How much do additional options dictate the price of a car?

Adam

Adam

Adam

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So for the next week my Clio 200 order is "in flexibility" which means I can change the spec. Soon after it will become locked as the parts are ordered for the car to be built.

I ordered the Clio without the recaro front seats which are a £950 option. I've always wanted them, but found it difficult to justify. Part of me is tempted, I can afford them but it's the value for money factor that is bugging me.

So my car is a 2 year deal, I know the additional options will make the car more desirable, but how much value would the recaros likely to add to the car? Say for example, if they would add £500 to the value then this wouldn't be bad value for money. Over the 2 years it would cost me £250 per annum or about £21 per month.

What's the opinion on this then?
 
options like seats are personal preference - especially when it comes to bucket seats so dont usually add any value. Just make it quicker to sell.

unless theres somebody with better knowledge of RenaultSports who can say otherwise.
 
Evo bang on about the seats as a must, have you sat it both types? Id be wanting to make sure there worth the money, as 1k is a lot for seats in a clio.
 
MrLOL said:
options like seats are personal preference - especially when it comes to bucket seats so dont usually add any value. Just make it quicker to sell.

unless theres somebody with better knowledge of RenaultSports who can say otherwise.
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As I suspected but other than making them more desirable, surely they must add something to the car? Who wants a bog standard model for example.

Smokey26 said:
Evo bang on about the seats as a must, have you sat it both types? Id be wanting to make sure there worth the money, as 1k is a lot for seats in a clio.
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Yes, while the standard seats are by no means bad, the recaros were absolutely fantastic. Very comfortable and have that additional "wow" factor. So they are yellow, but they look amazing!
 
Do it as mentioned a very desirable option. Ie in two years time someone will pick a recaro equipped car over non everytime. And yes they will command a price premium how much I couldn't tell you
 
As one who is also thinking about getting a Clio 200 I just cannot bring myself to justify £1000 extra for some seats. Even though they are some mighty fine seats!

I wouldnt have thought they would dictate the used price a huge amount in a few years.
 
Buy the bits you want and can afford, there is simply nothing else to consider in all reality as justification is nothing more than can I REALLY afford it or not. If you can and you want them, buy them, simple.
 
If I was buying one (which I have considered briefly) it'd have to have the Recaro seats :)
 
The difference between a 182 without and with is night and day .. i know the standard seats in the 197 / 200 are far better but i still think it will make the car far far easier to sell ... Id go for it
 
They'd probably add a few hundred quid to it's value in the long run (say over three or four years). I sat in one with the Recaros and hated it on initial reaction, but that's not much use to you. You need to try it to justify it.
 
Depends if you're buying the car for yourself, to enjoy the seats you really want, or whether your sole intention for having these options is to make it easier to sell when you're bored of it.
 
I'm hoping over a period of 2 years I'd be left with 40-50% of the value. If that's the case, I'd go for it.

The other consideration is the build quality. The 197 recaros do not wear well and are notorious for wearing/splitting prematurely. I have asked on the renaultsport forums as to what the warranty would cover. The 200 recaros are meant to have improved but it's hard to believe this 100% as I can't imagine anyone has done the mileage in a 200 that people have in a 197.
 
Adam said:
So my car is a 2 year deal, I know the additional options will make the car more desirable, but how much value would the recaros likely to add to the car? Say for example, if they would add £500 to the value then this wouldn't be bad value for money. Over the 2 years it would cost me £250 per annum or about £21 per month.

What's the opinion on this then?
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If this is the PCP deal from lookers that you are buying it on then I'd be surprised if they don't write the value down to zero at the end of your contract, i.e. they cost £950 plus however much it costs to finance that amount.

Check with the dealer before you make a decision, it may help sway you.
 
Impossible to say.

It'll make it easier to sell certainly, but that doesn't translate to an absolute value.

If you want them, get them.
 
For me it'd depend on if I was keeping the car at the end of the lease. If I was keeping it then I'd spec them, if not then a grand is a lot of extra money over the base lease cost. If you intend to try and sell privately at the end of the lease then it's a gamble and one I wouldn't take.
 
Gribs said:
For me it'd depend on if I was keeping the car at the end of the lease. If I was keeping it then I'd spec them, if not then a grand is a lot of extra money over the base lease cost. If you intend to try and sell privately at the end of the lease then it's a gamble and one I wouldn't take.
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Very good point.

If you are aiming to pay the final payment and keep the car for a long period of time then it would probably be worth it.

For me, odds are i will be handing it back at the end of the 24 months so £950 is fair whack on top.
 
Gribs said:
For me it'd depend on if I was keeping the car at the end of the lease. If I was keeping it then I'd spec them, if not then a grand is a lot of extra money over the base lease cost. If you intend to try and sell privately at the end of the lease then it's a gamble and one I wouldn't take.
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i agreed with that, if it was mine for 3 years 100% yes
 
Thanks for all the advice so far. I don't expect just to hand the car back at the end of the 2 years, I will either look to sell it privately or trade it in for something else. I'd say a private sale would be more likely, I'm hoping to make a little profit on the £9300 GFV. I'd be looking to sell for £10000-£10500 at the end of the 2 years.

I wouldn't be financing the recaros, I'd pay for them upfront with my deposit (as I have done all my other options).

The other issue was the poor build quality of the previous 197 recaros. On the renaultsport forum people have suggested they had theirs replaced with no problems whatsoever under warranty, one guy had his replaced in his Clio 200 and another had 5 sets in a 197! Hassle yes, but at least I have peace of mind that if they do wear then Renault should acknowledge it and replace them under warranty.
 
If I was buying a brand new car, and was expecting to keep it at the end of the term, and for many years to come, I would have loaded it upto the eyeballs with the extras.

And I never view a car as a future investment, that's what I view my savings account and ISA as.
 
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