allaction2

I switched to a brand new Scala in April 2023, having previously owned 6 new Octavias since 2009. I like the Scala and have no real complaints other than the a/c power controls would be easier if they were buttons on the front panel rather than on page 2 of the screen. (The IT Dept obviously won that battle…) But I digress… precisely how popular is the Scala? I’ve only seen one other on the road since I put my order in in January 2023. I asked the salesperson in the dealers how many others she had sold when she handed me my keys, and she had a quick think and said that they are using one as a courtesy car… hmm… What do you think? Are they more popular than I suspect, and what’s the reason for their current sales figures? Might the Scala be withdrawn sooner rather than later, or is the model a slow burner? (Not literally, obviously…)

The spare wheel fitted to my Scala, delivered in mid April, is a Hankook and - I had just a quick glance - looks identical to the ones in each corner…

My Scala finally arrived last month after being delayed three weeks by sitting on a German dockside, and over a week in a UK port, waiting for a HGV driver to be found to transport it to my dealer. sigh…

32 months! Sheesh! My dealer told me on Tuesday that the Octavia wait is currently down from 50 weeks to 30 weeks. Does your dealer know the difference between weeks and months??!!!

Sorry to hear that. Not good, is it? The salesperson told me yesterday that delivery times are coming down generally (my Scala was firstly estimated at June delivery) and that Octavia’s are now down to about 30 weeks from order to delivery from 50 weeks earlier this year. I wonder what is causing the delay with yours? Fingers crossed for good news for you.

I’m a big fan of Carwow (and I’m not an employee!) I’ve bought my last two Skodas via them and saved £2,000 on each occasion. First time, they identified a dealer 90 miles away offering a better car at a cheaper price than my local dealer , so I was happy to drive (gingerly!) down the motorway to trade in my old Skoda for the new one and save a serious amount of money. More recently, I shamed my local dealer into matching the much lower price offered by dealerships 60 and 80 miles away. I’d thoroughly recommend using Carwow - even if it just ends up as a bargaining tool. It’s saved me a decent amount on two occasions.

To complete my tale… ordered mid-January, built late Feb/early March, delivered mid-April after three weeks delay on German dockside and almost a week for the lorry to bring it from the UK port of arrival to my dealer in Cardiff. Looks fine: only very, very slight surprise is that the small storage area at the front of the gearstick does not have a sliding cover to it as all my Octavias did, but apart from that, all looks good. Accumulation of dog fur in it commences tomorrow. Oh well…

I hope I’m not still waiting for mine because they used all the grey paint on yours!!! It looks good, and I hope that it hits the spot for you. Mine was built in the first days of March (apparently) and has been stuck dockside in Germany for over three weeks now… sigh…

Scala update: ordered in mid-January; built in late February/early March, now, on 29 March, has been stuck in the docks in Germany for the past fortnight. Grrrrr…..

SE ordered in January, week 03/2023, and was told then it would be built approx 15 weeks later with an additional 4 weeks for delivery, so was expecting it in early/mid June. I’ve now been told that the build week is now only 5 weeks or so later (very late Feb/first days of March) after ordering. Add on 4 weeks for delivery, and I hope to get it around Easter in early April.

I was told that it was a SE (with rear sensors) but with an already fitted rear parking camera, costing an additional £400/£500.

It’s a standard SE (with the addition, for whatever reason, of the keyless access...) The other grey 1.0 TSI on the database has an additional rear parking sensor, by the way.

Oh, to add.... there are far more 1.5 petrol TSIs around at present waiting for forever homes than 1.0s, apparently.

Practically the same as before - 1.0 TSI petrol but (not that I would have asked for it) keyless start to give the local crims a better chance of breaking in to it... graphite grey in colour - with metallic paint, the keyless thingy and a spare wheel - about £1,100 on top of the quoted price.

I have a happy ending to report, and I learned a few lessons along the way. I priced the model I wanted on Carwow and flaunted the prices received at my local dealer, from whom I have previously bought four Octavias. I was told that only brown or white models were available in the whole of the UK (neither of which I fancied) so, reluctantly, on my part, we shook hands and said our goodbyes. I then rang the nearest best-priced dealer on Carwow. They looked at the same register of available stock, and (perhaps surprisingly) found at least two grey models, one of which particularly interested me, and so I’ve bought it to collect in early March (my requested date.) I’m very pleased with the price and their excellent service. One thing to remember about Carwow - it works out distances as the crow flies, rather than as the Skoda drives, and therefore ignores the Bristol Channel (!) The garage I’m buying from - Carr’s in Exeter - is actually about 90 miles from me, and not the 50 that Carwow reckons. But if the price is right.... Alan Pask at Carr’s was very good to do business with on the phone. By the way, out of interest, the nearest estimate I was given for the first deliveries of the new Octavia was “late summer” Thanks to everyone on this forum for your thoughts and advice.