How much for a new Scirocco?

So thinking just about the GT model, how much does the new Scirocco cost?
Well that obviously depends what options you go for, so I thought I'd have a look at the configurator, and see...

So the base model GT with Manual and 2.0 litre 210 is £24,450. Although not too bad, this no longer seems like the cheap option it was on launch, although the rise is partly due to the increase in VAT.

I then worked through the options list and selected the best, or at least the most expensive of everything. No accessories at this stage, just factory options like DSG, Leather, Sat Nav, Xenon headlights... you get the idea. And the grand total? £34,624.

Ouch.

I know you'd get some discount on that, but there is no way you can describe that as cheap anymore. And just to compare, I specified a Nissan 370Z GT (that has a starting price of £33,000) with a similar set of options and it comes to £35,950. I can see the appeal of the Scirocco over the 370Z when there is a £10k price difference, but when the difference is £1,000 I think the Scirocco is in serious trouble. The only reasons to buy the VW in this configuration are if you need the back seats.

Anyway, I know as well as anyone that the reasons for buying one car over another are complicated and personal, but if VW don't keeep the Scirocco prices keen then people are going to stop buying it.

But perhaps they don't care so much - they already make fewer Sciroccos than they can sell.

New Options.

I guess a lot of people who buy their cars new go through this, but its a first for me. My Scirocco GT is on order, but not yet confirmed - but VW have changed the list of available options, and I should be able to take advantage of any of these new things before my build date is confirmed.

Following on from my earlier post about Options, there is now a cheaper Navigation system available - but after a couple of quick checks, it cannot be specified with DAB. So that's still a no then.

The Bluetooth add on now appears attractive however - I'd written the old one off because it only worked on RSAP, effectively making sure that it would only integrate properly with Nokia phones - this has now been replaced with an HFP system which should work with practically anything. Will probably go with that.

Only other thing that I'm not sure about is the Multifunction Display now has a Colour option at £180. I'm going to dig a bit more... If it's exactly the same unit but in colour then £180 seems expensive.

Update 25/1/11:
Done it. HFP Bluetooth ordered assuming the order hasn't become confirmed - if it has a dealer fit option will replace it for about the same price.

While I was talking to the dealer, I also ordered the Autoglym lifeshine protection. The Dealer enthused about how good it was, especially inside - I know, he's supposed to enthuse about stuff like that, but he was more excited about me ordering the lifeshine than he was when I ordered the car. Mind you, I suppose its possible he makes more in commission for selling a car wash that a car!

Only other thing sorted was the number plates. I've asked for Euro marker plates.

Progress?

Call from the dealer a minute ago (well, a call back from a message I left) and my car is still unconfirmed. For the first time he has now mentioned a build week - 8, and from what I've read elsewhere I should get the car 3 weeks after the quoted build week. But obviously I can't start counting weeks until its confirmed.

That isn't actually going to stop me counting though, Week 8 is the week of 21st February 2011, 3 weeks later being 14th to 20th March.

So when can I have it?

I called Colbornes in the week before Christmas to check on progress but my salesman wasn't in. Guy who answered the call said call back in the new year. Humph.

Called again today... Incredibly, they still can't give me a build week for my car. Not even a guess. This is not good news as I have no idea when the car will actually be made.

Sumatra? Nope. Name found for this Blog.

Now the car is finally on order, VW have discontinued my colour choice. So, I will not be having a Sumatra GT.

I've given a lot of thought to colour, as I've never really had the choice before, and this was my thinking: My old Corrado was dark blue and looked great but the choice of blue for the Scirocco is either Rising (Suzi says it looks cheap) or Night (too dark). Black is out - as its just a bit too much. Viper green? Not for me. Black Oak brown? tempting but can't see one in the flesh yet and in pictures its a bit too chocolaty. There is also a grey, which makes the Scirocco look like an Audi. In a bad way.
Candy white -Ummm no. I know white is really popular at the moment but I just don't like it - to me it still looks like the no-cost option it is. And that goes for Salsa red too. Red would normally be my default choice for a car, but not fire-engine red. Unless its Italian.

And that led me to the old rule - if unsure of what colour to go for, stick with the National Racing Colour. In this case Silver for Germany. There is a choice of two Silvers for the Scirocco but apparently Silver Leaf would be better decribed as Champagne. So choice finally made - Relex Silver.

Hopefully this blog will one day be full of lovely pictures of my car, for now I'll just say that it should look a bit like this:

On Order

Today I have put down £1000 as a deposit for my new Scirocco GT 2.0 TSI. I am using Colbornes VW of Guildford as my dealer (from a choice of 4, all about equidistant). My total budget is about £25k before any discount I can arrange, and that fits in nicely with the options I discussed in an earlier post.

VW Scirocco GT TSI 210, Manual:
Metallic paint, Sumatra
Panoramic Sunshine Roof
Rear Parking sensors
Folding Mirrors
DAB radio

Unconfirmed delivery date given is 11/03/11. That's 4 months.

Choosing options.

I had a fair bit of advice from friends about what options to choose, and I think I've managed to ignore all of it.

Firstly, the model. I won't be buying an R. Too much money and I'm over 40 now so I don't need anything that hardcore. I'm not having a poverty spec car so therefore it will have to be a GT. There are 3 engines available, two of which are Diesel powered. One day I might buy a Diesel car, but it won't be a smallish sporty coupe. So 2.0 TSI 210 GT. This now comes with 207 horsepower, or 210 err... whatever VW measure instead of horsepower.

Then the expensive choices. Leather. This is quite a difficult choice, as I think all 'Premium' cars should have it but I'd never specify it on a Focus or Golf, regardless of the model. So what about on the Scirocco? In the end I've decided against for three reasons. 1) The standard Merlin interior is very high quality and looks great in a mixture of textures and dark shades. 2) Cost. Leather adds over £1200 to the price. And that's without electric adjustment and heating. 3) In my opinion the Leather just doesn't look that great.

Sat Nav. I might have been tempted to pay the £1200 to upgrade to the factory sat nav if the standard audio unit was not so feature rich. As standard the Scirocco comes with a touch screen info system that has an in-dash 6 disk CD player and an arm-rest mounted media unit that will play tunes from my iphone. Regardless of what upgrade I choose I can't have both multiplayer and media unit. We also have an excellent Tom-Tom, so job done, no upgrades chosen. Except I did specify DAB for the radio at £130. It feels a bit wrong to have to pay for it, but I'm not going without.

Sunroof. Have you seen inside a GT? Even the headlining is black. So even though I've heard other people's criticism that the sunroof is expensive, heavy (adding weight in the worst possible place) and only opens a crack, for me its a must have. So tick. One small point here though, if you specify the Sunroof then you automatically lose the in-roof storage unit which everyone will tell you, and the passengers grab handle, which no-one will.

Big wheels. The standard 18" wheels are already pretty huge and the test drive I had in a car with 19" wheels felt quite harsh and crashy, even in comfort. So the standard wheels stay. There is an option to have the 19s in gloss black with piano black interior trim. Shame you can't have that with the 18s, as I'd probably have gone for it.

DSG. Tempting, but ultimately I don't want an auto box, no matter how clever it is. Like Diesel, maybe one day, but not on a smallish coupe. And that's forgetting the extra cost and weight.

Anthing else. A couple of little things - rear parking sensors, because I hope Suzi will enjoy driving the car on occasion, and I know you really can't see out the back. And folding Mirrors. It will live in our single garage when not in use, so they should make life a little easier.

And that's how I chose my options.