New car

[scubashark]

HI newby here looking for advice, thanks in advance.

 

Looking to buy a 2010ish Superb estate Elegance DSG and wondered if there is anything I should look for. Also is there any issues with the engine / gearbox. Obviously I know any car can have issues but just wanted to make sure I've got all the relevant info. Mileage wise it will probably be around the 80-100k mark.

Sorry if this has been covered before.

 

Cheers

[psycholist]

Give it a good test drive and get it to motorway speed, listen for any suspicious noises. Try to do it on a good mix of roads too, especially badly surfaced ones to spot any annoying creaks or rattles. At that mileage, depending on it's use, the suspension could be due a bit of work so check for clunks, rattles or strange handling as you drive. Also make sure the car stays straight when you let go of the wheel and listen for humming or drumming noises from the back at speed as it often means unevenly worn back tyres, which could be tracking - I had mine checked when this occurred a few months after buying, but it seems to have just been a feature of the tyres as they got near the wear markers.

For the DSG, make sure there's no juddering while it's pulling away (This could indicate a failing dual mass flywheel or mechatronic unit, so it means the box may be about to get expensive) and that the gear changes are smooth.

Have a look at the engine to see if there are leaks - if it's really clean in there there's a danger it's been cleaned in order to hide leaks, but it should be quite clean as there's a decent splash guard under the whole lot. This does mean there won't necessarily be a pool of oil/water under it to indicate a leak though.

Check the service history for either recurring faults or expensive repairs.

Feel for dampness in the footwell carpets and the spare tyre well. Be very suspicious of large amounts of condensation inside the car. Check for any serious dents or scratches - usually it's a bad idea to get the garage to do anything about these unless they have a paint specialist, but it's good for bargaining. Obviously any sign of rust on a car that new is bad though.

Make sure all the electrics and the air conditioning work properly. Check things like map reading lights and the dashboard lighting too.

 

If you're buying from a garage in order to get a warranty, make sure it's from a garage that has decent customer service as many of them will try to fob you off when you come back to them. If you're buying privately, expect to pay less, but keep the difference as backup in case there is a fault as there is no definite warranty. Superbs are very reliable as VW group cars go AFAIK, so the chance of getting a genuinely bad one is pretty low to be honest.

Edited 15 January, 2015 by psycholist

[100andthirty]

If an SE or higher check that the umbrella is in the armrest of the nearside rearcpassenger door armrest. Take a CD to chek thatt works, and for cars with the fittings check for SD cards and USB connections. If it has Bluetooth, check that you can pair your phone. Are all the accessories there, eg boot tails, dividers retractable covers and lashing eyes on estates (not all models).

[Superb170]

Good advice there from psycholist and as he says the chances of getting a poor Superb are small enough.  It still pays to be vigilant though.  Check if the timing belt has been changed as it should be due around that mileage if not done already - if you search on this forum you will see this is widely debated topic around belt change intervals but enough said on that    Not sure if you have a particular car in mind but obviously check for signs of excessive wear compared to the mileage shown - very badly worn pedals and steering wheel could indicate a car with much higher mileage.

 

There are a lot of electrics on an elegance so make sure everything works. Most things are electric so check the seats (heated and electrically adjustable), mirrors, windows. Make sure the aircon works ok and is blowing cold air when it should be.  The lights are adaptive bi-xenons so ensure that they work and adjust properly - they should make some self-adjustments (up/down and side to side) when you turn the ignition, if they are working correctly.

 

What engine are you after?  If you're going for diesel, the 170s will all be common rail (CR) but the early 140bhp models will be PD up to early 2010.  Same goes for the greenlines as the earlier models will be the older 1.9tdi and later models have the CR1.6tdi.  The CR will be much smoother.  BTW the umbrella didn't come on all higher spec models, its a bit hit and miss but wouldn't worry too much about it if everything else is in order.  Good luck with the search!

[Devon Wanderer]

Make sure the Columbus radio/satnav/parking sensor display is working. Skoda price for a new one is £2000+, so that's a good bargaining chip if it's bricked. (You can buy replacements cheaper elsewhere.) New timing belt and fuel pump will set you back around £450 if it's not been done yet.