Build quality and material quality isn't the be all and end all though (unless you are just trying to impress the neighbours) - I actually prefer some vehicles which are much more mid-tier because the interior is well thought out and complementary in design - especially Mercedes I find the interiors look like they are trying too hard and that undoes the premium quality for me. For instance I kind of like Nissan's Tekna line while a bit plasticy it tends to be clean and effectively implemented rather than a hodgepodge of fancy styling and similar for the Volvos in many cases - nice clean styling while using decent materials - though I've seen some Volvos which look like they tried too hard as well.
Big estate advice - Merc vs BMW?
- Thread starter chanjy
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Build quality and material quality isn't the be all and end all though (unless you are just trying to impress the neighbours) - I actually prefer some vehicles which are much more mid-tier because the interior is well thought out and complementary in design - especially Mercedes I find the interiors look like they are trying too hard and that undoes the premium quality for me. For instance I kind of like Nissan's Tekna line while a bit plasticy it tends to be clean and effectively implemented rather than a hodgepodge of fancy styling and similar for the Volvos in many cases - nice clean styling while using decent materials - though I've seen some Volvos which look like they tried too hard as well.
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To some people, myself included, build/material quality is a very important part of selecting a car. I like my car to feel like it's well made and this is one of the major draws towards BMW products. I've never been one to advocate that German cars are ultra reliable but they feel engineered to last inside and this is important to me. I've had my car 5 years now and it feels and looks every bit as good inside as it did the day I collected it. It would be very difficult for me to select a car which is technically brilliant but falls short in the perceived quality department. It's just my personal preference - I like things that feel well made.
This just makes absolutely no sense. None of my neighbours have ever been in my car and therefore have absolutely no idea how impressive or otherwise the material quality may be. I don't really understand your point here.
You are taking my words far too literally. There is a difference between top notch build quality + material quality + good design and top notch build quality + material quality + tasteless/poor design - I'd rather take a car that was slightly lower material quality but good design over one with higher material quality but poor design.
Trying to impress the neighbours is a saying not necessarily literally - some people will buy (usually gaudy even if the quality is there) stuff because it is ultra expensive because they want to impress people without caring it looks tasteless and tacky to anyone with half an eye for aesthetics.
The G20 is nice but the F30 was pretty average. There is no single 'BMW level', if you look at the X1 it's a step down from the 3 series and that would be the right comparison for the XC40.
Depends on the trim as well, the Inscription was really impressive but the base level wasn't quite as good.
Being MQB based there are pros and cons on the Passat.
Transverse engine means a shorter bonnet and proportionally more room for the interior and boot, so leg room is really good.
However being based on the same platform as VAG hatchbacks, this means it's just a slightly nicer Golf mk 7.5 on board and doesn't feel as 'premium' as cars in the class above that I was considering, although it's not the be all and end all of car ownership anyway.
This is a false choice. Why would you need to decide between these two factors? Why not just take the one with good design and decent material quality?
This is a different point to the one you made. You specifically said quality isn't the be all and end all unless you wish to impress the neighbours. I don't actually disagree with your new point.
Not sure if you are just badly reading my posts for the fun of it or what - I assume most people can figure out what I'm saying without too much problem.
GTE passat's a nice choice - admire the design of neigbours blue one - plus seem to keep ev range well and, residuals, if they follow gte golf.
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value for money (cognitive dissonance ?) is missing in the build quality discussion, awareness of knowing what you are paying for, making the trade-off;
so I can easily sacrifice a head-up display, avant-garde interior styling ... for a product that reputedly handles as well as a 3bm(some mazdas), better seat comfort/safety(volvos), or better music system (had been reading about g20 ) if I'm saving 20% on purchase price
]
[
value for money (cognitive dissonance ?) is missing in the build quality discussion, awareness of knowing what you are paying for, making the trade-off;
so I can easily sacrifice a head-up display, avant-garde interior styling ... for a product that reputedly handles as well as a 3bm(some mazdas), better seat comfort/safety(volvos), or better music system (had been reading about g20 ) if I'm saving 20% on purchase price
]
Soldato
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Agree! I test drove an IS200 back to back with a 3 series a few years back and fell out of the Lexus laughing. My Mum had a Colt in the 80's which handled slightly better.Lexus always strikes me as an example of excellent build and materials quality but design that just doesn’t work that well (feel free to disagree)
Soldato
Two types of posters in this thread;
- people who can afford a nice car
- people who can not
- people who can afford a nice car
- people who can not
Soldato
Volvos are really stylish now I do like their interiors. Where they fall down for me is the infotainment. The drive is also not as good as a BMW but they make family wagons so it’s neither here nor there in this class of car really.
As a previous Octavia owner who had a loaner Superb in the past, for me the sound insulation is poor in Skodas and I disliked long drives in them.
Anyway, after all this faffing about we ended up putting a deposit down on a Passat GTE Advance estate. Wife likes it and thinks the E class was too flashyIt’s actually really well equipped and pretty pleasant to sit in though so not too many complaints and we have a charging point at home so it might work out nicely
I am also in the market for a Passat (E Class cost I just cant justify) but the GTE boot looked a little small for my needs. Did you not feel that?
I must admit, the extra leg room vs my current car (Seat Exeo) would be handy and it is a similar boot space to that. However, the GTE would pretty much mean no fuel costs for nearly all of my day to day uses. Difficult one
If the GTE doesn't work, likely GT / R line spec - not sure on exactly what the EVO offers vs the others.
I am also in the market for a Passat (E Class cost I just cant justify) but the GTE boot looked a little small for my needs. Did you not feel that?
I must admit, the extra leg room vs my current car (Seat Exeo) would be handy and it is a similar boot space to that. However, the GTE would pretty much mean no fuel costs for nearly all of my day to day uses. Difficult one
If the GTE doesn't work, likely GT / R line spec - not sure on exactly what the EVO offers vs the others.
I have the Passat estate in lapiz blue with the optional 19” Verona alloys and in R-Line Trim. The R-Line trim really does, in my opinion, give it a really good stance (lowered etc) on the road.
I have received many comments on how smart it looks both in and out and it’s very well made and superbly practical - the boot is awesome.
piano black plastic can go to hell however and the quad fake exhausts from a distance look great but....you know.....up close it’s a bit embarrassing haha
I think this is it really. I like calmness of the Volvo interiors. Infotainment is not great though, even car play integration is sub par.
The boot is the same size as if the regular Passat is set to the level load lip (which it would be 90% of the time for most people I suspect)I am also in the market for a Passat (E Class cost I just cant justify) but the GTE boot looked a little small for my needs. Did you not feel that?
I must admit, the extra leg room vs my current car (Seat Exeo) would be handy and it is a similar boot space to that. However, the GTE would pretty much mean no fuel costs for nearly all of my day to day uses. Difficult one
If the GTE doesn't work, likely GT / R line spec - not sure on exactly what the EVO offers vs the others.
It only loses the ability to lower it down a bit with the variable boot floor. This was one of my top priorities and we thought the boot would be big enough for family holidays.
edit: this is the estate though. If you have an Exeo you might be looking at the saloon which I don't know as much about.
I agree... Carplay is landscape and the Volvo infotainment is portrait. Although Apple have enabled portrait Carplay now it's still not supported by Volvo's current software.
Soldato
That's interesting, maybe I need to go and have a look / see if I can compare. You're right, if its the space lower down it loses ...who actually uses that. Thanks
I have an Exeo Estate - the space isn't enough for family holidays. However, maybe I just need to be realistic and accept that, continue to take a roof box for the 2/3 trips a year. Its the leg room for the kids I'm going to struggle with very shortly on the Seat (who are 3 & 6). With their raised car seats and the shape of the front seats - not ideal.
Just go round to clicking this link and oh my word, it's not the most gripping watch is it
a youtube video of a spreadsheet calculation!Good to hear it keeps range well though as we are buying a 3 year old one.
Seems like roughly 50% depreciation from list as the car is £20k and I believe they were a tick over £40k list (annoyingly as now I have to pay £310 a year more in tax) from new. However I think private buyers could easily get a decent discount back in 2018 so the 'real world' depreciation hasn't been too bad I guess.
Soldato
Just go round to clicking this link and oh my word, it's not the most gripping watch is it
Good to hear it keeps range well though as we are buying a 3 year old one.
Seems like roughly 50% depreciation from list as the car is £20k and I believe they were a tick over £40k list (annoyingly as now I have to pay £310 a year more in tax) from new. However I think private buyers could easily get a decent discount back in 2018 so the 'real world' depreciation hasn't been too bad I guess.
Any idea on actual real world running costs just using the petrol engine? Some seem to suggest about 35mpg - I imagine it would be a little less fully loaded.
As I said, the odd longer trip I do I might be willing to accept the lower mpg / higher fuel costs for those trips. As I'm not going to be stopping for 3.5 hours to charge a car. I also imagine the places I stay wouldn't have charger stations (yet). The school runs I do right now, plus potential future trips to my local train station for the office - would all be electric (85% of my journeys). Of which right now my Seat is horrible - max 35mpg, less in the winter (20mpg at a guess).
Needing run flats isn't all that bad - I don't do many miles, however would cost a fortune come change time
