I came from an Octy III to a Spaceback with Sportpack, the Rapids sport seats are far better (for me) than the square iron padded things in the Octy, which don't even line up properly with the foot pedals; hence why I got rid after 6 months, my chassis couldn't take any more distortion.

 

 

TP

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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You paid extra for those Sports metal pedals.  And the really-easy-to-scuff Rays. And the Sports seats.  Should have chosen a different spec.

 

The SE connect was over 2k cheaper, had alloys, metallic, Amundsen, Park assist, but none of the bits you don't like.

Edited 15 July, 201510 yr by camelspyyder

..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.

Hang on.  Your Dad has a 73 Marina and Top Gear haven't dropped a piano on it?  How strange.

When you take into account the recent price cut and the new engines and refreshed trim levels (SE Tech/SE Sport), I think Skoda UK have finally got the positioning of Rapid/Rapid Spaceback about right. Interior-wise, I agree that Skoda could do better. I'm not losing any sleep over the lack of dampening on the grab handles (never use 'em), but the hard plastics and the lack of some kind of fabric inlay in the doors are the kind of things that get picked on in the press and could put potential purchasers off. Even my wife's Panda has cheerful-looking fabric inlays in the doors, although they'll inevitably get grubby. By way of contrast, the leather trim on the Skoda's steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake feel quite premium.

 

I quite fancy another Spaceback when the finance is finished on mine - maybe SE Tech next time. My worry is that unless sales pick up, there won't be much choice when it comes to 1 year old cars.

Edited 15 July, 201510 yr by RapidPaul

Hang on.  Your Dad has a 73 Marina and Top Gear haven't dropped a piano on it?  How strange.

 

No he doesn't, he traded it for another shiny new Marina in '77.  Which I crashed twice in '81.  Once into a bin lorry.  But they wouldn't take it.

TBH I'm still chuckling at a Citigo owner saying the Rapid interior is cheap.  At least it's got one.  

 

We drove a brand new Citigo SE the other week - I thought it had been stripped out to save weight for racing 

Edited 15 July, 201510 yr by camelspyyder

You paid extra for those Sports metal pedals. And the really-easy-to-scuff Rays. And the Sports seats. Should have chosen a different spec.

The SE connect was over 2k cheaper, had alloys, metallic, Amundsen, Park assist, but none of the bits you don't like.

I actually wanted the SE Connect they had in the showroom. The guy said it was more expensive on PCP than the Sport. Now that doesn't seem right to me. It was far better looking too in Silver.

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I actually wanted the SE Connect they had in the showroom. The guy said it was more expensive on PCP than the Sport. Now that doesn't seem right to me. It was far better looking too in Silver.

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If it was around the same time I bought mine, then the salesman was right.   Skoda had an "Offer" on the Sport which, from memory was £149 deposit and £149 a month (based on 5000 miles over 42 months on a 0% APR deal) and included 3 years' servicing.   The "SE Connect", although the same list price, was £179 deposit and £179 a month (again 5000 miles over 42 months with an APR of 7.9%).

Whilst it may not appear to make sense, from a marketing perspective Skoda probably felt the SE Connect would appeal more to the business user, whereas it was the Sport models that needed shifting.

 

 

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

 

I can't agree with you at all on that point.   Unless you're going for the Bentley/Aston Martin polished walnut finish, a bit of shiny black plastic is quite acceptable.   The hard plastic dash (which marks and scuffs easily) is common across the VAG range - even on the top-notch Audi R8's - so that argument is rather lame.   The metal pedals are no slippery than rubberised ones - I've never slipped on 'em yet.

Any more claims of poor quality?

I thought the SE Connect was a really appealing buy for anyone at £12999 OTR? It was a lot cheaper than the standard SE and came with 16" alloys, metallic, Amundsen & Park assist.

 

Unfortunately for the Skoda salesman, the Toledo SE at the same price had all that except metallic but also 17" alloys, 105TSi, 6 Speed, Climatronic, MFSW etc so it won hands down.  

 

It also still leaves me wondering why people were paying 15k for the Sport which had very little kit included, apart from 17's and nice seats, when the Toledo or Connect were so much better equipped.

 

Sounds like the Connect was an easier sell, so the PCP adjustment was made to push the lesser value Sport out of the door.

Edited 15 July, 201510 yr by camelspyyder

If it was around the same time I bought mine, then the salesman was right. Skoda had an "Offer" on the Sport which, from memory was £149 deposit and £149 a month (based on 5000 miles over 42 months on a 0% APR deal) and included 3 years' servicing. The "SE Connect", although the same list price, was £179 deposit and £179 a month (again 5000 miles over 42 months with an APR of 7.9%).

Whilst it may not appear to make sense, from a marketing perspective Skoda probably felt the SE Connect would appeal more to the business user, whereas it was the Sport models that needed shifting.

I can't agree with you at all on that point. Unless you're going for the Bentley/Aston Martin polished walnut finish, a bit of shiny black plastic is quite acceptable. The hard plastic dash (which marks and scuffs easily) is common across the VAG range - even on the top-notch Audi R8's - so that argument is rather lame. The metal pedals are no slippery than rubberised ones - I've never slipped on 'em yet.

Any more claims of poor quality?

Not lame at all thanks.

Compared to my MK2 Octavia this Rapid is cheap tacky plastic with no quality about it.

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Not lame at all thanks.

Compared to my MK2 Octavia this Rapid is cheap tacky plastic with no quality about it.

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Each to his own, I guess.   I love my Rapid.   I'm afraid I didn't care for the styling of any of the Skoda range before the current editions of Superb, Octavia and Rapid - found them rather bland and boring to be honest, the only exception being my neighbour's tasty VRS in a beautiful electric blue colour.

 

That's why we all choose cars differently, I suppose - otherwise it would be a boring old world if we only liked one car!

Edited 16 July, 201510 yr by bealine

Yes bland is the word as is every VAG product.

The colour is Race Blue Metallic.

My Crapid is that colour too.

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I can't agree with you at all on that point.   Unless you're going for the Bentley/Aston Martin polished walnut finish, a bit of shiny black plastic is quite acceptable.   The hard plastic dash (which marks and scuffs easily) is common across the VAG range - even on the top-notch Audi R8's - so that argument is rather lame.   The metal pedals are no slippery than rubberised ones - I've never slipped on 'em yet.

Any more claims of poor quality?

Here's a few:

Poor quality seats (I've already had my drivers seat covering replaced once after 7,000 miles, and it needs doing again at 20,000 miles due to poor quality materials)

Unreliable iPod MDI interface that constantly crashes due to software bugs in the interface, rather than with the iOS device

Build flaws with rear door water retention (both the issue with the seals and the slapdash application of Waxoyl that also blocks the drain holes on some cars)

Power steering leaks from the steering column

Poor quality plastics on the door cards that scratch at the slightest touch

Rear seats that don't fold down properly

B pillars that rattle

Weak and unsecured rear window electrical contacts that fall out of their sockets over time causing the rear window heater element to fail

Slippery pedals (and mine are rubber)

Many of us are more realistic about what the car is having now lived with it for a while, a low-budget parts-bin special with average build-quality and many questionable design and materials decisions.

It may well be mechanically reliable (mine has been so far), it may well last a long time (I hope it does), but it's far from perfect. It's cheap and the interior looks it (hence some of the facelift changes to the interior to try and smarten it up like the front seat valances). Many design elements were not thought through. Luckily, many of us bought at a discount, bringing the cost of the car down to what it's actually worth, rather than the laughable sticker price.

It is what it is.

Here's a few:

Poor quality seats (I've already had my drivers seat covering replaced once after 7,000 miles, and it needs doing again at 20,000 miles due to poor quality materials)

Unreliable iPod MDI interface that constantly crashes due to software bugs in the interface, rather than with the iOS device

Build flaws with rear door water retention (both the issue with the seals and the slapdash application of Waxoyl that also blocks the drain holes on some cars)

Power steering leaks from the steering column

Poor quality plastics on the door cards that scratch at the slightest touch

Rear seats that don't fold down properly

B pillars that rattle

Weak and unsecured rear window electrical contacts that fall out of their sockets over time causing the rear window heater element to fail

Slippery pedals (and mine are rubber)

Many of us are more realistic about what the car is having now lived with it for a while, a low-budget parts-bin special with average build-quality and many questionable design and materials decisions.

It may well be mechanically reliable (mine has been so far), it may well last a long time (I hope it does), but it's far from perfect. It's cheap and the interior looks it (hence some of the facelift changes to the interior to try and smarten it up like the front seat valances). Many design elements were not thought through. Luckily, many of us bought at a discount, bringing the cost of the car down to what it's actually worth, rather than the laughable sticker price.

It is what it is.

 

I can't grumble about mine.   The easily marked plastic trims whether on the dash or door panels are, unfortunately, a hallmark of V.A.G. - even the top-end Audis use that horrible easily marked, easily cracked, easily chipped plastic!

Maybe it's because I grew up in the 1960's when even to have a heater on many cars was a optional extra that I don't find fault so easily - either that, or it's because I just love the car to bits.   Maybe I'm just lucky in getting a well put together car at a decent PCP rate!

Stormchaser = Crapid

Oh yes. Spot on [emoji106]

Hmm now to re badge it [emoji6]

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Is the Citigo badge the same font?

 

Quick cut and paste and you've got CRapid...

Not lame at all thanks.

Compared to my MK2 Octavia this Rapid is cheap tacky plastic with no quality about it.

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You must have noticed that the quality wasn't so good when you test drove it?

 

 

All cars have downsides, but the Rapid is aimed at the market that can't stretch to the more expensive Octavia 3

I didn't test drive this one as it hadn't been built. Some of the same range are good and some are bad. I drove a 2 year old Elegance which was nice.

I didn't want a MK3 Octy as it won't fit in my garage. It's bigger than my MK2 was.

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I still maintain that overall the rapid is a good car, i must admit if I payed over £9500 I might have different thoughts on it but at less than 10k I got a year old car with a huge boot (a tick for me as my family size has grown and more so recently!), miles better fuel economy than my previous 1.6fsi mk5 golf and many of the features the SE spec golf had (remote central locking, climate control, cruise control, alloys wheels and fog lights).

As far as issues I've had doors full of water, squeaky door seals and a noise from the seat belt plastic but from reading this website these are common place in mk2 Octavia and other cars. And the build quality, well they had to make it lighter to get the fuel economy - after all you can't have your cake and eat it!

For the money I couldn't find another car that was better value. I think we need to be realistic in our view points, every manufacture has it bad build days!

Make it lighter for fuel economy. They should stick a much better fuel efficient engine in it in the first place (excl diesel).

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I have had both a Seat Toledo (S Spec) and Skoda Rapid SE Connect in the last 3 years each with the 84bhp TSI engine  and have found both to be admirable considering the price I paid for them.I had the swimming bath in the door syndrome with the Toledo but this was easily cured by moving the door seals.Apart from that I have have had no problems with either.I am one of those strange people who change cars every 18 months on average and have had about 30 in my lifetime ( you can guess my age!!).I have had Fords,Vauxhalls,Fiats,Citreons,Nissans,Suzukis,Dahaitsus,Peroduas and no doubt some I have forgotten as well as the Seat and Skoda.I can honestly state that the Toledo and Rapid are as good as any I have owned and,because of this,I have just ordered a Seat Toledo Style Advanced which has all the bells and whistles.This is a factory order with the 108bhp 16 valve TSI engine that meets EU6 standard but I still managed to get a substantial discount.The only reason for choosing the Toledo over the Rapid is that they are just better value in my experience.Since I had my first car in the late 60s ,when you were happy if they actually started,perhaps I am easily satisfied but I have found the Rapid/Toledo to be comfortable,powerful,safe,excellent value and a pleasure to drive!

 

Strange how the Seat suffers with back doors filling with water too.

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Strange how the Seat suffers with back doors filling with water too.

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It's made out of the same parts, by the same Czechs, on the same production line.  Why the surprise?

Edited 20 July, 201510 yr by camelspyyder

Strange how the Seat suffers with back doors filling with water too.

 

 

They roll off the same Skoda production line so I don't think they can really be thought of as a SEAT at all - it's little more than a re-badge.  Which for me was a positive, the Driver Power customer satisfaction survey 2015 shows Skoda at No. 3 (behind Lexus and Jaguar) with SEAT in 15th position (although only a faction of 1% behind BMW in 14th). Although I think your mileage will vary on this Stormchaser - in a very literal sense of that phrase!