Help!...........................

[lichfielddriver]

Hi all, well ive got the chance of buying a new Superb 1.6td estate for taxi work, OTR £20K

 

 

It seems a small engine for a big car (to me anyway)

 

 

are there any pitfalls? problems?

 

 

i get 2 years unlimited mileage warranty (should hit 60,000 miles)

 

 

extra urban, should i see 55mpg?

 

town 40mpg?

 

 

all the different spec, S, etc?

 

 

ta

[lichfielddriver]

and what are the oil change intervals and the cambelt change mileage please?

 

ta

[psycholist]

The engine is powerful enough to get the car moving, but you'll notice if there's a lot of weight on board. For a taxi, especially if you're doing a lot of urban driving, the engine will work fine, it's A road overtaking and motorway on ramp acceleration where the extra power is handy. There are people on here getting real world figures as good as 65 mpg from the greenline Superb according to their forum signatures. 

 

Oil change intervals (If the car is set to variable servicing) will be based on how often the car is driven hard while cold, how many short journeys leaving the engine cold you do and other data the car's computers record, designed to predict the oil life. It can be up around 20,000 miles for people who cruise motorway all the time. If on the fixed service it's every 15,000 km (10,000 miles) or once a year, whichever comes first. I'm not sure about the 1.6 engine, but the 2 litre diesels have 210,000 km (130,000 mile) service intervals for the cam belt. 

 

As for things that go wrong, there are plenty of possible things, but for taxi use, the dual mass flywheel (DMF) in the clutch and diesel particulate filter (DPF) are the things to look out for. If you've been driving modern diesels as taxis up till now and not had problems, I wouldn't expect problems with this car either. 

Edited 2 September, 2014 by psycholist

[Supurbia]

Buy the 2.0TDi you won't notice that much difference and it'll add up to £15pw if you do, is £15pw worth driving a slug for 12 hours a day over a brisk pleasing car?

 

Don't bother with others figures, it depends on

 

The driver

 

The roads

 

Congestion

 

All three will make the same car return 3 different sets of figures,

 

Buy the 2.0L or you'll only regret it, everyone I know with a 1.6 Octavia says it's underpowered, work harder die faster

[Superb170]

Hi all, well ive got the chance of buying a new Superb 1.6td estate for taxi work, OTR £20K

 

 

It seems a small engine for a big car (to me anyway)

 

What are you currently using.....the performance from the 1.6 can be relative to what you are used to.  Although I have a 170tdi I would actually have no hesitation recommending the 1.6 for anyone doing a lot of urban motoring as I think the engine is perfectly adequate (I have driven a few 1.6s as well).  As Psycholist rightly points out however you may struggle out of town but if you are aware of the engine and its power limitations you can plan for that as well.   I presume that is a taxi warranty you are referring to?  At c£20K OTR that must an 'S' version but you will still have decent equipment levels.  One advantage is that you'll be on 16" wheels on the S, which will be comfy and not as easy to damage.  Is it the Greenline version BTW which is optimised for increased fuel economy?

 

You should hit those economy numbers you mention and better.  I knew a few 1.6 Greenline drivers are particularly smug about their fuel consumption figures so its not all manufacturers hype.

[Wizzmed]

Ive loaded up my greenline with the family, boot full of luggage and a roof box and did not feel there was much change in performance. Its slow to respond at motorway speeds at times but I am very happy with mine. Ive been averaging 58mpg but it is climbing as the engine is starting to loosen up.

[lichfielddriver]

Wanting it all id love a 60mpg auto with £30/year VED....

 

the "black" edition is available in white but rare

[kevberlin]

Wanting it all id love a 60mpg auto with £30/year VED....

 

the "black" edition is available in white but rare

So much rubbish written about the 1.6. It's got plenty enough go and is very refined.

Last Friday did a three up 190 mile trip to the airport with suitcases in my Greenline. Got 79mpg. Just done a 14 mile run to the tip and back. Got 61 mpg.

Enjoying the driving experience has more to do with the pilot than the car. Oodles of power does not always mean fun.

Good luck

[psycholist]

Are those figures according to the computer or brim to brim measurements? The 79 mpg figure particularly is remarkable even accepting that a lot of Skoda trip computers overread by 10%. Anyone who's tried to overtake on an Irish A road probably wouldn't say the 1.6 has plenty of go though :p... The 170 allows me to get safely past Ireland's reams of 45 mph Toyotas, often with trucks stuck behind them, in places where it would be much too dangerous to even attempt while driving a 1.6. I should say that I haven't driven the 1.6 in a Superb, but have driven the 110 bhp version in a Yeti with a 5 speed box and it takes a lot longer to get from 60 - 75 mph than my heavier 170 bhp Superb does in 6th. The 1.6 was able to hold speed at 75 mph (Irish motorway limit is 120 km/h) once it got there though, but the engine noise was intrusive because it was revving too much in top gear for my mechanical sympathy to approve of.

 

The other feature of the greenline that makes it less useful for some buyers is that the suspension is lowered compared to the standard car. This is the reason I went for a Superb instead of a VRS Octavia as I do enough properly rough back roads to not want to deal with low ground clearance. The Mark I Octavia, for example would touch down everywhere, while the Mark II, which was 20-25 mm higher barely touched down at all (The VRS suspension was lowered back to the danger zone). My Superb estate may have slightly more ground clearance than the Octavia. The only thing to touch down so far has been the towbar with 5 people and their gear aboard and a trailer full of bikes attached, on a speed bump that would be illegal if it was on a public road.

Edited 1 December, 2014 by psycholist

[kevberlin]

When I brim to brim I get figures that match my maxidot display.

The point is that he car is brilliant on fuel, and, in my opinion, has enough go in it.

I recognise that others may want a faster vehicle, but relating back to the OP, in my view the 1.6 could do the job more than capably.

[lichfielddriver]

can the 1.6 be remapped for more torque?

[kevberlin]

can the 1.6 be remapped for more torque?

Yes, I believe 130bhp remap is available. One of the sponsors on his site offers it.......possible AP Automotive.

[Superb170]

I actually drove another 1.6 for a few days since my earlier post above and I can tell you that it is quite a capable car once you are aware that you won't break any records!.   I certainly agree with psycholist's comments above about overtaking however, a lot is based on how you drive and more importantly how you plan your driving and read the road.  My first three Skodas were actually 1.4 petrol Octavias and I still managed to do a lot of high mileage and long journeys. At that time I wasn't used to having any more power than 75bhp (or thereabouts) and once I was aware of the limitations of the car, I didn't know any better and just adjusted my driving style for overtaking etc.  Its when you believe that you have more power than you actually have, then you get into difficulty and become frustrated.

 

The 1.6 certainly serves a purpose for many drivers depending on their needs, but its not for everyone.  Power is bit like any other option on the car - xenons are great but if you rarely drive at night then normal lights are fine, built-in sat nav is handy but if you never need to use it.....you get my point.

 

Back to the OP - there are Superbs everywhere doing taxi work and I would guess that 80/90%+ (in Ireland anyway) are 1.6tdi and I hear nothing but praise from taxi drivers.

[GaSelle]

can the 1.6 be remapped for more torque?

Yes.

 

145 BHP, 320NM.