Why Skoda?

[Beachview]

Hi all

 

Bit of a different one

 

I've applied for a job in a Skoda dealership and after the opinions of some Skoda owners, so of course this is the best place to come. 

 

To be honest I always thought most Skodas looked a bit dull on the outside, though maybe the Octavia gets of with this sort of look. But I went on the Skoda website and had a look at the interiors, and I was shocked at how dull they look inside. I couldn't believe the vast expanse of plain grey, with no nice detail.

 

Yes there is reliability which would attract customers to Skoda, but there are other brands just as reliable, but more stylish looking.

 

Maybe a few of you won't like what I've said above, but sure you might as well come on ahead and say what attracted you to buy a Skoda.

 

Beachview 

[Ootohere]

Welcome to the forum.

 

I would suggest that it might be better research to visit some Showrooms and go into car interiors rather than look at pictures.

 

To answer your questions,

Nice simple interiors available if your choice, no silly frills and enhancements, like chrome look plastic, with no purpose on some models or Specs.

& often Fugly exteriors which matters not one bit, because you can not see the outside of your car while driving it.,

 

but you get some pretty advanced technology sometimes which goes first on SEAT's or Skodas before they are run out on VW's or Audis,

or that was the case until just recently, when some VW's and Audis are having the Customers doing the real world long distance testing..

ie Cylinder Deactivation etc.

(& No Grey inside ones that have all black interiors.)

 

Sadly some of above has been spoiled by some recent interior changes with some really terrible chrome enhancements in interiors of new models.

 

george

 

PS

Regarding VAG cars 'Volkswagen Audi Group', & reliability.

I would research that some more,

because lets hope that everything in life can be more reliable than a Golf.

http://autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/62383/german-cars-among-worst-engine-failures

[Babs]

I couldn't afford the equivalent VW....

[devonutopia]

in 2001 it was supermini of the year.  That was the start of it....

[Harvey1978]

I thought the mk1 Octavia vRS was a gorgeous bit of kit the first time I clapped eyes on one, and still do now after three years of ownership, plus the reliability and good reviews from a friend who is a VW mechanic.

[Beachview]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I thought you might all want to throw me out  

[Beachview]

Welcome to the forum.

 

I would suggest that it might be better research to visit some Showrooms and go into car interiors rather than look at pictures.

 

To answer your questions,

Nice simple interiors available if your choice, no silly frills and enhancements, like chrome look plastic, with no purpose on some models or Specs.

& often Fugly exteriors which matters not one bit, because you can not see the outside of your car while driving it.,

 

but you get some pretty advanced technology sometimes which goes first on SEAT's or Skodas before they are run out on VW's or Audis,

or that was the case until just recently, when some VW's and Audis are having the Customers doing the real world long distance testing..

ie Cylinder Deactivation etc.

(& No Grey inside ones that have all black interiors.)

 

Sadly some of above has been spoiled by some recent interior changes with some really terrible chrome enhancements in interiors of new models.

 

george

 

PS

Regarding VAG cars 'Volkswagen Audi Group', & reliability.

I would research that some more,

because lets hope that everything in life can be more reliable than a Golf.

http://autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/62383/german-cars-among-worst-engine-failures

 

Re the link I already read about that a while back, couldn't come on here though and say the cars look dull and aren't that reliable, could I? Then I might really get kicked out  No I don't drive anything VAG myself, its Japanese all the way for me  

[Beachview]

Oops looks like I didn't quite manage to use the quote tool properly 

[littleade]

The wife sneared at my 1st. That was good enough reason to buy a second LOL.

Value for money. Pritty much unbeatable IMO to get anything else close to a Skoda in terms of quality for your money.

The quality is understated. Get to drive some and you'll see what I mean.

I think the vRS is a cracker. Brilliant mix of practicality, space and performance thats cheap to run too.

The dealership experience. If you're used to working in a multi frachise dealership that treats it's customers as faceless numbers some skoda dealership might be a bit of a culture shock. If you want to get to know your customers, build a relationship up with them so they come back again and again then it could be the place for you.

Skoda don't keep coming top of the which /JD Power customer surveys year on year by accident.

Oh and welcome!.

[Thecko]

Re the interior - I much prefer an understated and functional car interior personally. Ok as a passenger it may suck a bit, but when you're driving the car you really should be looking at the road rather than fondling your dash board and getting distracted by all the pretty lights and voluptuously curved surfaces with big round colourful bits of plastic around every control option. It's a car, not a mobile to keep toddlers entertained!

 

I do accept though that I'm very much in the minority with that opinion I know loads of people who love the current range of Civic interiors for example, where as I look at it and wonder why they sub contracted the interior design to Tomy.

[vrs oh yes]

Nicest car available for such a low insurance group! Really have fallen for the Skoda though, great quality and bang for buck. I must admit I lust after audi and vw now.

[gfwc]

Nicest car available for such a low insurance group! Really have fallen for the Skoda though, great quality and bang for buck. I must admit I lust after audi and vw now.

So true, an equivalent spec and power car costs a great deal more than having a Skoda

This is the reason I got mine.

 

Had 3 Fabia's now and love them all

[Svend]

Got a 1.4 Superb II. Love it. All the bells and whistles needed and then some, very classy and luxurious feel, not showy for showy sake. How a car should be, comfortable, reliable and give a great feeling of satisfaction. I know loads of taxi drivers that drive them and love them both Octavias and Superbs.

[gallego1968]

We are on our second Fabia and myself and the wife won't want another brand, pound for pound you can't go wrong with a Skoda

[andypandypoos]

I couldn't afford the equivalent VW....

 

honest as ever   I know that's why my brother got his Octavia, albeit Audi rather than VW

[sheldon_cz]

IDK about you guys, but I love the simple and understated interior of the skodas. I spent 10 minutes in the new Focus and felt like I was in an amusement park.

[Kiwibacon]

Combination of driveline and body not available in other brands. Worldwide parts supply, huge knowledge base. Plus a dozen other not so critical things that I really like about the brand and their designs.

[Aspman]

The interior of the VRS is quite an improvement over the golfs of the same era. The endless expanse of black plastic really put me off.

 

Skoda is popular (that might be a 'was') because they offered good value for money. The dealers tended to be a little old fashioned but in a good way and the cars were solid.

 

Now that prices have leapt up, dealers are being bought up by big business and VAG is seeing profits from Audi and VW being lost to Skoda so it's fiddling with the brand, I'm not sure just how many of those USPs that brought us to Skoda still remain.

Edited 20 July, 2013 by Aspman

[@Lee]

My car, a 2003 (53) Fabia 1.9 TDi still make me laugh when I get in it I currently have a 2012 Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 SE rental and it has nothing in it which my 9 years older Fabia hasn't got. It may look a little more stylish inside but mine, IMO, is more functional even if it looks a bit 'dull'. Outside, I prefer the look of mine over the Corsa.

 

Afterthought; If you don't have faith in the brand and believe in what you're selling, the custome will more than likely pick up on that and could be put off buying from you. A good salesperson has to believe in the product.

[niceyellow vrs]

I keep asking myself this question every day.

[GTWaites]

A lad at work used to extract the urine out of my Fabia.

I promise I didn't laugh the day his new Corsa wouldn't start....

[MudPuppy]

I bought my Fabia vRS because it did everything I needed it to and it sounded interesting (on paper, not literally. It sounded like a tractor). The interior was nice and neat and uncluttered.

I spent 10 minutes in the new Focus and felt like I was in an amusement park.

I know where you're coming from with this. I've had mine 3 months and used approximately 5 of the 200+ buttons it has...

[Doofy]

After owning Nissan cars for many years, This is my first Skoda, Yeah dash looks a bit dull but so do a lot of cars now, Nissan no exception, But build quality and reliability attracted me to Skoda, The Nissan's were excellent as far as reliability was concerned (bullet proof engine SR20 for example) but body work let them down after a while, Hoping the Skoda is better at keeping the dreaded rust at bay, Very impressed up to now with the Octavia..  

[Brimma]

Can I ask a question in response to your original post please?

Why on earth do you want to work in a Skoda dealership if you think the cars are so dull?

[Goblin]

I'm another one who couldn't really justify the equivalent VW, not just for the cost of the car, but also insurance. I paid £1200 for the first year with my 1.4 16V Fabia Elegance, and I paid £1400 for the car which got me a low mileage, 2000 reg minter with a good amount of toys.

 

Looked at a VW Polo 1.4 16v SE the same age, the car didn't have the same amount of power (75bhp instead of 100), less equipment and not as good to drive (my mum has one and it's quite floppy to drive to be perfectly honest in comparison to the Fabia), not as big, not as good condition and had more miles, yet the average price for that car at the time was around £2000 - £2500. And the insurance was around £2000

 

So choice really. When you're my age (21), a car is a car. A Skoda may not be the coolest of things to drive if you're that vain, but I paid £2600 for a car AND insurance, so for the sake of a VW badge, I wasn't really willing to pay a £1200 premium as the money could be and has been better spent elsewhere.