So who is buying new for the new year or even in the new year and what are you getting?

Not doing too bad. I ordered a gti clubsport 5 months ago and it’s currently expected to be here in March.

Yes that may be so and he could easily have said those things. IMO the posts were just **** posting trying to get reactions from people.

Agreed 100%. Utter insanity. Even BMW are moving to touch screens now - and no, the fact that the stupid touch screens always show the climate control temperature does not mean it's OK to get rid of the buttons.

The whole point of something new is that it is better than what went before it, that's patently not true with a lot of newer cars - they're heavier (exacerbated by the move towards SUVs and EVs), have loads of rubbish we don't need like all the so-called 'driver assist systems' (whatever happened to people using their brains behind the wheel?), have worse exhaust notes (if they even are lucky enough to have a real engine) or fake noises pumped through the cabin thanks to all the emissions rules, and worst of all, they all have damn touchscreens which I find incredibly distracting and an absolute pain in the neck to use when I'm driving. I find a lot of the so called driver aids very annoying, too, and I will turn them off.

With buttons it's simple muscle memory, or something like BMW's iDrive, such systems give you all the technology and infotainment, but crucially it's all still with buttons and is not distracting at all to use the key functions.

And simple things like lighting are better in old cars; BMW stopped using the red-orange backlighting firstly in the instrument cluster (which was bad enough) and then altogether in the iX monstrosity. There's a reason planes use this colour - because it's been scientifically shown to minimise driver distraction at night (indeed that's why BMW put it in all their cars from the 60s onwards), and if you drive an old BMW with the red-orange backlighting back to back with a car with white backlighting, or worse still, blue backlighting (there's a reason ambulances and other emergency vehicles use this colour), you'd really notice how much more those colours distract you at night than the red-orange BMW used to use.

There's more and more cost cutting, too, on all the bits you can't see but on things that make a difference to the driving experience; note how BMW now uses front wheel drive rather than rear wheel drive and 50:50 weight distribution in the 1 and 2 series, the Merc A-class no longer has independent rear suspension, and VW Group MEB cars only have drum brakes at the rear, yet we're told EVs are supposed to be more cutting edge than ICE cars!

To top it all off, cars are outrageously expensive these days. Nothing lasts forever but I'd rather keep an old car going when it does many of the basics like ergonomics better than what's out there today, and costs far less to buy, if not always to run.

Strongly thinking of a petrol Octavia VRS

I put a deposit down on a Kia EV6. Probs have to wait until march for it. I'm moving from an MX5 ND so will be a huge change.

Hopefully I'm not disappointed!

Also going for Kia EV6. No delivery date, but in no rush, most likely March time frame.

Same as myself.. I sold the MX5 in august and bought myself a mark 2 golf GTI as a run around... It's freezing to drive on these cold mornings though.. looking forward to some "luxury"!

Did you get the GT Line and what colour? (I went GT Line

yacht blue myself)

Would love an EV6 but strongly tempted by the new Sportage.

Interior dash of new Sportage is very similar to EV6, certainly the flat screens, heater control panel and gear selector etc all very similar. I agree that the prices of the current and probably new Sportage are getting a little saucy for what you are getting. However, having owned 2 of them they are a fine car.

The exterior design on the front of the Sportage takes some getting used to, maybe it's very colour dependent too. My wife might have gone for the new Sportage but no electric option plus Europe gets the shorter European model rather than the longer rest of the world model really put me off. I think the longer model is much better proportioned and overall just looks better.

Agree to disagree...I've a 5 door ordered in magnetic for hopefully April too. I'm being pessimistic against what the dealer has said (March) so I'm not holding my breath for when it arrives.

Ye I had ordered one originally in July. I think I recognise your name from browsing fiestaoc?

I had a mk7 Fiesta ST which was unfortunately written off during the summer and a mk8 was the best identified replacement! I prefer the look of the facelift so it was a no brainer to swap over the order. I doubt my original order would have been fulfilled for a pre-facelift based on the UK owners club forum.

I'm not even sure what the situation is with ordering, I believe they aren't starting production of the facelift until January and there appears to be a VERY large backlog of orders which were converted from the old model into the facelift. You could be waiting a while!

There is normally always some kind of best price but it's come a long way from when Ford were lobbing off a quarter of the price back in 2016. The current order situation has probably diminished any potential bargaining.

Much like myself.

I had ordered in June but got switched over to the face-lift in November.

I'm currently driving a mk7 st. The march build date is what ford have on the system for all of them. Hopefully they get through them quickly but more than likely not.

The wait continues.

Decided on a diesel vRS in the end. In the garage today. Deposit and all in the pocket ready for if/when we agreed a deal. Absolutely no budging the garage on price. Not one cent. Went through the online configurator. It came out with a price. Add on 2% for the price rise next year. Add on €750 for delivery, etc. That's it. Pay it or don't essentially. If ordered, car would be in in May. Or June. Possibly even July.

I left it. Might visit another garage to see is it the same story.

Try MSL, Navan Road if you're Dublin based. Might be different for the vRS but I was told they have a few production slots left (For Octavia Combi) for delivery in March.

A loose maybe that it could arrive before then, in which case apparently you get the 2% increase back.

Could well be a sales pitch of course but I was also told next production slot would then mean delivery May/June which lines up with your info. Had the same hard stance on price alright.

Skoda/VW seem to be particularly badly affected by the microchip shortage/backlog which might explain that.

The mammy pulled the trigger on a last minute new car too. Facelift Polo from stock, only entry level trim but standard spec is much better than the pre facelift car. You get the 80bhp 1.0 engine, A/C, digital cockpit, auto lights and cruise control and some nice touches like the new family steering wheel and gear knob really freshen up the interior.

A few let downs would be the handbrake and steering wheel are hard plastic finish on entry level cars which is really hard to swallow and still no station logos on the radio tiles. Otherwise a nicely finished car.

Interesting she's trading in a 181 Polo, being allowed 14k for it, she bought it for €16.5k in 2018, 6 months old, ex hire drive at the time. 6 months old ex hire drive Polo's this year are asking €21-22k, was actually better value to go for the new vehicle if you are able to get your hands on one from stock @ €23.1k.

Some price rise in cars in general, looking at that.

Not Dublin based, but have money - will travel!

Visited another VAG dealership today. Same price as the other spot, but with less spec. Delivery August. Maybe. Again, price is the price. Reason they say is they don't have enough cars going out. Volume of sales will be down massively. Both new and secondhand.