Crassus

Huge congrats and we'll done on adding options. The finance agreement for my Fabia ends in two years. I am likely to buy the same car but used and with lots of option.

Indeed. Most crossovers look and there are plenty of them. I can't even count the number of SUVs and crossovers that have debuted since we bought our X3 in 2016. An impotent consideration for those pondering about resale value is that many people as are happy to downsize as smaller SUVs and crossovers are sometime even massive improvements on the preceeding crossover that's a class above. To be really honest, the Kamiq looks more like a Scala all-road or scout than a crossover. Watch videos of people standing next to it in Geneva. It's not that tall. The Kamiq's biggest threat will be the T-Roc. The VW is a touch more clever with its folding front passanger seat and looks less like an estate. I got a great deal on my Fabia but wouldn't buy one today as the finance offers compared with a VW Polo are ever closer.

I’m surprised by good this car looks. It shows that Skoda has mastered their new design language. The Karoq and Kodiacs are good designs but they are more spec sensitive while the Kamiq doesn’t appear to need a Sportline or Scout trim to look premium. Given that the Scala needs to establish itself, I think the Kamiq, which barely 10-15% more expensive, will be the easier sell. It’s essentially a higher riding hatchback and I think many families and women will choose it over the Scala. Those who want more road presence and a more commanding seating position have the Karoq to choose from. Overall, Skoda’s line-up is inclusive by offering something for everyone at sensible prices.

Are you sure? Because I’m in the Yeti forum I’ll choose my word carefully. I have driven a 1.2TSI DSG Yeti and it’s a very likeable car however the Kamiq will severely affect resale value of Yeti’s that cost over £10,000. Who will buy a used 2016 Yeti for £15,000 when A Kamiq with better tech and same 400L boot cost £18,000 or even less as a discounted pre-reg? Obviously there are those who live on a farm, tow or do long distances and need a car with AWD. To them the Kamiq won’t be appropriate but a used Karoq could be the alternative. However the vast majority of economy crossovers are purchased as FWD. In a 2-3 years used Kamiqs, VW T-Cross, T-Roc and Karoq will have depreciated to £9-12k. Obviously there will still be demand for Yetis from those who want a high riding and characterful crossover that can be owned outright for £4-6 grand. However I wouldn’t speak of the Yeti like it’s an out-of-production Land Rover Defender that will appreciate in value over the years.

I actually have spreadsheet comparing trade in values for the Yeti, Countryman and BMW X1 of the same model year and mileage. In all three cases the petrol variants have a 10-15% higher trade in value than diesel ones which even had higher list prices. As I said earlier, I have nothing against diesels from a technical point of view. My main car is a diesel and I clock 42mpg on motorways, love the gush or low end torque and applaud the reliability. However I'm assessing drive trains from a financial point of view here.

I like the power delivery of diesels, especially in larger cars, but no one lives in an economic vacuum. Why would I in 2019 buy a diesel Yeti when it's likely to cost me an additional £1,500-2,500 in depreciation in the next 3-5 years compared with a petrol variant. The main thing keeping diesel sales high is fleet and finance companies because of their lower tax over petrol engines. Once those customers groups stop buying diesels because of changes to laws or tax, used diesels will plummet in value. Again, this would have been irrelevant if I was planning to buy a car to keep for 7-10 years and didn't care about depreciation. Since last year, any diesel that emit white or blue smoke will instantly fail MOT and filing particle filters will also be a concern going forward. I am not scaremongering, just being pragmatic about decisions about my next car.

Thanks. I'll fit our ISO-Fix base in the rear and investigate.

Some European cities are considering banning or imposing additional charges on Euro 6 diesels. Who knows what new punishment diesels will face in 3-5 years time. If you already own one than fine, but I wouldn't risk buying one now as the accelerated depreciation will negate any fuel savings over a petrol. The only exception is if I bought a diesel with the view to own for the next 7-10 years.

Running costs are not a big concern as the purpose of choosing a £10-12k is to lower monthly car payments by £300/month. Ease of selling in the future is the reason why I'm not buying a diesel. Depreciation is the reason why I'm strongly considering the Yeti as I think it will retain its value than a 2016 Fabia Estate. Given that SUVs are bought left right and centre regardless of brand I think the Yeti will be an easier sell than the Fabia estate. Because the Yeti is marginally smaller than our X3 I'm not worried about it being hit at supermarket car parks as I never use bays near entrances as that's where careless or idiotic people tend to park. KIA does offer long warranty but a Sportage with automatic gearbox and petrol engine isn't cheap.

I considered it with the drivetrain I want the Golf SV is £3-4k more expensive. Thanks. SUVs typically have worse fuel consumption than equivalent estates, hatchbacks or saloons. We'll do approximately 6-7k miles per year so the fuel consumption is an ok compromise. Good to hear that it handles well and is nippy. Our X3 is incredible fun and communicative at speed but the heavy steering is sometimes less ideal in parking lots and while crawling. I have seen cheap Yetis but 1.2TSI with DSG go for £10-13k if bought from a franchised dealer. We will buy from a franchised dealer to give us peace of mind if we lose in the DSG lottery

Our BMW will be replaced in 3 months and because of the arrival of a second child, a big luxury car is no longer a priority. The top potential replacement is a Skoda Fabia Estate simply because our current Fabia does 90-95% of what the BMW can for a lot less and the estate's bigger boot would almost match its practicality. Basically we like the Fabia alot. However my other half loves SUVs and a 2015 1.2TSI DSG Yeti cost £10-13k which is similar to a 2017 1.2TSI DSG Fabia Estate. On paper, the Yeti is a good but I'm keen to hear reasons for why I shouldn't buy one.

Thats why the Vignale comparison is irrelevant. The majority of hatchbacks bought are base with a manual gearbox. Top trims that add a 25% premium like Vignale, Scout or even Hyundai’s Premium SE are not hard sticks. VW’s mk8 Golf is due later this will be the Scala’s biggest rival. Skoda must strive for price competitiveness. The Fabia for example is no longer a strong enough value proposition compared with the Polo. On finance the difference between the two is only 10-15% but the Polo has better resale value. If the Scala’s aim is to recruit new Skoda customers the finance offers need to be strong or else it will just be a hatchback body shape alternative to Octavia customers.

The Vignale is an overpriced trim for the Focus. It makes is as pricey as an Audi A4 or BMW 3-Series on finance, yet the Ford only has 1L engine and will depreciate more steeply. The brief for the Scala is simple: To be a cheaper alternative to the Golf while offering Octavia practicality in hatchback form. Going upmarket was never on the card. I expected it to attract more buyers than the Rapid that looked good on paper but had the worst ride quality in the Skoda lineup.

I don't have that luxury in Kent. Because of the elevation changes here, there are big and small potholes everywhere. A select few can be avoided but others can't including sunken manhole covers.

This weekend I drove a Superb with DCC and 19 inch alloys because I'm considering it as my next car. I'm driven various cars with standard, sport, adaptive dampers, air and adaptive air suspension so I'm experienced with everything from the worst to the best. Positives: Small road imperfections like rivets, unevenness and minor bumps are iron out exceptionally well. You are not aware of just how good of a job the car does until you then drive a car with passive suspension. The car is exceptionally good at staying flat. Even an aggressive 90 turn won't throw your passengers out of their seats. Body roll through corners is minimum. Negative: Potholes and big imperfection could be dealt with better as the car produce as knocking/cluking suspension noise when it rides over them. Perhaps letting them rebound rather than aggressively keeping the car flat would result in a more cossetting ride. In fact. I prefer the way my X3 deals with the worst of potholes. Overall: I was very impressed by the car and found the ride quality to be very good. However the G30 5-Series with adaptive dampers, even with 20 inch alloys, is noticeably better at making you feel comfortable and guarded from big imperfections. It does so without float and compromising handling and body roll. This leaves me in a pickle as I'll be buying my next car used in late 2019. By then, a 12-18 months old 5-Series with adaptive dampers should be around £25-26k which will be approximately £3-4k more than a 12 month old Superb L&K. Obviously the L&K comes as standard with a lot more nice-to-haves but in terms of absolute comfort, handling and balance the G30 is better and simply sublime. PS: While adaptive dampers in the Superb and 5-Series are good, a 7-Series with adaptive air suspension is a completely different league when it comes to isolation from the road surface. Big pot holes are ironed out like an ice breaker crushing through sheets of ice.