First post I'm thinking of buying a new Octavia and taking advantage of the VAT/Deposit/Servicing deal that's on at the moment. Was hoping someone could help me out with a few questions:

1. Has anyone had success negotiating a further discount (on top of the national offer)?

2. Currently thinking of getting either SE or SE+. Which would you guys recommend? Would like rear parking sensors but not fussed about satnav/BT, so am on the fence. How does the maxi-dot display compare to the standard one?

3. Is there any concrete info on the presumably upcoming mk3 Octavia? Could it be worth waiting for this?

4. Which options would you recommend (kinda overwhemed with choice to be honest )

5. Any other info worth knowing?

Thanks in advance

Also, am thinking of getting the finance for the offer and then immediately paying it off. Does it make sense to do this (i.e. does it save money over buying outright)? What unavoidable fees are associated with the finance?

1) The VAT/Deposit/Servicing is centrally funded by Skoda UK. There is still the dealers margin to go at so further negotiation is essential.

2) SE +, the more toys the better. Maxidot is handy for the additional settings it allows you to control but as I set the car up as I wanted it on day one I can't say I've really ever needed the additional functionality since.

3) The MkIII is due late next year but it won't be anywhere near as cheap as the current Octavia. The current Octavia is fantastic value in all guises.

4) The problem with the SE / SE + is they don't get the central armrest which is a must for me. I also think the front foglights / daytime running lights (DRL's) set the car off really nicely from the front. I'd also never have another car without xenon headlights but these are a pricey option. Rear parking sensors are a must as is the spare wheel (instead of a can of foam).

5) Save up and get the Elegance!

Oh, and welcome to Briskoda!

Thanks silver1011 for the info My dealer seemed to think the elegance is not in the deposit/servicing offer, so had ruled it out on that basis.

It's difficult to know what sort of price to offer. I found some "target prices" on the What Car site, but these don't include the VAT offer. Is there a good source of target prices online that takes the offer into account?

Check out a broker, Drive The Deal is well known for its very competitive prices, this should provide you with a realistic target price...

http://www.drivethedeal.com/

I have had mine about 2 weeks now. Got all the deals from Skoda and another £300 plus some extras like a boot mat.

Took the finance out for the free servicing but only took the minimum amount for the minimum term and paid it off straight away. Total cost for the finance set up and closure fees was £279 so the free servicing cost me £279 which is still a big saving (am on fixed servicing).

Secret is to go in armed with all the figures. If you have a part ex you are only going to get the trade price from Parkers. It can be dressed up to make it look like you got a lot for it but any extra will be added to the final cost of the new car.

My plan of attack is to go in and tell the salesman what you want. Then offer him your car plus £xx. Make it a cheeky offer and he will hopefully come back with a suitable figure. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter what the figures are on paper, only what you are paying out.

Edited 25 July, 201213 yr by Metblackrat

Great, thanks for the info. This gives me a good rough idea of what to aim for. Metblackrat, hope you are enjoying your new car Which one did you get and how are you finding it?

I wonder if my dealer was correct about the deposit/servicing offer not being applicable to the Elegance. I can't find anything in the small print on their site to say that it's excluded...

Great, thanks for the info. This gives me a good rough idea of what to aim for. Metblackrat, hope you are enjoying your new car Which one did you get and how are you finding it?

I wonder if my dealer was correct about the deposit/servicing offer not being applicable to the Elegance. I can't find anything in the small print on their site to say that it's excluded...

TSi VRS Estate in Candy white. Only done 200 miles so far but i'm loving the DSG.

My dealer seemed to think the elegance is not in the deposit/servicing offer, so had ruled it out on that basis.

I wonder if my dealer was correct about the deposit/servicing offer not being applicable to the Elegance. I can't find anything in the small print on their site to say that it's excluded...

Remember, the dealer will be thinking of his pocket, not yours. They will always try and sell what gives them the greatest profit. The Elegance might not be so "rewarding" in terms of commission.

The way to play the finance is to take it out then make a bulk payment over the phone of the whole balance minus £10. Then the early settlement penalty will only be 2 months interest on £10 instead of the full amount.

The way to play the finance is to take it out then make a bulk payment over the phone of the whole balance minus £10. Then the early settlement penalty will only be 2 months interest on £10 instead of the full amount.

Thanks for the information, can you explain a bit more about why this is the case please (why does this work)?

Also, would you guys recommend going for the DSG model? It's just basically an automatic right?

I bought an SE+ in March. Very pleased with it its the 2.0 TDI 140.

Having the maxi-dot makes several functions available/selectible that are really quite useful. I also got cruise control and auto-lighting package but the thing I really wanted most was the MDI interface (for the lady). Integrated sat-nav and bluetooth are also very welcome.

You can always get the dealer to throw in some extras like Autoglym paint treatment or rubber mats.

Not sure if its really worth paying the extra arrangment fee and purchase-option fee for the finance package - together these add up to maybe what the free servicing is worth anyway.

I'm emailed the dealer to ask for more info on the finance. I can't seem to find the t&c's or what the fees are on the Skoda website...

Im pretty sure the fees are much lower on HP than on PCP.

The bulk payment works because you incur an interest penalty for settling early which is calculated on the balance at the time of settling. BUT you are allowed unlimited overpayments without penalty. You make a massive overpayment without penalty so the balance of the loan is tiny. Then you phone up to settle and the early settlement penalty is then calculated on this small balance and bingo, £500 off, free servicing and it will have cost you practically nowt. Some VW dealers actually advise you to do this!

Thanks for the information, can you explain a bit more about why this is the case please (why does this work)?

Also, would you guys recommend going for the DSG model? It's just basically an automatic right?

Yes, I've had mine since December 2009, albeit the 6 speed DSG. I love it!

Test drive it though and see if it works for you.