Blue Graphite?

[Rolfe]

Owner of  Peugeot GTi-6 here, had it from new, 11 and a half years and 18,000 118,000 miles, sad to see it go but all good things come to an end and it's time to take the £2000 bribe. (Thanks to the poster below for spotting my typo!)

Looks like it's going to be a Golf GTi for the next decade's wheels.  Originally I was going to go for a Focus ST, but the more I hear about both cars the better the VW stacks up.  So, I have my elderly mother staying with me, so the Jekyll-and-Hyde personality will come in handy.  Need 5 doors, and space for a fold-up wheelchair without folding down the back seat (goes in the 306 just fine).  I'm prepared to pony up for the ACC if it actually does something, because £705 is cheap to stop the complaints about bumpy roads (and suspension that has allegedly seen better days).  But does it really make a difference?  Anybody know?

Why won't VW do heated windscreens?  Had one on a Ford 15 years ago, miss it on the Peugeot, and it looks as if I'm going to have to go on missing it.  What's their problem?

What are the tips for getting a good deal?  I have a test drive booked for tomorrow, but the dealer didn't seem terribly keen to talk discounts.  I've never paid list price for a car yet and I don't fancy starting now, but how to I budge him?  There are a couple of other dealers not a million miles away, but is it worth shopping around?  Will waving Focus brochures around concentrate his mind?  The idea of Internet purchase scared the willies out of me, I have to say.

And finally.  Am I the only person in the world who likes the blue graphite?  Even the dealer said he didn't like it.  I think it combines subtlety with colour.  (Black, white and grey are not my scene, which kills 6 of the 9 options.  The red is attractive, but too in-your-face for my taste.  The shadow blue is quite nice, but again a tad in-your-face.)  It's reminiscent of the Caspian Blue my very first Fiesta came in, in 1985.

So, want to talk me out of it?

Rolfe.

[ub7rm]

AFAIK the ford heated windscreen system is patented by them which is why you only get that system with fords.

Is it just me or does it seem complete lunacy to crush a perfectly good car with only 18k miles?  Don't get me wrong, I dont blame you - its the govt who are retarded as usual.

[Rolfe]

Ooooh, horrible typo!  I didn't notice.

118,000 miles.  If it was low-mileage there's no way I'd be getting rid of it.  (Can you edit posts on this forum?)

The aircon is shot and would cost £600 to fix.
It's starting to slip out of 3rd gear while driving.
The sunroof is leaking.
The passenger seat has slipped out of its ratchets since it was new and is now sliding about like a fairground ride.

I love the car to bits, but it's getting to the good-money-after-bad stage.  I hadn't intended to scrap it nonetheless because I'm sure there's a boy racer somewhere who'd like it, but there's no way I'd get £2000 for it with that mileage and those problems.

I just took a step back and looked at it sensibly, and decided that painful though it was, I had to make the break.

Rolfe.

[Rolfe]

Now, back to the subject.  I thought I'd seen heated windscreens specified on other cars than Fords, but maybe I was mistaken.

Does the Golf's heated washer jet make up for no heated windscreen?  (Mind you, the more I see of the Golf the less I'm likely to buy the Focus even if it de-iced the road in front of me....)

Rolfe.

[Exonian]

I'm fairly sure that Ford had the patent for the heated screen too. Though I read somewhere that it was running out and that other marques could soon be in on the action (don't quote me on that though!).

I like the blue-graphite too. Different and subtle and a tiny bit quirky, so thumbs up from me and very likely the colour I would go for if I lost the bottle and didn't order a (cheaper) white one.
Mind you the more I think about it the more I'm tempted by a Speed Blue SEAT Leon Cupra, but that's another story (and massively cheaper than the Golf GTI!!!)

What colour is the 306 GTI? Just out of being nosey!

[Rolfe]

"Blaze Yellow" technically, but everyone who sees it calls it gold.  It certainly looks gold to me.

My previous two cars were relatively subtle metallic blues though.  I had a lot of people admire the "Caspian Blue" of my first Fiesta when it was new.

Rolfe.

[Egbutt Wash]

Is the boot in the new Focus quite shallow?
I hired a Focus last month and it seemed a lot less deep than the VW boot (for a wheelchair).

I've seen reports that the ACC in comfort gives a good ride.  Might be worth the cash.

[Martz]

Get the Golf, it will be worth more than a Foocass in years to come, so you will see some dosh back, although the G'ment may have a say in what cars we will be driving then?

[Exonian]

Get the Golf, it will be worth more than a Foocass in years to come, so you will see some dosh back, although the G'ment may have a say in what cars we will be driving then?

Although I would always be biased to a VAG car, I think the huge difference in purchase price new would not be recouped when selling the car in years to come. Unless VW are on to something here I reckon mk6 GTIs are going to lose a LOT of money in their first few years of depreciation. However the Focarse has a big engine and as you say, who knows what the govt have in store for us assuming the OP keeps the car for 10 years or so.

"Blaze Yellow" technically, but everyone who sees it calls it gold.  It certainly looks gold to me.

My previous two cars were relatively subtle metallic blues though.  I had a lot of people admire the "Caspian Blue" of my first Fiesta when it was new.

Rolfe.

Ah a popular and brave choice of colour. I remember when that was all the rage with Pug owners. I bet it hides the dirt well though.

[R32UK]

Hmmm reasons to buy the golf??

Focus is very thirsty for a start. Good friend of mine often says that he gets the same mpg as my R32 as well as getting his a$$ handed to him on a plate. Dont quote me on this but doesnt the ST only come in a 3dr guise?? If it doesnt then I dont think I have ever seen a 5dr.

According to sources the MK6 can give over 480miles to one tank.. now that I would like to see as thats twice as many miles as i get in the R, but it is possible in theory.

The blue is a lovelly colour! iirc someone on here had a mk5 gti in blue and it looked very subtle, yet stylish and not so in your face such as other colours, so a good safe choice of colour i would say.

As for discounts.. forget it. Spoke to my dealer earlier this week and was told that they (leeds elland road) were only getting 4 per month and that they had sold their demostrator on the 1st on July. So cars are hard to come by and dealers will be very hesitant to give money off especially if the next customer is willing to pay the full price.