# Has they Hyundai Ioniq replaced the Prius as the Gold Standard for Uber X and Lyft?



## Sal29 (Jul 27, 2014)

http://www.caranddriver.com/hyundai/ioniq

This new car gets 59 mpg city, 57 mpg highway, and 58 mpg combined and starts at just over $22,000.
Do you think the incredibly low operating cost of the Hyundai Ioniq(especially when used ones are available) will actually make Uber X profitable?


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

That's not bad at all, looks way better then a prius too. Don't hyundai come with a 100k mile warranty too?


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Who said that Prius is a gold standard? Horrible, nasty little things; they're not my gold standard by any stretch of the imagination.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

The Gift of Fish said:


> Who said that Prius is a gold standard? Horrible, nasty little things; they're not my gold standard by any stretch of the imagination.


Agreed , but they are the most common car on the Uber Platform

I will say they're also crazy cheap to upkeep and pretty reliable . They're just cheap rattle boxes that are so numb to drive , I use to have one I drove for a company car and I hated every minute in that car . I got a nice full size sedan that qualifies for select and gets over 35mpg combined cheaper then a same year mile prius . I'll take the drop in 10mpg for comfort and a peppy 4cyl turbo full ssize sedan over a prius any day


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

UberDezNutz said:


> That's not bad at all, looks way better then a prius too. Don't hyundai come with a 100k mile warranty too?


The problem is the best Uber cars are 3-4 years old, purchased used... and Hyundai's warranty only goes to the new car buyer. If you buy a used Hyundai you don't get the 100k warranty.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

LAuberX said:


> The problem is the best Uber cars are 3-4 years old, purchased used... and Hyundai's warranty only goes to the new car buyer. If you buy a used Hyundai you don't get the 100k warranty.


Agreed on the used car thing . I thought as of 2016 Hyundai started offering the warranty transferable or maybe that's Kia or maybe I'm just full of crap lol


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

*Exceptions: Hyundai and Kia*
Although Hyundai and Kia are well known for offering the best powertrain warranties in the industry -- 10 years or 100,000 miles -- these legendary warranties aren't transferable to a new owner. Fortunately, the warranty doesn't become completely invalid when a new owner buys the car; it just changes to 5 years or 60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.

So if you buy a used one with LESS than 60k on it, some warranty remains...


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

LAuberX said:


> *Exceptions: Hyundai and Kia*
> Although Hyundai and Kia are well known for offering the best powertrain warranties in the industry -- 10 years or 100,000 miles -- these legendary warranties aren't transferable to a new owner. Fortunately, the warranty doesn't become completely invalid when a new owner buys the car; it just changes to 5 years or 60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
> 
> So if you buy a used one with LESS than 60k on it, some warranty remains...


Makes sense , don't know where I heard they started making it transferable
I'd never own a kia or hyundai (especially after all dismal the Elantra rental I had was) so it's all good lol


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

UberDezNutz said:


> Agreed , but they are the most common car on the Uber Platform


Gonorrhea is the most common STD and I don't want that either.


UberDezNutz said:


> I got a nice full size sedan that qualifies for select and gets over 35mpg combined cheaper then a same year mile prius . I'll take the drop in 10mpg for comfort and a peppy 4cyl turbo full ssize sedan over a prius any day


VW Passat?


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

The Gift of Fish said:


> Gonorrhea is the most common STD and I don't want that either.
> VW Passat?


yeah

that's an impressive guess


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

I'd rather get a Sonata Hybrid with 39mpg if I were to go with a Hybrid low end sedan.


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

UberDezNutz said:


> yeah
> 
> that's an impressive guess


I thought about getting a 1.4 turbo Jetta. Really nice to drive and very economical, but the reliability scares put me off.


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

Take a look around at what taxi companies use.. not a Volkswagen in the bunch. they ran the numbers they know what works and what does not work why try to reinvent the wheel here folks?


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

LAuberX said:


> Take a look around at what taxi companies use.. not a Volkswagen in the bunch. they ran the numbers they know what works and what does not work why try to reinvent the wheel here folks?


The newer Jettas and Passats would be great cars for this work. Fast, comfortable, economical. You can't really say that they're a bad car for taxi work - it's up to each driver to assess the risk and then decide if having a nice car to drive offsets the risk of getting the mechanical problems. Everyone's different in that respect.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

The Gift of Fish said:


> I thought about getting a 1.4 turbo Jetta. Really nice to drive and very economical, but the reliability scares put me off.


I've put 65k miles on it in just over a year and I haven't had to put a penny into it and it still runs amazing . It's got 68k miles on it now , I know the older VW had reliability issues but since they started making them in Chatanooga TN they've been pretty great reliability wise (they have lost a loft of the german build quality and feel very american)

Ohh not to mention I got a screaming deal on it $15k out the door including taxes etc... The year newer with no miles were going for $24k new they came with 36k miles the used one came with a 72k mile bumper to bumper and a year of free maintenance and xm radio . saved $8 grand and got a double up warranty and only had 2,800 miles on it . Only difference between 2015 and 16 was the 16 came with Android/Apple Radio , sunroof and blind spot monitoring

Mine has the 1.8T engine runs on regular unleaded on long road trips I've gotten over 42 mpg and 750 miles on a tank . Doing uber I always get around 650miles to the tank . Love the big gas tank of the passat that and the massive trunk and rear seat , I originally went in looking at the same year Jetta Sport with the 1.8T and the passat was just a better deal . The gas tank size is what really sold me , I hate getting gas lol



LAuberX said:


> Take a look around at what taxi companies use.. not a Volkswagen in the bunch. they ran the numbers they know what works and what does not work why try to reinvent the wheel here folks?


There are a ton of Jetta Taxis around here


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## Dammit Mazzacane (Dec 31, 2015)

"the dual-clutch automatic in the Ioniq" ...

Where have I heard of this type of clutch before? Oh wait...
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2016/05/herky-jerky-fords-powershift-problems-arent/
https://www.transmissionrepaircostguide.com/ford-focus-transmission-problems/


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## Sal29 (Jul 27, 2014)

Dammit Mazzacane said:


> "the dual-clutch automatic in the Ioniq" ...
> 
> Where have I heard of this type of clutch before? Oh wait...
> http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2016/05/herky-jerky-fords-powershift-problems-arent/
> https://www.transmissionrepaircostguide.com/ford-focus-transmission-problems/


A dual clutch transmission is a type of transmission.
Just because a dual clutch transmission in a Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus sucks doesn't necessarily mean that a dual clutch transmission in a Bugatti Chiron, Porsche 911 Turbo S PDK, or even a Hyundai Ioniq will suck.



The Gift of Fish said:


> Who said that Prius is a gold standard? Horrible, nasty little things; they're not my gold standard by any stretch of the imagination.


The Prius has been the gold standard for a long time because of low operating costs and high reliability. I've been in Prius taxis on trips to NYC with 400k and 500k miles. It's been the Gold Standard for Uber X and Lyft drivers who want to MAXIMIZE their income.
I understand that other things are more important to you than MAXIMIZING your income, but many Uber, Lyft, and Taxi drivers don't think like you do.


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

The Gift of Fish said:


> The newer Jettas and Passats would be great cars for this work. Fast, comfortable, economical. You can't really say that they're a bad car for taxi work - it's up to each driver to assess the risk and then decide if having a nice car to drive offsets the risk of getting the mechanical problems. Everyone's different in that respect.


The problem is we can't afford to "assess the risk", there is nothing "nice" about a car that breaks down or won't last 200,000+ miles. A car is a tool, buy good ones and you won't regret it. The used car market is a direct reflection of a cars true value, good cars cost more than bad ones.

It's like a person not reading this forum, but taking the word of the craigslist poster that they will make $1800.00 per week driving UberX.... what could go wrong?

Doing your homework is important in life. Get all the facts. Read fast, spend slow.


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Sal29 said:


> I understand that other things are more important to you than MAXIMIZING your income, but many Uber, Lyft, and Taxi drivers don't think like you do.


 Which is why I said it is not *my* gold standard. Pay attention in class, Sal29.


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## Sal29 (Jul 27, 2014)

LAuberX said:


> The problem is we can't afford to "assess the risk", there is nothing "nice" about a car that breaks down or won't last 200,000+ miles. A car is a tool, buy good ones and you won't regret it. The used car market is a direct reflection of a cars true value, good cars cost more than bad ones.
> 
> It's like a person not reading this forum, but taking the word of the craigslist poster that they will make $1800.00 per week driving UberX.... what could go wrong?
> 
> Doing your homework is important in life. Get all the facts. Read fast, spend slow.


You're absolutely right.
There's a very good reason vehicles like the Toyota Prius, Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town were so popular with taxi and livery companies for so long.
They all lasted 300k to 500k miles or more with just basic maintainance.
The Crown Vic and Lincoln Town Car had poor fuel economy, but made up for it with their incredibly low used car price as well as incredibly cheap replacement parts, gigantic trunks, bulletproof body on frame construction, etc.


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

LAuberX said:


> The problem is we can't afford to "assess the risk", there is nothing "nice" about a car that breaks down or won't last 200,000+ miles. A car is a tool, buy good ones and you won't regret it.


Evidently some people can afford the risk. I think there are two groups of VW buyers; those who know the brand's reputation but decide to risk it anyway, and those who don't know about cars.

For the second group, well, sucks for them - if they get caught out it's partly their fault for not researching the investment beforehand.

For the first group, if they know but choose to buy anyway, it's their money. People buy new 7 series for 100 grand knowing it'll be worth 10 grand in 8 or 9 years' time, and they still buy them. Each to his own.


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## Sal29 (Jul 27, 2014)

The Gift of Fish said:


> Which is why I said it is not *my* gold standard. Pay attention in class, Sal29.


You said "who said the Prius is the gold standard?".

The answer is pretty much the whole industry.


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Sal29 said:


> You said "who said the Prius is the gold standard?".
> 
> The answer is pretty much the whole industry.


Except for those who don't own a Prius. I'd say that around 50% of Uber/Lyft vehicles where I drive are Priuses. Which is quite a lot, but nothing like the 95% plus that Crown Vics represented in taxi fleets. Priuses aren't a gold standard here by any means.

My ex wife refuses to put the AC on in her car, even if it's a hundred degrees out. She says that running the AC uses extra gas, and she's 100% correct. She is minimizing the cost of driving her car by not using it, and I am not minimizing my cost when I have it on. But I'd rather drive all day in comfort and spend a few extra dollars per week on gas and not be sweating my ass off and very uncomfortable in my car. For me, there's more to life than scrimping and saving every last penny. My comfort, especially in my work environment I where I spend 8-10 hours daily, is also important. Each to his/her own. There is no right or wrong answer; only personal preference.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Get an old XL for 3 - 5 grand, add HIDs and LEDs and and you're in business

...22 grand is MASERATI QUATTROPORTE money (if vain) or Escalade Hybrid Select/XL (if smart)


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## LA_Native (Apr 17, 2017)

LAuberX said:


> *Exceptions: Hyundai and Kia*
> Although Hyundai and Kia are well known for offering the best powertrain warranties in the industry -- 10 years or 100,000 miles -- these legendary warranties aren't transferable to a new owner. Fortunately, the warranty doesn't become completely invalid when a new owner buys the car; it just changes to 5 years or 60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
> 
> So if you buy a used one with LESS than 60k on it, some warranty remains...


I just bought a CPO 2013 Hyuandai Elantra GT, and I opted to buy their extended warranty for peace of mind, but I think I got taken a bit. But I'm covered for the full 100,000/10-years -- or so they said.


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

1) only way a 2nd owner will get 10/100 warranty is if you were to buy a CPO
2) ioniq is bigger, but smaller trunk space for luggages.
3) new car your insurance will cost more, also you're depreciation will be more
4) ioniq will have unlimited warranty on the hybrid battery


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## mikes424 (May 22, 2016)

The Gift of Fish said:


> My ex wife refuses to put the AC on in her car, even if it's a hundred degrees out. She says that running the AC uses extra gas, and she's 100% correct. She is minimizing the cost of driving her car by not using it,


Not 100% true. Yes, the AC does use extra gas. However, when you drive without the AC on and have the windows open the extra drag created causes more gas to be used than you would use with the AC on.


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## REX HAVOC (Jul 4, 2016)

LAuberX said:


> The problem is the best Uber cars are 3-4 years old, purchased used... and Hyundai's warranty only goes to the new car buyer. If you buy a used Hyundai you don't get the 100k warranty.


You can buy an extended warranty.


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## SatMan (Mar 20, 2017)

UberDezNutz said:


> That's not bad at all, looks way better then a prius too. Don't hyundai come with a 100k mile warranty too?


the battery is life time warranty


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

SatMan said:


> the battery is life time warranty


Only for the first owner, though. The lifetime battery warranty is not transferable; coverage for subsequent owners is reduced to 10 years/100,000 miles or 150k miles depending on state.


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## Atom guy (Jul 27, 2016)

If you buy a certifi


LAuberX said:


> The problem is the best Uber cars are 3-4 years old, purchased used... and Hyundai's warranty only goes to the new car buyer. If you buy a used Hyundai you don't get the 100k warranty.


If you buy a certified pre-owned Hyundai or Kia you get the balance of the 100k powertrain warranty and can upgrade that with a Hyundai extended warranty. The problem is that if you drive full time you're still going to blow through that warranty really fast.

FYI: I Uber in a 2012 Sonata Hybrid and I've put almost 60k on it in the last year. Everything still works and the battery is fine (they tested them to 250k.) The transmission shifts a little bluntly in certain situations, but I'm gonna ride it until it dies.

The nice thing about used hybrids - pretty much any brand except Toyota, is that they depreciate rapidly and make good used Uber cars. I'd probably lean toward the Kia Niro instead of the Ioniq for the larger trunk area.


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## Spotscat (May 8, 2017)

Sal29 said:


> The Crown Vic and Lincoln Town Car had poor fuel economy, but made up for it with their incredibly low used car price as well as incredibly cheap replacement parts, gigantic trunks, bulletproof body on frame construction, etc.


Don't forget the Mercury Grand Marquis and the Mercury Marauder.

Ford sold a sh*t ton of Crown Vic's, Grand Marquis, and Town Cars for police, taxi, and limo service for the exact reasons you posted - I wish they'd bring back the large RWD sedan.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

azndriver87 said:


> 1) only way a 2nd owner will get 10/100 warranty is if you were to buy a CPO
> 2) ioniq is bigger, but smaller trunk space for luggages.
> 3) new car your insurance will cost more, also you're depreciation will be more
> 4) ioniq will have unlimited warranty on the hybrid battery


Hyundai has 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.
Each and every one.



Sal29 said:


> http://www.caranddriver.com/hyundai/ioniq
> 
> This new car gets 59 mpg city, 57 mpg highway, and 58 mpg combined and starts at just over $22,000.
> Do you think the incredibly low operating cost of the Hyundai Ioniq(especially when used ones are available) will actually make Uber X profitable?


Its a good looking car. But small.
Im eyeing the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.


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## Delilah5 (Mar 20, 2017)

Sal29 said:


> You said "who said the Prius is the gold standard?".
> 
> The answer is pretty much the whole industry.


First of all the Prius is the ugliest car ever made.

The Gold standard is the Camry hybrid. The Prius is too small (interior and trunk) for most people who do professional rideshare and taxi service for a living. Here in Philly is Taxi over 90% Camry hybrid 1% Prius, Uber 4% Prius, Lyft 6% Prius


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## PHXTE (Jun 23, 2015)

The Gift of Fish said:


> Evidently some people can afford the risk. I think there are two groups of VW buyers; those who know the brand's reputation but decide to risk it anyway, and those who don't know about cars.
> 
> For the second group, well, sucks for them - if they get caught out it's partly their fault for not researching the investment beforehand.
> 
> For the first group, if they know but choose to buy anyway, it's their money. People buy new 7 series for 100 grand knowing it'll be worth 10 grand in 8 or 9 years' time, and they still buy them. Each to his own.


We had a 2008 Jetta bought new and put well over 100k miles on it without a problem before some asshole ran a redlight and totaled it.

VW is building some great cars these days. The GTi is a fantastic car as well as the regular Golfs. Don't believe everything you read on the internet because someone's cousin's nephew twice removed had a VW 25 years ago and it was a piece of junk.


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

PHXTE said:


> We had a 2008 Jetta bought new and put well over 100k miles on it without a problem before some asshole ran a redlight and totaled it.
> 
> VW is building some great cars these days. The GTi is a fantastic car as well as the regular Golfs. Don't believe everything you read on the internet because someone's cousin's nephew twice removed had a VW 25 years ago and it was a piece of junk.


I was thinking of soupergloo, who has a Golf. Hers had the camshaft problem I believe, or maybe it was the piston problem, and had to pay 2 grand for a new engine


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## SatMan (Mar 20, 2017)

Atom guy said:


> If you buy a certifi
> 
> If you buy a certified pre-owned Hyundai or Kia you get the balance of the 100k powertrain warranty and can upgrade that with a Hyundai extended warranty. The problem is that if you drive full time you're still going to blow through that warranty really fast.
> 
> ...


The Ioniq has 20% more trunk space and that is with the rear seats up!


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## Skepticaldriver (Mar 5, 2017)

UberDezNutz said:


> Agreed , but they are the most common car on the Uber Platform
> 
> I will say they're also crazy cheap to upkeep and pretty reliable . They're just cheap rattle boxes that are so numb to drive , I use to have one I drove for a company car and I hated every minute in that car . I got a nice full size sedan that qualifies for select and gets over 35mpg combined cheaper then a same year mile prius . I'll take the drop in 10mpg for comfort and a peppy 4cyl turbo full ssize sedan over a prius any day


What kind of car did you end up getting?


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

Skepticaldriver said:


> What kind of car did you end up getting?


The car I was talking about was a 2015 VW Passat with the 1.8T engine bought the car with 3k miles now has almost 70k miles and haven't had to put a penny into it. Was about to do front Brakes for the first time. Just drove it to KC and averaged 44mpg . I know it's not prius level but it's a full size sedan with a massive trunk , decent power and rides great. However if I worked in a market that was all city driving compared to the mostly highway driving I may choose something with better city mileage .
It may not be the perfect rideshare car for every person and every market but I'd say it's the perfect rideshare car for my market

I don't do Uber Full time any more and not much at all so I just sold the car a guy is picking it up today . I bought it with 3k miles for $15k and just sold it for $13,500 after racking up 65k miles on it . Still has about 7k miles left of the bumper to bumper warranty and it came with a year of free oil changes and tire rotations and free sat radio for 6 months so I came out pretty good on it


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## SCdave (Jun 27, 2014)

No used car market for the Ioniq. No maintenance and repair history. Ask this question in 2+ years.

If question is, should I buy a new 2017 Ioniq or Prius as an Uber, /Lyft vehicle, the answer is neither. 

Buy used to suit your needs. Which leaves out the Ioniq for quite a few years.


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## Skepticaldriver (Mar 5, 2017)

UberDezNutz said:


> The car I was talking about was a 2015 VW Passat with the 1.8T engine bought the car with 3k miles now has almost 70k miles and haven't had to put a penny into it. Was about to do front Brakes for the first time. Just drove it to KC and averaged 44mpg . I know it's not prius level but it's a full size sedan with a massive trunk , decent power and rides great. However if I worked in a market that was all city driving compared to the mostly highway driving I may choose something with better city mileage .
> It may not be the perfect rideshare car for every person and every market but I'd say it's the perfect rideshare car for my market
> 
> I don't do Uber Full time any more and not much at all so I just sold the car a guy is picking it up today . I bought it with 3k miles for $15k and just sold it for $13,500 after racking up 65k miles on it . Still has about 7k miles left of the bumper to bumper warranty and it came with a year of free oil changes and tire rotations and free sat radio for 6 months so I came out pretty good on it


yeah. That was a really good deal for you. You originally bought from dealer? Howd that happen at that price. ?


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

Skepticaldriver said:


> yeah. That was a really good deal for you. You originally bought from dealer? Howd that happen at that price. ?


Bought it at the end of the month during the peak of the diesel gate scandal which caused all VW sales to go down . Also it was a good deal but I see them regularly with under 20k on them for $15k or so


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