I was quite bored and thought I'd write about my first impressions on the lovely Rapid.

 

Overall, I'm very impressed, as my mates... although they do keep cracking the 'did someone order a taxi?' joke *sigh*

 

Anyway, here are my musings having driven it for a day and a half, covered about 150 miles in towns, country roads and motorways:

 

First Impressions :- It's a 1.2 TSI (86PS) SE on a '13 plate in white.

It makes sense to start on the outside, so let's do so. Looking at the front, the most striking feature is that beefy chrome grille sandwiched between two rectangular headlights, which gives the Rapid something of an aggressive and chiseled face.
The two foglights are a compliment to the headlights and the lower facia is of a honeycomb design which looks to give the radiator directly behind it more than enough of that essential airflow.
It is equipped with discreet aerodynamic wipers and the bonnet also has a definitive ridge down the middle, and of course it concludes with the all-new chrome Škoda logo.

From the side there isn't much out-of-the-ordinary going on. There are large wing mirrors, a square indicator and some simple 15" alloys in which live some sensible-sized brake discs. These are often mistaken to be saloons and it's easy to see why as the roofline has a gradual slope down and juts out at the back.

At the rear, there is a pair of bold tail lights forming a definitive C-shape. From the top corners of these juts a sharp folded line in the boot as in the new Octavia - things it seems will become something of a signature styling point for Škoda. In rather a stylish typeface are three smart chromed badges: 'Škoda' top left, 'Rapid' top right and 'TSI' on the bottom right - it looks classy.
In my view, this is a good looking car from all angles. Though not particularly exciting, it makes up for it with a certain uniformity and a certain subletely. It is a reflection of what this car is - a practical, value-for-money car and yet it manages to avoid being boring.

Personally, in comparison, the Toledo seems to have much more of a dated and unremarkable face.

Moving on inside, the doors are actually fairly heavy and have that reassuring baritone thud that echoes quality. Inside it isn't particuarly lively and everything is clad in an uninteresting black. Nonetheless, the Amundsen sat nav unit together with the climate control gives the interior a throughly professional and functional air - a VAG specialty.

In this model, many of the controls are bound in leather, as is the armrest on the door and also the centre armrest. The sports seats with red fleck help slightly to emerge from the sea of black and whilst not soft, they offer excellent all-round support. They hug around the torso and have a slightly elongated base to give greater thigh support. It adjusts for height, reclines and of course moves backwards/forward, so it's easy to find the ideal seating position - no lumbar, but it isn't needed for me. There is a handy footrest next to the pedals, so you can whack the cruise control on (my favourite gadget!) and truly kick back in comfort.

A big gripe for some people is the quality of the interior plastic. To my eye, all the plastics are robust, nicely textured and whilst yes, they are rough to the touch, keep in mind the price point of this car and also that it is functional rather than luxurious.
Electric windows all-round are a likeable feature, however the driver's side is one-shot down, but not one-shot up which is mildly annoying.

There are little cubbies everywhere you look in this car. Under the climate controls there is a space ideal for both my wallet and phone, there are three drinks holders on the centre console, however the one underneath the climate control is set too far back so you can't fit a normal sized bottle snugly in there as it is too tall. This is also mildly annoying.

Even with the front seat all the way back, there is still quite a lot of room in the back seats, which are supportive and all in all, it's a nice place to be as a passenger.

The climate control is functional, easy to use and in auto mode it's very effective. It also looks very smart and gives the car a bit more of an upmarket feel. The same goes for the Amundsen, which is a damn good unit in all although it is relatively complex at first and warrants a fair learning curve.
The Amundsen and the maxi-dot MFD work together nicely and it provides handy info such as fuel consumption and a handy little function which tells you if you exceed a custom set speed. It isn't 'proper' maxi-dot though, so you can't change various car settings in any depth.

The speedo clocks look the part and are very clear and unfussy. In the day, the needles are illuminated, so if you drive through a shaded area the dash is glowing a cool blue. I really like this neat little touch.

The ride might not be described as especially supple, but it doesn't crash over potholes, handles speed bumps well and best of all, there is practically no body roll at all. It really is in an entirely different league to my old Felicia to the extent that they are literally incomparable. If anything, it isn't a very dynamic drive and the steering is somewhat numb and uninvolving. Still, it is wonderfully smooth and the steering wheel itself feels quality. Also, it has a proper horn! None of this vulgar tinny little pathetic disc horn nonsense!

The brakes feel sharp and willing to stop you on a button if need be, and the clutch is of a nice weight and easy to judge.

Wind and road noise are well surpressed. The engine is also very relaxed at speed and hence quiet. You do however have to work the gearbox a bit to avoid flat spots at lower revs, at which it is quite fussy about which gear you're in where it will then labour relatively easily. That said, the turbo kicks in quite early in the rev range and has a lovely little whistle which I love. It seems most noticeable in 2nd and 3rd gear where you can be merely tickling the throttle and it will suddenly take off with very, very little in the way of lag. It is almost incredibly smooth and on country roads and motorways it makes excellent progress and it has a decent overtaking ability too.
I have yet to sort of 'balance' out the fuel economy with it being so new although it should prove very frugal as other members here will most certainly testify.

 

Well Škoda, despite all the cynicism surrounding this wonderful car, all I can say is you've made a young man very happy.




 

I'm glad you're liking it jonesy

 

Don't forget to start updating your fuelly account ;-) I'll be keeping mine up to date (link in signature) as it's going to be interesting to see how the economy trend goes once it gets colder in the winter!

 

My "calculated" mpg at the pump does tend to be a few MPG lower than is indicated on the maxidot, possibly about 5% - which given some of the horror stories you read about trip computers over reading is pretty respectable.

Nice review thanks!

Re: the plastics and the whinging from some of the motoring press and people on here, of the half dozen or so "normal" people who I have had as a passenger in the car to date not one has commented on it.

Re: the plastics and the whinging from some of the motoring press and people on here, of the half dozen or so "normal" people who I have had as a passenger in the car to date not one has commented on it.

 

Exactly mate, it's a non-issue. All these reviews go out and review 5-series and Jag XFs and lose touch somewhere down the line.

I mean, cheap plastic doesn't seem to be an issue in smaller cars. The mother used to drive a '10 plate Suzuki Swift - cracking car but pretty cheap plastics abound yet nobody seemed to mention it and a decent spec one at the time would've cost just as much as an S Rapid.

I'm glad you're liking it jonesy

 

Don't forget to start updating your fuelly account ;-) I'll be keeping mine up to date (link in signature) as it's going to be interesting to see how the economy trend goes once it gets colder in the winter!

 

My "calculated" mpg at the pump does tend to be a few MPG lower than is indicated on the maxidot, possibly about 5% - which given some of the horror stories you read about trip computers over reading is pretty respectable.

Will do Thecko mate!

Great review! It is now becoming appararent that the Rapid has had some unjust criticism!

Main and fully justified criticisim in the UK was the list pricing. And the Rapid still is overpriced in fact... ripoff Britain.

From the onset, the Rapid became my No1 choice replacement car for either of my Skodas, but the chances of me ever ordering one at current UK dealership prices are slim. I'd rather order from abroad, Ireland has already 20%+ better prices.

 

It's bound to be a good car, Mk1 Octy was good enough to drive and the Rapid has 85mm longer wheelbase, which means better legroom and better road manners, the engines are adequate, though the 2.0CR diesel even at 140bhp would really make this car a fantastic motorway cruiser, the interior is good enough, the boot cavernous, and the car has longer range than both Octavia and Superb costing up to double the price.

 

But packing 20%+ higher list prices for like-for like fitted Rapids destined for the UK is what killed Rapid's debut. Congratulations SUK...

Main and fully justified criticisim in the UK was the list pricing. And the Rapid still is overpriced in fact... ripoff Britain.

From the onset, the Rapid became my No1 choice replacement car for either of my Skodas, but the chances of me ever ordering one at current UK dealership prices are slim. I'd rather order from abroad, Ireland has already 20%+ better prices.

 

It's bound to be a good car, Mk1 Octy was good enough to drive and the Rapid has 85mm longer wheelbase, which means better legroom and better road manners, the engines are adequate, though the 2.0CR diesel even at 140bhp would really make this car a fantastic motorway cruiser, the interior is good enough, the boot cavernous, and the car has longer range than both Octavia and Superb costing up to double the price.

 

But packing 20%+ higher list prices for like-for like fitted Rapids destined for the UK is what killed Rapid's debut. Congratulations SUK...

 

 

 

£16,150 for an S Spec 1.6 diesel is quite a sour price for a Skoda, no doubt and I think it should around the £14,000 mark personally. It's a bit of a liberty when you're paying like £16k for the car and you don't even get alloys.

 

You've certainly made no secret of your dislike of the UK price point, but many other manufacturers have taken similar liberties one might perhaps suggest that Dacia have taken Skoda's place as 'the' budget car manufacturer. I think there have been a few SUK managerial types thinking they would sell loads at the current prices than they actually have done and net everyone massive bonuses and get a big pat on the back for paying for the executive boards' second holidays.

DV6, moaning about the list price is a bit silly when even Skoda know they are too high, which is why dealers have negotiating space plus Skoda Finance give you £1000 off on top.

 

My Elegance with extra kit was a very fair price in my opinion.

£16,150 for an S Spec 1.6 diesel is quite a sour price for a Skoda, no doubt and I think it should around the £14,000 mark personally. 

 

I'd agree the Diesel is a bit pricey. And yet, if you go to the Ford website and download their ridiculous PDF price list (why not just publish it in html for viewing in-browser ?!), an 'Edge' spec Focus with a 1.6 TDCi 95PS is shown as £17.315 inc. VAT.

 

Given that the Rapid is supposed to be competing in the same market space as the Focus, it's still cheaper on list pricing - maybe not by as much as it could/should be, but it is still cheaper.

 

(Note: I'm not even going to attempt to compare 'equipment levels', as one man's luxurious is another man's fool's gold!)

Good post OP, great review!

 

Main and fully justified criticisim in the UK was the list pricing. And the Rapid still is overpriced in fact... ripoff Britain.

From the onset, the Rapid became my No1 choice replacement car for either of my Skodas, but the chances of me ever ordering one at current UK dealership prices are slim. I'd rather order from abroad, Ireland has already 20%+ better prices.

 

It's bound to be a good car, Mk1 Octy was good enough to drive and the Rapid has 85mm longer wheelbase, which means better legroom and better road manners, the engines are adequate, though the 2.0CR diesel even at 140bhp would really make this car a fantastic motorway cruiser, the interior is good enough, the boot cavernous, and the car has longer range than both Octavia and Superb costing up to double the price.

 

But packing 20%+ higher list prices for like-for like fitted Rapids destined for the UK is what killed Rapid's debut. Congratulations SUK...

Oh come of it for god sake man, thought you'd stopped posting that in every Rapid related thread.

How about reading the actual thread, post #7 in particular...to which post #8 is the answer.

He forgets for a few weeks then reminds us its overpriced

If he actually bought one and haggled he'd realise its not that expensive.

For the kit I've got and the space I've got, and for the comfort in which I'm driving, £15,900 is a very good price - and that was full price!

 

Oh, and Thecko - just filled the tank for the second time and the MPG returned was 45.74, which is OK although I had hoped for a little better.

With that, I've done endless dual carriageways to McDonalds (#fatb*stard), an hour long run to Newcastle airport via the A1 and back , and being that I live in a rural area, this I think is where the economy suffers as I'm rarely driving on level ground. Perhaps I should've bit the bullet and gone for the 105PS as the sixth gear may have proved beneficial here in terms of economy.

 

Still, it's marginally better than the 1.9 diesel Felicia I had, except that was extremely noisy and only had 63BHP, not to mention the fact that diesel is more expensive and also I'm loving the car itself so it's all good.

That's a remarkable difference to what I'm getting although the majority of drives I do are 20 miles to/from work at 60 (it's honestly pointless and much more stressful trying to do 70 on the m56 in rush hour!).

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Having said that if you're matching what you were getting out of a widely well respected diesel engine as far as economy goes then you must be doing something right!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

It does seem that the 105 with the 6 speed is capable of better MPG than the 86 with the 5 speed. I haven't done any true economy runs but the best I have seen on a long journey was about 51.7 I think.

I'll keep an eye on the economy of mine and see how it goes. (105 - 6 speed)

They are usually a little bit tight when new though and loosen up after a few thousand miles.

 

I'll be surprised if it doesn't crack 50mpg.

We have the same engine in a Yeti (although it's the 7 speed DSG) and that's pulling about 250kg more around in a package with more drag and it still does 40mpg.

Main and fully justified criticisim in the UK was the list pricing. And the Rapid still is overpriced in fact... ripoff Britain.

From the onset, the Rapid became my No1 choice replacement car for either of my Skodas, but the chances of me ever ordering one at current UK dealership prices are slim. I'd rather order from abroad, Ireland has already 20%+ better prices.

 

 

But packing 20%+ higher list prices for like-for like fitted Rapids destined for the UK is what killed Rapid's debut. Congratulations SUK...

Ok, so back in the real world where you can pick up a current model with £4,000 off plus £1000 deposit contribution plus free servicing....

 

I knocked the car initially but some of the latest deals make it very attractive indeed imo.

Main and fully justified criticisim in the UK was the list pricing. And the Rapid still is overpriced in fact... ripoff Britain.

From the onset, the Rapid became my No1 choice replacement car for either of my Skodas, but the chances of me ever ordering one at current UK dealership prices are slim. I'd rather order from abroad, Ireland has already 20%+ better prices.

 

You say Ireland has 20% better prices.

 

The Elegance 1.2tsi in 105bhp 6 speed manual (for example) is £16,100 in the UK.

20% better in Ireland would be £12,880.

 

On the Ireland Skoda website the vehicle is listed at 21,735 Euros.

Convert that under the current exchange rate (0.86) and we are left with a figure of £18,692.

 

Can you please tell me how the Irish price of £18,692 is 20% better than the UK price of £16,100 ???

Because applying what I learnt when I went to school seems to suggest it's actually more expensive.

 

Any ideas ?

List prices in Ireland have 23% VAT vs 20% VAT you pay in the UK, and another 25% car tax on top that you do not have to pay if you export the car to the UK.

 

So your "£18692" is actually £18692 * 1.2/(1.23*1.25)  = £14589 to be paid after UK VAT. The UK price is £16100 as you stated, so SUK overcharges by 10% on this particular option free model. Actually it is the Rapid options SUK tries to make the main killing on.

 

For 1.6CR Elegance Rapid kitted out with heated seats and other options I'd like to get at some point in future, the total Irish price incl. options (metallic paint, climate control, spare, heated seats and a few other gizmos) works out to £16315, while the UK price is £17850+£1490 in options = £19340.

 

£19340 / £16315 = 1.1854, so yes the SUK Rapid is very nearly 20% overpriced, even at current pathetic exchange rate.

 

You can check against other countries, it can work out to even larger difference, at some point it was 40% on some models when compared to source country. I very much prefer transparent pricing with reasonable margins and no third world haggling, if you'd rather be at the mercy of the stealers, it's your choice.

Let's not go off on a tangent, let's stick to the model I quoted and the one I bought please.

 

So:

 

UK: £16,100.

 

Ireland: £18,962 less 25% car tax and 3% extra VAT as you have to pay the VAT if importing to UK at UK rate.

So take 28% off that and it's: £13,653.

 

That's still not 20%+

 

I wonder how the spec compares... that's often a way to get the price down a bit.

 

Do Irish dealers knock £1000 off like Skoda UK for using finance on top of any negotiated dealer discount?

Today is the day when my Rapid 1.6 diesel arrives. Can't wait to drive it!     Platinum grey.

No, let's stick to the model I consistently quote in every post I made on the Rapid since its introduction, and that is an Elegance diesel Rapid kitted out for long motorway trips in the UK and abroad all year round.

 

Ireland is by far not the cheapest country to get Rapid from, try Belgium (note car tax there too) or Czech Republic, you'll find your petrol basic Rapid easily 25% cheaper there.

 

All numbers I gave for the Elegance 1.6CR Rapid are for exactly like for like options/trim, there used to be a spec difference in brakes but is now gone, they're the same. I suggest going back to my earlier post, you have exact numbers there. Plus I noticed that nowadays Irish Skoda website has a fully working configurator, while SUK limited theirs to base models (where price hike is far lower than on the higher spec and non petrol models). I wonder if it is a coincidence. 

Edited 11 July, 201312 yr by dieselV6