You're quite correct Fred.
Manufacturers do these promotions on various models from time to time and throw them to the lease company hounds to chew on.
We tend to look at the performance VW's here but if you go on a lease company website there are always specials from different manufacturers. It's obviously something that works for whatever reason the manufacturers do it for. Some companies chuck out 0% interest retail deals and some seem to go for the lease volume sales.
Whatever the reason, part of it is their finance companies trying to control the market as these lease vehicles are still owned by VW group and will generally be sold back to dealers who in turn will sell them with more finance attached in general.
I've not looked but I very much doubt you'll get great deals on R hatchbacks on a private lease right now due to the huge storm at the end of last year surrounding the whole issue and the subsequent restrictions on supply VW put on the cars which will have meant the long waiting times would create quite a few cancelled orders.
The R estate is obviously being punted out on a bit of a promotion to get metal out on the road and in public view.
The fact there aren't any 'cheap' second hand R's out there is partly the long wait times on new cars coupled with the huge press positivity and subsequent interest in the cars from GTI/D owners looking for more traction and power (aspirational sales) and those that have to buy the latest and greatest model family hatch on offer who will next year be buying Focus RS's or Civic Type R's or R400's, RS3's etc.
Once the R has been around for a couple of years, just like the GTI, something newer will no doubt have caught people's eye and there will be a lot more second hand cars about and the prices will soon even out.
The mk5, mk6 and to a point the mk7 GTI were all quite similar in the first year or so in that it was almost cheaper to buy a discounted new car than a used one as dealers cash in on those not prepared to wait. So the dealers will have nearly new cars on sale at prices way above what you'd want to pay for a new one. There are a few on the VW used website that have been sat on forecourts overpriced for ages. I suspect either these dealers aren't keen to deal or possibly just make buyers aware that they can supply a new one for less and that's where they'd be better of spending their PCP cash - subsequently the dealer hits new car sales bonus and makes more money. I used to sit and wait for impatient sales managers reducing their six month old cars when they needed shot of it to make way for the next demo or sales manager's company car.
