Almost said goodbye to VW yesterday.....almost

[Exonian]

Decisions decisions 

I think the decision is already made deep down. 

TRL can juggle the figures around how much p/x allowance he can achieve and how much “dealer contribution” he has available to the spec etc.

He quoted me £5470 dealer and £1500 BMW contribution if taking a PCP.
On top of that it’s adjusting the deposit and monthlies around to suit.

I would imagine all profit has been stripped from the cars and he’s running off BMW bonuses for volume shifted and finance company commission. 

[fredgroves]

How do you think any of those "brokers" work?

Nothing different between the VW DTD broker and that...

Absolutely slim margins, make it up by easy volume sales walking up to your front door.

Suspect the real meat on the bone is that by getting high volumes through the door their discounts from the manufacturer are maxxed out meaning that any normal retail sales are very nice earners indeed. Possibly those volume discounts are available across the group...

Leading to: https://www.berrychiswickbmw.co.uk/news/2019/corporate/

Basically just like everyone on here says use our DTD friends, everyone in the BMW world says "talk to Tony".

[Sootchucker]

TBH, my local dealer not only managed to match Tony's deal but also beat it (on the part exchange price). In the end though, it's an awful lot of money, and with the uncertainly surrounding Covid-19 and the world, I just felt despite the cracking deal (16.1% off list), now wasn't the time to be signing up for a new £40k car. Obviously other peoples priorities and outlooks are different to mine and that's fine. 

I'll have to "slum" it for another year in the this poorly made piece of crap that is the GTI 

Sorry guys, you ain't getting rid of me just yet, I'm here to bug you for a while longer. 

[P6GTD]

Glad to see you staying on board Sootchucker!

I’m not sure the comparison of VW with BMW and MB performance hatches is entirely fair. Certainly price-wise it doesn’t stand up on a cash basis.... maybe on finance it looks better but surely the two other makes are a segment up in the quality stakes?

Likewise, looking “down” from VW I have seen very little discussion on the Focus ST despite this Ford having a mighty impressive spec and a pretty smart appearance in the right colour. I think this is because most VW owners would consider VW to be a “better” make than Ford.

The exception to this is the i30N for some reason.

What am I saying? In defence of my beloved VW, it’s not fair to compare with a BMW on build quality.

Go on, disagree with me somebody.

[ar899]

Wouldn't the ST and i30N be considered a bit hard core compared with a GTI? And as such appeal to a slightly younger buyer.

[fredgroves]

Is it just me or don't Ford UK actually have the 280bhp ST available yet?

TBH though a 2.3l engine sounds very thirsty anyway.

I don't care much for Ford interiors and tech either - it just seems totally meh to me.

Bitten too many times by their stuff over the years.

The I30n, you know its cheap, you know its nasty, you know what you are buying tbh.

On my man-maths spreadsheet, the BMW worked out the cheapest to own for 3 years on PCP, the I30N was only slightly more.

My issue is that the I30n isn't DSG/auto and doesn't have ACC. Both of which I want for my next car...

And so.... I am still in my Mk7.5 GTD.... which tbh isn't a terrible place even going into 2021.

[fredgroves]

PS also.... Megane RS.... no longer made - I've just discovered.

Type-R gone very soon in Honda's all electric/hybrid 2022 lineup.

Increasingly this market sector (Golf GTI equivalents) is narrowing down...

[P6GTD]

280hp petrol Focus ST and 190 diesel ST have been out for months. I see a metallic dark grey one most days and always think it looks good...very “stealth”.

I think comments prove my point..... if you sit Hyundai and Ford “under” VW as a  brand, then do BMW and MB not sit “above” VW in general terms?

Just accepting this premise for a brief moment, what other make is equal to the VW brand in the world’s car hierarchy?

[fredgroves]

Still can't seem to find a ST 280 on Ford's configuator... and they don't make an auto box either...

I think comments prove my point..... if you sit Hyundai and Ford “under” VW as a  brand, then do BMW and MB not sit “above” VW in general terms?

Just accepting this premise for a brief moment, what other make is equal to the VW brand in the world’s car hierarchy?

Interesting question.... easier to answer I think for SEAT/Skoda and Audi but VW itself.... not sure there is an equivalent... perhaps Honda might be the only one I can think of.... more than "cheap" but not true premium.

[ar899]

VW needs to be careful that lowering interior quality (eg T-Roc,  Mk8 Golf possibly) doesn't move it closer to the run-of-the-mill brands.