Prospective GTI Owner! (Test Drive)

[Blaylock1988]

I have been lurking and researching for a couple weeks, so this is my first post, sorry its a bit long...

My Background:
I recently graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from UNCC and I am a newly commissioned 2nd Lt. in the Air Force. My first duty station is LA AFB, so I will be moving from Charlotte, NC to Los Angeles in less than 2 months. I have an 03 Explorer XLT right now and have been planning on selling it and getting a smaller "sporty" car when I move out there. My friend (B4 Slapshot here) introduced me to VW and the GTI, and it has really grown on me.

The Car:
I just test drove a manual GTI Autobahn today at the dealership and LOVED it! I loved how tight and ergonomical everything felt. The red stitching everywhere adds great accents and the plaid seats look classy. The seats hug you really well, and there is a surprising amount of leg/head room in the front and back seats. I have maybe an hour combined behind the the wheel of different manual cars, and the GTI was easy to hop in and drive around. It had a nice light clutch and solid short-shifts. I drove it around back-roads for 20 minutes and didn't stall it once. I love how clean and professional the design is (outside and inside). I am looking to get a Shadow Blue, 4-door, manual GTI w/ convenience package (nav would be cool if the price is right) preferably Certified over new since its cheaper. I have been comparing alternatives and may test drive them (like MS3, WRX etc.), but I am pretty set on the GTI.

Current Situation:
I was originally thinking of getting a new car after going to LA, but after after talking with my parents for a while, we discussed the benefits of getting the car before going to LA. I would rather put 2500 miles on a new car over putting 2500 miles on my Explorer that has 90000 miles. The GTI would be under warranty (if bought from a VW dealer) so if I have any problems on the drive out I can go to ANY VW dealer for service. Selling a vehicle that is registered out of state will also be a negative selling point for my Explorer in LA. Not to mention the gas mileage in the GTI is 50% better than my 20mpg highway 4.0 V6 Explorer. I don't need to pack much in my car because TMO will be moving all of my other belongings for me.

Another cool thing the salesman mentioned (without me asking) is that they do the Stage 1 chipping AT the dealership for around $500 (he didn't know exact price offhand). He didn't say if it was APR or a different brand but I plan on finding out. I know most dealerships don't offer this, I went to Keffer VW in Huntersville, NC.

Future Plans:
Whenever I get the GTI.....I will pick up a Vag-com cable and VCDS from Ross-tech. I want to chip it to Stage 1 (if I don't get it done at Keffer VW), remove the Soundaktor, suitcase/resonator delete and install Magnaflow muffler (or just new catback exhaust). Navigation upgrade (if it doesn't come with it), LED tail lights, and Mk5 Sunroof switch swap to name a few things off the top of my head, but all of those will be way after I move.

What do you guys think?
Is it wise to do the purchase before moving to LA?
Have you heard of dealers chipping' the ECM before?
Any military members that have some foresight they would like to share?

[intoflatlines]

Glad you enjoyed it. Nice starter list of planned mods too

And yes, my dealer did do the APR flash for me. It doesn't matter if your dealer does it or if you get it done by a performance shop, when you go to VW to get your maintenance done they will detect the tune and your VIN will be flagged. But as long as your dealer is mod friendly you have nothing to worry about.

[veedubman91]

Welcome.
I think your parents have a good point, buying the car ahead of time looks like a good idea. And I'm not sure on this, but you may pay a little less in NC then California for the car.

[Aonarch]

Welcome.
I think your parents have a good point, buying the car ahead of time looks like a good idea. And I'm not sure on this, but you may pay a little less in NC then California for the car.

Way less 2% tax.

[Blaylock1988]

WOW. I didn't realize state taxes on vehicles varied so much! It looks like LA are tax is around 8.75% (not certain on that). That could be a ~$1500 difference!

I think the only advantage to waiting until after I move is my finances will be a little more steady. I am not getting paid now, and I won't get my pay until about a week after I report in. BUT the Air Force will reimburse all of my moving expenses, plus some (flat 50 cents per mile!). If I can get $7000 for my Explorer that will be plenty for a huge down payment and some payments. I am going to call USAA tomorrow and see what I can work out.

[rhodri45]

Yeah, if you haven't noticed Keffer VW is all over this forum, specifically Paul (username: Paul@keffervw) they're a bunch of cool people from what I can tell.

Also, look into military deals with taxes. In south carolina, there is no property tax on the vehicle sale if you are military. that saved me ~300 dollars right off the bat. Check into all the tax deals/breaks while you're still in NC, you may get a great deal.

I'm happy you intend to buy a VW, they're great cars.

Also, congrats on 2nd LT. Nice to see fellow servicemen on the forums.

[Smoky_Llama]

Any military members that have some foresight they would like to share?

AF Maintainer here in Nebraska! I think buying your car before the move is a wise decision, maybe let it break in while you're tooling about on leave as it's best to vary speed and engine revs on a brand new car. Might I suggest upgrading to the Sunroof with nav model? It comes with the Adaptive Xenon Headlamps and of course nav, the lights alone are worth the jump in price, and you can always sell the nav unit if you don't use it enough. Best of luck on your move!

Plus I'm one of about 6 MKVI GTI's on base!

[Blaylock1988]

AF Maintainer here in Nebraska! I think buying your car before the move is a wise decision, maybe let it break in while you're tooling about on leave as it's best to vary speed and engine revs on a brand new car. Might I suggest upgrading to the Sunroof with nav model? It comes with the Adaptive Xenon Headlamps and of course nav, the lights alone are worth the jump in price, and you can always sell the nav unit if you don't use it enough. Best of luck on your move!

Plus I'm one of about 6 MKVI GTI's on base!

Thanks! I would like the nav and xenons. I really like the LED DTLs too, but not having them will not be a deal breaker.

I do have a question about the nav packages. I have seen some GTIs with a smaller screen that have the nav, and have seen the bigger screens with AND without the nav service, and I can't figure out which models have which size screen. I know sunroof w/nav and Autobahn have nav. What models have different sized screens? I would like the larger screen for whichever package I get.

Has anyone had problems with leaky sunroofs too? My parents absolutely hate them because all of their cars they have ever owned with them had leak problems (2 Jettas and an Expedition). My friend has a 97 Passat VR6 and has never had a single leak...

[rhodri45]

Thanks! I would like the nav and xenons. I really like the LED DTLs too, but not having them will not be a deal breaker.

I do have a question about the nav packages. I have seen some GTIs with a smaller screen that have the nav, and have seen the bigger screens with AND without the nav service, and I can't figure out which models have which size screen. I know sunroof w/nav and Autobahn have nav. What models have different sized screens? I would like the larger screen for whichever package I get.

Has anyone had problems with leaky sunroofs too? My parents absolutely hate them because all of their cars they have ever owned with them had leak problems (2 Jettas and an Expedition). My friend has a 97 Passat VR6 and has never had a single leak...

no leaky sunroof on mine.

also, the small screen w/ nav is the rns-315. it is the only nav head unit vw uses in the GTI's anymore i think. the large screen is generally the sunroof&conv package, w/ the RCD-510. this is the top of the line OEM VW headunit w/out nav. just a highend stereo unit.

the RNS-510 is a nav unit w/ the same size screen as the RCD-510, but i dont think it comes standard on anything less than the EOS or CC...and they cost like $1xxx new. so if you go nav, you get the small screen. sunroof&conv, you get large screen w/ no navigation. but who doesnt have a cell phone these days for that?!

[Blaylock1988]

I don't have a smart phone yet.... I will be getting a new phone plan after moving out there though. I prefer the integrated nav, I installed a Pioneer nav w/ Bluetooth in my Explorer so I guess I am kinda spoiled. Maybe I can put that head unit in the GTI? Although I thought the OEM head unit has some integration with the MFD that I might not get with an aftermarket head unit.

I definitely saw a TDI on the lot that had the RNS-510 (big screen with a button that said NAV), maybe it was a special or something.

hmmm...maybe I will go for the sunroof w/ nav. I'm an audiophile lite, I'll eventually upgrade to speakers with amps and a sub, so no need to go for Autobahn.

[Blaylock1988]

I am debating if I want to get a base model and put in my Pioneer AVIC-X930 Nav/bluetooth head unit, or get the sunroof w/nav package. How much are OEM xenon headlights w/ DTRLs?

I saw a GTI that I like on Carmax's website, 2010 4-door, sunroof, leather seats, RNS-510 with 28000 miles for only $23000....but no xenons

[Rascal99]

My advice....buy from VW of South Charlotte, and have any immediate mods done there. Buy any OEM parts from Keffer using our Vortex discount. You really don't want to purchase from Keffer. My wife bought her Golf there

[rhodri45]

hmm, i've just heard the rns-510 dont come in cars anymore. i stand corrected, OP.

good luck with your buy, and good luck w/ the road trip.

[Blaylock1988]

Oh we get a discount? sweet! Rascal99, what kind of trouble did you have?

I set up a notification thing with South Charlotte (they have a HUGE lot) to email me if they get a blue 4-door manual GTI. I got a call from the sales manager earlier today, he was pretty nice.

So I found it is hard to get a loan when you don't CURRENTLY make any money. It makes sense from the bank's perspective, but I have my orders in hand, which should prove that I WILL be making O-1 pay (~57k/year) starting my report date on the orders. I don't want my parents to co-sign this loan...it might be the difference between getting it before I drive out, but....it will only delay the inevitable...

[Aonarch]

Yeah you need at least two weeks of pay before any bank will touch you.

Orders can change, trust me on that.

[Blaylock1988]

Yeah you need at least two weeks of pay before any bank will touch you.

Orders can change, trust me on that.

In that case, it looks like I won't have any choice but to buy after I move. I had better not sit in any more GTIs before then or I might go crazy. lol

I thought I heard something about military getting 0 taxes on vehicles. Maybe I can get that in California too

[skatastrophy]

In that case, it looks like I won't have any choice but to buy after I move. I had better not sit in any more GTIs before then or I might go crazy. lol

I had good luck buying when I got my very first job offer out of college. I'm not sure how they made it work since I had $0 in current income, but I took my accepted job offer document to them with my start date and they made the loan happen. There's no harm in chatting with the dealer's financial person about that possibility

[Blaylock1988]

I had good luck buying when I got my very first job offer out of college. I'm not sure how they made it work since I had $0 in current income, but I took my accepted job offer document to them with my start date and they made the loan happen. There's no harm in chatting with the dealer's financial person about that possibility

[Rascal99]

Oh we get a discount? sweet! Rascal99, what kind of trouble did you have?

I set up a notification thing with South Charlotte (they have a HUGE lot) to email me if they get a blue 4-door manual GTI. I got a call from the sales manager earlier today, he was pretty nice.

So I found it is hard to get a loan when you don't CURRENTLY make any money. It makes sense from the bank's perspective, but I have my orders in hand, which should prove that I WILL be making O-1 pay (~57k/year) starting my report date on the orders. I don't want my parents to co-sign this loan...it might be the difference between getting it before I drive out, but....it will only delay the inevitable...

Yes, like 20% off parts through the Keffer web site. They have more than one thread going here for various part - driver gear springs, etc.

Keffer jerked me and and the wife around on her purchase. Didn't do what they promised....typical car sales stuff. I had my GTI purchased through work and delivered at VW South CLT and they were very good. Their service dept has been great as well. They do APR mods - flashes , exhausts, etc. if you have the chance to do that locally before leaving.

[Aonarch]

I had good luck buying when I got my very first job offer out of college. I'm not sure how they made it work since I had $0 in current income, but I took my accepted job offer document to them with my start date and they made the loan happen. There's no harm in chatting with the dealer's financial person about that possibility

keffervwparts.com is the discount applied site, don't go through their main site.

[oadamy]

Make sure you double check the laws about bringing a "new" car to california. The DMV here can be very annoying. You will probably have to register it in NC first, or pay the tax difference or something. You might not save as much money as you think

[moose82]

As a former military member, here's my hint (congrats on the commission by the way). Keep SC are your permanent state of residence, especially going out to CA. You will register your car in SC and pay sales tax there as well. It will save you quite a bit of money. For me, that was a lot easier than having to continually update my residency.

The only time it was a hassle was registering cars. I'm pretty sure I drove home once to take care of it and gave my mom special power of attorney other times.

My other tip, try to find out when you'll be going to tech school and ASBC. If they are soon, and close together, find somewhere stupidly cheap to live (have any friends out there?). If you can find a month by month deal, put your stuff in storage while you're gone and just bank your BAH. I REALLY wish I would have done that. I was paying $1000 in rent and was gone 12 out of the first 16 months.

[Blaylock1988]

As a former military member, here's my hint (congrats on the commission by the way). Keep SC are your permanent state of residence, especially going out to CA. You will register your car in SC and pay sales tax there as well. It will save you quite a bit of money. For me, that was a lot easier than having to continually update my residency.

The only time it was a hassle was registering cars. I'm pretty sure I drove home once to take care of it and gave my mom special power of attorney other times.

My other tip, try to find out when you'll be going to tech school and ASBC. If they are soon, and close together, find somewhere stupidly cheap to live (have any friends out there?). If you can find a month by month deal, put your stuff in storage while you're gone and just bank your BAH. I REALLY wish I would have done that. I was paying $1000 in rent and was gone 12 out of the first 16 months.

Thanks! My Mom also suggested what you said. I will keep my parents house (NC actually) as my permanent address and register my car there (If I can buy it before moving). I will consider the power of attorney too for her.

No more ASBC, I have a very short 3 weeks of training starting mid-July, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Life of a developmental engineer

[moose82]

Thanks! My Mom also suggested what you said. I will keep my parents house (NC actually) as my permanent address and register my car there (If I can buy it before moving). I will consider the power of attorney too for her.

No more ASBC, I have a very short 3 weeks of training starting mid-July, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Life of a developmental engineer

That's good news they scrapped ASBC. What I complete and total waste of time! Good luck man.

[Blaylock1988]

I test drove an EVO X yesterday. It had a lot of power, but was very hard to shift and very uncomfortable to sit in. The interior felt cramped and poorly laid out. It made me want a GTI even more.

I went and test drove another GTI today, and got some good info from the dealership. They said my credit rating was very good and I can get 0.9% financing will have no problem delaying payments until late June/July. The dealer said they located a shadow blue 4-door manual, but they wouldn't tell me where (I don't think they wanted me to go directly to the dealership and buy it). I still wanted to do a little more research before signing any paperwork. I think I am going to check out the Carolina VW dealership next, I wasn't really happy with the customer service at Keffer.

I am wondering if I should compromise on a 2 door of the same vehicle.... The 4-door manual blue is so hard to get a hold of. Gonna go stare at a bunch of 2-door GTIs for a few hours and see if they start looking any better to me

[Blaylock1988]

I bought one!

Black 4-door Manual GTI with sunroof and Nav, I got about $2300 below MSRP for a total of $26,759.00 before taxes and fees from Carolina VW. I also got 60 months at 0.9%. I am trading in my Explorer for $5600 (Car Max offered me $4000 ) but my Mom's name was on the title too so I am going in with her on Wednesday to finish the paperwork and pick up the car (and drop off the Explorer).

I decided to go with one they had on the lot because there was pretty much no hope of finding a shadow blue one. I am happy, and I got the xenon headlights. I will probably put my Pioneer stereo in and sell the nav head unit on here, but that won't be fore a little while. I need to get my Explorer ready to hand over tomorrow (take out subwoofer and important things and get the title and 2nd key). Anyone near Charlotte with a Vag-Com cable?

I will post pictures on Wednesday in my own new "Build Thread"

[Hufeisen]

Congrats! Great job on the price!

Hope you have many happy and fast miles!

[Blaylock1988]

Thanks! I cant sleep...idk how you guys that order your cars and wait weeks or months do it. I can't even wait 2 days.

I forgot to mention, the car came with the velcro storage blocks and the big rubber mats, are those normally included in the Navi package?

[evosky]

Thanks! I cant sleep...idk how you guys that order your cars and wait weeks or months do it. I can't even wait 2 days.

I forgot to mention, the car came with the velcro storage blocks and the big rubber mats, are those normally included in the Navi package?

those are dealer installed options and not part of any manufacturer package. hopefully they gave you those for free or at a large discount!

congrats on the purchase!

[Blaylock1988]

They were all just tossed in the back of the trunk. I asked if they were included and they said yes. Nothing on the invoice mentioning them though.

[nick0188]

Yeah you need at least two weeks of pay before any bank will touch you.

Orders can change, trust me on that.

EDIT: didn't read the rest. Congrats!

Not necessarily. As long as you have some sort off offer you will be fine. Pretty much all of my friends out of college bought new cars and weren't starting their jobs for another 2-3 months. One friend bought a new WRX and they even deferred his payments for 2 months until he started work. VW has a college grad program for recent grads where you get the lowest interest available at the time and they pay your first payment (this is what I did). All you need is an offer letter.

[Blaylock1988]

EDIT: didn't read the rest. Congrats!

Not necessarily. As long as you have some sort off offer you will be fine. Pretty much all of my friends out of college bought new cars and weren't starting their jobs for another 2-3 months. One friend bought a new WRX and they even deferred his payments for 2 months until he started work. VW has a college grad program for recent grads where you get the lowest interest available at the time and they pay your first payment (this is what I did). All you need is an offer letter.

Yeah, for some reason VW said they couldn't push my first payment back more than 45 days, so my parents have to help me out with my first payment. I asked about the student program but they didn't give it to me...idk. At least I'm only paying $500 total in interest on the car.

[Smoky_Llama]

I bought one!

Black 4-door Manual GTI with sunroof and Nav, I got about $2300 below MSRP for a total of $26,759.00 before taxes and fees from Carolina VW. I also got 60 months at 0.9%. I am trading in my Explorer for $5600 (Car Max offered me $4000 ) but my Mom's name was on the title too so I am going in with her on Wednesday to finish the paperwork and pick up the car (and drop off the Explorer).

I decided to go with one they had on the lot because there was pretty much no hope of finding a shadow blue one. I am happy, and I got the xenon headlights. I will probably put my Pioneer stereo in and sell the nav head unit on here, but that won't be fore a little while. I need to get my Explorer ready to hand over tomorrow (take out subwoofer and important things and get the title and 2nd key). Anyone near Charlotte with a Vag-Com cable?

I will post pictures on Wednesday in my own new "Build Thread"

Very nice Lt! Hope you have a hose at the new place to give that thing a proper detail! You'll be happy with the xenons, won't want to go back to halogen after this.