Tag: mpv

Comment: VW Touran value loss comparison

The other day, in my inbox I found a newsletter from Volkswagen Denmark, which I subscribe to, and theme is praising the VW cars for their used car values. They are praising mostly Golf, but also in general all Volkswagen cars. Analysis was made by an online car magazine in Danish and compare value loss of used cars across makes and over 4 year period.

In MPV class there is

  • VW Touran 1.6 TDI (Startline) with 44%
  • VW Touran 1.2 TSI (Startline) with 47%
  • VW Touran 1.4 TSI (Trendline) with 47%

…over period of 4 years and 80.000 km (20.000 km a year).

Let’s dig a bit deeper to analize the differences and common factors.

What is Startline?

Startline is VW package/option used (perhaps only) in Denmark as a way of lowering a cost of a car, as taxes in Denmark are highest in the world. Usually VW has Trendline, Comfortline and Highline as options/packages. But in Denmark, because of the taxes on cars, they are introducing Startline as low-end option and Match line, which is an a bridge between Comfortline and Highline options. So as one can concluded, models mentions in the analysis, are in the low-end of options.

Comparing these models with my car to understand value loss

My car is VW Touran 1.6 TDI with DSG7 (eg. automatic gearbox) and Highline option, plus extra packages that include, sport, winter, DK, Teknik, Mirror and Light packages, Black (deep Perle effect) color. My car’s price tag is at least 27% more than the one TDI in the analysis. At the time latest offer was made, it had driven 38.000 km (currently 45.000 km). And it is 2 years and a week old. So my car in 2 years lost 35%. The one in the analysis lost 44% over 4 years. Mileage is about the same, so this is actually pretty easy to compare. If I am to believe the value of my car in 2 years is -35% then in 4 years it should be -70%. Which means, I couldn’t even trade my car in for a VW Up! by the time it reaches 4 years.

Highline package has probably 4 times the equipment the Startline has. And Startline lost 44% in value. Logic would dictate that Highline, with extra equipment, would keep the value a bit better. But let’s say that it does not, and that we should just use math and calculate value loss by dividing the time the car has been used. My would be rated at 22%. This gives a difference of 13% from what it was rated. So 50% difference in the rating of my car.

Another thing is, (which would be funny if I wasn’t to be at loss of €15.000) that this is rating (-22%) I was given before I let the dealership know that I still have problems with my DSG7. So now, I am pretty sure that somebody is trying to screw me and that my calculations and reservations about the latest rating are correct. They are most probably calculating the cost of the gearbox replacement as something I should pay for. While they are trying to convince me that there is nothing wrong with my gearbox.