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It's about time that my wife's car's lease is due. So starting to look for a new car. Basically she needs a wagon/SUV to carry our 2 boys, 4 and 5 years old. Koreans are definitely out of question. My wife and I hates the ride and handling of Korean cars, always get car sick. Also after having 3 years behind the wheel of European cars, we find it very hard to go back to Japanese again. So after checking our requirements and budget (between $50-55K on road), it came down to the B200 and Octavia.
For a base car, Octavia is definitely way cheaper. But because of a few options that are "must have" for my wife, we have to spec up the Octy. Basically she needs
1. GPS (she gets lost easily, can't read map, tried portable before and it didn't work for her)
2. Leather (having 2 kids, you gotta have leather. Impossible to clean if cloth trim)
3. Bi-xenon (she can't see well at night because of her eye sight)
4. RV camera (again, for the sake of young kids. Octy doesn't have it, but I got a 3rd party one on my Superb, so I know you can install one)
5. Parking sensors (She is a woman)
6. Auto (we can't drive manual)
So after almost fully spec'd the Octy, it comes down to $52390 RRP drive-away. (This include a 3rd party RV camera). For the B200, it's $56864 if opt for the COMMAND, Exclusive and Vision package. So the 2 cars will be similarly spec'd. Although B200 is $4500 dearer, you get some extras which Octy doesn't have:
1. Park assist
2. Stop-start system
3. Attention Assist
4. Collision prevention Assist
5. PRE-SAFE occupant protection system
6. RV camera with guide lines
7. Premium sound system
8. Mercedes Badge.
Also because of the lower fuel consumptions, and with my corporate discount deal, apparently I get a 3 years free service with MB. Overall monthly repayment of the lease is cheaper with the MB.
Of course, you get a bigger boot and a full size spare with the Octy. Also slightly better performance with the Octy engine (103KW/320Nm vs 100KW/300Nm) but more fuel consumption (6.5L/100km vs 4.7L/100km).
I have thought of maybe I should get a Superb Elegance Wagon, which will be better equipped and a lot more space. But the price will be similar to the B200CDI, and it might be too long for my wife.
Thought of Passat 125TDI wagon too, but after adding all the options, it will be way dearer than the Mercedes, and VW's reliability record is not great.
Sound's like we have made up our mind? No, not really. My wife hates the badge! She thinks it is too snobbish driving a Mercedes. I am in the process of convincing her.
Which one would you pick? Should I continue to persuade my wife? If so, what else can I tell her other than the value and safety? In not, what else is better with Octy than the MB that I have over looked?
(On a side note, with many competitors slashing their price and adding equipment, Skoda really need to reconsider it's pricing. Even Octys are not such a good value anymore.)
For a base car, Octavia is definitely way cheaper. But because of a few options that are "must have" for my wife, we have to spec up the Octy. Basically she needs
1. GPS (she gets lost easily, can't read map, tried portable before and it didn't work for her)
2. Leather (having 2 kids, you gotta have leather. Impossible to clean if cloth trim)
3. Bi-xenon (she can't see well at night because of her eye sight)
4. RV camera (again, for the sake of young kids. Octy doesn't have it, but I got a 3rd party one on my Superb, so I know you can install one)
5. Parking sensors (She is a woman)
6. Auto (we can't drive manual)
So after almost fully spec'd the Octy, it comes down to $52390 RRP drive-away. (This include a 3rd party RV camera). For the B200, it's $56864 if opt for the COMMAND, Exclusive and Vision package. So the 2 cars will be similarly spec'd. Although B200 is $4500 dearer, you get some extras which Octy doesn't have:
1. Park assist
2. Stop-start system
3. Attention Assist
4. Collision prevention Assist
5. PRE-SAFE occupant protection system
6. RV camera with guide lines
7. Premium sound system
8. Mercedes Badge.
Also because of the lower fuel consumptions, and with my corporate discount deal, apparently I get a 3 years free service with MB. Overall monthly repayment of the lease is cheaper with the MB.
Of course, you get a bigger boot and a full size spare with the Octy. Also slightly better performance with the Octy engine (103KW/320Nm vs 100KW/300Nm) but more fuel consumption (6.5L/100km vs 4.7L/100km).
I have thought of maybe I should get a Superb Elegance Wagon, which will be better equipped and a lot more space. But the price will be similar to the B200CDI, and it might be too long for my wife.
Thought of Passat 125TDI wagon too, but after adding all the options, it will be way dearer than the Mercedes, and VW's reliability record is not great.
Sound's like we have made up our mind? No, not really. My wife hates the badge! She thinks it is too snobbish driving a Mercedes. I am in the process of convincing her.
Which one would you pick? Should I continue to persuade my wife? If so, what else can I tell her other than the value and safety? In not, what else is better with Octy than the MB that I have over looked?
(On a side note, with many competitors slashing their price and adding equipment, Skoda really need to reconsider it's pricing. Even Octys are not such a good value anymore.)
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