Harryc

My licence, that Skoda very kindly gave me for 12 months, has expired and now I have to pay to renew it. If I had known how much it costs to renew I would have made a greater effort to get the useless piece of crap to work. I spent hours trying to get it to work and the dealer did not have a clue. It is the only thing on the car that disappoints.

Not surprised - that was me comparing to the new Jag XF. Just delete it. Sorry about that.

Good Question. Initially went for the Sportline but realised that there was no difference in the performance and I think I liked a couple of differences on the base spec. Also thoght I might for once consider the wife's opinion as she wld be driving it more than me. Considering her opinion of cars in the past I thought that might be a mistake. But not this time. Her recent past choices: Honda Jazz (great car but underpowered), Jag XE (crap paint and she struggled to park it), BMW 3 series (utter rubbish - we both hated it). I have attached a spreadsheet with the options and base spec. Have shaded in the cells v each item. Red (waste of money), Orangey (not used or not bothered), Green (wld have again). Hope that helps. 17 07 Skoda Costs Rev 03 Briskoda.xlsx

Very impressive. I have previously had cars re-mapped but decided against doing the Skoda as the wife drives it more than me. This post might just have changed my mind. Can I ask where you having the soundproofing done?

Bit of background: the wife had a Jag XE and I had an XF. Good cars but the paintwork on the XE was abysmal. Both were ex-demos. Prior to that I had new and used Jag XKR's and an MX5. Currently have the Skoda and an old BMW 750 that are better suited to carting the dog around. Now had the 280ps LnK estate 12 months and it has just had its first service. The wife and me both like driving it and we both rate it highly - that might change when we part with it and the depreciation bites. 6,000 miles of say 70% built up areas and 30% mway. MPG - 30 by me. Best mpg is generally about 38 on the mway cruising at 70 to 75. Did manage about 45mpg once but the 4 mile tail back on the mway was a tad embarrassing. MPG - about 25 by the wife but she thinks that roaring up to the lights and slamming the brakes on is good driving (I exaggerate a little). No issues at all apart from a knackered tyre - courtesy of our local council pothole supplier. Paintwork is surprisingly free of chips and scratches, which is a first for me. Service cost me nothing as I took the two year service plan (apart from the 20 quid flush thing they offered - not sure if there is any value in that). Summary - best all round car I have ever owned and I am comparing it with the Jags and BMWs I owned for 20 years before becoming a sensible Skoda owner. It's faster, has more useful tech (and some that I never use), it is also roomier and as comfortable (altho not as pretty ) as the Jag XF sportbrake I had previously. And the service I have received from the local dealer is as good as Jag if not better. Now thinking of getting a re-map and some soundproofing. No real reason as the sound levels and performance are fine. I guess I just like spending money I dont have to get something a little different and to wind the wife up.

Good Day Anyone had any issues with the Voice Enhancer? I think it is quite good as I can hear people complaining about my driving in the rear seats but a couple of front passengers have mentioned that their voices seemed to echo. I tried turning it up, down and off but it appears to make no difference.

I was trying to be witty and smart and highlight that he is the only friend I have. As usual - failed again. But now I think of it he is probably a bit of a throwback as he actually likes the English.

Fortunately we do not have any car thefts oop North as most of them are worth buggerall. A mate of mine lived somewhere close to London a few years back and he had his 997 turbo pinched from his garage + cartier watch, wife's jewelery and phones from inside the house while they were in bed. Police said it would be long gone to either Eastern Europe or Middle East. He is still fighting the insurance company over his Cartier watch but did get fullty reimbursed for the car. As for London - I have it in my top 5 for best cities in the world to visit along with Newcastle (you may laugh but the beer is cheap), Adelaide, Paris and Madrid. Close contenders are Rome, Prague, Barcelona and Boston. And one of these days I will get to visit them. As for working in London. I did two 15 months stints there (I worked as an Engineering/Construction consultant - i.e. scabby contractor) and did not like it at all - a right pain to get around and expensive. Plus it is full of foreigners such as the Irish, Scots and Welsh. But enough of the politically incorrect hate mail and please note that some of my best friend is a Jock. The important thing is the 280PS LnK. Now had it about six months. Finally got the media stuff (Spotify) working and that Canton system is top class. Had a great time bopping about in the garage getting stoned on exhaust fumes listening to Earth Wind and Fire. Fortunately the wife got me out in time for my Sunday repaste of Greggs meat slice and Stotty Cake. The rest of the car is OK as well. Absolutely no issues with it except maybe the tyre noise, which I will sort when they are due for replacement. Having said that I had my mate's 8 year old BMW 760 V12 for a few weeks and the difference is not that great but bear in mind my ears are akin cement filled breeze blocks. Will I have another? Without doubt - might look at that hybrid they are talking about.

I am at 25mpg for my 280ps. Mainly suburban with a bit of motorway in quite a hilly area plus the wife drives most of the time and she is heavy footed. Best I have had is 32mpg with a two mile tail back on the motorway.

It will be interesting to see where the UK automative industry is in 2002 after the dust has settled. The big three Japanese companies initially selected the UK because of the subsidies and acccess to the EU. There are also the Germans to consider with Bentley, RR, Vauxhall, GM and the Mini. Plus Tata and the JLR group. I think it is unlikely the prestige brands will be much affected and it all depends on how the market evolves for the rest. For instance will BMW only produce Minis for the UK, in the UK, and produce the rest in a low cost EU country? Will the Japanese leave the UK or will they be encouraged to stay with wads of cash? And then there are the supply chains and logistics to take in to account. Forty something percent of UK manufactured cars are made up of parts from overseas (do not know how many are sourced from the EU). A Bently bumper vists the UK twice, Germany once and an Eastern European country once. The crankshaft for a Mini has a similar journey. On a more positive note, Gateshead (where I live) has just received £2m to subsidise a community project. We shall miss those EU handouts, unless of course our cruel faced cockney overlords step in and help us out as they normally do. Unlikely I fear, as Westminster did enough for us (and the Nissan car workers), when they paid for the ammunition to shoot ourselves in the foot with an Exit vote.

There are a few topics on this specific thread. 1) Tyre noise - thanks for all the advice. Will look carefully when I decide to renew. 2) Depreciation - I have a 64 plate Jag Sportbrake 3.0S Diesel that cost me 30k 12 months ago (about £44k new). I will be lucky to get 20k for it. Apparently the XF has the best residuals of any Jag and for mine that is about 45% over 3 years, which I think is reasonable. I am not expecting the 280PS to get anywhere close to that. But, compare the cost of a new Sportbtake with a similar spec to the 280 and the difference in quids is eye watering. I paid £37k (discounted at about 13%) for the LnK 280 - the equivalent Jag model is about £25k more and in my opinion the 280 (not run in yet) is a better car altho does not look as good. 3) Consumption - I have been getting low twenties and decided to use ECO mode to see the difference. Taking it very easy with a 60/40 split motorway/city roads I managed to average above 30. Very impressive when you consider the best average from the diesel Jag is 35mpg. 4) New topic. The paintwork on the Jag XE I have just sold this morning is abysmal. You had to approach it very carefully with a micro cloth - within ten paces and minor scratches started to appear. Threaten it with a hoover and gouges requiring the skills of a Salvador Dali appeared and it was not wise to take it out on the road as you not only got chips you were also battered (sorry about that) by road rash along the sills. Up to now the 280 seems a little more resilient.

As a weak kneed liberal Brexitexiteer it is difficult not to say 'I told you so' but I have bit my opinionated tongue up until now in case I get my face punched in by a rabid Brexiteer. If it was not so tragic it would be funny. 'We' do not know what 'we' want and 'we' do not know how to get it but 'we' will bumble along until time runs out but 'we' are not exactly sure when that is or what the economic costs/risks will be. BIzarre. No matter though as 'we' will stop immigration, which a recent report has indicated was the main reason why 'we' decided to undertake a kamikaze raid on Brussels. What I have never been able to get my head around is: if the main reason for EU departure was to halt immigration why did we not just stop the circa 150k of non-EU folk from entering the country in 2015? I am guessing it must be because we have a colonial fondness for Africans and Indians who will kow tow to our demands rather than putting up with those bolshie Poles. Answers on a postcard to Almost Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells.

Mine is coming up to 700 miles. Not getting close to 30mpg. Average since new is 23mpg. Very little highway travel up to now and still running in so not overly concerned at this stage.

I have had Jags for the last 12 years and I reckon the depreciation over 2 years is 50+% on average. I have just sold a 26 month old XE for 21k, which cost 42k new. I did some research on depreciation before I bought the 280ps and Skoda were considered to be the best for depreciation in Europe but the particular site I looked at did not quote any rates of depreciation. However, I do not think the same will apply to Superbs as one of the reasons the depreciation rate is good is because a lot of taxi drivers buy low mileage Octavias. Depreciation is always going to be high on a brand's top end model-end especially if it is heavily optioned.

It's a waste of money.

I used Meguires px and a Meguires polishing mitt. Lotof buffing and using light pressure. Took a wee while but ended up with an excellent finish and no swirl marks. The scratches, which you could feel when I rubbed my nail across them, were caused by me using Autoglym glass polish.

TEXT COPIED FROM BILLY JIM - MY COMMENTS IN UPPER CASE I BOUGHT THE LnK, WHICH IS HAS A HOGH SPEC. ON TOP OF THAT I WENT FOR: Heated Windscreen Washer Nozzles - DUNNO YET Wireless Phone Charging Bluetooth - YES Rear-View Parking Camera - DEFINITELY Smart Light Assist (Auto High / Low Beam + Blind Spot and Lane Assist) - DEFINITELY Traffic Assist (Traffic Sign Recognition) - THE TRAFFIC SIGN (SPEED LIMITS) REC'N IS A LOAD OF OWLD ****** Rear backrest release from boot - DEFINITELY Heated 3 Spoke Leather multifunction Steering Wheel with Paddles - YES BUT RARELY USED THE PADDLES ON THE LAST CAR (STILL RUNNING THIS ONE IN ANYWAY) Variable Boot Floor - YES Partition Net Screen - NOT TRIED IT YET Waste Bin in Door Panel - HAD A BRAIN MELT BUT IT IS A GOOD REMINDER OF HOW DAFT I AM Temporary Space Saver Wheel - YES Integrated Tow Bar - LOVE IT, BUT WILL PROBABLY NEVER USE IT Quartz Grey Metallic Paint - LOOKS BETTER THAN I EXPECTED BUT MANAGED TO SCRAPE THE BUMPER IN FIRST WEEK Panoramic Sunroof - YES Extended Warranty to 5 Years - WE SHALL SEE Service Plan for First Two Services - I WLD HAVE LIKED 5 YEARS BUT 2 SERVICES IS THE MAX. Travel assist and traffic sign recognition. (looks cheap and I believe other functions can be turned on once you have the camera that is in this extra but what are the other features)? Can enable Light Assist and Lane Assist through adaptation. Not Blind Spot Detection which uses additional radar and different door mirrors, nor Smart/Dynamic Light Assist (beam masking) which requires a different set of Bi-Xenon lights and also include the illuminated 'whiskers'. I HAVE THE LIGHTS AND OTHER GUBBINS AS STANDARD AND THEY ARE OK Front passenger seat control (what is this?) Have it. Adds a duplicate set of seat controls to the upper inside edge of the seat so driver or rear passenger can adjust the seat position. Only available with electric front passenger seat. Would spec again purely because my elderly mother can never get to grips with the seat controls so it allows me sort it for her. NOT GOT IT DCC: worth the money on the SE L? At the moment I am not really considering this but any view would be good Have it. Adds adaptive suspension and the Comfort mode which is excellent on long motorway cruises but I seldom use it off-motorway as it causes too much wallow on bends for my liking. LOVE IT Heated windscreen nozzles: (cheap so why not!!!) Have them. An often misunderstood option. It heats only the nozzle, not the fluid. Solely intended to defrost any icy blockage at the nozzle port. HAVE THEM BUT WE DO NOT GET ANY ICE IN NEWCASTLE Rear wiper (free but think it is included in new spec anyway but will make sure it is added) I have it and wouldn't be without it on the hatchback. Others will tell you it ruins the car's lines. AGREE - STANDARD ESSENTIAL ON ESTATE DSG paddles (cheap so think I will add for the fun factor) Have them, hardly ever used them. Prefer using the stick in manual mode. Wouldn't spec it again. AGREE Colour maxi dot screen (looks nice and cheap so will add) Have it. Eye candy but does look good. AGREE Pegassus wheels L & K came with the anthracite Pegasus. Easy to clean. AGREE Rear seat release from boot (cheap and could be handy, views?) Have it. Used it on very rare occasions but don't find it that particularly useful. Almost inevitably one of the rear seat belts overhangs the seat preventing it fully dropping resulting in going forward to relocate the belt so I might just as easily have pressed the release button on the back of the seat in the first place. PASSED ON THIS ONE KESSY (worth the cost? does it not come with stop/start as standard so only really paying for the keyless entry also then looked at the virtual pedal with this but is it actually useful and do you use it much?) Yes, Stop-Start is standard across the range. I've got both KESSY and the virtual pedal. I've had keyless of one sort or another on my last 5 cars and wouldn't consider buying a normal-key car, it's just so damn convenient. I use the virtual pedal quite often. Easier than jiggling your shopping bags or fumbling for the key fob and at this time of the year when the back can get quite dirty it keeps your hands clean. AGREE AND AM VERY SURPRISED HOW MUCH I USE THE VIRTUAL PEDAL. Electric adjustable front seats (the driver is already electric so is this £500 for just the passenger seat? Does anyone have the ventilated seats and are they worth the extra?) I had the ventilated seats on my S2 and didn't need to think twice about going for them again on my S3. They're even more efficient on the S3 than they were on the S2. Nothing beats a pair of cool nuts in summer. PASSED ON THIS ONE - HAD THEM ON A JAG AND RARELY USED THEM I think that covers most of the extras but anything anyone would consider a must have? Seen a few comments around the Canton sound system but £600 would buy some nice after market speakers to fit in the OEM spaces if needed anyway or does the Canton system have speakers in different locations (I assume the head unit/amps are the same for either option). Canton (over the standard audio) has additional speakers. a sub-woofer amp, surround-sound support, as well as offering more user control of the audio output. The only must-have for me not already mentioned is the heated windscreen CANTON IS AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER THAN ALL THE JAG SOUND SYSTEMS AGREE ON HEATED WINDSCREEN

Thanks for the help chaps. Some good advice which I will be acting on. Agree entirely re current paintwork - it looks nice but it damages easily. On the last Jag I caught the sill with the plastic end of the vac and it left a scratch I cld not buff out. I am sick of forking out cash to get things sorted when I sell privately. On another topic I am well pleased with the Superb. Early days yet but it makes me wonder why I paid so much for the Jags - probably because I liked them when I was a kid and badge snobbery.

Fully aware of that but I wld rather send 40 quid on a bit of plastic (if it works) than the 450 I spent on getting the Jag tarted up.

Good Day Has anyone used 3M film protectors? Generally they seem to get reasonable reviews on Amazon but some mixed reviews on youtube. I ask because everytime I have sold a car I have to spend money on getting scuffs and scratches sorted at a paint shop and they ain't cheap. I do all the usual things using either Autoglym or Meguiars' products. Both OK but obviously useless against scratches etc. Places I wld like to protect are sills, bumpers and the inside of door handles. Not that bothered about a bonnet bra as that looks expensive and appears as if it needs to be applied by a professional. I also noticed that 3M venture Shield is only supplied thro approved installers. PS - I have only had the car a couple of weeks and already I have scratched the rear bumper with a garage door I have only been using for 6 years (80 quid thank you very much - shld not complain too much as I now have a wonderful relationship with the bloke who runs the local paint shop).

Excellent stuff - got the correct answer immediately Impressive!

I am a Brexitexiteer and voted that way. I doubt that many people will change their minds. Hate/love of the EU and immigrants has taken a few generations to get established - its not going to change overnight - regardless of the economic consequences. It does however make for some interesting political 'debates' although they are now becoming a tad tedious. Being a weak-kneed Liberal Democrat watching the main parties running around in circles while stabbing themselves in the eyes with forked toungues, as we creep closer to an expanding (or is it crumbling?) cliff edge, has a certain entertainment value if you are not concerned about your kid's future. Never thought I wld write that on a car blog. Please send any hate mail to my wife. Thanks H

Hi Thanks very much for all your rapid and helpful responses. Much appreciated - saved me a lot of head scratching. I took the easy route suggested by sagalout and that worked fine. BTW - I am impressed with the car up to now. I have been a Jag owner for the last ten years (S-Type, XK8, XK, XKR, XJR, XE and XF Sportbrake) and it compares very favourably. Even better in some areas. I bought it because it was the 2017 Estate car of the year and between 25 and 30k cheaper than the new XF sportbrake for a similar spec.

Hi Just joined. I have just collected a Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TSI 280 Laurin + Klement 4x4 5Door DSG. Impressed up to now but am struggling a little with the displays. I have posted a couple of questions (and no doubt more to follow) so look forward to any help that I can get. Cheers H