True Audis are better than all mainstream VAG marks but deep down the DNA is common. For that reason I would (if budget allows) always pick a BMW or Mercedes over an Audi. At least you know there is not a budget brand running around with the same running gear which you could have got for 40% less.

On the continent VW and Audi dealers share the same site but in the UK they try to create the illusion of class.

I think most of you are missing the point!

Someone buys the Audi "Cos they can"!

It is a premium brand, when compared to a Skoda.

I got a Skoda as it was a premium brand when compared to a Daewoo!

The thing you seem to hate is someone affording almost twice as much, despite many parts being the same. It is still a different animal.

I wil give a parallel here.

When fairly new, the Mini was released as a mini one and also, there was a Mini cooper. I have asked a fair few students who like a Cooper, what IS a Cooper? All they know is it is a bit sportier than the normal Mini. They Know nothing of the history of John Cooper and his racing pedigree, indeed they think it is a new title for a mini. (Some do not even know there is an "Old" Mini)!

So, the Cooper has the bells and whistles, is faster and trendier then the bogger (Bog standard).

Now, how many folk out there realise that the Cooper and the bogger share the EXCACT SAME ENGINE? The Cooper has had a bit of a tinkering with but it's only something like a different ECU mapping! Do the same to the bogger, plus a few small changes here and there and you get an equally nippy motor, with a softer ride for comfort! (Or change MORE to match the Cooper).

BUT- and here's the rub, it will NEVER, EVER be a Cooper!

So, those who really want a Cooper, buy ... You know the rest!

Gonna be the same with a Harley to some degree. No part sharing and totally different company's but many Jap cruisers are better built, better handling, better stopping, better reliability, whilst being quite a lot less expensive.

those who can afford, and want, the Harley are gonna by Milwauki's finest!

BrAand snobbery is a huge deal to some people and Skoda, although having came up in the ranks by huge margins, will still not match Audi, or even VW as a brand image. it will take at least another decade of producing some quite spectacular metal before they have a chance to do that. All you Vrs boys (And girls) are doing just the same thing with your car over lower spec Fabia's as well as lesser vehicles!

To put it in context, someone who forked out say, eight grand for a new Fabia will be asking themselves why would someone pay TWICE as much for a Vrs, which is just the same but a little faster or better spec'd

As my daughter would say, "same beef, different cow"!

Has anybody turned a mini one engine into a Cooper?

Love to know how much that would cost, being nearly the same?!?!?

More like comparing own brand beans with leading brand. Probably made on the same production line in the same factory with 95% same raw ingredients but are twice the price.

More like comparing own brand beans with leading brand.

That reminded me, many years ago, a pal was telling me how Sainsbury's beans were made by a big bean manufacturer, who shall remain nameless here (57 varieties). When I said he was wrong, he insisted he was correct and then went on to say his mother had told him so, when he was a young boy...

How stupid did he feel when all around fell about laughing as we pointed out she had said that in order to eat cheaper beans, thinking he was getting quality ones?

mrgf - superb post! Hit the nail on the head

I agree with mrgf, and its the same with other products people buy...

You can get a 20 naff watch from Argos or go and get 3000+ tag there's so much choice in between. Everyone else will have a different view on what's good value and what is well made, of course people have to compromise the pros and cons....

Why most of us get so much out of our purchase with Skoda is because we appreciate vag quality for a very resonable price... the bonus of this is that we like the looks, and little luxuries like the colour sat navigation etc...

It may sound a little materialistic but if I was on a bloody good sallary skoda might not be the choice...but I'm not and I can only afford so much a month etc....im not a fan of the competition ie corsa, clio, 207.... they just seem very default so ill enjoy my skoda and enjoy the community we all share here :-)

That's my little 2 pence worth!

Well to be honest ,I'm pretty well off no financial worries at all , I've been looking at several top marques , jag BMW vollvo and several others, but you like what you like that's it basically

BAKED BEANS.

Are they not made in the same factory? Wow I feel like a complete idiot! Aren't those supermarkets silly having their own food production plants and canning facilities when they could get a large food manufactorer to do it for them?

It's sad when you can't even trust your own mother these days...

Edited 21 January, 201214 yr by gianthotdog

To get back on topic, sort of, anyway, I sat in a Fabia vRS today and it's a very nice place to be - it's just the exterior that looks naff to me. Too high and boxy for my liking...probably why I bought an Octavia vRS instead.

Residuals for A1's were up there with Mini's when they first came out which made them a good company car.

Now though, residuals are lower are about 53-57% where are Cooper D is 59-61% and Cooper SD is 62-66%.

I'd have bought a Boca if I could afford it but there you go

No, it's a badge thing.

Put the Skoda badge on the A1 and the owners wouldn't buy it, period. Most couldn't give a flying feck if the plastics 'feel' better or if it has part leather trim on the seats.

The deciding factor is getting on the class ladder and the A1 gives them that illusion. The entry level A1 is not cheap by a long shot and looks awful for the money I think.

I'm not knocking Audi, as I said at the top of this post, but I feel the A1 is not a pretty car (like most Audis are in my eyes), then when I saw the price .......

No, it's a badge thing.

Put the Skoda badge on the A1 and the owners wouldn't buy it, period. Most couldn't give a flying feck if the plastics 'feel' better or if it has part leather trim on the seats.

The deciding factor is getting on the class ladder and the A1 gives them that illusion. The entry level A1 is not cheap by a long shot and looks awful for the money I think.

I'm not knocking Audi, as I said at the top of this post, but I feel the A1 is not a pretty car (like most Audis are in my eyes), then when I saw the price .......

As with any car brand it's all about brand image and perceived quality as with an A1 and the Fabia the only real difference between them is perceived quality (the nicer plastics and more fake chrome) and the brand image (The badge on the front)

Company's like VAG make massive profits from Brand image, they will make lots of money from making Skoda''s and because all the expensive parts are all shared the money they make from taking the same car and adding a posh badge and some soft touch pastic is vast. From the manufacturing side of things, the real difference between making a fabia or an A1 is no more than around £150 at the most, as soft or hard plastics are very cheap when you are making thousands a week.

Plastics are cheapest materials to produce, that's why every thing is made from it now, it's the mould tool that makes the dash that is the expensive parts costing up to 60k or more, it's the same as designer clothes, sunglasses and so on, the label is what really makes it cost more.

Fortunalely there are many many people in this world that don't know anything about how and where thier car is made and really think if they buy an Audi over a Skoda that people sat besides them in a traffic jam are looking at them wishing they could be so sexy and cool as them, not to mention being as intelligent as them for spending £7000 extra on a plastic badge and soft touch plastic door cappings. I personally look at them and think only one thing C*CK.

Edited 21 January, 201214 yr by Vrs2

No, it's a badge thing.

Put the Skoda badge on the A1 and the owners wouldn't buy it, period. Most couldn't give a flying feck if the plastics 'feel' better or if it has part leather trim on the seats.

The deciding factor is getting on the class ladder and the A1 gives them that illusion. The entry level A1 is not cheap by a long shot and looks awful for the money I think.

I'm not knocking Audi, as I said at the top of this post, but I feel the A1 is not a pretty car (like most Audis are in my eyes), then when I saw the price .......

+1. 90% of Audi owners would accept they just wouldn'y buy a Skoda because they think they would look inferior in the eyes of friends etc. which is a joke by itself. Funny thing is, the two most close Audi owners I know are financially struggling, one of them is forced to rent half of their house to make a living, the other one has not even a permanent job and his wife is professinally "unemployed". Yet, they went for the lowest possible A3 and A4, just to be able to tell friends they got Audi. Fortunately, I could buy the equivalent Polo or A1 (there isn't a 5-door version) but I didn't care to show off so I chose what I considered value for my money. And back OT, when we talk about the vRS vs the A1 it's just ridiculous to claim "there is a lot of difference between the two". I've been in one and didn't get surprised at all at the quality. I'd certainly expect a lot more to justify the price. Since when did plastics and leather got that expensive after all? Brands are setting whatever prices think they will sell and that's fine, but let me decide and buy for what I believe is justified from actual facts, not 30 year olds prejudices or marketing crap. Not to add that most of them are filling their classy A4s etc. with the cheapest crappy supermarket fuel they can find, while I've never put anything below 98 in my car.

On the badge snobery topic, the new up, citigo, and whatever the seat one is have to be priced within 6% of each other too avoid the seat and skoda versions being sold for much cheaper than das furherland version as is the case with most models

I love having a Skoda. Its the ultimate insult to someones ego when you scream past them on a trackday. Between this one and the last vRS, i have had so many chancers attempt to 'embarass' me and failed miserably. Makes my day.

No one likes being beaten by a Skoda, especially a 1.4 Skoda

No one likes being beaten by a Skoda, especially a 1.4 Skoda

Pretty much my reasoning to buy one.

It's basically being an internet "troll" in the car world.

I love having a Skoda. Its the ultimate insult to someones ego when you scream past them on a trackday. Between this one and the last vRS, i have had so many chancers attempt to 'embarass' me and failed miserably. Makes my day.

No one likes being beaten by a Skoda, especially a 1.4 Skoda

Amen!

This afternoon after work, my mate and I walked out ro our cars (he's got an Audi TTS) and he saw the blue A1parked by mine and I quote what he said -

"feck me ! your VRS is way better looking than that !"

And thats from an audi owner too.

It's not looking good for Audi's design team. Though how many people buy an audi becuase it "looks like an Audi" bloody sheep

I quite like the A1. Out of the 4 VAG supermini's, I'd have the Ibiza Boconegra. Simply because I like the look of that one the most.

Obviously, as this is a Skoda forum, we're going to see lots of thumbs up for the "under dog", "He got beaten by a Skoda! LULZ!", "ZOMG they paid twice/thrice/millions times for for the SAME CAR ROFFLE!". What you won't see is a lot of objectivity!

There are lots of factors to buying a car; price and brand are just some of them.

I quite like the A1. Out of the 4 VAG supermini's, I'd have the Ibiza Boconegra. Simply because I like the look of that one the most.

Obviously, as this is a Skoda forum, we're going to see lots of thumbs up for the "under dog", "He got beaten by a Skoda! LULZ!", "ZOMG they paid twice/thrice/millions times for for the SAME CAR ROFFLE!". What you won't see is a lot of objectivity!

There are lots of factors to buying a car; price and brand are just some of them.

Don't get me wrong, I went to Seat first with the intention of buying a Cupra but they wouldn't cut a deal and the vRS was a steal so a no brainer for me

Babs on looks I'd buy a boca but the suspention is solid.

It's just a part of the VAG brand engineering,

Skoda = Cheap Soft

Seat = Slightly less cheap and Solid Suspention

VW = Expensive and right suspention

Audi = More Expensive and Quattro

You have to pick your aspect and choose accordingly

I think people are fooling themselves if they think the only difference (apart from price) between an Audi A1 and a Fabia is the badge.

The recent VW tv ad : blah blah blah "like a golf", blah blah "like a golf" was spot on and is the result of the same kind of thinking.

I think people are fooling themselves if they think the only difference (apart from price) between an Audi A1 and a Fabia is the badge.

The recent VW tv ad : blah blah blah "like a golf", blah blah "like a golf" was spot on and is the result of the same kind of thinking.

I think people know there is more to it than that but a lot of people on here do not think the extras the A1 gives is worth the extra cash. Obviously our decision is a bit more biased as it's a Skoda forum.

I think people are fooling themselves if they think the only difference (apart from price) between an Audi A1 and a Fabia is the badge.

The recent VW tv ad : blah blah blah "like a golf", blah blah "like a golf" was spot on and is the result of the same kind of thinking.

I couldn't care less if it was gold plated, in mine and many others opinions, it's not nice enough looking for the extra 6k

I've been in the A1 and yes, it's nice enough inside but the point is hardly any of their owners read motor mags or care less about the A1 having a newer platform than the VRS. It's an Audi, that's all that matters.

Apart from the price ? You tell me then. What exactly adds up to 6k on that car ?

P.S - Try to avoid saying 'it's an Audi'