newbie69

True! I wonder if they ditched them because they didn't actually do anything?!

Both virtual cockpit and the 7-speed DSG are available on the Superb since MY19 (and they are both great!). In fact I find the virtual cockpit on the Superb to be a better implementation with a nicer and more colorful interface, on the Golf it's too plain. Not an issue unless you want to go over 400bhp right away. Stage 1 on the 272 makes even more torque than on the 280 and downpipes are already available with stage 2 maps to follow soon. Tune-ability only comes into question when going for bigger turbo and 500bhp really, probably a concern for less than 1% of owners I'd say, unless the OP has such plans of-course.

I remember reading about the start switch getting dirty and preventing the car to start, could that be it if everything else seems to be fine? If that's the case people have successfully opened it and cleaned it, don't buy a replacement switch before trying that.

It's good to provide the back-ground behind these questions (as you just did) as the advice can be focused on the more relevant aspects (how much "family duties", what sort of performance, car theft a worry or not) I'd say if there was a best time in your life to go for a Superb would be exactly the one you're in right now: Expecting a child (and possibly another one in a few years time), and the dog just seals the deal imo. As I wrote, we switched from a MK7 hatch (like you) to a Superb (hatch but doesn't make much difference) and it was as the whole family "breathed" a little better with that switch. The Golf's rear cabin, contrary to what I believed before owning one, is rather on the small side and you can't expect small children to give their full attention into getting in and out or minding their feet against the front seats, same for adults. We had already rendered the front passenger seat (in front of the child seat) unusable for anyone above 1.65m with the car seat model we had chosen (which is an excellent one but a bit bulky as some others) and now that we've got a toddler too, the option of say the grand-mother travelling with us would not be possible with the Golf, whereas we've done 2hr trips with 3 adults and 2 car seats and everyone was seating fine. The boot's difference is not massive but it's noticeable and when you see how much space the full size strollers take plus all the children related stuff you'd be carrying around in the next years you'll be thankful for all the space you could get. Regarding performance, for straight line speed and acceleration i just can't see much between them really. We are talking a few tenths, not seconds off the 0-60mph and even a stock 272 with its AWD feels pretty strong already out of the box. Also, don't think that you won't get used to either the R or Superb's pace after a while. The 220 would be a different story but we're not talking about that car. The handling differences are a bit more noticeable but try to test-drive a Superb Sportline with DCC in Sport and see for yourself how it drives and how happy (or not) you are with that, it might surprise you even though it doesn't wear a "R" badge... You can always make the Superb (much) faster and sharper, but you can't stretch the Golf's cabin or boot! Also, bear in mind the R is a great all-rounder but it's not exactly a driver's car. Even on the hatch, the turn-in and agility are not as sharp as any traditional FWD GTI and the understeer tendency is still there. It's very effective and a great point-to-point machine as you have all the traction when flooring it but that's just about it, it was one of the reason's it left me a bit underwhelmed on the driving aspect and made me opt for the Clubsport instead back in 2016. The Superb 280/272 shares the exact same philosophy and approach but tuned a bit more towards comfort, however the pros and cons of the setup are common in both cars. What I mean is don't think you are choosing between two fundamentally different cars as you would do between a R estate and say a 330i touring that would require different approach and offer clearly different driving experiences. To recap, changing from a MK7 to the Superb at this point in my life was by far the best choice when considering our family's needs and I would be hard pressed to believe anyone in a similar phase would be even remotely disappointed from the car. I think it should be a keeper until the children are at least 6-8y.o. and without the need to carry too much of their special stuff around, at which point downgrading in size to a 3 series, C-Class or even a Golf (if they fix back its design by then) will make total sense as I could exchange some of the space I won't fully need for more sportiness. Much like @penguin17 did, for whom I also believe it was the best choice to switch to the R since his children were past their early years. But all of the above don't matter if you just happen to like more one car over the other for its looks! It can't all be about numbers... For me the Golf estate's design is more of an after-thought (ie. let's stick a long boot to the standard Golf), especially from some 3/4 rear angles whereas the Superb has overall larger proportions (wider and longer) that make the car look more natural despite being bigger but that's just my own taste of-course. I'm sure both cars will satisfy you, just maybe to a different extent in different aspects.

Is this one?

That would be fun! "What pedal box sir?? Do you mean to tell us you had fitted non approved equipment on the car??" You lose your pedal box and your warranty with one shot...

I won't argue with kangaroos for sure!

I know it sounds like "you idiot, you're just not doing it right!" but I assure you it's not. I had got the hang of it fine since I got the car as I realized exactly which sort of foot movement works and which doesn't, then suddenly after 1.5 year it stopped working no matter when/how/who tried it, so chances were slim everybody just forgot how to operate it at the same time. Then it got back on its own after a few weeks, well...

That's exactly what I meant: If he leaves it on the car as suggested, it doesn't make any difference if they scan the car or not. It's not a software map that would trigger the flash counter or would leave any other trace. So it only makes sense to either a) remove it from the vehicle completely (safe approach) or b) leave it on in a setting that does not make the car jump forward every time you touch the throttle (pedal box's aggressive setting) and hope nobody notices (most probable). The request to not run updates does not ensure anything, apart from maybe missing something that would need to be carried out in his car, for example the passenger's dipping mirror update that fixes the issue with the mirror not reverting back to its set position after dipping. That been said it's a 2 min job to remove and install, but I have dropped mine with it still connected in the past and nobody gave one, had warranty work carried out afterwards without issues, but that as I said might depend on how "enthusiastic" the dealership employees are. For the "let them knon non approved components are fitted", you're too serious today!

Does it really make such a big difference in your driving or was it the thought that you don't even get the option to choose that was torturing you more? I have it on mine and still i had to Google what Smart Light Assist offers

Yeah that's the one I've seen used in videos so I guess I'll have to get one, will be handy for future brake fluid changes too

It's not detectable by a diagnostics test so he doesn't really need to worry if they run any, a remap is different. In fact he might actually want them to run any pending updates for his car?

I got dizzy just reading about the cost and the fuss to get 7 little decorative lines to light up, wow... And i thought a Milltek cat-back was too expensive

Glad you sorted it, wasn't really making any sense to be working for the rest of us but on in your car!

Sure, it's just gonna take a few months before I attempt this so stick around till next year please just in case Regarding brake fluid, I plan on putting together a better/bigger brake kit for my 272 soon. I am in the process of finalizing the components (actually I'll open a thread for input, never hurts) and I have questions regarding the bleeding process of the brakes. Might PM you then!

Thanks for that! Seems like a great and detailed write-up! Will look into later on but it's already saved for my next year's maintenance

Not really a feature linked to a remap. If your tuner can do anything that would be out of his own VCDS knowledge. In the MKII Fabia there was a specific adaptation that allowed you to add more weight, i would imagine there would be something similar still. However I am quite happy with the steering in Sport.Yes it's not as heavy as in a Leon Cupra (or as you say in a Octavia vRS) but the added weight on these cars is completely artificial, there's 0 extra information through the steering, it's more like the car is simply opposing your input for no reason, hence why I haven't bothered looking for such a setting.

Yeah and I still don't know what you're on about. I have not linked my Spotify to Waze, neither JR RS above and we are both able to just say "play Dire Straights on Spotify" and it does start to play a random Dire Straights song, or just control music from the infotainment, the phone is inside the cubby at all times. Seems like you're complicating thins more than you need to trying to run it via Waze? Unless I'm missing something else.

DCC would have made a big difference actually! The DCC on the Sportline, in Sport mode firms up nicely that you don't ever have a second oscillation of the car over undulations or speed bumps and it's quite a step up from Normal mode. There are plenty of complaints on the fixed dampers behavior which seem to be tuned closer to a DCC in Normal (probably even Normal is a bit better than the fixed due to continuous adapting), which is why I insisted before on ticking the DCC option on the Sportline, unless he does a lot of fast driving in which case ditching DCC all-together and going for good coilovers is a better choice. Speaking out of my own experience of course but I haven't yet found an area that I felt my Clubsport was of clearly higher quality than the Sportline's cabin, same alcantara, same soft plastics on top, same feeling on the dials. If there's something it's definitely hard to spot and not enough to classify it as a "different class" as I would in a Merc for example. I expected to be a bit disappointed when going from the GTI to the Superb but it just hasn't happened, maybe i'm not too picky? I don't know. However the car is clearly better put together than a Leon or Octavia, both of which are a few steps back in cabin feel and quality. How so? The stock ride of the R is clearly firmer than the Superb in Normal mode (probably even firmer than Superb in Sport) and you feel it every time you go over imperfect roads (ie. my friend's driveway!) Also talking about comfort, I've driven both cars in the Autobahn at 200+ km/h (the R was a hatch ) and the Superb felt more planted and composed. The R hatch was sending out that "high speed nervousness" a bit earlier, probably due to the 50mm shorter tracks (also on the estate) is my guess and overall smaller size. That's exactly the thing for most people I'd say. If one finds the R's stock performance 100% satisfying it's quite possible he will be just as happy with a Sportline DCC, even if it's a less sporty setup. If on the other hand the R does not fully do it, and I'd say for a healthy percentage of owners it doesn't as they are after higher performance in all areas, then they will be modding their car sooner or later anyway and these mods in both cars will offer a huge transformation, even more noticeable on the Superb as it starts from a lower point so to speak. But for those who really are in need of the greater practicality, the Superb can do both, plus it offers the hatch option which in my eyes, is one of the most beautiful design efforts from Skoda ever and badges aside I prefer it to a Passat hatch or Arteon 280. Is that a Dragy/P-Gear verified time? If so it's quite impressive. The 2018 R is the best variant of all the MK7/7.5 as it got that small power bump (making closer to 320-330bhp) but escaped the blo00dy GPF's and the port injection removal And with the way the MK8 looks and feels inside, I'd say it has potential to keep its price high for some time.

Not owned a R but with the amount of dealer test-drives and rides in friend's R's and R wagons it's as if I know it almost as well as my Sportline Was between the two cars before opting for the 272 Sportline hatch. What I would say is: If you don't have toddlers/small children and need the extra space mainly for cargo but not really the cabin to be that big, if you enjoy throwing it around often and if you're not keen on modifying your cars, the R is the clear choice that will best meet your needs as it comes from factory. It is stiffer and lower than the Superb, a bit lighter and a tad quicker (stock for stock) so it will be a better drive without having to touch anything. On the other hand it lags the Superb in terms of passenger comfort and practicality, the rear cabin is cavernous and the family will just love the space back there. Big car seats like ones from Britax-Romer can't even fit rear-facing in the Golf without their backs touching the back of the front seats, meaning you either squeeze the front passenger too much (doesn't have to be a tall person even ) or push against the child seat slightly lifting it out of position. Same thing in terms of width, Superb accommodates threes adults or three child seats fine if you need to, on the Golf it's a bit of a PITA. And let's not talk about leg-room, on the Golf I was always worrying about people scratching the seat's backs (which they did) when entering/exiting as there's not really much room and if you're in the typical "family hurry" it's a given it will happen, in the Superb the leg-room is comical and it's one of the reasons it has that "big car" feeling. I mean the Golf remains an average (at best) sized car with an extended boot so no surprises really. We did the move from a MK7 GTI Clubsport hatch to the Sportline hatch and the comfort upgrade inside the car was pretty evident, also every time we go shopping i am just thankful for the electric boot which wasn't even an option on the MK7 (not sure if that's changed?) So for a family with young children/toddlers and up to say 10 y.o. children nothing really comes close in that department. Driving wise I like driving my cars fast in the right conditions so with the Superb this needed a bit of addressing but the good thing is that since it's on this so widely shared platform it can be transformed to anything you like, from a bit more power to something much sharper and more potent than any stock Golf for that matter. Most people don't realize it's really a few fundamental options that Skoda has deliberately tuned towards comfort that are to blame for the Superb's lesser driving experience, rather than a completely different design. For example, stock Superb alloys weigh 5kg more than the Golf R's Pretorias. That's 20kg of extra unsprung mass in total, a huge amount that when removed will transform any car's turn-in and front end agility. Same goes for springs, the Superb's ones, in all variants, are chosen with comfort in mind and as such result in more roll, squat and dive than in the R. And let's not even go to the fixed dampers, way too "loose" with the slight exception being the Sportline DCC which with uprated springs offers finally a very controlled ride. Same for the rear anti roll bars, slightly thicker on the R. How hard is it to address the above? Not at all really. Funnily enough most of the aftermarket items are shared between the Golf and the Superb, a stage 1 remap makes the same bhp on both cars and even the rear arb is the same item for both cars. On mine I have replaced the stock alloys with lightweight ones, uprated springs with Eibach ones and the rear arb with the H&R one and I almost can't remember what the stock car was like or what people are complaining about in terms of handling, it's that good now, in fact so good that I am keeping up with my buddy's stage 1 Cupra ST (i also have a stage 1) without sweating around all roads here, it feels like a proper sports sedan now. I totally accept that for some, these mods are more of a PITA than something they enjoy so sure a car that out of the box ticked those boxes would be better, but for many (see how Penguin above has already upgraded all that stuff on a car that supposedly is "ready" as it comes), even a Golf R would be in need of further mods, the rear arb for example is something both cars are in desperate need imo so it's not really a big deal. It's just that Superb cries out louder for the mods. Coming up a bit of arguing with some of Penguin's points above ... PS. Absolutely opt for DCC if you go for the Sportline and like the ride flexibility with a fair bit of fast driving, knowing that you'll probably have to do springs at some point to complete the change. If you are even more passionate about fast driving, DON'T go for DCC and instead spend the money on an aftermarket coilover like KW V2 which transforms the car. If you just like a bit of pushing on then Sportline with DCC will do the trick without changing anything. Fixed dampers are a disappointment on all variants though so keep that in mind.

Lol, exactly. The easiest thing is to control audio playback from AA since you have the phone plugged in as the audio controls are available even within nav apps like Google and Waze. Thus i remain confused about what the OP is after or why...

Well you know what they say... It's not a race if you don't both floor it at the same time-speed-gear 😛 Besides, a tuned Superb is faster than lots of stock cars, my point was more related to the perceived differences between it and the "cousin" cars like the Golf and Leon with the same powertrain

Maybe because the R has the silly Soundaktor that tries to convince you you're driving something much angrier? Turned that thing off in the Golf the day i got delivery of it, tried to do the same on the Superb and realized it doesn't have it! Hallelujah... In more seriousness, slightly less torque and a bit more weight would contribute to a less strong impression, irrelevant of-course if you plan on remapping as they both end up making the same power/torque, and depending on the actual remaps they run, a Stage 1 Superb can end up being even faster than a Stage 1 Golf R or Leon Cupra despite the extra kg

Facelift or 280ps?! Can't be both! And yes, sadly this is a feature of at least MY19 cars and later on (maybe even 18s), people who are quite knowledgeable in that stuff have said it's not possible to change this even via VCDS/OBDEleven...

What extra functionality do you get by linking it to Waze though that you don't if you just run Waze and have Spotify separately? (both through Android Auto of-course)