Same locale as you and use mine regularly in the winter mornings to great effect. I wouldn't want to be without one now!

If I commuted I am sure it would be more useful.

The parking heaters on some cars are better idea's, you don't even have to de ice the side windows!

Next door has one fitted to a diesel Maestro! Its even on a timer! And we thought Skoda's having a heated front screen was progress.

I am new to the brand, but to me it seems:

• We are where we are
• You pays your money and you takes your choice
• It's a market economy
• If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen

Clichés all...

Well, "fool and his money" really shouldn't be an answer in discussion like this. I'm interested in pushing Skoda UK to explain this pricing policy. Between them asking BMW 3 series money for a diesel hatchback and you willing to pay it extra pronto, there is still a massive qui pro quo to be resolved. We don't get the tech of Golf GTI, we are still one generation behind. You cannot order adaptive chassis control, bits and bobs etc. But this time it costs a lot more more. And we get less. No haldex. No hard terrain pack. No 1.8TSI.   

 

MK3 would be my third Octavia. It's not going to be at this price. Don't get me wrong I like the car a lot but I'm not going to pay £30k for what at the end of the day is just a mini cab estate with spoilers. If only becuase Golf Estate GT is cheaper and has more toys.  

Edited 17 July, 201312 yr by v0n

Heated screen sounds good, as do heated mirrors (though I have rarely needed to use heated mirrors0. What I would love, and it would seem simple to implement, is heated steering wheel on the Octavia. Not many cars have this, but if you've just been clearing your iced up side windows on a frosty morning, your hands will be cold. It's always seemed like an obvious luxury to me.

Yeah but Ford owned the rights then, when they first launched it only the better spec Fords had it.

I've got one on one of my cars and tbh it ain't a big deal but for £200 it's worth speccing.

Are they really supposed to be something special then?

I assumed they were ten a penny just because I've got two Fords sat on the drive that came with them as standard!

Are they really supposed to be something special then?

I assumed they were ten a penny just because I've got two Fords sat on the drive that came with them as standard!

No, pretty common on Fords. Mine has it also.

No common now but back in the 80's they were the bees knees.

Edited 17 July, 201312 yr by vrs777

Are they really supposed to be something special then?

I assumed they were ten a penny just because I've got two Fords sat on the drive that came with them as standard!

I had them on previous Fords when they were restricted to the higher spec (Ghia) but then moved away from the marque. The biggest thing I missed by far was the heated screen. It is not just about de-icing in the winter but is a very quick means of de misting, so I would say if you can have it do so.

I am though a little disappointed that it will only come in conjunction with the heated washers (not a bad idea) and heated seats I.e. the winter pack. So as someone has already said, it is now a £430 option and not a £200 option unless you wanted the other two items :(

VAT free was a perpetual offer. It was "standard discount". It didn't end for years. We all knew it was like DFS sofa "last weekend" sales. Fan boys or not, we all understood that we pay £16k for OTR vRS because that's exactly what it was worth. By the time you added the toys you were few grand short of base Golf GTI price - the choice was simple. Asking GTI money for vRS is just silly of VAG to do. It's like barely surviving the rise and fall of Seat (anyone remember Leon Cupra scenario) and not learning anything. You wouldn't pay Rolex prices for a knock off. You wouldn't pay Florida money to holiday in Brighton. You cannot ask GTI money for vRS. I don't care how close it is to the real thing and what satisfaction surveys claim, vRS has neither residual values, stamina, quality of build, options nor standard of Golf GTI. I love Skoda as much as the next briskodian but we shouldn't be asked to pay more to get less. 

 

 Back in 2010 top of the line L&K with TSI DSG and every single option added including sunroof would set you back about £18k. Delivered to your door. Today that's starting price for bare SE model. I'm sorry, but that's not inflation. That's trolling. One should not feed the trolls. I say bring the perpetual VAT free or GTFO.    

 

the only fair way to compare the cars is list price, fine the VAT free deal was on but that was due to the economy and discounts were due to the model coming to an end.

you are comparing an 8 year old design on a special sale price compared with a new car on full rrp. not quire fair in my eyes. the mk2 was not £16k when it first came out! I think the mk2 rrp was something like £18-23k so 8 years on you might find its closer to the inflation rate than you think!

VAT free has not been running 10 years, its not an unlimited offer.

 

as for an Octavia at golf money, rrp price yes, but if you take cost of ownership and finance payback etc no. The Octavia is 0% finance and the golf is 6.4%. the Octavia has 3 years servicing the golf is £199 or £299

 

as per my other post

 

working on the online VW finance calc for the golf

 

£5k deposit

10000miles per year

golf GTi

£3800 extras

36month deal

 

monthly price £431........the Octavia with same figs would be around £300

Edited 17 July, 201312 yr by kenny

Well, "fool and his money" really shouldn't be an answer in discussion like this. I'm interested in pushing Skoda UK to explain this pricing policy. Between them asking BMW 3 series money for a diesel hatchback and you willing to pay it extra pronto, there is still a massive qui pro quo to be resolved. We don't get the tech of Golf GTI, we are still one generation behind. You cannot order adaptive chassis control, bits and bobs etc. But this time it costs a lot more more. And we get less. No haldex. No hard terrain pack. No 1.8TSI.   

 

MK3 would be my third Octavia. It's not going to be at this price. Don't get me wrong I like the car a lot but I'm not going to pay £30k for what at the end of the day is just a mini cab estate with spoilers. If only becuase Golf Estate GT is cheaper and has more toys.  

All I was really trying to say, was that nobody is forcing anyone to buy one...  It's a personal choice.  I don't think complaining to SUK is going to help.

the only fair way to compare the cars is list price, fine the VAT free deal was on but that was due to the economy and discounts were due to the model coming to an end.

you are comparing an 8 year old design on a special sale price compared with a new car on full rrp. not quire fair in my eyes.

The only fair way is to compare what the cars at what they were actually sold for by Skoda. It doesn't matter whether it was called 0% VAT, half price, christmas give away or anything else. Whatever you think RRP was, it simply never happened. Nobody ever paid those prices. The mythical RRP was only used as a bait to show "savings". You couldn't buy any of the cars at RRP even if you tried.

 

And the perpetual offers run continuously for at least half a decade now. Most of us here read this forum long enough to remember. 

2012 - 0% VAT, 0% finance Skoda fleet resellers and brokers set price of vRS TSI @ £15,894

2011 - 0% finance, 0% VAT, Skoda fleet resellers and brokers set price of vRS TSI @ £16,327

2010 - 0% VAT, 0% finance, Fleet dealers, offers and brokers set OTR price for vRS TSI @ £15,259

2009 - "Special offers" - Octavia range starts @ £8,999 OTR for Octy S . 0% finance. vRS VAT free all year long. All FL Octavias VAT free. Fleet Skoda dealers, offers and brokers set OTR prices of vRS TSI @ £15,914

2008 - Octavia is VAT Free. Fleet dealerships (like Skoda Marlborough), offers and brokers set OTR prices of vRS TSI @ £14,944 

 

Also it wasn't 8 year old car, we are comparing Octavia vRS back then vs Golf back then. The gap between the two might be slightly closer now, but they are still not the same generation, you are still getting last season's tech in Octavia. Nothing has changed.

 

All I was really trying to say, was that nobody is forcing anyone to buy one...  It's a personal choice.  I don't think complaining to SUK is going to help.

It will help. They lost touch with reality. As usual we are here to help them. vRS is not GTI. It can't be priced on the same level. For crying out loud, people - don't feed the trolls. Sense or money, we shouldn't be even entertaining an idea of Octavia vRS that starts at £23k, let alone spec one at 30 grand. There is no Octavia on god's green earth that would be worth that money and there never will be. Sit tight and they will bring back 0% VAT and knock the base price down to where it belongs - below £17k.

Edited 17 July, 201312 yr by v0n

What nonsense, so nobody bought the mk2 vRS from 2005-2008when the VAT free deal wasn't on??

They did and they were paying close or rrp. In which case if someone was getting 5% discount off the vRS the golf discount would be the same, maintaining the difference.

Just like now to help ur story, discount the new price by the same discount will keep the vRS and Gti difference along with the around inflation rise.

I'm not saying its a cheap car but to expect a car free deal forever is unfair. To compare and 'sale' price to a normal rrp is unfair. In your book once a product goes on sale at say 20% discount it must keep that discount forever....come on

Do whatever you want, compare rrp to rrp, discount price to discount price or 0 vat to 0 vat and work out the price increase over 8 years to approx inflation rate and you will see a steady inflation increase.

I admit late on the vRS was a great deal with discount and vat free but in early years that just wasn't the case. It was near full price and plenty sold near full price. It isn't and can't believe many expect vat free to last forever. Your getting a product at a special price not the normal one.

If you look at the monthly figs for the vRS and Gti you can see they are not even close cost wise in reality based on rrp or discounted prices

Oh and if it suits do 16k and add 8 years inflation and see how close you get to the new discounted rate if 20k

Edited 18 July, 201312 yr by kenny

What nonsense, so nobody bought the mk2 vRS from 2095

Correct.

;-)

Hmmm I wonder if skoda will do the vRS then. lol

Changed, nice typo lol

Correct.

;-)

Von - Comparing the heavily discounted price of a model coming to the end of its lifecycle with a ground up brand new model is unfair. Period.

 

Having said that, Im not sure why people are then comparing to the new models RRP as its already available with over £3000 off on both the TDI and TSi DSG's at Drivethedeal. So the above arguement is even more unfair imo!

v0n.

 

To me, you've completely ignored the ground that has been made up on the GTI.  The difference in standard between that and the Octy is nowhere near the chasm it used to be, so the price comparisons you make just aren't realistic.

 

A mk3 vRS at £17k? Wishful thinking pal.  £21-22k with some options, sure.

So you're totally angry (you wrote a long post with lots of links etc) that you want a Lamborghini for Tata Nano money, right?

 

Well I suggest, if you can only afford a Tata Nano, to go and buy a Tata Nano. Complaining to Lamborghini cause they discounted their cars for some time and they're not doing it again, won't get you a Lamborghini.

 

Skoda is a business, they can offer deals or they might not. It's up to them, it's their business model and strategy. You can like it and be their customer or you can take your hard earned cash and go elsewhere (I bet any other manufacturer would love to help you part with your money). And that's how you send a message to Skoda. Writing an angry post on a forum won't get you anything you think might/should happen.

 

PS: What should the rest of Europe say? We've never had a VAT free deal ever...

Edited 18 July, 201312 yr by TudorM

The new 0% PCP with much higher guaranteed future values than were offered on the MK2 will IMO make it just as affordable to purchase a new MK3 vRS as it was to buy one VAT free.

Depending on how you structure your finance I see it that you'd potentially be borrowing 15 to 20% less money and also be paying no interest on the loan. Its almost the VAT deal just structured totally differently.

Id expect someone doing HP finance would be able to barter a decent discount on list and then get a low finance loan either through VWFS or a bank, I dont HP my cars so not so clued up there.

Point is with the higher list price of the car....if you PCP one the cost will be similar to buying a MK2 on the VAT scheme, maybe even better depending how you go abouy using Solutions.

Von - Comparing the heavily discounted price of a model coming to the end of its lifecycle with a ground up brand new model is unfair. Period.

 

Having said that, Im not sure why people are then comparing to the new models RRP as its already available with over £3000 off on both the TDI and TSi DSG's at Drivethedeal. So the above arguement is even more unfair imo!

 

agreed, to make it fair in a comparison sense it should either be rrp vs rrp (vRS vs GTi or mk2 vRS vs mk3 vRS) or discounted price vs discounted price (vRS vs GTi or mk2 vRS vs mk3 vRS)

 

only reason i was ussing rrp was i dont know the current golf discount and to be fair not everyone will get max discount so i used it as a level playing field based on figures that were available to everyone as a starting point

Edited 18 July, 201312 yr by kenny

What nonsense, so nobody bought the mk2 vRS from 2005-2008when the VAT free deal wasn't on??

No, it was just called something different. I know nobody wants to read previous pages, so I'll make it really simple. At no point in history of motoring was vRS sold for GTI money in United Kingdom. Not a single one would sell. Full stop. That's it. And now is not the time to start.

To compare and 'sale' price to a normal rrp is unfair. In your book once a product goes on sale at say 20% discount it must keep that discount forever....come on

Please stop calling it a sale price. It was the only price. It was never a sale. It's like DFS sale. It never ended. I posted the links to you.

Do whatever you want, compare rrp to rrp, discount price to discount price or 0 vat to 0 vat and work out the price increase over 8 years to approx inflation rate and you will see a steady inflation increase.

£16k to 22k is not an inflation.

I admit late on the vRS was a great deal with discount and vat free but in early years that just wasn't the case. It was near full price and plenty sold near full price. It isn't and can't believe many expect vat free to last forever.

But that "full" price wasn't en par with Golf GTI pricing.

Von - Comparing the heavily discounted price of a model coming to the end of its lifecycle with a ground up brand new model is unfair. Period.

You've seen the post. Not coming to the end of the cycle. At all times.

 

Having said that, Im not sure why people are then comparing to the new models RRP as its already available with over £3000 off on both the TDI and TSi DSG's at Drivethedeal. So the above arguement is even more unfair imo!

Drive the deal has also £3100 discount on GTI. By the time you spec vRS to match base GTI, the difference is few hundred quid. That's just not on.

To me, you've completely ignored the ground that has been made up on the GTI.  The difference in standard between that and the Octy is nowhere near the chasm it used to be, so the price comparisons you make just aren't realistic.

 

A mk3 vRS at £17k? Wishful thinking pal.  £21-22k with some options, sure.

Mark my words. There is not enough fan boys on this island to sell vRS for GTI money. £17k bare. £22k with all the options factory has. L&K petrol at £21 and not a penny more. Or it goes extinct like Cupra.

So you're totally angry (you wrote a long post with lots of links etc) that you want a Lamborghini for Tata Nano money, right?

 

Well I suggest, if you can only afford a Tata Nano, to go and buy a Tata Nano.

No idea what Tata Nano is, in UK we use Dacia as a running poverty spec joke. But no, it's the other way round, you didn't read my previous posts. vRS in UK is priced en par with Golf GTI. That's just not on. So what I ask is that Skoda stop asking Renaultsport Turbo money for Dacia Sandero with a spoiler.

 

Writing an angry post on a forum won't get you anything you think might/should happen.

You'd be surprised how these things work. We've done it before, we'll do it again.

 

PS: What should the rest of Europe say? We've never had a VAT free deal ever...

It's not VAT free. It's not like they stopped paying VAT to treasury. It's just a catch phrase. A title. The rest of Europe can pop in to the next country and order their car from whereever is cheaper. It's done all the time in UK. When Skoda dealers in UK lost the plot last time many of ordered our cars from Netherlands. When Subaru dealers in UK got screwed by official importer setting prices on par with BMW they would import their stock from Cyprus.

Now, gents. I said my piece, I'm absolutely right about this. It's up to you now, love your mini cab pocket rockets, but say no to vRS at GTI prices. And by winter you'll enjoy sanely priced Octies.

Now, gents. I said my piece, I'm absolutely right about this.

 

Oh dear lord.

You've seen the post. Not coming to the end of the cycle. At all times.

 

 

Incorrect Im afraid as I bought my brand new one in 2008 and very few research the market as extensively as I do before I decide where to put my hard earned cash. You come across as someone who believes they are right no matter what the majority say so its literally a pointless discussion with someone like you involved. Oh and you've not taken into account that some consider the Octavia better value simply because its a bigger car for the same (or actually, less) money - if you have a family or need a lugger, this is a very important fact.

:p

typed with one chubby finger

vOn

 

No a vRS is not a GTi - it's a bigger car but based on the same platform and with the same engine and gearbox. If you read the reviews it seems to drive very well for it's size and not that far behind a 'standard' (ie not performance pack) GTi. I can't comment on Octavia 3 v Mk7 Golf as regards relative build quality as no Octavia 3s of any description have reached New Zealand yet, but I don't think there is any significant difference in build quality or quality of materials between my wife's Superb combi and my Mk6 Golf GTi. And even if you add adaptive cruise and colour maxidot to the vRS spec then the price difference between the 2 is still nearly GBP3000 (GBP25200 v GBP27915) RRP. You suggest that the vRS should be GBP17000, so if you think that what (I believe) is a comparable vehicle should sell for GBP11000 (!!!) less then you clearly think very little of the Skoda brand.  

 

Forgot, price difference even greater when add GBP500 to the Golf for Lane Assistant which is standard on vRS. It is a bit daft that Skoda decided to include this as standard but not a basic cruise control!

Edited 18 July, 201312 yr by DomRay

The new 0% PCP with much higher guaranteed future values than were offered on the MK2 will IMO make it just as affordable to purchase a new MK3 vRS as it was to buy one VAT free.

Depending on how you structure your finance I see it that you'd potentially be borrowing 15 to 20% less money and also be paying no interest on the loan. Its almost the VAT deal just structured totally differently.

Id expect someone doing HP finance would be able to barter a decent discount on list and then get a low finance loan either through VWFS or a bank, I dont HP my cars so not so clued up there.

Point is with the higher list price of the car....if you PCP one the cost will be similar to buying a MK2 on the VAT scheme, maybe even better depending how you go abouy using Solutions.

 

Except that the GFV have been over estimated in my opinion, but that discussion has been had on the other thread!