add-ons/upgrades to center console to make the most of the space

[Guest]

I got a rapid spaceback a few weeks ago to replace my ailing 14 year old car. Really enjoying the rapid but after taking a spin in a golf this week i noticed that the center console is very spartan.

No cup holders beside the handbrake, no ash/money tray, tiny not very useful cup holders, no cup holders in glove box door.

 

Are there any accessories I can get to make the most of the space in my car?

[chrisgreen]

Phone holder that sits in the cup holder. That's it in terms of genuine accessories.

I've got a Scosche magnetic phone holder up alongside my Swing radio (as I wanted to keep the cup holder clear for a cup).

[RapidPaul]

You can get generic cup holders that fix to the air vents. I used to have one in my Mk.5 Astra as that was even worse than the Rapid - just one cup holder in the entire car and that was almost out of reach between the front seats. My wife's Panda is festooned with cup holders and storage options by comparison!

[Delberthot]

Those round tubs of chewing gum fit perfectly into the cup holder at the front right and you could use it for your change once it's empty

[Guest]

Those round tubs of chewing gum fit perfectly into the cup holder at the front right and you could use it for your change once it's empty

 

Really highlights a poor dash design when you buy a brand new car and then have to find little used chewing gum pots to make the most of the storage!

[Delberthot]

Maybe you should have bought something else?

I only use it to store the chewing gum and think that there's plenty of room for stuff

[Delberthot]

Also there are 2 cup holders behind the handbrake, 2 in front and one in either door pocket

[Stormchaser]

More than enough.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chrisgreen]

While I admit that two full-size cup holders in the front (and without the height restriction) would have been preferred, the one full size cup holder is more than sufficient for a coffee cup or can, while the stupid little one (designed for narrow Red Bull-style cans) currently contains a small knitted hat from an Innocent smoothie bottle, which is full of car park change.

The two rear cup holders (one normal size, one super-size) are far more useful (for people in the back).

I do use the bottle holder in the drivers door a lot though - great size for a litre bottle of water or a gym drinks bottle.

Sent from my iPad Mini with Retina using Tapatalk, please excuse any typos.

[camelspyyder]

Really highlights a poor dash design when you buy a brand new car and then have to find little used chewing gum pots to make the most of the storage!

Did you not look at one before you bought it?

In the last year I've rejected 2 potential new car purchases because of ugly or impractical dash designs.

[WillJohnson]

Are people really that bothered about cup holders etc...? I've had cars in the past that have been very very generous in terms of cup holders, silly little cubby holes and door cards that will hold a large bottle of water but found I never really used any of them for anything other than stuffing receipts in which from time to time I would empty out.

[Stormchaser]

Tbh all these cup holders really annoy me there's too many of them. For one I don't eat or drink in the car at all.

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[MickA]

I had 4 cup holders in my other car. The 2 in the centre console I've done away with and now it holds my phone. If I put a cup in there  I couldn't change gear properly anyway. And why 4 cup holders in a 2 seater car (MX-5)

[WillJohnson]

Exactly! i actually struggle watching car reviews these days because most of the footage is about putting bananas into cubby holes and 1l or 1.5l bottles of water into door bins. When I look at the layout of the dash of the rapid I think it's absolutely fine? I do have nav and climatronic so I guess that may help. The only thing that annoys me for a big car is there are no adjustable air vents for the rear of the car... I would say this is far more annoying than lack of cup holders!

[VRSbilly]

I count 6 cup holders in the front. Not on my list of things lacking.

[NigNB]

Glove box, door storage (which you can get an accessory bin for), two drinks holders in front doors (which take larger size water bottles and vacuum mugs really easily), another 1.5 holders centre dash (which you can get the phone holder for), really helpful further storage behind them, fold back arm rest storage, drinks holders behind plus rear door storage (which take two further smaller water bottles perfectly). Oh, and sun glass storage in the drop down hideaway by the roof lights.

I have also followed the posts and now have rear storage dividers in boot and two curry hooks (thanks Chris).

Height access to the boot is great and yesterday my Spaceback absorbed a large cool box simply by pushing the front passenger seat forward a few inches (impossible with my previous Octavia).

All this based on combi-mixed Polo chassis.

The Rapid has lots of clever design features, e.g. keeping the USB/aux sockets tucked away rather than, like so many cars, somewhere that then prevents use of stuff like cup holders.

Personally, I really like the modern neat dash design with a brushed alloy inserts, the pedals and steering wheel positioning, excellent visibility of dials etc., gear change location, and all of the switchgear pretty much matches up with the more expensive VAG cars.

Great value...

[RapidPaul]

Certainly agree on the nice, clear dash layout. I had my previous car (Astra) for over three years and I never did figure out what all the buttons did. The i30 dash is similarly cluttered. The only thing lacking from my perspective is a small storage area higher up on the dash to keep my car park pass (it's the type you have to scan rather than display).

[Guest]

Maybe you should have bought something else?

 

 

Helpful (use a sarcastic tone there if its not already clear)...

But if i take your comment seriously, you are correct, i do wish i had bought something else. Il know for the next time.

 

I dont get the attack, im questioning a genuine design issue, but if i need to explain it further, lets go through all of these cup holders:

 

 

Two in front of the gear stick - one is way too small for a normal coffee cup or bottle, i dont know what its for. The other is for the "change box" that skoda provides.

Two behind the handbrake - they are behind the handbrake & center armrest, not an ideal place for a driver to quickly reach for their drink. In fact im sure id cause an accident if i went to reach for a cup/bottle in the cupholders behind the armrest.Also if you have one cup in one of them, it encroaches into the 2nd holder so of the two, only one is useful at a time.

In the doors - good for bottles, but crap for coffee cups, too hard to get your hand in around the cup and its also a bit of a reach.

 

 

Just because i spent a decent wedge of cash ( relatively speaking) on a car, im not going to fool myself into thinking its the greatest thing ever. Its an ok car, but with some seriously questionable design issues on the dash and a lot of small corners cut to lower the price, that all make it feel cheap.

 

It will do for the next few years but after that unless skoda have something absolutely fantastic im afraid the wont hold my business.

[camelspyyder]

It looks like the glass roof blind-sided you into buying a pauper spec car.  Many of the buyers on here, certainly of SE Tech, SE Sport and Toledo's have more toys than they can shake a stick at. And some like Mick A for instance paid the equivalent of under 16500 Euro not 23000   for a loaded Toledo SE Nav with almost everything standard.

 

I hail from Jersey and car buyers there get ripped off just like the Irish seem too.  Can I get my Father to get off his arse and come to England to buy a bargain - no, he'd rather burn my possible inheritance by getting robbed at the local Lexus dealer every few years - no discounts there I can tell you.

[eyegr]

 

The other is for the "change box" that skoda provides.

Two behind the handbrake - they are behind the handbrake & center armrest, not an ideal place for a driver to quickly reach for their drink. In fact im sure id cause an accident if i went to reach for a cup/bottle in the cupholders behind the armrest.Also if you have one cup in one of them, it encroaches into the 2nd holder so of the two, only one is useful at a time.

 

Why don't you remove the "change box" and put it in the back? Reaching for your coffee is more frequent than reaching for change so the swap makes sense.

[chrisgreen]

Two in front of the gear stick - one is way too small for a normal coffee cup or bottle, i dont know what its for. The other is for the "change box" that skoda provides.

See my previous post, I've already explained what the silly small cup holder is for.

Also, Skoda does not supply a "change box"? Please elaborate

Two behind the handbrake - they are behind the handbrake & center armrest, not an ideal place for a driver to quickly reach for their drink.

That would be because they are for the rear passengers, not for the driver.

In the doors - good for bottles, but crap for coffee cups, too hard to get your hand in around the cup and its also a bit of a reach.

Agreed, these are far better for bottles. However, larger cold drinks cups will happily fit in there (I had a soft drink cup from Five Guys in my drivers door earlier today). I've had a Starbucks cup in there as well, but it's far from an ideal position and as it doesn't hold the cup/bottle tight, there's a fair chance that some sharp breaking is going to send coffee everywhere, if your right leg doesn't bang into it and pop the lid off first.

[Delberthot]

Believe it or not but the rear bottle holder behind the gear stick will hold a 2l bottle of juice.

I will agree that the two cup holders in front of the gear stick are pish and only suitable for your chewing gum though but I haven't needed to put anything else there