7 weeks of ownership - not for me

[oasisphonic]

Well, after 7 weeks of owning an MY15 Skoda VRS, and 12 weeks waiting for it to be built, my experience of Skoda is over, and unfortunately all i can say is thank god. Traded in at Audi, wish i had just gone to them in the first place.

 

Have posted my issues on several other topics but in summary the key contributors to my horrific experience of the brand are as follows, 

 

• My original dealer i brought the car from (Autosales - Burntwood Cannock), lied to me, and said there were no imminent spec changes at the time of ordering, and then my car got built the week before the MY16 changeover. They denied this change was happening whilst i still had time to change the spec of my car and then admitted it afterwards but dismissed it as important. 
•  
• From the  day i brought it i suffered from the pressure build up in the cabin and the low frequency boom, as posted elsewhere my first dealer had the car twice and refused to acknowledge the problem.   
•  
• The second dealer i took it to, (Trust Group - Wolverhampton) could not of been more helpful, they acknowledged the problem straight away and said the car was faulty as delivered. They had one attempt at fixing it based on advice from the Technical department, and were happy to have more attempts, and were waiting on parts in September.  

But i decided i had had enough over the 4.5 months i had been dealing with Skoda. id either been lied to, or misled, and then been delivered a faulty car, and then told a problem didn't exist when it did. 

 

Apart from the boom and cabin pressure issues, the ride was ridiculously hard, even for a sports model, the noise in the cabin was very intrusive, on some roads you could not hold a conversation with a passenger it was so poor and the standard stereo was horrible to listen to. 

 

I had other issues with a faulty tyre pressure indicator system and the amundsen system just deleted all my settings one day for no reason.

 

Im sure there are plenty of Skoda Octavia VRS owners who are delighted with their car and good luck to you, I am glad your experience was worlds away from mine. But as my old Granddad used to say, you should only speak as you find, and what i found with Skoda was a brand best kept well away from.

 

I would like to thank all the Briskodians who have offered advice to me over the few short months i have been on the forum. 

 

[Sarge]

It's always regrettable to see people leave the fold because of bad experiences but it's nevertheless understandable. Hopefully Audi will serve you better.

[neiln]

Yes I hope you can come back in another 4.5 months with happy tales to tell of your new car, sorry the Octy didn't suit.

[Tim1631]

You should of test driven it and checked the ride. You are getting rid of it as you haven't got the updated MY16, tyre monitor problem and sat Nav prolem. Your better off with an Audi as they never have any problems do they?

Bye

[vrskeith]

Well, after 7 weeks of owning an MY15 Skoda VRS, and 12 weeks waiting for it to be built, my experience of Skoda is over, and unfortunately all i can say is thank god. Traded in at Audi, wish i had just gone to them in the first place.

 

Have posted my issues on several other topics but in summary the key contributors to my horrific experience of the brand are as follows, 

 

• My original dealer i brought the car from (Autosales - Burntwood Cannock), lied to me, and said there were no imminent spec changes at the time of ordering, and then my car got built the week before the MY16 changeover. They denied this change was happening whilst i still had time to change the spec of my car and then admitted it afterwards but dismissed it as important. 
•  
• From the  day i brought it i suffered from the pressure build up in the cabin and the low frequency boom, as posted elsewhere my first dealer had the car twice and refused to acknowledge the problem.   
•  
• The second dealer i took it to, (Trust Group - Wolverhampton) could not of been more helpful, they acknowledged the problem straight away and said the car was faulty as delivered. They had one attempt at fixing it based on advice from the Technical department, and were happy to have more attempts, and were waiting on parts in September.  

But i decided i had had enough over the 4.5 months i had been dealing with Skoda. id either been lied to, or misled, and then been delivered a faulty car, and then told a problem didn't exist when it did. 

 

Apart from the boom and cabin pressure issues, the ride was ridiculously hard, even for a sports model, the noise in the cabin was very intrusive, on some roads you could not hold a conversation with a passenger it was so poor and the standard stereo was horrible to listen to. 

 

I had other issues with a faulty tyre pressure indicator system and the amundsen system just deleted all my settings one day for no reason.

 

Im sure there are plenty of Skoda Octavia VRS owners who are delighted with their car and good luck to you, I am glad your experience was worlds away from mine. But as my old Granddad used to say, you should only speak as you find, and what i found with Skoda was a brand best kept well away from.

 

I would like to thank all the Briskodians who have offered advice to me over the few short months i have been on the forum. 

So what Audi replaces it?

[seve88]

must have cost you a few bob selling a new car so soon after buying it.

hope you've taken the audi for a good test drive

 

don't wanna make the same mistake again

[pipsyp]

No disrespect but you can have not so good experiences with cars no matter the marque. My Dad and Father In Law have had numerous Audis in recent years and all bar one have had their share of problems from electrical gremlins, engine problems to heavy oil use.

I think you have to be a little honest with yourself......once you come to know VAG group (and youve owned a few) week 22 and 44 (in other words model year and half model year) changes become de rigeur.....unless I was buying an ex demo or new stock vehicle I now would not factory order something unless it had scope to be a post wk22 or 44 car given the choice.....but often the changes are few and far between. Yes its nice to get the new infotainment but in truth its not revolutionary and if anything a late MIB1 unit will probably prove more robust than an early MIB2 in terms of functionality anyway.

The ride and road noise points should have become fairly obvious on a reasonable test drive....i took a car without sports suspension this time.....also was previously in a Mk2 vRS which if anything was noisier than the Mk3 so I found it fine.....but from an engine and wind noise perspective the Mk3 is notably noisier than the Mk7 Golf GTD I have recently added to the fold.

The pressure issue is rather a shame but Id wager the dealer would have resolved. I give you the standard audio is nothing to write home about.

TPMS can false alarm and not necessarily an indication of a fault with the system (its passive rather than active after all), I cant comment on the Amundsen issue really but can say the MIB1 infotainment without its minor quirks and would be surprised if it were a one off...or perhaps did you open and use the car with the 2nd key (as it does have car key memory for settings)?

Just a point of view but I think its one of two things......you perhaps didnt research the car enough...didnt really like it having run it for a while and have looked for excuses to move it on, or youre just not overly tolerant of early life issues cars can experience and are perhaps being a little hard on your vRS and Skoda in general. Its a free world and who is to say otherwise but from what you have described they are not usually things you would sell a car for unless you just didnt really like the car.

If you think your car might be a bit of a lemon you should see the far worse experience some other briskies have had, but then people do have bad experiences with VW, Audi....none of the german marques are without their issues nowadays.

Also.....12 weeks is v good wait time....not so long back you'd have been waiting 6-8 months for one....Id wager then you'd have been v disappointed indeed :-)

Best of luck with the Audi though, hope it suits you better and you dont find any fault with it early on...fingers crossed!

[M12MKD]

Good luck but have to agree with the above. Sounds like you just wanted to move on. I've had far worse cars with real issues that I'm sure would make you cry!

Good luck with Audi and I hope your dealer is better than my local one. My mate would touch them with a barge pole.....though the Audi has been fine apart from one major failure with the climate system.

[iamdave]

im 40 years old, remember the estelle days and never thought i would ever own a Skoda, had a VRS Estate less than a week and couldn't be happier, skoda stigma has well and truly gone and love it.  Had a long line of Audis in past - never had an issue with them or this, enjoy the Audi

[morty]

Why would you buy a VRS and not expect the ride to be very hard ? If you wanted a smoother ride you should've gone for a L&K or SE ?

I find my VRS very comfy for a sports model to be honest.

Good luck with the Audi you will need it with their dealer network reputation!!

[Neily03]

I honestly don't understand how anyone can think the ride in a vRS is hard, it's just right....... Anything softer would be like driving around in a marshmallow....

[jbyrnes82]

Each to their own, I tried an Audi when my first mk3 was written off and wasn't overly impressed, felt for my money was just getting a badge as the spec couldn't match the vrs at the time and the car overall wasn't so significantly better to justify the leap in cost. A decision I am 1000% happy with I am lucky to have a really good dealer relationship and I am very happy and was very happy with the three beforehand.

Shame there have been issues and a poor dealer has let the brand down, however as Skoda came out top in one of the recent consumer surveys they must be one of the the bad apples in the cart.

Wish you well in your new car and hope not to see you tailgating me or otherwise driving like a buffoon because your slighted that I dared overtake your Audi in my Skoda, as I seem to get as I travel the country.

[seve88]

Before you bought your new audi, did you take the aptitude test  that all good audi dealerships give to potential customers ?
not all dealerships provide it though  :no:

 

 

Do You Have What It Takes To Drive an audi ?

AN AUDI is a special kind of car, and it takes a special type of person to drive one. We have therefore devised an aptitude test to identify those of the required calibre.

Answer these simple questions to find out if you've got what it takes to drive a common German repmobile with questionable styling:

1. Your AUDI is equipped with four orange flashing lights, one at each corner. What should you use them for?

A: To indicate my intention to turn at an approaching junction
B: Nothing: they are entirely decorative, and have no practical purpose
C: To enable me to park wherever and whenever I choose, regardless of disruption to other users of the footpath.

2. When might you use a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving your AUDI?

A: Never, as it is inconsiderate to other road users.
B: Strictly in emergency situations only
C: All of the time: I need to keep calling people up to remind them how great I am.

3. You are doing 100 miles an hour in the outside lane of the motorway, when you come up behind another car. What do you do?

A: Slow down to a safer speed, and pull into the lane to my left
B: Ease off just a little to keep a safe distance between the other car and mine
C: Drive right up to the car's bumper and keep flashing my lights until the idiot gets out of my way.

4. Which of these best describes the kind of work that you do?

A: Caring for other people
B: Making something of practical use
C: Selling houses or drugs at a big profit

5. Your latest sales bonus / drug deal leaves you with an extra couple of thousand pounds to spend on your new AUDI. What features might you add to its specification?

A: A full leather interior for comfort and durability
B: Satellite navigation to help me get to important meetings on time
C: A set of enormous alloy wheels that make the car look like a giant Tonka toy.

6. You drive your grandmother to the supermarket to do your shopping for you. Where do you park your AUDI?

A: In a standard parking space, with all the ordinary cars
B: Parking spaces? I've got those orange lights, remember!
C: Supermarket? The old bat can take the bus and like it.

7. Because of a poorly-designed bend in the road, your AUDI mounts a kerb, causing you to run into a group of schoolchildren, and almost drop your mobile phone. Your first words after the accident are most likely to be:

A: "I am so sorry, it's all my fault!"   B: "Stay calm everyone, I'll call an ambulance."   C: "I'll have to call you back, mate, some stupid kids have … Oh, my God! Look at the state of my car; I paid more than 25 grand for this, you know!"

8. Somebody says that you have such an ego that you think any criticism of you or your AUDI can only be motivated by envy. What do you do?

A: Give consideration to what they say; maybe they have a point
B: Have a reasoned discussion to try and change their point of view
C: Ignore them: they are obviously jealous.

Scoring
For each question that you answered ‘A' give yourself 0 points
For each question that you answered ‘B' give yourself 0 points
For each question that you answered ‘C' give yourself 10 points

Your Total
0 to 30 points: Get back to your skoda octavia
40 to 50 points: Keep dreaming, or change jobs to something that involves no morals or scruples, then try again - one day you may get there and experience the full joy of AUDI ownership!
60 to 70 points: Welcome to the world of AUDI! You need never let anyone out of a junction ever again.
80 points: You take smugness to a new level, and you have no mates. Well done! You qualify to drive that most AUDI of all AUDIs, the R8.
More than 80 points: Not only are you smug and friendless, but you tell fibs too.
Brilliant! You have landed yourself a plum job on our sales team, where you can talk about yourself to other AUDI drivers all day every day. Congratulations, it's no less than you deserve!     

 

 

[V6Jules]

I honestly don't understand how anyone can think the ride in a vRS is hard, it's just right....... Anything softer would be like driving around in a marshmallow....

This

Unless the transport blocks are left in...

[te@lc]

I just ended my 15 y.o. story with Audi.

No particular bad reasons, but one above the others: The technology, know-how and quality is not even close to the price tag today.

Maybe a decade ago, in my opinion driving Audi was a different experience: There were Audi, BMW, Mercedes and simply 'other cars'.

 

When I bought a new car, common sense was stronger than a heart: I bought well equipped Skoda Octavia vRS over socially equipped Audi A4. According to the space available in Skoda I'm keen, finishing quality so-so, but I will judge the rest after year or so...

In today's mass production and so called 'consumer society', all cars are prone to mistakes. Not far away from me, there WAS an Audi which spent more time in workshop than on road. Eitherway, I'm not saying it's a bad brand!

 

I hope that I won't regret this... good luck anyway!

[Dr Zoidberg]

This

Unless the transport blocks are left in...

This!

[XK140]

No need to write a lot here.In general terms  Audis are better than Skodas...because they cost a lot more.

As a guess without research I'd say to get an A4 spec'd up to a similar level to a vRS is going to cost an extra £10k...so I'll take the Skoda,thank you. 

[Neily03]

Audis are better than Skodas...because they cost a lot more.

 

:D There's no logic in that statment at all

[Bristolf2b]

I bought a new 2005 Audi A3 Sportback s-line. I had sold it within 4 months because the ride was so horrendous...

I lost a lot of money, all because I had test driven an SE and was happy with it but was persuaded to take the 'great deal' they had on an incoming cancelled order. Never again will I buy a car without an extended test drive.

Edited 11 August, 2015 by Bristolf2b

[Warkman]

By the sounds of it, you were unhappy from day one as you were annoyed to get a 15MY car instead of a 16MY. Looks like ownership was doomed from then on

I can say after 7 weeks if my 16MY SE-L I'm very happy!

[GoneToBeemer]

Sounds like it...although I'm quite glad I got a MY15 L&K as I prefer the wheels ha! Drove it for 100 or so miles the day I got it, and I absolutely love it. Did get the burning DPF smell, but not concerned by that at all. I'm happy to be a Skoda driver again!!

[Rutty555]

Never had an Audi. I have a spanking new VRS my16. I cannot for one minute believe there is a better car around. SIMPLES.

I hired an audi A3 once. Was PAP. Once being the main denominator in that sentence.

Just had a Merc on hire. That was PAP.

Just saying...

[GoneToBeemer]

Rutty which Merc did you have? I test drove the new C220d Sport, and it was a beautiful car inside and out, but it was SO noisy! It sounded like a van accelerating!!

[Rutty555]

I had the 180 Diesel. The one thats a bit like the bmw 1series. Two exhauts at the back?! Sorry so vague, was just what was given me, seen the pipes and seats and thought mmmm this is sporty ish..

Was horrid. Horrid, horrid horrid. Dont no were to start: 500 miles on it, rattles everywhere, engine was like a tractor, auto box was shocking, steering was a big difference from vrs. Vrs is ace. Visability was poor, all round. Lights were pooor. I could not get my left foot comfy, i no they are different cars, and the octy has more space and im 6'2 but still, im including it. The infotainment centre was poor, hard to use. And just poor. Heating/aircon was complicated and poor..The cockpit, seats aside looked cheap..

I said earlier i would have 7/8 hire cars a year for 4 days at a time, and when i used to get back to Belfast airport and get in my 1.9tdi octy the seats always let me down after getting out of hire cars, audi's beemers insignias etc.

NOT this time. It was a pure joy getting back into my vrs. The dash is quality, the seats are sublime, the position your in is perfect, the controls are easy and straight forward, were they should be. Nothing in the vrs cockpit looks or feels cheap.

All of course in my opinion.

Ps: i know there is a popular belief that the vrs tdi is not a fast car, or a sports car blah blah blah, but it gets down the road for me fast enough, and sounds better than alot especially the merc diesel.

The cars i drive, hire, own, could own, have ever drove, would be all around 25k the best prob was 10k more (hire) and obviously loads that were bangers.

The VRS is hands down the best car I've ever been in, drove.

Thats all i can say.

Edited 11 August, 2015 by Rutty555

[GoneToBeemer]

Ah I think you must have had the A-Class if it was equivalent to the 1-Series.

I must say, that apart from the noise, the C-class was a beautiful car, but far too expensive, and I have more toys on my L&K!

I loved my mk2 FL vRS, but just fancied something a bit different this time, with plenty of bells and whistles.

I've only driven the 184 version of the VAG Diesel engine in the new Golf GTD, and I thought it was plenty quick - even my 150 coupled with the DSG box has good mid-range poke, and probably all the power you really need. Can't see how someone could call the vRS slow! Again, comparable car - my mate has a 320d with 8 speed auto, and that shifts plenty!

Enjoy your vRS - as a whole I think Skodas are great cars, hence I'm returning to the marque after having a couple of company cars...a new 1-series (very good apart from being a bit small) and the new Mazda 6, that apart from being very quiet on a motorway cruise, is one of the worst built, most irritating cars I've ever owned!! Just goes to show, no matter what car you own, there's always going to be differing opinions, and cars that are full of gremlins!