mk6Polo wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2024 4:19 pm
I will be seeing the Polo (in Audi soon).
I also had a look at some older cars which may tick the boxes as well. I note that some of the "SE" models may have added the Parking Sensors.
Parking sensors weren’t standard on the SE model, so the first owner will have spec’d these as an extra cost option when ordering the car.
mk6Polo wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2024 4:19 pm
I have read that you can see the Autotrader listing date in the URL, which can help with understanding if the car has been on sale for a long time. Is there any way of seeing if the price has increased on decreased since on sale?
Sorry, I’ve no idea if it’s possible to check the price movement history of a car on Autotrader since it was first advertised for sale.
mk6Polo wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2024 4:19 pm
IS there a way of getting the spare wheel for cheaper? Most dealers are quoting 250-300 pounds even for a standard steel wheel 15 inch. I recall they were only around 100 pounds a few years ago with the Golfs.
You may find a cheaper used spare wheel kit on sites such as eBay. Usually, extra cost options such as a spare wheel are cheaper when they’re spec’d by the first owner at time of ordering the car new and fitted on the production line in the factory when the car is built. Buying a spare wheel at a later date from the dealer tends to be more expensive; you’d also need to check if the dealer quoted price is just for the spare wheel or if it also includes the jack, wheel brace, screwdriver etc. and the boot insert to hold the tools.
I can also remember when VW first started charging extra for spare wheels that the cost was around £100. I think that would have been around 3 years ago (my car’s nearly 4 years old had it had a space saver spare as part of the car’s standard spec). Current price for the optional spare wheel on a Polo is £250, so that’s a big price increase over a 3-ish year period.
I don’t often listen to music via my phone; I usually listen to local DAB radio stations. If I do listen to my own music, I have it on a USB flash drive that I keep plugged into one of the two USB ports below the HVAC controls.
I do charge my phone in the car and use Waze for sat nav and both charging performance and use of Waze work fine. I have a genuine VW cable like the one at the link you’ve posted (got it as a freebie from the dealer when I bought my car).
As a generalisation, a car at an independent dealer will probably be cheaper than an equivalent car at a VW dealership as the independent dealer’s overheads are likely to be lower than the VW dealers (independent garages often have smaller premises in a less costly location). Any warranty package offered by an independent dealer is also likely to be less comprehensive than the benefits offered under VW’s Approved Used scheme. The cost of the VW dealer’s higher overheads and more comprehensive warranty package will be factored into the price of the cars offered for sale by the VW dealer.
If I were to consider buying a car from an independent dealer, I’d be checking out the customer reviews. I’d also be checking (or asking) what pre-sales inspections are carried out on the cars offered for sale (e.g. is an AA / RAC or equivalent inspection carried out, are cars HPI checked / checked for outstanding finance etc.), checking out the standard of pre-sales vehicle prep and quality of vehicle stock being offered for sale, along with the facilities offered (e.g. finance / PCP, workshop servicing / repair facilities) and the general overall impression of the dealership (e.g. clean / tidy premises and professional, knowledgeable, courteous staff, no high pressure sales tactics).
If I was considering buying a 6 year old car, I wouldn’t be concerned if it’d had two previous owners; if each owner had owned the car for three years IMHO that’s pretty much the norm for many people these days, considering that many cars are purchased on a three year PCP. Overall condition of the car, along with a complete service history and an MOT history with no advisories or only minor advisories and good quality consumables such as tyres would be important factors to me.
You ask why does it matter if a car has been well maintained - regular maintenance helps keep a car mechanically healthy, safe and roadworthy and reduces the likelihood of potential issues developing undetected over a period of time and becoming expensive issues to fix or compromise vehicle safety. A well maintained car is also likely to be worth more than an equivalent poorly maintained one come resale time. My car is on VW’s time and distance (annual) service regime so it gets checked over once a year, which hopefully lessens the risk of unexpected expensive repairs, although I accept that things can go wrong unexpectedly.
; hopefully it’ll be a good car.