Volkswagen Resale Value
If you want the best value for your Volkswagen, try to sell it within three to five years after purchase.
Written by Rob Shapiro
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
It’s best to sell your Volkswagen within three to five years of ownership to increase the chances of getting close to 60% of its original value. While time is a factor, it’s not the only one. The condition, mileage, and market demand for your Volkswagen all play a role in determining your car’s value.
Volkswagens are popular cars for good reason—they aesthetically pleasing and offer exceptional performance. Your Volkswagen, though, is much more than just a car to you! Whether you’re ready to part ways with your ride or want to upgrade to a newer model, you’ll need to understand its true resale value.
Every vehicle depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot, so you’ll need to figure out how much you can make by reselling your car. Listing too high won’t attract buyers while listing too low will sell you short.
RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
Don’t worry if you’re feeling lost about how to calculate the numbers. The
car insurance
super app Jerry
has compiled everything you need to figure out the value of your Volkswagen, and what you can do to maximize its worth. We'll even show you how to save on
Volkswagen car insurance costs
to make a car loan
payment more manageable.What goes into determining my Volkwagon’s resale value?
Your Volkswagen was there for you every day. It was ready for every road trip and never let you down on a commute to work. You can’t put a dollar value on pleasant memories of riding along the coast—but you cancalculate your Volkswagen’s resale value.
Let’s break down some of the factors that you will need to consider:
- Depreciation: The moment your bought, leased, or financed your car, its value dropped. Volkswagens tend to hold a good amount of value over time, with certain models depreciating only about 40% after three years of ownership.
- Mileage: Your car’s mileage directly relates to its condition. If you’ve racked up 100,000 miles or more, you might have to bring the price down. A good tip is to maintain a maximum limit of 15,000 miles per year of ownership.
- Accident history: Accidents can harm any car’s resale value. Even fully restored Volkswagens can see their value drop between 15% and 30% after an accident.
- The popularity of the model: Of course, popular models are easier to sell and can fetch a higher price. Volkswagens are quite popular, so you shouldn’t have much trouble there. Remember, sometimes an SUV is more popular than a hatchback and vice versa. Do your homework.
- Interior and exterior condition: The newer and nicer your car looks and smells, the higher you can price it. Every blemish—dents, dings, scuffs, and neglected repairs—will decrease your car’s resale value.
Resale value vs. trade-in value
When getting rid of your car, you have the option to trade-in or resell it. You must understand the difference so you can make an informed decision.
A trade-in correlates to the amount a dealership will give you in exchange for your used car. It’s typically put toward the cost of your new car bought from the same dealership, not a cash payment.
Resale can be more financially beneficial, but you have to put in the work to close a private sale. Everything about your car will be examined—age, condition, and mileage—under an intense microscope. A private sale means you’ll be on your own to
get your car ready to sell
.What is the MSRP of my Volkswagen?
MSRP stands for manufacturer’s suggested retail price and refers to what your car was worth the moment it arrived at the dealership. For resale purposes, you need to know your Volkswagen’s original MSRP.
This guide
from Kelley Blue Book can provide your car’s MSRP, which you can use as a starting point to figure out what price to list your car. Key Takeaway An early step in the process of selling your Volkswagen is to know its worth based on its MSRP, mileage, condition, accident history, age, and model type.
How do wear and tear affect my Volkswagen’s value?
The condition of your car is essential in figuring out its resale value. The good news is that this is one factor you can control.
Following the recommended maintenance schedule offered by Volkswagen or your mechanic can increase your car’s resale value. If you expect a buyer to pay for any potential repairs or maintenance right off the bat, then you should ask for less.
This isn’t exactly scientific, but a good rule to follow is that for every $5,000 in repairs your Volkswagen’s value will lower by $2,500. Use this
guide from Volkswagen
to estimate the value of your car.RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
How to calculate the resale value of your car
While every Volkswagen is unique based on how it’s used and maintained, it’s still possible to see what it could fetch on the used car market. Use this
handy online tool
to get an estimate of your car’s value.If you want to see how your car stacks up against other Volkswagen models, you can start by calculating its depreciated value. Most Volkswagen models lose about 45-50% of their retail price, which is pretty good.
- The 2020 Volkswagen is rated as the best model year according to Car Edge. Its depreciation value is currently 21% with 92% of its useful life remaining.
- The 2016 model currently has a depreciation value of 46.71% with 58.33% of its useful life remaining—so if you bought your 2016 Volkswagen for $30,000 and it’s now lost 46.71%, you can resell it for approximately $15,969.
Remember that the model year plays an integral role in determining any car’s resale value, but additional factors like its condition and mileage will ultimately affect its final price.
MORE: Trade-in vs private sale: What’s the best way to sell your car?
The bottom line: is my Volkswagen worth reselling?
Alright, you’ve got your Volkswagen’s MSRP, depreciation, condition, and mileage in hand, Now, it’s time to get to work. If your car looks and smells great, has relatively low mileage, and was bought within the last five years, you could be looking at top dollar in a private sale.
If your Volkswagen doesn’t check every box but you want to maximize profits, you could perform some tweaks.
How to prep your Volkswagen for resale
Here are some steps you can take to get the most money from a private sale of your Volkswagen:
- Pay for your car to get detailed. Having your car professionally detailed could give it that “new” car look. If eye appeal is buy appeal, then this is probably worth the cost.
- Perform all routine maintenance. Take care of all fluids, get the oil changed, rotate the tires, balance the alignment, and whatever other maintenance it needs, and then put it up for sale.
- Gather all original parts. Make sure you have all the manuals, keys, and accessories that came with your Volkswagen when you first bought it. You will want to hand these over to the new owner once the sale is finalized.
Doing all of this can net the best return and give the new owner reassurance that the car they’re buying was well taken care of and that you know what you’re doing.
Finding cheap Volkswagen insurance
Selling your car is like selling a piece of yourself. The good news is that buying a new car helps the healing process. Remember: you’ll need to protect your new ride with the right car insurance coverage.
Once you select a new policy, Jerry will take care of everything to help you switch over. The average Jerry user saves more than $800 per year!
“After usingJerrytwice, I can confidently recommend them for insuring a new car or renewing for an existing car. Phenomenal service.” —Phil E.
RECOMMENDED
Thousands of customers saved on average $887/year on their car insurance with Jerry
This app is great, but the customer service is even better! Not to mention convenient! My husband and I got the lowest rate (much lower than the rates I was finding online through my own searches), quickly, and pretty much all through text message! Thank you so much for a hassle free experience👍
Gabriella R.
Find insurance savings
4.7/5 Rating on App Store
FAQs
Which Volkswagen has the highest resale value?
The Volkswagen e-Golf is considered to have the highest resale value as it retains 57.1% of its value after 4 years.
What is my Hyundai worth?
The resale value of a Volkswagen is based on depreciation, mileage, and condition, among other factors. Learn what your Volkswagen is appraised for with this
helpful tool
from Edmunds. Reduce your monthly car payments in minutes?
Find out if Jerry can reduce your payments by an average of $150/month
4.7You might also be interested
