Service Intervals

[thebear29uk]

Hi all

I'm new here and in the process of ordering my car on business contract hire. My current car is a BMW 120d M Sport Coupe and I've been absolutely delighted with it but I really like the look and drive of the GTI so it's going to be my next car.  In order to get the BMW I had to take a 4 year lease but I've had some quotes for the Golf and could do it within budget on 3 years. However a leasing company has given me a quote for 2 years which is marginally over budget.

My 1 series is 43 months old and has 23000 miles on the clock.  In order to sell the 2 year option to my boss I'm working on the assumption that the servicing costs at 2 years will be low. Also I had to have 4 new tyres at 18k miles. So the money saved on tyres/servicing would justify the higher rental cost and I would get to change cars in 2 years. Which in turn means that after 18 months I get to have the fun of speccing and researching my next car.

I've looked online and can't find any details of a servicing schedule for the Golf so was hoping somebody on here can let me know. By my reckoning after 2 years I'd be on about 14k miles. 

Cheers

Dave

[Gingernick]

for such low miles fixed servicing intervals might be better for the car anyway rather than variable

I only do about 8k a year and just bought the free servicing package..seemed much easier

[lew321]

With the mileage you are doing it would be on a 12 month basis I would think. I thought it was every 10k? I also do low mileage so not to sure on the mileage servicing side. I'm sure someone will confirm it.    Do lease cars qualify for the 3 year service plan for £199 or is that for private users?

[monkeyhanger]

Fixed term interval is 10k miles or 12 months, whichever is soonest. Variable interval is designed for the higher milers, and you could see up to 18k miles between services on that regime, but if you are doing so few miles, chances are that the car will ask for a service significantly sooner than the time it would take you to run up 18k miles (and the shorter journeys that you would do would prompt the car to knock the interval down anyway on an oil quality monitoring basis).

Is the BMW harder on all 4 tyres being rear wheel drive? Chances are, you would be only looking to replace the fronts. You’d comfortably be around 6mm tread on the rears after 18k miles/2 years on the Golf.

[watson]

With the mileage you are doing it would be on a 12 month basis I would think. I thought it was every 10k? I also do low mileage so not to sure on the mileage servicing side. I'm sure someone will confirm it.  Do lease cars qualify for the 3 year service plan for £199 or is that for private users?

[/b]

The £199 for 3 years service plan was if you bought the car on 'VW Solutions Finance' otherwise its £299.

[monkeyhanger]

^ and you'd only need 1 or 2 of those services bought if you bought the pack. Better off paying for 2 services at normal dealership rates, will probably still come in at less than £300 if you get them to price match an independent garage that would use genuine VW parts (like oil filters etc).

[watson]

^^^
Whether its the £199 or £299 the VW package its still very good value 3 x 10,000 mile services (or 3 x 12 month services).

Personally couldn't be bothered at getting written quotes from an 'independent', assuming it were within VW's mileage limit of the dealer, to chase a price match at these rates.

Shouldn't think the 'independent' would be chuffed being 'used' in that way either if they don't get the business.

I know what I'd be saying if my business customers were playing that game.

[Moro]

Fixed term interval is 10k miles or 12 months, whichever is soonest. Variable interval is designed for the higher milers, and you could see up to 18k miles between services on that regime, but if you are doing so few miles, chances are that the car will ask for a service significantly sooner than the time it would take you to run up 18k miles (and the shorter journeys that you would do would prompt the car to knock the interval down anyway on an oil quality monitoring basis).

Actually, not my experience with previous VAG cars. On variable service they have either done 18k or 19k miles quickly, or run to 2 years before prompting for service if miles have been fewer. So some of my 3 year ownership cars only had one service. I don't care if the engine "lunches" itself shortly after I've sold it - after all, I've had the high first owner depreciation!

This time around I'm intending to keep the car for 5 years and do less than 10k miles each year, so I bought the 3 year service pack so it will have an oil every year

[KyleB]

I'm led to believe that if the car is on PCP you need to service it every 10,000 miles regardless of the service schedule?

[thebear29uk]

I'm led to believe that if the car is on PCP you need to service it every 10,000 miles regardless of the service schedule?

My current car is business contract hire and I've only had 1 service in 3.5 years. Questioned this with BMW and they said the MFD shows when it needs to be brought in. In the time I've had it it's had 1 service, 1 MOT, 4 tyres and 2 replacement windscreens.

Thanks for your replies. Will look at the service pack. I certainly don't think its worth having a maintained contract hire for my mileage. But paying over the period of the lease might be cheaper than as and when required. I think my 18000 mile service at BMW was £270.00.