I don't know if this is a 'problem' which afflicts dealers of all brands, or just Skoda, but I was wondering why so few seem to spec their demo cars to a decent level. To me it's a no-brainer:

 

- The car looks more attractive to would-be purchasers

- They can sell it for more as an ex-demo

 

I realise it costs a bit more for them to buy it in, but I would have thought the above two factors more than outweigh that.

 

I'm looking around for a decently specced Rapid Spaceback ex-demo, and there are pretty much none in the country with the options I want. It's been billed as a "more sporty model to appeal to a younger generation" but I've only seen one of about 150 cars fitted with the Sport pack option with 17 in wheels e,t,c,

 

Some dealers have fitted the Ray wheels and sports suspension of their own accord but most of these are missing other important options like sports seats, climate or sat nav.

 

 

The early demos are typically forced on them, they are not ordered.

 

Hence the stupid Rapid SEs with loads of extra kit.

The first face lift Yeti I saw in my local dealer was a base spec diesel indoor version.  It looked cack.

Not everyone wants a high spec car, especially if in the market for a Skoda.

 

This therefore means a lower spec demo might just sell quicker than a top spec model.

 

Remember also that it is rare to be able to recoup the full cost of factory options come resale time, nearly new or not.

Hence the stupid Rapid SEs with loads of extra kit.

 

They were too expensive at list price because SUK went too ambitious with the list price, but at least they made the car look good. And I bought one of them! :p

Not everyone wants a high spec car, especially if in the market for a Skoda.

 

This therefore means a lower spec demo might just sell quicker than a top spec model.

 

Remember also that it is rare to be able to recoup the full cost of factory options come resale time, nearly new or not.

 

That's true. but there's a bigger picture here.. the demo cars are there to sell cars. Make it look better inside and out and they will sell more surely? Or persuade people to add some of those options.

I can only assume that the dealers do their sums and spec their demo's based on experience.

I can only assume that the dealers do their sums and spec their demo's based on experience.

Maybe because all the extras add little if any value to the car, so they would end up funding the extras to get the demo with a higher spec themselves?

One of the dealers by me does huge spec demo cars. There was 2.0 TDI DSG Octy Elegance estate with leather, winter, xenons, canton, sunroof, Columbus, MDI, led tail lights, sunset glass, wood trim. Must have been a £30k + car.

The downside to going crazy with the options and trying to show them all off is that they'd have to explain to customers that theirs won't have that feature. Or that one. Or that one...

That can be quite counterproductive as a sales tool, so a small selection of well chosen options that are likely to appeal to buyers of that model are more sensible.

On a similar note, has anyone had a dealer actively try to sell you options, suggesting useful upgrades?

I've not, which seems odd. The only thing they ever push is GAP and paint protection.

Maybe because all the extras add little if any value to the car,

 

I thought that was just a thing they say when they're trying to beat you down on the part ex price!

On a similar note, has anyone had a dealer actively try to sell you options, suggesting useful upgrades?

 

 

Nope!

 

Again seems strange to me, same as with Skoda UK and their banned options list. More options = more £££ sales surely?

 

I know some dealers even try to talk you out of options in order to get a quick sale. Maybe too focussed on short terms targets.

I don't know if this is a 'problem' which afflicts dealers of all brands, or just Skoda, but I was wondering why so few seem to spec their demo cars to a decent level. To me it's a no-brainer:

 

- The car looks more attractive to would-be purchasers

- They can sell it for more as an ex-demo

 

I realise it costs a bit more for them to buy it in, but I would have thought the above two factors more than outweigh that.

 

I'm looking around for a decently specced Rapid Spaceback ex-demo, and there are pretty much none in the country with the options I want. It's been billed as a "more sporty model to appeal to a younger generation" but I've only seen one of about 150 cars fitted with the Sport pack option with 17 in wheels e,t,c,

 

Some dealers have fitted the Ray wheels and sports suspension of their own accord but most of these are missing other important options like sports seats, climate or sat nav.

 

Because the majority of owners dont want  any options except paint.

Cars in West End Skoda's Edinburgh showroom all have non standard wheels and other extras.

Swimbo recently bought a Rapid Spaceback SE showroom car that was fitted with sports pack and style pack in candy white. Looks the nutz

A demonstrator is more for the way the car drives than it looks or it's kit. No-one "test-drives" SatNav or MDI or leather seats vs cloth.

A demonstrator is more for the way the car drives than it looks or it's kit. No-one "test-drives" SatNav or MDI or leather seats vs cloth.

 

On that point I disagree. There's several of us that sought out a demo car with Canton before buying one, and I didn't make a final puchasing decision until I'd seen a car with a panoramic roof and beige interior. If I'd only been able to look at black seats and fixed roof I wouldn't have bought one.

Could be worse, they could do what Alfa used to do and have the showroom cars sitting with the guts of the dashboards hanging out and little tickets all over them saying which bits were broken.

My dad has had 5 Mercedes in a row all A&B class models all from new but his currant car was ordered as a demo, he wanted the latest model with leather,panoramic roof,

sat nav,auto 2ltr diesel but this was going to be to expensive from new, so the sales manager at the dealer ordered a car with the spec he wanted and he bought it 4 months later with less than 3000 on the clock.

I can remember wifey and I having test drive in a Demo Pug 206 in 2000, it had all the extras bolted on that were available at the time. Wifey liked it so much and it had to be bought, albeit just the standard cooking model.

When she picked up the shiny new car she thought it was the wrong one as it looked so plain and ordinary, even came home and told me it's the wrong one.  When I pointed out it was the right car , a 206, just the base version, she was very disappointed, besides, she only kept it 18 months and sold it on and stuck with used cars that she could see what she was getting.

So maybe there is a very good reason demo cars are not specced up as you asked.

My 4x4 is and ex demo (dealer principal) car - 4x4 TDI Octy II in grey with assorted (spot on) extras so they do do it...   I thin it just depends on the dealer concerned and what cash they have at the time.

Are we getting slightly confused here between demo and stock? 

 

I once purchased a unregistered showroom Lupo GTi that had every factory extras (only 3), and brought it there and then for full list price (BTW had a p/ex so no chance of a discount).

 

I imagine though, that if it had been sold as an ex-demo after 3 months, then the price would have been very much different, with the "extras" not adding any value whatsoever.

 

Horses for courses?

Cars in West End Skoda's Edinburgh showroom all have non standard wheels and other extras.

Swimbo recently bought a Rapid Spaceback SE showroom car that was fitted with sports pack and style pack in candy white. Looks the nutz

 

Do you think SWMBO would have been similarly tempted had the showroom cars been standard versions?

definitely not.  We went in with the intention of looking at a brand new SE Spaceback as one of her new car options. Demo car she drove was bland looking i  comparison to the speced up showroom car.

 

If  she hadn't fallen in love with to showroom car we certainly would have test driven other makes.

definitely not.  We went in with the intention of looking at a brand new SE Spaceback as one of her new car options. Demo car she drove was bland looking i  comparison to the speced up showroom car.

 

If  she hadn't fallen in love with to showroom car we certainly would have test driven other makes.

 

Kinda proves my point...

 

Although I realise this won't apply to all people and all cars, I do think if you're trying to sell a product you should display it in the best way possible!

 

Because the Spaceback has quite a number of exterior styling options I think it's particularly important on this model.