Yogi-Bear

Drive modes are the eco / normal / sport / etc. modes that determine throttle response, gear changes (on autos), etc. Options don't really increase the future value of a car - they may slightly, and/or they may increase the ease at which it can be sold - but I really wouldn't add an option on that basis alone. I'll admit that I've given up with putting stuff on the roof, but if I was to use a roof box I'd get a small folding step-stool or something that I could lob in the boot for the other end of the trip. Far cheaper than the running boards!

4 or 5 times per trip? Lucky you! 4 or 5 times before I've got to the end of the road... then another half-dozen times at least. Or... nothing at all on some trips. It's all a bit odd, really.

My guess is that they deliberately didn't use it as it would unfairly disadvantage the cars that don't have it. They also don't have 'every Skoda vRS' as the title claims... no idea if they're missing any others, but they don't have the original TDI Kodiaq vRS. Would have been interesting to compare the two against each other. I'm pretty impressed by the Enyaq given how heavy that beast must be (it did well on the brake test too) - but seriously, how much $!?

It has a completely different gearbox... isn't yours a 6-speed? I had a 150PS TSI Edition before this with a 6-speed gearbox, and while the throttle response was as laggy as I think it is in all Skodas (a deliberate choice by VAG), the 'box was actually quite responsive and changing down a gear would help loads. I honestly think the introduction of another ratio just hasn't helped. It's like there are too many gears to choose from, and it never seems to be in the right one. I don't doubt that more ratios = smoother ride and probably greater fuel consumption, but it doesn't seem to help with the sportiness. Having said that, BMW use 8-speed 'boxes (not dual-clutch though), even in their M cars, so what do I know!? But... once you get the petrol vRS going, it goes - there is no doubt about it. The problem is convincing it to get going in the first place. It's annoying that - as good as it is when you learn how to drive it - it could have been so much better if VAG hadn't intentionally hobbled it. But then it would be approaching Tiguan R territory and no-one is going to buy that ugly pile of rust when you could have a Kodiaq instead 😂. At least I still have air-con dials you can see and use in the dark!

Tuning or chipping the engine won't solve the biggest issue of the gearbox tune/map. I've seen remaps for that advertised, but for some reason it seems more risky to me than doing something to the engine (and/or using a throttle box). As I said, put the effort in to learn how to get the most from it, and it can be pretty rewarding. You probably shouldn't have to do that, but VAG are never going to make an SQ7-killing Kodiaq now, are they 🤣.

The million dollar question. It's not quick. It is let down by a bloody infuriating gearbox - or, to be more precise, the programming/mapping on the gearbox - and a throttle pedal that is as quick to react as a sloth who has OD'd on sleeping pills. It's never in the right gear and it takes too long to change down. Doesn't help that it is a 7-speed box so you invariably need it to change down 2 or 3 gears instead of the 1 or 2 that you would in a 'normal' 6-speed box. Sport mode is pretty much unusable around town unless you like driving round in a low gear and everyone staring at you for the resultant noise (although you can partly solve that by using the 'custom' mode and turning the noise generator off). On the other hand, sport mode is the only one that has an even remotely responsive throttle... it's a shame the 'drive' component of the 'custom' mode controls both the gearbox and throttle response - if you could change them independently then it would be a whole lot better. Having said all of that, learn the gears, hit 'sport' and shove the 'box into semi-auto, then point it at a typical UK B-road... and it can make very rapid progress, and for what it is (a big lump, not a sports car), it's a pretty decent drive and can be good fun. I've no idea what the power curve actually looks like, but keep the needle up above 3k-3.5k revs and it's responsive enough. Overtaking with a full load doesn't require a second thought (don't be stupid though), and if you keep the engine purring at the higher revs, you can end up going faster than you realise pretty darn quickly... but that's the biggest problem that I think most (if not all) large SUVs suffer from, they just don't have that sensation of speed because you're high up off the road. If you need something big enough to fit your family, dog, and enough crap (sorry, luggage) for a couple of weeks in the south of France, and still have a bit of fun now and then, I've yet to see something that offers the same package for less money. I love mine, and don't regret getting it at all. If I end up keeping it past the end of the PCP (I probably won't, just because I like new cars), then I'd look at tuning it (it's the venerable old Golf GTI lump so there are plenty of options) 😎. (Edit: tl;dr - not quick, but fun (and practical) nonetheless).

It has never been standard on the vRS in the UK (at least not on the facelift one, no idea about the pre-facelift diesel variant).

I’d be asking the question of the warranty provider first. LED lights should last a lot longer than 3 years.

Nope, it's a heated element. invisible to the eye unless you really peer at it, and even then... Works really well too, imho - but I don't think it gets quite as cold/frosty/snowy down here compared to up there 😂

Does it do anything a 'lesser' Kodiaq doesn't? Not really, no. Does a Q7 do anything a Kodiaq doesn't? Not really, no. I've seen a few more recent press reviews (long-term ones instead of one-day drives) where they've understood after living with it that it is a very capable, comfortable, spacious, nice to drive car. Besides, the motoring journalists always question the value of higher-spec cars, especially when it comes to Skoda. I can remember them saying it was pointless buying anything other than the original SE when I got my Edition. Do I really care what others think anyway? Not so much. You make your choice and you pay your money.

Anything from about 20mpg (or less if I really try 😎) for really short journeys around town to 40mpg for long motorway cruises @ 65mph. For the first few thousand miles, don't be surprised if you get low teens for short journeys and not much over 30mpg for longer ones.

The Good: The looks (very subjective, I know). The Bad: The fuel consumption (especially for the first few thousand miles!) The Ugly: The gearbox, and the adaptive dampers (the gearbox is hopeless and the dampers are pointless - too soft in comfort and too hard in sport, so they just get left in normal). It's not a fast car, but it makes a very good GT car. As I've said elsewhere, it can do a bit of everything competently, but doesn't do anything exceptionally - but where else can you get a sprightly 7-seat load lugger for less than £50k? Love mine, would buy again. Out of interest, how long did the dealer reckon it would take to arrive?

Blimey... that's quick. Or do you mean November 2021? 😂

All phones with camera bumps (so pretty much all phones these days) have the same issue, especially when on charging mats that are moving around and subject to G forces that move the phone around the pad as it is charging. If the phone isn't making proper contact with the pad, then charging efficiency will be reduced, if it charges at all. If the phone isn't properly aligned with the elements in the pad, then charging efficiency will be reduced, if it charges at all. Put the two together and you can see why phones that don't sit flat and slide around the charging mat might have issues charging... The simple answer is to use a MagSafe case - not only does this mean the wireless contacts in the phone (well, the case actually) and the mat are flat against each other, it also means the phone (again, the case) is slightly less prone to moving around the charging mat whilst driving.

Trust me when I say you'll regret that... lifting a bike that is remotely heavy onto the roof of any SUV is not a pleasant experience, especially if you're trying to get it into the middle of the roof (if you have to carry more than 2 bikes).

Never had a 1.5... but I used to get 40mpg+ out of my 1.4 Kodiaq all year round. I'm currently getting 30+ mpg out of the vRS on motorway trips - it too will do 40+ mpg in the summer. I'm conveniently ignoring the fact that for the last 10 days or so I've been lucky to get near 20mpg on 2-3 mile trips round town! But yes, I drive like an old fart 😎. (p.s. the OP did say 60 mile trips @ 65mph in light traffic and somewhere warmer than the UK...)

My experience is completely the opposite - if a car pulls in and is moving away from you then the ACC system recognises this and carries on... it only slows down if the car isn't moving away fast enough (then speeds up again as the distance to the car increases sufficiently), but I've never had it apply the brakes because of it.

There isn't one. Which bit about ACC don't you like?

Depends on your driving style and how loaded the car is - but it's probably not far off the mark for 'average real-world driving consumption'.

I don't get this comment... you'll pay interest on any loan, not just a PCP. So unless you can afford to pay outright for a car, you're always "being asked to pay thousands" on top of the OTR price. It's just a matter of how many thousands. Yes, interest rates on PCP deals are not very inviting at the moment, and you can get cheaper rates elsewhere - but PCP, being a secured loan on the car, is often more easily attainable than a low rate unsecured personal loan, although it obviously all depends on your individual credit worthiness and affordability. And to be fair, that's where a PCP comes in - because the £x/month is usually less than a personal loan for the whole purchase amount over 5 years, it's actually more affordable (although this difference in monthly payments narrows as interest rates rise). But it does mean that if you want to keep the car long-term, you will be paying for it for longer (and it's probably not the cheapest way of buying it overall).

I know exactly how PCP works, tyvm. Given that the usual deposit required to order a car is £1k these days (used to be less!), that's how much I've put in as my deposit on the last couple of deals. I then pay £x/month until I get rid of the car. That works for me, and total amount paid is roughly equivalent to or less than leasing examples I've looked at for the same car / colour / spec (yes, you can get some very good lease deals if you're willing to be flexible on make / model / colour / spec, but that's the same with buying). It might have helped that I've always got a good deal that includes a low interest rate, making switching away from the PCP a bit pointless. Out of the 2 PCP deals I've completed with VWFS so far, I've handed the car back once (Octavia vRS) because it was worth less than the MGFV and the dealer through which I ordered my first Kodiaq didn't want to do trade-in (fair enough, really), and the second deal (my first Kodiaq) ended with a huge lump of equity thanks to the anomaly of used car prices rocketing skywards through the second half of 2021. So yes, the equity being greater than expected was a good thing - but it had absolutely nothing to do with the PCP deal. I even said in the post you quoted that it was down to good timing rather than anything else. PCP deals were originally designed so you would end up with equity - but because people concentrate on the headline £x/month figure, they soon changed so that the MGFV is as high as can possibly be so the £x/month is lower. I'd argue that this is a gamble on the part of the finance company, as if the car is worth less at the end, they're the ones that lose out, not the customer (well, assuming the customer hands the car back and doesn't trade it in with negative equity... but I guess some people probably end up doing that out of ignorance of the way it works). Also, I'd argue that PCP does benefit the customer - or, at least, a certain profile of customer. If you're wanting to buy a car outright and keep it for many years, then a PCP probably isn't the cheapest way of doing it (certainly not as interest rates get higher and higher) as you're probably paying more interest on the balloon amount than you would otherwise. However, if like me you enjoy (and are able to) a change of car every few years, then it's a simple way of doing that without having to worry about what the car is going to be worth - again, you have to understand how PCP works and use the correct option at the end of the deal, otherwise you can lose out big time. I'd argue that I've benefitted in different ways from the two deals I mention above, VWFS took the hit on the first car and I took the rewards on the second. This. I'd lease a car if I found exactly what I wanted for less money, but I never have. I don't intend on hanging onto cars for more than a few years, so PCP is just renting to me. If I end up with equity by any miracle (or anomaly!) then it's just a bonus that makes the payments on the next one a little bit less.

As per the other thread - https://www.carwow.co.uk/new-car-delivery-times might be more accurate for the UK market. They're quoting ~9 months.

Carwow are estimating 36 weeks for the Kodiaq (~9 months)... 52+ weeks for an Enyaq! https://www.carwow.co.uk/new-car-delivery-times

You seem to be giving an example that doesn't fit with your first statement. I for one have never put anything like £10k into a PCP deal up-front - it's always been approx. £1k plus whatever equity (if any) from the last car (which was admittedly a huge chunk last time around, but that was more down to good timing than anything else!).

That's on the mirror face - as it reacts to light from behind the car...