Is there any difference in the cost of insurance between a SE, Sport and S-Line with the same engine size?
I initially specced a sport with xenons and a few extras. When I did a PCP quote at the dealer it was £2 a month more to have S-line as it held its value better over three years. So for me it was well worth the difference to get the s-line.
Two of my colleagues had exactly the same scenario, and we've all ended up with S-lines.
You make a very important point often overlooked by many.
This tends to be the same with BMW M-Sport cars. The better residuals mean you effectively get the extras for free (or very little cost). Free 18" wheels, Xenons, black headlining, interior and exterior styling. A no brainier for me on all my Audis for the last 8 years.
A similarly priced Sport (optioned up) will cost you more over 3 years... a similarly priced SE even more!
And whether you are buying the car to drive or to sell later on
But that depends whether you want those extras in the first place.
But that's the point. If you add just one of the options included in S-Line to a Sport car, it's costing you more than the S-Line.
Each to their own, but the numbers have never stacked up on SE or sport cars for me. I always go for the highest spec with minimal options. Lower spec cars with more options always cost more.
If I was ordering a car with no options, I'd consider a sport.
And whether you are buying the car to drive or to sell later on
But most of the options I would want on my car are not standard on the S-Line or the Sport for that matter and most of what is standard on the S-line I would not want. If I'm spending the sort of money involved in an A3 I want the car to be as near to exactly what I want as possible and my current Sportback is just that.
I agree - but your post implied that everyone who didn't order an S-line is silly because of the resale value, whereas you've just acknowledged above - the circumstances are different for different people. I do intend to keep this car for a long time, so I've specced it highly, and not ordered a trim level I don't want. The only thing S-line has that I have put on mine are the Xenons, which is far cheaper than the upgrade to S-line.
When my wife last changed her car see was thinking of another Polo but my dealer asked if she had considered an A1. She intended to buy the Polo on a PCP and he said he was sure he could give a better monthly cost on an A1 against a Polo. He worked out the figures and true to his word the A1 came out nearly £10 per month cheaper for a similar spec car. He siad this was down to the A1 having a higher residual vale than a Polo.
That's no true.But that's the point. If you add just one of the options included in S-Line to a Sport car, it's costing you more than the S-Line.
That's no true.
for example, cost for an A3 1.4 TFSI 140 3dr:
S-Line = £23430
Sport = £21280 (+ Xenon pack = £22530)
Oh, OK. ThanksHe means 'cost' as in 'costs more over 3 years if you hand the car back to the finance company at the end'
He means 'cost' as in 'costs more over 3 years if you hand the car back to the finance company at the end'
If buying yourself then it's a bit more murky as there will often be some residual value or benefit to the options when it comes time to sell. Some highly desirable options like Xenons will actually increase the resale value of the car whilst others may just make it easier to sell and some will have no value whatsoever.
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have you posted any photo's?Like others have said, I believe it depends what you want and what extras you really don't need. Going the full S-line package is fairly expensive as a whole, especially here in Finland where taxes on cars are very high. I went a less expensive route and got the most important parts (to me) of the S-line package without ordering the package. I started with the Business Sport package, which brought in the heated sport seats identical to S-line but witout the logo, the roof spoiler, xenons and LED DRL's, and a few other upgrades that are part of the S-line package, then added the S-line suspension and 18" wheels. There is one S-line logo on the car, on the scuff plate under the driver's door. I call it a stealth S-line. Except for the missing logos on the fenders, it looks identical and has the most important features of an S-line for a lot less money.
have you posted any photo's?
As someone who only ever buys cars using my own money (savings), my experience is that whatever options you add, it makes little or no difference to the resale value, but they might make the car slightly easier to sell. For instance, my last car had £1000 worth of leather seats, but they were worth nothing at trade-in time.
But to get back to the original comparison, the choice of trim doesn't necessarily just come down to cost. In my case, I absolutely hate black interiors, so the only way to get a light coloured cloth upholstery was to get an SE. I then added options to bring the overall spec up to a similar level as the Sport.