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Best price/honest dealers....east coast.

zack1978

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
USA
Hi everyone,
I still didn't buy the new GTI, but I will be in the next few months. I will be targeting a 2019 S with the 6 spd. I live in NJ, however I am willing to travel upwards of three hundred miles to get the best price.
With all the above in mind what dealers have people had good luck with in terms of getting the best price and no shady sales tactics?
It seems that the dealers in the areas near Washington D.C. have good deals, but it reality they don't. A few of the dealers advertise a super low price, but that price includes many rebates that most people don't qualify for or at least don't qualify for all of the rebates. Then there is Sheehy VW, they also list low prices, but the fine print indicates if you are out of state they add a market adjustment to the price......sounds like a huge scam to me.
In a perfect world I would like to pay in the low 20's for a new GTI. Am I being realistic or are they selling for higher prices?


Thank you!
 

oddspyke

Autocross Champion
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2016 GTI, 2018 ZL1
I don't know where in NJ you are, but I'm just over the state line in PA and my local dealer is Young VW in Easton, PA. I started out shopping there for my GTI just due to the proximity, but when I started pricing everything out online (truecar, edmunds, etc.) I couldn't beat the price they offered up front. I don't think they give insane deals, but they were better than the market in my area. Really liked that there were no hidden fees and they really don't even push the usual "dealer options" like paint and leather protection. The only fee they charged was $75 for document processing to get the t-tag and plates for you. That was it; the only line items were the car, sales tax, and the state registration fee with their $75 fee. Went back a year later for a car for my wife, same experience. I highly recommend them.
 

cb1111

Newbie
Location
Virginia, USA
I don't know where in NJ you are, but I'm just over the state line in PA and my local dealer is Young VW in Easton, PA. I started out shopping there for my GTI just due to the proximity, but when I started pricing everything out online (truecar, edmunds, etc.) I couldn't beat the price they offered up front. I don't think they give insane deals, but they were better than the market in my area. Really liked that there were no hidden fees and they really don't even push the usual "dealer options" like paint and leather protection. The only fee they charged was $75 for document processing to get the t-tag and plates for you. That was it; the only line items were the car, sales tax, and the state registration fee with their $75 fee. Went back a year later for a car for my wife, same experience. I highly recommend them.
I've dealt with Young before and they seemed very competent.

That said, DC Metro dealers (Lindsay, Sheehy, Ourisman, Pohanka etc.) have the best prices and all will be withing a couple of hundred of dollars of each other.

Set up a new email account (you'll get lots of spam - for years) and email each one for their price without grad, military or partner incentives. Ask that the price includes all fees with the exception of taxes and tags.

Determine how you are going to pay for the car. If you like the VW financing, then do you qualify? Figure that out before you talk to the dealers.

If you believe that the VW financing is what you want, then you can mention how you will pay for it (because VW financing will add another price incentive) or you can say "I might pay cash or use VW financing at 1.9%. Please give me both prices"

You can then take that price to your local dealer. Don't forget to figure in your costs of getting to DC and back (although a roadtrip on an interstate is a great way to get used to a car).

Remember that any price you get via email is still negotiable and you may need to go back and forth a few times to make sure that they've included all fees.
 

MissedShifting

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
MD
I'm here in the mid-Atlantic and talked to a number of dealers before I bought. I finally got a decent deal in Catonsville (just a few miles west of Baltimore) but I did work them a bit for the price.
As for Sheehy, I chatted to one of their sales people on the phone and he said he had what I was looking for on the showroom floor. I did say that I wanted the paint to be perfect and without "swirls in the clearcoat". I said this because I've seen dealer-cleaned cars in the showroom that looked like they were washed with a stiff brush and waxed with with the same brush. The salesman said this GTI in the showroom will have swirls in it and any GTIs get this after washing as they have a very soft clearcoat. Then he asked when I wanted to come down and see it. Sorry. Hard pass for that explanation. And oh, I've washed a and used a sealant on my new GTI (correctly, with clean microfiber sponges to clean non-abrasive sealant/wax) it and there are no swirls in the "soft clearcoat".
 

Shane_Anigans

Drag Race Newbie
Location
SE MI
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport DSG
Here's what I would do, in your position:

1) Join SCCA. After 30 days, you will be able to use the VW Partner Program to purchase a GTI at $500 below dealer invoice, plus whatever incentives are currently available. Your net savings will end up being $415 below invoice (before incentives) with the $85 membership fee.

2) Keep an eye on this forum to see the current incentive programs available. I post them here whenever they are updated. Subtract the cash from the purchase program price on the website (it will give you the PP price for the car you are buying) and you've got the baseline from which to start your negotiations.

3) Email the dealers that have cars you're interested in. Tell them up front that you're purchasing the car through partner program, you know how much the dealer cash incentive is that month, so that's what you're willing to pay, and also tell them how you plan to pay for it. A smart sales team at the dealer will recognize an opportunity to make a quick sale with guaranteed profit (VW pays them a flat fee on every program sale), without wasting hours of their time. Also tell them that you're communicating with multiple dealers, and you'll buy from whoever gives you the best price.

4)See which dealers respond, and then start getting them to outbid one another. I waited until I had multiple dealers accept my offer price before telling them I'd probably trade my car in, which resulted in several dealers offering me the exact book value. I used this to get an extra $1000 off from one dealer, but there's always something you can use to your advantage, i.e. color etc. Remember, at this point you are still only communicating via email, which is quicker and more convenient for both parties, showing them that you respect their time for a sale with potentially less profit involved. If a dealer refuses to discuss price in an email, don't do business with them (it's a good sign that the dealer is either shady or hopelessly stuck in the past).

4) Once you've established the lowest price, buy it from the dealer who offered it to you ASAP. Make sure you've done your homework with regards to your financing, credit score, etc, so there are no surprises. Once they've got the paperwork ready on their end, you'll just go in, sign it, and drive away. Total process should take an hour, maybe 2. They get an easy sale at a reasonable profit, you get a better price on your car without all the roundabout sales process bullshit. Win-win.
 

vj123

Autocross Newbie
Location
The Detroit
Car(s)
19 & 16 GTI - sold
I have had good luck with Stohlman and Lindsay. If i am in the market, i would contact these two first.

It totally depends on the sales guy whom you are talking to as several people have reported positive and negative reviews for most of those dealers in that area.
 

vjmvjm

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Los Lunas, New Mexico
Car(s)
2016 VW GTI S DSG PP
www.fitzmall.com Fitzgerald has two VW dealerships in MD, Annapolis and Frederick. No haggle, no hassle, their prices on the website are honest, read the details about fees. If any incentives are included in the price, they will be clear. I have purchased two vehicles at Fitzgerald.
 

cb1111

Newbie
Location
Virginia, USA
www.fitzmall.com Fitzgerald has two VW dealerships in MD, Annapolis and Frederick. No haggle, no hassle, their prices on the website are honest, read the details about fees. If any incentives are included in the price, they will be clear. I have purchased two vehicles at Fitzgerald.
They don't play as many games as most other dealers but they still play games as they advertise $500 grad discount on the R (which we know doesn't apply) along with a discount that includes a couple of incentives but implies that they are separate.

That said, you'll get a decent price with no haggling but you can get a better price elsewhere.
 

burrito

New member
Location
NJ
i just placed my order with trend VW for a racing green R, Brian there is very knowledgeable and on a few of these forums.

i checked out a lot of the dealers in the area, worst pricing is VW of union (NJ), all R have a 3500 markup no matter what, even if you order one.
 

Aelwulf

Ready to race!
As for Sheehy, I chatted to one of their sales people on the phone and he said he had what I was looking for on the showroom floor. I did say that I wanted the paint to be perfect and without "swirls in the clearcoat". I said this because I've seen dealer-cleaned cars in the showroom that looked like they were washed with a stiff brush and waxed with with the same brush. The salesman said this GTI in the showroom will have swirls in it and any GTIs get this after washing as they have a very soft clearcoat. Then he asked when I wanted to come down and see it. Sorry. Hard pass for that explanation. And oh, I've washed a and used a sealant on my new GTI (correctly, with clean microfiber sponges to clean non-abrasive sealant/wax) it and there are no swirls in the "soft clearcoat".

Yeah, that's baloney. Mine got washed twice by the dealer *due to bug-gy test drive* and I haven't seen swirls. I think they even put it through the autowash next door >.< (although to be fair I've used that as well and it's not horrible as such go).
 

Aelwulf

Ready to race!
As for Sheehy, I chatted to one of their sales people on the phone and he said he had what I was looking for on the showroom floor. I did say that I wanted the paint to be perfect and without "swirls in the clearcoat". I said this because I've seen dealer-cleaned cars in the showroom that looked like they were washed with a stiff brush and waxed with with the same brush. The salesman said this GTI in the showroom will have swirls in it and any GTIs get this after washing as they have a very soft clearcoat. Then he asked when I wanted to come down and see it. Sorry. Hard pass for that explanation. And oh, I've washed a and used a sealant on my new GTI (correctly, with clean microfiber sponges to clean non-abrasive sealant/wax) it and there are no swirls in the "soft clearcoat".

Yeah, that's baloney. Mine got washed twice by the dealer *due to bug-gy test drive* and I haven't seen swirls. I think they even put it through the autowash next door >.< (although to be fair I've used that as well and it's not horrible as such go).
 

cb1111

Newbie
Location
Virginia, USA
Yeah, that's baloney. Mine got washed twice by the dealer *due to bug-gy test drive* and I haven't seen swirls. I think they even put it through the autowash next door >.< (although to be fair I've used that as well and it's not horrible as such go).
Of course you have swirls - you just can't see them on the Cornflower blue that easily and they aren't that bad yet.
 
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