Valuations

 Despite the Volkswagen being perceived as the most upmarket of the three VW Group brands to offer an NSF model, it’s also the most prevalent so prices aren’t really more expensive.

The entry-level Skoda Citigo S is probably the cheapest you’ll find, but only marginally. A 12-plate with around 70k on the clock can be tracked down for around £2000, with the up! in similar trim costing around £2200.

The SEAT Mii is the rarest of the three because SEAT put fewer cars into pre-reg packages with dealers or on to rental fleets. As such, they’re harder to find but not especially more expensive.

If you’ve got £3500 to spend there’s a lot of choice out there, and it makes sense to buy on condition and provenance rather than brand, as there’s precious little to choose between these three. The SEAT appeals to a slightly younger audience and the Skoda is perhaps the least desirable of the three, but only insofar as there’s still a very small amount of brand snobbery in the market. It tends to affect the more recent models the most, so if you’re spending more than £4000 you may as well take advantage of it and track down a smart Citigo Monte Carlo, which is one of the most nicely specced cars in this grouping.

Post-facelift cars are generally still in the main dealer network, with only the very earliest examples coming out of warranty later this year. As such, they’re priced accordingly and only make sense if you want nearly-new main dealer peace of mind. If that’s something you’re not fussed about, then spending half the money on a good 2013-2015 car is a far more sensible approach and will get you a thoroughly decent car for the money.