lamlash

Correct, it's a 2010 model. I chose it specifically because it doesn't have silly 18" (or even bigger) alloys and the torque curve on the 140 suits my driving style better than the 163 (which is much peakier). I had half of the price of the Scout on Skoda finance so I haven't got any cash burning a hole in my pocket. Now I must get round to selling my steel winter wheels off the Scout (I'll keep the tyres for the Mondeo though)

Update: I ended up getting a Mondeo Estate TDCi 140 Tit X and after 2 months I have to say that I'm delighted with it. Obviously it's not the same class of car as the Scout (not 4x4 etc.) but here is my comparison anyway: Things I like better on the Skoda (or miss on the Ford): 4x4 / ground clearance (obviously) Overall build quality / feeling of solidity Bolero radio (especially SD card reader) Turning circle Hill hold control Conventional keyed ignition Lots of cubby holes / storage pockets Things I like better on the Ford: Quiet (engine, road noise and wind noise all significantly better than the Skoda) Silky smooth clutch Pleasant gear selector Handling and ride Tailgate wider, no loading lip, easier to open and close Seats, cabin space and driving position / ergonomics Heated windscreen (not needed it yet but had a Ford with this before and it is a great feature) Glovebox bigger Pointless features on the Ford: Heated and cooled front seats Keyless (button start) ignition Cornering headlights Fuel consumption is slightly better on the Ford but its done 15K so is fully run in. I haven't tried towing yet but one of the reasons for choosing the Mondeo was the higher towball noseweight limit and higher towing capacity / kerbweight.

Doesn't sound like a DMF problem to be honest. More likely the clutch release bearing is making the noise. Unfortunately its a gearbox out job for a part which only costs a few quid. Any good garage or transmission specialist will be able to confirm it.

I think I was that other guy! In the end I sold my Scout and have a Mondeo now which I'm absolutely delighted with. Seems to be that sometimes the VAG clutches can be rough but only on some cars (I drove as many as possible before concluding this, and plenty of people said theirs was very smooth). Mine was truly horrible and spoiled my enjoyment of the car completely. Dealers won't take it seriously because they know all too well there will be no "smoking gun" when they drop the gearbox so it makes their warranty claim with Skoda problematic. I don't know the actual cause but I've been told it could be bent/distorted/broken release fingers on the clutch itself or possible misalignment of the gearbox. Ask the dealer to drive another car with the same engine and gearbox combination so you can decide if there is something "wrong" with yours. Good luck.

I suppose my post was always going to stimulate a lot of responses. To answer some of your questions: Test drive? Yes, but 15 minutes with the dealer nattering away in your left ear obviously isn't enough. Also the test drive car was a PD engine and I convinced myself the CR that I was getting would be quieter. In reality I think they are exactly the same. Depreciation? No, I didn't lose any money due to list price increase and the VAT free campaign coming to and end Other: I should have ordered the variable boot floor. Next car: I haven't really given that a lot of thought. Any ideas? Good luck to the new owner, wherever they may be.

I've just sold my 61 reg diesel Scout after only 5000 miles. Here is my summary: Good points: Fantastic turning circle considering the size of the car Very well made, feels solid, no rattles at all. Bodywork panels feel strong. Normal ignition key (no daft starter button or key in the dashboard nonsense) Conventional handbrake that holds very well with little effort Bolero stereo is really easy to use (although sound quality is only average) Lots of pockets and cubby holes Surefooted handling (but a totally uninvolving driving experience) Good compromise between comfort and handling Very good headlights (even without xenons) Nice quality load cover in boot Bad points: Far too much engine noise Clunky gearchange Pulsating feeling through clutch pedal (dealer said its completely normal) Headlamp washers waste gallons of expensive screenwash Poor fuel consumption 42mpg overall average over 5000 miles High loading lip in boot Ridge in middle of loading bay with back seats folded Front seats feel too narrow Nowhere comfortable to rest my right elbow when driving 225/50/17 tyres are expensive. Ride was better on my 205/55/16 winter steel wheels. No suitable jacking points for a trolley jack No way to properly randomise tracks when playing from SD cards Overall: A good car (but not the right car for me). The boot is huge but not very useable. Not a particularly pleasant driving experience due to the engine noise and clunky gearchange. I should have bought the petrol one!

My order of preference: 1. Corrida Red 2. Storm Blue 3. Candy White White is very popular at the moment but I suspect it is about to be trumped by those brown/chocolate colours that a lot of mini and Audi A1's are appearing in. There is also a distressing trend for grey and/or black alloys which are a taste that I don't think I could ever acquire. However, if it were me I'd forget the other options (especially heated seats which make you feel like you've pee'd your pants) and spend the money on a metallic colour instead. These are supposedly more resistant to scratching due to the additional lacquer coat and it will make the car easier to sell on later.

Always surprises me that people say they couldn't live without xenon headlights. The standard Octavia headlights are actually very good and the Scout has headlamp washers as standard (uses a lot of screenwash!) Similarly I never used the heated seats on my Volvo and certainly wouldn't want them on any future car. If you have all leather seats they can feel very cold at first but it takes so long for the heaters to warm them up that its a waste of time in my opinion.

The Scout has stiffer rear suspension than the basic Octavia 4x4 so won't sag as much when towing. The Superb has a slightly higher noseweight limit so will give you a bit more flexibility in loading your caravan. I think you can get a self levelling option on the Superb but you'd probably have to buy brand new to be able to get this option. My diesel Scout tows my 1275kg van OK but I wouldn't want to tow anything much bigger with it as it does get buffeted about by cross winds a bit.

What extras are a must have? None. Even basic Scouts are extremely well specc'd. Maxidot and multi-function steering wheel are nice to have but the standard display is perfectly adequate and you'll only miss the MFSW if you are already used to having it. Some people say that the metallic paints are more durable due to the extra (thicker?) lacquer coat so might be best to avoid a solid paint car? What are the do`s and dont`s when looking for a scout? Good service history is essential. Oil change intervals are stupidly long so you should avoid any car that has not had its servicing done on time. Look carefully under the car for signs of off-roading. Many Scouts (like mine) will never go offroad but some people need the AWD and extra ground clearance regularly for their work. Regularly off roading is going to take its toll on the suspension. Look at the alloys for delamination problems. Look at the tyres for excessive uneven wear. Actually, check out the cost of tyres, my Scout has 225/50/17 which is quite an expensive tyre due to it not being a very popular size. Don't be fooled by anecdotes about "these run forever", or high motorway miles isn't a problem. Get the lowest mileage, newest car you can afford. Check that the AWD actually works if possible. Easy in the icy weather but not so easy when its dry. Park up somewhere a bit slippery, turn off the traction control and set off quickly. You should be able to tell if the AWD isn't working as it will feel like a front wheel drive car.

XC70 isn't comparable with a Scout - check out the list prices! I drive a Scout but I used to own a V70 AWD D5 (185) and it was a really good car to drive apart from the ridiculously large turning circle - try a 3 point turn before you buy a V70!!. Admiteddly the XC70 is quite a lot higher than the V70 AWD and there is a lot of body roll but apparently you get used to that, The big downside to the Volvo is cost. It was VERY expensive to fuel (overall average 34mpg), service, and repair and was surprisingly unreliable. The things that I really miss about the Volvo are: 1. The really wide, low opening of the boot. Scout is more like a big hatchback. 2. The amazingly comfortable seats. The Skoda seats feel very narrow and, well, small by comparison. 3. The stereo. Whilst the Bolero touchscreen looks fancy the sound is poor compared to the set up in a V70. 4. Being a 185 D5 it felt pretty fast for a big car. The Scout feels decidedly sluggish by comparison. 5. Towing a caravan - the extra kerbweight and higher noseweight limit made it a better towcar. 6. The wide long roof rails with 100kg roof limit. Easy to put 4 bikes on the roof. Things I don't miss in the Volvo: 1. Turning circle. 2. The rubbish handbrake. 3. Constant niggly faults. 4. Fuel consumption. Overall, I'd take the Scout unless you need to tow a heavy trailer or regularly carry large loads.

Hi everyone, I'm an Octavia owner but thinking of changing to a Superb. One of my dislikes about the Octavia is that the clutch pedal pulsates, most noticeably when you change from 4th to 3rd and are releasing the clutch. Dealer says its normal and is due to the Dual Mass Flywheel and I've driven several other VAG 2.0TDi cars including an Audi A6 which also did it. Whilst it may be a normal "feature" of this engine and 6 speed gearbox combination it really spoils the driving experience for me. By the way I've owned several other DMF equipped diesels including Volvo with D5 engine, 2007 Passat with PD engine, Peugeot 2.0 HDi and none of them did it. Does the Superb with the CR140 engine also do it?

I used to get a very loud creaking from my towbar even with a perfectly clean ball and a brand new Winterhoff stabliser hitch. Strangely the creaking got worse after I sprayed brake cleaner on and I found that one of those washing up scouring pads (the green Scotchbrite stuff) works better than wet and dry emery paper. Just give the ball a good scrub and dust off with a clean rag before hitching up.

I was offered a fixed trade-in value for my old car when I ordered my new Skoda. It wasn't particularly favourable and I had expected to sell privately rather than take the trade-in offer but the Skoda took about 6 months longer to arrive than the dealer had estimated and by that time the agreed figure looked pretty good so I was happy to take it to avoid the hassle of a private sale. The dealer seemed pretty relaxed about it all and mentioned that they don't get assessed on the trade-in margins for individual cars but had to just ensure that in any given sales period they didn't lose money on them as a whole.

I was the OP so I thought I'd post a quick update. In the end I decided on 16x6J steels with Vredstein Snowtrac 3's from Tyremen. Mytyres were a bit cheaper but tyremen were really good to deal with and they arrived the next day with zero fuss. Now that they are here the weather is incredibly mild so they are sitting in the corner of the living room waiting for the onset of winter. Last night the wife sent both of the children for an unscheduled shower and change of clothes because she kept getting a faint whiff of pee. There were some ugly scenes and angry protests of innocence but she was unrelenting. When I came down this morning I realised it was the tyres. Turns out Vreds stink like p*ss, so I'm going to have to clear a bit of space in the garage before she gets back tonight!