SurreyJohn

In practice makes no difference, but a tyre manufacturer is not going to make lots of speed variations, for different countries speed limits. Much easier to make it fast enough to cover all countries. Even if they did, your local tyre dealer is unlikely to stock every variation. And the marginal cheaper cost of a theoretical lower speed variant, isn’t worth it, as the logistics cost of stocking multiple speed variants is probably going to be more than any saving. So in reality cannot buy tyres with a lower speed rating (but a few common, high volume sizes do come in 2 or 3 speed ratings)

New brochure dated 8th November has both Phoenix orange and velvet red Now 10 colours, (but only 3 Octavia spec levels) Energy blue, petrol blue, race blue, hyper green, velvet red, Phoenix orange, moon white, brilliant silver, graphite grey, and black magic https://www.skoda.co.uk/_doc/0bcfc2d5-654f-49b2-a524-91e141293e36

New brochure is now available (dated 8th November) Just 3 spec levels now (SE, SEL, vRS) but you can have your vRS in orange or hyper green doesn’t look like Canton option exists anymore https://www.skoda.co.uk/_doc/0bcfc2d5-654f-49b2-a524-91e141293e36

No Scout version in UK, but range has just been changed (new brochure was issued 8th November) https://www.skoda.co.uk/_doc/71165c49-62c5-4f74-b29a-be6ad40d7373

Bit late now, but it is sensible to swap tyres front-back half way through a lease, that way can often return the car with original tyres, much cheaper to swap the wheels around than buy 2 new tyres. You will need to check small print of the lease return, but usually any replacement tyres have to be equivalent quality, which means can’t return with budget tyres if you got it with premium tyres.

Sometimes get a transition period, a model with bit of old and a bit of new. It is quite likely that some parts will change quickly, especially if run out of old design at factory, but they will use up stocks of other parts before making some changes. Very difficult to give timescale at this stage, but can always do what it says in tiny print at end of brochure, and ask your dealer for exact specifications. However do be aware that some things automatically transfer, and don’t always offer a new alternative, eg if paint colour or option or feature discontinued, might not get any new colour or feature that is a partial replacement unless dealer specifically asks for it. Assume dealer won’t bother unless you push them on all deletions and additions and request copy of order update to show they have been processed.

Google need to spend a bit on updating their maps, we recently bought a new house (built in 2009), and the whole road has not yet been added, so maps at least 12 years out of date. I suspect they just add what is notified, and have never gone back to validate their first map was correct when they started using it.

Or the brand and type of tyre, and temperature. In general (but there are exceptions), Eco and summer touring tyres rumble more when colder as they become firm. Eco and sport tyres tend to be very firm all the time. All-season and winter tyres have softer compound, but tread pattern tends to be more meaty, although in my experience tend to be quieter.

Why does anyone order a car, which still won’t be with them in 9-11 months. How can anyone get joy from that sort of new car experience. So much easier 30-40 years ago when you walked in showroom, picked one that dealer had speculatively bought as stock, and had it within few hours.

I have always thought the plastic trims are more decorative. The other side of the wheel is open so not going to protect it all from corrosion, and they usually have protective black paint to protect from worst of rusting. Unlike 1960s when wheels used nuts on rusty studs, nowadays have wheel bolts and they seem to be made from better steel or are galvanised, as don’t seem to get rusty streaks off them

@smipx the quick answer to your question on the best of the premium summer tyres is any of them. Depends on situation, some are better at some things than others. It will depend on temperature (grip falls off on all of them below +10c), how wet it is, how hard you drive, how you like your tyres to feel (firm or very firm). No one will be able to answer for you as it depends on your priorities

@smipx if you still have 4mm of tread on the front, then do a front-back swap. That way you won’t need to change any yet, and when you do you will have 4 with about same tread, so changing to all seasons becomes easier. You will encounter comments about rears should have more tread, the theory being back could lose grip and slide out sideways. However a tyre with 4mm at the back is not same as putting heavily worn tyres on the back. (I wouldn’t suggest moving tyres with under 3mm tread to back either for same reason). So swap them around now, then wait until first one approaches 3mm tread. Although legal limit is only 1.6mm, I always suggest 3mm is minimum if you drive in the rain. Anything less in the wet could mean losing grip with road.

All seasons can be safely used at +30c or +35c, just not quite as good as at +20c. Similarly if get warmer day winter tyres can be used at +15c, but they are better at +5c However you will find summer tyres grip falls rapidly below about +10c in wet (nearer +4c in dry). So much better to have a tyre that can cope with 5 months of cold damp mornings, than handful of hot dry high summer days

Just edited my post above to explain reason for summer touring tyres (they suit WLTP tests at +23c) To be clear 92W is minimum weight rating, and minimum speed rating. Can have tyres with equal or higher values, but never below.

Tyres, especially in uncommon sizes often only come in one speed rating per brand, the volumes are low enough, so no advantage in making both a 210 and a 240km/h version. You can go up in speed rating without question. Even without the variations, probably going to struggle to find anyone who actually stocks the low volume unusual sizes, so internet is your friend as going to have to be ordered anyway. The wheel spin is partly due to using summer tyres in colder weather, it seems modern compound summer tyres are poor below about +10c in wet. Clearly in UK we have few months of cold rain each year, so that is why people are changing to all-seasons (ideal for about -5c to +25c), or buying second set of cold weather (winter) wheels and tyres which are even better. Not going to bore you with a physics lesson about rubber compounds, but can’t really make a tyre that is ideal when cold (too hard) or ideal when hot (soft and sticky and wears quickly). For 215/50 R18 my suggestion for all year tyres would be (no particular order as prices and availability vary) Goodyear vector 4 seasons Generation 3 Vredestein Quatrac Pro Pirelli Cinturato all season SF2 Continental all season contact @smipx your choices T001 and primacy etc are summer touring tyres, better suited to doing the miles on the Autoroute de soleil in high summer, designed to work temperatures more like +10c - +40c, than soggy UK in Autumn. If you are wondering why manufacturers fit summer touring tyres, it is because official WLTP tests are done at +23c so they minimise fuel consumption at test temperature. Of course average day and night temp in UK are nothing like +23c

A bumper protector by the boot Tyres that can be used below about +9c in wet (+4c in dry), the default summer tyres are not suitable for use in UK all year round, as don’t grip in cold rain, sleet, snow, frost, or if cold enough for road to be salted (and who wants to be doing 70mph on a motorway with poor grip)

You can set the front and rear sensors to make different tone in infotainment, so you know if you are closing in at front or rear. I am assuming you mean normal manual driving which I think is just a warning. Automatic parking will stop the car before it hits anything (although trusting it to spot a small pole is not something I have ever tried)

@costelg when you say vagueness of braking, do you mean brakes are weak, or the brake pedal seems to bite at a different point to another car. If brakes are weak and spongy might have airlock in hydraulics. If car is brand new, the pads might not be bedded in, probably takes over hundred brake applications (mileage is irrelevant, flat open roads won’t see anywhere as much brake use, as hilly area, or city centre traffic). Every car I have ever driven the brake pedal feels different.

We have a 1.2 tsi 105, quiet and reliable Never had any problems with engine in 9 years, although had to change battery and tailgate wiring loom about 18 months ago

Probably tyre related Check all your tyre pressures (especially now weather has got colder). Don't forget if you use summer tyres in colder weather, they can be rather hard and not grippy. Much more likely to feel irregularities if tyres are hard.

That’s a bargain price, presumably with tow far prep from factory On some cars, the VIN plate doesn’t contain info required if no tow bar prep, if missing it’s illegal to fit the tow bar. Also getting the electronics reprogrammed on a MY22 car can be expensive (amongst the changes, ACC needs altering as braking with trailer affects it, rear parking sensors need to be aware to avoid going off, if got auto parking needs to isolate when trailer attached etc).

If you are going cross climate, then choose the new improved version cross climate 2. (the original and plus version have been superseded, but old stock likely to still being sold) However if you stick with the 18 inch with 215/45 R18 89V tyres then very limited choice in all season tyres. Vredestein quatrac Pro, Hankook Kinergy 4S2, Continental all season contact, and some cheaper (less good) ones from Maxxis, Goodride, Minerva etc.

Good choice on choosing Cross climate 2

It’s virtually impossible to buy a new car now (as in walk into showroom, choose it, and drive it home same day). Many cannot even get you a new car within a week. I’m not talking about placing an order for sometime mid 2022 There has been much lower new car sales volume for 17 months, so few of these are back on market. Few people will trade a car today for a newer car if can’t get the newer car, as that leaves them without a car. Many people have extended leases, or taken the option to buy on PCP (would be daft not to if say balloon is £10k, but car is worth say £14k), so lack of 2-4 year old cars hitting secondhand market. Then it’s basic economics, lack of supply and increased demand results in higher prices. The big question is when or if secondhand prices fall, seems unlikely for at least 12 months until dealers start to have lots of unregistered cars available for sale again. Might be 2023 before they can actually supply a choice for cars that are available on site. However if lots of people then get a new car and trade in a 5 year old car (as pushed back trading in for 2 years), the price of older secondhand cars could tumble. There are lots of unknowns here, as an example a 2 car family might swap the cars between drivers and trade in oldest instead.

The iV has lot of heavy batteries. However the difference is starting torque, a Diesel engine has very low torque at walking speed (it builds up as engine gets to ideal speed), but electric drive can give max torque from zero (its more a case of limiting power drawn to avoid motors getting hot). Regenerative braking can be lot more fierce than disc brakes (but it doesn’t work at low speed, so brakes will be blended so that it is mainly disc friction brake as you approach standstill) That is why tyre manufacturers have started to make EV spec tyres (even more heavy duty than XL tyres). Traditional car tyres are not designed for these loads.