penguin17

I currently have a 7.5 R estate. Previously had the 280 Sportline hatch and a 150 TDI Sportline hatch before that. The 280 is a great car, comfy, capacious and I factory ordered mine so I spec’d it up. It was a nice place to soak up the miles and straight line performance was a hoot for such a barge. As a family car it’s more than practical and I would actually say it probably provides more room than 90% of 2+2 families need but that doesn’t mean you don’t fill it up every now and again. If you have babies and/or young children and family trips/holidays still mean you are lugging around high chairs, fold up cots, buggies etc then the Superb is hard to beat. I stopped commuting to work in 2018 so the 280 was a replacement for the 150 TDI, seeing as I no longer had to worry about fuel costs. Initially I was over the moon with the car but as my usage reduced I started ‘going out for drives’ rather than using the car out of necessity. Living on the edge of the NY moors I’m spoiled for choice and I quickly got bored with the 280. Even with 15mm lowered (vs standard) suspension (and DCC would have made zero difference), the car was crashy and unsettled, the rebound on the suspension was so lazy that you could hit an undulation and you’d wince and wait for the cars mass to catch up, worrying that you’d bottom out. My wife even picked up on this from the passenger seat. The handling is also pretty vague when pushing on and you are quickly reminded you’re driving an almost 5 meter long limo that’s set up with a bias towards soaking up miles without fuss and easily overtaking a line of slow moving traffic when the need arises. I thought of remaps, modifying suspension, anti roll bars etc but I was just bored with the whole package and it was a car that no longer suited my requirements/usage. I looked at 2 cars as a replacement; the Volvo V60 Polestar and the Golf R estate. I loved the V60 to bits but it’s rather cramped (it’s no old school Volvo estate) and the cabin is also very outdated but the performance and refinement is spot on. I driven an S4 Avant a few years ago and the Volvo is a much better car. So yes it ticked the right boxes it was still not ticking all, as I still need a car that covers family duties, transporting bikes, the dog etc. The Golf R estate just suits my needs perfectly. It’s more refined than the Superb (which I was surprised by) and quality is a step up in some areas and equal in others. Just remember that VW hierarchy dictates that the Golf can’t be compared to an Octavia or Leon; it’s much better. Comparing the Golf with a Superb is actually more realistic. Mine is 2.5 years old and still feels tight and drives like a new car. I've had to fix one rattle in the drivers door, which was a harness that had come lose from it's fixing. The Golf in estate form is also very practical, yes a step down from the Superb in terms of outright space/capacity but most cars would be but it’s still not cramped, my growing 12 and 9 year old boys have enough room and I have a Travall boot divider so our dog has his own space in the boot and we have space for luggage etc (50:50 split). I haven’t yet thought “oh that would have fitted in the Superb..” Now the trump card of the R is that when you’re not carting your family round it’s a more than capable hot hatch, widely regarded as one of the best all-rounders. I’d have to agree. It’s an absolute pleasure to drive whether on a motorway or a B road but it’s on a B road where it comes alive. The 280 is quick. The R is quicker. It’s also much more agile and direct. It doesn’t crash over bumps or feel like it’s leaning in corners and despite having a firmer setup it’s not harsh. The R is also more comfortable. If you haven’t guessed already, I love mine. I do not regret swapping the 280 at all. If I had to chose either car all over again then I’d pick the R every time. That’s not to say the Superb is a bad car, far from it. It’s a great car. It does exactly what it’s designed to do and then some, it’s just for my needs and fancies, at this moment in time, it’s not the car for me. I’ve now made a few mods to the R such as upgraded brakes, stiffer rear ARB, res-delete, upgraded intake and turbo inlet and stage 1 remap and its transformed the car again. Now running just under 3.7 secs to 60 and made everything feel a bit more polished without sacrificing OEM comfort. I’m getting the DSG remapped in a few weeks and it will also be going stage 2 in the not too distant future. I chosen to do those things because I got bored in lockdown and I realised life’s to short. As standard the R has more than enough performance and unless you really want to, you don’t need to modify it to be a capable car. For me, it really is the perfect all-rounder. Running costs are the same for fuel and tax. I get low 20’s MPG from both cars but they can and will get closer to 40 with little effort, on a long run. It’s subjective but my insurance went up a little on the R; when I swapped cars mid way through my policy I was charged £45 more for the R without mods, no admin fee. I’ve now changed provider and it’s gone up £100 but that’s on a modified car. Servicing and maintenance is exactly the same. PM me if you want any specific info. Happy to help 👍🏻

No wonder you need 400BHP with all the people you are chauffeuring around 😉

We did; one a booster chair but a proper one, not just the base. The other a full on baby seat. No problems. I didn't get the Golf because I wanted to play football in the back 🤣 You win! The Superb is bigger 😂

Of course 😃 Having had a SEAT Leon ST for a few years previous to the Superb, I know the Golf estate/wagon is more than practical enough. It's still a practical family car and not exactly cramped. It's just the Superb is the size of a small moon!

Do it! The 7.5 R is epic!

Yeah I thought that but then seen the 297kW on the VC (bottom LH corner).

Nice work Numbers are only half the story though, right? I bet it just feels so much more responsive and willing. Looking forward to more updates 😀

Speaking to a tuner last week about the inlet pipe/elbow upgrade and he sees a consistent 12-15 bhp/Nm mark up on stage ones and slightly lower on stock cars but response and pick up is also a meant to be noticeably improved. This backs up what I've seen via other online blogs/posts by some well regarded UK tuners. You could be nudging 400bhp with those mods + stage 1 + 99 RON 👏

Any plans to replace the turbo inlet pipe and elbow? Racing line do a two piece setup and Turbo Technics have a single piece offering. My separate elbow and pipe are arriving tomorrow 😀 EDIT: 🤦‍♂️ Disregard, I didn't see/read the text under the photograph 😂

Another thing worth noting is that silent coat only needs to cover ~40-50% of the same panel for it to be effective and it doesn't need to be in one large piece.

But they don’t have MPG threads 😂

Meant to be 306 but most are 320+ (With 99 RON) according to the tuners I’ve been speaking to this week. It’s f’ing quick though. Even coming from the 280. Total different animal.

Imposter!

Seen my first (new) Jimny yesterday, in Silver. TBH I thought it looked very smart. Nothing fussy just looked a little work horse. I didn't realise Lada had followed suit with a refreshed 4x4. George, have you seen this?:

I'm still not warming to those headlights which is a shame as the rest of the front end looks very nice indeed. Also not sure about the new VC being merged with the central infotainment, it's something I've never liked on MB cars too. I'd prefer a cowled binnacle as it looks driver focussed (if that makes sense!?!) I also can't help but feel the rear end is very i30N. One of the first GTI's since the mk5 that instantly just doesn't look 'right'. It's also a shame they used the blue Clark tartan in the GTE as those seats, in blue would look epic in the R.

Went to look at a grey one. Seen the white and preferred it, I don’t ordinarily like white cars but it suited the trim and body style. They usually leave the factory with ~320bhp, plenty of poke for now. I’ll remap it after I know it’s mechanically sound. The Golf Clubsport brake discs and pads, rear anti roll bar and bigger turbo inlet (adds 10-15bhp) will be fitted next Friday. I have my pedal box too so it should be plenty of fun 😊

It’s a white Golf estate.

Cleared it of all personal belongings and reset everything to factory defaults. Being collected tomorrow when my new car gets's dropped of. The dealership/showroom is still officially closed to the public but they have skeleton staff working behind locked doors, to clear the backlog.

Look spot on

Looks great, nice work 👍 What size spacers did you go for?

Can't comment on the eligibility of reduced lease rates etc but I will say the faulty engine stop/start button has been reported on here a few times and a replacement button should be all that is required. TBF whilst the replacement car isn't as plush as your Sportline it still keeps you mobile and they seem to have at least provided you with a good level of service thus far. Give Skoda UK CS a call and ask them to put you in touch with a local dealership with an operational service department. I've had emails over the last week from various VW, SEAT and Skoda dealers who have stated they are running reduced maintenance/servicing with the priority on keeping key workers mobile. If you have some joy with this then it would be worth phoning ahead and asking them if they'd get a new button in ready and if they diagnose the fault then you should be back on your way without having to go back again when the part is in stock etc. Good luck.

Not a UK company but don't let put you off, I've never had an issue with any orders and can't recall seeing any issues being reported on here: http://www.superskoda.com/Skoda/SUPERB-III/Front/ There's Maxton too: https://www.maxtondesign.co.uk/body-kits/skoda/Skoda Superb/skoda-superb-mk3/skoda-superb-mk3-prefacelift Maxton are a bit cheaper and appear to be very similar to the Superskoda ones (same...maybe?). Maxton stuff is well regarded and used across a lot of modified VW group cars. I've just ordered some rear side skirts from them. Triple R Composites, which are just outside Huntingdon, are a nice bunch and make some lovely stuff but they don't list anything for the Superb3. If you're in that area then you could contact them and offer your car for fitting and they will discount a completed splitter (or they did that with me on a previous car) HTH

@newbie69 not sure if you have seen this? I thought it may be of interest: https://www.onlyrevo.com/blog/all-new-gpf-stage-1-software-for-2-0t-ea888-gen-3-is38/

Is that with Heritage, Jeff?

@newbie69 We can compare notes on pre-GPF Vs GPF equipped cars 😀 I'm going to be going Revo stage 1 with the Revo or Turbo Technics turbo inlet pipe swap too. According to the Revo agent that would usually give around 490Nm and 380-85BHP. I did look at Racingline OEM+ stage 1 but there's not enough info and real world reviews out there. I'm sure the R&D is good as Racingline have a good rep and background with VW group cars, but having used Revo a few times in the past I shall stick to what I know and trust. I was looking at the Revo and Racingline air intake upgrades too but general consensus is that the limited benefit is at high revs where you will likely spend very little time. The one piece turbo inlet pipes have been proven to give 10-14bhp and Nm increase.