Well, after owning three old skool ( <- the cool way of spelling it) Felicia estates, I mulled it over and decided I wanted a new car. Constant maintenence on the 17 year old L&K was starting to get to me as was the high tax and insurance too along with mediocre fuel consumption (although not bad for a 1.6, I will admit).

For some reason I suddenly irked for a shiny new Rapid and today, after a pleasing test drive, I popped down a deposit.

The car in question is an SE in candy white, onyx interior with Amundsen sat nav, climatronic, rear sunset glass and the 'storage pack'.

A little split over which HP I wanted out of the 1.2TSI, but the 86 meant lower tax and minutely better fuel consumption, with still adequate power, so I went for that.

In all, I look forward to her so just thought I might as well show my face and say hullo!

JJ

Very similar to mine, I'm sure you'll like it. Is it an ex-demo?

Very similar to mine, I'm sure you'll like it. Is it an ex-demo?

No, I was foolish enough to pay £15,950 for it ! The early demos seem to have been snapped up, so I suppose I just bit the bullet.

When's it due?

Looking forward to pics and a write-up. Nice spec with the satnav and climate which really lifts the ambience of the cabin.

Hopefully around mid-late June pal, 12-15 weeks is supposedly the figure, popping down on Monday to hand over my driving licence and whatnot, so I'll know more accurately then.

To be quite honest I only got the Amundsen 'cause I fitted a DAB radio in the Felicia and I just can't live without DAB now, haha. The climatronic is only there because the Sat Nav makes the standard climate controls look pretty unspectacular next to it, but I dunno.

I think unless there's some explosion of write-ups and whatnot in the coming month or two, I'd love to do a write-up, certainly.

So I'd take it you're pleased with yours on the whole Ron?

Nice choice. Amunsden and Climatronic improve the interior and integrate nicely.

So I'd take it you're pleased with yours on the whole Ron?

Yes, absolutely. I would imagine coming from a Felicia for you it will be a revolution!

I had a Felicia 1.6 as my first car and I really enjoyed it, it was a lot of fun. But you will find the Rapid a technically better car in all areas

Good choice!

I think you could have paid less as I got my brand new rapid elegance with the bigger bhp 1.2 tsi for quite a lot less...

Good choice!

I think you could have paid less as I got my brand new rapid elegance with the bigger bhp 1.2 tsi for quite a lot less...

Hmm I don't disagree with you really.

However, I've been back in today, swapped and changed a few things as apparently 'package' options aren't yet available, which is good for me because it means I can now get rid of the sunset glass - £200 extra which I didn't want - because it was in a 'package' with the climate control.

Also, the deletion of the 'storage pack' means I save £150 as I only wanted the centre armrest but ended paying for other paraphernalia like ovepriced boot nets and a 'door pocket bin' thingy.

In lieu of this, I've opted for sports seats and still saved £50.

Hopefully, he'll get back to me with an estimated build time tomorrow.

Can you haggle with these kind of things? It's the first car I've ever bought brand new and lack of wisdom might mean I could perhaps of got things cheaper? Either way, the deposit is down, and now to think about selling the Felly.

Interestingly, fuel consumption will theoretically be 1.5 times or more better, tax free for the first year and then some £185 cheaper road tax per annum thereafter, and insurance looks set to halve. Strange how these things work. Also, free(?) servicing for 3 years and hopefully a lot less regular maintenence in wear-and-tear parts should mean either a slight reduction or otherwise similar running costs, including the finance, that is.

JJ

In the past I used to just go to the local dealer (and probably get ripped off) but generally now I try at least half a dozen dealers before going ahead with a purchase. Just over 3k is the biggest margin to date I've come across between dealers quoting on the same deal (involving a P/X) :S

TP

Mine came elegance spec with 17'' wheels, sports seats, privacy and spare wheel as extras.

Looked at the SE spec cars with loads of options but they worked out more.

Try drive the deal and other places for quotes and see if dealer will match. Mine did and got a good part ex price.

The packages are a bit crap really, prefer single options if stuff you want!

Edited 15 April, 201313 yr by Ad Lav

With the Rapid, the RRP pricing of a well-specced (i.e, satnav + climatronic etc) SE is immediately superceded by the Elegance trim at £16,100, and the gains aren't much to shout about. Cornering foglights, parking sensors and climatronic are the most noteworthy. Well, the first two don't really appeal to me.

I think the chap at the dealership mentioned that a customer cannot order the 'packs' until something like build week 16(?) or something along those lines. Not sure why this is the case, particularly when the packs have been advertised in the brochure from day 1.

However, this works out better because you can specify the options you actually want, without the tat you don't want thrown in at your expense. I mean, take the Summer pack - why must I have rear sunset glass just because I want climatronic? Oh, I want an armrest, so why do I have to have a multimedia holder, a door waste bin, a boot net and seat net, boot bag hooks and wheel arch storage? I want something to rest my arm on, thats all and yet I have to pay £150 more than is necessary for the small priveledge.

I suppose I'm just lucky I'm ordering now in that respect, as I've been able to pick and choose.

Needless to say I'm risking veering OT

I think next time, I'll certainly look before I leap. I see there's been some umms and ahhs about the price, which perhaps meant that I should've looked to drive the price down by some means.

Personally, I think even at that price I've paid it represents decent value for money for a solid car.

The main thing is that you are happy with the price.

That's the most important thing.

Because I like a bit of banter I always haggle.

I also tend to change quite often, so it keeps the cost of ownership down.

But if you are going to keep the car for quite a while paying a little bit more is spread out meaning the actual cost per mile is not that much more.

It's all a learning curve.

Fortunately my local Skoda dealer know me now, so it keeps the haggling time down a bit!

Sounds like you've ordered yourself a nice car there Jonesy, on the haggling front I think the most important thing is personality - I've never successfully haggled anything in my life, I just seem incapable of getting a salesman in to 'discount mode' :-(

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Enjoy the new hack

Was just trying to say don't be scared to haggle, savings to be made.

As others have said, as long as you are happy with the price paid

Enjoy! Agree with others, if you're happy with the price then that's all that matters. I had a budget of £10k for a car for the wife and picked up a 2013 pre-reg 86 S with some extras. I could have spent more for an SE but didn't really need most the extra bits it came with.

There are some cracking deals around, Lookers Stockport have 2013 pre-reg "new" SEs for £11.5 with metallic paint which is a pretty stonking deal ...

Don't forget the 1.2 with the 86bhp is identical to the 105 hp, you can boost both with the same chiptuning to 130 bhp.

Same as the 1.6 cr with 75, 90 and 105 bhp.

Although the 1.2 tsi 105 comes with a 6 speed box.

Don't forget the 1.2 with the 86bhp is identical to the 105 hp, you can boost both with the same chiptuning to 130 bhp.

Can you send a link to this please?

Woop, July 7th is the deadline ^^ get a precise build week on Monday.

After a little while of suspense the chap at Skoda gave me a build week.

Build week 24 - June 10th - 16th

Then around 3 weeks or so shipping.

Turns out July 7th might be bang on.

That'll fly by :-)

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Told today that the Rapid`s are taking about 6 weeks from order to delivery.....