Welcome to SkodaSG!

[Hohsiang]

Yes, I finally paid the deposits for the octavia and car should be ready in 2-3 weeks time. A few questions to ask fellow owners:

 

1. Are there any accessories I should fix to improve the interior ambience of the skoda. I am using it as a family car.

 

2. I am particular interested to see whether a center armrest console with cupholder could be installed. Does anyone has a photo to show me.

 

3. Should I register the car net year rather than end of this year? What is the impact.

 

4. Any other suggestion to a newbies like me.

 

Thanks in advance to all.

[Cola80]

Yes, I finally paid the deposits for the octavia and car should be ready in 2-3 weeks time. A few questions to ask fellow owners:

 

1. Are there any accessories I should fix to improve the interior ambience of the skoda. I am using it as a family car.

 

2. I am particular interested to see whether a center armrest console with cupholder could be installed. Does anyone has a photo to show me.

 

3. Should I register the car net year rather than end of this year? What is the impact.

 

4. Any other suggestion to a newbies like me.

 

Thanks in advance to all.

 

------

Good choice and congratulations!

 

1. ICE

2. Armrest could be useful. Thought of installing one before but didn't do it. Think it was Volk74 who installed one for around $200

3. Insurance is usually based on year of manufacture, not registration so should have no difference. Of course if it is registered by end of this year, psychologically you may think it is already a one year old car in 2006

4. Enjoy your ride and come join us at meetup

[Lightspeed]

Congrats on your purchase and welcome to the club!

 

Like what Cola80 mentioned...

 

1) Install a good ICE system, makes a whole lot of difference! Other things that's a must do for me personally are window films

 

2) You can purchase an original armrest from Xinzhong, price wise, I'm not pretty sure, you can also try to bring it in via ebay yourself, might be cheaper, should be the same as the GolfIV ones

 

3) I would prefer to register the car in the new year rather than year end... Just in case you decide to sell the car later on, plays a big part in my opinion ... some dealers or potential buyers will slam the price downwards even though it's just a month apart "oh! it's one year older! "

 

4) Enjoy your ride and your time with us!

[Fortress]

Pardon me for saying, you have not done your sum correctly. Buying a car, at least for a continental car, has certain acceptance you need to agree, at least for me. It is a car to be maintained and NOT change, prepare to drive for 10 years hence, I know what is my lost(owning a car is a lost in Singapore). It is good if we think positively and the ability to afford for better product, but financially it is not wise. It is a fine balance of what you can afford and not, and for sure changing car midway is a lost if you can or want to afford.

 

Not one know what is the future, hence, I know for sure that my car depreciation is at or about S$7,100 per year, including maintenance, periodic and corrective, insurance, road tax, carpark, etc... I have factor everything into a spreadsheet. Hence I do admire people and their ability to change car thinking only about for a newer car and less maintenance, which is not true as you pay for extra high periodic maintenance, which in turn is a premiun for warranty....

[Koolaba]

Well said

 

Get a good car and drive it till the end of its statutory lifespan.

[Fortress]

thanks...this is a good car, it should last a long time, just tested a friend's 1999 Octavia, still in great condition and more good years, than 10.

[Volk74]

Yes, I finally paid the deposits for the octavia and car should be ready in 2-3 weeks time. A few questions to ask fellow owners:

 

1. Are there any accessories I should fix to improve the interior ambience of the skoda. I am using it as a family car.

 

2. I am particular interested to see whether a center armrest console with cupholder could be installed. Does anyone has a photo to show me.

 

3. Should I register the car net year rather than end of this year? What is the impact.

 

4. Any other suggestion to a newbies like me.

 

Thanks in advance to all.

 

Hi,

 

Welcome to the family.

 

1. As for interior wise, I would think octy has already what is need to be a comfy car...so nothing much to add...

 

2. Yes, I only added the armrest. Got it from Khai Wah. www.khaiwah.com.sg think that time also got a few member to buy it together. I believe all love it. Do a search in this forum for the armrest. Think the armrest is from Raid. http://www.raid-rdi.com/english/interieur/armlehnen.html

 

3. Your preference...Now is SGB...unless you dun like it..

 

4. Be sure to get our SSOG Decals... it will definitely make your Octy stands out from the rest....

Edited December 12, 2005 by Volk74

[Fortress]

interested in the arm rest, do let me know if you are buying...thanks.

[Volk74]

Already got it quite sometime back...

 

Can contact Khai Wah to check with them.

 

I would say this armrest has very welll built and it fits fantastically into our Octy. It blends well with the black leather look...and its capacity is good to stores things like sunglasses, handphones...pens, screwdrivers...etc..

 

at least better then the Kamei ones...

[Fortress]

Thanks for the tip. Will check them out.

[Hondaskoda_]

full agreed

[Lightspeed]

Check this out

 

http://search.ebay.com/golf-armrest_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8

[Skodarr]

Pardon me for saying, you have not done your sum correctly. Buying a car, at least for a continental car, has certain acceptance you need to agree, at least for me. It is a car to be maintained and NOT change, prepare to drive for 10 years hence, I know what is my lost(owning a car is a lost in Singapore). It is good if we think positively and the ability to afford for better product, but financially it is not wise. It is a fine balance of what you can afford and not, and for sure changing car midway is a lost if you can or want to afford.

 

Not one know what is the future, hence, I know for sure that my car depreciation is at or about S$7,100 per year, including maintenance, periodic and corrective, insurance, road tax, carpark, etc... I have factor everything into a spreadsheet. Hence I do admire people and their ability to change car thinking only about for a newer car and less maintenance, which is not true as you pay for extra high periodic maintenance, which in turn is a premiun for warranty....

 

Very well said and I fully agreed with you.

 

Hence I think my ride is different from yours dude. It's an Octy 1.8T with insurance loading as well as road tax, furthermore I brought it at $115K way back Jan 2002 with a 30% deposit and a 70% loan for 7 years on interest 2.75% per year comes out to be $1143 monthly with a $9.7k deprication per year as the Parf is $17388. (Hope I did my sums correctly)

 

Imagine that I could only resell it at $51k and the sum work out to be $16k deprication annually due to it's extremely poor paper value. With this figure, I could easily get a Bimmer or any Jap Performance ride dude.

 

It's a real heart pain changing my ride as it's still in it's good operating condition but due to my financial status now, I prefer to lower down my monthly installments to less than $1k in order to sustain. (Family planning)

 

My friend had a Nissan Sunny 1.6L (A) Super Saloon almost similar registration date as mine but he manage to export out at $7k above paper value which is much better value than my Octy. Because of his paper value is high and dealers can't sell it here, that's why he needs to export. However, Octy have no export value which it pisses me off directly. Best part is, he manage to get some cash back from the bank as his resale value is higher than the full settlement of his car.

 

With this real life example, I think I will not opt for any Skoda Cars anymore due to it's resale value in Singapore is really crap ... However, I believe Skoda in Singapore will be more value for money in year to come[;)] ... That's means better resale value ...

[Fortress]

hence keep it for 10 years to reduce the lost....anyway, maybe we should start looking at export the body to Malaysia, except you need to know someone, or there are loads of croaks.

 

Sunny, sigh...remember, you got a very safe and powerful car, you will feel like a sardines in a sunny, top 6 most unsafe car.

[Skodarr]

Well, don't have deep pocket to keep it for 10 years dude ...

 

Malaysia will be a difficult task as the tax there is about 45% on top of the export body. Therefore, may not work out ...

[Fortress]

Hem...Thought when you do not have that deep a pocket, you should keep it for 10 years, including forecasted maintenance. It is the cheapest of all 3 scenarios that I have worked out.

Edited December 13, 2005 by Fortress

[Skodarr]

Well, base on my calculations, the deprication does not cover any maintenance.... Maybe add on another 3k on top of the figure ...

 

BTW, how often do you travel per day ...

[Fortress]

Daily mileage is about 100 km/day, for the last 8 months.

 

Assuming 30,000 km / year, and 300,000 km for 10 year. My calculation for(insurance, road tax) periodic and preventive maintenance, like timing belt/pump change at 100,000 km(Skoda recommend 120k), brake fluid change at 60,000 or 2.5 years (does stretch it a little), brake pads, etc....you can top up another S$1,500/year(conservative and much less now) for maintenance, knowing that it will come about more in it mid life, sometime in 5th to 6th year.

 

On the other hand, many changed their cars, within a couple year without thinking that they lost more and more immediate cash outfront to buy simple maintenance requirements, pay more for simple oil change at agent whom include warranty premium in the charges(you can do for much less outside) and even worse, many buy using loans(interests lost).