Had one today whilst my Yeti was in for some love.

 

It reminded me of everything I loved and hated about the Fabia* and everything I loved and hated about the 105 engine**

 

Not a bad car, IMHO, but would have been a lot nicer if they'd spent a couple of quid more on the trim materials.

 

Also had a strange shunt through the transmission; not sure if that's typical of the Rapid or not.

 

Quite pleased to get back in the Yeti.

 

* Sharp handling, light and responsive steering, fun but cheap and horrid plastics

** Endless wave of torque but too little at the bottom end

Where is the Rapid built?  I would not buy a Yeti because I want nothing to do with Chinese cars.

Where is the Rapid built?  I would not buy a Yeti because I want nothing to do with Chinese cars.

 

The Rapid is built at the Czech plant in Mladá Boleslav and in China at the Yizheng plant. And somewhere in India.

 

The Yeti is built at the Czech plant in Kvasiny, and in Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod plant and in China and the Shanghai plant

 

I suspect that the Shanghai and Yizheng plants will be there to service the massive Chinese market; I doubt they are making them there to export to the UK, though I may be wrong.

Gyp is correct.

 

All Skodas for UK consumption are built in the Czech Republic (or Slovakia for the Citigo)

Gyp is correct.

 

It's been a while since anyone's said that.

 

I might go all teary in a minute

Lucky you - I just got a 1.2 TSI (86) Rapid SE when my Yeti was in for warranty work. Agreed about the interior which let down what was quite a quiet place to be. Missed the visibility you get with the Yeti though.

It's been a while since anyone's said that.

 

I might go all teary in a minute

 

 

 

There you go

Gyp said:-  Also had a strange shunt through the transmission; not sure if that's typical of the Rapid or not.

 

I had this.   Related my woes on here.  They uninstalled my engine management software and installed latest---they said .

 

And it was massively better but not totally cured.   Now it is getting worse again.  I wish I had thought of "shunt" ---I called it stutter or stumble I think.  It is very annoying IMO.

 

And it has developed a "notchy snag" changing up to fifth intermittently. I'll wait till both get worse so we don't have any stupid "sorry Sir we could not reproduce it on a test drive" 

 

Or more likely the thing will be chopped in for something better. A terrible let down.

Gyp said:-  Also had a strange shunt through the transmission; not sure if that's typical of the Rapid or not.

 

I had this.   Related my woes on here.  They uninstalled my engine management software and installed latest---they said .

 

And it was massively better but not totally cured.   Now it is getting worse again.  I wish I had thought of "shunt" ---I called it stutter or stumble I think.  It is very annoying IMO.

 

And it has developed a "notchy snag" changing up to fifth intermittently. I'll wait till both get worse so we don't have any stupid "sorry Sir we could not reproduce it on a test drive" 

 

Or more likely the thing will be chopped in for something better. A terrible let down.

 

Yes; it was almost as if there was a load of freeplay somewhere in the drivetrain.

 

Driving it like a loan car it was fine, but gently pottering about at low speeds it was like I'd forgotten how to use a clutch properly

It's been a while since anyone's said that.

 

I might go all teary in a minute

I'm pretty sure the Indian Rapid is a completely different car, so normal service has been resumed.

I'm pretty sure the Indian Rapid is a completely different car, so normal service has been resumed.

 

I'm really going to cry now

I have owned a 1.6 TDI for 6 months (just) and can honestly say it has the nicest gearing on any car I have ever owned.  However the thing I find strange about it is, if your in the wrong gear (as indicated on dashboard) the car seems to go into a kind of override in that it powers itself as if in cruise control mode.  Perhaprs this is a thing with diesel cars (This is the first diesel I have owned).  Yes agree to the quality of the plastics but have noticed my last skoda (fabia) was the same and so are VW cars. 

Hi Mark, thecruise control mode feeling you describe is the anti stall device doing what it should, what you need to do is trust the gear indicator and change down a gear.  This is most notable when aproaching a traffic island, when if you try to take the island without going to a lower gear the car feels as if it has a mind of its own and just runs on. It is something you have to get used to with a modern diesel, so fear not theres nowt wrong with your car Its just doing its job  Best Wishes Toon 

I really don't think the car is doing its job.  It is doing as it likes and ignoring me.   This willful tugging if the car thinks it knows best is not only unpleasant but it my mind bluedie dangerous.  And driving at snails pace in first gear on a ferry or a car park was impossible without use of the foot brake to restrain it, before my software swap.

 

Along with the "shunt" referred to above these two things make it an unpleasant driving experience.  Of course when I'm trying to palm the thing off to someone else I shall make it out to be a wonderful feature.

I wasn't sure if that was the anti stall thing but did wonder.  There are times there are too many other things going on re changing gear but yes I did wonder.  Does seem like he car is driving itself though. 

I really dont think the car is the one doing the ignoring !  with anti stall you really have to be in the right gear to avoid the feeling of the car running away with you I dont have any problems with my Fabia as long as I change down at the correct time and as for the car having to be held back on the brake, mine will tootle along at walking pace in bottom gear without any problems. What rpm is the idle set at ? mine ticks over at 750 rpm and the anti stall is no problem to me  

I said it was (not is) impossible to drive at snails pace before my software swap. 

My car did and still does tick over when STATIONARY at 750.   The second it senses movement revs rise to 1000. That is anti-stall I do like.!!

When  put in first to try to trickle along with NO THROTTLE applied  it started to tug and accelerate quite noticeably. Before my software swap.  It used to feel to me that it would just keep on accelerating if I had not held it back.

 

This trickle problem is cured now thank god but in open road driving  I still get the car knowing better than I do what gear it thinks it needs. 

Even the horrible "shunt" [TM Gyp]  nearly disappeared but is starting to get worse again for some stupid reason.

 

This 105 hp TDI is used across VW is it not?   Does it behave itself in other brands does anyone know?

This 105 hp TDI is used across VW is it not?   Does it behave itself in other brands does anyone know?

 

Certainly didn't in my Octavia 1.6TDi Greenline.

 

It was a brilliant engine in that (if a little short on grunt at the bottom end)

I experienced this in my fabia (the shunting and tugging). I have put it down to the engine running in as after 7000 miles it's hardly noticeable any more. I assume the engine management (and engine) is the same as in the rapid but don't know...