IanW5177

Having attained the notable three score years and ten I decided to treat myself and move to the dark side (Beemer, since you ask!) so time to sign off from this forum. I've not been a prolific poster as I was new to Skoda and joined to learn but have been an avid reader over the past couple of years There are so many knowledgeable posters that every day has been a school day and compared to some forums very little "willy waving" or needless arguments. Whenever I've raised any queries the replies have always been helpful and friendly even though sometimes the questions have perhaps been a bit dumb! So can I wish you all the very best for the future and thank those who've offered help, like SachaGrace with coding, I'm sure this forum will continue to go from strength to strength. As for the Skoda Superb, good name because it really is a hell of a lot of car for the money. Why anyone would buy a VW instead of Skoda puzzles me? I tested an Audi A6 Avant Quattro before deciding on the 5 series touring and the layout was so similar I thought it was really just a more upmarket Superb, quite a bit upmarket but too similar to tempt me (although it did go like **** off a wet shovel compared to the 1.5 petrol!!). Overall the Superb is a very relaxing car to drive with a hell of a lot to commend it and very little to condemn it. Little touches like the hooks in the boot (they must cost about thre'pence each!) that stop your shopping being all over floor when you get home are helpful things other makers would do well to copy. Only real PITA was that if you set up an individual driving style you have to switch to it every start up, particularly on a multi stop journey. Real first world problem that, so really enjoyed my time with Skoda and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. Off to find a beemer forum that I only hope is as knowledgeable and helpful as this one. 👋 Cheerio.

I took delivery of a new BMW 2 weeks ago, with a touchscreen, and have been setting it up and personalising it to my liking. Guess how many times I've touched the screen.... 0, nil, nada!! The idrive controller sitting near the gear shift is so much easier to use than a touch screen, particularly on the move, trying to hit small icons with your left fingers. I would think anyone who knows/has used the system would gladly trouser the cash in exchange for a touchscreen that is probably used about as often as an ashtray on a motorbike. It has the added benefit for those who like a clean car of when the screen is off it doesn't look like the marks and fingerprints would overwhelm the most experienced CSI! Additionally, it has voice control that, whilst not perfect, is far more "real world" than not just Skoda, but the Volvo and Honda systems I've had in the past. So, whilst I understand it sounds like a deal breaker, it wouldn't be for me.

Anyone frustrated with the delays should be aware that if they have a vehicle to sell or part ex the used car market is very much in your favour. I declined an offer of £18.5K for mine in late May as the, now many, car buying sites were indicating £19.5 to £20K was possible. I sold the car last week to a firm called Motor Dough for £23K after WBAC had done their usual chiselling down of an inflated online valuation, so I told them where to stick it. MD were exceptionally quick, straightforward and easy to deal with with their telephone offer being what they paid before the car left my drive. Cazoo also seem to be offering good money for used car too. So whilst my delay with a different marque was frustrating, financially it was very beneficial costing me £4.5K less than if I'd accepted the part ex offer and £3K less than my best expectation in May. Whilst the shortage of new vehicles lasts I can only see the used market being a sellers market with a premium on used cars in decent condition. So, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining!

View Advert FOR SALE - Winter Mats & Boot Liner SOLD 4 original Skoda Superb Mk3 fitted black winter rubber mats together with a double sided (carpet one side, rubber the other) boot floor liner for the ESTATE. Came with the car as part of the “Protection Pack” which also included mud flaps and cost about £250. Price new for the mats and boot liner is, I believe, circa £140. They are in very good condition, the mats having only been used for 1 full and 1 part winter. Reason for sale is that I've sold the vehicle and no longer need them. Will accept £50. Whilst the mats could be posted/couriered the boot liner is rather large so would prefer collection. Located NW England, 1+ mile from junction 1 of the M66, just north of Bury. Advertiser IanW5177 Date 04/11/21 Price £50 Category Parts for Sale Shipping Estimate £0

According to The Irish Times HERE The gist is that they are considering not starting new builds until they can complete the part built ones that are awaiting chips, Also mentions end of 2022 before they think the problems will recede. Not good news for anyone who has recently ordered a new Skoda I wouldn't have thought.

I know it's no consolation but the delays aren't confined to Skoda or VAG, I ordered a 5 series beemer in May and was originally told late August which went to late September but they're now saying, and believe it to be more reliable, that they expect it mid-October. Needless to say I won't be holding my breath!! What may be a consolation is the price of used cars still appears to be rising. BMW offered, what they accepted was a very cautious P/Ex on my car of £18.5k, because they weren't sure how the used car market would go several months hence. As WBAC, wizzle, motorway etc were indicating they would offer £19.5 to £20K I declined. I did a similar valuation last week and the average across 5 buying sites is around £21.5K with one suggesting slightly over £22K! BMW did say they'd make a revised offer once they had a firm delivery date but if it's not in the same ballpark then I'll consider whether to try selling privately via the forum or one of the, now many, buying sites. If you've got a P/Ex offer from the dealer it might be worth asking them to revisit it when you get a delivery date if your motor has gone up in value. It certainly looks like my deal will be a couple of grand cheaper than I expected in May.

More HERE More bad news for those waiting I'm afraid,

When I first got the car and tried to use Android Auto it wouldn't work using several USB cables I had at home. When I researched the subject on Google the one point that kept being repeated in every article was that a top quality USB cable was almost always the reason for failure to connect. So I got a SYNCWIRE one similar to this and it has worked seamlessly ever since. Up to that time I had thought all USB cables were created equal but you live and learn as they say.

I came to the Superb from 10yrs of two Volvo XC60's, fancying a change after nearly 20yrs of SUV driving and haven't regretted it. The car is aptly named and you get an awful lot for the money. It certainly didn't seem like a step down from my 5yr old Volvo, techwise it it was quite a step up but it is noisier and Volvo are renowned for the comfort of their seats and though the Skoda are certainly not uncomfortable, they're not really in the same league. My only real gripe is with the DSG box (7 speed on the 1.5 petrol), it's mostly very good when you're moving but there is something of a lag when you're pulling out at junctions or roundabouts, you can almost count to 2 before anything happens when you press the go pedal! Same with kickdown for an overtake. Recently, having having reached the grand old age of 3 score years and 10, and adjusted from SUV to Estate I decided to push the boat out and look at an “upgrade” to an Audi A6 or BMW 5 series, both PHEV. Tested both and to me the bimmer edged it by a fair bit. The A6 was a very classy, quiet and pokey, though less roomy Superb, being VAG the layout was similar if very much more refined. The 5 series was a better driving car, IMHO, and was ever so slightly more upmarket than the A6 let alone the Superb. As others have said, new you're comparing Aldi to Waitrose, Primark to Next. If 2nd hand there isn't the same price differential I'd be very surprised if you didn't find the BMW better to drive, quieter, classier in the interior and less roomy than the Superb. That's not a criticism of the Skoda, just a reflection of what you would expect given the price differential when new.

@xman and @IJWS15 I don't have a digital gauge but with a manual one it reads between 6-7mm so I guess the probable explanation is wrong entry on the by the tech on the computer report. As far as I can tell the wear on the tyre appears even across its width so I don't think it will be tracking. If the entry should have read 6.4, instead of 5.4, then there is just 1 mm difference between the tyres on the same axle. My last 2 cars before this were Volvo XC60's, both kept for 5yrs with about 45/50K on the clock and both went on the original rear tyres. The later one did have a tracking issue with uneven wear across 2 tyres which I got done at one of the local sheds, ATS I think, at about half the price of the Volvo dealer but as it was going soon after I just wanted to be able to show it had been done. I'll leave it for now, just check it when I do the tyre pressures every month or so. @Roberto280Sir, my driving style befits my senior years, laid back and relaxed - well beyond F1 starts at traffic lights or handbrake turns. However, I still like to drop it into sport and give it a damn good blurt when the opportunity arises on quiet country roads!! Thanks for your inputs guys.

My Superb Estate went in to the supplying dealers, Simpsons of Colne, for it's 1st annual service with just over 6,000 miles on the clock. No issues reported and the car was delivered back to me in a timely fashion. So far, so good me thinks. Then browsed through the paperwork and something stuck out like a blind cobblers thumb. Front tyres were 6.1 and 6.8 mm respectively. Rear o/s tyre was 7.5, no surprise on a front wheel drive vehicle but the n/s rear was 5.4mm - lower than the driving wheels and 2+mm lower than the other tyre on the same axle. Now I'm not technically minded or a DIYer when it comes to repairs but that struck me as a massive difference at such low mileage. Called Simpsons and spoke to a service advisor who at first tried to bullsh*t me by saying that superb's "chew through rear tyres", and he persisted with that even when I expressed surprise that I'd never experienced of that on a FWD car but changed tack when I pointed out it was "chewing through" one 2 mils quicker than the other. He suggested it may be tracking, perhaps caused by a pothole, and offered to book it in for a check. I politely declined pointing out that if their highly skilled and extensively trained Skoda techs couldn't spot something as blatantly out of cinc as that I wasn't completely confident in their ability to tie their own shoe laces let alone operate computerised tracking machinery! Now from previous experience tracking seems the obvious issue but I wondered if any of you more technically gifted readers might have any other thoughts? There is an Indy near me called Volksmaster who specialise in VAG brand and are subject of very good reviews, so my follow up is whether anyone has any personal experience of them before i contact them tomorrow?

They cover 59 (I think) countries so Europe and then some I think. If it's like TomTom the cameras stay on but you can't update them so they may go out of date and not warn of any new sites. Also found on the site that the audible warning is set by the actual satnav system NOT the camera file.

@broknspyrl Yes, usual camera type icon, the audio warning isn't too distinct - a bit like the freebie one described in earlier posts. Did say I would update on this but some personal issues got in the way.

@freelunchcool, thanks!

Thanks to both @bigade1 and @ThreeSixty for the database and the very simplified instructions clear even to me, a technophobe of a certain age. I installed the database and tested it with a speed cam located near our local Mr T's when out of isolation for the weekly shop. The ping was very faint and the icon wasn't showing up (my fault, reason later). So I did a web search and came up with https://www.scdb.info/en/ . It gives specific instructions for various Skoda (and many other makes) units including my 2019 Columbus. I tried the test file and it worked so went for the paid download and installed it. It's 9.95€ annual subscription but that includes monthly updates throughout the year, reasonable price given I was (I think) paying more for speed cams with the TomTom I used in my previous Volvo. After I'd installed it I realised that the reason the free database didn't show symbols was I hadn't activated it in the menu that allows you to display up to 10 POIs - dooh 🙄 I haven't been able to test the audible warning it gives for cams yet due to lockdown but should be able to next week but it does show all the local fixed, mobile and red light cams in my area. I had been using Waze via Android Auto (as having read this thread I thought it impossible to get speed cams incorporated in the Skoda one) and it gives so much real time traffic info but the maps are so Heath Robinson compared to the built in system. However, I don't know how good the traffic info is with the Skoda system and, I suppose, it might be quite a while yet before I find out! Thanks again guys for your help. P.S. How do you get the the green @username tags to work?