Another price rise in the pipeline

[Dave B]

Visited my local VW dealer this afternoon and had a sit in a new Mk 6 Golf and have to say I was underwhelmed. It’s nothing more than a mid life re-skin. Admittedly the front end looks nicer but as for using better quality materials inside…Where? Still the same black sombre cabin,sharp edges on the plastics, door pockets smaller and the aluminium effect inserts on the doors look cheap and nasty. I was looking at a 1.4 TSI for a whopping £16,860. Even when you add a few extra's, of which the list is small, boy does the price escalate. How long before every part is an extra? Sorry it’s overpriced. The golf is basically a small hatchback. Biggest downer was the salesman told me there is another price increase in the pipeline on top of the recent price increase announced a couple of months after its gone on sale.

[iallen1@btinter]

was it the 1.4 122 bhp, just bought mine for 14200 and that was for the se

[Dave B]

was it the 1.4 122 bhp, just bought mine for 14200 and that was for the se


No it was for a 1.4 122hp S model. Dealer said he could supply a silver one slightly cheaper but I want Steel Grey. He said I'd have to pay full list price as it was a factory order. Who supplied yours?

[iallen1@btinter]

I reckon there taking the mickey, and only the s model, mine was from the new Gilders in Sheffield, if you look on this forum on any photos of the new gt, mine is the silver one on my drive. Not sure where you live but i know them all really well and inm sure they would match my deal

[iallen1@btinter]

I wouldnt go for a demo, and factory order has nothing to do with it, once you have sorted price thats it. I ordered mine on 10th Januaru 2009 and will have had it two weeks tomorrow

[kodkod.84]

I think VW deliberately keep their interiors not as good as they could be so they don't encroach into Audi territory- a few years back the quality of the interiors between VW/Audi was very similar, now there is a marked difference.

I have a MK5 Golf and B7 A4 and the plastics in the A4 are much more tactile and smoother.

[iallen1@btinter]

I sat in an Audi A3 before buying the mk6 golf as the showrooms are in the same building and i can say that the VW was much better inside quality wise, and cheaper. Most car books have compared the New golf, Audi A3, Focus and BMW 1 series and the Golf wins by a considerable margin.

[HHGTTG]

I sat in an Audi A3 before buying the mk6 golf as the showrooms are in the same building and i can say that the VW was much better inside quality wise, and cheaper. Most car books have compared the New golf, Audi A3, Focus and BMW 1 series and the Golf wins by a considerable margin.

I'd have to agree with that and you have to pay a premium for an Audi badge too.
However, I don't particularly like the way car interiors are going nowadays with their 'bling' trim which in the case of the new Golf (I'm getting one by the way) is rather too glitzy for my liking.

[Dave B]

However, I don't particularly like the way car interiors are going nowadays with their 'bling' trim which in the case of the new Golf (I'm getting one by the way) is rather too glitzy for my liking.

It's hardly ground breaking, its basically the same as was first seen on the Mk4 Golf. That was when VW raised their game with better interior plastics.

[knt]

It's because all other manufacturers are upping their quality whilst VW group are resting on their laurels unlike Honda, Toyota and Ford to name a few improving greatly over the past years.

[HHGTTG]

It's hardly ground breaking, its basically the same as was first seen on the Mk4 Golf. That was when VW raised their game with better interior plastics.

That's strange you saying that. I looked at the MK 4 when it first came out and was then considering buying a new car but one look into the rather cramped and claustrophobic interior put me off, notwithstanding though, the quality of the drab and black materials used. Additionally, the car was not very roomy!

The interior of the MK6 is still darker than I would have liked but Titan Black is a misnomer as it is a darkish charcoal and of course the car is very roomy like my current MK 5.

[Dave B]

That's strange you saying that. I looked at the MK 4 when it first came out and was then considering buying a new car but one look into the rather cramped and claustrophobic interior put me off, notwithstanding though, the quality of the drab and black materials used. Additionally, the car was not very roomy!

The interior of the MK6 is still darker than I would have liked but Titan Black is a misnomer as it is a darkish charcoal and of course the car is very roomy like my current MK 5.

What happened to the 2 tone interiors VW used to offer in the MK 4?
I've got a MK 4 and to be honest when I sat in the MK 6 it didn't seem any bigger. At least the heater controls are in a better place on the mk6.

[Dave B]

It's because all other manufacturers are upping their quality whilst VW group are resting on their laurels unlike Honda, Toyota and Ford to name a few improving greatly over the past years.
Your right. Went with a friend 4 weeks ago to pick up a 1.8 Civic Ex. I was really impressed, Alloys, Sat nav, Heated seats, Voice activated radio and phone, Alarm, Glass Roof, Leather............totally kitted out.........Price £16,500, the same price as a golf 1.4 tsi that I was thinking about.
The dealer was brilliant....VW take note!

[iallen1@btinter]

Just had a goor run out in mine, and the chrome effect trim around the vents next to each door reflect terribly in the side windows, also the sunglasses holder in roof is too small. I think the heated wing mirror symbol only lights up showing its on when the side lights are on, nothings perfect. I had a run in a new focus before i bought the golf, and the golf is in a different league althogether and after three years the focus will be worth the price of a pint and a packet of crisps, unlike the Golf, e e e ee

[HHGTTG]

Just had a goor run out in mine, and the chrome effect trim around the vents next to each door reflect terribly in the side windows, also the sunglasses holder in roof is too small. I think the heated wing mirror symbol only lights up showing its on when the side lights are on, nothings perfect. I had a run in a new focus before i bought the golf, and the golf is in a different league althogether and after three years the focus will be worth the price of a pint and a packet of crisps, unlike the Golf, e e e ee

Oh, that's bad news about those reflections. When mine arrives I'll have to get out that tin of matt black paint and apply it judiciously, it seems.
I can't abide reflections, particularly those in the windscreen that you see in so many new cars.

[iallen1@btinter]

The reflections are really bad, ignore the list price of 16500 i got mine for 14200, a mate of mine has the civic, the dash wont stop creaking, vision is naff with that sill rear spoiler and it keeps pulling to the right and the dealer keeps fobbing him off

[macmillions]

My workmate has a Civic Diesel and he's had £10,000 worth of repairs done on it due to fuel delivery problems, that were fortunately fixed under warranty. He didn't even have it for 3 months as it was at the garage!

Not seen the mk6 golf myself, but been for a drive in the Scirocco and I thought the interior plastics were 2nd to none. As were those in the Leon (perhaps slightly harder, but still a good finish). Can't think of seeing any reflections in the windows in either too... However, as these are not Golfs, my opinion may be worthless.

[vdubdavy]

The reflections are really bad, ignore the list price of 16500 i got mine for 14200, a mate of mine has the civic, the dash wont stop creaking, vision is naff with that sill rear spoiler and it keeps pulling to the right and the dealer keeps fobbing him off


The digital speedo on the civic reflects off the windscreen when driving at night which is a major pain the butt,

[maisbitt]

I cant believe the genius thinking at VW, Ford and Vauxhall. Because of the recession, people are skint or being more careful with their money.

Fewer new cars are being sold.

They need to pursuade people to keep buying cars, so what do they do to entice us? They put their prices up by 3%.......where do I sign for my new car?

[Bassajay]

The smart answer is the Octavia. Check out the Driver Power results in this week's Auto Express. Plus it has just received a facelift together with the availability of the superb TSI units.

[machine]

I cant believe the genius thinking at VW, Ford and Vauxhall. Because of the recession, people are skint or being more careful with their money.

Fewer new cars are being sold.

They need to pursuade people to keep buying cars, so what do they do to entice us? They put their prices up by 3%.......where do I sign for my new car?

there isn't much point selling cars if you are selling them at a loss.

the pound dropping against the Euro has been terrible news for car buyers here, unless it regains some value they won't be cutting prices any time soon.

[Dave B]

there isn't much point selling cars if you are selling them at a loss.

the pound dropping against the Euro has been terrible news for car buyers here, unless it regains some value they won't be cutting prices any time soon.

I thought the re-design was to make the Golf cheaper.

Do you think VW will reduce the price if the pound goes the other way?

I don't think so!

[maisbitt]

VW didn't put up the prices in the US when the dollar bombed last year, because they know that the yanks would just start buying their own again.

The production costs of the MK6 Golf (and the time taken to build one) are significantly less than the MK5 due to the simplified multi-link rear suspension (also used on the Scirocco).

We definitely weren't getting cheap German or French cars when it was 1.5 Euros to the pound.

We've always paid far more than our European cousins for European cars - including British built Peugeots. The UK always gets a raw deal.

Machine - VW wouldn't have to sell at a loss to avoid hiking the prices, they make the cars for around 45% of the cost that they sell them to the dealers for. They also have to cover development and other things, but we're by no means skinting them.

Some components are made here in the UK, so while the pound is weak, VW get those parts cheaper anyway.

[knt]

Cheaper for VW to producem, YES, more expensive for the customers tu buy, YES.

[Dave B]

Cheaper for VW to producem, YES, more expensive for the customers tu buy, YES.

So much for "THE PEOPLES CAR" then

[JoseSpring]

Let;s be honest, the list price has bugger all to do with the price you'll pay at the forecourt right now anyway...

[Dave B]

Let;s be honest, the list price has bugger all to do with the price you'll pay at the forecourt right now anyway...

I tried getting a discount from liverpool VW..................no way pay the retail price I was told!

Hope they go bust!

[Griff449]

Money talks matey people walk................. :) Go somewhere else :)

[maisbitt]

There are so many ways to keep the price down from VW's point of view. For example, the Scirocco comes with the 510 radio head unit that accepts SD cards, as well as a 6CD changer and aux/mp3 unit input - who needs a 6 CD changer when it is the age of the MP3?

You can get 99 tracks on an MP3 CD, plenty for a single slot unit.

The difference in price on the MK6 Golf for 310 CD radio upgrade to 510 with CD changer is £435 - I bet £300 of that is attributed to the CD changer.

Knock off the CD changer that 90% of people dont want or need now and give us £300 off the list price of a Scirocco!

All said, 8% off list with a good part ex price on your old car is acheivable with the right attitude and research - or 10% off if you have nothing to trade in.

[maisbitt]

Dave B, if you're from Liverpool area - try the Fleet manager at Lookers of Burnley - they used to supply VWs in the north for UKNEWCARS.co.uk (and may still do). He should match their online price (and eliminate their fee if you go to him directly).

He'll most likely give you £500 less than the Parkers valuation for your car if it's a VW of the age for the dealership to sell (You can't expect bottom price new car and top price for part ex - lets be realistic).

When you go to a dealer to haggle, you need to let them know you've done your homework to know theres somewhere else selling it cheaper than them.

They'd rather make £3000 from a potential £4500 list price profit on an £18000 car than no profit at all.

[bilen123]

All dealers will discount - trade them off. I went to a large franchise and to cut a long storty short my PX and cash on top was £4.2K. Went to a smaller franchise and they did me a deal for £3.5K + my car (+ and extra options worth £250)

Shop around, as per a previous comment money talks. Prcies have gone up but with NO p/ex youshould be able to knock of 10%. In this climate you have even more leverage

[iallen1@btinter]

wonder what the dealers pay for the cars and how much they make on them, i think they invent the list price as no one pays that so when they drop the price it looks like theyve done you a favour, i know a sales manager at BMW and he said they make 20% on all new cars, quite a chunk on 30 or 40 thousand pound cars.

[manic-vw]

I think its roughly 12 -15% with furthe bonuses from customer feedbacks etc...

[maisbitt]

Its around 15% basic, plus more if they shift more. The more cars they sell, the more discount/bonus VW give to that dealership.

For this reason, it's usually better to go to one of the bigger dealerships to get your discounts - A dealer is more likely to give you 8% off a car that's had a 15% profit margin plus bonuses (bumping it up to around 20%) than a flat 15% profit margin. Your sale then perpetuates even more bonuses for the dealership.

The smaller dealerships rely more on customer loyalty. My aunty buys a new small peugeot every 3 years from her small local dealer. She thinks she's getting a great deal if they fit her some mudflaps and mats for nothing, but she's paid full retail for the car!

Shy bairns get nowt! If you don't ask for the discount they'll never offer it - they'd love to sell at full retail to everyone.

[Dave B]

Went for a test drive in a mk 6 today, my little mk 4 with vw fsh, one owner and 49,000 mile from new is ready to be changed.

Drove the 1.4S TSI and while I was impressed with the engine pull it doesn't have that wow factor. The model I'm considering is the 1.4SE TSI, with a few extra's £17,150 sorry you can see where VW have sacrificed the quality.

The mk 6 was supposed to address the lack of quality plastics in the mk 5. It doesn't.

No guards on the sills to protect the paintwork, no bump strips on the doors.If you push the head linning consul it moves all over the place. The window switches feel like VW sourced them from the local £1 shop.

Door pockets you could get a hankey in at a push, talk about small.

Do VW engineers work in Black and White because their cars are drab grey. Inject some colour for Gods sake.

It was admittedly nice to drive but how come I got back into a mk4 and felt the plastics where more special?

Sorry its over priced and nothing more than a re-skinned mk5 designed to make VW more money.

The peoples car is no more!

[VictorPapa]

I take it that you will not be buying a MK 6 then?

[iallen1@btinter]

Ive got the model you were considering, and paid just over 14000 brand new, you they wouldnt have knocked ann off or you had all the toys added. I had a mk4, and had nothing but trouble with it. I had a run in a focus and that was dire compared with the golf, i sat in an Audi A3 sport which was 16200and didnt have any more toys than the golf 2000 cheaper, A3 didnt even have cruise control. One thing i always look at is residuals as i always change after 3 years, a ford or vauxhall would be worth a fraction of the golf after three years, and the focus was actually the same price as the golg

[Dave B]

I take it that you will not be buying a MK 6 then?

Not at those prices. Its nothing more than a mid life reskin with a price hike.

Those cheap window switches will be first to appear on the faults.

[Dave B]

Ive got the model you were considering, and paid just over 14000 brand new, you they wouldnt have knocked ann off or you had all the toys added. I had a mk4, and had nothing but trouble with it. I had a run in a focus and that was dire compared with the golf, i sat in an Audi A3 sport which was 16200and didnt have any more toys than the golf 2000 cheaper, A3 didnt even have cruise control. One thing i always look at is residuals as i always change after 3 years, a ford or vauxhall would be worth a fraction of the golf after three years, and the focus was actually the same price as the golg


All I added was mats paint,luxory pack and highline computer.
Hardly ground breaking extras.