Anyone on here taxi a Superb?

[p1tud]

my dad is just about to get a superb1.9tdi 130bhp comfort, just wondered if anyone on here taxis one and if they do have you had any probs apart from stiff boot lids? and what size wheels do you run? trying to talk him into the 17's as they look the best but just wondered on tyre price/wear compared to the 16's? any info much appreciated.

[Dr Zoidberg]

Baheed would be your man to ask about that.

[ADMotorsport]

have been in one as a taxi very nice

[p1tud]

andrew u scottish mate? i ask because i recognise the strathy name, go to the park regular myself.

[ADMotorsport]

andrew u scottish mate? i ask because i recognise the strathy name, go to the park regular myself.

yeah from hamilton where abts r u

[p1tud]

ayrshire mate.

[john@thompsons]

I told a friend to replace his Diewoe Eleganza with a Superb, and he asked a Taxi driver who owned one what he thought of the car.

He now owns a 130pd Superb...

Nuff aid!

JT

[skorpy]

Hi,

I taxi a suberb classic 1.9 tdi 130 bhp auto. Im on variable servicing and the fuel econ isnt too good (good on runs but not urban) but Ive only done 6k so far and has been getting better. nice car, had plenty of compliments about space comfort etc. go for it. I like the car immensly and so do my passengers.

EB Taxi man

[p1tud]

whats the variable servicing like? out of interest what coulour did you go for?? been told that dark ones scratch easy, my dad has went for nightfire blue.

[BAAHEED]

Did some say BAAHEED. Yip mate my Superbs done 17500 miles now in 4 months...no problems at all. Also nightfire blue with optional 17" alloys. Must say just about everyone with any car savvy comments on how good the looks and feels. Very reasonable fuel consumption (but you are talking about a guy who had a vRS as a Taxi) about 35 to 38 average town driving and 42 to 45 on longer runs.

On variable servicing also, needed first at 14,500 miles and the front tyres are on the wear bands about now. I have 2 replacement Michelins Pilot Primacys sitting waiting to go on cost me

[kprm77]

There is a Superb taxi round here I've seen (Hinckley / Nuneaton) - looks very nice on 17 inch alloys. I went for the 17 inch alloys on my PD130 Comfort - look superb (pardon the pun).

I commute around 60-70 miles each day - tend to get very close to 50mpg (admitedly, that is mostly not much more than 60mph due to traffic). Still get over 40mpg when I can stick my foot down and mid to late 30's mpg in town. Think I'm averaging about 44mpg overall.

Mine's going back to the lease company at the end of this month due to redundancy - going to miss it loads :(

[William]

Why? Can not understand why a taxi driver would want one? My father was involved with a local minicab firm in Belfast a few years back and he used to laugh at drivers with expensive cars. The more you pay for your car the more work you have to do to make any sort of profit. Hence why a Syperb when as has been shown by many an Octy Classic SDi makes a perfectly good Taxi at half the price.

[Kentish]

Why? Can not understand why a taxi driver would want one? My father was involved with a local minicab firm in Belfast a few years back and he used to laugh at drivers with expensive cars. The more you pay for your car the more work you have to do to make any sort of profit. Hence why a Syperb when as has been shown by many an Octy Classic SDi makes a perfectly good Taxi at half the price.

I wondered when you were going to start banging on about the Superb .

I have no doubt as taxi drivers, they get a cracking deal on the Superb in whichever engine and trim level they choose.

Perhaps you automatically assume they wont appreciate the greater rear passenger room allowing a more comfortable journey for their fare, a true ability to seat 4 passengers, and as the doors are bigger easier access for fare and luggage.

Perhaps there is more to the motoring world than an Octy vRS, and just perhaps not everyone would want one.

[Dr Zoidberg]

Why? Can not understand why a taxi driver would want one? Hence why a Superb when as has been shown by many an Octy Classic SDi makes a perfectly good Taxi at half the price.

Because it's going to be basic , deathly slow especially when loaded , and has very poor legroom.

If I was going to spend 8-10 hours in my car each day I'd want to be comfortable , have something nice to drive , and that allows me to put the seat back as far as I want.

Yes , you do have to pay more for that , but you could equally wonder why people pay for a nice office when a portacabin would allow them to work

[William]

Dr Zoidberg, Is a Superb really all that more comfortable for the driver? Why worry about the passengers? Fares are regulated in most parts of the UK. For a given journey they pay the same to travel in a

[Dr Zoidberg]

Why worry about the passengers?

So that they use your Taxi firm again instead of the competition

[William]

Don't know about where you live, but in Belfast the different Taxi firms all have multiple drivers all with loads of different makes and models, although Octy Sdi Classics are one of the most popular. Therefore I doubt very much if drivers buy big expensive cars for the passengers comfort. My Fathers firm used to actually own 3 cars for special jobs (rest of drivers owed their own car, just rented radio from taxi firm). These 3 cars were 1. A Black Taxi, 2. A 7 setaer people carrier, and 3 a Lada Riva Estate, for people with loads of luggage. No one ever complained about the Lada.

[Heebee]

Don't know about where you live, but in Belfast the different Taxi firms all have multiple drivers all with loads of different makes and models, although Octy Sdi Classics are one of the most popular. Therefore I doubt very much if drivers buy big expensive cars for the passengers comfort. My Fathers firm used to actually own 3 cars for special jobs (rest of drivers owed their own car, just rented radio from taxi firm). These 3 cars were 1. A Black Taxi, 2. A 7 setaer people carrier, and 3 a Lada Riva Estate, for people with loads of luggage. No one ever complained about the Lada.

A Lada taxi...

I can assure you that wouldn't cut it around here. I've refused taxis in the past if they've looked a bit shabby, or poorly-maintained, and I'd definitely just laugh if someone turned up with a Lada. When I need to go to the airport, I book with a guy who has an Omega: it's big, comfortable, and he looks after it.

I'd probably book with someone who had a Superb, as well. Some people appreciate being driven in a decent car, and are prepared to pay a bit more for the comfort.

Camrys and E-Class' are pretty comfortable, too, but the old Granada always seemed to be a favourite on a long run as a passenger.

[William]

A Lada taxi...

I can assure you that wouldn't cut it around here. I've refused taxis in the past if they've looked a bit shabby' date=' or poorly-maintained, and I'd definitely just laugh if someone turned up with a Lada. When I need to go to the airport, I book with a guy who has an Omega: it's big, comfortable, and he looks after it.

I'd probably book with someone who had a Superb, as well. Some people appreciate being driven in a decent car, and are prepared to pay a bit more for the comfort.

Camrys and E-Class' are pretty comfortable, too, but the old Granada always seemed to be a favourite on a long run as a passenger.[/quote']

The cars were clean and well maintained (in fact in N.Ireland Taxis have to pass a very rigorous mechanical check (which includes the body work being up to a certain standard) and be issued with a Public Service Vehicle certificate). You make very sweeping statemnets about around here as if your opinion matches that of every single person in your district? And as I say fares are regulated and therefore a driver with a Merc can not ask for more than one with a Skoda. The Lada was not used every day it was used when someone phned wanting to go to the airport or ferry terminal with loads of luggage. It would not have been economical to use an expensive estate car for that. Hebee your general attitude just screams badge snob. When u use a taxis you are not buying the car only a journey, the majority of which are short. Also if you note my posts you will see this was some time ago (1985) when the Lada was a new car.

[Heebee]

When u use a taxis you are not buying the car only a journey, the majority of which are short. Also if you note my posts you will see this was some time ago (1985) when the Lada was a new car.

The majority of my taxi journeys are very long: I only really use them to go to the airport (depending which one, it can be over an hour each way). The fees aren't fixed for this sort of journey, and I do indeed go with a slightly more expensive firm, because I know they have decent cars, in decent condition.

Hating Ladas isn't a 'badge snob' thing: it's a '****e engineering' thing. Are you really accusing someone who owns a Skoda of being a badge snob? And are you STILL trying to claim that a Lada is anything other than a dreadful, rotten, shabby heap of a thing?

Your whole attitude screams 'I've owned a Lada in the past, which is more embarrassing than leprosy'.

[William]

The minicab laws are very different in N.Ireland. Cabs are not licenced as a Belfast taxi for example. The law is provence wide. Therefore the meter runs at the same rate regardless of wether you are travelling half a mile across town, 20 miles to the international airport or 90 miles to Londonderry.

I have never said that a Lada Riva was as good a most other makes, but they were not as bad as you make out. It is not fair to compare the Lada Riva, a basic budget car popular in the 1980s to cars designed in the late 1990s and 2000s.

There is one thing that is certain, you could buy a 2 year old low mileage Riva for very little, and in nearly every case the car was better than the likes of Fords etc on sale for similar price, in terms of condition and reliability etc. Therefore there was a niche for them.

I was never embaressed by my Lada (and I was 19 when I drove one).

In any case you are hijacking a thread in which I pointed out that it makes more economic sense to use the cheapest car that is big and reliable enough for taxing, and attempting to cause argument. In short you are trolling.

[Heebee]

In any case you are hijacking a thread in which I pointed out that it makes more economic sense to use the cheapest car that is big and reliable enough for taxing, and attempting to cause argument. In short you are trolling.

Hmm, I'm sure you can get a kettle in that colour...

I'm pretty sure I wasn't hijacking this thread: I simply pointed out that, given the choice, I would prefer to travel in a Superb taxi than a Lada one. There is a demand for decent, comfortable taxis: the Superb would be ideal (from a passenger perspective).

However, if a Lada were to turn up, I'd never use the firm again. The choice of company vehicle has a big impact on the image of the company.

[Kentish]

I think William very convieniently forgets that taxi drivers dont pay face price for their new cars, as with most companies.

Taxi drivers buy what is reliable, cheap to run, comfortable (for both driver and fare) as well as reasonable to buy in the first place.

Also forgotten is the revenue a taxi may generate to a dealer in servicing costs.

[William]

I think William very convieniently forgets that taxi drivers dont pay face price for their new cars' date=' as with most companies.

Taxi drivers buy what is reliable, cheap to run, comfortable (for both driver and fare) as well as reasonable to buy in the first place.

Also forgotten is the revenue a taxi may generate to a dealer in servicing costs.[/quote']

Well dealers must treat taxi drivers better in England than they do in N.Ireland. treated just like any other private buyer over here. Remember mini cab firms only rent out Radio sets and answer calls, the drivers have to buy and run their own cars, so there is no volume factor to allow sweet deals from dealers.

I think the Superb is a great car, but I do not think it is the best choice for a taxis in the Skoda range. It is roomier for passengers but has a very small luggage capacity realtive to the potential number of passengers (I was shocked when it came out to find it was a saloon and the boot was tiny compared with the Octy Hatch or Felicia Estate). It is more expensive to buy and will generate more interest to finance company etc, and even using an economical 1.9TDi will still use more fuel than the lighter Octavia 1.9TDi. As I have said elsewhere my vRs will be replaced mid 2006 with either a mide spec Superb or a high spec Octy 2, so don't think I am Superb bashing, I am not.

[Kentish]

If it was just down to the cheapest surely all taxis would be Korean in origin.