Is now a great time, or a terrible time, to buy a used VW diesel?

Just curious what you all think.

I can't help but wonder if it would be easy to get a cheap used VW diesel.

If you are speaking of used, the trick is to intercept a person who just got a trade-in offer on their car.

Dealers are not selling them cheap, but they sure as E36 M3 are beating people up on trade-in price.

Note that they are illegal to register in some places with emissions testing right now. Also, they are more-than-likely going to get bought back.

I wouldn't touch one.

At the moment, I'd say hold onto one if you've got it and I'd hesitate to buy an 09+ one right now. Give it a few more months to see what's going to happen and then make a decision. The values could possibly drop even further, they could also go back up, or they could all get bought back. It's hard to know at this point.

VW US does not appear to have heard that they have a poor reputation and should be making deals.

NOHOME wrote: If you are speaking of used, the trick is to intercept a person who just got a trade-in offer on their car. Dealers are not selling them cheap, but they sure as E36 M3 are beating people up on trade-in price.

"We can't give you any more than 10% of the bluebook for trade-in ...oh, you're wanting to buy one! Well that truecoat really adds a LOT of value..."

Good stuff, thanks. Sounds like waiting is the way to go.

Values haven't dropped the way everyone was expecting because supply has dried up as a result of all this nonsense. Dealers can't sell new ones; meanwhile current owners are pretty much either holding out for a buyback or enjoying the car as it is because they don't care about the controversy. So values are staying up for now just because there are so few for sale.

By the way, what changed in '09? Are the older cars not a part of all this mess? I'm sort of thinking about running a car on Bio diesel...

In reply to CyberEric:

Pre-'09s are a completely different engine without the common rail setup.