What are the differences that I should expect to see between these two? 

 

Or are they identical in terms of what gets done to the car, the only difference being the difference in price? 

 

 

Variable servicing tends to suit higher mileage drivers, probably over 15k miles a year, car decides based on usage and oil quality when it wants a service, usually every 19k miles.

 

Fixed servicing is every year or 12k miles, suits lower mileage drivers, as if you did 24k miles, you'd be servicing twice a year!

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed/default/

 

 

11 minutes ago, glosrich said:

Variable servicing tends to suit higher mileage drivers, probably over 15k miles a year, car decides based on usage and oil quality when it wants a service, usually every 19k miles.

 

Fixed servicing is every year or 12k miles, suits lower mileage drivers, as if you did 24k miles, you'd be servicing twice a year!

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed/default/

 

 

But in terms of the actual physical differences my money is getting me, are there any?

 

My car has done 16.8k, can't justify paying £190 if all it's getting is an oil change which costs £149 according to the fixed cost. Would rather insist on the cheaper one. 

With new cars, are the first service cost the same if you have fixed or variable service plan?

Ask the dealer to specify what they are doing for £190?

 

 

 

Variable tends to be more expensive as they use the long life oil, instead of the standard. 

 

Remember you're also maintaining your warranty also, so £190 isn't a lot to pay really.

 

I know you can have them serviced by an independent garage and still keep warranty, but you'll find it harder to claim if you need to, as they will try and say the independent garage made some kind of error.

39 minutes ago, glosrich said:

Variable servicing tends to suit higher mileage drivers, probably over 15k miles a year, car decides based on usage and oil quality when it wants a service, usually every 19k miles.

 

Fixed servicing is every year or 12k miles, suits lower mileage drivers, as if you did 24k miles, you'd be servicing twice a year!

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed/default/

 

 

Its under 10000 miles, not 12,0000. I was having 2 services in 1 year.

20 minutes ago, glosrich said:

Variable tends to be more expensive as they use the long life oil, instead of the standard. 

 

Remember you're also maintaining your warranty also, so £190 isn't a lot to pay really.

 

I know you can have them serviced by an independent garage and still keep warranty, but you'll find it harder to claim if you need to, as they will try and say the independent garage made some kind of error.

 

Not true for the diesels with DPF.

It used to be true, but now anything with a DPF needs VW507 and a new filter, so the oil will be the same.

 

55 minutes ago, glosrich said:

Variable tends to be more expensive as they use the long life oil, instead of the standard. 

 

Remember you're also maintaining your warranty also, so £190 isn't a lot to pay really.

 

I know you can have them serviced by an independent garage and still keep warranty, but you'll find it harder to claim if you need to, as they will try and say the independent garage made some kind of error.

 

I've spoken to 2 different dealers who both confirmed they use the same Longlife approved oil regardless of whether car is on fixed or annual.

 

@James@RRGRochdale is this correct from your dealer experience? 

Yes they do pretty much all use Long Life Oil and some will refuse to use oil that is not Long Life but the correct spec if you ask them to when you want to have Fixed Servicing.

The Correct Spec Full Synthetic Oil but not Long Life can be the choice of some vehicle owners.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes

We only use longlife, yes. 

 

Ive seen other places only use 10w40s in everything then charge quadruple for 5w30s. 

The price of 5w 30 Full Synthetic Long Life (VW 504 00) might only be a little higher than 5w 40 Full Synthetic (VW 502 00) but some want the 5W 40 FS and not long life not because it is cheaper just because that is what they want.

If Long Life oil was the answer to all requirements why would non Long Life be suitable and available to those that want that for fixed services and engine protection? (Just not from many VW Group Main Dealers.)

 

Just been quoted  £201 for 1st service on my 4x4 vRS TDI at 15k miles/1 year.

 

About right, or is the skoda.co.uk minor service price of £149 what I should actually be paying? I've even told them not to wash it, as I'm fussy...save them a few quid lol!

 

Although they've already promised a bacon butty for breakfast, as it's booked in for 8.30am and I'm going to wait! Expensive butty perhaps?

5 hours ago, pist0nbr0ke said:

Just been quoted  £201 for 1st service on my 4x4 vRS TDI at 15k miles/1 year.

 

About right, or is the skoda.co.uk minor service price of £149 what I should actually be paying? I've even told them not to wash it, as I'm fussy...save them a few quid lol!

 

Although they've already promised a bacon butty for breakfast, as it's booked in for 8.30am and I'm going to wait! Expensive butty perhaps?

 

Officially I'm sure the small print says that those prices apply to vehicles between 3 and 10 years old or something like that, but from what I've seen on here most dealers will do it for that if you point out that listed price on the site.