[Irish]

And although you might think "well he would think that wouldn't he"....I'm not mad on it. The chrome strip around it is too thick for my liking.

I kept looking at mine and back at the car (which was in a stealers window) and think the change is also quite subtle - my car certainly didn't look outdated or anything I thought.

 

[flynntech]

Yeah its is very subtle. So any advancement on the GTI mark?

 

[Andrew]

I'm hoping that the new grill hasn't spoiled the look of the A3. From looking at the new grill on the A3 sportback I feel that the grill doesn't work so well on a small car like the A3, compared to how good it looks on an A6.

 

[marriedblonde]

I'm not convinced by the new face of Audi.  I tihnk it suits the bigger cars - a6 and a8 but think it is a little over powering for the a3 and a4.  But i think it's something that will be a grower...

 

[Irish]

Yeah its is very subtle. So any advancement on the GTI mark?

Was out looking at them today as it happens.

Waiting on a call back with a price for mine tomorrow. I realistically need 33K for mine to be able to do a deal. Only problem is you can have a new one with no extras for a little under 36K. If they can do something I will order one for Jan I think.

 

[marriedblonde]

Are Audi's that expensive in Ireland Mark? Mines not worth ?22K (33K Euro) and it's a year newer [:O]

 

[Irish]

My car was E43,000 new !! [6]

So to answer your question, yes! []

 

[marriedblonde]

ouch! 

 

[JMcQueen]

I HATE the new look of the Audi's! It looks like a basking shark or something. Totally ruined the A3's and A4's. I wa looking at the A4's and the only ones that Id have would be the pre face lift models. Terrible new look to them. 

 

[Chris]

I HATE the new look of the Audi's! It looks like
a basking shark or something. Totally ruined the A3's and A4's.
I wa looking at the A4's and the only ones that Id have
would be the pre face lift models. Terrible new look to
them.

Me too.

I love the pre-facelift A4's with the S-Line kit...... absolutely gorgeous cars.

 

[IrishToo]

I have to admit that I didn't like the SFG in the publicity shots but I saw one on a 3 door in the flesh the other day and I have to say, that I like it. I also just discovered that Audi Ireland have finally launched the 2.0TFSI Quattro over here and I'm getting a bout of upgraditous!

Irish, while you are a younger fella you seem to have a lot more experience in car finance and trading in every year or two so perhaps you could answer some questions I have. I've always kept my car for the full finance term (5years) and then traded in so am not exactly sure about what is involved in ending one finance agreement prematurely and starting another.

Got my 2.0TDI Ambition with Sunroof,17in Parabola's,armrest,cupholder and full leather in June '04. Has 3200miles on the clock (don't laugh!)

Price was ?40000 odd with a trade in of ?10000 for my 5yo mk1 A3, so I am paying ?30000 ie ?580pm over 5 years (?34800 with interest)

Please excuse my naievity but I assume I have to clear the full amount including interest of the existing finance or would I not have to pay the full 5 years of interest but pay a penalty finance breakout fee kinda thing?

So say I wanted a 2.0TFSI that cost around ?47000 with all the options I wanted in Jan '06. I get offered (or fight for!) ?33000 trade in for current car. I'll have paid ?11,000 of the finance by December '05 so I would owe ?23800 on finance. ?33000-?23800=?10200 off 2.0TFSI.

Is that the correct way to work things out?

So in that scenario, I'd be looking at financing ?37000 which would be ?720pm which is a no go. Damn!!

If I didn't have to pay off the full 5 years of interest, how much would I save.?

Is ?33,000 too much or too little to expect trade in for my car?

How much do you think I could push Grange Motors for a discount taking into consideration that this would be the second car I've bought from them in the space of 2 years, didn't push for a discount on the current car (see I was a naieve pushover, but no more) and can hopefully play them off against Fosters Audi just up the road in Sandyford IND EST (didn't know about them when I bought current car)

If any or all the above could get the finance amount down a few grand then I'd go for it. Is it at all feasible that I could have the TFSI for the same repayments I am paying now considering the equity I have in the car or would I be better off waiting a year till the equity/depreciation balance went further in my favour. At a push I think I could accept 650pm but that equates to a finance amount of 32-33000.

So feasible or am I dreaming??

 

[Irish]

Three things matter here...

1) how much you owe the bank and the settlement figure (which will differ from the TOTAL amount you owe if you are taking out more business with them)

2) what your car is worth

3) what type of loan you took out

I can tell you that 33K for your car is most certainly dreaming. Sorry! The garage will look at how much your car cost without extras, take away depreciation and add on a bit for the leather (30-50%) and a few bits you might have.

I am struggling (although I've only been to Fosters for a quote and not the VW guy I use in Grange) to get 33K for my car and it has a fair few extras over yours including xenons and climate.

If you took out 30K finance as you say and have been paying that off for just over a year then you have paid the bank ?7540 (13 repayments of ?580). So take that away from your loan amount plus interest and you get ?27260 which is the VERY MOST you now owe the bank and also probably ?2,000 LESS than what your car is worth.

So you are now back at square one with 2K as a deposit and technically (although you'll have to confirm my figures with the bank) you could trade your car in for a 2.0T in the morning.

That's basically how I do my car buying!! I get repayments as high as I can (my A3 is ?800 a month) and aim to get the thing down to either break even with the bank and change it or do as you have done and make a couple of grand to put towards a new jammer...I have no desire to waste money by paying the full five years of a loan on a car off. What have you got at the end? You've spent the full 34K on a car which is now worth maybe 10 and it's cost you 24K to own that car. Pay two years of it and you end up paying the bank less and can either sell your car and buy a pushbike or use it to get a new car on your driveway for the same or less repayments.

Without a deposit my car cost me ?43,300 without interest so unless you have a decent deposit you're not going to get a 2.0T for 650 a month.

Think I've explained it as best I can anyway but if you need anything else just ask.

Only bit of advice I might add is don't go mad on extras - I did and I'm paying for it now. The guy I spoke to in Fosters said to me there's no point in going mad on extras with the GTI because you just won't get them back. He said 18s were worth it plus an arm rest and that's pretty much it. I would find it hard to get a GTI with so little on it (mainly because our cars are so badly specced in the the ROI) but the lesson I have learnt is always think of a potential buyer for your car when you are ticking all the boxes - if you're financing your car it really is important.

 

[IrishToo]

I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions Mark. Thanks.

 

[flynntech]

The old saying "The day you buy is the day you sell".

Would you get the aircon Mark in the GTI. AFAIK its an extra!!

 

[Irish]

Trev I dunno.

I hate the look of manual controls to be honest...but it's an expensive extra.

You can get manual air con (still manual controls) and lose the sunroof for E407. To get it and keep the roof it's E1708.

Then there's the climate which is E1172 if you lose the roof but to keep it and have the roof (makes no sense because your cold air is going out of the car in the summer when you want the roof open) it's E2475!

I'd be tempted to get the climate without a sunroof but I like having one too so I dunno.

IRISHTOO - so what are you gonna do then? Look at changing the car?

 

[IrishToo]

I've pretty much written the idea off if its gonna cost me more than 650 a month. The next time I'm near Grange I'll call in and tell Brian that I don't care what discount he gives me, what trade in he gives me or what settlement figure he gives me. If he can run the figures and do the car I want for 650x60months he's got a sale. If he doesn't get back to me with good news then I may aswell go ahead and do the mods I was planning for this car anyway ie a spoiler, Replica RS6's and a remap like yourself.

Stil happy enough with your superchips?? Have you heard any more word on anyone else other than that Scottish crowd doing an OBD port remap yet btw?

 

[Irish]

AFAIK Revo have something ready to go but it has been delayed until November.

Can't fault the Superchips, still makes me smile all these months on but at the same time tonight I cruised to work and got 43mpg by just driving economically...best of both worlds is a remap IMO.

You could in theory get a balloon payment if you wanted a new car. Basically they give you a final payment at the end of the 60 months...eg. 10K which they then take off the price of the car and work out the repayments with 10K off. Once you change the car before the 60 months, even at 59 months, you never pay the 10K but you save yourself some money on the repayments. But to fully finance the price of a 2.0T with the toys and get repayments at 650 you would need a fairly hefty balloon payment.

Don't forget...the difference between 650 per month and 700 for example, is only ?25 a week..would barely buy you 4 pints these days.

 

[Foxy]

Good advice from Mark...........he is talking sense.

As for serial port programming a remap - you all know who my allegiances lie with.......and i'm off there v.soon for a tweaked map!

 

[marriedblonde]

Don't forget...the difference between 650 per month and 700 for example, is only ?25 a week..would barely buy you 4 pints these days.

Mark,

I appreciate cars are more expensive over in Ireland but surely your months still have at least 4 weeks in them? 700-650 = 50 = 12.50 a week or there abouts...

Buying a car over 5 years? Jeez thats a long time... If I can't buy a car and pay for it in 3 years then I would say I couldn't afford that car

 

[Irish]

Mark,

I appreciate cars are more expensive over in Ireland but surely your months still have at least 4 weeks in them? 700-650 = 50 = 12.50 a week or there abouts...

Sorry my bad...it was getting late! So it's even less per week, makes it seem even better!

As for the term of the loan J, not sure your logic makes sense in this situation.

Say you want 50K over 3 year and 5 years. Which one is going to have the higher payments?

So if you have no plans to keep the car longer than 2 years say, what is the point in giving a bank extra money per month for the same car?

You and I both have A3s. If we both buy them on the same day and plan to change them exactly 2 years down the road, both take out 50K from the bank, your term is 3 years and mine is 5, apart from a slight difference in interest, who will have had to part with more cash for their A3? You! It has nothing to do with being able to afford the car - in this situation anyway.

But I do see your point and it makes sense also, just in different circumstances. I had my GTI over 4 years and it does get the negative equity down a bit quicker if you're planning to change after 12 months.