The timing of the arrival of the new Mk7 Passat was poor for VW - we had planned to trade in our Mk6 Passat Estate for a new one, but could not test the Mk7 until Mid Jan '11. In the meantime, Skoda Yeti was winning praise, whilst the Mk7 Passat was getting average feedback. Without a price list, I had no idea how much the Passat was going to increase from Mk6 to Mk7.

So the local Skoda dealer got the business, just before Xmas ( to catch the 2010 VAT / price).

Phone rang last night from the local VW dealer sales manager (on the hunt for business), so I told him. He was complementary about the choice and continued to discuss how it was built from VW group parts in any case. Wondered what he would say to the dealer principal ? I said we would be downsizing in the future, to which he suggested he could tempt me with a sporty Golf when the time comes :p .

Wonder if this is happening across the VW group and is the reason behind long delivery times and reducing VfM from Skoda ?

Edited 15 March, 201115 yr by Silly Old Hector

The timing of the arrival of the new Mk7 Passat was poor for VW - we had planned to trade in our Mk6 Passat Estate for a new one, but could not test the Mk7 until Mid Jan '11. In the meantime, Skoda Yeti was winning praise, whilst the Mk7 Passat was getting average feedback. Without a price list, I had no idea how much the Passat was going to increase from Mk6 to Mk7.

So the local Skoda dealer got the business, just before Xmas ( to catch the 2010 VAT / price).

Phone rang last night from the local VW dealer sales manager (on the hunt for business), so I told him. He was complementary about the choice and continued to discuss how it was built from VW group parts in any case. Wondered what he would say to the dealer principal ? I said we would be downsizing in the future, to which he suggested he could tempt me with a sporty Golf when the time comes :p .

Wonder if this is happening across the VW group and is the reason behind long delivery times and reducing VfM from Skoda ?

We initially started looking at Golfs (having had them before) before we ended up with the Yeti. Now the obstacle of elderly PD engines has gone and the latest CR engines are available across the Skoda range - often with options not available on the equivalent VW (xenons and leather couldn't be had on the Golf Plus, for example) then I think VW dealers are going to struggle. They can't rely on brand snobs like Audi (or BMW, M-B etc) and when we were buying, they were only offering 1 year breakdown cover rather than the 3 years offered by Skoda. And the one annoying problem we've had with the Yeti (headlamps occasionally not coming on) is common across the group. So you end up paying a lot more for damped grab handles, gas bonnet struts and perhaps a bit more soundproofing. Hardly compelling, is it?!

Mark