What’s Going On with Volkswagen’s Golf GTI?

Posted on May 24, 2016 in Editorials | Comments Off on What’s Going On with Volkswagen’s Golf GTI?

Dealers are shaving thousands off of Volkswagen’s Golf GTI — up to $5,000 at some dealers — and the hatchback is relatively easy to find at rental car counters across the country.

So, is everything going OK with 2015’s North American Car of the Year™?

For starters, in Volkswagen’s defense, most of its cars are available with at least a few thousand dollars off as dealers cope with sagging sales from its diesel crisis. At my nearby Volkswagen dealer (Emich VW in Denver) it’s not uncommon to find a Jetta or Passat with $2,500 on the hood.

But there are some GTIs on the same lot that have been docked nearly $4,500, without any incentive trickeration or destination withholding. (To get the deal, it just needs to be a conquest buy and financed through Volkswagen, which aren’t extraordinary conditions.)

Last year, Volkswagen sold more than 23,000 Golf GTIs, which is more than 20 percent more than it sold in 2014, although it’s unclear how many of those were fleet purchases.

Readers over at VWVortex have noticed the trend too; owners have reported similar prices at dealerships across the U.S.

We reached out to Volkswagen officials to see what they have to say but haven’t yet heard back.