The bad/strange:

 

Speedo...10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100...eh?

Dials...why not have a green tint as the white looks a bit out of sorts with the rest of the cabin (has anyone changed theirs?)

Windscreen wash...1 second delay before the spray...a bit irritating

Cruise switch...easy to turn on left indicator as it is very stiff

Paddles...way to small (will need to find some extensions)

Steering feel will take some getting used to

 

um...I am probably being picky

 

The good:

 

I can get a push chair in the boot with room to spare (who needs an estate!)

Rear facing child seats fits in the back without compromising front passenger leg room

Green with a black roof...gets lots of admiring looks

Swing unit..surprisingly good (but will upgrade with Columbus at some stage)

Bluetooth works well

Engine...DSG...excellent

Insurance...Less than £200 on a dual car policy

 

Overall...we feel that we have made the best choice and would have regretted the Fiat 500L that we were considering (new baby, family car...bla bla bla)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agree with the speedo comment. Very poor design.

It would also help if the cruise control was on a separate stalk.

500L... You certainly made the right choice! I used to have a Bravo in Sport spec. Possibly the last decent sized good looking Fiat with a decent engine line up... The whole Fiat range is just shocking at the moment, the worst part being the poor range of engines, nothing with any decent amount of power.

Digital speedo is the only one I look at.

 

EDIT: Hang on, you blokes have to set the car to "Australian" to get MPH on the digital speedo, right? Which is decidedly strange, as Australian cars haven't had MPH since at least the 1980s, if not the '70s.  :wonder:

Edited 23 February, 201412 yr by OzFabia

Do many driving a vRS in the UK look at the speedo between 80 & 100 to check you are at 85, 90, 95 only.

I know plenty that want to stay under 100, where it might mean a ban to be over.

 

Under Acceleration 90 hardly seems to exist anyway.

Digital speedo is the only one I look at.

 

EDIT: Hang on, you blokes have to set the car to "Australian" to get MPH on the digital speedo, right? Which is decidedly strange, as Australian cars haven't had MPH since at least the 1980s, if not the '70s.  :wonder:

True OzFabia, but UK cars have to comply with construction and use regulations which state that the speed in MPH and KPH must be displayed, or at least be able to be displayed at the same time. UK cars have no KPH graduations on the speedo face, hence the digital KPH reading in the digital display. If the country is set to Australia then it gives you the ability to change between KPH and MPH reading.

Ian

iirc didn't the mk1 vrs speedo go 90 then straight to 110?

Didn't take long to get between them both though,waste of time putting the 100 in.

The bad/strange:

 

Speedo...10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100...eh?

Dials...why not have a green tint as the white looks a bit out of sorts with the rest of the cabin (has anyone changed theirs?)

Windscreen wash...1 second delay before the spray...a bit irritating

Cruise switch...easy to turn on left indicator as it is very stiff

Paddles...way to small (will need to find some extensions)

Steering feel will take some getting used to

 

um...I am probably being picky

 

The good:

 

I can get a push chair in the boot with room to spare (who needs an estate!)

Rear facing child seats fits in the back without compromising front passenger leg room

Green with a black roof...gets lots of admiring looks

Swing unit..surprisingly good (but will upgrade with Columbus at some stage)

Bluetooth works well

Engine...DSG...excellent

Insurance...Less than £200 on a dual car policy

 

Overall...we feel that we have made the best choice and would have regretted the Fiat 500L that we were considering (new baby, family car...bla bla bla)

I wouldn't say your are being picky, you didn't mention the poor handling or brakes, I agree with the windscreen wash delay, it gives impression that the system is missing a non-return valve. I've done a little over 1000 miles in mine now and the handling is very poor for the engine performance, I don't recall my mk1 being anywhere near as bad when that was standard and the brake pedal will go to the floor on an emergency stop and not lock/abs if the road is dry.

If that's the case , you need your brakes looking at, they are buggered! They should be sharp and powerful, easy to get full grip, and abs....

If that's the case , you need your brakes looking at, they are buggered! They should be sharp and powerful, easy to get full grip, and abs....

my mk1 was exactly the same though?! Spongy and no feel and pedal would go to floor if you pressed hard enough, had Jabbasport do a fluid change to dot 5.1 and it made next to no difference so short of changing all the braking components i just have to drive it accordingly.

Actually you can increase brake assist, but that would not be a good idea when its discs and pads that are not great. Poor infact,

but then only if you are on the brakes much, the DSG does help lots in not needing the brakes if driving manually.

 

Once you push on or more likely do a track day, you find that the ESP or the XDS will have the Fluid and the brakes too hot, the XDS shuts down until it cools down.

 

The Seat Ibiza Cupra comes with the option of a £1000 brake upgrade for a reason,

Skoda could have started offering that a year ago easily enough.

I have never had a spongy pedal, and have nver had it go to the floor, I would suggest to go to the dealer as a serious problem.... (and I had a mark I for 80k too!) 

 

I have had it get too hot on the track, and had them smoking and burning, BUT they still were capable of locking the wheels! (I now have yellowstuff pads which had cured this)

 

by definition, if the brake pedal cannot operate the ABS it is not retarding enough, therefore broken.... If I get a work vehical like this I take it off the road!

 

as George says, there are 3 settings in VCDS to change the level of assistance, they should come with the "middle" setting, I know a few people at a few track days that have pushed it up to "max" assistance, because they like the "bite"

 

maybe first, get someone with VDCS to have a look what setting yours is on, and if its "0" set to "1" and if its "1" set to "2" and see the difference.... If you have doubts , just drive someone elses vRS and see, I would be happy to let you drive mine at any of the meets

 

Shark.

Actually you can increase brake assist, but that would not be a good idea when its discs and pads that are not great. Poor infact,

but then only if you are on the brakes much, the DSG does help lots in not needing the brakes if driving manually.

 

Once you push on or more likely do a track day, you find that the ESP or the XDS will have the Fluid and the brakes too hot, the XDS shuts down until it cools down.

 

The Seat Ibiza Cupra comes with the option of a £1000 brake upgrade for a reason,

Skoda could have started offering that a year ago easily enough.

 

Thanks George that's very interesting, I must find some info on the Cupra brake upgrade option and read up, I would have better brakes any day over more power!

 

Would an increase of brake assist make the pedal light and sharp? as I hate that, the weight of the pedal as it is standard is about right but for me it lacks the feel when pressing on and when it lacks feel the confidence goes and the tendency to get on the brakes early and ride them for longer as a comfort to make sure it will stop only makes on set of over heating and fade happen sooner,  

 

If I'm on a mad five I turn off the traction with button on dash and feed the power in by foot, when tyres are warm enough I only tend to get a little bit of inside wheel spin out of tight slow 2nd gear corners and that's negligible with a steady right foot, with the traction on it is very keen to flash the light on the dash and tame the beasty, the electronics are far to keen to intervene for my liking so I switch them off.  

 

I have never had a spongy pedal, and have nver had it go to the floor, I would suggest to go to the dealer as a serious problem.... (and I had a mark I for 80k too!) 

 

I have had it get too hot on the track, and had them smoking and burning, BUT they still were capable of locking the wheels! (I now have yellowstuff pads which had cured this)

 

by definition, if the brake pedal cannot operate the ABS it is not retarding enough, therefore broken.... If I get a work vehical like this I take it off the road!

 

as George says, there are 3 settings in VCDS to change the level of assistance, they should come with the "middle" setting, I know a few people at a few track days that have pushed it up to "max" assistance, because they like the "bite"

 

maybe first, get someone with VDCS to have a look what setting yours is on, and if its "0" set to "1" and if its "1" set to "2" and see the difference.... If you have doubts , just drive someone elses vRS and see, I would be happy to let you drive mine at any of the meets

 

Shark.

 

Shark, I've always been a late braker and it has been my gripe with every car I ever owned, I tried a full set of Ferodo DS2500 pads with drilled discs in my mk1 but they had a very aggressive bite when really hot, this was very unsettling to the balance of the car and the feel was gone the pedal may as well been a switch by the that time so heel and toe on the down change was out the question at that point, oh and at that point the whole brake system was cooked and the front discs glowed 

 

I went to dealers Saturday morning just gone to pick up MDI cable, while I was there I explained about the vcds settings of the steering and brake assist I had read on here and though they didn't really understand what I was asking they were very good and plugged it in to ODIS to have a look and humour me, I got taken into the workshop and shown the options for the steering and brake assist but there ODIS system only had a description on one of the steering settings, No.6 - mobility, and it didn't show current settings so not knowing what they would be changing from and to they were reluctant to change stuff they didn't understand, so I didn't push, instead I thanked them very much for there time and having a look but leave all as is and I'll find someone with full understanding elsewhere. I'm very keen to understand more about electrical mods to improve the car, I can do the mechanical bit just not electrical wizardry  :clap:   

 

Wrighty

 

Wrighty

If you leave TC on, it might not only nip a brake on when you does spin a wheel.

it can also cut the power from the engine.

 

& touch the brake and the throttle will also cut the power.

 

Mobility can be more Steering Assistance, or more brake assistance,

which is not what you want.

 

Maybe try 'Less Steering Assistance.

I personally had the XDS settings changed along with the Brake assist...  I went for 2 - 2, you will notice the difference.

 

see my very quick review here: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/227295-who-needs-a-lsd/?p=2710282

 

EM

If you leave TC on, it might not only nip a brake on when you does spin a wheel.

it can also cut the power from the engine.

 

& touch the brake and the throttle will also cut the power.

 

Mobility can be more Steering Assistance, or more brake assistance,

which is not what you want.

 

Maybe try 'Less Steering Assistance.

 

I personally had the XDS settings changed along with the Brake assist...  I went for 2 - 2, you will notice the difference.

 

see my very quick review here: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/227295-who-needs-a-lsd/?p=2710282

 

EM

 

That's why I had them leave as is and will find someone who knows whats what to make the adjustments. When I get it sorted though it will be awesome!

The thing about adjusting the XDS for nipping your brakes more often is that the sooner your brake system heats up, (over heats) and the XDS then disables its self.

(that would be on the track really more than on the road.)

I have also tinkered I feel reasonably fully with the VCDS tweaks to XDS, Steering and Brake Assist.

 

I find the XDS only needs to be on at the mid level setting at the most, I am currently driving with the lowest setting and do not find I miss it's presence (my car is lowered with ARB and on some nice rubber though)

 

Brake Assist I increased the assist for a time and this feels good in town driving and general relaxed pootling as with less input you get more positive response from the brakes.  However as others have said in previous threads, it is no intuitive and takes away from the  control and modulation you might want when driving "spiritedly".  MY brakes are not the cream of automotive perfection but will do the job, as Sharkrider says Wrighty I would get that looked at because as mediocre as stock brakes are on this car, I  wouldn't say they were as bad as yours sound.

 

Steering assist for me makes the biggest difference to my perception in how the driver "feels" the cars handling.  I set mine to the GTI/vRS setting, lord knows why it wasn't already set to this.  But on 205 tyres, I believe 215  will naturally add more weight again, the steering feel is much much better.  I have just switched back to my summer tyres and on this steering assist setting I am falling in love all over again with this little car.  I remember Sharkrider's thread from many months ago about Maxxis tyres and Aircon and this is very similar.

 

It is amazing to me what an impact small changes like correct settings (for the individual), right tyres (for the occasion) so completely change the feel of the car.

I think Sharkey will be able to give you a comparison between standard and my settings as we did some like for like driving at Weston and he his a far superior trained driver than I am.

 

I know he drove my car through the Cheddar Gorge but he may not be able to remember specifics...

 

EM