Fred, there was a lot of discussion there about the Honda E, body-language suggests it’s been discussed at design level and the way the ID.2 might be configured may allow for a car like the Honda that looks similar to a mk1 Golf without infringing on Honda copyrights as a potential version? The ID.3 platform is too long for the retro boxy mk1 design but the ID.2 would support it and stay truer to the original squared off design. Hopefully a Scirocco too! Honda were quicker out of the blocks where maybe the VW board erred on the side of caution which they’ll now be rethinking and watching the Honda E sales globally.
The mk9 Golf was stated as being fully electric IF it happens. It sounded encouraging though. Maybe a battery integration like the MINI EV keeping the weight in the exhaust tunnel and fuel tank area would ensure the Golf’s handling was unaffected. We can forgive a bonnet without a gas strut if it almost never needs opening!
Hertsman, you’d *hope* a well maintained ICE would last many years but with all the emissions crap I wouldn’t be so sure. I work with trucks and vans and the amount of emissions based issues are unreal on some of them. However, on a passenger car I’d expect it to last a good while whereas a battery has a finite life, but I’d imagine nearer ten years and by which time the tech in the EV would be very out of date.
Retained values are anyone’s guess. Certain ICE cars will remain in demand and fetch good money but as fuel becomes more and more expensive and fossil fuel stations become charging stations things will change and public perception of EV’s has changed hugely especially with the bombardment of advertising.
The A1 is quite a nice package btw, my son has a facelifted A3 S-Line and the interior quality difference and interior space between that and an A1 isn’t massive. He carefully looked at both as his girlfriend really wanted an A1 but ironically the A3 ended up cheaper on a business lease by quite a bit.
On a PCP I’d be interested to see the difference between a Polo GTI and A1 40 TFSI 2.0
Was actually looking at the Polo GTI and we went and looked at a standard Polo at weekend in Milton Keynes and despite being bare trim, it was still a nice car to sit in, and think with the IQ lights and the DRL running length of bonnet the GTI really looks the part, especially as would add the optional 18" and Panoramic roof to the Glacier White.
However, we then went up to the Audi garage and saw a new S Line A1 and wife just preferred it, maybe simply because she loves her outgoing A1 Black Edition, which the only downside to, is it lacks some of the modern tech have in my TCR and that she now got used to, so parking sensors, rear view camera and heated seats are on her mandatory list.
As always its basically the same car as the GTI just little bit more trim and price tag.
The thing is, my allowance covers my TCR and likely a Clubsport if wanted to just change the TCR, its the BIK thats been the increasing reason to not go like for like this time around, and a fully specced A1 Competition, even though not cheap would be under my allowance and greatly reduced in BIK, so selling the present A1 to partially fund my TCR and getting the A1 just makes sense, and we may even buy it after the 3 years (so maybe will option more than would normally do, a bit of a punt to do that, but if do purchase you have car would really want)
The base of all this thinking on how to profile our cars, is that really would have been sad to hand the TCR back, and thats never happened before as always quite excited about the replacement. So keeping the TCR is something very happy about and will be a complete keeper till its a an EV world and only allowed out to play at weekends
Not actually got to sit in a competition, but have sat in a black edition, and its a really nice package, feels lot bigger than our present A1, which will say is solidly built, looks the part, and performs brilliantly, its just little behind in tech being a 14 plate.
The A1 would do the grunt miles and the TCR would be well used still, but not the workhorse, and maybe would get a little more love as not on main family duties (going to get black wrap on roof as first treat)
Have to push the buttons in March and not excluded the Polo GTI as personally really liked it, but with none in country cannot see one in flesh, but the A1 Competition is the front runner at moment which hopefully will get a test drive in to see how punchy the 207BHP is
You mention son going for an A3 as on business lease it was cheaper, and have seen the same curveballs on company ordering system, my previous R was loads cheaper than an Astra GTC for example, so I still have to see the numbers, though reassuringly, looking at other lease sites, the A1 competition is a lot lot cheaper than Clubsport/R which would have been my normal change.
