Been staggered how many A1's I've seen in the past few days, seems to be buy far the most common new car round here. Look like decent cars, but I would rather have a Skoda VRS for the same money.
I wonder if most people are just buying them for the badge?
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I'd say it is the new Mini bearing in mind cost and target buyers.
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True the only reason I said Fiesta as it is traditionally the best selling car in the UK, I am sure all that has changed now anyway.
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Nope, still the best selling YTD and in the month (to August) I think Rattle
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>> Nope, still the best selling YTD and in the month (to August) I think Rattle
www.smmt.co.uk/2011/09/august-new-car-market-rises-for-first-time-in-over-a-year/
(new car sales rankings towards the bottom)
Last edited by: Focus on Tue 20 Sep 11 at 23:23
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Thanks Focus (second best selling car!!) I knew I'd read it somewhere!!
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Be interesting to know what you're basing you preference on Rattle - have you driven either of them? I expect that many people are buying them for the badge, but since that brings them a quality product with good residuals and a neat design, why not? I always think that people who resort to the 'but they're only buying it for the badge' are being a little bit churlish and, perhaps, a touch judgemental?
Since a Skoda Fabia is a 5 door warm hatch and the Audi a 3 door premium supermini I'd be surprised if many people cross-shop the two, though it must be stealing a few MINI sales. Did see a new, as in launched at the weekend, 1 series today as well; disappointing I thought, after the last version and speaking as an ex 120d owner (not bought for the badge, or the quality of the interior, but the engine and rwd drive-train...)
Peter
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I am sure the A1 is a great car, wasn't having a dig at it. But I also know the people in this area and there is a lot of image and no substance.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Tue 20 Sep 11 at 23:10
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Isn't the A1 almost double the price of a Fiesta?!
Is it out to compete with the Fiat 500? Or does nobody mention Audi and Fiat in the same sentence..?!
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>> Isn't the A1 almost double the price of a Fiesta?!
FWIW Fiestas start at £9.5k, A1 at £13.4k (list prices OTR).
The base Fiesta comes with a 60ps 1.25 engine with claimed 'performance' of 0-62 in 16.9s (Ford), whereas the Audi's 86ps 1.2TFSI does it in 11.7 (HJ).
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...and the Audi's official mpg figures are better than the Fiesta's (45.6/64.2/55.4 v. 38.7/64.2/51.4).
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>> I always think that people who resort to the 'but they're only buying it
>> for the badge' are being a little bit churlish and, perhaps, a touch judgemental?
>>
A very shrewd observation.
Also, don't forget that sometimes buying something "for the badge" (and not just cars) is done because you don't know enough about the object that you are buying and want to play safe with a quality product.
For example, I have to admit that I always buy Panasonic equipment. Maybe I could buy just as good stuff from other brands and save money, but I've always been happy with the Panasonic stuff, and it feels a safe bet.
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It's true that there's an element of inverted snobbery among those who know - or like to think they know - about things. Back in the days of film I used to carry a little Yashica T4, which didn't look much but had a lens that could see off a whole neckful of Nikon SLR with basic plastic zoom. It cost me £130 in 1993 and I still have it, not that I use film any more. And I probably thought that someone who had a Contax or a Leica instead had 'bought it for the badge', when the truth is probably closer to Londoner's 'bought it for what comes with the badge'.
Similarly here, we like to show off our discernment by saying that a Kia is as good as a Golf, or a Skoda as good as an Audi. It doesn't necessarily make the Golf or Audi buyer wrong.
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I must admit I do it with cameras, I would buy a Nikon over a Samsung if the price was the same, but that is because I find Samsung cameras can be full of gimmicks, where as the Japanese firms cut out the gimmicks and just give you a decent sensor and lens.
At £13 they seem an ok buy, but the spec would possibly be basic at that price, but I could never buy one as I really hate 3 door cars because they are so impractical.
I have a customer that bought an Audi 80 in 1991, he still has it although it really is looking like a clapped out banger and it probably won't be on the road much longer.
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I don't like either of them but at least the Ford looks reasonable.
Audi A1 is one ugly looking beast, trying to outdo Micra for dumpy disproportionate looks.
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My guess would be that a 'basic' A1 would be a far nice place to be than a Fiesta. Pretty sure that it would be better equiped on the safety front; ESP, more airbags?, but perhaps lacking in some of the 'frills' like bluetooth and auto lights/wipers etc
They're pricey little cars though Fiestas - just had a look! A 1.25 82PS Zetec 3 door is over £12k; that's probably the nearest to an A1. Well I'm sorry, but I'd definitely pay the extra £1,500. You'd probably get double that back in three years!!
EDIT - Ooops... ESP is standard on a Fiesta. Sorry!!
Last edited by: PeterS on Wed 21 Sep 11 at 14:49
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I'm not sure Rats was trying to set up the A1 as a direct competitor to the Fiesta, just that he noticed a lot of them about. I've seen so few new cars that I can't confirm his observation, but I can think of a couple of possible explanations.
- The practically minded private buyers who buy Fiestas are buying Kias instead or not buying at all.
- The arrival of the A1 has tempted must-have-the-badge buyers who are feeling the squeeze down from the A3. A bit like the way Tesco's 'Finest' products increased sales in the early days of the recession because people bought them for a treat instead of going out.
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The only relevance of the Fiesta is it the UK's best selling car. The title should have perhaps said is it now outselling it. Certainly where I live there are a lot more A1s than Fiestas.
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Looks like the 1.25 zetec is more comparable to the entry A1 and on list price theres only about 1400 quid between them.
I know that everybody gets a ford discount, but how many just look at the list price and work from there?
If I were in that market I know where I would rather be sitting.
I also think tht the Audi dealers had a lot of A1's in stock at the launch - the big dealer by me often has stacks of them unregistered
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Still think the A1 looks extremely ugly from the rear!
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>> Audi A1 is one ugly looking beast
>> Still think the A1 looks extremely ugly from the rear!
The curve from roof to back bumper puts me in mind of the Austin Allegro...
- - - - -
Didn't Ford just recently announce they'd built the 1,000,000th New Fiesta? I can't see Audi matching that.
The A1 hasn't been on Top Gear yet, which means it's still perceived as a relatively hip, exclusive product in its target market. Once it gets a bit of mass publicity the stylistas will move on to the next big (small?) thing.
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>> The only relevance of the Fiesta is it the UK's best selling car. The title
>> should have perhaps said is it now outselling it...
I'd put money on the A1 not outselling the Fiesta!
Last year Ford sold 103,013 Fiestas (source Ford: tinyurl.com/3z3wxnc ) in the UK. Audi UK sold 99,828 cars in total (source Audi: tinyurl.com/3h6bnwv ), and Audi only plans on making 80,000 A1s in 2011, according to the A1 forum ( tinyurl.com/3uhp6bv )
So unless Audi is channelling all of its production to the UK market, which is unlikely given the current exchange rate, and either doubling its sales or forcing a wholesale switch from the rest of its range to the A1, or Fiesta sales crash (bearing in mind they've already sold 60,000 of them in the UK this year) then it's not going to happen ;-)
I reckon you're just noticing them because they're new, and the (slightly) ageing Fiesta blends into the background now...
Peter
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''I expect that many people are buying them for the badge, but since that brings them a quality product with good residuals and a neat design, why not? I always think that people who resort to the 'but they're only buying it for the badge' are being a little bit churlish and, perhaps, a touch judgemental? ''
Peter: well, yes. But is it really any more of a quality product than a Polo or a Fabia these days, what with common drivetrains and suspension etc.? Churlish maybe, but there are those who simply choose not to spend their money on cars because they're simply not seduced by the badge hierarchy. And at the same time, there are those that can genuinly afford the extra and those that spend a bit they haven't really got, in order to be seen with the right product. My neighbours for example. Open about being seen in the right cars but can't raise the finance for their much needed extension. Bin the monthly payments on an M3 and a C class and I'm sure they'd be there!
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I'm sure that there's little difference mechanicaly between any of the VAG cars, but nevertheless an Audi A1 is a nicer place to be than a VW Polo or a Fabia. I have at least sat in or driven all of them though;-) For me that's worth £1,400.
Clearly if you can't afford it then it's a bit silly to prioritise a car over a house. If you can afford it but choose not too then that's fine too, but it doesn't mean that those who can afford it and choose to have made any worse a decison than the person who bought a Skoda or Polo, and so I do think it is churlish to denigrate someones choice of car just because it's not what you'd have chosen, especially so when implicit in the comment is the inference that chosing a particular car is not a sensible thing to do
As shown above, the A1 in base trim is 'only' £1400 more than a vaguely equivalent Fiesta, which will probably be £2 ~ £2.5k more allowing for discounts. So we're comparing a car costing £13.5k with one costing £11k. As long as you believe you'll get that £2.5k back on resale, which is pretty likely lets be honest, then who's made the best choice? There's a reason that it often costs less to lease a VW than a Ford, a BMW than a VW etc, and it's not because they're cheaper...
Peter
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RP's thread concerning an old A3 shows that old Audis are at least perceived as having some value, whereas Fiestas of the same age are not. But I'm still not convinced many people are putting the A1 and the Fiesta on the same shortlist.
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The Fiesta starts at GBP 12 grand in NZ; the jokers at Audi are asking 20k for the A1..!
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Having just had a look at leasing rates, fiestas are cheaper than an a1 but not because it's cheaper... ;)
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Audi A1 - The new Fiesta? - rtj70
