Kenai

Given you're looking at UK facelift cars, i'm going to ignore confusing the issue with prefacelift configurations (or outside UK) but for the UK facelift, the following should hold true: DCC is standard on the 245 Challenge, optional on any other vRS ACC is optional on all vRS models Rear park sensors are standard on all vRS models Front park sensors are standard on original 2017 spec 245s and 245 Challenge, but optional on all other vRS Rear camera is optional on all vRS models Retrofitting ACC and DCC is no doubt possible but I would expect it to be prohibitively expensive to do so.

There are 3 'versions' of the Mk3 vRS with a 245bhp drivetrain. Chronologically, the first is the 'vRS 245', which launched in the summer of 2017 and was a special edition vehicle (with standard fit optional extras) that sat as the range topper above the regular vRS with 230bhp. The following year, the 230bhp drivetrain was discontinued and the regular vRS received the 245bhp drivetrain - this also often gets referred to as a '245' so as to distinguish it from the earlier 230bhp cars. This was shortly followed by a new range topper, the '245 Challenge Edition' which was very similar to the original 'special edition' 245 with some standard fit extras. You'll find the original version mostly on 67 and 18 plates, with a handful of 17 plates (and possibly a few 68 plates). The specification of these cars added the equipment listed below (compared to the 230bhp vRS of the same period): (Also not mentioned above, Performance Dials available in the infotainment system for boost, oil temp, power etc.) The gloss black 19" wheels and tail pipes are one of the most obvious visual clues that a car is a 'special edition', along with badges that have a black V rather than a grey V, albeit as the years go on more and more will be getting modified, so this method of identification can't be relied upon. Things that all 245s got regardless of the year or version are the VAQ electro-mechanical diff and the updated 7 speed DSG. The 245 Challenge edition gets much the same list of added extras but also includes Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) and KESSY. Hopefully that helps work through what is quite a confusing timeline.

It can be retrofitted as you want, with active monitoring, but it definitely doesn't do it as standard. A couple of people on the Facebook vRS groups have done it. Not sure on cost, probably depends how much of it you could do yourself.

Yes, i'd forgotten about those. I wonder if Audi have been observing BMW sales of cars like 340i vs 335d/340d, which are actually surprisingly closely matched performance wise but where even now the diesel variants seem to be selling better and decided there was less merit in the petrol car? Anyone that set on petrol, they'd presumably try to upsell to an RS4/RS6. (For reference I think in the F30 shape 3 series, the 335d sold something like 15,000 units across various trims, where the 340i sold more like 2,500)

They do, they're just expensive these days. C43, C63, 330i, M340i, RS4, RS6, RS3/S3 Sportback (kind of), Golf R, Arteon R (soon), Cupra ST, Focus ST, V60 B6...

Quantum Red is one of several maps developed by Quantum tuning, often resold via smaller independent mechanics, mobile tuners etc. https://www.quantumtuning.co.uk/quantum-tuning-options.aspx If you're running a mapped car, you may need to be conscious of fuel choice (many maps will be configured to expect 99 RON) and ensuring you keep on top of servicing but other than that, there's not much you need to do 'special'. You'll burn through clutches if you constantly launch it, high gear low speed pulls (say overtaking in a 40) to ride the torque wave probably won't do it much good either, so keep using your gearbox. The only other issue really is that of insurance - you should be telling them it's modified if you know and not all insurers will like this. Some will ask for an extra £20, others may even refuse to insure it all. Plenty of people will tell you to risk it and spin a story about it not being easy to detect, or to feign ignorance, but it's not a risk I would take personally, I'd rather do it all above board.

Only the rear brakes on a 245 were bigger (310mm vs 272mm on the rest of the range at the time), fronts are 340mm, same as any other TSI. There was a lot of guff in the media at launch about it needing the 19s due to bigger brakes but it was just that, guff. 17s are still a tight fit around the front calipers though, so it would be worth a trial fit if you can before you buy.

I would have said values have held exceptionally well in the last year. Go on AutoTrader and dealers are still advertising 67/18 plate cars at £18,000 to £19,000 for 245s under 20,000 miles. You obviously have to account for 'doing a deal' margin etc. with advertised prices but those sort of figures are impressive in terms of residual on a Skoda. The cheapest one out there last time I looked was still over £16,000 with 50,000 miles on it.

Sadly i'm wholly unsurprised that such fundamental information is available in conflicting views

Interesting, I've just checked my documents from when I took out an extended policy (through Skoda) on mine in July (so a month after this one by the sound of it) it is very explicit that it cannot be transferred to a new owner. As such, I would again suggest any potential buyers should assume it won't come as a Skoda warrantied vehicle.

The original 'ordered from new' extended warranty is described in one of my old price lists as... Extended warranty total four years or 80,000 miles. O O O O O O O £212.50 £255.00 Extended warranty total five years or 100,000 miles. O O O O O O O £429.17 £515.00 ...so I would assume the car in question no longer has a valid extended warranty if it's at 103,000 now. Presumably Skoda's system wouldn't show it as having expired if the last time it was seen in the network it was still under 100,000?

I didn't think any of the extended warranty products covered beyond 100,000 miles? Be that ordered from new or purchased at expiration of original warranty (though I don't think the latter is transferable anyway?)

Nor do hatchbacks or autos for that matter, if they're sensibly priced. A good thing you can do is set up some alerts for exactly what you're looking for to try and keep marginally ahead of those who just sporadically check. Keep a record of previous advertised prices as well before the cars vanish, so you can check at a glance whether something looks worth the money compared to other adverts historically (bearing in mind obviously advertised price isn't the same as what it may actually have sold for after negotiation)

I particularly like the review accusing them of laundering drug money

20,000 is possibly slightly late, as variable servicing runs to a max of something like 18,600 on the mileage counter for oil but it wouldn't unduly worry me if the price was right Edit - it's entirely possible this has happened completely innocently too - I nearly got caught out with my first service, as I was doing a lot of miles routinely, I phoned up to book in with about 1500 miles to go until due and was surprised to find that the first two dealers i tried couldn't book me in for about 10 weeks which would have sent me way past - luckily the third place i tried could do it in 2 or 3 weeks which was fine. If there is a lack of local dealers where the car is based and the owner wanted to maintain Skoda history, he may have just been caught out with how far in advance some dealerships seem to operate.

Weight of cars is always a difficult topic as so many places use differing standards but never reference which they are actually using, making it remarkably difficult to compare. Looking at the 'tech specs' Skoda publish for the Mk3.5 and the Mk4 in brochures, it looks like the Mk4 is around 55 to 115kg heavier like for like. The Mk4 245PS DSG as shown in the video is listed by Skoda as 1520-1580kg 'with driver' (guessing WLTP means they now quote a range), that compares to the Mk3.5 245 DSG at 1465kg (Feb 2018 spec sheet). If you assume the old NEDC figures were based on the minimum, it's probably realistically about 55-60kg heavier in general, the upper ranges listed for the Mk4 being due to adding optional equipment that wouldn't have been required in NEDC specs.

My use case is similar, up and down an A road for my commute, long term measured average in a 245 is 39mpg.

Standard mk3 18s are 7.5J and ET51 rather than the 7J ET40 you've entered there. Whilst I'm here, though I doubt the OP cares, 235s stretched on 10Js is what I would consider to be on the daft side. Typically you wouldn't want to go narrower than 255s on a 10J wheel IIRC.

@MassiveJim How did this turn out? Happy with the exhaust? Any more on the price discrepancy?

It is irritating, I know it doesn't help you now but for future reference, when you collect the car post service, in 'Car Settings' (I think, maybe general Settings) area of the infotainment you can go to 'Service' and it'll show you the countdown in days and miles - on variable these will show as 700 and something days and then 18,600 miles for oil, 19,900 for inspection IIRC. If they show 365 days and 10,000 miles it's been left on fixed again. At least if they do it again this time you can walk straight back in and moan.

If I was trading a car in I would just factory reset the evening before I took it in, that should bin off anything personal, sat nav/home destinations, stored phones, contacts, anything really I think?

Try emailing a few other local dealers for a price to enable. You then have options - either take it to one if they quote and the price is good, or go back to your dealer saying the franchise up the road can do it and see if they reassess their ability to do it. It may simply be a case they don't want to bother with this sort of work.

I suspect if you're looking at somewhere like Eurocarparts it's because they only identify the car as far as a '2.0 petrol', so will be offering pads for the brakes on a vRS with 272mm discs, a vRS 245 with 310mm discs and probably even a non vRS 190 TSI with whatever disc size that came with

I'd be amazed if people were being prosecuted from displayed GPS speed unless it's absolutely ludicrous and markers in the video can corroborate it. It's so slow to refresh on many cams as to be completely worthless anyway. Seen plenty on YouTube compilations where the camera car has emergency stopped but the GPS speed is still showing 20mph 5 or 6 seconds later.

Unless its a 245 with the larger 310mm vented rear discs