If you google Skoda Yeti you can see (last time I looked) what Kuga owners think of, of our beloved Skoda.....

I couldn't find anything too negative on the kugaownersclub, 50% of the comments seem to be positive. If you want to see some amusement just read this

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-mito/249231-mito-vs-fabia-vrs.html

Some of the comments amuse me, things like yes the Fabia vRS is much faster, bigger, historically more reliable, better value, but it doesn't have the passion and flare of an Alfa Romeo... I'm pretty sure the MiTo is a bebadged Fiat with some GM thrown in nowadays.....

I love some peoples deluded reponses, most people can be converted by simply sitting in a new Skoda but there are a select few of close minded people who are set in their ways.

Oh and there's an amusing review of the Superb on there plus a mention of how much faster an Octavia vRS is than a 159 and how that can't be possible because the 159 has got a larger engine and it's Italian so it must be faster, and it's bright red.

Hmmm, nothing but positive comments from AlfaOwner contributors when I chopped my GTA for a Yeti. They are on there if you look hard enough. As any fool knows the MiTo is a Punto in drag and the 159 is or rather was a very pretty Saab chassied overweight Vauxhall.

The Fabia is ok but none of its current engines currently compare to the MultiAir 170 jobbie. Bit of a disappointment compared to the old Furby, not the best in a crash either, only 4 starred in the NCAP ratings if I remember rightly. VRs lost it’s USP by going petrol, big shame that.

Better get used to Alfa being part of VAG, gonna happen in the next 3 years if Marchionne’s Chrysler plan bombs.

Having driven both the MiTo Cloverleaf (we've got an Alfa showroom too) and the Fabia vRS, I would say that in most scenarios the Fabia vRS is faster, the engine feels stronger plus the extra gearbox on the vRS makes a difference, it can always find itself in the right gear. Plus the right is a little softer on the vRS so when trying to get round the bumpy roads around here you find the MiTo tends to skip and jump a little. Still not a bad little car, but I'd say the Fabia is a better all round package, but I will concede that the Alfa has a more appealing look to most people.

In a straight line they are pretty much the same though, many times we've joined the M25 at the same time and they don't really get away from each other.

I wasn't picking on Alfa owners in particular it was just that was the first thing I found using Google after looking at that Kuga website, I did also find a hilarious MG owners club but it seemed to the written in a primitive form of txt-spk, oh and a Saxo one where they all seemed to love the MKI Octavia vRS.

I do think the image of Skoda is changing, albeit slowly. There seems to be a generation who won't even consider them, I guess because they had a bad experience previously but a fair amound of younger drivers seem to be turning to Skoda these days, and I'm pretty sure this trend will continue with the new CityGo, assuming it is cheaper than the VW UP otherwise people would just go for the VW version.

I find the MiTo - 'challenging' on the looks front - especially for an Alfa. I just didn't get on with the new VRs - perhaps I couldn't forgive it for not having a stonking big oil burner under the bonnet.

I expected to be pilloried from hill to burn for chopping my beloved GTA - a pretty special one with Q2 diff, Koni FSDs and Eibach springs plus it was a Sillyspeed (very different to the 4 cylinder system I hasten to add) but no, turns out a lot of the GTA boys (and girls) run VRs Octavias as 'everyday' cars, seemed to be no stupid snobbery at all.

Odd that some of my friends run VW and Audis and STILL won't vaguely consider a Skoda because of the badge, utter madness.

Desperate for a go in the auto Citigo. Wife at end of tether with a dull fortwo which has been nowhere near as fun as her first (mark 1 ) smart car. Citigo looks ideal. Again, why would you buy the VW version? beats me!

1 Citigo + 2 VW Badges.........Job done

I'm not a fan of the MiTo but the Guilietta doesn't offend me (apart from the lack of space to the left of the clutch pedal) although I can't get my head round the pricing, theres one in the showroom with a sign that says £25,510 and as far as I know it doesn't have any mega-spec on it. Although be to fair I've got a £24,800 Octavia Scout in the showroom, but at the same time you could buy an Octavia vRS TSi for £17,080. The Alfa pricing confuses me sometimes, I do often think if they where a chunk cheaper they'd sell better but I suppose the same would go for any brand.

Your GTA sounds like it was a good one, I've driven a few albeit all manuals and love the engine, the new 3.2 GM V6 is an evil creature. God knows how a Brera 3.2 seems to be slower than a diesel DSG Superb but it manages it, also driven a GT 3.2 V6 which I thought was Alfas best car in recent years, it seemed to have everything that you'd expect out of an Alfa and it was half practical. I drove a 147 GTA with the Q2 diff and a few other things and that was a hilarious experience, worst turning circle I've ever found though!

What amazes me with Skoda nowadays is the type of people who buy them, because there isn't a type. I sold a Fabia vRS to a 19 year old soldier a week or so ago, a guy bought a Yeti for his wife realised I had a bit of a passion for Mercs and turned up in his brand new SLS and took me for a ride in it which was AWESOME. A woman in her 40s ordered 6 Octavias for her business because he was given one when her Audi needed some bodywork doing and she decided it was nicer than her A3 and to replace her company fleet with Octavias from Ford Focus Esates and I think she'll go for an Octavia herself when her Audi needs replacing.

Having said that like you say, some people still have an odd mindset, which sometimes I find amusing whilst other times it honestly does frustrate me.

I reckon the CitiGo will sell is good numbers (as Skoda models go) and will generate more business for Skoda in the future. Skoda customers seem to demonstrate great brand loyalty and if you can get someone to drive a Citigo for a few year you can be sure that when they come to replace it the first place they'll start to look for a replacement will be an a Skoda dealer, unless they've had a bad experience with a retailer or something I guess.

1 Citigo + 2 VW Badges.........Job done

Exactly, mind you although only slightly different I do prefer the Skoda styling. I wonder if VW will get into a strop because people buy the Citygo rather than the Up? In view of the 'issues' VW had with people prefering the Superb to other pricier VAG fare.

We had an appalling experience test driving a Kuga last year. A good reason not to buy a new Ford is the people you have to buy them from!

Indeed. My company Yeti is on order - replacing a Ford C-Max (which oddly enough shares many of it's internal design features with the Kuga). It hasn't been a bad car, a few rattles granted. But the service from Ford dealerships is best described as intensely irritating. Lately I've use a well known chain but can turn up to find they have "forgotten" your service booking, or return to find they have "forgotten" the valet they promised. I can only imagine/hope the lease company pays them peanuts in return for such basic mistakes. I actually switched from a smaller dealership because of previous poor experiences!!

And I would agree with much said about the Kuga, as a colleague has one. I find it pretty good to look at, but not much boot space is a pain. And a rather limited choice of petrol engines - just the 2.5l if I recall correctly.

Edited 19 November, 201114 yr by lookingforit35

I too am a convert from Fords, which I have owned umpteen of over 35 years. Why have I changed to Skoda?... simply the different attitude of the dealers! Ford's act as though they are doing you a favour by even talking to you about selling you a car, almost as though you should feel privileged to enter their showroom. And then their service departments... talk about ripping you off. Only whilst a car was under warranty would I take it to the Ford dealership for servicing in order to maintain the warranty (and yes I know that in theory you now don't need to). The number of times they tried it on! I would always agree the price first, but they would deny knowledge when I turned up later to collect. I even got to the point of marking filters, plugs etc, and caught them out on several occasions when they'd not done work they'd charged for. Even basic things like not changing the oil.

The cars are good, no question, but the dealers totally let the brand down. They align themselves to the business customer & really couldn't care less about private buyers.

Now, Skoda isn't perfect, the cars are good, but they do have their shortcomings. But the shortcomings pale into insignificance when you are treated so well by the dealership. Ok, service costs are not cheap, but the quality is there and you really feel wanted as a customer. I'm impressed!

I did look at the Kuga, but it was just a bit too big for what I wanted. The yeti is exactly right and I am absolutely certain I made the right choice.

Edited 19 November, 201114 yr by speedsport

For a period of my motoring life I had to drive Fords as I was issued with a company car. The cars are fine (and my V6 Mondeo ST24 was actually very good), but even with company cars the dealers were absolute ****. The absolute nadir was when I booked a car in for as a result of a factory recall, and when I arrived they couldn't do it on the grounds that, "I hadn't asked them to order the part". Honestly, I'm not making that up!

For a period of my motoring life I had to drive Fords as I was issued with a company car. The cars are fine (and my V6 Mondeo ST24 was actually very good), but even with company cars the dealers were absolute ****. The absolute nadir was when I booked a car in for as a result of a factory recall, and when I arrived they couldn't do it on the grounds that, "I hadn't asked them to order the part". Honestly, I'm not making that up!

If you want to see some amusement just read this

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-mito/249231-mito-vs-fabia-vrs.html

Some of the comments amuse me, things like yes the Fabia vRS is much faster, bigger, historically more reliable, better value, but it doesn't have the passion and flare of an Alfa Romeo... I'm pretty sure the MiTo is a bebadged Fiat with some GM thrown in nowadays.....

I love some peoples deluded reponses, most people can be converted by simply sitting in a new Skoda but there are a select few of close minded people who are set in their ways.

Having read this thread and the Alfa one (see above) I have come to a couple of conclusions..

1. It's wonderful to come across a car salesman who not only is a car enthusiast, broadly knowleged and a true 'petrolhead' but who also obviously puts his customers and their cars above his commission - though looking at his sales I don't think that's too much of a problem (one follows another) and....

2. How nice to see an Alfa enthusiasts forum holding a discussion on the merits of the Skoda Fabia in the Mito section, without the Mods insisting it is moved to a new heading titled 'Skoda'.!!!

Thanks James...

Edited 20 November, 201114 yr by Millstone

For a period of my motoring life I had to drive Fords as I was issued with a company car. The cars are fine (and my V6 Mondeo ST24 was actually very good), but even with company cars the dealers were absolute ****. The absolute nadir was when I booked a car in for as a result of a factory recall, and when I arrived they couldn't do it on the grounds that, "I hadn't asked them to order the part". Honestly, I'm not making that up!

Following my recent problem with the DRL's on Dewi, I can think of a Skoda dealer that did exactly the same thing...................

and worryingly they are a Fraud dealer as well!!!!

Having read this thread and the Alpha one (see above) I have come to a couple of conclusions..

1. It's wonderful to come across a car salesman who not only is a car enthusiast, broadly knowleged and a true 'petrolhead' but who also obviously puts his customers and their cars above his commission - though looking at his sales I don't think that's too much of a problem (one follows another) and....

2. How nice to see an Alpha enthusiasts forum holding a discussion on the merits of the Skoda Fabia in the Mito section, without the Mods insisting it is moved to a new heading titled 'Skoda'.!!!

Thanks James...

Is he an Alfa male?

Sorry, couldn't resist!!

Is he an Alfa male?

Sorry, couldn't resist!!

I've driven a Mito and a Guilietta and I prefer my Yeti. Every time.

Is he an Alfa male?

Sorry, couldn't resist!!

Alright I've corrected the spelling!!.. but I've had a long day on my feet in the NEC (working) and I have to do it again tomorrow - and the next day - and the next day - and the next day etc etc.......

Alright I've corrected the spelling!!.. but I've had a long day on my feet in the NEC (working) and I have to do it again tomorrow - and the next day - and the next day - and the next day etc etc.......

Too late, I quoted you, so the evidence is irrefutable!!

What show you at? I was up there Saturday at the model railway show.