Hi I'd love a bit of forum advice on this subject. My car buying habits seem different to the vast majority of people these days in that I find the whole car buying thing a pain in the backside and would rather keep it to once a decade!

My current car is a 2004 mazda 6 and getting a bit long in the tooth.

 

I'm currently eyeing the Octavia but wonder what options are sensible for a longterm purchase (ie whats likely to cost an arm and a leg in the future to repair).

 

I fancy AWD/4wd so am looking at a diesel Scout or 4x4 with rough road package, this doesn't seem to be available on L&K (at least that's what the configurator says) so leaves the choice probably between scout and elegance spec.

 

For convenience a DSG box would be nice but do people think that's going to cost me over 10years? 

I also fancy xenons but again wonder if they a something which is likely to go wrong and need repairing before a MOT?

 

The other thing swaying my thoughts to the scout is that it is Euro 6 emission certified unlike as I understand it the other models currently.

 

 

As a side issue has anyone ever managed to get the dealers to successfully get something not on the configurator? Such as Adaptive cruise on the elegance, rough road on L&K or the net partition divider on the French and Czech sites? 

 

Thanks in advance for advice

Can't help with much other than to say the DSG needs servicing every three years

I plan to keep mine for 8 - 10 years, you can see what I picked below. I went with a 4x4 Elegance and the vast majority of options... Adaptive Cruise would have been nice but seen issues with it on VW's so not 100% sure about it now actually.

Thank MK4 that's not something I'd directly considered, any idea current costs for this?

I guess I was to preoccupied with stories of reliabilty issues

If you extend that warranty and get free servicing to 5 years, you are a least fully protected for half your planned ownership, and both of these options can usually be negotiated FoC.

 

As far as what to tick, I'm no use, I ticked everything! I have a problem

Spec'd mine for 10 years, as that's what I've had my Fabia for:

 

TSI vRS Manual, Metal Grey, Black Pack, Canton, Heated Leather seats, Heated Windscreen, Park distance (front & rear), Spare Wheel, Sunset Glass, Heated, folding mirrors.

 

Also got Colour Maxidot, Boot net, heated washer nozzles and the double sided boot floor, but they're not really extras I need, just impulse purchases I fancied at the time.

 

I'd have liked Columbus - but it was far too much for what it is, The Extreme wheels, but had to cut costs somewhere (will likely get aftermarket rims at some point anyway). And KESSY would have been nice, but something I just consider an expensive gadget.

 

Looking back, I think as it's a 10 year car I just wanted everything. No I'm probably not much use either...

For a ten year old car I think I'd only spec stuff that I really wanted.

 

Although I specc'd Admundsen I don't think I'd bother if I was going to keep a car that long.  Satnavs/Phones/ICE will change so much over that length of time that unless you really want it it's probably pointless extra cost.

 

To be honest if I had my time again I wouldn't bother with Admundsen and MDI, I'd of either got columbus or not bothered at all but unfortunately at the time the dealer didn't know what features were or weren't on it and the manual was totally wrong.

Thank MK4 that's not something I'd directly considered, any idea current costs for this?

I guess I was to preoccupied with stories of reliabilty issues

 

From memory last time I had it done was about 5 years ago (had a manual in between) it was about £250 but that was a VW Passat.  I'm sure a local independent could do it cheaper

With VW underpinnings it should be basically reliable however, ANY car that is going to be owned from new up to ten years of age will require maintenance and that comes at a cost.

The spec you choose is your call alone, after all, you gotta live with it for a decade!

There are certain things which might be common sense spec items such as Xenon lights and Cruise Control but these will depend on your driving habits.

Other things such as leather seats might be a good idea in terms of longevity and also makes the cabin a nicer place to be. Arguably, luxury items such as sunroofs and sound system upgrades of course make your ride that much easier to live with long term.

If it's a long term, maybe top of your list should be extended warranty, that way, at least your covered for half the anticipated time with your car?

General rules for a "Long Termer"

- Don't spec gadgets that are designed to impress... especially those designed to "support" another gadget. (So rule out Columbus, MDI, KESSY, etc). They will be out of date in a couple of years.

- Make sure you have DAB - Sorry people, it's going to stick around and FM will likely recede.

- If you are tight-fisted, don't spec stuff you cant afford to replace if / when it breaks (DSG, Fancy diff's, etc) 

- Don't upgrade your alloys.... You can buy them for Peanuts from EBay in a few years

- Look after your paintwork.... Forget lifeshine, but invest in a quality detail with paint protection after purchase.

- Check out servicing costs..... You will need to factor this in.

 

Also, dont eliminate the higher marques. An C-Class / E-Class on a PCP (followed by seperately financing the baloon) is an excellent long-term investment with great residuals..... 

I got an S spec estate with only options of cruise control and spare wheel exactly because I intend to keep it 10+ years.

Less to go wrong and basic spec (dab radio, Bluetooth etc) is all I need. I appreciate that wouldn't suit lots of people due to lack of gadgets, armrests, etc.

Sunroof, xenons and canton are the 3 must have options for a keeper IMO. All usable all the time, likely to be reliable for length of ownership and make ownership nicer. Then it's a matter of what personal preference you have on the other options.

I got an S spec estate with only options of cruise control and spare wheel exactly because I intend to keep it 10+ years.

Less to go wrong and basic spec (dab radio, Bluetooth etc) is all I need. I appreciate that wouldn't suit lots of people due to lack of gadgets, armrests, etc.

I fully agree with this. Over 10 years go for the fewest possible options (those you really need).

I would add that if the Bluetooth or dab radio pack up they can be replaced easily.

As Mence & Sniperpenguin say, spec things that will assist you through the cars life and not those ones designed to impress.

Me, I'd spec the following:

Leather seats, they might sag but won't stain and are easier to refurb.

Winter pack, because in those ten years we could have /will have some horror winters.

Spare wheel - because a can of gunk still means you need to buy a new tyre afterwards, not always the case with a spare wheel!

DAB - future proofing

Canton (it should wear better and will delight your ears for longer)

Zenon lights (worth the extra light any day of the week)

Led tail lights - they look good, are unlikely to go wrong and no bulb changes except indicators I believe (which can be LED retro fitted for cheap anyway)

Turning fog lights and high beam assist (don't option, find a VCDS member to do this for a bottle of wine)

Folding dimming Wing mirrors - for that one time when the van behind you is blinding you to madness.

Cruise Control (if not standard)

Crew protection assistant / rear airbags - if you have kids or regularity carry back seat passengers.

Double sided boot mat.

Sunset glass - some extra UV protection for the kiddies and looks smarter not to mention hides stuff from little robbing b*****ds.

Last but should be first, extended warranty from the manufacturer (not the dealer) so it's on your spec list when ordering!!!

Options you could spec depending on your driving habits /Journey Typs etc.

DSG - if it's lots of start stop driving then it will rest your knee, however it could also cause issues later in life if it's sole life is city driving.

Sun roof if you live in a hot part of the UK....

Park assist - I can park just fine but if you have an other half who can't then it might save you some insurance pennies (IF. IT IS EVER USED - people forget to or aren't prepared to wait for it to do its thing so don't use it.

Front parking sensors - expensive but may save you one costly embarrassing moment further down the line.

Not it haves

Factory satnav - obsolete in 5-7 years and way overpriced. Go for a good TomTom or something.

Any of the MDI or iPod b*****x - the car has Bluetooth for streaming.

Phone box.... Just why? The UK is grand for phone signal now and you can charge your phone in you car with a £4 charger!

Bigger alloys, get some aftermarket ones down the line when the standard ones are showing their age (flog them on ebay or keep for winter tyres perhaps).

KESSY - nice to have but I can also press the button on the key myself.

Panoramic sunroof - loads of up top weight and you will probs hate having your head cooked in the summer.

You mentioned 4x4 and underbody protection. Spec 4x4 only if you really need it as that has plenty of servicing costs down the line also. The underbody protection I reckon could be retro fitted later in life buying the bits bit by bit from TPS so why money allows do it.

Also, as an after thought, if a lot of those specced items go wrong down the line, they don't have to be repaired as they aren't safety items. The door mirrors will work like plain old non folding ones etc & we all had cars without heated seats once apron a time. Live in comfort for 5 years and Gris the rest if &when things go wrong.

Hope that helps you decide, it's how I plan to spec my keeper when I decide to stop changing and wise up.

....My car buying habits seem different to the vast majority of people these days in that I find the whole car buying thing a pain in the backside and would rather keep it to once a decade!

My current car is a 2004 mazda 6 and getting a bit long in the tooth.

.....

I fancy AWD/4wd so am looking at a diesel Scout ...

Sounds perfectly sensible and reasonable to me.

I too am still driving a 2004 car which I bought new (Australian Ford Territory - google it)

Next year I'm also considering down sizing to a diesel Scout

Reading replies to your thread with interest.

Edited 17 September, 201411 yr by AUSKOUT

I find the whole car buying thing a pain in the backside and would rather keep it to once a decade!

I feel like this. Hence also buy once a decade. But this time I used Carfile. And pretty much loved not having to deal with salesmen at all.

 

Helped the missus buy a Citigo from the local dealer the week before, and that was a nightmare of a headache (exaggerated by the fact he was trying to sell me the Octy too).

 

Much loved the online broker route: Play on the Skoda configurator, two emails and boom – just have to sign a piece of paper from the dealer who can only try to sell you the paintwork protection and GAP insurance at that point.

Some cracking advice. I bought ours with plans as a keeper.

Kept it simple.

Picked the colour I loved rather than cheeped out on solid.

Xenons

Privacy glass

Elegance spec

5 year warranty

I did like the idea of dsg. But not as a keeper

Many thanks for all the advice, seems like I'm not the only one playing the long game.

I should of put in the initial spec extended warranty is a must.

 

It seems most people tend to agree less is better, but than spec Xenons. Maybe as I've never had them I don't miss them. My only experience is being dazzled by them on twisty B roads.

 

I still like the idea of DSG but feel it's too costly if it goes wrong year 5+, also as ACC not available it's not quite so tempting.

 

 

 

- Look after your paintwork.... Forget lifeshine, but invest in a quality detail with paint protection after purchase.

 

 

Also, dont eliminate the higher marques. An C-Class / E-Class on a PCP (followed by seperately financing the baloon) is an excellent long-term investment with great residuals..... 

 

 

Some interesting food for thought here. I've no idea what lifeshine or a quality detail with paint protection is but am assuming you don't think a turtlewax every 4 years qualifies

I live in London and have no off street parking, consequently the poor car gets royally abused. The body work has a number of dings in it which no one ever seems to claim responsibility for and unfortunately I can't see that changing soon.

 

With regards to higher marques at 10 years C classes seem to be going on ebay for £3 - 4000 so there doesn't seem to be a great deal of residual that far down the line, and as described above I could hardly describe my cars as A1 immaculate!

You have started to make me think about leasing though and whilst I admit it costsmore over the longterm I wonder if it may be less stressful? however just what penalties I'd have to pay for dents and scrapes may put me off!

Edited 18 September, 201411 yr by Cybermansrevenge

With regards to the lights just have a drive/passenger ride in a car with them. They sell them selves.They don't dazzle other drivers either. It's the after market ones with ****** reflectors.

Also leasing is far more stressful for me as they expect a immaculate car back at the end of term.

Edited 18 September, 201411 yr by Stuski

I always PCP and never had any issues with condition of car. Leasing is another matter though - they are more picky.

 

You can take our SMART insurance for ~£500 to cover 3 years - unlimited dings/scratches under 30cm repaired.

With regards to the lights just have a drive/passenger ride in a car with them. They sell them selves.They don't dazzle other drivers either. It's the after market ones with ****** reflectors.

 

 

I'd agree with this.  I've never had a car with Xenons before my vRS but won't be buying a car without them, or something better, now. 

 

Only thing is if you have the swiveling lights (AFS?) and you're in sport mode some passengers feel really really sick.

If you intend it to be a keeper then spec it as high as you can afford IF you find that particular option useful.

 

It will be worth sod all at ten years old anyway so work out what you are going to find useful and go for that.

 

Some options (Xenon, Canton) you may think are not useful, but are excellent options to have, as well as Winter Pack.

If you wanted a car that had a lot of spec I'd probably go with a standard 1.8 TSI L&K DSG.

I do still personally think they are an awful lot of money list and there are other cars I'd probably rather buy but if it has to be an Octavia no doubt you'd pay more for a similar spec Elegance and won't have that great 1.8 engine (in the UK at least).

Definitely keep it a good long while though or you'll do a packet on it.

Like you I like to keep cars for around 10 years as long as they are reliable. I would possibly avoid DSG, also count on the DPF needing replacement at 100K+ miles.

With the Scout I do interim oil and filter changes and run almost exclusively on Ultimate. this seems to be keeping the dpf in good order despite short runs in winter.

I would definitely go for the heated windscreen, and extend the warranty to 5 years