftermarket radio. Do any of the GTI radio/packages support this hardware??

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SD Card

I just got a 2011 GTI on lease. After much back and forth, I went with Sunroof/Navi.
It's sad VW doesn't offer "ala carte" options like the Euro Golf, but just the whole package. Just for me, I'm not a big leather lover, so that wasn't a selling point for the Autobahn. The stereo - yes the Dynaudio is nicer, but I figured I end up upgrading with a sub anyway, and you can get more stereo bang for the buck DIY'ing. The one thing I really wished I could have had from the Autobahn pkg was the keyless system.

I almost went Sunroof only since I have a portable Nav device and the deluxe TS headunit is pretty nice and I figured I could upgrade to HID pretty reasonably. Then, I saw the adaptive headlights in action and knew that was the sh*t - very cool, very functional. My dealer had a SR/Navi in stock in my color (CSG) for $800 more than the SR alone. $800 for the Navi and Adaptive HID - Sold!

I don't think you'd go wrong either way - def don't consider w/o the sunroof pkg at a minimum. I think the Autobahn package value all comes down to whether you like leather or not.

Cheers
Steve

Stevec717 said:

I think the Autobahn package value all comes down to whether you like leather or not.

Cheers
Steve

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I would not underestimate KESSY. Man I have found this massively convenient when going to the Gym, store, work and most other applications. NOT having to fumble for keys or worry about locking them in a car is incredible.

PS Did you get yours at Dorschel Steve?

As far as I know, VWFS doesn't allow MSDs.

Zepharus said:

I would not underestimate KESSY. Man I have found this massively convenient when going to the Gym, store, work and most other applications. NOT having to fumble for keys or worry about locking them in a car is incredible.

PS Did you get yours at Dorschel Steve?

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Does the car auto-lock after you close the door and walk away or is there a lock button that you have to press? I'm guessing it won't lock you out if you've accidentally left your keys inside?

I'm really leaning towards the Autobahn package just for this feature, but one thing is I really don't like the location of the Start/Stop button. It seems out of place and should be where it is in other cars.

oov said:

Does the car auto-lock after you close the door and walk away or is there a lock button that you have to press? I'm guessing it won't lock you out if you've accidentally left your keys inside?

I'm really leaning towards the Autobahn package just for this feature, but one thing is I really don't like the location of the Start/Stop button. It seems out of place and should be where it is in other cars.

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If the Key Fab is left inside the car, it will NOT auto lock. Its a beautiful thing

oov said:

Does the car auto-lock after you close the door and walk away or is there a lock button that you have to press? I'm guessing it won't lock you out if you've accidentally left your keys inside?

I'm really leaning towards the Autobahn package just for this feature, but one thing is I really don't like the location of the Start/Stop button. It seems out of place and should be where it is in other cars.

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The car doesn't auto-lock which I wish it does. You have to touch the door handle or press the key button.

Zepharus said:

If the Key Fab is left inside the car, it will NOT auto lock. Its a beautiful thing

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Even though it hasn't happened to me before, I'm glad that it's there just in case!

BoomBoy said:

The car doesn't auto-lock which I wish it does. You have to touch the door handle or press the key button.

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Thanks for the clarification, it would be really awesome if it would auto-lock if you're like 10 ft away from the car. But then again, it would have to check if there were people or dogs still in the car or not. So I guess that might be the reason why.

But since my current lease ends in June, would I be able to order a GLI to get to me in June as well? And what are your thoughts on the GLI vs. GTI?