Spec and Options Popularity

[Gryzor]

Sounds good monkeyhanger, although I do tend to just start ignoring what's out there for the very reasons you change!  There are always new toys and gadgets coming out, but the spec of my current GTI ticks every single box.  My current Mk5 GTI lasted me all this time from 2005, and I'm hoping for the same longevity from my Mk7.

[AAddict]

Gryzor: No repricing issues there, the base car price didn't go up and I didn't add any options except the black Pearl paint that i'd be losing, so £500 saved. Nowshould I be really sensible and order the 5 year guarantee and actually keep this one for 5 years as it's unlikely to change in spec significantly in that time? I do seem to hanker for a change every 2 years or so, but only because of something better being out there. When I got my 140TDI Roc I was so sick of my poorly repaired Golf GT Sport 170TDI that I jumped in without waiting for the 170 Roc to be released. After doing that I missed the 170 output i'd had with the Golf and wanted the 170 Roc (which I now have). Would I be wanting a change if there were no better options out there? I'm not sure i'd buy another identical GTD just to have a newer one, but a new Roc on the MQB platform with accedd to the GTD engine and as many toys as standard could tempt me if wor lass was driving the sensible option car (something 5 doors - she wants an A1 when we get her back into driving lessons).

I think the GTD is more future proof for people with upgrade-itis as on the petrol front there will be an R and 40 edition. Unless they have a Golf D R in the pipeline.

[monkeyhanger]

Gryzor: TBH i'm nowhere near bored of my Roc yet. But the GTD with more power, better economy, better residuals and loads of standard kit, as well as being easier for my elderly great aunty to get into and out of without the danger of her breaking her hip are the reasons for my current change (actually a near miss with the aunty and my lass moaning about 3 door access when she has to sit in the back are the biggest reasons).

Changing at 3 years does have its advantages - VW dealers are more interested in a 3 year old p/x that they can sell rather than a 5 year old p/x that they'll have to ship off to the auctions, getting shot of the p/x for a decent value can be a real hassle on an older car, but maybe selling privately is more lucrative if you're willing to put in the work and maybe the hassle of being without a car for a few weeks.

[monkeyhanger]

Golf D R would tread on the GTIs toes a bit I think if they slapped a bi-turbo unit in with 215-225PS, I doubt it would happen.

[Gryzor]

I hear ya' monkeyhanger, and I can totally appreciate the 3 door debate!  Never again, only as a second car that was solely for myself! lol. Changing every 3 years is OK if you are prepared to keep saving up to cover the depreciation, but I plan on paying it off in 3 years as it has been nice having no debt aside from my mortgage!

[monkeyhanger]

Gryzor: I should do the same and keep a hold of this one, with 5 year warranty. I'll be redundant in either Oct 2014 or June 2015, depending upon which phase I go (want to go as soon as possible, the place is slowly dying around me), walking away with £50k in the hand lumper and hopefully straight into a comparable job soon after. I plan on paying off the car with my lumper and then chucking £400 a month off the mortgage in overpayment (when working again), in lieu of what car repayments usually cost me. If I bank what's left of the lumper then next time I get a car i'll be able to buy it outright without copping for any interest. 

Leaning towards the 5 year warranty now. The warranty should be a canny incentive to sell privately if I do get rid after 3 years, it is fully transferable to the next owner, given a £17.50 admin fee.

Had a look at Benfield Scotswood Road to compare a Tornado Red Golf with a Pearl Black one. They had a PB MK7 GT in and a TR MK6 35th edition GTI. Looking at teh 2, the GTD details would be lost on the PB and they look so dull when they're not immaculately clean (which the demo wasn't). Pleased to see that the body and bumpers were the same shade of red on the GTI, unlike the huge shade variance you can see on a Salsa Red Scirocco (my colleague has one and it is very noticeable).

Tornado Red for definite.

[Gryzor]

Sounds like a good plan monkeyhanger.  If you can get a car you like and settle with it, it's by far the cheapest way of motoring.  I would be very surprised if after 5 years your annual repairs bill (not including routine maintenance) exceeded the depreciation levels on a new car!

[monkeyhanger]

I do sometimes wonder whether VW reliability has declined over the years partially to encourage you to keep buying new ones under warranty. If they make a car you want to stick with then they won't be making as much money. Makes you wonder what extra stuff they'll be hoying at future MY's to entice you to trade in.

[Gryzor]

Aye, unfortunately these days lots of things have built-in limited life-spans.  I used to go swapping anything and everything just because I could, but lately I've got bored of playing to the tune of the manufacturers.

[Bill_the_Bear]

I'll update this properly when I get the chance with new graphs and sh!t.  However, in the meantime:

I went through the sticky again seeking out updated posts with order numbers, dealer info and estimated build weeks to see what can be learned.

Short Story:
Not much.  We don't have enough data to make conclusions and even where we do have data it is debatable how useful it is.  For example, if one dealer estimates BW 23 and another BW 35 are they both accurate or is one grossly underestimating and the other just playing it really safe? 

It seems clear to me that estimated BW do not tally much with what we would expect.

Longer Story:
Ok fine, lets have a go anyways!

So, its quite interesting to look at MonkeyHanger vs others as his order is early on with no options.  MH has an estimated BW of 23 on a stock GTD.  I have to assume GTI and GTD are the same really as to seperate means we have virtually no helpful data at all.

MH vs Jimble - Addition of DSG, PP and ACC pushes order back to BW35
MH vs Gung-Ho - Addition of DSG, PP and ACC pushes order back to BW27
MH vs Matchboy - Addition of PP pushes order back to BW27

All the above are on orders placed at end of March/early April.  Order # are 2317 or 2318
Hmm...

Jimble vs Bear - Similar spec, Bear orders Leather and a month later, same estimated BW!  2317 vs 2322.
MH vs Hawaii-5-0 - Similar spec, H50 grabs DSG pushes order back to BW27
MH vs MH2 - Similar spec, MH2 grabs DSG no effect on BW

Hmm...

Lets look a specific options instead:

Colour: Not enough info, no exotic colours ordered and posted BW or order # info.
Order Date: Impossible to analyse without more dealer info, e.g. more data points and order X/X at dealer.
DSG: No apparent effect on BW (but possibly MH dealer underestimates effect)
PP: No apparent effect on BW (but possibly NickNotts dealer underestimates effect)
ACC: No apparent effect on BW (but possibly NickNotts dealer underestimates effect)
Sunroof: Bumps BW to 35 (Jimble and Bear are only BW35 and only sunroof orders)

Sample size is 10 

Any questions/requests?

EDIT:
If I was smart/better at coding then I would write a small program to data mine the VW order system by pluging in each order number starting with 2317xxxx up to 2325xxxx and grabbing the dealer, GTI/D, PP, Transmission, doors and colour data to go with that order number.  That should give us full coverage of the entire country (assuming website works for all order #) but without the full list of options.  When BW start being posted (in 2-3 weeks time I assume) we could get some really good data.

So, any of you chaps any good at this kind of thing?  I know it can be quite easily done as websites like SC2ranks constantly trawl other websites to amass their data.  All it has to do is request "http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/track-my-order/doingPaperwork?orderNumber=23xxxxxx" and then record a few pieces of info in a csv file.  I'm guessing this is half hour job for someone who knows what they are doing.