Dealerships across America are sitting on goldmines. While Volkswagen no longer sells diesels in America, you can still find a surprising number of TDIs for sale on lots, some with fewer than 50 miles on their odometers. But there’s a catch: If you want a new-old Volkswagen diesel, you may have to pay as much as $74,000. That’s $20,000 over the original sticker price.
It’s been years since Dieselgate rocked the public and the automotive industry around the world. Diesel once had a market share of about half in parts of Europe. Now fewer diesels are sold than electric vehicles. Here in America, Volkswagen stopped selling diesel after the 2015 and 2016 model years and instead focuses on electrification.
Hundreds of thousands of recalled diesel Volkswagens ended up in parking lots all over America. They awaited their fixes so they could be reconditioned and then resold. At the same time, 2015 and 2016 TDIs sat new at dealerships, waiting their fixes just so they too could find a home.
Many of these new, unsold vehicles are finally hitting the marketplace now. Diesel lovers have a lot of choice, but dealers want them to pay for it. Some are asking higher than sticker on cars built years ago. Way higher.
Scroll through Cars.com right now, and you’ll find a 2016 Volkswagen Touareg TDI for sale in Hickory, North Carolina for $73,900.
To its credit, it has all of 507 miles on its odometer. The Touareg is also an under-appreciated beast of an SUV. Looking at them, you’d never think that they tow nearly 8,000 pounds, and you’d never think that they’d be good off road. But it’s well-documented that these are absolute monsters at what they’re built to do. My first-generation Touareg V10 TDI remains my favorite SUV that I’ve ever driven.
However, not only is that 2016 just the base Sport trim, but as Edmunds notes, this Touareg had an MSRP of around $50,000 when it was new. We all know the used car market is bonkers right now, but nearly $24,000 more than sticker for a six-year-old SUV, no matter how unused, is still weird to think about.
If SUVs aren’t your jam, you can still buy new-old Golf TDIs, too. Check out this 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI SEL up for grabs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for $41,991.
Like the aforementioned Touareg, this little hatch has few miles on it, just 110 to be exact. It even has a glorious manual transmission. And before you ask, this would normally set you back about $29,000 when it was new.
Maybe you like your diesels a little more quirky. If you do, I love you and am right there with you. How about a 2015 Volkswagen Beetle TDI in Clovis, California for $52,893?
It comes in a beautiful color with just 241 miles, and you get to enjoy your diesel fumes with the top down. I’m not going to lie, I dream of owning a convertible diesel. A Beetle in this configuration and with the features it has should sticker around $32,000.
Sadly, there are several pages of new-old TDIs for sale, all for prices that will make you do a double-take. On one hand, it’s great for someone who missed out on being able to buy a TDI before Dieselgate. You get as close as you can to a new Volkswagen diesel, and you even get a warranty with it, too. But you’d really have to be a hardcore enthusiast with these prices.
Would you pay $20,000 more than sticker to get one of the last diesel Volkswagens in America?
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