To put the 8 month wait into some sort of context; if you were interested in placing a factory order for a new performance model Golf (GTI or R), then based on some of the discussions on Golf forums you’d probably be looking at an 18 month to 2 year wait!Dannyyorks wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 3:58 pm Hi guys,
Just an update...
So I went to the dealer yesterday. They weren't really interested as said currently 8 month wait This has since been confirmed by another VW Dealer I have approached. This gives me a problem as my major service and first MOT are due in 8 months on my current car. I just know the two will overlap and I will end up paying out for someone else's benefit. There is also the issue of my part ex value could change a lot over that time.
I checked Coast2Coast and they have come out much better than most dealers, sometimes by about £3k!
One dealer I phoned earlier said it is best to keep an eye on websites to see what is coming through. Obviously I might need to not be so fussy on certain options.
Is your current car a VW? If yes, and if it’s on VW’s fixed / annual time and distance service regime, then the service at 3 years old would be a minor one (1st year minor, 2nd year major and third year minor and so on). Note that at three years, the first brake fluid change is also due on a 2020 registered VW. If you order a new car to your spec, you could try and get the dealer to agree to cover the cost of the service, MOT and brake fluid change (or make a significant contribution towards the cost) if your new car hasn’t arrived in 8 months time. They may not be willing to consider this if your current car isn’t a VW as they’d probably not put it on their forecourt to sell but would sell it to a trader or at auction. You could also try and get them to guarantee the part ex price of your car if you do go down the part ex route. However, with future used car values being unpredictable, a dealer might not be prepared to do this. You may be better off not trading in but to sell via one of the car buying services (Motorway etc.); going this route might also put you in a stronger bargaining position to negotiate on the price of any new car.
With Coast2Coast, presumably you’d still have around an 8 month wait?
If you’re ideally looking to take delivery within the next 8 months to avoid the forthcoming maintenance costs on your existing car, in your position I’d be looking at existing stock within the national VW dealer network and be prepared to travel if necessary for the ‘right’ car. I personally wouldn’t be too worried about options - the GTI’s standard spec is pretty good; if I was considering buying one now I’d be happy to settle for the standard spec, although there’s a chance there’ll be some in-stock cars at dealers (or in transit to dealers from the factory) that do have the most popular options - e.g. 18” alloys, metallic paint.