Hi,

Would the same quality components be fitted to a Fab as, say, the equivalent VW Polo? This must be true for engines/transmissions etc but does it extend to generic components such as wheel bearings, steering racks, clutches etc?

In other words, is there anything different other than badge, development spend, manufacturing location cost, divisional overheads etc between seat, vw and Skoda cars?

Thanks

Sent from my XT1039

Edited 21 February, 201610 yr by briscaF1

Your Skoda (Fabia) is just the same as an AUDI.  Just the interior is not so good.

 

Volkswagen Group part are just that, VW, Audi, Seat, Audi.

Thanks. This is what I thought as it makes no sense to getting economies of scale otherwise.

I expected the interior and styling to be the key differences and possibly build quality given different construction locations.

Someone was telling me the other day that they'd only buy a VW and not a Skoda or seat because they used crap parts. I said this was most likely cobblers and that the differences would come down to charging extra for snobbery and the other reasons given above.

Thanks for the confirmation.

Sent from my XT1039

For the sense of economics the group VW will fit the same part to it's different group makes, making costs overall lower.

But the point to buy a VW wheel bearing for a POLO with it's own barcode will attract a higher price, than say a SKODA FABIA for the same part.

Yes it boils down to snob value..LOL (my opinion only).. 

The most expensive part of an Audi...

 

 

I was surprised that the new Mercedes C200CDI uses a Renault engine , so , yes it makes perfect sense to share components within the Group.

Check out some New Toyota Diesels,  their engines were supplied by BMW.  

 

 Not sure that is a good thing but then Toyota give a 5 Year Warranty.

For the sense of economics the group VW will fit the same part to it's different group makes, making costs overall lower.

But the point to buy a VW wheel bearing for a POLO with it's own barcode will attract a higher price, than say a SKODA FABIA for the same part.

Yes it boils down to snob value..LOL (my opinion only).. 

 

Well that it is total ********, within the VAG empire, all shared parts have one p/n and one price.

 

It comes down to lot more than snobbery, I bought a B5 VW Passat in 2000, that car was brilliant, not because it was a VW, it was brilliant because it was am old Audi A4 in cheaper clothes, where it counted, the drive train, was all Audi stuff from a year back. I think that I've correctly blamed all the troubles I had with a new 9N Polo to the fact that it was just a Skoda with slightly smarter clothes, the running gear was cheap and nasty.

I have an Audi S4, bought it at just over 2 years old, I think that it is a great car for me, I'm not interested in what other people think, to me its just a well chosen quickish saloon car, I don't like the Audi dealer experience because it revolves around people that have there noses up their bottoms, but I just get on with it and ignore/annoy the front of shop donkeys, the well dressed donkeys!

My wife has a new VW Polo SEL, as I reckoned that was what suited her/our needs, one of my daughter's have a Seat Ibiza - which is aimed at that sort of age of person, Seats are a lot better than they were 15 years ago, trim seems to last a lot longer!

One thing that I have put to the test with VAG products is, you only save money up front if you buy a basic model, for instance, if you set your sights on getting a car with lots of toys/important to you bits, if you priced that up on a new Audi A1, then built up a VW Polo to include them, then built up a SEAT Ibiza to include them, the cheapest option will be the Audi, next the VW and finally the SEAT - all that makes sense as extra cost a fortune in UK ( but not so much elsewhere as I discovered when pricing cars for importing from EU).  The other thing to consider is, if it takes 6 parts to make up a front grill for a Skoda, it tends to take 8 parts to make up the same part for a SEAT, it tends to take 12 parts to make up the same part for a VW and maybe 16 parts for the same part for an Audi, I'm saying that that is good or bad, just an observation. Lots of us on this forum have cars from other VAG marques so no point in making point that if you don't buy a Skoda, you have wasted money and you are a snob, that is just being small minded, we all have a choice where and what we spend our money on.

Well that it is total ********, within the VAG empire, all shared parts have one p/n and one price.

 

It comes down to lot more than snobbery, I bought a B5 VW Passat in 2000, that car was brilliant, not because it was a VW, it was brilliant because it was am old Audi A4 in cheaper clothes, where it counted, the drive train, was all Audi stuff from a year back. I think that I've correctly blamed all the troubles I had with a new 9N Polo to the fact that it was just a Skoda with slightly smarter clothes, the running gear was cheap and nasty.

I have an Audi S4, bought it at just over 2 years old, I think that it is a great car for me, I'm not interested in what other people think, to me its just a well chosen quickish saloon car, I don't like the Audi dealer experience because it revolves around people that have there noses up their bottoms, but I just get on with it and ignore/annoy the front of shop donkeys, the well dressed donkeys!

My wife has a new VW Polo SEL, as I reckoned that was what suited her/our needs, one of my daughter's have a Seat Ibiza - which is aimed at that sort of age of person, Seats are a lot better than they were 15 years ago, trim seems to last a lot longer!

One thing that I have put to the test with VAG products is, you only save money up front if you buy a basic model, for instance, if you set your sights on getting a car with lots of toys/important to you bits, if you priced that up on a new Audi A1, then built up a VW Polo to include them, then built up a SEAT Ibiza to include them, the cheapest option will be the Audi, next the VW and finally the SEAT - all that makes sense as extra cost a fortune in UK ( but not so much elsewhere as I discovered when pricing cars for importing from EU).  The other thing to consider is, if it takes 6 parts to make up a front grill for a Skoda, it tends to take 8 parts to make up the same part for a SEAT, it tends to take 12 parts to make up the same part for a VW and maybe 16 parts for the same part for an Audi, I'm saying that that is good or bad, just an observation. Lots of us on this forum have cars from other VAG marques so no point in making point that if you don't buy a Skoda, you have wasted money and you are a snob, that is just being small minded, we all have a choice where and what we spend our money on.

Sorry to get you all fired-up, but as said, only my opinion...LOL

I would go along with the view that there is significant "snob" value attached to an Audi badge.

 

Next down the hierarchy I would argue are Volkswagen, Skoda and Seat. The Seat name will always be tarnished as a result of its one-time association with Fiat. The  Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche marques are in an entirely different category.

 

Ducatis with their wonderful desmodromic valved engines are of course the ultimate motorcycles  - except when it is wet of course

There are differences to some parts, for example some of the Audi A4 suspension parts are made of aluminium, whereas the Passat parts are powder coated steel. Do they function differently, not really... Do they weigh less, yes marginally. Does it effect the quality of the drive, yes... But very very very very very very Marginally.

On the old B5.5 Passat I had, there was a move by some owners to use the A4 wishbones as they were lighter and therefore 'more track focussed'. A concept I could never get my head around... Why would anyone want to chuck a VW barge around a track, when for the same price an MX-5 or (if including mods) a cater-field or Lotus/VX220 could be had with much greater effect.

There are differences to some parts, for example some of the Audi A4 suspension parts are made of aluminium, whereas the Passat parts are powder coated steel. Do they function differently, not really... Do they weigh less, yes marginally. Does it effect the quality of the drive, yes... But very very very very very very Marginally.

On the old B5.5 Passat I had, there was a move by some owners to use the A4 wishbones as they were lighter and therefore 'more track focussed'. A concept I could never get my head around... Why would anyone want to chuck a VW barge around a track, when for the same price an MX-5 or (if including mods) a cater-field or Lotus/VX220 could be had with much greater effect.

 

I've never noticed any comments about anyone wanting to use the Audi uprights in a Passat, I for one was happy that VW cheapened them as it seemed safer to hammer the long clamping bolts out of a steel upright - I'd be concerned that they were not both the same size!  Some people did seem to spend a lot of money on upgrading the B5 Passats - maybe more in North America than here, including supercharging the 2.8 V6, that Passat 4Motion with the 2.8 V6 was the first car I ever owned where you felt that you were sitting on top of the car as opposed to being a part of it - like I did with my old VX Cav GSI 4X4, got used to it though, good for long motorway treks as there were no corners!

I would go along with the view that there is significant "snob" value attached to an Audi badge.

 

Next down the hierarchy I would argue are Volkswagen, Skoda and Seat. The Seat name will always be tarnished as a result of its one-time association with Fiat. The  Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche marques are in an entirely different category.

 

Ducatis with their wonderful desmodromic valved engines are of course the ultimate motorcycles  - except when it is wet of course

 

I'm sure that there are people with Audis that are snobs, but there will also be snobs that have Skoda making out that they are smarter, the "best" Audi snobs are the ones that bought an Audi that has a VW engine in it. I have an S4, it is only an S4 which is top model in the A4 line up - an RS4 is an entirely different beast for an entirely different use, unless you are a rich or lucky wrinkly which seems to be mainly who drives them (now I'm being jealous!). Other successful car snobs are the ones that own small BMWs or small M-Bs, ie they have the badge to boast about but not a proper car attached to that badge.

Audis are very predicable in telly series, if it is painted black, then it is being driven by baddies!  My Audi S4 is deep sea blue, which when it is not sunny, looks too close to being black!

I would go along with the view that there is significant "snob" value attached to an Audi badge.

 

Next down the hierarchy I would argue are Volkswagen, Skoda and Seat. The Seat name will always be tarnished as a result of its one-time association with Fiat. The  Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche marques are in an entirely different category.

 

Ducatis with their wonderful desmodromic valved engines are of course the ultimate motorcycles  - except when it is wet of course

 

Not really. They're 'ultimate' in some ways perhaps, but defo not others. They still have stupidly expensive servicing and really aren't reliable enough for somebody who rides alot, even the new ones. 

 

My mates 12 plate Multistrada wouldn't start twice on a Europe trip. It had got less than 15k on it at the time. Thats really not unusual. The dash is stupidly complicated.. it isnt built half as well as the price suggests, and the 17k service is £800 (which he got cheap, apparently). However, get it on an open road and the 150bhp V-twin out of its lumpy bottom end, and its absolutely fantastic to ride. 

 

They're sort of in the exotics like a Lambo, but they certainly arent 'ultimate' in some respects. 

 

I could go on, but most on here wont be interested in bikes. I'm just abit too keen on them myself!

Edited 22 February, 201610 yr by fabiamk2SE

Your Skoda (Fabia) is just the same as an AUDI.  Just the interior is not so good.

 

Volkswagen Group part are just that, VW, Audi, Seat, Audi.

 

I tried telling my colleagues that the Skoda is just a cheaper VW Golf, they didn't take too kindly to that  But hey their loss, not mine!

Edited 25 February, 201610 yr by skodanooob

Well my 2011 fabia has Audi front and rear calipers and discs, Audi hockey puck jacking points, VW polo gti rear towing eye cover and if I'm lucky an Ibiza fr leather interior shortly

Oh and I use VW quantum oil as skoda dealers here sell castrol edge which is way to expensive

Edited 25 February, 201610 yr by joedemp

VW Polo GTI 6R rear eye cover, I got them and fitted them to daughter's Ibiza and wife's Polo, but I now wonder if that was a good idea, it might end up storing salty water in winter, which is not handy rust wise, certainly 6R Polo were all fitted with them 6R 6C Polo did not get them, I seem to remember that the Fabia Monte Carlo on display at Prague airport had one fitted.

VW Polo GTI 6R rear eye cover, I got them and fitted them to daughter's Ibiza and wife's Polo, but I now wonder if that was a good idea, it might end up storing salty water in winter, which is not handy rust wise, certainly 6R Polo were all fitted with them 6R 6C Polo did not get them, I seem to remember that the Fabia Monte Carlo on display at Prague airport had one fitted.

Well guess my procedure of washing every two weeks pays off

Well guess my procedure of washing every two weeks pays off

 

I wish I could do that - no Gulfstream influence over my side plus being quite high above sea level means long periods of frost, which makes the water freeze a bit!