Hi all,

A few weeks ago I finally got to view and drive a Yeti. Nice car, top Irish spec with 170 TDi and 4x4. I was a bid disappointed with the "snap back" grab handles and the fact that there were no lights fitted for the vanity mirrors, on a near €31,000 car.

However last week I went to look at the Audi Q3 with a friend, again nice car, 170 TDi and 4x4. Quality was fantastic, but I could not believe that on this €50,000 car you got no leather, no Sat-Nav, no elect seat, and No Lights for the vanity mirrors . They are a "cost option", on a 50k car? The dealer could not tell us how much they would be, but did not think they would be more than €300. I dread to think how much a fully kitted up Q3 would end up costing :(

How can Audi (are Merc and BMW charging for these little extras also?) justify charging for what I feel should be standard fitments on any car? Is it just in Ireland or do they charge for them in the UK also?

It does go to show what great value the Superb is tho. for about €34,000 you get just about everything bar the kitchen sink .

Bryan

It's the same here for Audi.

Even a £45k TT in top spec RS doesn't come with basic things. You have to pay extra. Just for a decent spec to justify the badge snobbery you can add £7k on top...

Considering the state that the overall car market is in of late, I really do hope these manufacturers learn the hard way.

No wonder the Koreans are selling so many cars. Fair enough, these 'quality' manufacturers have earned their place in the pecking order, but rest on your laurels at your peril

My £3k Octy came with them!

Everything seems to be an option these days. I seem to remember whilst wasting an Audi dealer's time, the option for an ashtray in an Allroad was £170..?

Sorry, I meant 'Smoking Pack'. :wonder:

I'm so tight, that even if I could afford one, I wouldn't buy an Audi (excellent cars that they are). I'd rather buy the VW or Skoda equivalent and pocket the difference.

The one Audi in particular I can't see the point of is the S3 - give me a Golf R any day of the week.

10 years ago my wife selected an A3 as her company car (she later bought it and still drives it to this day). When we were looking through the options the elasticated luggage net that come free with Skodas was marked as an optional extra at a cost of £71 this was in 2002!! She nipped up to the Skoda dealer and got one for £15 :-)

Whilst I don't disagree with the comments on high prices and cost options it is worth remembering that Audi is extremely successful. If I ran Audi why should I give options away or reduce the price if my customers are prepared to spec them and pay the asking price?

VAG's brand differentiation is very clever and works particularly well; Audi, VW, Skoda, Seat etc.

We don't understand why anyone would pay for an Audi, hence we opted to buy a Skoda. Still money in VAG's pocket.

The bloke who pays a premium for his Audi will never understand why we drive a "Skoda", but again he's still putting money in VAG's pocket.

It’s a win win situation for VAG.

Double my disposable income and I’d buy an Audi instead of another Skoda. The Skoda is the best car I can afford.

I'm so tight, that even if I could afford one, I wouldn't buy an Audi (excellent cars that they are). I'd rather buy the VW or Skoda equivalent and pocket the difference.

The one Audi in particular I can't see the point of is the S3 - give me a Golf R any day of the week.

Both are a similar price. :wonder:

Whilst I don't disagree with the comments on high prices and cost options it is worth remembering that Audi is extremely successful. If I ran Audi why should I give options away or reduce the price if my customers are prepared to spec them and pay the asking price?

VAG's brand differentiation is very clever and works particularly well; Audi, VW, Skoda, Seat etc.

We don't understand why anyone would pay for an Audi, hence we opted to buy a Skoda. Still money in VAG's pocket.

The bloke who pays a premium for his Audi will never understand why we drive a "Skoda", but again he's still putting money in VAG's pocket.

It’s a win win situation for VAG.

Double my disposable income and I’d buy an Audi instead of another Skoda. The Skoda is the best car I can afford.

This is very true. Ironically, you can get more of an 'Audi' (the perception of luxury) if you had the same budget, i.e. spend £25,000 on an Audi A6 or Skoda Superb... which one ends up feeling plusher?

The Allroad I tested was £38,495, and that was reduced from around £43,000!! :'(

... consequently I've been looking at the new Superb with 4x4. You can get the same toys (although without that peachy 3.0 TDi) for far less.

People are strange. I know that if I had £20k burning a hole in my pocket I'd probably be more inclined to pick a slightly dog-eared Allroad over a better condition, lower-miled Superb, for example. But in my heart of hearts I'd know that the Skoda was the better deal.

Hmmmm...

Both are a similar price. :wonder:

The Audi driver will probably argue that the VW owner couldn't afford an Audi

Both are a similar price. :wonder:

The S3 is cheaper than I thought it would be - didn't realise they were roughly the same price. I still prefer the Golf.

We are all guilty of car vanity in some way shape or form, otherwise no car would need to go over 70, there would not be any mods, Ford original paint choice would be all there is (as long as it is black), etc, etc...

I like my car and feel if I spend decent money on it I want something worthwhile. I am however not willing to pay stupid money just for a badge or to have the latest and greatest. I feel there are better things to spend money on than that.

As with most multi brand manufacturers there will be differences and similarities between the brands. It is things like the latest Skoda model being based on a previous Audi platform or engine/gearbox setup. So you will get all of the latest innovations in the Audi models first but a few years later these will appear in the lower cost marques.

We all know that when you lift the bonnet on a Skoda you will see Audi and VW logos all over the place. The tyre inflation kit in a Skoda is Audi badged, this kind of thing just makes sense from an economy of scale standpoint.

In a way the Audi owners are being used as guinea pigs to test out all the new gadgets so they can be made more reliably and at a lower cost for us Skoda drivers so we should really be thanking them.

I was reading AutoExpress last night and their new fleet car is an Audi Q3. A £28k car with enough options on it to make the purchase price £40k.

I had to read it twice.

Who on earth buys a £28k car and spends almost 50% of the value of the car on optional extras.

Best of all, you should see what you have to pay extra for on a £28k Audi.

Xenons are over £1000, crusie control £255... this list goes on.

And several of the things come as standard on any reasonably specced Skoda that costs far less.

When the Yeti Elegance is about £5k cheaper but gets several of the options as standard you have to ask what type of people buy an Audi Q3.

Do you have to pay so much and get a basic spec car just so you can turn your nose up at the people next door who couldn't afford an Audi? (depsite the fact their car is probably cheaper, better equipped and far better value for money!)

When the Yeti Elegance is about £5k cheaper but gets several of the options as standard you have to ask what type of people buy an Audi Q3.

Those who want the "badge" I would suppose and want to either keep up with the neighbours or better them.

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Father-in-law is an Audi man. He never buys any options, he may choose a model higher or lower up the range to get what he wants but nothing is ever added to the standard spec. I guess that's what most people do.

But yes I think they're overpriced for what they are especially second hand. I think people are starting to agree with me. A lot of the Audis I looked at 3 months ago are still for sale. An A3 the same age as a VRS with the same engine and possibly with a lower spec is more than double the price. 90% of the car is the same so where does that extra value come from other than the badge.

Can't see the problem myself.

If the badge was the only difference, there would be no point buying a VW or Audi. But it isn't.

Audi and VW have loads of differences over Skoda, material quality, paint quality, im sure theres tons under the skin.

My Audi and Seat were built in the same year (admittedly the Audi would have cost nearly twice the price, but is a lot bigger), and yet the quality is worlds apart, the Audi has almost 50% more mileage, yet is blatantly a far better quality, even though the previous owner didn't really treat the car well, the paintwork, the interior, everything looks like it will happily last another couple of 100k miles.

Lets also not forget, your resale value will be higher on a VW or Audi.

But you pay less for the Skoda in the first place. Skodas don't lose that much. Bought my Mk1 Fabia vRS 3 1/2 years ago second hand and only lost a grand on it

And let's just remember which vag company builds the engines in diesel audis...... :lol:

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It astounds me that Audi can charge, and get away with, the prices it does for extras. But it's like Apple, people that want it, pay for it! For me personally am happy to drive a Skoda and use a non descript Nokia phone!

Can't see the problem myself.

If the badge was the only difference, there would be no point buying a VW or Audi. But it isn't.

Audi and VW have loads of differences over Skoda, material quality, paint quality, im sure theres tons under the skin.

My Audi and Seat were built in the same year (admittedly the Audi would have cost nearly twice the price, but is a lot bigger), and yet the quality is worlds apart, the Audi has almost 50% more mileage, yet is blatantly a far better quality, even though the previous owner didn't really treat the car well, the paintwork, the interior, everything looks like it will happily last another couple of 100k miles.

Lets also not forget, your resale value will be higher on a VW or Audi.

I do agree with you but surely Seat have always been sold as 'the sporty brand' & not the 'quality brand'? One of my friends has a 52 plate Leon Cupra R & it seems to me to me really plasticky compared to a Mk1 Octy? I was quite suprised.

I was in my cousins brand new Golf 1.6 CR DSG this week & that reminded me of it. Having spent a lot of time in 09 plate Octy vRS's recently. All though the Golf had some nice touches, I thought the quality of the interior was lower in the Golf & the DSG was not as smooth as the Octy or current Fabia vRS?

It astounds me that Audi can charge, and get away with, the prices it does for extras. But it's like Apple, people that want it, pay for it! For me personally am happy to drive a Skoda and use a non descript Nokia phone!

Much like the iPhone I guess. A fool and their money. . .

Still, them buying those cars does me no harm, so I'm really not worried.

I do agree with you but surely Seat have always been sold as 'the sporty brand' & not the 'quality brand'? One of my friends has a 52 plate Leon Cupra R & it seems to me to me really plasticky compared to a Mk1 Octy? I was quite suprised.

Well, i sold my Mk1 Octavia vRS with similar mileage to the Seat, and the Seat was in far better condition inside and out that the Octavia (admittedly it seems i brought a Dog of a Octavia). I wouldn't say theres actually much between Seat and Skoda in quality TBH.