The Amazing PH Passat Alltrack Thread

[hornetrider]

Ring around. I rang Bristol, Newport and Cardiff VW and the spread was 50 quid. Paid 180 at Newport.

[Emeye]

Eddie Twadds said:

Interim service due in 500 miles. First quote for what is basically an oil change is £236. Based just outside Halifax. Anyone got any better pricing?

How may miles/how many months are you on?

[Eddie Twadds]

Just shy of 19,000 miles and 15 months. Oil change says 500 miles but the service says 1,000 - go figure!

[Eddie Twadds]

hornetrider said:

Ring around. I rang Bristol, Newport and Cardiff VW and the spread was 50 quid. Paid 180 at Newport.

Got down to £215 for Huddersfield VW. Looking like the best option - although not £180

[balnazzar]

Hi mates,

I own an alltrack equipped with the Active Info Display.

Quite surprisingly, I'm unable to find any setting regarding AID brightness/contrast. Now, it's my understanding that some light sensor does automatically control its brightness, but some baseline manual control should be there, nonetheless.

I find it ok for daylight, but a bit too bright for nightly usage.

Thanks in advance.

[bedonde]

Just had a letter through from VWFS reminding me my contract will end next June and inviting me to visit my nearest showroom to discuss the different options available to me.... anyone else had this? I'm interested in extending or possibly even buying it but can't think the local pointy shoe brigade at my VW dealer are going to be able (or will want to) help me with that.

[Ham_and_Jam]

bedonde said:

Just had a letter through from VWFS reminding me my contract will end next June and inviting me to visit my nearest showroom to discuss the different options available to me.... anyone else had this? I'm interested in extending or possibly even buying it but can't think the local pointy shoe brigade at my VW dealer are going to be able (or will want to) help me with that.

My thoughts are that you would be better off returning the car at the end of term & getting another ‘special offer’ from one of the discount leasing companies.

VW & their showrooms are notoriously expensive, & I can’t see them giving any decent discounts on a car that was already hugely discounted.

The VW ARTEON looks particularly good value at the moment -

https://centralukvehicleleasing.co.uk/lease-volksw...

[bigfish]

bedonde said:

Just had a letter through from VWFS reminding me my contract will end next June and inviting me to visit my nearest showroom to discuss the different options available to me.... anyone else had this? I'm interested in extending or possibly even buying it but can't think the local pointy shoe brigade at my VW dealer are going to be able (or will want to) help me with that.

Yep, had the same. Need to wait 6 months before end of lease deal to get any extension pricing. Assume it's just marketing BS really

[Emeye]

bigfish said:

Yep, had the same. Need to wait 6 months before end of lease deal to get any extension pricing. Assume it's just marketing BS really

I had the letter - they just want to sell you a new lease. The lease time of some VAG cars means that now would be a good time to start looking.

You cannot buy your VWFS lease car AFAIK, but a friend or family member car - I have no idea why.

[bedonde]

Ham_and_Jam said:

bedonde said:

Just had a letter through from VWFS reminding me my contract will end next June and inviting me to visit my nearest showroom to discuss the different options available to me.... anyone else had this? I'm interested in extending or possibly even buying it but can't think the local pointy shoe brigade at my VW dealer are going to be able (or will want to) help me with that.

My thoughts are that you would be better off returning the car at the end of term & getting another ‘special offer’ from one of the discount leasing companies.

VW & their showrooms are notoriously expensive, & I can’t see them giving any decent discounts on a car that was already hugely discounted.

The VW ARTEON looks particularly good value at the moment -

https://centralukvehicleleasing.co.uk/lease-volksw...

I did see the Arteon deals but we unfortunately need a tow car for caravan duties, something the Alltrack despite its foibles, does well. Plan was to maybe extend the lease or acquire it in my other half's name and put myself into a 335d xdrive touring for daily duties. Will wait until 6 months prior to lease expiry and give VWFS a call.

[wemorgan]

Update:
Just had all 4 tyres replaced after ~23k @ £520 for P Zero. Budget brands would have saved me £40, but the P Zero looked fair value.

That's all for now....

[Axeboy]

Hey guys

Ive just started to get a rattle on the passenger front side. Thought it might be a stone stuck in the disc shield but checked them and they are free. Seems to be at very low speeds only, 10mph maybe.

Quite annoying though, anyone else had this?

[Hellers]

Emeye said:

bigfish said:

Yep, had the same. Need to wait 6 months before end of lease deal to get any extension pricing. Assume it's just marketing BS really

I had the letter - they just want to sell you a new lease. The lease time of some VAG cars means that now would be a good time to start looking.

You cannot buy your VWFS lease car AFAIK, but a friend or family member car - I have no idea why.

I first had a letter from VWFS about 2 months ago, when they wrote and asked for a total mileage update, which was just inside a full 12 month end-date window. I called them, gave the then mileage (which is massively under, pro-rata) and asked two things:

1. Can I extend my current lease? Answer; yes. I’m allowed to extend at exactly the same current monthly payments for a total of up to 48 months; two years more than contracted.

Why is this potentially attractive? Because, don’t forget, the whole lease was massively front-loaded by a quite largely massive deposit, which was worth a lot of months’ payments that can be amortised even longer by extending the payments further against the original 2-year lease.

Downside?; it’s a whole year beyond the 3 year original warranty. Who knows what that may bring? Cheap extended final 12-month warranty?

I paid nearly £2k upfront. If I finish on the original terms and don’t extend and re-lease a new Car, all that deposit goes to waste.

I also asked? (2)...

As I’m only going to do under 12k miles over the whole 24 months against an original 20k lease mileage, can I reduce my payments instead? Yes they said, at a little less than 1p per mile mileage reduction. Slightly outrageous! Much? What a p*sstake.

Which means I might as well just use the bloody thing and get my proper money’s worth over 4 years.

Anyone care to argue!? Please do!! Yes, servicing and tyres etc, but... Surely the amortisation means, just keep hold for now?

Any comments greatefully received, gracias!

Hellers.

[PenelopaPitstop]

Emeye said:

I had the letter - they just want to sell you a new lease. The lease time of some VAG cars means that now would be a good time to start looking.

You cannot buy your VWFS lease car AFAIK, but a friend or family member car - I have no idea why.

You can buy no problem. You have to wait until you're in last 3 months of your contract, to request purchase price. In case of my car it was lower than cheapest car on Autotrader but not a steal.

Until a few months ago, VWFS was much more generous with extra miles price and discount when decreasing contracted miles. Now it's over.

Edited by PenelopaPitstop on Friday 27th October 23:24

[Emeye]

What do you think the chance of VW agreeing to allow those of us paying £130 a month with a £390 up front to continue paying that for another 2 years?

[soupdragon1]

Emeye said:

What do you think the chance of VW agreeing to allow those of us paying £130 a month with a £390 up front to continue paying that for another 2 years?

Small chance I would think. I'm not sure its correct that he is being told he can extend for 2 years at the same price. I've never heard that before... especially as you need to be 6 months before the end of the current agreement before they let you discuss an extension. I've already been told that by vwfs, they said to contact them again in December to discuss an extension.

[Sheepshanks]

PenelopaPitstop said:

Emeye said:

I had the letter - they just want to sell you a new lease. The lease time of some VAG cars means that now would be a good time to start looking.

You cannot buy your VWFS lease car AFAIK, but a friend or family member car - I have no idea why.

You can buy no problem.

VWFS website says you (the person leasing) can't. IIRC it's something to do with the VAT treatment of the car.

[Emeye]

Sheepshanks said:

PenelopaPitstop said:

Emeye said:

I had the letter - they just want to sell you a new lease. The lease time of some VAG cars means that now would be a good time to start looking.

You cannot buy your VWFS lease car AFAIK, but a friend or family member car - I have no idea why.

You can buy no problem.

VWFS website says you (the person leasing) can't. IIRC it's something to do with the VAT treatment of the car.

That’s what I thought.

[SpeedNorman]

Axeboy said:

Hey guys

Ive just started to get a rattle on the passenger front side. Thought it might be a stone stuck in the disc shield but checked them and they are free. Seems to be at very low speeds only, 10mph maybe.

Quite annoying though, anyone else had this?

Not quite the same but I get a rattle from what seems like the drivers side suspension strut when going over speed bumps.

Not annoying enough to bother to take it to the dealership tho.

[rebz79]

My oil service is due in 10 days according to the display and constant reminders, yet the inspection in another 250 days or so. Spoke to the dealers and was told me to bring it in, if the oil is clean, they will reset the service interval to match up the inspection date. Hoping this is the case so I save the 179 and give the car back without servicing. On the LL plan so they should both coincide?

Tyres down to approx 3mm after 8000 miles on the front, do you have to put the same conti 5’s back on or any decent set would suffice? Not replacing back as they still have plenty of life in them to see me through to the end. What’s the minimum tyre grip the Bvrla rules allow btw?

Edited by rebz79 on Wednesday 1st November 23:47