2016 Skoda Octavia, 30k miles - extra warranty/roadside assist/MOT assist

[Laquila]

(Posted here for traffic - also posted in Cars)

We’re looking at a 2016 Skoda 2.0 TDI SE estate (diesel, automatic) that’s done approx 30k.

We can pay cash but the dealership are proposing we take the lowest amount of finance, which would essentially amount to £500 interest, in return for the folllowing:

• extra year’s warranty (so two in total)
• extra years roadside assistance (so two in total)
• one year’s MOT assist (they guarantee to get it through the MOT up to £750 value of parts, I think)
• two year’s free servicing (so one major and one minor service)

We’ve about 22 miles from the dealership but I work not too far away and they’ll come and collect it and deliver it back for the MOT. We do have kids though, and two kids’ seats, so emptying out the car is a bit of a pain.

Dpes anyone have any thoughts/experience?...I know the warranty will have exclusions and, I presume, an excess. I can get cheap roadside assistance via Quidco anyway and I’m inclined to think that if we’re spending ca. £12k on a three yr old car anyway we shouldn’t need to worry too much about breaking done/not passing its MOT/needing work done under warranty....or is that hopelessly naive?!

Are you able to service at another branch? So if for example the dealership in Green town closed could you take it to Orange Town?
Dealerships close all the time so i would be cautious

I’d put the extra away each month - therefore giving you a £500 buffer for servicing / repairs. As you say at 3 yrs old and 30,000 miles I assume it’s just had an MOT and you’d expect it to get through the next one without no / minimal issues.

The services will probably cost £450 at a main dealer.

And yes it's only 3 years old now but will be 5 years old by the time the warranty is up.
Ours is just coming up to 5 years and we have just had to have the water pump replaced.
Plus how much can you get decent breakdown cover for?

Thanks everyone, appreciate your thoughts.

imsorry I’ve just looked them up and it’s £179 for interim and £289 for full service. It sort of goes against my nature to have services done at a main dealership but perhaps it’s worth paying the £500 and having them done there for the first couple of years, then using our usual local garage after that. (Roadside assistance i can get for £40ish or so, and I don’t actually know how comprehensive what there offering is, but from the their website t looks as though it’s the entry level roadside coverage rather than the bells and whistles.)

We have one of those - the car, that is. Skodas are really reliable and it has pretty low mileage on it. They have it because it would have been on a three year pcp deal so if it is in good nick, they've already made money on it. The skoda roadside assistance is with the AA. We had to use it last month and it was very good ( stone in brakes - sounded awful). I suppose if electrics go wrong then that would be pricey.

Hmmmm. I can see your predicament. Were you going to buy it outright, ie, no finance? If so, I'd do that and then stow away £50 a month for potential repairs (which likely won't happen).

Brilliant cars so enjoy!

I’d have thought it’s worth it for the servicing alone.