@osullivj21; welcome to the forum.
Firstly, apologies for the very long post; it’s a bit of a brain dump but hopefully it answers many of the questions you’ve asked.
I don’t have an R Line but do have a current shape Polo (a 2020 pre facelift GTI+). I’ve owned it from new and on a positive note, in the 3.5 years I’ve had it, it’s been faultless mechanically - everything has worked as it should and the interior has been free of creaking, rattling and vibrating trim.
As for build quality - I’d say that I’ve noticed a a disappointing downturn in build quality over the years with the VW’s I’ve owned (this is my fifth since 2002; all five cars owned from new). My current car was delivered with uneven panel gaps and shut lines between some of the panels. Build quality issues I’ve had on previous cars have been misaligned body panels / uneven panel gaps, a paintwork imperfection, scratches, incorrect bumper trim pieces fitted and a small dent. In my humble opinion, all of these issues should have been picked up and rectified during post-build QC checks and / or dealership PDI checks, but sadly they weren’t. VW used to have a reputation for the so called solid, legendary German build quality; if that legendary build quality ever did exist, then sadly that is no longer the case IMHO. These days, I’d say VW’s build quality is no better than (and may be inferior to) that of some of its mainstream competitors.
The current facelift version of the Polo uses different software to the software in my car, and there have been instances reported on the forum of software-related false errors and warnings being generated by the car - e.g. travel assist errors, SOS call errors. Various software updates may fix the issues, or in the case of models that had steering wheels with haptic controls rather than physical buttons, a new replacement steering wheel has been known to fix some of the issues. I think VW have now reverted back to fitting steering wheels with conventional buttons to all new Polos.
Regarding service plans; be aware that the service plan covers just two basic services; a minor (oil and oil filter change) service and a major (oil, oil filter change and inspection) service - any other servicing work not included in the service plan (e.g. brake fluid change) is charged for in addition to the service plan cost at the time the work is carried out. VW used to offer the service plan at a lower price if purchased at point of sale (i.e. when ordering the car), so it’s worth checking if there’s a current offer at the time of ordering a new car - when I bought my car, I got a 2 year service plan for £199; I think the normal price at the time was around £270.
On the warranty point; you don’t need a service plan to maintain VW’s 3 year new car warranty. The car does need to be serviced in accordance with VW’s service schedule though - either by a VW dealership or if you use a non VW dealer (e.g. an independent VW specialist), the independent dealer must be VAT registered, and use VW approved parts and fluids, with details of any work undertaken/ parts and fluids used being fully documented in invoices and receipts in the event of you needing to make a warranty claim. I would recommend using a VW dealer for servicing for the three year warranty period as it avoids any potential issues over legitimate warranty claims you may make. If you have a service plan, then servicing will need to be by a VW dealer as an independent VW specialist garage won’t recognise a VW service plan and you’ll be paying VW financial services for the service plan.
As for negotiating discounts; be aware that VW are moving to the agency model where the customer buys the car from VW rather than the dealer, with the dealer just acting as an intermediary; see Auto Express article and YouTube video at the links below. Currently, I think this is just for Electric Vehicles (EV’s) but I wouldn’t be surprised if this also extends to include non-EV’s as well at some point. Under the agency model, the dealer doesn’t have the ability or flexibility to negotiate a price less than VW’s list price - the price you’ll pay is VW’s recommended list price and there’ll be no discounts other than any special incentives that VW themselves might be offering - e.g. a contribution towards the finance deposit.
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/buying-ca ... ean-buyers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quCBnimnJs4
Assuming that VW haven’t moved to the agency model for non-EV’s yet, then I’d recommend you do your homework before going to a dealership. Check out what discounts are available through the likes of Carwow or a broker such as Drive the Deal so you don’t pay over the odds for a car. If a dealer isn’t willing to negotiate, then the hassle-free route would be to buy via Carwow or Drive the Deal. Also, if you have an existing car you’re considering part exchanging, then use the car buying services websites to get a good idea of what it’s worth so you don’t inadvertently accept get an unrealistically low part exchange offer for it. I’d recommend getting a range of valuations from different sources rather than just a single valuation to give you a better, more realistic view of your existing car’s value.
If you want to beat the wait time for a new car to be built and you’re flexible over colour and spec and you’re prepared to travel for the ‘right’ car, then I’d recommend checking sites such as Auto Trader for new unregistered cars that are already in stock at dealerships (currently 19 Polo R Lines listed as brand new on Auto Trader, some with discounts of around 10% off list price). If taking VW PCP finance, then be aware that new pre-registered cars are treated as used cars for finance, and VW’s PCP finance rate for used cars is significantly higher than the finance rate for brand new unregistered cars. Also, any VW finance deposit contribution will be lower on used cars than it is on new cars.
Current VW new / PCP finance rates and deposit contributions are;
6.9% APR and £1,250 deposit contribution on new Polos
13.4% APR and £400 deposit contribution; used cars up to 1 year old
11.4% APR and £250 deposit contribution; used cars 1-3 years old.
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