About to order a Citigo - some questions

[evoke]

Hi All,

 

A potential new Citigo owner here. I'll be ordering a Citigo on Saturday from my local Skoda dealership. Essentially i'm looking for a daily runabout car that's hassle-free and cheap to run. I have not test-driven one yet, but will do so on Saturday.

 

Here are my requirements:

 

- Cheap to run

- Occasionally may need to seat 3-4 adults, mostly just me on my own

- Cheap to insure

- Satnav (not essential as I could use my phone)

- Bluetooth (essential for business journeys)

- iPod integration (I have an iPod Classic with all my music on it)

- an okay stereo (would like reasonable sound)

- DAB (not essential but desirable)

 

I guess two of those are already met by the Citigo. 90% of the time i'll be the only person in the car.

 

So, here are my questions:

 

1. I'm vertically challenged (5' 5" tall) and i've heard the seat belts are not height adjustable - is this going to be a big issue?

2. I'm torn between the Sport, the SE and the Elegance - which model provides the most bang for the buck?

3. Is breakdown cover included?

4. What are the recommended options?

5. What are the service intervals?

6. Which engine is 'best'?

7. There's a Fabia model at around the same price - would that be a better choice?

[Markyg]

The seat belts will be less of an issue if you get a 5 door. That said in elegance and sport trim the drivers seat is height adjustable.

I'd go for the sport or elegance. By the time you add the PID to the SE there isn't a massive price difference on a PCP and the interior is a nicer place to be in both these models over the SE.

If you get the car on finance you get the free servicing and 3 years breakdown cover.

If you go for an elegance I'd go for sound pack. The extra speakers are worth it.

I think the service intervals are 10k / 12 months.

If you don't take the car above 4250rpm there's no difference between the engines.

As for the fabia v citigo it depends what's important to you. The citigo will have cheaper VED and insurance and better MPG.

Hope this helps.

[evoke]

^ Wonderful. Thanks so much for the advice. I want to go in on Saturday as prepared as I can be.

[JimmyR]

The Fabia is being replaced next year with a brand new model; who wants to buy yesterday's newspaper.

[oxonboxn]

When it comes to " the deal", be aware that discounts are available if you want them. I didn't go for finance (so didn't get free servicing)...but my car was a grand less than it should have been. That's a new, built-to-order, btw.

[russ19792]

I would go for the 5 door sport but then i am biased !

[evoke]

I have two options to purchase the Citigo, and both options require me to trade-in my current car. I could then take the finance for the balance or pay the balance with cash.

 

It looks like it's a toss-up between the Elegance and Sport for me. Being an old codger, i'm not too keen on the stripes and decals on the Sport model. The rest of the bodykit looks quite nice.

 

The Configurator on the Skoda website is a bit confusing compared to the Citigo site - the standard equipment and options available don't seem to be the same across the details for the car and the Configurator!

[evoke]

I would go for the 5 door sport but then i am biased !

Thanks for the advice.

 

Do you know if this model comes with heated seats?

[leckman]

Thanks for the advice.

 

Do you know if this model comes with heated seats?

Only the Elegance model has bum warmers.

[greenstripe]

If you're not in to stripes, then I would suggest the Elegance 5 door with the 'Entertainment pack' (4 extra speakers -there is a huge difference between this and the standard 2 speaker set up) and then whatever other options you think you need.The 'Convenience pack' is quite good value -cruse control, parking sensors and multifunction computer on the dash in between the dials.

 

Two things of note:

 

The Citigo does not have iPod integration as such -it has an analogue line in jack and music can be streamed via Bluetooth to the PID. You can put micro SD cards loaded with music in the PID

 

The Citigo does not have DAB

[greenstripe]

Forgot to add, there is very little difference between the 2 engine choices -we have the higher powered one, but the general consensus is that it probably isn't worth the money as you'll only ever see the extra power at high revs.

[BossFox]

Regards the seat belts from someone who has had a 3 and 5 door...

 

The 3 door has a B pillar further back, so if you are not tall they will be a stretch to reach.

As they are further back they'll also "pull" on your shoulder more.

 

The 5 door has the same height belt pivot, but it's further forward.

So it's easier to reach them and they come down at a sharper angle, which means they press down on your shoulder less.

[fabandy]

As above: 5 door elegance 60ps 5 door with 'entertainment' and 'convenience' packs plus false floor boot divider.

Warranty and breakdown (including Europe) are 3 years but can be extended to 4 or 5 years - you need to do that when you order.

If you do take out finance, you will also get the free servicing.

[evoke]

Excellent information guys. Many thanks!

[BossFox]

 

Here are my requirements:

 

- Cheap to run

- Occasionally may need to seat 3-4 adults, mostly just me on my own

- Cheap to insure

- Satnav (not essential as I could use my phone)

- Bluetooth (essential for business journeys)

- iPod integration (I have an iPod Classic with all my music on it)

- an okay stereo (would like reasonable sound)

- DAB (not essential but desirable)

 

I guess two of those are already met by the Citigo. 90% of the time i'll be the only person in the car.

 

So, here are my questions:

 

1. I'm vertically challenged (5' 5" tall) and i've heard the seat belts are not height adjustable - is this going to be a big issue?

2. I'm torn between the Sport, the SE and the Elegance - which model provides the most bang for the buck?

3. Is breakdown cover included?

4. What are the recommended options?

5. What are the service intervals?

6. Which engine is 'best'?

7. There's a Fabia model at around the same price - would that be a better choice

 

1. As my seatbelt post above...

 

2. Elegance had good spec for the money and doesn't NEED optional extras if you want to get the most for your money.

Remember, optional extras add little at trade in time, but a higher trim car does.

 

3. Yes, 3 years brakedown cover.

 

4. I'd get the spare wheel.  Everything else is personal choice.

 

5. Service intervals are 10k/12 months.

 

6. Both engines are almost identical until you thrash them, then the 75ps comes more alive just as you redline it.

 

7. The Fabia 1.2tsi SE estate for £9,995 is a good car.  The hatch has the old naff 1.2 non-tsi engine so I'd avoid that.

These are the two main Fabias on good offers at the moment.

The tsi estate gives you a LOT of car for your money, but it's not going to be as cheap to run.

It may hold it's value better though as it's already discounted by around £3,000 on the list price, so the higher running costs will be slightly offset.

As an SE it's lacking a lot of the kit you like though and as a "special edition" it's already been made and you can't add optional extras.

[evoke]

I've made some notes to try and summarise the configuration:

 

Citigo Elegance 5-door with:

 

1. Package CONVENIENCE

2. Package ENTERTAINMENT

3. Variable cargo area concept (I think that's the false floor boot)

 

That adds up to £10,700 on the Skoda Configurator. What about Sunset glass - is that standard on Elegance?

[BossFox]

I've made some notes to try and summarise the configuration:

 

Citigo Elegance 5-door with:

 

1. Package CONVENIENCE

2. Package ENTERTAINMENT

3. Variable cargo area concept (I think that's the false floor boot)

 

That adds up to £10,700 on the Skoda Configurator. What about Sunset glass - is that standard on Elegance?

 

No.

You can get it seperately for £160 or as part of the package with the sunroof for £650.

[evoke]

The £10,700 actually included Sunset Glass when I checked the spec in the Configurator. So I added the temp space saver wheel for £50 and the spec becomes:

 

Citigo Elegance 5-door with:

 

1. Package CONVENIENCE

2. Package ENTERTAINMENT

3. Variable cargo area concept (I think that's the false floor boot)

4. Temporary space saver spare wheel

 

TOTAL: £10,750

[fabandy]

Sounds great. What colour are you going for? Do you like the ivory interior?

You could try Carfile or Drive the Deal if you are prepared to drive to whichever Skoda dealer they find that will offer you the best discount.

[evoke]

Sounds great. What colour are you going for? Do you like the ivory interior? You could try Carfile or Drive the Deal if you are prepared to drive to whichever Skoda dealer they find that will offer you the best discount.

 

I like the white to be honest. Nice and simple.

 

I'm not sure about the ivory interior. I had a similar interior in another car years ago and the dye from my clothes transferred onto it within a month! If it's dye-resistant then it'd be more appealing. Black absorbs a lot of heat in the Summer but doesn't look dirty too quickly.

 

Does anyone have the ivory interior? If so, any comments would be appreciated.

 

I'll take a look at Carfile and Drive the Deal.

[Markyg]

If the total price is 10750 I'd look to pay no more than 10500. There's about 300 in these cars for the dealer to play with so make sure you get a good chunk of it

[BossFox]

If the total price is 10750 I'd look to pay no more than 10500. There's about 300 in these cars for the dealer to play with so make sure you get a good chunk of it

 

Agreed.  On a factory order you should be looking for a discount.

[davidukne]

The £10,700 actually included Sunset Glass when I checked the spec in the Configurator. So I added the temp space saver wheel for £50 and the spec becomes:

 

Citigo Elegance 5-door with:

 

1. Package CONVENIENCE

2. Package ENTERTAINMENT

3. Variable cargo area concept (I think that's the false floor boot)

4. Temporary space saver spare wheel

 

TOTAL: £10,750

This is the exact spec I have on order, in red. I spent hours researching different combinations.

[philhoward]

Given the Citigo is very slightly wider than the Fabia, the 5 door pays dividends, especially in car parks.  My wife is only 5'1" and copes OK with the seatbelt.

[evoke]

Honestly guys, a heartfelt thanks for the advice you have offered, all within my first day of forum membership too. I didn't expect people to be so helpful based on my experiences on other motoring and car forums! Yet another reason to buy a Skoda.

 

It's approaching the end of the month so I hope that puts me in a strong bargaining position. My worry is that i'll be knocked down on my trade-in car. Has anyone done a part-exchange? If so, were you relatively happy with the trade-in value you got?

 

I've got an appointment after the Skoda dealer with a Toyota dealership to look at a Toyota Aygo if a good Skoda Citigo deal can't be had. If all goes well then i'll just do the Citigo deal and cancel the Toyota appointment.