Rainmaker

I'm fairly confident your car definitely had a fault. That or you drove everywhere in 1st gear and use the pedals clog and anchor style! My 220 doesn't dip below mid 30s on a journey that long, unless I'm bouncing it off the red line in every gear - in which case I'll see low 30s. When the traffic isn't bad I can tip 40mpg. I tend to find 95 RON doesn't give that much of a difference to 99 RON over the course of a tank. The higher octane stuff definitely feels more drivable at the top end (and has a bit more urge at the bottom end), especially pressing on at three digit speeds in hot weather, but fuel economy isn't massively different - certainly not to the tune of almost 30%! Maybe try Shell 95 instead of Tesco. It's the same base fuel but Shell's additives are much more advanced. As you say though, for an extra 5ppl (Tesco's national policy for M99 pricing) there's nothing in it really. I'll fill up wherever I'm passing (Costco, Tesco, Gulf, Essar or Shell - for the 99 RON) but if needs be I'd not think twice about throwing in some Shell 95 for a tank, especially when I'm only expecting to pootle around town.

The 220 TSI likewise is just under 2,000rpm at 70mph already, with the wet clutch six speed. They must envisage extra benefits with the 7th cog else why not just use the more eco focused 6 speed box? It would allow shorter gearing, but more of them, I suppose - which is a bit of a downside from the driver's perspective (flat feeling, narrower rev band during normal driving).

Not me. Let us know how you get on mate.

For those interested in a more northerly meet, there's the OcUK Motors meet in March, which has a few Briskoda members already confirmed - me included. It'd be nice to see some of you there if you can make it!

For those who don't already know, Overclockers UK are a computer hardware shop with a large UK based forum. Their Motors section has annual meets, and this is the 2018 one. All are invited, not just OcUK members, and there are plenty of tasty cars already confirmed (GTRs, Jag SVOs, M3s/M5s, Mustangs etc) as well as some Skodas - mine included. The company are providing free Dominos pizza for attendees and there will be VR racing games (with prizes), a raffle, and other events during the day. Why not come along, meet some fellow Briskodans and a wider variety of like-minded motoring and/or driving enthusiasts? When: Saturday 12th May 2018, 10am - 4pm Where: Overclockers UK (car park) Newcastle-Under-Lyme Staffordshire ST5 9BT Please see the thread on their forum (no registration required) for extra details. Several BMW, Jaguar, Fast Ford and other forums are also attending - and some people from your favourite Briskoda forum, also. So far there are over 60 people/cars attending so it should be an interesting few hours chatting and messing around. Local roads are available for 'passenger' rides in each others' cars (at individual discretion) and I will be providing free advanced and performance driving (RoSPA) assessments/coaching to limited numbers on a first come first served basis if anyone is interested. As it's in Stoke it's fairly central, so why not pop along and see who you can meet up with? Bring the car (prizes for cleanest and dirtiest on the day!). if you wish to attend, please reply here with your confirmation and details of your car (eg MyName - Skoda Octavia vRS 230, or similar). I'll then have you added to the main list at OcUK. See you there!

Hold on... From the link posted above: So let me get this straight. The engine gains 8% fuel economy, but also sacrifices about that much (%) of its power to do so? Then, for example, it would give - theoretically - up to 32.4mpg instead of 30mpg to a tank. First, does anyone buying a large petrol really give two figs whether they're getting a mere 2mpg extra? Seriously? Especially when they have to give up a chunk of power to do so? Second, if I wanted to sacrifice some power to get better economy, I didn't need to wait for a power-deprived Miller Cycle engine - I could have just ordered the 1.4 TSI 150 instead... or a diesel. Am I missing something, or what?!

OP if you want a number plate that looks basically identical to yours, but that is road legal, check out FourDot. I've never used them personally, but they're long-established, and a very well regarded maker of custom plates. They're the tiniest size legally required for your particular reg (so shorter number/letter combos result in ever smaller plates) and their maker info is so tiny as to be basically invisible unless you're holding it in front of your face. They're DVLA/DVSA and police approved for road use, and come in a large variety of possible shapes/types depending on your preference. They're not very cheap though.

Several people have remarked on this, but I'm quoting yours because it's the last I read. A GPF shouldn't be much of an issue, thankfully, and not at all like the diesel counterpart. Petrol engines have proper throttles and stick to a strict fuel:air ratio. Diesels, conversely, are running cylinders that are always full of air and the 'gas' pedal simply adds more or less diesel to the mix depending on how much 'go' the driver requires. Petrols also run much hotter. Although I'm on expert and I'm happy to learn more, from what I've read so far over the last year or so, GPFs will effectively do a full and instant 'regen' every time you lift off the throttle. They're always very hot (compared to a diesel) and closing the throttle off instantly creates conditions that obliterate whatever's stored in the GPF. No need for long runs, clogging up etc. We shall see how they're implemented in practice but I'm not worried yet.

Which mats? There are two, aren't there? Standard and premier or some-such. I got the premier ones from SuperSkoda while my car was on order, as it was much cheaper than direct from the dealer. Some 17,500 miles and almost 2 years later and they're still great despite being beaten daily by a family of five.

Tyres have changed a lot in the last decade, and even the last five years. Some of the previously more budget brands have moved up in the world (Nankang are now Porsche OEM fit, for example!). That said, I don't think you can beat Michelin for grip, comfort, or longevity overall.

Waze is great and very handy for mobile sites especially. It needs a data connection though and eats phone battery for breakfast. It’s always worth having a backup on Columbus to be safe.

Yes it’s the same process each time. Don’t worry you soon learn how to do it, I can update mine in less than five minutes from start to finish. It seems worse than it is when you first start lol.

Based on my experiences of the knowledge espoused by Skoda's UK "technical" department, that's not much of a feature.

Gawd all this talk of saving fuel. Do people really buy expensive, heavily depreciating biggish petrol engine cars and then worry about whether they spend £40 instead of £20 a week enjoying them? Just hit the county roads, knock it into manual or sport and floor the bloody things haha. You’re a long time dead and one day you might not even get the option of a proper nice ICE car.

@juux The engine is definitely not off during coasting mode. A quick glance at your tachometer would confirm that.

Yes, definitely ditch the Eco mode. Under very specific circumstances on lightly populated roads it can save a couple of MPG, but usually it just uses the same fuel or more and makes for a very flat, dull drive. As to the discussion above, braking technically uses no fuel at all. You’re off the throttle and (in the Superb’s case) recouping kinetic energy after all. It’s the accelerating again afterwards that does it... Hence why looking well ahead and anticipating traffic flow with acceleration sense (ie just using the throttle) saves fuel over the gas/brake/gas/brake method. @GlennLyttle how many miles do you have on the clock so far?

Welcome to the forums. As said above, you're basically seeing a mixture of factors at present: Running in period, cold winter weather and (potentially) traffic conditions on your commute. There's a big difference between 8 miles of open motorway or sparsely populated A road and 8 miles of twisting, hilly B road full of snow, for example. The car will use a good 10 to 15% more fuel during run-in in my experience. I got my 220 during warmer months but still only saw 25 to 27mpg, whereas now the car's run in I easily see 32-35mpg to a tank. Please bear in mind my particular usage is what they used to call 'severe service' and shouldn't be taken for 'best practice'; because I'm disabled my poor car basically does lots of short cold journeys and lots of revving. Most people easily see mid to late 30s to a tank overall once the car is run in, and indeed I still get late 30s to mid 40s on the motorway depending on traffic despite my harsh city driving day-to-day running conditions. Have a read of the running-in thread (HERE), and search around the forum. You'll find plenty of 220 and 280 threads (they're the same engine, with bigger injectors and turbo on the 280). Nobody buys a 2.0 TSI because they're eco conscious (though tbh they could, and they'd not be wrong), but rest assured your figures will improve greatly after a couple of thousand miles by the warmer months. As a few said above higher octane fuel won't do any harm and generally pays for itself with this engine (99 RON, meaning Tesco Momentum 99 or Shell V-Power), but boggo 95 RON won't hurt too much unless you're really pressing on it hotter weather. This engine loves to be revved once warm, and responds incredibly well to a long, hard, hot drive across country every week or so if you can manage it. It really helps 'clear out the pipes' and gets the engine feeling more agile, responsive and 'on its toes' around town for a few days afterwards. I often find if economy dips slightly and the car feels flat, a spirited run across twisting hilly roads adds a few MPG (and more smiles per mile) for a while afterwards again. As someone said above, you'll not find much of an economy penalty for using the revs (don't be scared to redline it once it's run in and the oil is warm), but braking down and then re-accelerating is what uses the fuel. There is also a difference between smoothly feeding in the power and just booting it from a standstill over and over... The former will sip fuel despite using the car's full performance, but the latter will drink like a fish! I can cover 100 miles across twisting B roads in manual or sport mode, never dipping below 3,500 rpm and regularly visiting the red line, and still get almost 40mpg by the time I'm home. It really is a very flexible and fun engine. Shame it doesn't have a manual box and RWD, it'd be just perfect! Anyway, the long and short of it is just relax and let the engine do its thing for a couple of thousand miles. Don't forget to check the oil as they do tend to use a bit during run-in, but they don't seem to touch it after that. The oil on these has to be checked while the engine is warm. Get the water and oil up to temp (80 plus) and then let the car sit on level ground for two minutes so things can settle. Then check the oil with a clean rag or what-have-you. Checking when cold will give a misleading reading. Have fun and enjoy your motor, but if you have any more questions there's plenty of folks on here who'd be happy to chat with you. Cheers.

Thats the first I’ve heard of that mate. Unless you’re referring to the back of the valves due to DI? The new gen3 engine has both direct and multi point injection systems to keep everything clean (actually installed for emissions reasons, however). Regarding carbonisation of injectors I’m unsure what octane would have to do with it as even with advanced timing you’re still burning the same fuel. The fact higher octane fuels usually have more detergent perhaps?

The 280 asks for >98 RON anyway, it’s a false economy not to.

Sorry to have disappointed, but I'd rather tell you the truth. For the advantages of the extra driven wheels where required, I'd point you back to traction off the line / out of junctions more than anything. That's a big reason why the AWD/4x4 cars have better 0-60 times than their two wheel drive compatriots - better initial traction and go. It may sound minor but on wet, greasy British roads it's a fairly ongoing requirement day after day. In lower powered cars, or cars with better tyres and geometry, it's not so bad. I have to say though the 220 Superb is pretty woeful at times (exiting junctions at an angle with throttle, on damp/wet/greasy roads I mean, not in general!). So much power, poor wheels and suspension, a 'wobbly' gearbox (see the dogbone insert threads) and it's a recipe for slip. The 280 just powers away without drama and you're already half way down the road while I'm still cursing the 'blasted thing' and getting the wheels straight while I gingerly feed in power. As you say, the rest of the time there's not so much in it. All things being equal, 4x4/AWD can give you better initial traction in ice and snow. Things are rarely equal, however, and good all season or winter tyres on even a powerful RWD car will leave a summer tyre shod 4x4 standing. Don't forget, 4x4 in itself can get you going easier in adverse conditions, and even carry more speed, but it sure as heck doesn't stop you any quicker... Hence all those photos of Jeeps/Land Rovers/X5s upside down in ditches in winter 'mayhem' news stories! As for your options list, it's a very individual thing. Personally out of that list I'd only really want the heated front screen and TSR, and even they'd be 'nice to have' rather than a 'must have'. Some 75% isopropyl alcohol to 25% water in a cheap sprayer eats ice off your glass in seconds and costs buttons. Would I rather have a heated front screen? Certainly. Would it be a deal breaker? No, else I'd currently be in a heated 2,0 150ps diesel with L&K trim. :p Canton does nothing much for me as I'm hard of hearing, but I appreciate that's my downfall and may be a massive uplift for other people. Heated jets? What about the pipes, pump and storage bottle? It's a hard pass from me, with appropriate -30 screen wash from about September onward to be safe. Electric boot - again, nice to have but also needless added unsprung weight and something else to pay a bomb for when the warranty expires and it inevitably goes all 'French electrics' on you... You get the idea. I realise most don't hold my personal philosophy on car spec, but I'd be just as happy with base spec, large petrol engine, manual box, rear or AWD, small wheels and largeish tyres, good suspension and pretty much everything else optional (and mostly unticked). Alas you'd be hard pressed to find such a beast these days.

This question has come up a few times on here, so you may find some 'new' opinions via search. I have a 220 and I absolutely love it. Large, fast, stable, practical, and (importantly in my book) inconspicuous. It's better on fuel than the 280 thanks to slightly longer gearing (1,750rpm at 70mph give or take, compared to about 2,400rpm in the 280 iirc), is just as fast in daily traffic (the extra power of the 280 comes at the top end), and is cheaper to buy. It also has all the same toys comparing trim level to trim level (except AWD), but lacks the visible exhaust pipes. So obviously, given the choice of 220 with toys or a 280 without, I'd take the 280. I didn't have a choice when I ordered mine, but the 280 would have it for me. What toys would you miss exactly, if you went to the 280 instead of the 220? Genuine question as I don't know what differences you're looking at. For me the Superb is one car where AWD really tips the balance for pressing on, as it's a large car with rubber band tyres and VAG suspension (nuff said). The extra couple of quid in petrol a month is nothing, but the extra stability, security, speed and power - not to mention smiles - push it for the 280 imho. Plus, proper exhausts. Your call, and I can promise you the 220 would never disappoint if you went that route (as I said, I do love mine), but those few times the car thumps and bangs as the wheels spin and the dash flashes (especially turning out of junctions, roundabouts or slips with some steering angle and throttle applied) you'd always hanker for AWD. On the other hand, if you did get the 220 it happens so infrequently - and can be driven around easily without real world performance penalty - that it's not enough to spoil the experience or make you hate it. Tough call.

It'd be nice to put faces to names if it's held further north. An 8 plus hour round trip with toddlers in the back isn't fun, unfortunately. Time of year wise I'm relatively easy, but decent weather is always a plus.

I'm in a minority these days in that I prefer proper RWD, manual boxes, throttle cables not DBW, large displacement engines (NA not FI) and so on. I love the simple binnacle in the Skodas, older VAG stuff, BMW etc, and always resisted the idea of a 'digital dash' - especially as early attempts were somewhat laggy compared to a mechanical dial with direct cable connection to the drivetrain. Having seen the newer stuff in BMW and Ford however, I've changed my mind. Some of them also have very nice half way houses with traditional dials and a 'back screen' for extra info. I'm a bit of a convert - vehicle dependent.

Very nice, and not a long wait either (assuming you ordered recently). I like a dark red on a big car (see Mazda 6 saloon in soul red, BMW 5 series in Individual red etc). You'll love the new gen TSI engine, it's incredibly flexible and fun to drive as well as fantastic on fuel for a big petrol. I haven't seen less than 30mpg to a tank in my 220 and I drive ~90% very short journeys from cold.

We agree on that then. Ah well leave them to it, as long as you got a deal that suits you and your needs that's all that matters mate. Have you got long to wait for it? What colour did you go for? I've been debating leaving Motability after this car (too many restrictions compared to private ownership, for my situation). That said, if I do renew one more time next year I'll be grabbing the 3 series I think. Or maybe even a 1/2 series with the same engine now my wife has bought an S-Max for the little goblins. My own peace and quiet cross-country B road toy at last. I've missed a manual box and RWD, though modern auto boxes are so good it's not the end of the world. Anyway, I digress.