VW Up or Skoda Citigo: finance / lease / contract hire options

jamesbrownontheroad

Hello all. Owing to an imminent change in where we live and work, we're thinking of buying a small car.

The Skoda Citigo and VW Up appeal, although I'm tending towards the latter because of the bigger engine (we'll do a bit of country driving as well as around town).

My only experience of car ownership was a somewhat shabby Saab that I bought second hand for cash in an airport car park (!). Given we want an easier life, I'm tempted by some of the personal leasing options that are available on both these cars, but wondered if anyone had any thoughts about leasing or contract hire.

Being part of the same company, both VW and Skoda offer a personal contract hire plan called Solutions. Has anyone had experience of using this to lease a car? Is the flexibility at the end of the programme (to buy the car, hand it back or trade up) worth the premium over the lease plans offered by brokers?

Any guidance appreciated :beer:

Tiexen

jamesbrownontheroad wrote: »

The Skoda Citigo and VW Up appeal, although I'm tending towards the latter because of the bigger engine (we'll do a bit of country driving as well as around town).

they both (and the seat Mii) all have the same engines.

jamesbrownontheroad

Tiexen wrote: »

they both (and the seat Mii) all have the same engines.

They all have the 65PS 1.0, but only the VW and Seat have the more powerful 75PS 1.0.

Tiexen

Skoda Citigo Hatchback 1.0 75 Greentech Elegance

What Car? says 5 out of 5 stars

Neither the 59bhp nor the 74bhp engine are fast, and if urban driving is all you intend to do then the lower-powered Skoda Citigo is fine. However, if you plan to head out of town on a regular basis, then the more powerful model is the better bet.

The Citigo is a fantastic city car that’s good to drive and has a high-quality and attractive interior. The top-spec Elegance trim is pricey, but has all the equipment you'll need, and sub-100g/km economy.

jamesbrownontheroad

Oops Thanks. So I can't use that as an excuse to choose the VW over the cheaper and basically identical Skoda :beer:

Tiexen

No they are all very similar, but i didn't like any of them - painted metal on the doors and rear wheel arches, and a few complaints of clonking from the gearbox

have you looked at the Panda /Picanto/ i10

Fiat have some cracking deals on the Punto £1000 off + £1000 extra kit (Climate/Bluetooth/Satnav/Cruise/Parking sensors)

dbramley

The up! is much more 'desirable' than the citygo. Yes it's cheaper (about £500 iirc) but come resale time that will be lost in greater depreciation. There are some good finance deals available on the up! and you can get a 3 year service pack for under £100. Loads of info on here: VW UP Forum

jamesbrownontheroad

I had a look at an Up at a dealer this weekend. So popular that there is a four month wait for delivery, it seems. It does seem priced at a premium, especially given that for just a little more I could finance a VW Polo and get £1000 deposit contribution and a year's free insurance.

Notwithstanding the differences and preferences about the cars themselves, does anyone have any experience of the Volkswagen and Skoda "Solutions" personal contract plan?

smitchy73

jamesbrownontheroad wrote: »

I had a look at an Up at a dealer this weekend. So popular that there is a four month wait for delivery, it seems. It does seem priced at a premium, especially given that for just a little more I could finance a VW Polo and get £1000 deposit contribution and a year's free insurance.

Notwithstanding the differences and preferences about the cars themselves, does anyone have any experience of the Volkswagen and Skoda "Solutions" personal contract plan?

Hi jamesbrown, i've got the vw solutions plan and find it okay to use, no different from any other pcp etc, I paid my deposit, arranged the deal, make my monthly payments and they suggest about 4-6 months before the end you start to see about changing your car, if thats what you want to do, of course you can hand it back and walk away, or pay the final payment and the car is yours, I have also changed my payment date for various reasons over the past two years and they were fine, anytime i've called they've been very helpful and pleasant to deal with.

If there's anything else just ask and i'll answer if I can.:D

almillar

First question would be why are you ignoring the little SEAT - is it not out yet? I'm also sure you'd spend far less money on a second hand (or even new) Aygo, 107 or C1 since they've been around longer. If you want to justify being a snob and buying the VW, use all those other snobs as an excuse - I'm sure the VW will hold its value better because of the badge (and maybe styling, but I'm not sure about the back).

AlexisV

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/seat/mii/59175/seat-mii-sport

On cars this cheap, I don't think depreciation will be a massive concern.