O.K folks I have a situation here.

We are ordering a new car for 2011.

I currently have a 05 superb which I am very fond of (despite the water ingress problem being only sorted this weekend gone).

We are trading up and have test drove a new superb. again I am very keen to go with skoda. HOWEVER the missus loved the avensis we tested. I need to convince her that the new superb won't be beset with electrical problems as the last one was due to the water ingress.

Also are there any other common faults occurring?

Please help me as the avensis is costing €4000 more than the superb and most importantly I don't like it as much as the superb.

O.K folks I have a situation here.

We are ordering a new car for 2011.

I currently have a 05 superb which I am very fond of (despite the water ingress problem being only sorted this weekend gone).

We are trading up and have test drove a new superb. again I am very keen to go with skoda. HOWEVER the missus loved the avensis we tested. I need to convince her that the new superb won't be beset with electrical problems as the last one was due to the water ingress.

Also are there any other common faults occurring?

Please help me as the avensis is costing €4000 more than the superb and most importantly I don't like it as much as the superb.

Let her sit in the rear passenger seat for an hour in an Avensis. Unless she`s extremely short, this would make her change her mind.

Let her sit in the rear passenger seat for an hour in an Avensis. Unless she`s extremely short, this would make her change her mind.

Yeah thats true. The kids will generally sit back there though and we haven't used the back of a car ourselves since we moved in together if you get my drift.

I have had my Superb 2 for over twelve months now. No problems to report, electrical or otherwise. Even on 18 inch wheels the ride is good, and the car is in another league compared to the old Superb.

Having driven a new Avensis, I was not impressed. It was a stylish car in the modern idiom but the mechanics of it are no better than the old model. The car is boring: the suspension is crashy: the ride is unrefined: the handling is slothful: All these will help to convince you, but how to convince your wife, that is another matter.

The Avensis is a triumph of style over substance, unlike the Superb which puts substance first. My wife found that she like the substance of the Superb and the style grew on her.

I went for the Superb Estate (due to collect this Friday) over the Avensis Estate because the fuel economy was better on paper, better load capacity and I could get more car for my money.

My 1999 Toyata Avensis 1.8GS Hatchback has served me well for the past six years but I have imense problems with the dealer about the anti corrosion warrenty, the car gets a re-spray from the C-pillar bacy every 12 - 24 months and has cost the delaer more than I paid for the car. They have to warrenty their repair which is three years, trading standards sorted that when I found the dealer gave three year warrenties on accident repairs and was only giving me 12 months. The brake pipes on the new Toyota are the same material as those on my car and I've had two fail the MOT in recent years due to corrosion. My local Toyota dealer also rips me off when it comes to parts, i phoned around main dealers and found all quoted the same price except my local one which was at least 30% higher. Toyota accepted this was poor practice when I presented them with the evidence and refunded the extra.

Technical issues asside, Toyotas are nice to drive, but I felt the build quality was higher on the Skoda, dealers are better and my Dad's had Skodas for over 10 years now with no problems.

If it wasn't for my Dad, I'd probably still be trying to decide which to go for despite both Toyata and Skoda letting me have the cars for a full weekend to compare. the Toyota 2.2 TR Estate was the first because they had a car and the following week was the Skoda. Nothing like living with a car for a couple of days to help decide, perhaps you could get the same and compare back to back?

Done them driven them chosen one.

Believe me just go for the Skoda. It is Audi quality for Mondeo money.

No contest.

Forget the badge, the Superb is a great buy.

Phil

What does the car say about you:

Skoda Superb: excellent value for money package that does all and in many cases more than other premium brands and for a lot less money when compared like for like.

Toyota Avensis: grey car for a grey man with grey hair in a grey suit.

I don't know how Toyota sell any.

My second Superb is on order. I wouldn't thank you for an Avensis.

Mark

Edited 15 November, 201015 yr by 2slo

I have had Toyotas for over 30 years (several Corollas, Carina, Verso and Avensis, my wife currently has a Yaris. In between have also flirted with VW golf (about 1986, and Volvo.When it came to ordering new car earlier this month after much research I have switched to Superb.

My Mother in Law has new Avensis (T4 with all the toys)- it is bulky but not roomy compared to my 08 Avensis, ( interior space similar to Octavia, but with smaller boot - Checkout on What Car site) the electric handbrake is an accident waiting to happen. Havent found a way to disable the self locking doors, which makes me wary in case of an accident. Fuel consumption is not as good as my 08 Avensis (both are 2l Deisel) Add in the higher CO2, road tax penalty, and if company car, BIK etc then it becomes a no brainer, never mind aquisition cost. Also MIL car was one of the cars subject to recall two weeks after it was bought (ie wihtin 6 weeks of manufacture, for accerator jamming problem last winter- doesnt inspire confidence

The write up for Superb in motoring press and on this site makes me think Skoda is where Toyota was about 15 years ago, producing cars that were reliable and comfortable at an affordable price. The space, ride comfort and cruising ability of the Superb convinced me that it was a better option than the Avensis

The electric handbarke was a nightmare compared to the one on the Volvo V70. The car I tried was supposed to have hill hold control, but I found I really had to hold the car on the clutch. Setting the electric handbrake so it would autorelease on a hill strat meant a lot of leaning forward. I got the opinion of an IAM examiner to give his opinion and he was less than complimentary on the handbrake.

There are some things where there is a certain satisfaction of pulling a lever along with hearing and feeling something happen rather than relying on a light to tell you the job is done or that could be because I am still stuck in the 70's

Thanks for all the help all you briskodians. I am e-mailing a link to this to my wife now. Hopefully this will convince her.

4000 euros is a hill of money and if it were my missus, that would do the talking alone never mind what's it like to sit in...

An Avensis is beige, beige, beige... Says absolutely naught about a driver to me but that they care only for something that is (supposedly) dependable from A to B. It looks low rent next to a Superb. The Superb has not won the LUXURY CAR OF THE YEAR in various magazines for nothing. Also the Avensis will never ever compete in that class - it will always be a has-been Mondeo class car.

And then the font inside on the dash and the Japanese insistence to write in the biggest white letters possible ON/OFF on the radio button and AUTO on every window. Doh... Everyone can find the on/off switch in a German car and have you ever seen it printed as an on/off switch? Or have you ever seen the words AUTO on a window button in a German car or a Skoda? Nope. Japanese cars patronise my intelligence and for that alone I can't get on with them... ok rant over.

Get a Superb. You won't go wrong.

Dunno about the car of the year thing , the Freelander won car of the year and that was totally rubbish , i know i bought one :(

I'm not a fan of the Avensis though my BIL has one and it sounds like a tractor when its cold