FlyingGecko

Same here. It's not as if we're F1 drivers where a fraction of a lb. makes a big difference to tyre and car performance and more importantly stability. The last thing most road drivers need is complex information flashing up in front of their eyes if there's a serious problem that needs dealing with fairly soon/urgently.

If tyou're looking at protecting your rear hatch sill have a look at Richard Grant Mouldings - rgmautomotive.co.uk There's a couple of threads on here about sill covers. See this, there a re a couple of photos -

Searching the web it seems they only come in a set of four. Skoda-parts.com are Czech, not UK. And the link doesn't work for me but it's the correct web address, I've gone direct from a fresh browser tab !?! They ask 68 Euros plus 17 Euros for shipping, genuine Skoda. There's a wbsite called Carparts-expert.com, Netherlands based, which has non-OEM scuff plates. Superskoda, now Kopacek.com, have scaled back on what the'll ship to the UK following Brexit, they want 79.99 euros plus shipping if they will do it. My Sept 19 SE-L didn't have any at all, so a set of 4 was a must. I got mine from Kopacek last June, but also with a full set of mudflaps at the ridiculous low price of 17 Euros front, 17 Euros rear, plus 13 for shipping. Total was 127 euros. Might be worth looking on Ebay. There are also a couple of UK Skoda dealers who sell online too.

Well, yes, but I thought it was fairly obvious considering the original post that it was the UK/EU relationship being referred to, not the geographical relationship between the British Isles and what is generally referred to as "mainland Europe". And yes, I'm also aware of the problems caused to Northern Ireland by Brexit.

Well, UK business over a certain size package. I don't blame them. Yes, another consequence of Brexit, like the Customs forms one has to complete when sending a package to Europe, which includes returning items bought from Europe in the first place. So many small businesses both sides of the Channel are suffering because of it. I was listening to a cheese maker here who used to sell most of his product - high quality, high value specialty cheese - to France by individual mail order but now every single order should have some food safety certification which costs an arm and a leg. His business has been killed.

Not on the Karoq, nor my previous Octavia.. On or off. Needs development, IMHO. It needs clear (white) lane markings each side, and only mild chages in direction - i.e. wide sweeping curves. No good on fast B roads because the road direction changes too quickly for the software to keep up. Th every few times I tried it - usually on dead straight Motorways - I found it deadened and stiffened the steering feel.

And this from the Uniroyal site sums it up - "The rear axle ensures the tracking stability of a vehicle."

Good for you, KenONeill. I didn't say directional tyres don't exist. I'm sure they do. Just that I've never seen them in over fifty years driving some three-quarters of a million miles in around 150 different vehicles. So yes, maybe I am lacking in experience.

On the left, Bridgestone Turanza P001, 215/50 R18 on my Karoq, and on the right, Michelin Energy Saver, 185/55 R15 on our VW Up. The Turanzas are very common on Karoqs. If I recall correctly the Michelin Primacys that I had on my Octavia vRS were similarly marked.

That rules out reversing then. But seriously, rather than "direction" markings or arrows it's more usual to see tyres, (often with an asymmetric tread pattern) marked "outside". So it's perfectly possible to switch them from one side to another, whereas if marked with direction of rotation they'd have to be swapped round on the wheel. The point being the outside tread is designed to take stresses when cornering in either direction. Further, I've only ever seen direction arrows on bicycle tyres.

MrDeeJay, ignore the scare stories about the 1.5. But I'd stick with the two you're considering and drive them. As long as she's happy with the much larger size of the Octavia it'll be a good choice. The Fabia is roughly comparable in size but the engine choices are a nightmare to sort out - have a look at Parker's Guide website. I also agree with the suggestion by FrankNicklin about the DSG box (ignore stories about them too). They work Superbly and you won't see any fuel consumption penalty - my Octavia above was DSG. They're not like traditional auto boxes.

Aarond, it was an amazing ten days from start to finish, in March 2011. The flat was right in the heart of Palermo back streets, she'd been back in England for five months and the locals had made sure the car was untouched. We didn't know how much stuff she'd accumulated or taken out there. We had to ship home two packing cases a metre square each, jammed with clothes, bedding, kitchen equipment. Neither I nor my cousin spoke Italian except to order beer or coffee, We met some lovely people who helped us, showed us the sights and are still good friends today. The Palermitani are rightly very proud of their city and culture, though the hand of the Mafia is evident in half-finished building projects etc. Many small local businesses display window signs stating "No Mafia" defying the Mafia to extort money from them. We were shown the site of the murder of the magistrate Falconi in 1992 on the highway from the airport, we also met relatives of other victims of the bombing. My cousin and I went back in 2015 with our wives for a holiday, to be honest we had a better time first time round! Sorry, still off topic.

What's she driving at the moment, and what's its fuel economy like on those short trips? I had an Octavia Mk 3 with the earlier 1.4, 140 bhp, and never got less than 34 mpg from a tank, usually well over 40 mpg, and on VERY long runs with 4 up and a full boot sometimes very high 50s. Your later 1.4, 150 bhp is not to be confused with the new 1.5, 150 bhp, which is a newer and different animal and both are available in VAG motors. The smaller 999cc triple engine is used across the VAG empire and seems to be well received, the main disadvantage is the lower torque, but reviews say it's a very good motorway cruiser and indeed allrounder. This engine is the same as in my wife's VW Up, except turbocharged, when it's then found in the Up GTI. You'll find it highly economical given the fewer internal friction surfaces and ability to warm up sooner. Fuel economy comparisons for the short trips will be very difficult without extended testing, but since you're only looking at short distances anyway it won't be huge cost differnce anyway. Personally I'd have no worries about either engine, she's best taking each for a decent test drive to see which she prefers.

Hi Aarond, actually you're right. I was just using the line to bring in my Palermo adventure. If we hadn't had the roof box we'd have had to leave the Dyson and ironing board behind.

Thanks Frank. I was just curious, I'm of the view that if one needs a roofbox, then one needs a bigger car. Unlike a dear friend who lived in Sicily for a couple of years. When she came back to the UK her apartment out there needed emptying so I flew out with a cousin (in the photo). We packed all her possessions in her Peugeot 107 (which she'd driven out there twice with the roofbox on), it was full to the roof - big flat screen TV, ironing board, Dyson, microwave, hundreds of books and DVDs, clothes - just enough space for two people crammed up to the windscreen - and drove it over 1,500 miles in three days back to the UK. Fortunately we got a ferry from Sicily to Genoa in Northern Italy, or that would've been another 900 miles. With only 68 BHP, it struggled a bit going over the Alpine autoroutes and through the Mont Blanc tunnel, but was perfect thoughout and great fun. Sorry, off topic!

An interesting point. Are the Karoq roofbars in this category?

On a slightly different note, this growing trend for manufacturers to include the need for factory fitted prep would reduce the number of cars suitable for towbar fitting and thus reduce their potential market. Restraint of trade?

Excellent point, FrankNicklin. Could I just clarify, Skoda offer "tow bar preparation" for £200 in the configurator for the Mk 4. But even Skoda's website doesn't help much. This is from the Mk 4 towbar prep details: Please note, in some instances it is not possible to retrospectively fit a tow bar if the car is not fitted with tow bar preparation at Factory. Please speak to your Retailer to confirm the exact towing eligibility.

Hi Frank, yes, I'm aware of this. The non-native english speakers are among the best at posting sensible and thought-out questions, and I certainly wasn't thinking of them. Many times over the years the non-UK members have provided answers to seemingly insurmountable problems. A different perspective is highly valued and sometimes all that's needed. It also reflects well on the forum that it attracts so many overseas contributors. A few years back it was a big problem, and still is (pointless and poorly titled posts, that is). For instance, starting a thread in, say, the Superb Mk 3 section with a heading "Superb Mk3 1.5", or in the Octavia Mk 3 section "New diesel estate". There are to aspects to this. First, within such posts there might, but probably won't be, the answer to life, the universe and everything. But without some clearer title who can tell unless one reads the post? Second, the forum is clogged with so many meaningless posts that searching for an answer is near-impossible, yet there almost certainly is an excellent answer buried several pages back in the forum. Typcial of those are threads detailing a car's progress from ordering to factory to docks to portside to dealer. Really? Do we need to know this? Yes, I know that there are Guide sections, and also the Mods have the ability to "Pin" topics. But the "Fanboy" aspect of many posts adds to the difficulties. To a degree the forum is a victim of its own success, and it's not up to me to tell anyone what they can and can't do, I'm only a member. I know from corresponding a few years back with the Mods (who do a superb job, pun intended), that it's a long standing issue. All I'd like to see is a little more thought from members, old and new, when posting. And this is certainly not aimed at our new member, Pagan-Image, who himself (herself?) said searching was like wading through treacle. There must be many potential members who are put off using the forum because of this. And again, welcome to Pagan-Image!

I should have mentioned - my post was aimed at the difficulties encountered when searching for a topic, caused by the lack of thought by some thread posters. Clearly the replies above show how helpful forum members can be. An excellent response.

Welcome, Pagan-Image. Sadly, too many forum members in years past - and still now - start new threads when there's already an answer (or several) to their problem. Dashcam fitting, for instance. Or "when will my new car arrive that I ordered XX weeks ago?" Or "My car has arrived at the docks." So the forum gets clogged up with hundreds of ego-driven threads and unhelpful thread titles. Unfortunately all the spurious and totally unhelpful threads make searching for an intelligent answer to a question near impossible, the moderators/admin just couldn't tidy up the forum, it's beyond human capabilities., their job is difficult enough as it is. All respect to them, they must have the patience of saints. So. The bottom line is you need to think laterallly, spend some time going offpiste, and eventually you'll find half the answer you're looking for. Don't get me wrong, it's a really useful site and there are many members making a useful contribution, and I'm grateful to several. However, driving a Skoda doesn't automatically mean one is endowed with common sense. In many cases it means the opposite. All that said, I repeat - welcome!

Cheers Daveyeti. Your point is still valid about weight though, it was probaly the combination of the big diesel engine and the 4x4 system making the Yeti a heavyweight. A pal of mine did a Yeti to Karoq change three years back, from the 1.2 to a 1.5. It'd be interesting to see how your Karoq fuel consumption compares with the diesel Yeti. My old Octavia vRS 2.0 petrol DSG gave 34.6 mpg over 35,000 miles. So far my SE-L Karoq, a 1.5 petrol DSG, is giving 34.5 mpg over 4000 miles. I'm hoping that improves when I do a few 500 mile trips, I used to do half a dozen a year before lockdown. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't.

Daveyeti, where did you get the weights from? According to Parker's, your Karoq weighs in at either 1269 kg or 1363 kg if you've got the DSG. Your old Elegance Yeti 170 was between 1460 and 1565, depending on whether "Outdoor" spec or DSG. So the maximum difference on Parker's is under 300 kg, and at their closest only 93 kg, nowhere near over 400 kg. I've always found Parker's figures are "like for like", so comparisons within their website are valid. Autocar shows nearnough the same, give or take 10 kg. I'm not saying you're wrong or looking for an argument, but that's a big difference.

An important point that's been mentioned but is now in danger of being overlooked. It's not just a coding issue. Several different models across the range (not all, and not just Skoda) require uprated radiators and/or oil coolers and/or brake system components if a car is used for towing. The factory prep includes any model-specific uprating where necessary. Further details are in some of the "?" pop-ups on the configurator pages. It doesn't matter if you're just putting on a bike rack with one or two bikes (as I do) or a caravan with the maximum permissible weight, the existence of a towbar/ball allows everything. You can't just say "I'm only putting a bike rack on". There's a real - but in my totally unqualified view, very unlikely - risk of damage to any of these components if they don't meet the towng specifications. In theory this could then lead to litigation and/or unjustified warranty and/or liability claims. I suspect that there are as many opinions on this as there are car salespeople and towbar fitters, and I've spoken to a number of each. I'm keeping my opinions to myself, so don't read anything into my posting about this, I'm just mentioning the hypothesis.

re bigjohn's post above - the Kamiq is another that requires factory-fit preparation. One of the reasons I decided not to look for an ex-demo model when I was looking to change a year ago. That and the Karoq-level pricing for a smaller car. (I need to fit a towbar for a bike rack)