Picked up the new car today from Silbury Skoda of Cramlington. I've just updated from a 4 year old to a new version of the same model.

Silver 2.0 DTi DSG, with front parking sensors, flappy paddles on 3 spoke steering wheel, TPM and heated rear seats.

Initial impressions very good. Drives very well and the engine feels loose and revs easily (though keeping to light throttle initially). Will do some more driving and playing over the next few weeks.

• IT HAS A FULL SIZED STEEL WHEEL! HURRAH.
  
• Opening the door shows the L&K logo on the sill covers. BUT, only the front door sills have protectors. The rear doors do not, and the dealer says I cannot buy them just for the rear. Penny pinching by Skoda. I emailed Skoda and they also say that the rear sill covers are no longer available separately.
  
• Very comfortable seats. My concern over Alcantara was misplaced. Electric adjustment is still good, if anything better lumbar support.
  
• 3 spoke wheel is slightly smaller diameter, and thicker. MFD controls have moved from end of wiper stalk to the steering wheel.
  
• Flappy paddles are a revelation. Much more control than pushing the gear selector to the left and moving it up and down. It stays in the gear that you ask, and will allow me to change up even when the old one wouldn't. I daren't try changing gear whilst turning any sort of corner - too easy to hit the wrong paddle if the steering wheel is upside down!
  
• Bolero radio. Wow. So much more refined than the old radio. The radio itself had been tuned by the dealer to all of the local stations, and the touch screen makes it easy to choose. I just need to get my favourites in the first 6 slots in the integrated CD changer. Have so far loaded a normal CD and a CD full of MP3s, and 4 slots left. Better than previous car where CD changer in boot took up space my golf clubs wanted! Happily plays either and it makes the standard CD with no track information feel very outdated. I can see I'll have to burn some more MP3 CDs. Also tried the SD card, and again it is very easy to use. Must see how I can use the directories and playlists. The AUX input takes output from my hx4700 and just plays the audio without any information.
  
• The boot still has a silly net across the right hand side behind the wheel arch, and it cannot be removed without breaking it. In that same alcove, the elastic strap that ran horizontally has gone. Now I cannot hold my spare oil and my screen wash spray upright. Ridiculous penny pinching. But there is a net fixed to the underside of the parcel shelf - wonder how I can use that? It seems unnecessary.
  
• I do NOT like the speedometer dial. It only has major divisions at even numbers, so 30, 50 and 70 (which are the majority of UK speed limits) are not obvious. They have also moved round the dial. Very poor design. I note this has been mentioned in at least one other post.
  
• Initial measurements comparing car to sat nav - using the program GPS Dash - show that the speedo reads about 5% over. The odometer reads very slightly over, so over 35.0 miles recorded, the satellites say I have only done 34.8. That means that the mpg quoted on MFD will be wrong again.
  
• The DRLs do not appear to be enabled, so that is something to investigate. The bulbs are there. darrenw pointed out that these need to be enabled through VAG-COM
  
• Only the offside fog light is working - I do hope that is not another penny pincher by giving us only one. The previous car had both. darrenw pointed out that these need to be enabled through VAG-COM
  

UPDATES

Comments about driving the car.

• Thank goodness the default setting on the wipers is NOT to have that annoying extra flick that only smeared the screen!
  
• The headlights are interesting as they move to follow the car's turn direction. Initially very distrubing I am getting to like it, except for turning right on roundabouts. As you turn on to the roundabout, the lights go left, but you want to see right to where the roundabout is going.
  
• Definitely a different sound to the engine, more rorty if you know what i mean. Maybe it's the twin exhaust pipes at the back?
  
• Feels very easy revving. Much less tight than the previous one. Almost seems eager to get to teh end of it's running in phase.
  
• Good to see a light indicating that the cruise control is set.
  
• 
  
• Weird sensation when switching on the headlights. To start with they appear to be up in the air, and they lower the beam, then cross tehir eyes, and settle to straight ahead. Thought I was on something the first time it happened!
  

Edited 6 October, 200916 yr by Fellwalker
updated to reflect feedback and corrections from fellow members, and new insights.

The DRLs do not appear to be enabled, so that is something to investigate. The bulbs are there.

Apparently the DRL's need to be enabled VAG-COM (or whatever) before you can use the stalks to control them

Only the offside fog light is working - I do hope that is not another penny pincher by giving us only one. The previous car had both.

Only the off-side is enabled by default. VAG-COM again to enable both, but I'm leaving it at one so as not to drown out the brake lights.

How's the pipe rack and cap hook?

Cheers darrenw

Thanks for that - I will speak to dealer to enable them when he replaces the scratched ashtray cover. No it wasn't when I bashed my pipe on it! Couldn't find a pipe rack:rofl:, I think that option went out last July when the government brought in their anti smoking legislation. Lots of cap hooks in the boot; though some people hang shopping bags from them...

The nearside fog light needs enabling with vag. Sounds like a nice car

I'm a silbury skoda man too, on my 3rd now..top dealer, and nothing is too much trouble..great new workshop ...showroom great too, apart from the automatic doors opening if anyone gets within 500 yards of them

No waiting has pointed out to me that in a post I made on my previous car, I had said rear sills were available at £30. The rear sill covers were in the old accessories brochure but the dealer says they are not available! (I'm a sad g*t and have the pdf of the 04/06 brochure still on my computer!) There is no current brochure available to download so I have emailed Skoda for one to be made available. I'll also check with Justin at SIlbury. Hopefully they are still there.

I'm a silbury skoda man too, on my 3rd now..top dealer, and nothing is too much trouble..great new workshop ...showroom great too, apart from the automatic doors opening if anyone gets within 500 yards of them

They are just a long way from Durham, but gave me far and away the best deal. They are still happy to collect the car for its free servicing, though that will cost me a couple of gallons of fuel.

Keep us posted on how you get on with your L&K. I'll be collecting my 1.8TSI Combi L&K come early december.

Some pictures of the new car with all of the L&K badging. Much more than my last one, which actually had nothing to say it was an L&K.

More pictures.

Playing an SD card - good track this one.

TID - traffic information download. THe radio will save the last 3 traffic flashes for you so if you miss what they said, you can replay it.

Layout of dials, showing poor mpg to date. On my last car this showed around 48 on trip 2 before it reset itself, even as much as 55 on a good run from Durham to Edinburgh, around a half dozen golf courses, and back home.

Rear vents showing controls for heated rear seats.

Bolero Radio showing station list.

Showing:

Front fog light assembly, clearly visible is the extra lamp for daylight running.

Side view

Front seat showing electric controls, pre-sets, and fitted front rubber mat. It's only fitted in the sense that it is of the same shape as the footwell. It moves around as I step into the car, and I regularly have to pull it back down. Sorry it's a bit grubby.

Two shots showing some of the options within the radio.

I've updated my first post in this thread to bring all the notes together.

Let me know if anyone wants any other pictures.

Edited 5 October, 200916 yr by Fellwalker

Nice, very nice indeed.

Is it my imagination or leather much darker than in the brochure?

Nice, can't wait for my L&K now. How do you find the leather ? Does it wrinkle easy ?

Very nice indeed.

I like the L&K logo in the seats. Nice touch.

Must agree on the speedo design. It's not great and weird really that it doesn't show the main 30, 50 and 70 on there.

Will definitely look into getting an newer L&K at some point but unfortunately it won't be an FL for a while!

Phil

At least they'll be two "L&K" in York soon Phil

Interestingly the speedo layout is not the same as on the vRS. See this thread:

http://briskoda.net/octavia-ii/my-new-fl-vrs/158690/

Both speedos read to 160 mph, but the vRS is in 10's until you get to 80 then it jumps straight to 100, This means that the increment on the dial is the same 'size' but it cover 20 mph rather than 10.

Nice, very nice indeed.

Is it my imagination or leather much darker than in the brochure?

Much darker. I chose onyx as it hides the dirt better. Light leather is a nightmare to keep clean - our lounge suite is cream and I'm forever having to clean it.

Nice, can't wait for my L&K now. How do you find the leather ? Does it wrinkle easy ?

It didn't particularly in the previous car over 53000 miles. Not had this one long enough to know, but the leather is certainly taut, so I don't imagine it will.

At least they'll be two "L&K" in York soon Phil

Hehe... yes there will. I will want to have a nosey round yours when you get it if you don't mind!

I think the leather will be fine anyway. After 13 years and 86,000 miles mine is pretty good with only a few "wrinkles" and cracks etc.

Phil

Hi Fellwalker, Congrats on the new car, it sounds lovely. Just this week I have "defected"

from my Fabia 3 to a 58(09) Octy combi Elegance. I will be picking this up from Silbury Skoda on Thursday of this week. However my point is this, the car is coming with a fullsize ALLOY spare wheel. Thought this might also have been the case, in fact even more so on the L&K ? Worth a phone call perhaps?

Cheers Kevan

Some pictures of the new car with all of the L&K badging. Much more than my last one, which actually had nothing to say it was an L&K.

In an earlier post you mention that you have the Alcantara interior. Your pictures look as if it is half leather and half Alcantara can you clarify if this is the case?

If so I'd be grateful if you could e-mail your pictures of the interior to me. My father was umming and ahhing about an Alcantara interior but your pictures might swing him one way or t'other

TIA

Hi Fellwalker, Congrats on the new car, it sounds lovely. Just this week I have "defected"

from my Fabia 3 to a 58(09) Octy combi Elegance. I will be picking this up from Silbury Skoda on Thursday of this week. However my point is this, the car is coming with a fullsize ALLOY spare wheel. Thought this might also have been the case, in fact even more so on the L&K ? Worth a phone call perhaps?

Cheers Kevan

Thanks for the ray of hope Kevan. When I ordered the car Silbury could not even get Skoda to accept an order for a full sized wheel, let alone an alloy. They tried but failed. I'm back up there shortly to get the ash tray cover replaced (it was slightly scratched on delivery) so will ask, but to be honest I'm happy enough with steel.

I'm sure you will love the combi - you've got an ENORMOUS amount of space in there!

In an earlier post you mention that you have the Alcantara interior. Your pictures look as if it is half leather and half Alcantara can you clarify if this is the case?

If so I'd be grateful if you could e-mail your pictures of the interior to me. My father was umming and ahhing about an Alcantara interior but your pictures might swing him one way or t'other

TIA

Sorry Jonny5ive, I had not seen your post for some reason.

The leather is half and half. Photos attached. The bit you sit on is leather, teh rest of teh seats are normal black leather.

Compared to my last car which had full leather, I slide around a lot less in this. Previously on a long journey I would have to hitch myself back up in the seat having slid forward. It does not seem as obvious in this one.

:eek: has the passenger side seat been damaged on the side bolster ?