SurreyJohn

Took my 2025 Octavia vRS (Mk 4.5 facelift, 265hp) out for a Dragy run. Lawyers and bad publicity If something is bit better than advertised, won't be any complaints. But if can't achieve it in normal everyday conditions (on a normal road surface with part worn tyres and E10 10% ethanol fuel as used in Europe) then asking for trouble. It's not good enough to say need specialised conditions with climate control off etc and in optimum conditions then just about get there.

I think the biggest problem is they have killed off the old models 1-2 years before their new strategy. It means the dealerships will die (or become 100% Land Rover), and any loyalty to the brand is likely to be lost (if not on sale, and want new car, going to have to try another brand, and if you like new other brand car, would you bother going back to Jaguar. If new Jaguar is effectively some badge engineered EV from elsewhere, wearing a posh frock (or should that be Batman cape), then will people pay lots just to have it. I fear insufficient numbers will.

The Turanza 6 was released in 2023, it is a summer tyre (a seasonal tyre not aimed at use in winter). There are actually 2 versions available in 235/50 R20 100T, one with seal, the other without (both have enliten). The version with seal is likely to be £60+ extra per tyre (guessing nearer £250 each, probably nearer £300 if you don't shop around) I think the Turanza Eco has been discontinued (so presumably you are being offered old stock, even if they are new and unused). I doubt if the tyre shop said it was a clearance item, probably just gave you a lower price. Confusingly there is also a similar named Turanza all season 6 (which is more suitable for all year use in UK climate). If it was me I would be changing all 4 to all season version, and then getting them swapped front-back every 12k to 15k miles to even out the wear.

I am not sure comparing a diesel 2wd with a petrol 4wd is fair. The 4wd drive system adds 130-200kg depending on model. Its the equivalent of driving around with about 5-8 25kg bags of cement as deadweight permanently in the boot. You cannot distort the weight by around 10% then run a simple comparison of fuel costs. .

One way to check how long getting a replacement might take, is to look at the brochure, find out the tyre size (usually in the technical detail towards end of brochure). Then put the size into the webpages of some of your local tyre shops. Skoda UK often picking weird tyre sizes as standard fit, means waiting 2-4 days is not uncommon as hardly anyone keeps the unusual sizes in stock.

Ultimately these plans are to make money for parts of Skoda, or their associated companies and/or franchises. They might be dressed up as great deal for you, but in reality you have to remember that if there is profit in it for them, then you are paying for it. In many cases would be just as easy to stick £30-40 each month in a drawer (or set up a standing order to a deposit account) and pay for things as and when necessary). Generally speaking if you have had 3 years with warranty, and 2 more under an all in one, then anything not made properly will either have already been fixed, or is unlikely to fail. And if it does break after all these years, might not be covered anyway.

The Auto Bild all season tyre test is now available 1st : Pirelli all season SF3 2nd Continental all season contact 2 3rd Michelin cross climate 3 sport Etc https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre-Tests/2025-AutoBild-All-Season-Tyre-Test.htm

EV compatible tyres tend to be higher load ratings, because they are heavier. If the tyre comes in two ratings, eg 93 and 97, when 93 was original fitment then if you choose the higher rated ones they will be stiffer. To some extent those that use summer tyres all year (not the Op) probably won't notice much difference in cooler months as the summer tyres are less flexible when cold. In fact in everyday driving, many will not notice difference, but of course if you are in the minority who drive enthusiastically and try to shave a few hundreds of a second off every corner then you will. Never seen any guidance for general use about using EV compatible tyres, but like all general purpose items, will do more things, but will never be optimised like a specific item for a task.

What there was in the past, doesn't automatically mean it is in latest agreements. The recent scandal about commission and interest has forced these to be transparent. It does not surprise me that they have tightened up on covering a minimum amount as part of early repayment fees.

Did a rather interesting, if not very scientific, observation recently of older cars passing through our town. Generally about 15 years and older. I was seeing cars (no idea of ranking) like VW Polo, Nissan Micra, Toyota Yaris, Skoda Fabia, etc Mainly small low spec runabouts, presumably because they are easy to repair. Sort of suggests the age to change for this group is when they are no longer cost effective to fix Strangely older Fords, Vauxhalls, BMW etc (those that sold in volumes) weren't there, and many of the larger cars on school runs were closer to 6-12 years old, or virtually new. New car volumes were much lower 4-5 years ago (pandemic) and that might partly explain those school run, car age profiles. Would be really interesting to see a list of how many of each type are registered for cars that are around 15-20 years old. I suspect it will be completely different to sales volumes when they were new. What happened to all those Fiesta, Focus, Corsa, BMW 3 series etc

Because Škoda use a number of rather obscure tyre sizes, especially in UK with larger vanity look rims, Michelin cross climate 3 is not an option (yet) for many as it is currently only available in limited range of sizes. On my daughters car, the tyre size is still a cross climate+ rather than latest version.

Not sure if the rules have changed, but the small print of the finance agreement that was signed will be binding. Check : 1) Interest charges, does it say how frequently it will be charged 2) commission to broker/dealer, does it state an amount 3) payment clause (eg direct debit etc), does it refer to any minimum notice period etc 4) settlement clause, does it mention any fee and/or interest penalty 5) Early termination clause, again any fee and/or min interest period 6) Gifts, services, offers. Is there any clauses on this, minimum periods to not have to repay etc 7) Any catch all clauses near start or end, subject to lenders terms etc. I only ask, because it can be easy to miss something, if there are dozens of clauses in very small font. Without wanting to state the obvious, you might have two contracts, a purchase contract, and a loan/finance agreement. Did Op check the clauses in both (and I mean full version, not a selected key facts summary). It can be easy to miss things if you are expecting them to be in a different section. For clarity. Cancelling in the 14 day cooling off period, in legal terms unwinds the transaction, and puts everything back to where it was as if it had never happened. Settlement is paying off remainder of loan early, and subject to any early repayment fees and interest. .

It varies lots, depends on ship schedule, number of other cars in VW group heading to UK etc. Some have got on ships in 3 days, others seem to be 3 or 4 weeks. Many ships seem to do Sheerness, Grimsby, Tyne as multiple disports, so could take couple of days extra if routed elsewhere first. If they expect a storm in North Sea or Southern Baltic, then ship might be delayed or swapped to avoid stormy area. Once it reaches UK, it will depend on other cars going to same dealer, they will want a full road transporter, although that might do two offloads at different dealers. Clearly if a ship offloads few thousand cars, and next one is not for another 2-3 weeks, then going to have to await transport capacity. Also If you are in far West then they need a transporter with sleeper cab as won't be possible to get from docks and back in one driver shift.

Links to Škoda Epiq press release reveal https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/press-releases/epiq-show-car-skodas-bold-vision-of-its-most-affordable-all-electric-suv-revealed/ This is a pdf version with pictures https://cdn.skoda-storyboard.com/2025/09/250709_Epiq-show-car-Skodas-bold-vision-of-its-most-affordable-all-electric-SUV-revealed_5f389f07.pdf?_gl=1*15d7wqe*GA4_ga*a2JiMWNzNGQtazJpcS1ydjFsLWF5YW0tdzBndzBob3hxbGY3*GA4_ga_CR52PEW89M*czE3NTgwMzk3MTIkbzIkZzEkdDE3NTgwNDA0NTEkajQ3JGwwJGg0NjM1Mjc1Mjk. The Epiq will be built at the Volkswagen Navarra plant in Spain as part of a joint development and production project within Volkswagen’s BGC. With the EUCF initiative, the BGC aims to democratise electric mobility for future generations by introducing four attractive, affordable electric cars across three brands. The production version of the Škoda Epiq is scheduled to make its world premiere in mid-2026 For those not familiar with the Spanish factory, VW Navarra factory is on western edge of Pamplona, near Pyrenees, roughly south of San Sebastian

This is a classic example of one side, the dealer not telling you 100% of the truth. You have a purchase contract with the dealer (which is under consumer law). The dealer has a completely separate commercial contract with Škoda UK. The two contracts are not linked (if they were conditional on each other, you would be perfectly entitled to see the other contract that your deal depends on). If the dealer won't sell you the car (yet) then presumably it's not theirs to sell (in other words Škoda UK haven't yet released it to the dealer. Your purchase includes the grant discount, but as previously stated your contract is with the dealer and not Škoda, and should not dependent on Škoda having another completely separate transaction with the Government. How and when dealer gets remunerated for the grant value is not your business, and not a reason for delay. If the dealer is delaying simply because they don't want to be out of pocket for £1500 for few days/weeks, then that is poor. They are a retailer and should carry the commercial risk with their supplier. I would go back to them and remind them your retail contract is legally separate from any commercial deal they have with Škoda, and not a valid reason for delay.

Had an Arona for 7 years with the 1.0 tsi 115 DSG It was surprisingly nippy, and in everyday use, great rather than merely adequate. You won't have any problems going up hills even with it loaded. However if you want to overtake going up a hill loaded then probably better off with 1.5 Note the 1.0tsi DSG seems to have had power outputs between 110 and 116 ps over last 8 years, so check carefully which version you get. Manual versions can be as low as 95ps in some models

When we had had our charger (ohme) installed, the installer ran a data cable alongside the supply cable back from wall box to the isolator by the meter box. Because the area in front of the garage had no wifi or connectivity. So there are solutions to making it smart, rather than just a dumb supply. However some (cheaper and less experienced) installers don't seem to offer solutions to lack of connectivity to web

If you are considering an EX30, might be worth looking at Smart #1 as partly same car underneath. Granny chargers are rarely supplied as standard nowadays, if you want one will normally have to order it as an extra, or separately. With granny chargers, not going to be able to add more than about 110 miles even if you had it plugged in from 7pm to 7am. Don't think you would be allowed a discounted overnight EV tariff if you do not have a smart meter, because they wouldn't know how much you are using at different times of the day. Smart meters are free. Expect about £1000 to install a 7.4kw charger (if your fuse box is old or involves very long cable run will be more), but sometimes there are contributions towards the cost from manufacturers for new cars. Electricity tariffs change every few days, no point in worrying about best tariff now, just use one of the utility comparison websites, just before you want to change to find who has best deal.

Yes, keep the benefits, just pay a token amount of interest for few days before you settle the outstanding balance. For clarity, not cancelling the deal (which sort of puts everything back to where it was as if it hadn't happened). This is allowed under a 14 day cooling off period by law. Settling the balance early is not really advertised, and in blunt terms the benefits are subsidised by the poorer in society who can't afford to pay it off, and end up paying more in interest than they ever saved on the deal. I guess paying off early tends to be kept low key because morally it is reverse Robin Hood, take from the poor to benefit the rich. Quite why so many people take the dumb approach of only looking at the monthly payments (having chosen to exclude any deposit, or final payment, or penalties for damage/excess mileage) from their thoughts is completely beyond me. Only ever had a couple of lessons in basic household finance, but first rule was look at cash price and compare to total payable under a deal, to decide if it is a good deal that suits you. Ultimately someone is going to make a profit from a finance deal, otherwise wouldn't offer them or encourage them. So if don't want to line their pockets take the gifts, but don't give back twice over by paying loads of interest. .

It's quite a difficult comparison, and you have not really indicated how many people you normally carry,, and how far your journeys are, or if it is local driving or longer main roads. So to be fair any answers are going to be more guesses than recommendations. The Inster has the fold down front seat so can carry long Ikea boxes or a paddleboard etc, but what do you want from your car ?

I second that, if you change to XL tyres, or ones with higher load they are stiffer in the sidewalls so go slightly under the lowest pressure setting. If you choose higher pressure, fully laden or Eco setting then tyres will be far too firm

Government has updated the list of cars that get the £1500, or £3750 electric vehicle grant. Both Skoda Enyaq and Elroq are in £1500 category. There is a £37k limit, so more expensive and powerful versions are not eligible

The Government has actually published all the requirements finally There are lots of requirements and one that might stuff those that lease or rent is section under warranties that says consumer has to be given option to extend the warranty 2 years https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-apply-for-vehicle-eligibility-for-the-electric-car-grant/how-to-apply-for-vehicle-eligibility-for-the-electric-car-grant

It depends where you live, there are some roads not far from me where some rather angular speed cushions exist. And some side roads where the entrance has a speed cushion (whole side road width), built up to level of kerbs and footpath. I have seen many a lowered car scrape these, so personally would like bit of extra wheel travel without hitting wheel arches, or ending up with scraped underneaths. But if vanity and looks of large rims and slim sidewall tyres are more important to you, rather than practicality and how it deals with potholes and bumps, then that is your choice.

If you are looking at both Fabia and VW Polo then might also be worth looking at Seat Ibiza too. They are all very similar under the skin, and many of the parts and controls are identical. However specs vary between them and the various grades, VW tend to put less in as standard, but on other hand no point in paying for something unlikely to use. Ultimately going to depend on what you can source at a price you are happy to pay.