FRSkoda

Trying to look at this scientifically there are a huge number of posts about build quality concerns on this forum - clearly if you are disgruntled you are more likely to post than if you are happy but the sheer number of posts points to there being an issue. The test drive car I drove for half a day prior to purchase was completely rattle free, quiet and a great place to be, mine on the other hand is could be sold in mothercare it rattles so much. My car was delayed with the 'sunroof' issue and I do wonder if it was partially dismantled to fit new parts for the sun-roof. Whatever the reason its a bit of a lemon but with lots of minor things so that it doesn't reach the threshold for rejection.. trim coming off, rattles, worn seats, computer systems needing recalibrating and re-programing, latest thing is the rear window blind does not retract fully and the sunroof blind creeps as you drive along.. but having said that there are clearly people who are happy with their cars. SO if you do want to buy a skoda my advice would be to buy a second hand one where you can test drive the car you buy as buying new is a bit of a lottery.

Compare the rattle free VW amarok that I also have - now at 4 yrs old and 90,000 miles vs the rattles and creaks from <3,000 miles on my more expensive 'superb', combine that with worn leather at 5,000 miles (compared with first marks on the leather of the amarok at around 80,000... suffice to say my first skoda will definitely be my last - the skoda build quality is just not that good (at least on my car)..

Finally getting round to sorting out some sound deadening for the door trims (esp the front doors) to improve the sound quality and stop the irritating vibration of the door trims with higher volumes anyone removed the door trims yet? Have done a forum search and haven't found anything but here's hoping!

more on that here - note the active noise is separate from speed dependent volume http://www.skoda.co.nz/models/hotspotdetail?HotspotName=R15+-+Canton+Sound+System+[A7]&Page=technology&WebID=66079c3d-1242-4318-be53-5e6089148452 I would guess this is a basic system with speed / engine rpm filters rather than an active noise cancellation system - if for no other reason that if it was the full works then the marketing guys would have ensured there was an on/off switch to show of its capabilities

Previous Audi A4 I had and I upgraded the speakers with these http://www.rainbow-audio.de/en/ and added an under seat sub and used the standard headunit, that and some sound deadening in the doors and it was a high quality (if not very loud) system - much better sound quality than the canton system in the s3...

I'd echo how helpful Gizmo was - we couldn't code the tailgate as mine must have been one the earliest J controllers, but the other mods were more that worth the trip - the audi throttle response is a huge improvement and worth the visit for that alone and the 'red' LED makes me smile.. and bit of feedback for Gizmo - the memory for the heated seats settings is also working for the seat cooling settings...

That's encouraging - at least we know the controller can be coded in that way, I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before a fully compatible superb j code solution is produced...

I wonder if by folding the seat forward the bar at the bottom of the seat back is now prominent - and a potential hazard - on an old VW Touran we had when the seat folded the unpadded bar was very easy to feel..

My guess would be to some extent yes, weight loss is important for all manufacturers, but so too is the premium feel of their vehicles and thus there is always a balance. I have found even on supposedly strong curves my superb has picked up dings and dents from car parks that I never seemed to get with my audis mercs, vws or porsches in the past. In addition when you polish it major panels flex - such as the c pillar and the panel to the side of the boot; these panels are pretty thin. The unladen weights would also support the suggestion that body in white weights are lower for skodas than premium vehicles - skoda superb 2.0 4x4 l&k 1580kg, VW arteon with the lighter petrol engine is 1716kg and a 2.0 d 4x4 merc eclass saloon is 1735kg whilst a base model Bently continental is 2295kg! with points to a pretty close link between increasing premium status and increasing weight.. The other factor here is how much skoda is willing to use complex variable thickness panels, complex pressings and lightweight metals which cost more than traditional pressings - I suspect there is quite a cost saving here cf mercs and audis and probably even compared to VW.. so not only do skodas weigh less, but they are alos less likely to use expensive weight saving metal techniques - further amplifying the quality difference. This isn't a criticism of skoda you get what you are willing to pay for and for the same price as a basic e class I have a fully loaded superb - my choice and I'm happy with it. As regards the thin panels bit if we could get data on body in white weights, and indications of where special composites, low weight metals and variable thickness and complex mouldings have been used for each car we would have a definitive answer...but I rather suspect this is commercially sensitive...

My superb was at the garage (yet again) yesterday and as its a joint VW / skoda garage I had a chance to sit in the Arteon - 5 door hatch / coupe - looks rather nice and interior quality and exterior build solidity was (as expected ) a massive jump up from the superb - for example the thickness of the bodywork metal means that panels don't flex when you press them.. but its rather too flash looking for me. Interestingly the 190 motor 4 motion isn't available - if you want 4 wheel drive then you have to get the 240 tdi or the 280 tsi... Yes its a lot plusher than the skoda, but £16k extra for 240bhp but otherwise near identical spec.. not sure the difference justifies it.

Just as an aside if your slip the car into reverse then the rear camera works even with the hatch up and you can watch the area as it descends...

The bit I find interesting is that there are bits that are directed at a luxurious rear seat - things like the ability to move the passenger seat forward from the rear seat to free up even more leg-room, the 240V and USB sockets in the rear and the ipad holders etc - all aimed at the car being ideal for chauffeur driven (OK realistically posh taxi / airport transfer service ) but the canton is set up only to cater for front seat passengers getting the best sound - no sound focus for rear seat passengers and limited speakers in the rear... which also means its useless if the kids are in the back and you want to set the system up for them.. Given that they could have just as easily limited the speakers on the fly (ie via settings) as they could do by hardwiring it... seems like they missed a trick on that one.

sunroof looks huge on the outside but is actually just a normal size on the inside. My roof also creaks terribly at times too with the implication that it has an effect on torsional rigidity too. In France the sunroof is standard on the L&K but if I could have deleted it I would have. The ventilated seats are also standard and are lovely in hot weather.. so my advice would be ditch the pano roof and get the ventilated seats but at the end of the day its personal opinion.

The other way of looking at it could be that its perfectly fine for modern engines with modern oil to go to 20,000miles (or more without an oil changes ) and that oil changes mandated every 10,000 are merely there to fleece the private motorist? Interesting articles here - the first one is about tests that amsoil did running diesel cars to 90,000 miles with no oil issues - the second is a link to their web site where they sell 25,000mile service oil (which still gives them a margin of x3) and the third is a scientific American article is about the US myth of changing oil every 3000 miles being needed... http://www.dnr.louisiana.gov/assets/TAD/education/ECEP/diesel/a/a.htm http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-category/25000-mile-oil-change/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/oil-change-truths/ BTW - I have a leased vehicle from Skoda France - the service on it is every 30,000 KM (18,641.1miles) so there does seem to be quite a bit of arbitrary maths going on here - if there was a mechanical reason why 20,000 miles was right then surely my service would be every 32,000km - but its clear that they are picking mileage limits based upon round figures. I would therefore suggest the most likely think is that the oil can probably go for 90,000 miles, but is sold to VW as 25,000 mile oil and they then build a further safety margin in calling you in around 20,000 miles or nearest round figure... and that more frequent oil changes are just to fleece the innocent private motorist or make their service plans look better value for money...

The time updates by GPS (ie the time comes from the satellite) but it (rather annoyingly) does not update the timezone - so you have a clock that is perfectly accurate to the second, but may be a hour out - its quite an oversight that the car can recognise where it is and alter the lights (and flag up a screen that tells you the local speed limits) but not update the timezone from GMT to GMT -1 for example