Peoples ancient attitude to Skoda

[jakeyc]

My mates think I am a fool for buying a Skoda Superb... yet they've never been in it. Everyone who gets in it totally loves it.

My wife was unsure of the Fabia until I showed her the Monte Carlo.. now she has one arriving tomorrow.... in black! She can't wait... time to get rid of that awful Fiat 500!!!

Badge snobbery will always be there, but the best thing is to ignore it... Everyone to themselves I say..

[Brian69]

I remember someone posting on the Fabia I forum (I still don't feel quite right being over 'here'!) that they enjoyed driving a Skoda because of the 'underdog' tag - that sums up my feelings as well.

[seboni121]

I always thought the best joke was: What's the difference between driving a Skoda and putting your hand up Kylie Minogue's jumper? - Answer - You feel a tit in a Skoda.

Interesting that nowadays Kylie is hot and Skodas are cool!

You do realise kylie has had a mastectomy :( due to cancer :(

[yetifabia]

You do realise kylie has had a mastectomy :( due to cancer :(

Has she? Still looks great.

[seboni121]

Aye but she's got a greaaaat arrssee love to smash her back doors in !!

[wja96]

Except the depreciation isn't at all bad. It is in fact better than the Golf on mine......The 6 month+ waiting lists help.

What have you got? Superb or Octavia?

Despite the Superb 4WD estate being £6000 cheaper to buy outright than my A4 quattro allroad the allroad was £45/month less to lease over 2 years/50,000 miles. That's from the same leasing company so the residuals must be awful. And that leasing company could have got me an Elegance spec Superb estate in 3 weeks if I wasn't fussy about the colour.

[jrw]

What have you got? Superb or Octavia?

Despite the Superb 4WD estate being £6000 cheaper to buy outright than my A4 quattro allroad the allroad was £45/month less to lease over 2 years/50,000 miles. That's from the same leasing company so the residuals must be awful. And that leasing company could have got me an Elegance spec Superb estate in 3 weeks if I wasn't fussy about the colour.

erm see below....unless you are posting from a mobile then its an Octy...

[Dempsek]

Fiat 500 the only car to make me feel sick while driving it.

I bought a skoda just because they were supposed to be very reliable - how wrong was I with my car.

At work now they will not buy one, they have seen me in a hire car too many times while mine has had to be fixed.

[gianthotdog]

Aye but she's got a greaaaat arrssee love to smash her back doors in !!

her Sis ain't bad too!!

[delta925]

Back in the 1970's a local village dealer was selling Skoda, Wartburg and Moskvich. Later they did Mitsubishi. In between I'm sure they did Yugo and might have done Lada or FSO for a time too.

Hence the Skoda jokes were regulars around the school playground ...

The reality is whatever people might say most know that under the skin a Skoda has the same major mechanicals as a VW or Audi even if not the latest design, e.g. VW's and Audi's

had the 1.6 CR while Skoda's still fitted the 1.9 PD, whilst it was a major wake up call the first time Skoda were higher in the JD Power rankings than VW and Audi.

12months ago to order an Audi A3 sportback 1.6TDiCR with the same spec on paper as my Fabia Elegance Estate with the options I chose worked out over £8000 more at list price and the broker websites only knocked a few hundred pounds.

[jrw]

Back in the 1970's a local village dealer was selling Skoda, Wartburg and Moskvich. Later they did Mitsubishi. In between I'm sure they did Yugo and might have done Lada or FSO for a time too.

Hence the Skoda jokes were regulars around the school playground ...

The reality is whatever people might say most know that under the skin a Skoda has the same major mechanicals as a VW or Audi even if not the latest design, e.g. VW's and Audi's

had the 1.6 CR while Skoda's still fitted the 1.9 PD, whilst it was a major wake up call the first time Skoda were higher in the JD Power rankings than VW and Audi.

12months ago to order an Audi A3 sportback 1.6TDiCR with the same spec on paper as my Fabia Elegance Estate with the options I chose worked out over £8000 more at list price and the broker websites only knocked a few hundred pounds.

When i got mine the Golf GTD in the same spec as mine worked out a whopping £12k dearer. Even the A3 was only a £10k difference. VW are stingy when they come to standard spec.

[modevrs130]

I currently drive a fabia vrs (8 years old)and the wife has an 60 plate audi tt.I get the usual jokes from my workmates regarding the skoda,but i also get stupid comments regarding the tt,the workmates calling it an hairdressers car.I use the tt 1 day a week for work,so really i can't seem to win either way,so i just ignore the comments.I do get positive feedback for both cars,especially while i am both giving them a wash of passer bys,always saying nice motors.The wife loves driving the skoda as much as the audi.So to the people slagging the skoda brand off,its your loss.Saying that,i did give a 4 year old bmw a jump start with the skoda today which did put a smile on my face.I said to the driver,i bet you didn't expect a jump start off a skoda today.He just smiled and went on his journey..

[daverapid]

I've been driving Skodas since 1990 when I was 18. My first was a 1988 Rapid. I guess you can imagine the pee taking I took even though my car was much newer than my mates cars....the name Skoda really was looked down at then [in the UK anyway]. I wasn't even slightly bothered, I *grew up* with Skodas and knew how good they really were.

I still drive rear engined Skodas now, in those 21 years I've never been without at least one and I don't own any other type of car. I still get the odd joke about my cars and I'm still not bothered...in fact I join in.

My point here though is this: Twenty one years ago nearly everybody I knew or met laughed at my Skoda...these days I reckon at least 90% of people that see one of the nicer examples of the nine rear engined Skodas I currently have seem genuinely pleased to see it, saying things like "WOW, I haven't seen one of those for years" or "that's really nice, would you sell it?" ect...

I do love the jokes though. My Favorit one is: What's the difference between a Skoda and a hedgehog? Answer..."The pricks are on the outside of the hedgehog!"

*I didn't actually grow up to be honest!*

[P3T3R]

Trouble is though, soon as this moves onto the motoring forums when the Fabia is put head to head with some of its rivals (the Alfa Romeo Mito comes to mind) that's when the Skoda jokes start to raise their ugly head

One poster for example mentioned of the sheer embarrassment an owner of a Skoda would have if their car was mentioned over a tannoy in a public place !

Most of the Skoda jokes were made by people who thought that Rovers were great cars. Where is Rover today?

The badge snobbery will never go I feel even though Skoda is a very much established and respected brand amongst the 'real' motoring experts.

Not many people know that. Even Jeremy Clarkson makes fun of Skoda's. And he call himself an expert

Fill the tank = double the value

That was the most common one.

It's a different story in India. Skoda was launched in India before Volkswagen. People liked the Octavia. People still buy Skoda's because of the good experiences with the Octavia.

However that is a popular Automotive forum in India which indulges in Skoda bashing.

[pearce_jj]

Not many people know that. Even Jeremy Clarkson makes fun of Skoda's.

To be fair JC has posted some very positive reviews of Skodas over the years, Mk.I Fabia VRS, Roomster and the Yetti, especially.

Edited 30 January, 2012 by pearce_jj

[jonny boy]

To be fair JC has posted some very positive reviews of Skodas over the years, Mk.I Fabia VRS, Roomster and the Yetti, especially.

He annoys the hell out of me sometimes

One minute he's liking Skoda, then he's slagging them off on the 'cool wall'. He's such a hypocritical ****** sometimes.

One of the main reasons Top Gear doesn't hold my attention for long. (well 3 of them - May, Hammond & him)

Such self indulgent knob heads sometimes.

[Ad Lav]

lol

He was alright last night!

Not so sure on WILL.I.AM's glasses and gloves, someone needs to show him fashion...

[GeneralPurpose]

He annoys the hell out of me sometimes

One minute he's liking Skoda, then he's slagging them off on the 'cool wall'. He's such a hypocritical ****** sometimes.

One of the main reasons Top Gear doesn't hold my attention for long. (well 3 of them - May, Hammond & him)

Such self indulgent knob heads sometimes.

Quite agree jonny, he is immensely annoying and actually, so is the show in my book. Bring back William Woolard!!....and the days when they used to open the bonnet and tell you about the car, and the engine, then drive the car and conduct a proper on road test, which doesn't happen nearly enough these days. I know it's become an entertainment show rather than a car show, but it grates a bit!

[Evil Miyagi]

He annoys the hell out of me sometimes

One minute he's liking Skoda, then he's slagging them off on the 'cool wall'. He's such a hypocritical ****** sometimes.

One of the main reasons Top Gear doesn't hold my attention for long. (well 3 of them - May, Hammond & him)

Such self indulgent knob heads sometimes.

Good car doesn't necessarily mean 'Cool' car...

[blueR36]

The " youngsters" think my car is cool, but a lot of people over 30 are badge snobs, even my sister- in-law said to me, what are you wearing, white vRS jacket, why I said she said it`s got Skoda on it. I said I didn`t realise you were a badge snob driving an 8 year old Kia Sorrento! Her, thats michaels mines the citroen c4 piccasso, oh that makes all the difference! Just to prove you I am not we have a Ds3 as well, that is well made! :yes:

[jonny boy]

The " youngsters" think my car is cool, but a lot of people over 30 are badge snobs, even my sister- in-law said to me, what are you waering, white vRS jacket, why I said she said it`s got Skoda on it. I said I didn`t realise you were a badge snob driving an 8 year old Kia Sorrento! Her, thats michaels mines the citroen c4 piccasso, oh that makes all the difference! Just to prove you I am not we have a Ds3 as well, that is well made! :yes:

3 kids walked past my car this afternoon. They were saying "I bet you it's a VRS" then as they got to the back said "yeah, told you it's a VRS, fookin great them !"

[Didescharlie]

Quite agree jonny, he is immensely annoying and actually, so is the show in my book. Bring back William Woolard!!....and the days when they used to open the bonnet and tell you about the car, and the engine, then drive the car and conduct a proper on road test, which doesn't happen nearly enough these days. I know it's become an entertainment show rather than a car show, but it grates a bit!

To be fair to TG's modern format, the old style of open bonnet reviews are pretty much redundant in these days of internet reviews and factsheets being instantly available online. I remember the old days of the show and there was lots of boring articles about steamrollers or something and I was always just itching to see Tiff Needell thraipsing some supercar around Bruntingthorpe on full opposite lock. When Clarkson first appeared on the show, in the old magazine format, he was a revelation. I'd been reading his stuff since his Performance Car days and loved seeing more of it on the telly. It's fair to say he changed motoring journalism and dragged it from the 1950s stylistic doldrums it was in. Fifth Gear still indulge in the old style reviews and christ can they be tedious.

On a side note regarding the phrase "proper road test", they did an article on the Megane R26R when that first appeared in 2009, pitting it against the Focus RS. What struck me was that whilst Jeremy and Richard were going through the usual scripted horseplay they indulge in, it was actually a careful checklist of every unique feature of the car; plastic windows, race-cage, carbon bonnet etc. My point is that there is more than one way to discuss a car and still get the important points across, sometimes without the audience even noticing.

The Guardian loves to have a comments thread open whenever a Clarkson story is in the news, if only to have all the lefties frothing at the mouth over his latest outburst. Inevitably there will be someone calling for TG's cancellation as a massive waste of licence-payer's money. Also inevitably there will be someone further down pointing out that TG has raised almost a billion quid for the BBC since Clarkson and co saved the show from extinction...

[icemanmjm]

I find a lot of people still think that the mk2 is still a diesil, when you tell them its petrol running at 180 bhp they say no way and start laughing, a skoda with a supercharger and turbo, nah no way, but then when i prove it a bit of respect comes out, then its :is it quick: Then you get the well it is a volkswagon i suppose,you will never win this argument.

[Black]

The its a volkswagen thing is part of the problem and I wonder if VW UKs like a Golf campaign is an attack on the sister brand. I think a lot of people who could afford a VW are now buying Skodas instead.