Second car advice

[scottk]

We bought a Citigo before our eldest started driving. Got a great deal on pre reg car at £7k. Both ours learned to drive in it and it has now done 43k, cheap to run (still on original tyres). It’s a white 3 door (think it’s a colour edition!). Passed its MOT in December with nothing needed. Been in for warranty work on radio aerial a couple of times. Cheap to insure too. With my daughter (20) as main driver and myself and wife named drivers, it was just over £400 this year.

 

[briwy]

Get a classic car. £100 insurance, no road tax, not even an MOT required now. Mend with a hammer and screwdriver with cheap easily obtainable parts. And, it won't depreciate. Whats not to like

 

[Amarillo]

We picked up the Citigo today.

Easy handover. Clare drove it home with Jack, I haven't driven it yet.

I thought it was a bit mean of Skoda to supply it with one electronic key and one rigid key.

I thought it was a bit mean of the dealer to charge us £20 for half a tank of fuel.

 

[Borris]

We picked up the Citigo today.

Easy handover. Clare drove it home with Jack, I haven't driven it yet.

I thought it was a bit mean of Skoda to supply it with one electronic key and one rigid key.

I thought it was a bit mean of the dealer to charge us £20 for half a tank of fuel.

We are on our third Skoda. One brand new £5995 Felicia years ago and two just second hand Superbs. The Felicia was a bargain basement new car but it did everything it said on the tin. The Superbs are just that, Superb. All three have behaved faultlessly as I'm sure your Citigo will.

I've found the dealership, Caffyns of Ashford in Kent, that we purchased the Felicia and our current 170ps dsg estate from to be very good. However, I do have one gripe to do with Skoda in general. You no longer get a service schedule or anywhere to record said services in with the vehicle hand book. It's all gone electronic. It's not just Skoda either, they're all at it! Skoda and other manufacterers want you to have their dealerships service their cars so have removed any aid to home servicing and means to record such. I had to speak to a friendly technician to get him to privately Email me the service schedule otherwise I would have been in the dark. This was after the Service desk refused to do so and also refused reset the service indicator on the dash after I had completed a full inspection service. They also refused to tell me how to reset it so I could do it myself! There was no guide on Youtube at that time.

All vehicles have some form of tricky secret way of reseting this feature designed to ensure the dealerships get the work and you don't touch it. This is no problem with a new car with a service plan but once they are out of warranty I've always serviced my own vehicles. It saves a fortune, maintains older second hand vehicles as a viable economic proposition and takes up less of my time.

So my gripe with Skoda is electronic service schedules that all but insist you use their manufactureres dealership network.

 

[Amarillo]

Sitting happily wheel by wheel.

 

[pjm-84]

Nice colour.

 

[owen_h]

Are they built in Yorkshire?

How would I know? They certainly are engineered in Germany. Or at least that is what VW will tell us.

I did get the joke but they (VW, Skoda & Seat versions) are made in Bratislava along with the Porsche Cayenne and one of the Audi Qs. Can be good to wind up Porsche owners.

I have had the Seat Mii version, bought used with virtually no miles on it. Still love driving it.
Has anyone else noticed it shares an exterior part with the T5s ? Actually 2 parts which changed with the T6

 

[andyinluton]

I don't know about the exterior parts, but our Up has the same window switches

 

[Amarillo]

Nice colour.

It is, and cost us about 5% of the purchase price. We'd have been happy with the zero cost option of Tornado Red, but had to have a car from stock as they are no longer taking factory orders for the Citigo. The lack of choice was part of the reason for us getting such a large discount.

 

[pjm-84]

The Wife has ordered her Toyota CH-R Hybrid in Cyan Splash (bright blue). Ordered back in March via AutoEbid.

 

[Fergie Collier]

I bought an UP Beats 60ps - no regrets and cracking we car for the money. Good residual value too. Go for it ...

 

[2haw]

I love our Up!... colour scheme also matches my Edition!

 

[Amarillo]

Has anyone else noticed it shares an exterior part with the T5s ? Actually 2 parts which changed with the T6

I've been wondering what this could be. H4 light bulbs? Side indicator lens covers? I don't think either are the correct answer. Windscreen washer nozzles?

 

[owen_h]

I've been wondering what this could be. H4 light bulbs? Side indicator lens covers? I don't think either are the correct answer. Windscreen washer nozzles?

your correct with Side indicator lenses

 

[owen_h]

I love our Up!... colour scheme also matches my Edition!

View attachment 47624

What is the ride like on the GTi wheels. At 17" they are bigger than the ones on my Beach!
One of the things I like best about my Seat is the ride quality on the poorly repaired roads and wouldnt want to lose that if I changed for an UP GTi.

 

[2haw]

It is fairly hard but unfortunately I don't get to drive it often enough! I absolutely love it though, 30 mph feels more like 50 and it just puts a smile on my face each time I do get to drive it.

Best little runabout I've had since my Clio Williams in the 90's.

 

[Legin]

So my gripe with Skoda is electronic service schedules that all but insist you use their manufactureres dealership network.

Agree. I just bought a blank skoda service book off ebay and each service gets stamped in there. However mine is outside the dealer network from new and i will argue the warranty if it happens. Reason , I find my local Skoda dealer to be a complete bunch of ***** so I refuse to add to the coffers.
Reality is on a cheap car like this once traded outside the network it makes no difference and certainly less than the investment.
Watchout for the cambelt scam as well.

 

[Amarillo]

your correct with Side indicator lenses

I'm glad that's sorted. My next guess was going to be the "ii" in "Mii" being the same as the two "i"s in California. Being debadged I don't know if they are individual letters stuck on or one whole piece - let alone if they are the same font as the Mii.

 

[Sandyvan]

We considered The UP GTI but thought rear drum brakes on a car in this day and age was unacceptable, especially a GTI and a single tail pipe did not look the sporty part.

Apart from that it complements its big brothers.

 

[Doorbundle]

We have had a Fiat Panda 1.3 Multijet diesel for the past 10 years, 110,000miles, 63-65 mpg, kids learned to drive in it, still my daily commuter of choice. OK, so it doesn't have the cachet of an Up!.
Up! is OK, got one for a courtesy car once, surprising performance for a tiny 3cyl motor, family saloon room in the front, and of course, that roundel. Mrs Db liked it too, but pines for a Golf.

 

[Borris]

We have had a Fiat Panda 1.3 Multijet diesel for the past 10 years, 110,000miles, 63-65 mpg, kids learned to drive in it, still my daily commuter of choice. OK, so it doesn't have the cachet of an Up!.
Up! is OK, got one for a courtesy car once, surprising performance for a tiny 3cyl motor, family saloon room in the front, and of course, that roundel. Mrs Db liked it too, but pines for a Golf.

But if you want to be ultra green, keep that Panda!

 

[Doorbundle]

But if you want to be ultra green, keep that Panda!

Oh yes.

 

[Amarillo]

A letter dropped through my door today offering me up to £11,750 cash transfer on my Credit Card at 0% for 15 months but with a 3% fee. I make this about 2.4% APR.

Is there anything to stop me borrowing £7,500, repaying the entire £7,997.50 credit from VW financial services and withdrawing from the PCP agreement within the 14 day time limit? Is there a risk that Skoda will demand the £1,650 deposit contribution back?

It seems to good to be true, and in my experience, if things look too good to be true there is a catch lurking somewhere.

 

[Legin]

No risk Happens all the time. You just have to pay the daily interest. Ring them and they will give you a settlement figure and when it must be paid. I paid my cali this way and kept all the free services and cash backs.
No need to discuss with the dealer as they may try to talk you into paying a month or two. Do it asap if your doing it and within 14 days to avoid some other charges but theyre not massive.

 

[pjm-84]

I did it with my Mini. Took their £500 deposit contribution and paid them £8.75 in interest for the 6 days. Very easy.