OK - here goes. This is going to cause some acid but I have to put this to the forum.

At present I drive a BMW 520d Touring with the M-Technic kit - very nice - and I've always driven "premium" badged cars like Audi, Merc, Saab, Range Rover and recently the BMW (I have a Z4 3.0 Litre too) but now that the lease is ending on the 520 I am seriously tempted to move into a Skoda Superb Combi (Elegance) but I have to admit to a certain reluctance because of the badge.

My wife and I really like the elegant and classy (almost timeless) look of the Superb Combi but personally I'm fighting an internal battle with the Skoda moniker.

Here in Portugal the Superb version I'll choose will set me back 48,000 Euros so it's not chicken feed. A comparable new BMW 520d with equivalent equipment and extras would set me back 70,000 Euros so there is a big difference in favour of the Skoda.

Snobbery. I have to admit that this is what it must boil down to. I need to be sure that I'm not "really" trading down because although the Skoda badge caries some unfortunate baggage from the 70's, 80's and 90's the cars today are a match for the best of the rest. How many of you have traded from the so-called premium brands to Skoda ? I'd be very interested to know, and what were your thoughts when you first considered this maligned brand which today even the pretentious petrol heads at Top Gear have voted as the best Luxury Car.

Don't through eggs please, just help me convince myself.

Oh by the way, the version of choice would be;

Superb 2.0 TDI (177 bhp)

DSG auto

Elegance

Full extras including panoramic sunroof and privacy glass

Cappuccino with Ivory seats

18" Luna Wheels

Welcome, on fifth gear,<motoring programe> they covered the badge and most thought it was a BMW, when it was first launched , when they told them it was a skoda , they said they were not deterred as it was so good. Here is also someone who has a Mercedes estate and just switched to skoda, my previous car was a Lexus

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/177031-hi-from-nottinghamshire/page__p__2133410__fromsearch__1entry2133410

I believe you would be very happy with the Skoda, and enjoy that 22,000 euros burning a hole in your pocket!

I've just sold my RS4 avant and can't wait for my superb

Badge means squat. I am trading "down" from Lexus and BMW. I look forward to puzzling a few people who wont expect such quality from Skoda. The money left over from not buying another badge is paying for a business class around the world ticket and then some. If ya wanna throw good money away to be the same as everyone else, do it. I want people to wonder, ask questions and watch their faces as they say "Really?"

Changed to a Superb Combi after two Audi A4 Avants. Wouldn't go back! Build is every bit as good, but the attention to detail and the level of kit is so much better.

All that aside, one of the best bits of owning the Skoda is the feeling that you know something that others don't. Everyone expects BMW, Audi and the like to be excellent, but the Superb is as good if not better, for a lot less money. Oh, and it's so much rarer.

I just love telling people I have downgraded to a Skoda, only to watch their expression when they get a look round the car.

Do it, you will love it!

HH

Edited 13 October, 201015 yr by Hillhound

Buy a car because its what you want not what you want to say to others

If you cant get over the badge buy another beemer

I've just sold my RS4 avant and can't wait for my superb

My wife had to literally drag me into the dealership when she wanted me to show the Superb. We had been looking for a new car for several months and I was opting for either the Volvo s80, the Mercedes C, or the Ford Mondeo.

When she eventually pushed me behind the wheel of the Superb sedan at the dealers, I was blown awy by the perfect balance of sheer class and functionality. I reconed myself as one of the badge-snobberists but after that day, needless to say, I feel a bit sorry for all those people fleshing out thousends of pounds more for a vehicle that does not feels as classy and spacious as the superb.

The first days the wife parked the new superb in front of the officebuilding where she works (her desk is at the window), there was a steady trickle of admirers flocking round the Superb

Skoda has to be more aggressive in it`s marketing when it comes to bringing testresults to the attention of potential car-buyers. The superb beats BMW\s and Mercs in most of those tests as well in reliability-statistics and maintenance-costs, where the BMW and Mercs score abysmally low.

If the badge is the only thing keeping you from buying an obvious better car, there are several neutral badges you can get on ebay for a fiver, use a hairblower to remove the skoda (just attached with 3M stickytape, and put on a neutral one.

Anyway, don`t let the badge put you off.

Edited 13 October, 201015 yr by Doc Watchtower

I normally have cars like Audis or Mercedes too. My other car is an Audi TT at the moment.

BUT...I really liked the look of the Superb Estate and saw it had lots of current VW group techology on it, so I gave it a test drive after I'd driven a similar engined Audi A5 Sportback. If I'm honest, I preferred the Audi but it was nearly £10000 dearer (I like toys) and the only options I'm missing that were not available on the Skoda are cooled seats and auto dimming exterior mirrors.

It is slighly irritating that almost everyone I know comes up with a Skoda put-down, but are always impressed when they actually see the car.

Ignore the badge snobs and save some money!

I was previously a mercedes man, and have to say that the superb beats my c class hands down. The superb is better finished, better equipped, nicer to drive and has much more room too. And even more strange is the sense of pride I get from driving it - people actually stand and watch the car go by as they're still not a common sight - that doesn't happen in a c class!

I have to say, having owned Jags, Mercedes and VWs - my superb beats them all! No regrets!

Nice spec. good choice. Just think of it as 10,000 euros extra for every Audi ring. Feeling better?

I'm just waiting for my new superb to arrive after years of Merc's and BMW's. I think the great thing about the superb, is that once on the road, no-one seems to know quite what it is as they are just so rare. I too had that whole head over heart problem when ordering, but now can't wait for the new arrival. I've told loads of people that the Skoda is on its way and I love watching their faces when I tell them, but you only have to show them a couple of pictures and their faces change.

It took me 3 test drives to be sure that what I was seeing in the brochures translated into real life, but as =far as I could tell the quality of fit and finish is great - I can't comment over the long term, but you will find many that can.

I've never ordered a car with a spec as good as the Skoda - with BMW and Merc, stuff like the adaptive lighting, electric seats etc. costs a bomb.

Save yourself some cash, and enjoy life with what you save. Life's too short for brand snobbery!

I'm just waiting for my new superb to arrive after years of Merc's and BMW's. I think the great thing about the superb, is that once on the road, no-one seems to know quite what it is as they are just so rare. I too had that whole head over heart problem when ordering, but now can't wait for the new arrival. I've told loads of people that the Skoda is on its way and I love watching their faces when I tell them, but you only have to show them a couple of pictures and their faces change.

It took me 3 test drives to be sure that what I was seeing in the brochures translated into real life, but as =far as I could tell the quality of fit and finish is great - I can't comment over the long term, but you will find many that can.

I've never ordered a car with a spec as good as the Skoda - with BMW and Merc, stuff like the adaptive lighting, electric seats etc. costs a bomb.

Save yourself some cash, and enjoy life with what you save. Life's too short for brand snobbery!

Couldn't agree more. I'm off to Leeds dealer today with my insurance docs. My car is at Grimsby awaiting delivery.

I find it incredible that here we are, late 2010, and people are still unsure whether to buy a Skoda based on the cars which wore a Skoda badge 30 years ago.

The company name is the only common ground between what's produced today and what was produced in the 1970's.

If you are in any way unsure, why not actually compare a Skoda superb 170 elegance estate with a BMW 520d estate. Start off with the £5000 price advantage the Skoda has then add the option prices to the BMW for everything the Skoda has as standard (e.g. leather, sat nav, xenon lights).

Still not convinced? How do both cars fare in the reliability & customer satisfaction stakes. Oh thats right, Skoda beats BMW yet again.

The fact that there are more 5 series sold than Skoda Superbs just says most people haven't a clue about cars.

I'd have a good laugh at the thought of someone buying a basic 5 series compared to my fully spec'd Superb and getting ripped off to the tune of at least £5000 extra all for the 'privilege' of having a flying propellor badge on the bonnet.

Then again, there's another badge on the bootlid of the BMW. That'll be £2500 for each badge then please...

Mark.

Many many thanks to all of you for taking the time to send me such reasoned replies.

My wife is utterly convinced that the Superb is the way to go.

I'm going to keep watching this board and take a few test drives and then I'll decide.

Keep you all posted.

Thanks again for a mature and responsive forum.

Actually, my Skoda is the most "premium" car I have ever owned!

The most you can do is price up the superb you want, then go to all the premium dealers and go give me that for that price.........

they wont do it...... you will get better/same quality out of the superb aas you do out of an A6 but at a fraction of the cost.

The day you buy that car and people ask what u got, you cn hold your head high and say 'I got a SKODA!' they will laugh, so you will take them out in it and they will be ordering theres next week!

if my job takes off to where i want it to i will be looking at the new octy est/Superb combi

Just feel smug that when someone sneers at you, you know you are smarter than them, they will pay premium for less all round, you however will be driving a machine that is comfortable, capable and unusual, and it will give all the rest a run at the light's, I think this is why Skoda have released a V6 version so company director's can maintain that XJ12 feeling for less than £30k.

I have been a massive Skoda fan for years.

I had a Mk1 Ambiente a few years back, moved to a SEAT back in late 2006, and moved back to Skoda in January of 2009 with a 2.0 TDI DSG Octavia Elegance.

Now I own a vRS, and I didn't even bother with a test drive. Walked into a dealer and banged out a deal and snagged me a vRS.

If I was in the market for a Superb (I.e. if I had fully grown adult kids) then I wouldn't think twice about going in and doing the same for a Superb.

I specced up a similar Golf GTD to my vRS and it came out a good £11K more expensive. No thanks - same car with a VW badge? Woopeedoo

Do it!!!

I moved away from BMW (after about 8 BM's - including the E30 M3) to a Skoda Octavia - which IMO was a much better all round car.

The only thing the Octavia was lacking in is rear legroom, so after 3 years I sold it and bought a MKI Superb, this is very soon to be replaced with a Superb Combi.

If you really find yourself struggling with the badge when you buy one (after you drive it you will be buying one ) then simply put some stainless Milotec covers over them

I normally have cars like Audis or Mercedes too. My other car is an Audi TT at the moment.

BUT...I really liked the look of the Superb Estate and saw it had lots of current VW group techology on it, so I gave it a test drive after I'd driven a similar engined Audi A5 Sportback. If I'm honest, I preferred the Audi but it was nearly £10000 dearer (I like toys) and the only options I'm missing that were not available on the Skoda are cooled seats and auto dimming exterior mirrors.

It is slighly irritating that almost everyone I know comes up with a Skoda put-down, but are always impressed when they actually see the car.

Ignore the badge snobs and save some money!

The auto dimming mirrors are available on the Superb (it might be part of the interior auto dimming mirror option)

Many many thanks to all of you for taking the time to send me such reasoned replies.

My wife is utterly convinced that the Superb is the way to go.

I'm going to keep watching this board and take a few test drives and then I'll decide.

Keep you all posted.

Thanks again for a mature and responsive forum.

Try a search for the Top Gear and AutoCar reviews online. Also look on YouTube for the Fifth Gear Web TV test. All glowing reports.

The auto dimming mirrors are available on the Superb (it might be part of the interior auto dimming mirror option)

Sorry, I don't think I made myself clear. My car has the auto-dimming interior mirror as I ordered, but this does not give the auto-dimming door mirrors too, like I have on my TT. These are not available in the UK market -not sure whether you can get them in other countries.

strange. My Octavia has a self dimming door mirror on the driver's side

Taken from the owners manual:

"Automatic dimming exterior mirror*

The exterior mirrors are dimmed together with the interior mirror. If the automatic

dimming is switched on, the mirror dims automatically depending on the light

striking the mirror from the rear.

When the interior lights are switched on or the reverse gear is engaged, the mirror

always moves back into the basic position (not dimmed).

Note

 Automatic mirror dimming operates only properly if the sun screen* for the rear

window is not in use or the light striking the rear of the interior rear-view mirror is not

affected by other objects.

 Do not affix any stickers in front of the light sensor, so that you do not impair the

automatic dimming function or put it out of operation.

 If you switch off the automatic dimming interior rear-view mirror, also the exterior

mirror dimming is switched off."

:think: