6 minutes ago, sheriffwoody said:

Just a thought - what are the standard speakers like in the 245? I see a lot of newer cars with a “name” assigned to their speaker system, but just wondered how the standard Octavia speakers fair?

 

are they easy to change if they sound rubbish? 

OK upto about 50% volume if you can find a Canton optional system they have a sub but that only shows the limit of the speakers which look difficult to upgrade.

After 50% they become distorted and hard to listen to? 

I know its still a big financial commitment, however you're looking at relatively uncommon used cars. Whichever one you choose, it will have some cosmetic damage, it wont have all the options you want etc. You've clearly done your research, use your gut feeling as well!

 

For info - I have a bog standard launch 245 estate and even with hindsight, still wouldn't have chosen any options at point of ordering... (I'm lying - should have gone for a spare wheel but that's all!)

16 hours ago, Swirly182 said:

I know its still a big financial commitment, however you're looking at relatively uncommon used cars. Whichever one you choose, it will have some cosmetic damage, it wont have all the options you want etc. You've clearly done your research, use your gut feeling as well!

 

For info - I have a bog standard launch 245 estate and even with hindsight, still wouldn't have chosen any options at point of ordering... (I'm lying - should have gone for a spare wheel but that's all!)

 

I think if going used I'd be tempted to look for a well priced car with some options but new I didn't bother speccing anything extra. I'm happy for somebody else to bear the brunt of the depreciation and there's nothing on the options list I would want enough to pay the extra tbh.

I do agree with some of the points raised above. I waited nearly a year to get my estate 4x4 that I wanted and came across it by complete luck! (Owner unfortunately passed 1 month and 458 miles after purchasing) when looking for these types of cars the main thing is that you feel like you have a good deal. That isn't always price first! You want to feel like you have got the right car first and then the right price and service from there. The vrs is a pretty unique car in higher spec and are few and far between if you want a specific spec and any blemishes and imperfections can be fixed easily after purchase if it's going to be a long term car and then it will truly be yours! 

Did you get a car in the end? 

hi guys - long story short, no i didn't. i had to put buying one on hold for personal reasons.

 

but, i am able to start looking again.  They are getting a little bit harder to find now, but the harder i look, the more option i find and i have now found myself looking at the Challenge version as they come with the heated seats, electric seats, some have digital display as well and a few have the Canton sound system upgrade.  However, they obviously cost a lot more and i am just trying to justify the cost at the moment.

 

having said that, just today i received a phone call from my local skoda dealership who know i am looking for one as they have just today taken one in as part ex. now, its a slightly older version, and interesting to see what your thoughts are on spec/price.

 

its a Otcober 2017 67 reg, but annoyingly its only the 230bhp model

blue

great condition

all alloys will be refurbed as 3 out of the 4 have light curbing on them

24k miles

heated seats (not not electric seats)

it has electric folding door mirrors (in black contrast)

spare wheel and inflation kit

 

bad points:

its not the 245bhp model

no electric front seats

no digital display

no canton sound system upgrade

 

now, it falls well within budget and seems pretty well priced compared to others on autotrader - it is up for £15,700, plus £139 for dealer options (what ever these are) and £1,139 for insurance products (i think this is GAP insurance, some kind of alloy wheel repair service and an upholstery repair service). Less some "discount/incentives" of £750 and the total price is just under £16,230.

 

Based on my requirements (48 month PCP, £1,000 deposit and 15k miles a year) its coming out at £258 a month - at least £100 less than the better spec'd Challenge models.

 

First of - is that a decent price (£16k).  The monthly price is good, but i can't help feeling it isn't the car i wanted to go for.  I expressed my concern that it was the 230bhp model and not the 245bhp and the guy at the dealer just said the different is hardly noticeable being completely honest (he would i guess).  

 

If it had had electric seats and was the 230bhp i would be more inclined.  equally is if was the 245bhp version wish no electric seats i would be more inclined.  just feels i might get the worst of both worlds here?

 

thoughts?

Just looking through this whole thread I think you need to re-evaluate what you REALLY want out of the car and perhaps adjust your expectations, particuarly when it comes to optional extras. If you're looking at getting the 245 model you may need to up your budget a little. For example, there's none on Autotrader for less than 16k, you're also going to really struggle to get into a car with the virtual cockpit if 15-16k is your limit.

 

No electic seats really isn't the end of the world, in fact after using the electric seats in the wife's Tiguan I'd rather not have them. They take far too long to adjust and I honestly can't see what all the fuss is about when I can adjust the seat manually way quicker! Heated seats is an option I'd always take over electrically operated.

 

I'd also be wary of PCP when you can get loans at such a cheap rate at the moment. For £269 you can get £15k over 5 years and the car is yours at the end of it.

 

 

Personally I would say that the main difference in the cars you're looking at is the presence/absence of a electronic differential.

I've not driven a 245 but the difference in power isn't going to be earth shattering.  I could feel no difference between a 220 and 230, we're talking marginal power differences.

 

I wouldn't even consider the electric seats as a factor myself.  As said above, manual ones are quicker and less likely to go wrong.

Heated is good though.

 

Personally I wanted the panoramic roof, but I also wanted meteor grey on a pfl 230.  You can't have everything when you're buying second hand unfortunately. Unless you're very lucky.  

The biggest difference between a 2017 230 and 245 is not the 15bhp but the extras you get with the 245. The power difference is something of nothing in reality what you're getting with a 2017 spec 245 over a 230 is the standard fit extras - the heated electric memory seats (these are probably my favourite extra for the extra adjustability of the lumbar support), the VAQ diff, the 19" wheels, the gloss black details, the power fold auto dimming mirrors (though that particular 230 evidently had these optioned), the little touches like the sports dials, front park sensors etc. - if these things aren't of interest to you, a 230 could represent good value next to a 245. The only thing you'll not be able to find on a 2017 car is the virtual dash, as it was only available from some point in 2018.

 

As for your question about the price, that's harder to say - on a PCP deal the headline price of 16k is somewhat meaningless - you need to add up what you're paying monthly, deposit and what the final balloon payment would be. The payments you list out show you putting close to £13,500 into the car, the key figure from there is what is the balloon and do you intend to actually buy the car at the end or not? Personally, I think PCP on a used car is generally a very cost inefficient way to purchase a car - the interest is usually astronomical compared to a personal loan or something if that option is available to you. PCP makes most sense on new cars where 'manufacturer contributions' are lumped in to massage the figures a bit. £1,100 worth of insurance products are only of any use if you want them and are often available cheaper elsewhere - RTI Gap insurance is the only one you list i'd be particularly interested in and i'm sure can be had for far less money.

 

Another thing to bear in mind - the facelift cars started being delivered July/August time in 2017, so if you're not in a rush, the next few months should see a good few 3 year PCP / lease cars being returned to the market.

Just had a quick look round the car before it went off to the prep centre. 
 

the colour is lovely, but there are quite a few surface scratches all over, 3 of the alloys are destroyed (so would want all 4 done), there is a strange area of scratches on the bonnet (like someone has taken a Brillo pad to a small area - not deep, just lots of small scratches in one localised area). 
there is a small ding on the passengers front door. 
also; the inside is grim. They owned a dog before, so dog hair and mud everywhere and stains on the back seats. 
 

I said I would come back and look at it once it’s all prepped and looking as good as it is going to. 
 

the prep might get out the service scratches and the stains on the chairs etc, so will just wait and see.  

2 minutes ago, sheriffwoody said:

Just had a quick look round the car before it went off to the prep centre. 
 

the colour is lovely, but there are quite a few surface scratches all over, 3 of the alloys are destroyed (so would want all 4 done), there is a strange area of scratches on the bonnet (like someone has taken a Brillo pad to a small area - not deep, just lots of small scratches in one localised area). 
there is a small ding on the passengers front door. 
also; the inside is grim. They owned a dog before, so dog hair and mud everywhere and stains on the back seats. 
 

I said I would come back and look at it once it’s all prepped and looking as good as it is going to. 
 

the prep might get out the service scratches and the stains on the chairs etc, so will just wait and see.  

There are far better examples out there waiting for the right customer. When I traded in my early 2017 August 245 with all the spec you are looking for the dealer gave me just £16,250 trade in last December with 29,000 miles on the clock and the interior was like a brand new car. Be patient and the right 245 will find you. You may regret buying an unloved example like the Blue 230.

5 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

There are far better examples out there waiting for the right customer. When I traded in my early 2017 August 245 with all the spec you are looking for the dealer gave me just £16,250 trade in last December with 29,000 miles on the clock and the interior was like a brand new car. Be patient and the right 245 will find you. You may regret buying an unloved example like the Blue 230.

 

The problem is that dealer will instantly add another couple of grand onto your car before it hits the forecourt, thus probably taking it out of the ops budget. 

5 minutes ago, coupe69 said:

 

The problem is that dealer will instantly add another couple of grand onto your car before it hits the forecourt, thus probably taking it out of the ops budget. 

Cheap is not always the best choice. If the budget needs increasing to find the right car. When buying used I'm flexible on colour but choose the model whether it be an SEL Karoq or my Superb 272 hatch. If they are missing some desirable extras then that is reflected in a lower price but the condition must be excellent because it's difficult to polish a turd as we all know.

5 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

Cheap is not always the best choice. If the budget needs increasing to find the right car. When buying used I'm flexible on colour but choose the model whether it be an SEL Karoq or my Superb 272 hatch. If they are missing some desirable extras then that is reflected in a lower price but the condition must be excellent because it's difficult to polish a turd as we all know.

 

Sometimes the budget cannot be increased due to other constraints. The fact of the matter is the OP should be able to get an excellent example of the 230 model for around £15-16k. Of course it's up to them whether they can push their budget up to potentially get a 245. I would also be flexible on colour too and certainly wouldn't be put off by any optional extras not on the car. At the end of the day any VRS comes with a reasonable amount of standard kit.

35 minutes ago, sheriffwoody said:

Just had a quick look round the car before it went off to the prep centre. 
 

the colour is lovely, but there are quite a few surface scratches all over, 3 of the alloys are destroyed (so would want all 4 done), there is a strange area of scratches on the bonnet (like someone has taken a Brillo pad to a small area - not deep, just lots of small scratches in one localised area). 
there is a small ding on the passengers front door. 
also; the inside is grim. They owned a dog before, so dog hair and mud everywhere and stains on the back seats. 
 

I said I would come back and look at it once it’s all prepped and looking as good as it is going to. 
 

the prep might get out the service scratches and the stains on the chairs etc, so will just wait and see.  

 

That's a lot of money for a car that appears unloved - whilst it's not necessarily always a guaranteed indicator, ask yourself how well do you think the 'invisible' mechanicals of the car have been treated if the 'visible' cosmetics have been abused that much? Does it strike you as a car that the owner has loved and cared for, always checked the fluids, never driven it hard on cold oil etc.?

can i just check, and i may have asked this before in here - are these cars cam or chain driven? 

the budget isnt neceserilly £15-16k, this is just the one that came up from my local dealer.  I have been looking up to around £21-22k for the perfect model, but for that i would want as close to mint as i can get outside and at least a couple of the options i desire inside.

 

i have no issue going for a cheaper 230/245, provided it looks well looked after and drives nice and has a few toys on it.  the newer ones just provide a bit more assurance with warranty etc

16 minutes ago, sheriffwoody said:

can i just check, and i may have asked this before in here - are these cars cam or chain driven? 

Gen3 EA888 2.0TSI is a chain driven cam, not belt driven

When does the Gen3 EA888 start, which year? 

Just now, sheriffwoody said:

When does the Gen3 EA888 start, which year? 

2013.

Thanks 

One thing I will say about the blue 230 is that it seems very cheap compared to what’s currently on auto trader 

Edited 28 July, 20205 yr by sheriffwoody

Is the Amundsen sat nav the standard sat nav within these cars?

 

a couple of adverts seem to highlight them as if they are something special? 
 

I did see one a few months ago (that ticked the boxes but due to personal reasons I couldn’t take it) that had a special touch screen with just buttons down the left hand side (a larger screen) and canton upgrade. 

Just now, sheriffwoody said:

Is the Amundsen sat nav the standard sat nav within these cars?

 

a couple of adverts seem to highlight them as if they are something special? 
 

I did see one a few months ago (that ticked the boxes but due to personal reasons I couldn’t take it) that had a special touch screen with just buttons down the left hand side (a larger screen) and canton upgrade. 

The Amundsen has an 8" screen with one knob either side on facelift 2017 models. The earlier 220/230 models from 2013-2016 have physical buttons for NAV and early cars NAV was an option as I bought a Jan 2015 which didn't have NAV. Later facelift cars could have a bigger 9.2" optional Columbus system which was expensive and Canton is extra on all Vrs models but standard on the luxury L & K models.