GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Scotty-LA on 02 January 2018, 14:19
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Happy New Year to you all...
I currently have a Aug 2016 Loaded A3 Sportback.... looking to swap it ASAP for a GTI.
I know, I know, I should have just held off getting the Audi and just got the Golf from the start but i have now found my senses and not to mention the wife will kill me if i don't swap the A3, she hates everything about it.
Having done a bit of research the A3 is in a fair bit of negative equity and it doesn't matter how many times i look at GTI or offers to see how cheap i can get a 7.5 it isn't going to help with the negative equity so I am looking to try and close that by keeping the A3 till at least the 2 year mark and review.
However my main question is, probably a fairly amateur one, is there anyone that has been in a fairly similar position and was there anything they did to help or swap?
Also is there a particular month of the year where sales may slump and I may be able to pick up and better offer on a 7.5 with a dealer that may be willing to sacrifice the negative equity for the sale of a VW to hit targets?
Any help or view appreciated, as long as you're nice! :whistle:
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Just curious why you (or the Wife) find the A3 so hateful? Given that the A3 and the MK7 Golf share a lot of things, are you sure that the Golf will solve your issues?
That said, I owned an A3 about 11-12 years ago and really didn't gel with it either. Only kept it about 18 months and swapped into a MK5 GTI and its been performance Golfs for me ever since.
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I loved my 2006 A3, in fact I owned it for 9 years.
I also liked my wife's 2014 A3 to an extent but coudn't get along with the overly complicated media controls and the tiny door mirrors and rear view mirror. Small things like that really put me off a car.
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Happy New Year to you all...
I currently have a Aug 2016 Loaded A3 Sportback.... looking to swap it ASAP for a GTI.
I know, I know, I should have just held off getting the Audi and just got the Golf from the start but i have now found my senses and not to mention the wife will kill me if i don't swap the A3, she hates everything about it.
Happy new year!
What is so bad about the A3?
My wife has an Audi A3 SE 1.6 TDI Stronic and loves it. She prefers driving her A3 to my GTI PP :rolleyes:
The A3 was specified for comfort and economy. Dynamically, my GTI is a completely different car to drive.
Neither car is perfect. In the Audi, I much prefer the screen placement and MMI system. In the GTI, I'm not fussed on the touch screen or the LCD display.
The only deal breaker for me was the lack of right foot rest in the Audi. It's a pain the ar*e right knee.
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I tried a A3 sportback as an alternative to my first Mk7 GTD. It was what I thought I wanted at the time...
Ignoring the fact that it was 6k more expensive (RRP) I came away from the test drive thoroughly uninspired by a car that everyone told me would be the car of my dreams. It just felt so bland and gutless. Nothing dynamic about it at all.
Yet it had most of the same running gear and engine as my GTD.... never quite managed to figure out what the problem was.
Anyway, my best suggestion to you Scotty would be:
1) Use Drive the Deal to get the best possible discount on a new Golf - you won't get one cheaper. Its not seasonal either. Just watch for a decent VW finance contribution. £1000 is fairly normal, watch for it to spike above this - £1500 is currently on offer. Take the PCP even if you don't want it, then pay it off immediately and keep the VW contribution.
2) In terms of selling your Audi, avoid the VW dealer as a trade in, sell to someone else. Private is fine if you don't mind tyre kickers, alternatively one of the car buying companies - not WBAC!
3) Time of year.... January, February everyone is skint. March is new reg and loads of secondhand deals to be had, prices low. Avoid school holidays and September.... probably best bets are June or November?
I'd probably say though that the best bet is to grit your teeth and hold onto it a bit longer. At 3 years the equity might sort itself out.
Good luck!
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Oh and remember a Golf will take somewhere between 16 and 20 weeks to arrive from the factory...
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2) In terms of selling your Audi, avoid the VW dealer as a trade in, sell to someone else. Private is fine if you don't mind tyre kickers, alternatively one of the car buying companies - not WBAC!
Except he has it on finance, so would have to find the cash to settle that before being able to sell it privately.
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Do people realise that dealers are now offering the same as wbac! Very few offer much more.
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Really good advice from Fred there :-)
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Except he has it on finance, so would have to find the cash to settle that before being able to sell it privately.
Actually its not a complete barrier - I have done it several times and got the buyer to settle finance direct with VW - make sure you have settlement letter to hand and are able to pass yourself off as a completely trustworthy individual!
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Do people realise that dealers are now offering the same as wbac! Very few offer much more.
What a dealer offers for your car (if its a simple disposal and not tied in to a new car purchase) will vary by the day depending on his stock list, enquiry level, time of year etc. Most of the big VW dealer networks have a group buyer and if you are lucky you will get close to the advertised private sale price. If you are not so lucky, same as WBAC...
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Hello chaps,
Thanks for the speedy replies.
From my point of view, I quite like the A3, its a car and it drives well. However it's just a little bit underwhelming and slightly bland, I don't feel there is anything special about it. Even more so as its black and just seems to blend in.
The screen position on the MMI is good especially with Apple CarPlay.
However the better half has found it the most uncomfortable car to drive with the driving position and seats not offering much support or comfort, coupled with the stiff suspension she has developed a sore neck, back and knee from driving it.
We recently drove a friends GTI in Devon. We were on twisty narrow roads (occasionally at a fair speed :whistle:) and the comfort/support in the VW seats brought a pleasant smile to our faces.
The GTI would offer us a very similar car to what we've got, however the main thing we look for is comfort whilst having some of the fun factor.
Nonetheless, I will hold onto the A3 for a bit longer as the book price for them isn't great in comparison to the amount owed.
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Have you got a CAP price for it?
You can use this to take a look:
https://www.capconnect.co.uk/ConsumerValues/Ford.aspx?CH=PWRTZ
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Have you got a CAP price for it?
You can use this to take a look:
https://www.capconnect.co.uk/ConsumerValues/Ford.aspx?CH=PWRTZ
Hi... Thanks. Just had a look and looked very similar to the price the VW dealer offered.
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However the better half has found it the most uncomfortable car to drive with the driving position and seats not offering much support or comfort, coupled with the stiff suspension she has developed a sore neck, back and knee from driving it.
We recently drove a friends GTI in Devon... and the comfort/support in the VW seats brought a pleasant smile to our faces.
Is it her right knee? Does she use the cruise control a lot?
I used to drive the A3 every weekend until the GTI arrived. Journeys over 30 minutes and my right knee would ache. Journeys over an hour and my lower back would start to ache too. No neck problems, but the 16 inch tyres and standard Dynamic (not Sport) suspension made the car very comfortable. Unlike the 2 firm/jiggly Sline cars we tested.
Has your wife tried adjusting her driving position. This is what my wife does - raise the seat, straighten the back rest and move the seat forward a few inches. As if that is not enough - she adjusts the rear-view mirror to see down her own cleavage and moves both wing mirrors so she can see herself in them (joking):rolleyes: Takes me ages to get the seat comfortable again :laugh:
Your wife could also try adjusting the steering wheel position and have shoes for driving in i.e. flat shoes.
I would also check with your friend if his GTI has adjustable suspension (DCC). I found the standard GTI suspension as firm as the Sline cars we tested.
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One other thing - you could try the audi-sport.net forum to see if they have any tips about finding a comfortable driving position. I'm a member of that forum too.
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I think that as car manufacturers have tried to get improved NCAP ratings they have moved the seats in board to reduce potential side on intrusion injuries. This results in the pedals not being as straight in relation to the seat and steering wheel and you end up driving in a slightly twisted position.
The Golf is better than our A6 in this respect, but I still get a bit uncomfortable on long journeys in the Golf and have to move around in the seat. The leather sports seats in the A6 are quite a bit better to compensate though.
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The Golf is better than our A6 in this respect, but I still get a bit uncomfortable on long journeys in the Golf and have to move around in the seat. The leather sports seats in the A6 are quite a bit better to compensate though.
At least on the Golf I can engage cruise control and put both feet on their rests. After I engage ACC in the A3 I usually bend my knee and rest my foot on the floor in front of the pedal. Though on longer journeys I sometimes stretched it under the brake pedal :undecided: Well, the car was doing the braking anyway. :undecided:
Does the A6 have automatic adaptive cruise control (ACC)? It was on option on our A3. If you have ACC, where do you rest your right leg when the ACC is being used?
The only 2 Audi cars that have space to the right of the accelerator pedal are the A1 and the R8. I had a look when I was getting the A3 serviced. :nerd: The R8 is usually locked, but I noticed one of the Techs plugging in a charger unit. There is a boot space under the bonnet :cool:
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Do you know, after 4 years of driving a Mk7x I only noticed the right foot rest the other week!
The left, yes but right?
Goes to show how little I pay attention!
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I've found myself in negative equity on cars before. A top tip, depending how you financed the A3, is voluntary termination.
Most PCP/Lease deals allow you to hand the car back once 50% of the loan value has been paid.
I had £3k negative equity, but was only £500 from the magical 50% number.
Simply paid the £500 and returned the car.
Worth looking into.
P.S - I've recently moved from an A3 S-Line saloon to a 7.5 GTD.
You won't regret it.
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You can't VT on a lease, but you can on HP or PCP.
But you have to have paid 50% of the Total Amount Payable, not just the amount you originally borrowed. This includes both interest and any other charges, which can sometimes be quite a bit more than the loan value.
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I've found myself in negative equity on cars before. A top tip, depending how you financed the A3, is voluntary termination.
Most PCP/Lease deals allow you to hand the car back once 50% of the loan value has been paid.
I had £3k negative equity, but was only £500 from the magical 50% number.
Simply paid the £500 and returned the car.
Worth looking into.
P.S - I've recently moved from an A3 S-Line saloon to a 7.5 GTD.
You won't regret it.
Thanks for the advice. I think I will look into this closer to my 2 year mark. In fact I could probably predict the calculations now. I would imagine if i am short on the VT figure I could dip into my savings depending on how much and what deals are like on 7.5's at the time. Still not certain on GTI or GTD.
On another note, following from some of your advice, we took the car into the local Audi dealer. My wife explained what discomfort she was in and they kindly came and looked at our seat settings. After nearly an hour we think we had the right setting. Meanwhile I sat and drank coffee with the sales manager :rolleyes:.
He alluded to the VT clause and also spoke a bit about how the A3 is quite a common car with the market flooded of them, not to mention they are apparently the most stolen car in its class... all these things drives down how much they are worth.
As we drove off, i thought we had solved this but a short motorway drive later (approx 30Mins) the wife had the same discomfort. I took over and the first thing I did was change all the settings as there was no way i could drive in that position.
Upshot.... I think the seats in my Audi are crap! Personal preference I know... but if I order a new car again, I will be sure to try all the seats before doing so!
Ps. Some of you asked what seats my friend had in his 7.5.... it was "Black/Red 'Art Velours/leather look".
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Can you find a picture of the seats that you have in your S3?
I'm intrigued to know which ones... the one I looked at didn't have anything like the basic sports seats you find in a Mk7 GTD/GTI.... more like non-performance seats.
Do you have the lumber support option?