New Audi A3 from drivethedeal

cs95aam

I was quoted £20,849 for a 2.0 Tdi Sport DSG (with full leather) on drivethedeal. It is the cheapest quote. The gentleman called me back in a rather unenthusiastic tone saying that Audi prices have risen about £270 last week so that quote is now wrong. However still cheap.

What really annoyed me is that he said it would take approximately 14 weeks to get the car since it is a rare spec. I would have to let him know if I wanted to go for that.

14 weeks how is that possible! :mad:

philhuff

I've had to wait longer for a car than that before. It's all about supply and demand, and making sure they don't have airfields full of unsold cars costing shed loads of cash but not earning any revenue.

The likes of Audi and BMW build (almost) to order, with small stocks of the most popular models and specifications. Anything else gets a build slot at the factory and you wait your turn. The likes of Ford and Vauxhall keep churning out the cars whether they're sold or not, parking thousands at a time at places like RAF Alconbury or Corby. Your 'new' Vauxhall could have been sitting there for a year.

You only have to look at the discounts available and the resale values to figure out which method is better in the long run.

14 weeks is a bit long, but it's not that unusual.

cs95aam

Thanks for the reply.

Despite the long wait I think I will go for it but also wait for the 07 reg plate instead. Drivethedeal have quoted the best price so far but what worries me is paying a hefty £1,500 deposit which is non-refundable. Also I've been told to hurry in case my slot gets taken up by somebody else but I dont want to be rushed into something this big until I'm entirely sure. So I think I will wait a day or two.

I've also been told to add the exact spec right now and not later when I'm referred to a dealer. I suspect that's because it increases the cut that drivethedeal get from the dealer and not because I can't change things later?

Have people had a similar experience?

irishjohn

Car Manufacturers allow their dealers to look at the pipeline of cars being built and select one for a customer. Many dealers will have selected cars which are popular specs etc to have as "stock" cars they can obtain easily and quickly. To order a rare or fairly unusual specification - e.g. sporty A3 with leather etc they have to go pretty far along the pipeline to find a build slot where they can specify all the requirements - thats why it takes the 14 weeks.


The modifications to be made for a new model year usually happen around February so if you decide to wait to see what modifications will be made for the new model year you may then have to wait until June to pick up your order.

point3

If "factory collection" is offered as an option, then take it - it will give you a much better idea of what goes into the manufacturing and ordering process! I did the same with Mercedes.

The dealer has asked for a non-refundable deposit and full spec now to confirm the 'build slot' with Audi. I was lucky in that I able to change my specs after the original order was submitted, but I would check the procedure first with the dealer before confirming.

Quite often, the car may be ready before the quoted delivery date. I think I was contacted about 4 weeks ahead of schedule to say my car had been built and was ready for collection! This was because the German factory had switched from a 2 to 3 shifts-a-day working pattern.

Sorry G.B., but I would choose a German car any day! :whistle:

plane_boy2000

I ordered an A4 Cab a couple of years ago and had to wait about 12 weeks for it. Its as others have said - they build the car for you to your spec. Also be sure about the spec now as I tried to add things to the spec of mine after the order went to the factory, and the dealer did try, but it was to late. Audi were very acurate with the build time though - it came the week they said it would when I ordered it