I know this question has come up many times but I now have to make a choice as I intend to order a Superb Estate very soon.

I know the economic arguments, which seem marginal overall, but I am more concerned with the driving experience. Which is better to drive on a motorway, where I do the majority of my small 7000 annual mileage?

Does the low end torque of a diesel make it a nicer and safer car to drive, as I have read?. Which engine is more responsive generally?

I have not found a dealer who can offer me a test drive in either car and ,in any case, I am not sure a limited test drive would be sufficient.

My current car is a diesel Superb and I like it fine.

I went from a diesel Octavia VRS with 6 speed DSG to a Superb petrol 1.8TSi with 7 speed DSG.

The petrol Superb is a bit quieter and smoother and performance between the the 2 engines is very similar, neither have been found wanting in the performance stakes. The 1.8 is much smoother at high revs (6000) than the CR170 (4500).

As the 1.8 is a turbo the low end torque is very good if not quite as great as the diesel.

For me the car is more refined but part of this is down to the Superb being less harsh riding than the sports Octavia VRS.

A 1.8 petrol Superb will depreciate much more than the equivalent spec 2.0 diesel (140 or 170).

This is one of the reasons I changed to a S/H Superb

For motorway work there is not a lot in it, both engines will running at a low revs.

I have found at times with the petrol Superb it is so quiet you wonder if the engine is on!!

If you are buying it new, don't forget that there is no VAT on the estate and 0% on the Elegance.

I would have liked a petrol but do twice your mileage so opted for a Greenline. I think with your mileage I would go with a petrol if you were planning on keeping it for some time.

I noticed you said that you liked your existing 170CR DSG and I'm not surprised that you've been unable to find a petrol demonstrator. Overall, the diesel-powered models seem to have the best residual value, but you don't mention how important that is to you. If you intend to run the car for many years, that may not be an issue, but it's certainly something I considered. My Superb II is also a 170CR DSG and I find it smooth and quiet enough already. I'm sure that the petrol version would be a little quieter overall, but I'd only notice that if I didn't have music playing! For me, the ease of cold starting, plus the low torque band and overall fewer revs required are key points. I'm considering having my car mapped for a little more urge, but I'm in no rush.

The trouble is that both petrol and diesel owners have their preferences, but a member who's gone from diesel to petrol may be hard to find!

Ray

Well, as I am 81 years old, I probably won't have the car for too long.

I think I will stick to the devil I know and opt for diesel.

But thank you for your helpful replies..

Incidentally, this will be my fourth new Skoda. This site has been a huge help with problems I have had.

Bill

My Uncle is 94, you never know

How do you find Cappuccino BTW? Its a colour I'm considering and there arn't too many about.

I think that Cappochinno is by far the nicest colour, particularly with the light leather. I thought long and hard about the colour of my new one and I would be happy with he same; the desire for a change won out so I am opting for Steel Grey with Ivory seats.

I have a niece with an Estate in Cappochinno with black leather, which she likes.. These choices are very subjective though. Forget it for a few days and one morning you will wake up knowing which one you want.

Bill

Interesting perspective. I want the Ivory but am fearful of it being stained or getting filthy and being unable to clean it (being a wuss I know).

Do you have any pictures of your current car? Is there a reason you didn't want to keep your current one?

I opted for petrol over diesel as I thought it just was a nicer drive. I do about 11k a year, mixed short and long journeys and am getting over 37mpg, according to the MFI. A major consideration was the VAT free offer on the petrol and I worked out a payback of over 15 years if I opted for the diesel. Interesting piece in the Sunday Times, In Gear mag, saying that with the advance in petrol engines, payback by opting for diesel was more than negated by a higher purchase price and higher price of diesel fuel for the average mileage of 12000 with most cars. As to residual values, it is surprising that diesel does so well bearing in mind higher maintenance costs and tyre wear. Overall it comes down to preferences, I guess high mileage drivers will always choose diesel, but for the average I think the difference in consumption is marginal and by the way petrol engines warm up quicker. Good luck with whatever you chose, its a great car.

During a long working life I have had many cars and I suppose I tend to think of a new one every three years. The big difference now is that now I pay for them with my own money.

The Superb is a car I have enjoyed owning and the Estate is an attractive vehicle. It is an indulgence but why not?

The economics are not my main cosideration; if they were I would keep my present.car. The "nicer drive" mentioned by Newbie confirms what I had suspected, hence my question.

Bill

A major consideration was the VAT free offer on the petrol and I worked out a payback of over 15 years if I opted for the diesel.

You must be comparing Estate with Estate. My sums (Greenline vs TSI on the hatchback) show a saving of £1000 on the fuel over 15,000 miles plus another £200 or so on the tax. On top of that the car is about £1-2,000 more.for the petrol.</p>

I bought a cappucino Superb Elegance Estate 140 DSG last December and my wife and I are delighted with everything about it. We usually only do about 8,000 miles a year but many trips as we are retired so the DPF gets plenty of opportunities to regenerate. You won't regret a similar choice.

Did you choose Black or Ivory with the Cappuccino?

I think the Ivory looks nicer with Cappochinno and that is what I have. I have never had to clean it..

I chose black (onyx) interior as I thought the ivory would get dirty too quickly but I agree it would suit a cappuccino exterior better.

I think now given the cost per litre of diesel I would go for the 2 litre petrol over the 170CR.

Phil.

Car now ordered and deposit paid. 170bhp diesel DSG Elegance Estate in Cappochinno with Ivory leather.

June delivery quoted.

Thank you all for your advice.

Bill

Glad you made the choice. What options did you go for?

June delivery quoted.

Don't hold your breath too long, Bill...did they say June 2012?

I ordered a similar car with a number of options 17 June last year and am still waiting. I'm now on my 3rd build date (was wk5, then wk14 and now week 18) and hoping it doesn't move again. Of course I could be unlucky with dealer quotas etc but I gather much of the delay is down to engine and gearbox.

I ain't changing it, and I have a buyer for my car who will wait, so I just have to wait and hope that there aren't any nasty surprises if it goes to week 22 or beyond into MY13.

Simon

I hope I don't have as long a wait..

I asked for the same as my current car with what I regard as the essentials: Hill Holder and Park Assist. The parking system has been used maybe a couple of times in 3 years but the front sensors are a must for me.

My very first car was a 1953 Studebaker Commander. It had a Hill Holder and I can't understand why it is still not a standard fitting.

Bill

With ABS modules it's a very simple bit of code to get it to work. I guess with the increased use of autos maybe they thought there was less need?

I think Studebaker invented the hill holder, as they called it, according to something I saw on TV a few months ago...can't remember the programme. I agree that it should be standard, especially on twin clutch auto boxes.

I think most torque converters would be alright but I did have a Zafira auto a few years ago which was quite clever and disengaged the drive when the footbrake was on (supposed to be a small fuel saving) and it could take a fraction of a second before re-engaging when lifting off the brake. If it ever rolled back it was only an inch or two. In a manual use the handbrake and do it properly, unlike many people on the roads.

When I ordered my first Superb I asked the salesman if I needed a Hill Hold with DSG. He told me that it was integral, so I did not specify it.

A few months later I found out the hard way as my car rolled back and almost hit a car behind me.

There followed a long battle which only ended when I got a replacement new car.

Bill

Hi Bill,

I had a big argument with Skoda Customer Services about this as I ordered without HHC and then finally managed to get it added (still waiting for car to be built). If you read the owners manual (Nov11) on page 173 it call Hill Hold Control by another name...Uphill Start Assist, and quotes it as being "integrated into the electronic stability programme". Now I may be stupid or naive or something but to me that means that it is included as standard. There are now asterisks or other annotations in the manual to suggest that it might not be fitted to all models. Page 178 goes on to explain what Uphill Start Assist does and you'll see that what it's describing is Hill Hold Control by another name. Confused? I was.

It was only be reading some posts on the forum that I was alerted to the problem and managed to get it added to my order. I think it's about time Skoda UK had somebody (preferably a particular car model owner) proof read their literature properly with a view to making them very clear as to what is standard and what isn't (older versions of the manual did have asterisks to denote 'not standard across the range' but not against the HHC/Uphill Start Assist) and to make sure that common names/terms are used across their company and across their different promotional literature. Confusion can work out really expensive sometimes.

Simon

My battle with a dealer is documented on Briskoda and it lasted a long time. I can't see how they can avoid the provisions of the Sale of Goods Act, either in your case or mine. But I met a barrage of abuse from my dealer. I don't know why he suddenly changed his mind but I like to think it was the adverse publicity it got from this site.; I know it was read because when I called his service "incompetent", he referred to it the next day..

And you should check your new car for the umbrella ,didn't I read somewhere that it is standard issue again? I found mine was missing after a few months but the dealer would not accept my claim.

Needless to say my new car is from another dealer.

Bill