Whether to order? Reports of Delays...

[Whizzwheels]

I've been monitoring this forum for a while as I try to decide which car to buy next. I'm under no pressure to change but life is too short etc. I just don't know whether the Formentor is a viable option? I can see many people ordered one but are still waiting.

I currently drive a VW Golf Mk7 and the Formentor appeals for its design, drive and more spacious than a Golf. I sat in a Formentor V2 in the showroom and liked it.

I haven't driven one but it's been getting very good reviews. All the reviews online seem to be of just two models: Mainly the 2.0 310 VZ2, a couple are 1.5 150's. Just one (Australian) review compared the 310 VZ2 to the 2.0 190 V2. They thought the 190 was better value, being "90% of the fun for 80% of the cost".

However, an appealing product is of little benefit if you can't actually buy one. My local dealer has sold off all their stock and advised me there's probably a 30 week wait for all new orders. Of course, that's an estimate they said. They have no idea when the car would actually turn up. It would depend on the chip shortage etc. I also called a dealer in London and they suggested a factory order would take just 3 months. Surely this sounds implausible, judging by the feedback on this forum?

Any thoughts on Formentor delivery delays appreciated. I could pay a deposit and wait until mid next year. A bit crazy surely? Alternatively there's a couple of Formentors on Autotrader at more or less list price with minimal options. But I would like a sunroof and towbar.

Another option I would like is ACC adaptive cruise control (since the VW Golf has it as standard). I know the Formentor can come with ACC.

I have looked at other makes. The used market is over-priced across the board. ACC isn't available whatsoever due to the chip shortage on new BMW 3 series Touring (unless a 40 model). There are zero used 320i / 330i / 320d examples to buy with Driver Assistance pack.

Audi A4 Avants can be ordered with ACC and a good discount, but no sunroofs! The '22 Kia Sportage might be an option, but unlikely to be as good to drive as the Formentor.

All this led me to think a Tesla Model 3 could be a better option in the current circumstances. At least these are available within a month or two, but I don't have off-street parking to charge it, so would be reliant on Superchargers. I had been thinking better to wait a few years before going EV. Make the most of ICE's while they are readily available. It turns out it's not so straightforward...

 

[Agnes.Surrey]

Every brand has the same issue, so if you decide to order something else, you will wait too. There's not good or bad answer here. You can leave your details with couple of dealers, to let you know if they have cancellation or some stock coming.

 

[Tormentor]

I've been monitoring this forum for a while as I try to decide which car to buy next. I'm under no pressure to change but life is too short etc. I just don't know whether the Formentor is a viable option? I can see many people ordered one but are still waiting.

I currently drive a VW Golf Mk7 and the Formentor appeals for its design, drive and more spacious than a Golf. I sat in a Formentor V2 in the showroom and liked it.

I haven't driven one but it's been getting very good reviews. All the reviews online seem to be of just two models: Mainly the 2.0 310 VZ2, a couple are 1.5 150's. Just one (Australian) review compared the 310 VZ2 to the 2.0 190 V2. They thought the 190 was better value, being "90% of the fun for 80% of the cost".

However, an appealing product is of little benefit if you can't actually buy one. My local dealer has sold off all their stock and advised me there's probably a 30 week wait for all new orders. Of course, that's an estimate they said. They have no idea when the car would actually turn up. It would depend on the chip shortage etc. I also called a dealer in London and they suggested a factory order would take just 3 months. Surely this sounds implausible, judging by the feedback on this forum?

Any thoughts on Formentor delivery delays appreciated. I could pay a deposit and wait until mid next year. A bit crazy surely? Alternatively there's a couple of Formentors on Autotrader at more or less list price with minimal options. But I would like a sunroof and towbar.

Another option I would like is ACC adaptive cruise control (since the VW Golf has it as standard). I know the Formentor can come with ACC.

I have looked at other makes. The used market is over-priced across the board. ACC isn't available whatsoever due to the chip shortage on new BMW 3 series Touring (unless a 40 model). There are zero used 320i / 330i / 320d examples to buy with Driver Assistance pack.

Audi A4 Avants can be ordered with ACC and a good discount, but no sunroofs! The '22 Kia Sportage might be an option, but unlikely to be as good to drive as the Formentor.

All this led me to think a Tesla Model 3 could be a better option in the current circumstances. At least these are available within a month or two, but I don't have off-street parking to charge it, so would be reliant on Superchargers. I had been thinking better to wait a few years before going EV. Make the most of ICE's while they are readily available. It turns out it's not so straightforward...

I weighed up all the options and the Formentor was the only car left on my pros and cons tick sheet. If you factor in a minimum of a six month wait I would have no hesitation in recommending one.

 

[tel19]

I wouldn’t recommend one there terrible

 

[Deleted member 131219]

In the interests of balance and fair represeantation, I have to report that I'm very happy with mine. It's smart-looking, fast, comfortable, enjoyable to drive and roomy. I've had a few niggles with the infortainment, but nothing major, and in most cases, I've developed a workaround so that it doesn't trouble me again.

 

[Bear]

I wouldn’t recommend one there terrible

It might help whizzwheels if you gave a few reasons as to why you think it's a terrible motor, preferably based on your own experience.

 

[tel19]

I’ve a few posts on the formentor issues forum on here so it’s there for people to see

 

[Wattser]

Here's another disgruntled Formentor owner. The car is an absolute joke. I will never order/own another Seat/Cupra vehicle again. Mine is going back ASAP.
Piss poor build quality. Glitch after glitch with the software. Dealers do not have a clue what to do with them. Cupra have taken a piece of **** and added a few sprinkles of glitter and added a few gems, but it doesn't hide the fact its still a piece of ****!!

 

[Wattser]

In the interests of balance and fair represeantation, I have to report that I'm very happy with mine. It's smart-looking, fast, comfortable, enjoyable to drive and roomy. I've had a few niggles with the infortainment, but nothing major, and in most cases, I've developed a workaround so that it doesn't trouble me again.

40k (if you have a VZ2/3) car and you have to develop work arounds is totally unacceptable in my humble opinion.

 

[Deleted member 131219]

40k (if you have a VZ2/3) car and you have to develop work arounds is totally unacceptable in my humble opinion.

Your opinion is no more or less humble than mine, but you’ve had a different experience with yours than I have with mine. If I recall right, yours has been extremely troublesome, yes? Mine hasn’t.

 

[Bear]

I'm sure every forum for every vehicle made has severely critical posts of the owners' motors. This one is no different.

 

[Agnes.Surrey]

I personaly do not plan to order another brand new VAG car. Will survive somehow with Formenor if I can't get rid of it, but not getting anything new. Too much glitchy tech and no buttons.

 

[ES_Formentor]

Having come from a 2019 G20 BMW which has equivalent tech, believe me when I say tech in modern cars is very glitchy for several years after release. needed to reboot it on numerous occasions for even basic functions like main instrument displays disappearing before getting its first update when it was 2 years old. My personal thought is that they are car manufacturers adding tech. Bet it is the same for Google and Apple trying to add cars to tech just the opposite way round.
Having retired from a heavy tech industry (aviation) users always want it to do x and manufacturers want to provide y there are always reasons why something was a particular way and it always takes time to bring improvements through in a safe manner.
For what it is worth having only had mine a week have found it it best left to boot up completely before playing with any functions. I am happy so far but mine is a 2022 model year car.

 

[Deleted member 131219]

Having come from a 2019 G20 BMW which has equivalent tech, believe me when I say tech in modern cars is very glitchy for several years after release. needed to reboot it on numerous occasions for even basic functions like main instrument displays disappearing before getting its first update when it was 2 years old. My personal thought is that they are car manufacturers adding tech. Bet it is the same for Google and Apple trying to add cars to tech just the opposite way round.
Having retired from a heavy tech industry (aviation) users always want it to do x and manufacturers want to provide y there are always reasons why something was a particular way and it always takes time to bring improvements through in a safe manner.
For what it is worth having only had mine a week have found it it best left to boot up completely before playing with any functions. I am happy so far but mine is a 2022 model year car.

That's a useful perspective. We're all used to IT generally misbehaving randomly from time to time, so it's hardly suprising to see that happening on IT in a car. I'm also conscious that for the first time ever, I've bought a car that is right at the beginning of its production run. For as long as cars have been made, it's been a universal truth that the early adopters act as development engineers for those who buy later in the production run. I was aware of that risk and accepted it when I made the decision to buy. I can't say I won't come to regret doing so, but I haven't yet.

 

[Agnes.Surrey]

My previous and other current cars didn't misbehave in terms of technology. The only event was, when navigation didn't switch on after refuelling in Mercedes C-class C204. It switched on by itself after an hour and it never happened again. So if designers take away buttons to change air con settings, I expect the screen to work every time.

 

[Firaxis]

That's a useful perspective. We're all used to IT generally misbehaving randomly from time to time, so it's hardly suprising to see that happening on IT in a car. I'm also conscious that for the first time ever, I've bought a car that is right at the beginning of its production run. For as long as cars have been made, it's been a universal truth that the early adopters act as development engineers for those who buy later in the production run. I was aware of that risk and accepted it when I made the decision to buy. I can't say I won't come to regret doing so, but I haven't yet.

The difference being it's difficult to cause an accident in front of a workstation, this isn't just VAG related despite their illogical ergonomic quirks. Just as a few examples BMW lane assist can be rather heavy handed / intrusive and some cars seem to randomly brake due to their less than ideal collision avoidance software. I had an Astra once and that used to flash a HUD warning at the most random times with nothing in front of me, suffice to say it startled on occasion.

I'm sorry but I'll never find it acceptable to be an alpha tester in such a potentially dangerous medium like driving. VW have just exacerbated the issue by adding sets of sub menu's making it difficult to do most actions on the move, a few bits of physical switchgear wouldn't have ruined their bottom line and Skoda at least seemed to realise this. I've no issues with sticking most of the stuff you'd hardly ever use on a touchscreen, the rest however.

Anyway, I didn't hate my Cupra Leon despite some paint and technical issues plus it was "okay" to drive, I just thought the MK3 Cupra Leon was a much better car in most ways and cheaper to boot. I might consider an Octavia VRS but I wouldn't bother with any of the others after mine..

 

[Deleted member 131219]

The difference being it's difficult to cause an accident in front of a workstation, this isn't just VAG related despite their illogical ergonomic quirks. Just as a few examples BMW lane assist can be rather heavy handed / intrusive and some cars seem to randomly brake due to their less than ideal collision avoidance software. I had an Astra once and that used to flash a HUD warning at the most random times with nothing in front of me, suffice to say it startled on occasion.

I'm sorry but I'll never find it acceptable to be an alpha tester in such a potentially dangerous medium like driving. VW have just exacerbated the issue by adding sets of sub menu's making it difficult to do most actions on the move, a few bits of physical switchgear wouldn't have ruined their bottom line and Skoda at least seemed to realise this. I've no issues with sticking most of the stuff you'd hardly ever use on a touchscreen, the rest however.

Anyway, I didn't hate my Cupra Leon despite some paint and technical issues plus it was "okay" to drive, I just thought the MK3 Cupra Leon was a much better car in most ways and cheaper to boot. I might consider an Octavia VRS but I wouldn't bother with any of the others after mine..

I don;t disagree with you on the wider issue of the use of IT in cars; the trouble is that the industry in general is going in that direction and pretty soon, what we're seeing now in the Formentor (i.e,. the almost entire reliance on touch control) will become the norm. So there will need to be some massive improvements in how these systems are deployed.

 

[bigcarpchaser]

The difference being it's difficult to cause an accident in front of a workstation, this isn't just VAG related despite their illogical ergonomic quirks. Just as a few examples BMW lane assist can be rather heavy handed / intrusive and some cars seem to randomly brake due to their less than ideal collision avoidance software. I had an Astra once and that used to flash a HUD warning at the most random times with nothing in front of me, suffice to say it startled on occasion.

I'm sorry but I'll never find it acceptable to be an alpha tester in such a potentially dangerous medium like driving. VW have just exacerbated the issue by adding sets of sub menu's making it difficult to do most actions on the move, a few bits of physical switchgear wouldn't have ruined their bottom line and Skoda at least seemed to realise this. I've no issues with sticking most of the stuff you'd hardly ever use on a touchscreen, the rest however.

Anyway, I didn't hate my Cupra Leon despite some paint and technical issues plus it was "okay" to drive, I just thought the MK3 Cupra Leon was a much better car in most ways and cheaper to boot. I might consider an Octavia VRS but I wouldn't bother with any of the others after mine..

Agree, my previous Cupra Leon was much easier to live with.
If this is the way cars are going then I’m gonna grab myself a Defender and fit it with a couple of Tesla motors lol


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[Splosho]

I don;t disagree with you on the wider issue of the use of IT in cars; the trouble is that the industry in general is going in that direction and pretty soon, what we're seeing now in the Formentor (i.e,. the almost entire reliance on touch control) will become the norm. So there will need to be some massive improvements in how these systems are deployed.

BMW is starting to go down everything being situated within the screen for iDrive 8 for the i4 and iX. So for the later LCI BMWs, you can bet this will be trickled down across the BMW range

 

[Firaxis]

I don;t disagree with you on the wider issue of the use of IT in cars; the trouble is that the industry in general is going in that direction and pretty soon, what we're seeing now in the Formentor (i.e,. the almost entire reliance on touch control) will become the norm. So there will need to be some massive improvements in how these systems are deployed.

Agreed, I'm not against the concept of it but the delivery, design and implementation part thus far has a lot to be desired.