lozfuller

Thanks - anyone got the Altera Strada?

Not sure if this is the correct place for this question, but here goes! I've just bought a new Octavia Estate with a factory fitted detachable tow-bar. Does anyone know the maximum weight that can be placed on the tow-bar? I ask because I'm about to buy a tow-bar mounted 4-bike rack and these accumulate to a fair old weight when fully loaded. On a related question, does anyone have any recommendations for a wheel supported 4-bike tow-bar rack. I've got my eye on this, but don't know if there's anything better on the market. The Roof Box Company: sales and hire of Thule roof boxes and other brands of roof boxes, roof bars and bike carriers Atera STRADA 3 to 4 bike carrier no. AR2601 Thanks

I've just taken delivery of a 1.8 TSI Elegance Estate and I am, in the main, very pleased with it - lovely engine However, the audio system sounds rather tinny and feeble, regardless of adjustments I make to the bass, treble, loudness etc. (it says 'Stream' on the head unit). The audio system in my 10 year old Passat I've just sold sounded much better :( Has anyone else noticed this? It it likely to be the head unit or the speakers or both?! Do Skoda supply a better quality head unit that I could replace this with and if so is this significantly better and how much would it cost? Or should I be turning my attention to the speakers? Many thanks Loz

Thanks folks - seems I have a lot to learn....:eek:

I realise this is a rather wide question I'm asking here, but I've just taken delivery of a new Octavia and I want to look after it properly. I don't want to spend a fortune on cleaning products, but what products would people recommend for cleaning the car and alloys? In particular, I'm conscious that my current car has a lot of unsightly swirls on the paintwork - I just use a Halfords sponge and Turtle wax at present, but what is the best material for applying the cleaning materials? In terms of protecting the car afterwards from the inevitable bird droppings etc., what would people recommend here? I've heard the durability of the paint is not what it was..... Thanks Loz

Thanks for the response. Has anyone had the 1.8TSI remapped? I'd be more interested in improving fuel economy than performance - is this a viable option? If so, which is the best company to use and how about insurance and warranty impications?

Yes, I looked at the L&K but Skoda wouldn't supply it with the black leather and I didn't like the white leather or alcantra, so that put paid to that. Also I like the more understated look of the Elegance with a fairly powerful engine - should be able to fool a few people at the lights:D

Well, I've now placed the order:D 1.8 TSI Elegance Estate in anthracite grey with luxury pack, ESP, Xenons and factory fitted towbar - just got to be patient now:( Any recent owners of the 1.8 TSI engine out there? Is the engine fun and what sort of MPG are you getting? All views welcome:) Thanks Loz

Thanks - Lyra wheel looks good!

Thanks - in an earlier thread in this post, GK says that on their L&K the L&K badge also appears on the bootlid - is this not the case on yours?

Thanks for all the responses. dstev2000 (or any other forum members) - any chance of uploading any photos showing the L&K badges - I know, sorry to be a pain! I'm looking at ordering the car in anthracite grey. Loz

I'm just about to order a 1.8 TSI Elegance Estate and I'm undecided as to whether to spend the extra £365 on the ESP option. I'd be very interested in other members' views as to whether this is a worthwhile safety feature. On a related note, since I'm already going for metallic paint and the luxury pack on the Elegance, I have considered spending the extra £900 or so on the L&K, which has the ESP along with many other extras included in the price. However, there are two things putting me off this: 1) I can't go for the light leather upholstery (kids!) and don't want to go for the alcantra. If I was prepared to wait for a factory order, do you think Skoda would supply the L&K with the full Onyx (black) leather (i.e. the Elegance option) instead? What's the longest I'm likely to have to wait for a factory order - I need it for mid-July at the latest, but would prefer earlier! 2) I'm not overkeen on having the 'Laurin & Klement' logo displayed all over the car. Could any owner who's recently purchased their L&K let me know the various places where this logo is displayed on their car? Many thanks Loz

Rym - any news on your new purchase? As good as you expected - or better?

Yes, Rym, would be really interesting to find out your first thoughts on the car - but I suppose you're too busy using it at the moment! Also, thanks everyone who's commented so far in this thread - it's been very helpful - so glad I joined this forum and I can feel a purchase coming on shortly. Loz

Any owners of the 1.8 TSI out there with any views?