I am having trouble deciding what I want

Danger781

Hey guys,

I'm currently driving a 2005 MINI One so I'm looking to upgrade to something better. While I do love MINIs I wouldn't be against the idea of changing to a different car. I'm mulling over the idea of buying new but the additional cost vs pre-owned is tough to swallow.

I'm 23 at the moment but turning 24 this December. On N plates so I realise some cars will be difficult to get insured in. Haven't really thought too much about a budget as I'm not sure how much I want to spend yet (Will be applying for a loan over 5 years with the Credit Union). Finally I think it would be best to get a petrol rather than diesel as I don't do many long journeys.

Over the last few weeks I have been looking around and have more or less narrowed down my choices to the below:

• 2015 Seat Ibiza Cupra. The Cupra has really taken my eye the last few days and my GFs uncle works in a Seat dealership too. Looks gorgeous inside and out.
  
• MINI Cooper / MINI Countryman. Not sure about what year I'd want but the JCW would certainly get my attention.
  
• VW Scirocco. Really nice on the outside but the interior tends to let it down, at least in the models I've seen. Any colour but White.

Any thoughts on why I should pick one over the other? Am I mad to be buying new at a young age?

colm_mcm

Buy this stuff while you're young!

Danger781

Probably going to have a look at the Seat when I get back from holidays!

I've started talking myself into it now. Looking at about 25k with the extras. Should be able to pay 5k up front without much issue. I reckon I can get 3k for my own car at least. That brings it down to 17k. Hopefully I can knock some more off for a family discount!

Over 5 years that seems very manageable..

vectra

Polo 1.4 gt blue

You would fare better come resale time over the ibiza.

noelf

Check out finance from car dealer as well you will pay a lot more interest with a credit union loan ..

bazz26

Fiat 500 Abarath:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Fiat/500/ABARTH-500/151814271975922550/

commited

Seat are offering 0% finance so that's worth a look. Ibiza looks like a fantastic car too!

If considering used, looks like importing from UK will be the only option for a Seat Ibiza Cupra:
131 reg:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201505303885083
15000 + approx 3.5k in VRT = 18.5k

Assume 10k loan needed for above over 3 years - finance cost ~€1200

So looking at €20k incl a years tax for a 2 year old example. Considering the sticker price on the standard cupra 3dr is €23k (with possibility of a bit of maneuvering), I think for once brand new looks like a no-brainer.

As an aside thought, there are lots of ways you can get into pretty fantastic cars for way under your budget (even negating the need to take a loan) if you're willing to wind back the years a little bit, for example:
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volkswagen-golf-2-0-gti-dsg-quick-sale-needed/9538170?offset=1
VW have fixed price servicing and the GTI has relatively few niggles, well documented online. Yes you'll pay €420/year extra tax but you would have paid that in finance anyway and depreciation on a mk5 GTI will be a lot less.

I took a €15k loan to buy myself a €25k car back when I was 23 and on reflection it was one of my worst financial decisions in my life to date! Food for thought.

Danger781

commited wrote: »

I took a €15k loan to buy myself a €25k car back when I was 23 and on reflection it was one of my financial decisions in my life to date! Food for thought.

I think you might have missed a word there! One of your what financial decisions!?

commited

Haha, sorry - worst! It was a great car - 2003 530d Sport in 2007 but I ended up selling it in 2008 for €14.5k which hurt and coincided nicely with the recession

I know people like shiny new cars, but if you picked up a good Mk5 GTI, it should be as good, if not better than the Ibiza. Just IMHO and from my experience in the past, I now prefer to spend my money on tax rather than finance and depreciation - some absolute bargains out there if you're willing to stomach 2.5/3.0 tax.

Danger781

Sorry to resurrect this thread. I'm looking at PCP finance for the Seat and I want to make sure I understand it properly. I pay my deposit up front for the car based on trade-in plus whatever I want to add on top up to 30% of the value (So roughly 7500). Then we work out my GMFV in 3 years time. Based on done deal 2012 Seats seem to be there for about 10k so let's use that. In that case I would pay off the remaining 7500 over 3 years which just over 200/month.

In 3 years time I then trade in this new car against a new one. My deposit is based on the surplus of the valuation of the car above the GMFV.

Sorry if that's long winded.

colm_mcm

Yeah, that's pretty much it. You'd likely need more cash for another deposit if you wanted to keep payments the same on another new one. Eg you could be financing €15k next time.

fret_wimp2

I see seat mentioned a lot up there. Like Skoda they are considered great value, but in reality the value isnt really there anymore, if disappeared in the latest generation of skodas (Rapid, Mk3 octavia etc, Mk2 fabia) and from reading some forums, the same applies to the latest Seat's.

They are still good cars, but where once you got almost teh spec, fit and finish of a Volkswagen for a lot less money, now you dont at all, so rather than be great value they are just about worth their asking price. the value proposition is gone.

Examples are:

-No one touch windows.
-questionable standard spec regarding gadgets and interior.
-corners cut (no engine cover on rapids, little cargo nets and handles missing in the boot, dash storage not thought out at all).
-only one wireless key, spare is just a normal key
-louder than average road noise, compared to a volkswagen.

thats a very short list, but if i get into the nitty gritty details, there are a lot of areas where Skoda & Seat just cut corners for the sake of it.
Sure you expect more from a Volkswagen, its potentially 5-10k more, but the thing with Seat & Skoda was that you got almost as much car for a lot less money, that was the value proposition. not the case anymore.

Im not saying they are bad cars at all, im just saying that as you are comming from a Mini, which i assume is well put together, being a luxury item, and you buy a Seat, expect to find little niggly disappointing things over the first few weeks as the cars are now much more budget in thier fit, finish and spec.

Danger781

What kind of features would I be missing out on? Based on the interior of the VWs I've seen they are always underwhelming / boring.

fret_wimp2

Danger781 wrote: »

What kind of features would I be missing out on? Based on the interior of the VWs I've seen they are always underwhelming / boring.

I dont know whats in the mini so i cant compare. You've owned one, youre in a much better position to know the answer to that.

Just know what you want, i mean make a list of things you expect and go through that list when testing out any cars.

The best example i can give is my skoda came with only one wireless key. I would never in a million years think to ask if both keys are wireless, its an expectation.

vectra

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

-louder than anything else.

FYP.
That was my number one reason for moving away this time.
I just had enough of the stupid road noise.

fret_wimp2

vectra wrote: »

FYP.
That was my number one reason for moving away this time.
I just had enough of the stupid road noise.

please dont quote me saying something i didnt say. I said louder than average. If you have a diferent point to make, make it but dont make it look like i said it.

vectra

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

please dont quote me saying something i didnt say. I said louder than average. If you have a diferent point to make, make it but dont make it look like i said it.

Jaysus.
Sorry for stepping on your toes..
Maybe this would help? :rolleyes:

fret_wimp2

vectra wrote: »

Jaysus.
Sorry for stepping on your toes..
Maybe this would help? :rolleyes:

Or you could just correct the post you 'quoted' me in.

MuppetCheck

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

I see seat mentioned a lot up there. Like Skoda they are considered great value, but in reality the value isnt really there anymore, if disappeared in the latest generation of skodas (Rapid, Mk3 octavia etc, Mk2 fabia) and from reading some forums, the same applies to the latest Seat's.

They are still good cars, but where once you got almost teh spec, fit and finish of a Volkswagen for a lot less money, now you dont at all, so rather than be great value they are just about worth their asking price. the value proposition is gone.

Examples are:

-No one touch windows.
-questionable standard spec regarding gadgets and interior.
-corners cut (no engine cover on rapids, little cargo nets and handles missing in the boot, dash storage not thought out at all).
-only one wireless key, spare is just a normal key
-louder than average road noise, compared to a volkswagen.

thats a very short list, but if i get into the nitty gritty details, there are a lot of areas where Skoda & Seat just cut corners for the sake of it.
Sure you expect more from a Volkswagen, its potentially 5-10k more, but the thing with Seat & Skoda was that you got almost as much car for a lot less money, that was the value proposition. not the case anymore.

Im not saying they are bad cars at all, im just saying that as you are comming from a Mini, which i assume is well put together, being a luxury item, and you buy a Seat, expect to find little niggly disappointing things over the first few weeks as the cars are now much more budget in thier fit, finish and spec.

To be honest spec wise an 06 Leon, 09 Octavia and a 14 Leon that I had all had better spec than the equivalent Golf. All had 4x one touch windows, two flip keys, much better, climate control, xenon/LED headlights that were extra on the VW.

Now the interior was a notch down for sure (a couple on the 06 Leon) and they weren't as quiet but each had everything the equivalent Golf had and more.

I think Skoda prices have shot up disproportionately but Seat prices are still on the money. VW have upped the spec of Golfs only recently but an FR upped to the spec of the current GTD is about 33k as opposed to 39k. The interior is still a step down but compared to the rest of the cars in that class its on the money.

Danger781

To be fair he did say FYP (Fixed your post) indicating he changed it Back on topic..

In your post you were comparing the value of Seat vs VW and how they're more or less on equal terms from spec to budget - But every time I look inside s VW they look so..plain. The Seat on the other hand looks gorgeous on the inside. Also I'm coming from a 2005 MINI One so there is no bells & whistles at all. It's a basic model with nothing fancy so I don't think I'll be missing anything? Besides the joy owning a MINI..