P55REY

My new 1.5 DSG Scala has done only 6,800 miles in 19 months due to the pandemic. Brakes started juddering, so took it to Skoda dealer. “Warped” rear discs and pads need replacing £278. My sixth Skoda and only one with this issue in 22 years. PS: My driving style and locality means that I hardly ever need to use the brakes in anger. PPS: hard application of handbrake tried without success. Any other sufferers out there?

I only clocked that the SEL wheels were the optional big black 18” ones and assumed that the rubber would be slimmer. I wonder of the low rolling resistance aspect of the 16” Goodyears against the low profile 18” ‘normal’ tyres would be a reason why my SE feels rough tarmac noticeably more - dunno.

After a test drive in an SEL 1.0 with 18” wheels and low profile tyres, I have had an SE 1.5 DSG with 16” Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance 205/55/16 tyres. My problem is that the 18” with 40 profile rubber was fine, but the Goodyear’s on my SE are really knobbly and noisy on anything other than smooth tarmac. My previous car was a 2015 Fiesta Zetec with Michelin Cross Climate All-Season tyres which was way smoother over the same roads. Any comments or advice?

Had a Skoda Approved '59 plate Fabia from them last October. Power steering went a couple of weeks ago. Took it in and it was diagnosed as a failed steering pump (around £700 exc labour) which was replaced with no quibbles whatsoever. I have been a customer since 2001 which may have helped and I know that you pay a premium for buying from a main dealer, but I was quite satisfied with the response of their service.

I test drove a Mk 3 1.6 TDi manual Elegance yesterday, with four big male adults Skoda fans on board for ballast, and was genuinelly impressed with the latest car. Having started buying VAG cars in 1998 with a Mk 4 Golf, I have owned 2 Fabias, a Mk 2 and FL Octavias, I have been very pleased with the improving quality and sophistication of Skodas, but the new car really is in an even higher class still, equal to VW and Audi - unless you really can't live without their designer badges naturally. The new chassis rides and handles very well, despite being the older style rear axle with torsion beams, even on a very badly pock marked local road which upsets the ride on my FL 1.4 TSI with the current multi link rear axle. The build quality really is superb, from the exterior doors handles (which are a lot chunkier and give a much classier first impression) to the front seats which are much more solidly made and comfortable than on my FL. The whole car has a thoroughly Audi quality feel to it. The rear legroom really is impressive now and rear passengers compared it to the current Superb, which now seems a bit dated in comparison. The 1.6 diesel is quiet and for most drivers should provide a good balance of pace and economy (even with 4 x 14 stone occupants). The latest Maxidot is very cool with the vehicle speed being displayed in nice clear digits about 18mm high and the functions scroll smoothly through i-Phone style from the multi-function steering wheel roller. Sadly, 3 years free servicing and £500 conribution toward the 3 year 6.9% finance won't see me changing just yet, but if Skoda UK introduce do the same 0% VAT and 0% finance deal as the outgoing model I may have to persuade SWMBO to take a test ride and let the car do the rest.

With the Octavia 3 likely to go up into the Mondeo price/size bracket, I was expecting my next choice of Skoda to include a Rapid, especially if the Golf style hatchback materialises, so I had a really good look at the Rapid at the local dealership yesterday and compared it closely to the rest of the range in the flesh. IMHO it is simply not as appealing as any of the other cars, to the extent that I did not even feel remotely like arranging a test drive. It just does not feel like a genuine Skoda. Even as a newly launched car it is 20-25% overpriced when compared with what the average Skoda buyer is used to paying for the rest of the range. Maybe VAG want to reduce demand and waiting lists by trying to push Skoda customers toward Seat and VW products? Having been happy with new Fabia Mks 1 and 3, Octavia Mks1, 2 & FL Skodas over the past 12 years, I felt that they all offered great quality and excellent value for money, so I very much hope that the Rapid is not a taste of things to come with the rest of the brand. Have a look for yourself and say what you think.

Nice to see so many responses to a simple comment that my current preferred engine and DSG box may yet be fitted to the Yeti. OK, I admit that the 4x4 that I saw was a big old Landcruiser, but the guy did look utterly astonished to be floating past at 15mph with no control and apparently did not know what to do next. Whilst modern driving aids can greatly help in retaining control and are a reassuring back up, all wheel drive is potentially much more capable than 2wd, but the majority of UK drivers are only beginning to understand the benefits of winter tyres - myself included. Although there will have been some keen folk used to driving up to the winter ski resorts in the Alps and Cairngorms, but we have probably all seen that some 4x4 drivers do think that they have unlimited traction whatever the conditions. I agree that electronic aids do help, but the four small footprints of rubber in contact with the road(especially in ice & snow conditions) is the ultimate decider and too often 4x4s are compromised by the wide standard summer road tyres, as many Yeti drivers on here have commented. My past reaction to ice and snow has been to get back under the duvet, but as I now have slim winter boots on our manual diesel manual Fabia Estate I may now be tempted to be more adventureous and leave the high revving summer shod Octavia DSG tucked up at home. Cheers and safe motoring.

I started the post as have always fancied the Yeti as an alternative to mainstream body styles when I replace my current Octavia which goes well enough with the 122 bhp 1.4 TSI and DSG. Ideally I would like to have 4WD to play with off tarmac, but for my real world needs 2WD would be fine, especially if you factor in a set of decent winter tyres when it gets really bad. (I have seen 4WDs sailing past on ice/hard packed snow with all four wheels locked and the driver gripping the wheel whilst looking stunned.) I have not seen any road tests on the manual 1.4 2WD or seen any posts on MPG and performance on here. Has anyone with a 1.4 Yeti got any comments on what the car is like with that engine, especially if you have tried the 1.2 as well? Thanks

Skoda Auto website talking about producing Yeti with the 1.4 TSI petrol engine and 7 speed DSG box in 2 wheel drive form. I have the Octavia with that set up and it is excellent, but a similar powered Yeti would be even better. Any manual 1.4 TSI owners on here got any advice on real life petrol consumption and performance. I usually average 42mpg with the Octavia and have teased it up to a tad over 50mpg occassionally, but admit my driving style is relaxed rural rather than enthusiastic urban these days. Any experiences welcome.

I moved a full sized single mattress only last week, along with a Fabia hatch boot sized amount of other stuff. It was a perfect fit with just the seat backs folded down. Was thinking of downsizing to a Fabia Estate soon, but the Octavia (even as a hatchback) is just so versatile it has made me think again.

Bought a nice tidy 58 plate Fabia Tdi estate with fresh MOT last Friday from local Skoda Approved Dealer for added peace of mind. Original Bridgestone 205/45 16" tyres had about 2-3k left, but one was renewed by the dealer (Blade/Bamford) due to excess wear in order to pass the MOT. So, rather shocked when we took wheels off to change to winter tyres to find offside front tyre had three large (40-80mm long)inner sidewall splits, consistent with hitting a pretty nasty pothole. We had only done 163 miles pottering around on ordinary 50mph roads and luckily not gone for a long motorway run. It was only through luck that we found the damage before the tyre burst, but the service manager naturally said that it was OK at the time of the MOT only 7 days earlier, although I am unconvinced. Lesson learned - Never trust anyone and always double check.

See if slamming the door really hard sets them off to find out?

Hi all, I have been following Briskoda for many years, appreciating all the views and advice, so have finally signed in to offer my humble experiences to fellow Skoda owners. I first became interested in Skoda cars helping my son out with buying my son a new 'Y' regd Fabia Classic 1.4 cars when they first came out. (Could not have him buy the Citreon AX deathtrap that was the only thing that he could afford) That car quickly impressed me out of a rather boring Mk 4 Golf TDI into a Fabia Ambiente 1.9TDI '01' (which my youngest son had off me and survived a 60mph 360 deg shunt into the Armco, due to aquaplaning, without a scratch). Growing addiction saw me get a Fabia vRS Mk1 in '53' as soon as I saw one. Had to have the demonstrator to satisfy my addiction Sadly, within a year SHMBO thought that the vRS rode too hard, so we got an Octavia II Ambiente 1.9 TDI '54' (which is now with my youngest son) and I now drive an Octavia III SE 1.4 TSI DSG '59'. 1.4 TSI with DSG box is a revelation after years of manual TDIs. Through gentle influence I have "sold" new Octavias to: my other son 1.6 FSI '55', a TDI DSG '56' to one friend and recently teased another friend out of a Jaguar X type into a Superb Elegance TDI DSG after persuading his wife to get a Fabia Elegance 1.6 DSG '57' Today, I cracked again and ended up buying my son's wife a '58' Fabia 3 1.9 TDI Estate, officially as a family car for the grandchildren, but mainly so I can get to drive it at weekends to keep my "manual" hours up. Spend most days plotting what to get next - Octavia vRS TFSI Estate or wait for the new Fabia in 2014 ideally with 1.4TSI again.......... Does anyone else think that I have become an incurable Skodaholic?