Used VW Jetta SportWagen Prices Slide in September

The fallout from Volkswagen’s diesel-emissions crisis hit used-car values for the Jetta SportWagen and Jetta sedan in September. TDI diesel versions of both the Jetta sedan and Jetta SportWagen are among the group of cars VW fitted with software allegedly designed to bypass emissions control devices while driving. The others are TDI versions of the Golf hatchback, Golf SportWagen, Beetle and Passat.

Related: VW Diesel Crisis: Timeline of Events

The Jetta SportWagen’s average asking price dropped the most in September, down 4.8 percent ($922) to $18,258. That average price includes gas-powered versions of the Jetta SportWagen, but VW’s diesel engine was popular with this body style; of the 841 Jetta SportWagen’s from the 2012 to 2014 model years in Cars.com inventory, 65 percent are diesels. The Jetta sedan and Ford Transit Connect van tied for the second-biggest price drop as both models saw average prices decline 3.5 percent.

In a sign that low gas prices are still affecting prices of alternative-fuel cars, used hybrids also had big price drops in September. The Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid was down 3.4 percent, while prices for the Toyota Prius Plug-In and Ford C-Max Hybrid were both off 3.3 percent.

Overall late-model used-car prices were down 0.57 percent to $22,403, but asking prices were up for some models. Trucks, vans and SUVs had the biggest gains, with the Ford F-350 Super Duty and Honda Ridgeline pickup trucks leading the way with 0.6 percent increases.

Editor’s note: The charts detail used cars from the 2012 to 2014 model years with the biggest drops and increases in seller-set prices. To be eligible for the lists, a model must have at least 250 cars in Cars.com’s national search listings.

Source: Cars.com used-car listings, 2012 to 2014 model years