Evening,

I had my first test drive of the Fabia vRS Hatch today @ City Skoda - Basingstoke.

What an amazing car - I was expecting a lot after all my reading on the internet but was still pleasantly surprised by how nice it was to drive. My only criticism of this test drive was that the guy who took me out made me feel a bit awkward and it was only up the road and back again. I didn't get the chance to really put the car through it's paces. This is, after all, what the car was made for - driving like a looney - in a controlled manner of course.

I was also given the impression throughout that I was just wasting their time. This may come from the fact I'm 22 and still wear white Nike trainers, but I can assure anyone reading this, I fully intend to buy something within the coming months.

After the test drive I asked for a finance quotation and I would like to share this with everyone and get some feedback on the price, what people have managed to get for free and the truth behind how far these guys can go or be pushed. I also work in sales and I know that if you make a big enough fuss for long enough the customer will get what they want. What are these guys limits? Has anyone managed to get some huge discounts at Skoda's quarter end (which for the record is currently going to be the end of march).

My Quote -

Car Price £ 13,665.00

Options

Heated Seats £ 137.50

Climate £ 229.17

3 Spoke Wheel £ 137.50

Tel Prep £ 195.83

Cruise Control £ 145.83

Black Roof £ 312.50

Black Alloys £ 91.67

Metallic Paint £ 366.67

GAP Insurance £ 399.00

Sub Total Options £ 2,015.67

Total £ 15,680.67

Hire Purchase 3 Years @ 5.3% = £409.36

Opinions please! who has beaten this and what garage was it from?

I couldn't find options for car mats anywhere

Was told that rear parking sensors are standard but doesn't say that in catalogue

Colour choice -

Haven't made decision yet - was thinking either

White body black roof and wheels

or

blue body black roof and wheels

can we get some pictures of these up and others as well. there isnt enough pictures of these cars on the web!!

does anyone have pictures of the blue idea...only one i havent seen yet.

Lastly, the guy who took me out for the drive said that the vRS is rare and hard to get hold of? why is he telling me this? is it a case of i just wont be able to buy one, or will i jjust have to wait ages?

Thanks everyone

sp what did u think of the standard stereo if u tested it?

1 Parking sensors are not standard

2 Don't worry about the standard matts as most of the members here have said they are crap. Better buying your own.

3 Are you sure you can have a black roof with a blue body as I remember you could only get the white roof with the blue body. (May be wrong on this but check)

As for the deal with the Vat free offer I can't see you getting much of anything off the price to be honest. It's a steel of a car for that price anyway.

Sounds like the guy realy thought you were just a time waster or you've been lumbered with the new guy.

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by Can

You can make your own car on the Skoda web-site Car Configurator, this will show a picture based on your colour proposals. The vRS in Race Blue metallic is available with a black, or a white, roof.

My salesman handed me their vRS demonstrator keys (after I had signed the insurance sheet) and I went out alone for almost an hour, trying all road situations, also manual drive with floor lever and the paddles.

I came back to the dealer and my order was soon in!

I can't offer any advice on the finance deal, but the current Skoda prices are almost unbeatable.

Parking sensors are definitely not standard. They better not be anyway seeing as I'll be paying over 200 notes for them on my car!

Black roof certainly is an option now as I saw a race blue with black roof and dark chrome wheels in the Huddersfield Skoda showroom near us.

5.3% is scandalous. I was offered 2.25% flat rate on HP when I enquired (it was 0% at the time of ordering but then this pesky VAT offer came along and changed everything!) If you can afford it then the HP at that rate is the better option but I'm guessing your quote is on PCP?

Also the GAP is very overpriced at £399, I paid £200 after some negotiation which I thought was a fair price. I could've got it cheaper on the internet but it wasn't a million miles off the best price and it's underwritten by Skoda so I took it.

I would expect a much longer test drive as you can't decide anything in 10 minutes. Get another one and make sure you stay out for at least 30 mins as I did and ensure you go your own route, not the dealer's.

Do you have a trade-in? If so how much did they offer you?

Discounts are generally a no no since this VAT offer came up but you can always try. Others will be along to point you in the direction of Carfile, Drive the Deal etc but I've never had a favourable response from dealers when quoting their prices. I'd never order through them myself as I just don't trust these places - if it sounds too good to be true... and all that. The trade off is a stupidly long waiting time so I'm led to believe if you actually did order through one of these places and they aren't particularly suitable if you have a trade-in. Rant over on that issue though.

Speak to another salesman if you're not comfortable or even go to another dealer. Unfortunately your age may go against you in certain dealerships (I know, I've been there a few times!)

As Scottpcs says, go to another dealer if you think the dealer where you test drove the car isnt taking you seriously.

There are plenty around and at the end of the day its your decision where you spend your dough!!

Regards

Grahame

Why not see what the DtD price is and then ask them about the finance options available. These are normally sorted with the dealer anyway but at least then you'll have got the best possible purchase price for the car so you're half way to utopia.

I was also given the impression throughout that I was just wasting their time. This may come from the fact I'm 22 and still wear white Nike trainers, but I can assure anyone reading this, I fully intend to buy something within the coming months.

I'm 23 mate and went for the test drive at my local dealership. I got exactly the same atitude as you did. Test drive was 15 minutes and the guy treated me like an idiot. I didn't buy from them....

As others have said, GAP insurance is greatly overpriced. You can get it for under half that price. All the options are great. Mine came with car mats. Cruise control can be a wasted option (it was for me), so just make sure you know you're going to use it.

Lastly, the guy who took me out for the drive said that the vRS is rare and hard to get hold of? why is he telling me this? is it a case of i just wont be able to buy one, or will i jjust have to wait ages

Unfortunately, he is correct there. Factory build time with those options is likely to be AT LEAST 12 weeks. There are quite a few vRS' out there with your options with only a few hundred or a thousand miles on the clock. Could be worth enquiring.

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by Reavenger

I believe the interest rates have changed from the 2.25% for normal HP and 7.9% for Solutions to a single 5.9% for all finance options... still, with 20% off it's an unbeatable offer

.

Edited 18 May, 201214 yr by Tim31

Cruise control can be a wasted option (it was for me), so just make sure you know you're going to use it.

My present car is a Fabia 3 which has cruise control as standard. I hardly ever use it except on motorways, and even then I can only keep in this mode for a few minutes until I have to brake which automatically canels it out. To resume, it's quite a hassle.

Do you really want to spend the extra £145?

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by Flax Bourton

Get the vRS on PCP it will work out cheaper

Not necessarily. A lot of people seem to forget that there's a 'balloon' payment to be made at the end of the term and this is never cheap. The only other 2 options are to hand the keys back or trade it in against a new car (assuming it's worth more than the guaranteed value figure at the end, otherwise it's hand the keys back and pay nothing more.)

In my experience, PCP can work out to be cheaper but only if you can make enough interest on the money you save by not paying up front. At today's rates that's very hard to achieve and hence the reason I paid for my car outright rather than take the 2.25% HP on offer.

I realise that everyone's financial situation is different and that not many can afford to do what I did. Just don't make the mistake of looking at the monthly payment figures only and thinking 'this is cheap!' - always make sure you have a plan for in 3 years time when the agreement comes to an end.

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by scottpcs

We took the 2.25% flat rate over 24 months, dont like pcp as if we cant afford the baloon payment at the end and cant afford or want to change the car we would need to re finance a 2or 3 year old car

You can get GAP for half that price mate. Get the vRS on PCP it will work out cheaper

Gap insurance for around £100 https://www.directgap.co.uk/Quote.aspx?vc=14400&cl=7500&trm=3

As said, the GAP is way too expensive, they must be making a clear 200 notes on the back of that easily.

The finance is also too expensive. Skoda are still doing the 2.25% I believe. That's what you want.

Otherwise get a quote elsewhere. Lombard approached me not that long ago and it was about 3%.

Never liked or used a balloon payment. You end up paying interest for the whole time on the money at the end usually, so they get a lot more interest out of you as a significant part of the balance is outstanding the whole time. Plus it's never your car, you pay out each month and then if you don't pay the Balloon you've been paying all that interest on, you have nothing at all. So the next car is more expensive as there is no part ex... or it's another Balloon and years of interest on a lump of money. IMHO.

I also wouldn't bother with crusie control. Had it for five years and I've used it three times. It's boring and until adaptive crusie control becomes more common it's just not flexible enough for our busy roads.

Edited 17 January, 201115 yr by CT17