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Did I luck out on this 2018 GTI Autobahn DSG purchase?

glayfan40

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
MA
Hello everyone!

I just picked up a 2018 GTI Autobahn DSG in dark iron blue metallic for $23k even.
Car has just over 10k miles on it with a clean Carfax. Took it for an extended test drive (~50 miles on both local streets and the highway at various different speeds, on my own, for almost 2 hours). The car felt solid and planted. It actually surprised me when I took it around the first corner and stepped on it for a little bit (more on that later).

Only issues I found were the following -
1. a minor dent on the right front fender (which the dealer said they will fix);
2. some chipped paint on the surface of the front passenger side wheel;
3. some curb rash on the rear passenger side wheel;
4. a spot on the front bumper (near lower valance) with chipped paint.

Other than those, the car is super clean. I mean, there are other minor cosmetic imperfections on the paint and trim pieces due to normal wear/tear but that's about it.
Back to the surprise I mentioned earlier.....The car chirped the tires and the traction control kicked in when I came out of that first corner during the test drive. I was thinking to myself, this thing must be tuned/modded as it felt like it was making way more HP than stock (I used to own a MK6 back in 2013-2014). So after I parked the car, I popped the hood and voila - APR carbon fiber intake! The exhaust or downpipe is also not stock based on the sound alone (I will have to put it up on a lift to see exactly what the previous owner installed). So, I'd assume the car is at least Stage 1, if not Stage 2. (BTW - is there a way to tell??? maybe an APR dealer can?)
Surprise #2 was the price ($23k). I was scratching my head when saw the advertised price on the dealer's website, because it was close to $4k to $5k lower than everything else I saw with the same MY/trim and similar options/mileage/condition/history. I thought there must be some kind of catch.....that is, until I saw the dealer descriptions calling this an S trim instead of Autobahn. I was able to tell this was indeed an Autobahn before I set foot in the dealer because from the pictures I saw it has the 12-way power driver's seat. So when I saw that I basically rushed into the dealership and prayed that the car was still available. The test drive sealed the deal and the rest is history.

Sorry for the long read but I'm super excited to be back in a GTI after a 5-yr hiatus!
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Sounds like a hell of a deal. Congratulations. That car was $37,000 new.
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
If you don't mind likely not having a VW powertrain warranty due to the apparent tune...

He isn't sure if it's tuned but if it is and warranty work is denied he can come back against the dealer that he bought it from.
 

Dan00Hawk

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Plainfield, IL
He isn't sure if it's tuned but if it is and warranty work is denied he can come back against the dealer that he bought it from.

Whether he can go back against the dealer he bought it from depends on the paper work that was provided with the car. If it said "As Is, no warranty implied", then he is SOL. If it says "balance of manufacturer warranty", then yes, he would likely be able to go through the process of returning the car/getting refunded for repairs/filing a lawsuit/etc... He should dig through his paperwork and see what it says.
 

JC_451

Autocross Champion
Location
NJ, one of the nice parts.
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
Carbon intake is cool bonus.

You can chirp the tires with the stock power if the tires are still the standard crappy all seasons.

I would definitely want to know if the car is, or had been tuned. All the cosmetic damage makes me think it wasn't necessarily treated nicely.
 

XM_Rocks

Autocross Newbie
Location
Austin, TX
My hot take, the cars is priced where it should be.

Take a car that sold new for $28-$29k and take into account the warranty on the power train is probably gone.

$23k sounds about right.
 

glayfan40

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
MA
Update -

Got the following response from APR tech support today after I asked them whether my car is tuned or not

“Yes, you are currently running our stage 2 testpipe software mapped for 93 octane. Congrats on the purchase!”

And no, the car is not CPO.
 

Jumpy

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Car(s)
'18 GTI Autobahn
Nice. I have the same one. Paid $35k for it. Granted, that was in January '18 when the car was literally fresh off the ship.
 

Dan00Hawk

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Plainfield, IL
Update -

Got the following response from APR tech support today after I asked them whether my car is tuned or not

“Yes, you are currently running our stage 2 testpipe software mapped for 93 octane. Congrats on the purchase!”

And no, the car is not CPO.
If you were ultimately going to do this to the car anyway and are not concerned with the powertrain warranty, then you got a good deal. I wouldn't have much concern over APR software causing any issues during the warranty period anyway. If the dealer you bought it from has a 30 day warranty, etc..., I would drive the hell outta the car right now to make sure there aren't any issues that weren't immediately apparent. Otherwise, enjoy the new car and the fact you basically got all those mods for free (depending on your interest rate... ;) ).
 

vj123

Autocross Newbie
Location
The Detroit
Car(s)
19 & 16 GTI - sold
Update -

Got the following response from APR tech support today after I asked them whether my car is tuned or not

“Yes, you are currently running our stage 2 testpipe software mapped for 93 octane. Congrats on the purchase!”

And no, the car is not CPO.

Thats a bonus if you are not worried about the factory warranty.

Congrats and enjoy the vehicle.
 

munkey

Ready to race!
Location
VA
What part of the country are you in? I'm considering a 10k mile 2018 se for $22k and that seems like a mediocre deal compared to yours. Especially with all the mods.
 
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