1.5 or 1.4 also drivethedeal?

[harrylime]

I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on an Octavia estate tsi. I'm torn between a used 1.4 or a new 1.5 (new prices through drivethedeal seem to be not much more than used prices, and are sometimes less?)

1. has the throttle hesitation issue been sorted on the 1.5? I'm thinking about a DSG, this would be a new experience for my wife and I would not want to complicate things further whilst maneuvering in the drive etc. If a new car won't set off easily and smoothly I don't see the point in buying one

2. Has anyone used drivethe deal? Good / bad experience? Any idea what the turnaround/delivery time would be?

[shrikep15]

I used DTD 10 years ago with my previous Octavia, no problems whatsoever and the price was unbeatable.   The deal was made even better as I knew that my local dealer was the supplying dealer at the time, gave me great pleasure going in to complete the paperwork after the sales manager had told me the price they quote was never honoured....it was. 

 

I considered using them again this time around, but because I couldn't confirm where in the country the car would be coming from i went with CarWow instead.  The price was about £1K higher but as my (different) local dealer could match the best price I was offered made me decide I could live with the extra cost. 

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, harrylime said:

I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on an Octavia estate tsi. I'm torn between a used 1.4 or a new 1.5 (new prices through drivethedeal seem to be not much more than used prices, and are sometimes less?)

1. has the throttle hesitation issue been sorted on the 1.5? I'm thinking about a DSG, this would be a new experience for my wife and I would not want to complicate things further whilst maneuvering in the drive etc. If a new car won't set off easily and smoothly I don't see the point in buying one

2. Has anyone used drivethe deal? Good / bad experience? Any idea what the turnaround/delivery time would be?

Used DTD in 2015 - first time i used a broker. It's no different to buying a car any other way, just no haggling. Would love to buy a car this way.

 

Only thing add tho is that if the 1.4tsi prices you're looking at are the same then there should be lots and lots of margin for the dealer to reduce the price.

[WayTooTall]

Used DriveTheDeal way back in 2003 to buy my old focus. No problems using them, but all they are really doing is putting you in touch with the dealer who then takes it forward. Delivery time is going to be entirely dependent on options chosen and availability. Using Drive the Deal won't affect that time.

[john999boy]

3 hours ago, shrikep15 said:

I used DTD 10 years ago with my previous Octavia, no problems whatsoever and the price was unbeatable.   The deal was made even better as I knew that my local dealer was the supplying dealer at the time, gave me great pleasure going in to complete the paperwork after the sales manager had told me the price they quote was never honoured....it was. 

 

I considered using them again this time around, but because I couldn't confirm where in the country the car would be coming from i went with CarWow instead.  The price was about £1K higher but as my (different) local dealer could match the best price I was offered made me decide I could live with the extra cost. 

I'd use the £1000 extra saving to hire a helicopter to fly me to wherever in the country it was coming from! 

DTD is just one of many brokers that you might wish to contact and AFAIK, one of the dealers about 25m from me is often used to fulfill the orders.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, john999boy said:

I'd use the £1000 extra saving to hire a helicopter to fly me to wherever in the country it was coming from! 

DTD is just one of many brokers that you might wish to contact and AFAIK, one of the dealers about 25m from me is often used to fulfill the orders.

 

The only real downside purchasing from a dealer some distance away is if you need to return. It's unlikely to happen but there are occasions when you may have to drive back. Or hire a Chinook

[juan27]

Bought a Volvo through DtD a few years back. A steady chap delivered it from the dealers in South London to County Durham. No problems whatsoever.  I've no qualms about buying a car from a remote dealer if the price is right. The chances of really having to return the car to the supplying dealer are pretty slim in my experience.   Of course in any case as others have said the DtD supplying dealer could be quite local to the OP.

[BoxerBoy]

I bought our Octavia via Drive The Deal. My first time using an agent. And first PCP deal.

 

Unfortunately, the supplying dealer was at the other end of the country, but I made a holiday trip out of collecting the car.

 

Everything went smoothly. I simply had to wait for a factory build with my chosen options.

 

Recently my local dealer dealt with a warranty fix without any problem.

[andygman]

Ordered my octy through DTD. Big saving on list and a pleasure to deal with. Picking up from Great Yarmouth in September to drive back to Cardiff. Looking forward to the drive! 

[JayTee]

I used DtD to buy my Octavia which is now just over a year old.

Excellent price, about £3k discount, plusat the time £3k contribution from Skoda, gave a net price of just under £20k (including extras) with free driven delivery from Simpsons Skoda in Gt Yarmouth.

oh, and first 2 services included.

Definitely recommend DtD - efficient & courteous service from initial enquiry to completion.

[Guest]

Just reading the above rcommendations for DtD and mentioning the garage where the vehicles were collected from. You'd think that if you as a customer by-passed DtD and went straight to those dealers then the price would be the same, or perhaps you'd get DtD's commision?  Well I can't vouch for any of the dealers mentioned above, but the dealership I collected my car from, not only were they advertising almost full list price but they were advertising two demonstrators each with around 5k mils on the clock for over £2000 more than I had just handed over for my brand new car.

 

So how can the dealers sell their new cars so low?  Err...  I can guess the answer but haven't a clue why the need to go thru DtD and pay them commission. Oh to be a fly-on-the-wall of a car salesmans office.

Edited 24 July, 2019 by Guest

[Alex-W]

I would imagine it's fairly simple...  people will pay the higher prices.

 

Advertise and sell at the higher prices and many people will walk in and accept that's the price.  

I for one didn't know about DtD or CarWow before reading about it on here.  I know many people who have bought brand new cars and all of them have just walked into a dealer and haggled or paid the price in there as that's what clearly used to be the norm.  They likely don't know about the other options or they just want a car there and then, like with an ex Demo car.  I've read on here of people waiting 9 months for a car which quite frankly seems mad.  

 

Now, clearly in that price is a load of profit that can be reduced if needed... but not if it can be avoided.

 

The websites that put dealers against each other just exploit that, if one reduces the price, others will to try and compete and ultimately it's going to push them down to a price point where they cover their costs and make a small profit.   Bear in mind that the overheads associated with that are likely a lot less.  People who walk in off the street probably take a LOT more time of salesmen and time is money.   People who order online are almost zero cost and straight up turnover and profit.

 

I expect if you're brutal you can usually drive them down in some dealers to the same price.  I have a colleague who has bought many new cars, no finance, and once he knows what the minimum it he just goes in, tell them what he wants and puts his card on the table.  Then says if they agree to the price he's asking he'll pay for it right there and then.  Once they see the money in front of them they usually cave.  On the occasions they haven't, he just walks out and buys another car.  

Whether this is possible or not probably depends on the human element of it, whether they think you're bluffing or not...  at the end of the day a small profit is better than none.  It also helps if it's 'just a car' as if you really want that specific car and they know it, they've got you by the balls from the start.