SE vs. SEL Premium differences

[ThatAdamGuy]

Hi there,

I'm strongly considering leasing an e-Golf here in California this week, but I'm really confused re the differences between the SE and SEL Premium versions. I spent a lot of time poring over VW's site, but that didn't help at all .

I don't need stuff like super audio or heated seats; I'm mostly interested in safety / convenience features. Would I be fine just getting the SE + Driver Assist package then?

Also, I saw something in the forum here re 24 month leases not being eligible for the CA tax rebate. Does this also mean a shorter lease like this would be ineligible for the carpool lane stickers?

Thanks in advance for clue'ing me in on this stuff, plus any other critical things you think I should consider before entering into my first-ever car lease / getting my first ever VW

 

[johnnylingo]

Hey so just added this to my spreadsheet. You can view it here:

https://spaces.hightail.com/space/yZm8Z/files

In comparing an SE with Driver Assist Package vs. an SEL relating to safety features:

1) SEL has Park Distance Control (sonar parking sensors) and backup camera, SE only has a backup camera
2) SEL has full LED headlights, SE halogen headlights and just LED running lights
3) SEL has Light Assist (automatic high beams)

I notice the window stickers for the SEL add the word "active" to the Blind Spot Monitor. But it's not not clear to me this is any different than the SE w/ DAP. Basically, the $6k price difference from the SE to SEL is mostly for leatherette seats and digital cockpit. But the parking sensors are really a nice thing to have if your car is often around small children or pets. These things are silent and won't get attention when moving the way ICE cars do.

Lease duration does not affect HOV sticker eligibility. However, high income can. I would recommend reading the eligibility for the rebate and the stickers to be 100% sure you qualify for both.

 

[ThatAdamGuy]

Ahhh! Thank you for the quick and very helpful reply!

Dang... of the SEL, all I'd be sad about missing is the Park Distance Control / parking assistance. Shame that's not bundled with the Driver Assist Package.

But wow, the lease price difference is *very* substantial. Here's the quote I just got from Sunnyvale (California) VW:
(for a 24 month lease, 7500 miles per year, assumed good credit)

E-Golf SEL Premium (MSRP: $39,925)
$1,888 out of pocket (Included 1st payment DMV/LIC fee)
$348 plus tax per month

E-Golf SE (MSRP:$33,575)
$1,888 out of pocket (Included 1st payment DMV/LIC fee)
$188 plus tax per month

Ouch. That's $1920/yr difference .

 

[JoeKin]

I had a hard time finding what the 2019 SE models had too. VW.com doesn’t list it correctly on their website. In the end, I couldn’t justify the added cost for the SEL, and bought the SE. I will say that my SE does have adaptive cruise control, rear traffic alert and blind spot monitoring. And I did not pay extra for the driver assist package.

The biggest real difference in my mind between the SE and the SEL is the SEL has a heat pump, which is not even an option on the SE. I’m new to EV’s, but I find myself afraid to turn on the heat.

 

[JoulesThief]

The biggest real difference in my mind between the SE and the SEL is the SEL has a heat pump, which is not even an option on the SE. I’m new to EV’s, but I find myself afraid to turn on the heat.

The LED headlights are very nice, I have older eyes, and they are superior to halogens.

As to heat, wear appropriate clothing for the weather and being outside. Using the seat heaters is pretty easy on the battery, vs heating up air. Wear layered clothing and thickness of gloves as necessary, to avoid turning on the heater. It works wonders with preserving your mileage on a charge.

Dress for driving your car like you would riding your bicycle outdoors, in the prevailing weather, and your battery won't leave you stranded. The battery capacity on a 2019 e-Golf is about equivalent, range wise, to have a 3 gallon tank of diesel fuel, usable, on a Mk VII 2015 Golf TDI. If you conceptualize it that way, you're more inclined to conserve as much energy as possible between fill ups. If your Golf used gas, figure about 4.5 gallons of range, equivalent, city driving.

 

[johnnylingo]

Ouch. That's $1920/yr difference .

Not surprising. When I was shopping in 2016, the lease prices between the SE w/ DCFC and SEL broke down to around $100/mo, but the sale price between the two was only $5k. Now it's more like $7k thanks to the SEL including the digital cockpit. Interest rates have about doubled as well, which has added to costs across the board.

I really wish they had offered a mid-level trim that included the practical features like heat pump, parking sensors, and LED headlights. I would be all over that. Instead, I'm also hesitant to spend money on the SEL, but don't want to invest in a new car unless it has parking sensors. So it's looking like the e-Golf's replacement will be a loaded Kia Niro, with an MSRP of over $40k. Not cheap but at least it comes with over 200 miles of range and a water-cooled battery.

 

[johnnylingo]

Wear layered clothing and thickness of gloves as necessary, to avoid turning on the heater.

Hehe, I would do that on my 2016 SE. Problem was, my body and breath would still produce heat, so the windows would fog up. I learned to periodically crack the windows, or run climate control with the temp down as low as possible, using the heated seats if needed.

It was a workable solution, but I'm glad that ranges are now well over 100 miles and I only have to worry about stretching the range during road trips.

 

[JoulesThief]

Wear layered clothing and thickness of gloves as necessary, to avoid turning on the heater.

Hehe, I would do that on my 2016 SE. Problem was, my body and breath would still produce heat, so the windows would fog up. I learned to periodically crack the windows, or run climate control with the temp down as low as possible, using the heated seats if needed.

It was a workable solution, but I'm glad that ranges are now well over 100 miles and I only have to worry about stretching the range during road trips.

If you need the range, you need the range. Plan and dress accordingly.

 

[2016golfse]

Key differences in the 2019 SEL (bold) vs 2019 SE

Heat pump (more efficient) vs. resistance heater
LED headights with AFS (leveling) / light assist (high beam) vs. halogen headlights.
Leatherette seating & black/beige color option vs. gray cloth
Additional interior trim lighting (blue strips) vs none
9.2" touchscreen w/ built in nav vs. 8" touchscreen
Digital cockpit vs. analog gauges
Lane Keeping Assist / Park Assist / Park Distance sensors vs. none
Adaptive Cruise Control / Blind Spot Monitor / Rear Traffic Alert / Front Assist / Ped Detection vs. optional $650 Driver's Assistance Package
Auto dimming rear view mirror vs. standard day/night mirror

Just my opinion, but I don't think the bold items are worth the $7000 price difference. The most compelling thing the SEL has is the LED headlights, but good aftermarket headlight housings with HID kit (~600 all in) will work just about as well. I found the digital cockpit (while cool looking) to be unnecessarily distracting.

 

[2016golfse]

I really wish they had offered a mid-level trim that included the practical features like heat pump, parking sensors, and LED headlights. I would be all over that. Instead, I'm also hesitant to spend money on the SEL, but don't want to invest in a new car unless it has parking sensors.

The extremely rare 2017 Limited Edition was exactly that - a mid-level trim that had heat pump, leatherette, Level 3 charge package, and parking sensors (but no LED headlights). VW dropped it during the 2017 rollout, and to my knowledge there were only 2 (?) sold in the US (in Sunnyvale).

 

[miimura]

I really wish they had offered a mid-level trim that included the practical features like heat pump, parking sensors, and LED headlights. I would be all over that. Instead, I'm also hesitant to spend money on the SEL, but don't want to invest in a new car unless it has parking sensors.

The extremely rare 2017 Limited Edition was exactly that - a mid-level trim that had heat pump, leatherette, Level 3 charge package, and parking sensors (but no LED headlights). VW dropped it during the 2017 rollout, and to my knowledge there were only 2 (?) sold in the US (in Sunnyvale).

There were a couple on the east coast too. The total was likely less than a dozen.

 

[RonDawg]

I really wish they had offered a mid-level trim that included the practical features like heat pump, parking sensors, and LED headlights. I would be all over that. Instead, I'm also hesitant to spend money on the SEL, but don't want to invest in a new car unless it has parking sensors.

The extremely rare 2017 Limited Edition was exactly that - a mid-level trim that had heat pump, leatherette, Level 3 charge package, and parking sensors (but no LED headlights).

VW dropped it during the 2017 rollout, and to my knowledge there were only 2 (?) sold in the US (in Sunnyvale).

I've never heard of a 2017 LE model. Only for 2015, introduced very late in the 2015 model year. It disappeared with the 2016 model year and the introduction of the SE model.

It did include the quick charge setup, but omitted the leatherette, heat pump and parking sensors. And alloy wheels...it's the only eGolf model sold in America with hubcaps. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15357143/the-e-golf-limited-edition-is-a-cheaper-vw-ev/

I strongly considered getting one, but by waiting a few months to VW's "Year End" event (in July, of all things) I got a good deal on my SEL instead.

 

[JoulesThief]

I really wish they had offered a mid-level trim that included the practical features like heat pump, parking sensors, and LED headlights. I would be all over that. Instead, I'm also hesitant to spend money on the SEL, but don't want to invest in a new car unless it has parking sensors.

The extremely rare 2017 Limited Edition was exactly that - a mid-level trim that had heat pump, leatherette, Level 3 charge package, and parking sensors (but no LED headlights).

VW dropped it during the 2017 rollout, and to my knowledge there were only 2 (?) sold in the US (in Sunnyvale).

I've never heard of a 2017 LE model. Only for 2015, introduced very late in the 2015 model year. It disappeared with the 2016 model year and the introduction of the SE model.

It did include the quick charge setup, but omitted the leatherette, heat pump and parking sensors. And alloy wheels...it's the only eGolf model sold in America with hubcaps. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15357143/the-e-golf-limited-edition-is-a-cheaper-vw-ev/

I strongly considered getting one, but by waiting a few months to VW's "Year End" event (in July, of all things) I got a good deal on my SEL instead.

Delayed entry of the 2017 model year had an on line brochure, initially, of 3 models of e-Golf, that year only. Shortly after the online catalogue for "build your own" e-Golf came out, powers that be yanked the middle "LE" build option. I do recall a person or two posting up here buying that LE model. I think it's turned from the "Luxury Edition" to truly the most "Limited" of editions. I wouldn't consider something with a battery that ages and dies as being truly collectable, though. Except to maybe the most extreme of VW e-Golf nerds, perhaps.

 

[CitiEGolf]

Comparison between 2019 E-Golf SE and SEL

https://newspress-vwusamedia.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/original/9220-2019eGolfPricing.pdf

 

[ThatAdamGuy]

Thanks, CitiEGolf. Some odd overlap / duplicates in that chart, but still helpful!

 

[dmnsctt]

Ahhh! Thank you for the quick and very helpful reply!

Dang... of the SEL, all I'd be sad about missing is the Park Distance Control / parking assistance. Shame that's not bundled with the Driver Assist Package.

But wow, the lease price difference is *very* substantial. Here's the quote I just got from Sunnyvale (California) VW:
(for a 24 month lease, 7500 miles per year, assumed good credit)

E-Golf SEL Premium (MSRP: $39,925)
$1,888 out of pocket (Included 1st payment DMV/LIC fee)
$348 plus tax per month

E-Golf SE (MSRP:$33,575)
$1,888 out of pocket (Included 1st payment DMV/LIC fee)
$188 plus tax per month

Ouch. That's $1920/yr difference .

Steven's Creek VW are doing good deals on the 2019 eGolf. Just picked one up at the weekend on a 2 year lease -> https://www.stevenscreekvw.com/egolf-specials/

Website says $2888 down + $89 p/m plus tax. But fees etc bring up the deposit to something near 5 grand. I finally settled on 3 grand down and $156 p/m for 2 years. Suits me at the moment to lease for 2 years. It's a second car for just commuting and a bit of running around at the weekend.

 

[ThatAdamGuy]

Steven's Creek VW are doing good deals on the 2019 eGolf. Just picked one up at the weekend on a 2 year lease -> https://www.stevenscreekvw.com/egolf-specials/

Website says $2888 down + $89 p/m plus tax. But fees etc bring up the deposit to something near 5 grand. I finally settled on 3 grand down and $156 p/m for 2 years. Suits me at the moment to lease for 2 years. It's a second car for just commuting and a bit of running around at the weekend.

Interesting!

Here's the quote I got from Sunnyvale VW on Mar 30:

$4,388 Out of pocket
Included 1st payment DMV/LIC fee

$77 Plus tax
24 MOnth lease
7500 Miles per year

...and that doesn't include the $800 PGE credit (or, unfortunately, the $395 Return fee)... so all in, it would have cost me about $4K total if I had pulled the trigger.

At the time, I was still conflicted between the SE and SEL and I also had a raging cold, so I decided to punt. Have some FOMO (since SV VW isn't advertising this low lease price anymore). I guess either the e-Golf prices will likely continue to decline... or they'll just stop making the car, but there'll be other good affordable options in the coming year.

I think I also got cold feet 'cause this'd be my only car (doesn't seem reasonable for a single guy to have & pay insurance on two cars), and though I'd very rarely hit range issues, I already have one social event in Marin County in May that'd be... stretching it.

 

[dmnsctt]

Here's the quote I got from Sunnyvale VW on Mar 30:
$4,388 Out of pocket
Included 1st payment DMV/LIC fee

$77 Plus tax
24 MOnth lease
7500 Miles per year

...and that doesn't include the $800 PGE credit (or, unfortunately, the $395 Return fee)... so all in, it would have cost me about $4K total if I had pulled the trigger.

At the time, I was still conflicted between the SE and SEL and I also had a raging cold, so I decided to punt. Have some FOMO (since SV VW isn't advertising this low lease price anymore). I guess either the e-Golf prices will likely continue to decline... or they'll just stop making the car, but there'll be other good affordable options in the coming year.

I think I also got cold feet 'cause this'd be my only car (doesn't seem reasonable for a single guy to have & pay insurance on two cars), and though I'd very rarely hit range issues, I already have one social event in Marin County in May that'd be... stretching it.

Yeah, that's similar enough to what i was faced with. I did the first test drive in the SEL and it was a lovely cabin with the leather type seats etc. I did a second test drive in the SE and to be honest, even though the SEL cabin was nicer, there wasn't that much difference for me. Stereo screen etc is pretty much just as good in the SE. A couple of physical buttons over touch screen was the only real difference. Cloth seats vs leatherette. Cloth seats are fine and quite comfortable, so overall for me, it wasn't that hard to go for the SE to be honest.

They seemed quite motivated to make the sale, so I'd say shop around the Bay Area dealers for the best quote - end of the month is always good as sales folks need to make up their numbers. I've seen this deal extended a few times in the past month or so.

Having 2 cars doesn't make sense alright in your case. For me, it's a second daily commuter car. Still have the family car (Hyundai Santa Fe) for longer road trips.

 

[ThatAdamGuy]

Yeah, I hear ya re SE vs SEL. Most of the differences are meh for me, but two things stood out: parking assistance (I often have to squeeze into narrow spaces) and -- though I've not seen any real details yet -- the idea of gesture controls (I guess waving in the air?) to control stuff vs having to touch things. Oh, and having the dashboard -- so conveniently in front vs. to the side -- customizable with "Digital Pilot" or whatever it's called seems really handy.

 

[dmnsctt]

Yeah, I hear ya re SE vs SEL. Most of the differences are meh for me, but two things stood out: parking assistance (I often have to squeeze into narrow spaces) and -- though I've not seen any real details yet -- the idea of gesture controls (I guess waving in the air?) to control stuff vs having to touch things. Oh, and having the dashboard -- so conveniently in front vs. to the side -- customizable with "Digital Pilot" or whatever it's called seems really handy.

Yeah, the digital screen for the dash was nice... Hadn't heard about the gestures. Sounds interesting!