I can’t find the popcorn smilie :(

"Just like a Golf"

But with £££ im my pocket/

I do find that advert a bit strange given how many other cars share the same Golf platform and many of its parts, many of them which are like a Golf but better in some regard. I was thinking I'd love to do a parody of that advert taking the original audio and then finishing each part off with a Skoda then a Seat etc., "It's like a Golf but better built and cheaper", "It's like a Golf but better to drive"

I've found opinions on Skoda have changed considerably over the last few years and most people know now they're decent cars. When I bought my first Skoda which was a 1999 Octavia GLX TDI hatch Skoda's name was pretty bad so people were actually surprised at the Octavia being a decent well built car. One friend in particular who was looking after a Golf VR6 for his brother couldn't believe how many parts they shared nor how poor the reliability was on the Golf in comparison (although that one was just a bad example). This time around with my newer Octavia it's been very different though as I find most people know it's a decent car, I have been surprised at the number of people who have spotted it in the car park and complimented it or asked how it was going because they were interested in one, I preferred the styling on my Toledo but no-one ever said anything about it.

It's also interesting to see a similar change on TV, again back to the time of my first Octavia one of the TV programs showed a new Fabia (with the badges masked), Polo and another hatch to a group of people to see what they thought of them. Most people like the Fabia the best and thought it was a German car for the strong build quality but when showed the badge they then said they'd buy the Polo. On a comparison between the Superb II (when new) and a Merc, they covered the badges on the Skoda and asked people what they thought with positive comments. When the badge was shown though people said it wouldn't change their mind and they'd still seriously consider it.

Of course there's still going to be people out there who want a fancier badge on their bonnets but if it can mean cheaper cars for us then all the better! I came very close to buying a 56 plate A3 S-line quattro TDI 170 with 20,000 miles on the clock (same age and mileage as my Octavia) until it had failed the HPI check, by the time that was resolved the car was gone. While the car did have the four wheel drive system and climate control I had a hard time convincing myself to pay a good chunk of 4K for the badge and at the end of the day I'm much happier with the Octavia which I think drives better plus it's far more spacious in the back.

John

Edited 1 May, 201016 yr by JohnMcL7

There are still a few that are badge snobs out there.

When I've bought my vRS though, many people have already said "wow that's a nice car"

S'pose it beats "it's grandad gold" for my current one...

I personally think the fact that its a Skoda makes it cool, the people who count will know what it is and understand how good they are, and the people that dont know............................ well they don't matter

Simples

couldn't agree more, I genuinely cannot wait until I get my vRS; currently drive a 330d BMW, but I cannot wait to show my new Skoda off to people.

it looks f'kin mint, it drives f'kin mint.......but it didn't cost me a mint. :p

It strikes me that those who write off pre-VW Skoda without any equivocation at all are ignoring the history, such as the group B rally record of the 1980s where they whipped the ass off every other manufacturer using a 30 year old engine.

Yes, VW's input has revolutionised the brand, but it's rather glib to suggest that VW, in buying the badge and an open door to another market, are somehow wholly responsible for the modern quality products that all but the ignorant now appreciate as such.

For all that VW brought to the table in terms of investment in technology and economic nous, the Czechs brought technical skills by the bucketload - it wasn't a one way street.

Remember this quotation by a Skoda engineer: “We didn’t know a lot about Western advertising or marketing, but we did know how to build cars.”

I think the problem is some people are scared they might actually still be driving a Skoda when they have convinced themselves it really is a VW :wonder:

Remember this quotation by a Skoda engineer: “We didn’t know a lot about Western advertising or marketing, but we did know how to build cars.”

Good point.

All was pretty good, then along came Communism and well, the rest is history..

If the Skoda product was so bad in the pre VW takeover days, why did VW allow the Felicia to be built until 2000? The Felicia was a carry over of the Favorit, which was put into production 2 years before the VW takeover, there was even a pick up version of it, built in the Skoda factory, which was badged and marketed as a VW.

It is a good indicator in finding a true car enthusiast if you ask them to comment about Skoda.

The chap(ess) who states that they are utter rubbish shows in a few seconds that they know nothing about these great cars. I laugh when people turn their noses up in disgust at either of my two cars - mainly thinking about how much money they waste on buying a car with a 'proper' badge.

Anyone who really knows a decent car when they see it will be very enthusiastic about our cars.

It is a good indicator in finding a true car enthusiast if you ask them to comment about Skoda.

The chap(ess) who states that they are utter rubbish shows in a few seconds that they know nothing about these great cars. I laugh when people turn their noses up in disgust at either of my two cars - mainly thinking about how much money they waste on buying a car with a 'proper' badge.

Anyone who really knows a decent car when they see it will be very enthusiastic about our cars.

Hmmm, don’t think that’s a true indicator.

There are legions on here that rubbish Fords, BMWs Vauxhalls etc and they all produce some very good drivers cars, even better than Skoda’s vehicles

Hmmm, don’t think that’s a true indicator.

There are legions on here that rubbish Fords, BMWs Vauxhalls etc and they all produce some very good drivers cars, even better than Skoda’s vehicles

How we all laughed at the Estelle having "...a rear windscreen heater to keep your hands warm when you push it" joke. But that was back when we also drove the Morris "Marina", named after the amount of water regularly found in the footwells, and the Austin "Allegro", inspired by the musical term for "brisk and lively". Seriously.

There were lots more awful duds back then, such as Lancias which self-destructed their bodywork within 2 years. The truth beyond the jokes was that the pre-VW Skodas of the 70s and 80s were competent, a good deal more reliable than many competitors, and certainly not the basket cases they were made out to be.

Fast forward to today and the bottom line is that there are very few intrinsically bad cars on the roads. Skoda, with its traditional skillbase and VW input, maintains its record of competence and reliability.

.

As a percentage it’s probably about equal

* excluding early Fabia vRS's of course, oh and Octy II 2.0 Tdi (140) Elegance in Sahara Beige with DSG too

You were close but mine is grey!

I think these threads perpetuate the problem. And apparently get people a bit hot under the collar. Skodas are good cars and speak for themselves, do you really want everyone to know and not have something different, Shhhhhhhh!

I cant say Ive heard any skoda ribbing or jokes for years, :no: I didnt even realise people still had badge snobbery towards Skodas (with the exception of merc and beemer drivers ) I even get people in the street telling me how nice they are now, I must just live in this bubble world . And TBH, who cares?

Do you want Skoda to be a 'darling' badge and drive up insurance prices ?

My dad had 3 Estelle 120, and were totally reliable, They were the 1st cars he bought from new, he could only afford old British unreliable cars before. I remember him getting underneath the winged 2 tone cresta<cool car , rust bucket > and him bashing the transmission tunnel so the drive shaft didn't catch it! I remember too we had a brand new hire car< Morris Marina> because we were going to selsey and the Morris 1100 had broken down yet again , and the door trim came when you closed the door! If only my Dad was alive to see how far they have come in IMAGE, my Dad always swore by them as apposed to British cars he by them!

Edited 4 May, 201016 yr by bluvrs2

I could tell yesterday when I drove across the old West / East German internal border,

as the ratio of Golfs to Octavias was 3:1 in the West and 1:3 in the East.

If you care to look in the Shows section, a few of us went to the Elsecar VAG show last weekend

& had a little oasis of "cars for the people by the people".

A few chavvy teenagers showed their ignorance but most people were pretty cool about our assortment.

Peace, love and doughnuts comrades!

Hmmm, don’t think that’s a true indicator.

I'd have to concur, in my opinion Skodas are pretty useless and I wouldn't consider myself to know nothing about 'em...

Oh yeah, and the bit in bold above, little bit confident arent we, i've probably forgotten more than you think you know....... pal

It is not a case of how much was carried over from Skoda into VAG but what did Skoda have in the background or subsequently design and develop for the group. NOTHING Everyone seems to like the idea that their Skoda is really a VW, do you really think that all Skoda was or is, is an assembly line? YES

Obviosuly forgotten how to operate in society too, still you can return to your closet later.

As for is Skoda a production line? how about Seat? They use VW parts, however, design and engieneer them to their own ends as well as providing engineering support for the group. Why, beacuse they are competant in deisgn and cheaper than their german counterparts, way of the world these days.

Obviosuly forgotten how to operate in society too, still you can return to your closet later.

As for is Skoda a production line? how about Seat? They use VW parts, however, design and engieneer them to their own ends as well as providing engineering support for the group. Why, beacuse they are competant in deisgn and cheaper than their german counterparts, way of the world these days.

I'm with you on this. The best engineers in the world operate under the rule of "necessity is the mother of invention". The Czechs are still in that space.