Disappointed with Rapid

[jbyrnes82]

my wife has a spaceback and were very pleased with it, even after being in my mk3 octavia I cannot fault it overall, there are some niggles which are born out of pure penny saving on Skoda's part (no engine cover, no one touch windows) but generally I find it a pleasant drive, much preffered to her mk2 fabia she had before the seats are much better (we have the se sport so nice sports seats) and the ride is good also.

 

I could compare it to a friends golf but then its not in the same price band as the golf my octavia is which compares well in all areas, VW don't do a spaceback equivalent but compared to mid level Foci, Astra's, C'eed etc I think it holds its own, not going to be a class leader or What Car Best Buy, but then part of the appeal for us both is that its not mainstream and like a billion other cars, it has even created a few conversations around 'what is your car' and when you talk to and show people it they are surprised.

 

My only real gripe is the name, I know its a revival of any old model name but Rapid it ain't theres not even a VRS version although the monte carlo is coming which maybe just looks but may help.

[Guest]

 

I could compare it to a friends golf but then its not in the same price band as the golf 

 

 

But thats the thing, previous incarnations of skodas could be compared to cars costing many thousands more, and they held their own.  you get the quality, touches, fit and finish of a more expensive car for a great price. This was how they added value, This was the value proposition.

 

The latest skodas are not bad cars overall, im not saying that, but they are now they are only just about worth the asking price, as opposed to just a few years ago when you they were worth a lot more than the asking, i.e. you got great value.

[camelspyyder]

my wife has a spaceback and were very pleased with it, even after being in my mk3 octavia I cannot fault it overall, there are some niggles which are born out of pure penny saving on Skoda's part (no engine cover, no one touch windows) but generally I find it a pleasant drive, much preffered to her mk2 fabia she had before the seats are much better (we have the se sport so nice sports seats) and the ride is good also.

 

I could compare it to a friends golf but then its not in the same price band as the golf my octavia is which compares well in all areas, VW don't do a spaceback equivalent but compared to mid level Foci, Astra's, C'eed etc I think it holds its own, not going to be a class leader or What Car Best Buy, but then part of the appeal for us both is that its not mainstream and like a billion other cars, it has even created a few conversations around 'what is your car' and when you talk to and show people it they are surprised.

 

My only real gripe is the name, I know its a revival of any old model name but Rapid it ain't theres not even a VRS version although the monte carlo is coming which maybe just looks but may help.

 

Names don't mean that much - still, you do have an Octavia -you're riding around in Caesar's sister mate 

[camelspyyder]

But thats the thing, previous incarnations of skodas could be compared to cars costing many thousands more, and they held their own.  you get the quality, touches, fit and finish of a more expensive car for a great price. This was how they added value, This was the value proposition.

 

The latest skodas are not bad cars overall, im not saying that, but they are now they are only just about worth the asking price, as opposed to just a few years ago when you they were worth a lot more than the asking, i.e. you got great value.

 

As we've both said though, they are really not worth the asking price.  The RRP for both Toledo and Rapid ranges goes up above £19k now before options.  You'd have to be mad.

£12k - £14k all right, but any more and they're competing with real quality - and losing.

Edited 7 July, 2015 by camelspyyder

[jbyrnes82]

Names don't mean that much - still, you do have an Octavia -you're riding around in Caesar's sister mate 

Rather that then riding around in Leon......

[RapidPaul]

Or an Adam

[picnmix]

The point made earlier about the cost of these cars is important. I recently picked a brand new Seat Toledo S 85 for £10,642 with three years free servicing and 0% APR finance through a broker. Through the same broker I could now instead get a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 70PS Excite (optimistically named?) 3dr discounted to £10,781. Consider the differences; Corsa - a way smaller 3 door hatch, no air conditioning, no turbo so probably not quite as sprightly, possibly a lower quantity product, no spare wheel and no parking sensors.  Rapids & Toledos are clearly built to a budget, but I feel, they are spacious, economical, pretty quiet and comfortable, generally well screwed together but I've got to say very good value.

[bealine]

It is strange - I absolutely love "Roger Rapid", my 1.2 Sport.   Yes, it doesn't have the "bells and whistles" that my son's Ocatvia VRS known as  "Kermit" has, but then Roger's price tag was half that of Kermit's!

 

Overall, Roger Rapid is a beautifully crafted example of a car which, you must remember, is built on the VW Polo platform.   If the Skoda had all the benefits of the VW model, why would anyone pay the extra and buy VW?   That's why "nice to haves", like being able to remotely lower the windows, are missing in the Skoda.

 

[Guest]

Just one more cost cutting measure i have noticed, the spare key is not a remote key. No, its not a big deal but its another little disappointment, and something i wouldnt think to ask about in a million years so no way i could have known until after purchase. 

[RapidPaul]

Mine is. Was your car brand new or used? You're right though. My wife's Fiat Panda was brand new and only came with one remote key and it does feel like they're taking the wee wee a bit.

The lack of auto close on the windows bugs me too, but I'm sure other similar cars have different cost cutting measures that people only find out about when they get their new car home.

[bealine]

Having said about VW being maybe a bit upmarket, the last VW Polo I had came out of the showroom on second line tyres - "Matadors" they were, and absolute poop!   ("First Line" are  the known brands - Michelin, Dunlop, Goodyear, Uniroyal. Bridgestone, Firestone, Pirelli etc, "Second Line" are made by the same manufacturers after their main run has been completed  Kleber, Semperit, Matador, Courier Steel etc.)

 

The "Matadors" failed almost immediately when the snow fell about six weeks after I got the car and I couldn't get any traction.   Replacing the two on the front immediately with "Goodyear Rain Expert" tyres solved the problem but I was a bit miffed that VW had penny-pinched to that degree.

 

When I bought my Skoda Rapid, I was quite particular in advising that I would reject the car unless it arrived on "first line" tyres - as there are few manufacturers that suit the 1.2 Sport's 17 inch rims, I needn't have worried!

Edited 8 July, 2015 by bealine

[Stormchaser]

I've also got 2 remotes with mine. My Citigo only had 1 remote and 1 normal key.

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[scottalej]

My partner has a 2014 rapid Spaceback with the pano roof, 17" alloys, etc and is delighted with it. She did have a Ford Ka previously though!

 

This coffee cup fits 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005PP9AOW/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=569136327&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B008O0MOAW&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1R3JK6WZYK1HKRJJ77QM

 

The radio goes quiet in reverse.

 

Road noise is unobtrusive with the standard Dunlop tyres.

 

Mudflaps are negotiated as part of the deal if you want them normally.

 

No water in the back doors.

 

I agree that all the latest Skodas are far too expensive and the Rapid Spaceback is probably the worst offender. However there are some brilliant deals out there as we picked ours up for £12k under a year old saving something like £7k on the new price with that spec.

[MickA]

I bought my Toledo after seeing the prices for the new Fabia, which I considered at the time. Specced up to what I have in the Toledo my calculator started to melt.

[bealine]

I think scottalej has nailed it!    The "list prices" are high, but Skoda (and Seat, for that matter) always have a few "Offers" on the go and if you hit on the right offer at the right time you're laughing all the way to the bank!   The Rapid may not have the ultimate most up to date technology, it may be missing a few refinements, but it is a wonderful car for the money!   If "Roger Rapid" behaves as well as he has for the next two years, I won't hesitate in replacing him with another!

MickA is right too.   Across the VAG brands, speccing up cars quickly makes the price prohibitive.   A VW Up/Skoda Citigo/Seat Mii, for example, with a few extras, soon reaches the VW Polo/SkodaFabia/Seat Ibiza price which has the extras as standard and is a bigger, more versatile car.

Edited 8 July, 2015 by bealine

[kladivo]

Had my new 1.2 greentech sport for a month now and generally happy with it. EA111 engine although previous technology is a peach with remarkable MPG and good pulling power. No water yet following thunder storm. Must agree some features missing from the Fabia Elegance spec I was used to, such as one touch window on passenger door etc. Also disappointed to find boot storage items shown in glossy brochure were missing when car delivered, i.e. internal partitions from wheel arch to rear boot lip on both sides, and bag hooks. My dealer was helpful here and identified the 6 item part numbers, ordered them FOC and I now have a place for deicer bottles and the wife's shopping bags etc. If anybody is interested I have kept the part numbers along with those for carpet mats the dealer also obtained for me. Quite why Skoda decided to cut these extremely useful inexpensive items for the UK market is beyond me.

[tamiyaandy]

My Dad has a rapid Spaceback Sport 63 plate 1.6Tdi, And if you like spotting the little differences, the one that gets him is in my VW the grab handles above each door are sprung loaded for soft close, There NOT in the rapid. And his only has one-touch down on the windows, Not one-touch up.

 

BUT to throw one back at VW!...... I really liked the little clear plastic ticket holder in the front screen on my Fabia.... No show in the VW??

 

Silly little things....

[RapidPaul]

Ha! I noticed that with the grab handles. Doesn't bother me at all, but having to keep my finger on the window control is strangely irksome.

[The Plumber]

Our Spaceback reminds me of our Octy I, which was similarly a no frills functional motor and for me that's a bonus. However as many have said RRP is still excessive for such a car, despite some big reductions recently if you compare like for like specs from a year ago.

 

Skoda though are not the only manufacturer to have seen their new car prices rise over recent years and I think some of this is down to the increase in PCP type deals, where buyers are only paying for part of the car. For those like me, who either take out a conventional loan or pay outright, then these rising costs are most noticeable. 

 

We have recently switched our Spaceback to the 'second car' role, as its taken the place of our Fabia II which we P/X'd for a Volvo; a spur of the moment thing. We did last year have an Octy III but I found it developed into a very uncomfortable car to drive, so replaced it quickly with the Spaceback. Some seem to much rate the Octy III over the Rapid but having had both I'd tend to disagree.

 

Compared to all current Skoda's, the Volvo really is a step up in quality and 'simply clever' touches, despite using some Ford and PSA based parts under the skin and now being in Chinese ownership. Also appears a fairly underrated brand in the UK, so you can pick up a nearly new one with the equivalent spec of a high end Superb, for less than the RRP of a number of popular Skoda models, such as the two models compared above. 

 

EDIT; to also add the Rapid is on a modified Polo chassis, the only thing that ties it to the Octy are a small number of Golf IV (Octy I) parts that make up the rear suspension. Having sat in a current Polo the seating position does indeed seem very similar, although the Polo's seat adjustment does not give me space to get comfy, whereas with our Spaceback it does; just.

 

 

TP

[camelspyyder]

I think scottalej has nailed it!    The "list prices" are high, but Skoda (and Seat, for that matter) always have a few "Offers" on the go and if you hit on the right offer at the right time you're laughing all the way to the bank!   The Rapid may not have the ultimate most up to date technology, it may be missing a few refinements, but it is a wonderful car for the money!   If "Roger Rapid" behaves as well as he has for the next two years, I won't hesitate in replacing him with another!

MickA is right too.   Across the VAG brands, speccing up cars quickly makes the price prohibitive.   A VW Up/Skoda Citigo/Seat Mii, for example, with a few extras, soon reaches the VW Polo/SkodaFabia/Seat Ibiza price which has the extras as standard and is a bigger, more versatile car.

With no extras in fact. 3 weeks ago, an Ibiza with satnav, air, bluetooth, media, alloys etc, was 500 quid cheper than a citigo SE with a very sparse feeling interior - bare metal on the inside of a 2015 car - why? Regardless, her ladyship chose the Ibiza.

[Tim1631]

The Rapid/Toledo are horrendous inside. Very cheap indeed. Doesn't feel special at all. Shame really, with a little more money thrown at it would be quite a car

[camelspyyder]

The Rapid/Toledo are horrendous inside. Very cheap indeed. Doesn't feel special at all. Shame really, with a little more money thrown at it would be quite a car

..but it is very cheap.

I just now priced pre-reg 2015 Tdi SE Tech with metallic and toys at £12k.

A bargain in anyone's money. And you cant see bare metal inside it, unlike the citigo, or my dads '73 Marina.

Edited 8 July, 2015 by camelspyyder

[bealine]

The Rapid/Toledo are horrendous inside. Very cheap indeed. Doesn't feel special at all. Shame really, with a little more money thrown at it would be quite a car

 

Again, maybe it's because mine is one of the original limited editions, but the Rapid Sport doesn't seem cheap on the inside.   In fact, I am quite impressed at the use of quality materials and craftsmanship.

Surely it can't just be me?

[camelspyyder]

It's not just you but it's all about perspective.  

I'm very happy with mine for the price I paid.

If I'd waited 9 months more I could have had another grand off easy, but I didn't have a crystal ball.

 

I wouldn't have paid RRP for it in a month of Sundays.

These Toledo's and similar high-spec Rapids sold new or as new for 12k or less, so I can understand why people who paid 15, 16, 17, more? are less satisfied, and prone to comparing it unfavourably with higher quality brands - or even Hyundai's - LOL

Edited 14 July, 2015 by camelspyyder

[Stormchaser]

Inside the Sport isn't that good. No quality materials in sight. Bit of shiny Black plastic and metal pedals which your feet slip off when wet and some rock hard seats. Oh yeah quality [emoji6]

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