The 220ps experiences, questions & answers thread

[Prykey]

2 hours ago, penguin17 said:

If I didn't have to worry about doing 25K a year then I wouldn't even give it a second thought.  Hopefully by the time I'm ready for a new car I won't be doing as many miles.  Going to go for a full fat petrol next, for sure! 

 

Did you get your car from Trans City?  Warren and Terry sold me my first Skoda, Mk2 Octy vRS.  Watching them get it down from the top floor showroom was like a game of Tetris

 

Yes mate, Warren is always ready to do a deal, this is my 4th Skoda from him

[freelunch]

I wondered why the chrome strip on the rear bumper when they went to the trouble to black the grill on the front? In fact, speaking of different strokes, I was thinking about replacing the blacked out grill with the Superb one with chrome strips. Well, I was until I went on the superskoda site and saw they want €180. 

 

I grew up in California, the land of custom cars. Every car I've owned, I've done a little something to make it mine. I bought aftermarket rims for the Brera (you should have heard the fuss on AlfaOwner.com). Maybe the grill is the thing I have to do...

[pilkers]

Hi niceaneasy,

I am now 3000 miles in.  I am still deeply in love with my car.  It is easily the best car I have ever owned.  I am still looking for the downside and hopefully wont find it.  I have one very minor problem which is a noisy air conditioning fan, although it does get quieter when the inside reaches the selected temperature.  It is not intrusive, and with the sound system on I don't hear it.  SWMBO hears it more than me.  I will get it fixed at the first service.  The comfort and build quality are second to none.  The few privileged people who I have allowed to ride in it are all impressed and love it.

 

Rainmaker.  It certainly lived up to your pre delivery hype.  I thought you were exaggerating, but I think you undersold it.

 

Regards

 

Pilkers

 

 

[100andthirty]

I am <1000 miles in and still learning, but agree with all that everyone has said about how great the car is. I am still shocked at what happens if I firmly press the "loud" pedal! It's beautifully built. I've done three 150 mile round trips with indicated consumption of 35, 37 and 40 mpg respectively  in only 700 miles, so I reckon it might end up being more economical than my old 1.8TSi.

 

A couple of small points:

1) I was surprised to see that the bottoms of the doors seem to have add-on pieces

2) DAB radio seems a little temperamental - either it manages to go silent on it's own - solved by flicking to the next channel and back - and today it lost all settings, icons and reception only for it all to come back a little later.

[pilkers]

Sorry niceasmay for getting your name wrong!

[freelunch]

I took the Sportline out for a ride on Friday to use the sat/nav for the first time. I wanted to go to The Spotted Dog in Penshurst, near Tonbridge. Using the postcode only got me to Tonbridge. Using the pub name was less useful. I settled for Penshurst Station.

 

I asked for the economical route, just because it looked like a more interesting ride. Well, it was... I didn't think in the first week of owning the largest car I've driven in the UK that I would be on so many single track roads! Also, when you are using these roads, that are mainly used by drivers with local knowledge, you had better be prepared to have your mirrors filled with cars that want to go faster than you.

 

The bottom line is, I am really impressed with the way the adaptive suspension and manual shifting cope with rugged terrain! I have never hit so many potholes and had a car maintain its composure so well. Well done, Skoda and VW.

 

When I got to Penshurst, I stopped and got my phone out. Google maps found the Spotted Dog and I followed that with the phone nestled in my lap. I have to figure out how to hook the phone up to the Columbus infotainment system (I have downloaded Android Auto). I did receive a hands-free phone call (very nice, very easy) but I don't know if I have to hook up to the system via Aux to make Google maps perform through the system?

 

All in all, a very nice day out. Today, I spent an hour washing the muck off the car. I will still have to visit a hand car wash to get someone to spray inside the wheel arches. I couldn't believe how much of Kent I brought home with me.

 

City boy.

[Twelvebears]

My last two Superbs have both been TDIs, because I was doing 20k+ commuting miles, but now I work from home more than the office, I'm 90%+ sure I will take a 220 TSI when I change towards the end of this year.

 

It just sounds like more of a fun, refined car, but also one which is also capable of decent mpg if treated gently on a long run.

[Twelvebears]

My last two Superbs have both been TDIs, because I was doing 20k+ commuting miles, but now I work from home more than the office, I'm 90%+ sure I will take a 220 TSI when I change towards the end of this year.

 

It just sounds like more of a fun, refined car, but also one which is also capable of decent mpg if treated gently on a long run.

 

My quandary for the next few months is what colour to go for. Love black but shows the dirt too easily. Have and like silver but would like a change. At the moment, Corrida Red and Petrol Blue are on my possibles list.

[Gizmo]

9 minutes ago, Twelvebears said:

My quandary for the next few months is what colour to go for. Love black but shows the dirt too easily. Have and like silver but would like a change. At the moment, Corrida Red and Petrol Blue are on my possibles list.

 

Petrol Blue is a bit like the now discontinued Ross Brunello... looks very nice when clean and under sunlight, but looks uninspiring on a dull day and when dirty can look very drab.

 

Silver is obviously best for hiding dirt as is any silver based colour (hence why I chose Business Grey) colour choice is a very personal thing though.

[freelunch]

21 minutes ago, Twelvebears said:

At the moment, Corrida Red and Petrol Blue are on my possibles list.

 

You're not kidding about black showing the dirt. Nothing more beautiful than a black car when it's just been waxed. That lasts about a day. I sold a black car to get this red one. I bought red because it was on offer. I'm undecided about the colour, but my wife likes it. She says it's easy to find in the car park.

 

Shame the colours on offer for the Sportline are so limited. I saw a blue Octavia on the showroom floor that was beautiful (I think Race Metallic Blue). Given the choice, that would be my colour. If I was very brave, the Dragon Metallic Green is quite remarkable.

[Gizmo]

Dragon Green does indeed look very nice in the metal, would I be brave enough to order it? not sure I would TBH, but if it ends up being a rare colour then it could well attract a premium price when it was time to sell it.

[SC03OTT]

Admire the optimism but my money would be on the colour hindering resale prices rather than adding to them. 

[penguin17]

13 minutes ago, Gizmo68 said:

Dragon Green does indeed look very nice in the metal, would I be brave enough to order it? not sure I would TBH, but if it ends up being a rare colour then it could well attract a premium price when it was time to sell it.

Possibly but the exact opposite happened with Phoenix yellow E46 BMW M3.  When we were searching for a good M3 for my dad it was always the colour on the cheapest cars, on Autotrader.  Dragon green is a very similar colour. 

[freelunch]

I don't know why people are reluctant to choose a colour for their car. It can't always be because of resale value, can it? I know people always paint their home interiors white before they put it on the market sell. I know I will.

 

The Sportline only gets two colours, the red and the dragon green (acid yellow, surely?). The rest are the conservative colours. Free white, silver (the new white), shades of grey. But, take a look at hpoom's combi and tell me that's not a nice-looking car.

 

I see more red cars on the road. Maybe, 'cause I've got one now. I always fancied a candy apple red on a Mustang. The Alfa red on the new £60K Giulia is gorgeous. But I saw a red BMW saloon the other day and it just looked wrong. I think it suits the Sportline, which is fortunate for me...

[Twelvebears]

My preference, if it were available, would be the fantastic blue from the Octavia. I was gutted when they phased out Storm Blue for the Superb?

[100andthirty]

freelunch.....whilst setting up AndroidAuto is more than I can cover in a post, you need to connect the phone via USB to make it work, I believe

[domhnall]

2 minutes ago, 100andthirty said:

freelunch.....whilst setting up AndroidAuto is more than I can cover in a post, you need to connect the phone via USB to make it work, I believe

 

not sure why you can't cover that in a post....plug phone in to usb, connect with bluetooth, acknowledge safety warnings on phone before driving off. Job done

 

[100andthirty]

domhnall.....I can't cover it in a post because I have only used AndroidAuto to check it works, and would not be confident in describing the set up to others!

Edited 5 February, 2017 by 100andthirty
typos!

[Rainmaker]

We've had a little family day trip today, out to Blackpool Zoo. Nice place.  This car just really makes sense once you get it out onto the motorways...

 

Two adults, three kids, a double (side by side) pram, two large bags, two picnic baskets, a storage box, four large coats, four pairs of Wellington boots, a crate of drinks and some miscellaneous 'stuff'. All swallowed with bags of room to spare. 

 

The car is up to 'motorway speeds' in seconds, then just glides in almost silence for mile after mile of relaxing comfort. A gentle squeeze of the throttle instantly dispatches anyone who gets in your way. I haven't had chance to do much motorway driving this last year so it was a refreshing change. 

 

I rather over estimated on fuel, however. Rounding up to 120 miles I used a fuel calculator suggesting £18.70ish at 35mpg. Since we were in the red I put in an extra tenner (i.e. £30) and figured we'd then have enough left to run about when we got home. We've just got back and I see we have almost half a tank of petrol remaining (43mpg overall). Oh well.  

[p5stokes]

4 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

We've had a little family day trip today, out to Blackpool Zoo. Nice place.  This car just really makes sense once you get it out onto the motorways...

 

Two adults, three kids, a double (side by side) pram, two large bags, two picnic baskets, a storage box, four large coats, four pairs of Wellington boots, a crate of drinks and some miscellaneous 'stuff'. All swallowed with bags of room to spare. 

 

The car is up to 'motorway speeds' in seconds, then just glides in almost silence for mile after mile of relaxing comfort. A gentle squeeze of the throttle instantly dispatches anyone who gets in your way. I haven't had chance to do much motorway driving this last year so it was a refreshing change. 

 

I rather over estimated on fuel, however. Rounding up to 120 miles I used a fuel calculator suggesting £18.70ish at 35mpg. Since we were in the red I put in an extra tenner (i.e. £30) and figured we'd then have enough left to run about when we got home. We've just got back and I see we have almost half a tank of petrol remaining (43mpg overall). Oh well.  

What speed were you doing on the motorway? And how much right foot pressure? We are due to change our mk11 4x4 170 dsg which we have averaged around 40mpg. I would love the 220 rainmaker but I am still scared mpg wise.also how does the non dcc 220tsi handle? Surely to powerful for the standard set up?

[Rainmaker]

2 hours ago, p5stokes said:

What speed were you doing on the motorway? And how much right foot pressure? We are due to change our mk11 4x4 170 dsg which we have averaged around 40mpg. I would love the 220 rainmaker but I am still scared mpg wise.also how does the non dcc 220tsi handle? Surely to powerful for the standard set up?

 

1) The speed limit, officer.

2) None, except for squeezing past blind spots and past annoying drivers (I used ACC). If I wasn't using ACC it'd be just a few mm of travel, as you barely have to press the throttle to maintain 70/80 on a run. Not sure how relevant that is though?

3) I don't really see what difference DCC makes to handing the power so to speak. I can light the front wheels up if I try, and occasionally on wet roundabouts if pulling out with too much right foot at the same time as applying a sharp steering angle, but 99% of the time it's spot on. Handling is very decent for its size and weight, and it handles corners at speed very well. For good handling you want to focus on quality tyres and driver training, rather than DCC or 4x4. A well trained driver on premium (winter where applicable) tyres will go (and stop!) many places 4x4 won't take you.

 

What's your annual (or weekly) mileage driven on average? Also, I know you said you get 40mpg (to a tank?) but what about local short trips and 'on a run'? I do mostly city driving, from cold, for short journeys (mostly less than 2 miles) and we get 32mpg to a tank. When I'm driving properly I average closer to 38mpg a tank. It's almost impossible to give comparisons as everyone's driving conditions and driving style are so vastly different. Temperatures play a big role too, and winter will see much reduced economy (so today I got early 40s after about half an hour on the motorway, but in summer would easily get mid 40s very quickly without trying). As a general rule our 220 is as economical on the motorway (and sometimes better!) than our previous 2.0 CTDI 165ps, though that was a particularly poor engine imho. Around town on short journeys it's a little worse perhaps (early 30s), but if we go any distance (e.g. 5 miles across town) it's mid to late 30s depending on the weather and traffic.

 

During this cold weather we get about 38 mpg at a steady 80mph cruise on the motorway (having spent the first 5 miles on A and B roads from a dead cold start). Driving at 70mph (which I tend to do, especially with kids in the car) it's early to mid 40s mpg all day long. The 220 is fairly long geared compared to the 280, and is really very economical compared to other similar engines (e.g. the EcoBoost). For example 70mph in top gear is about 1,800rpm and 80mph is about 1,900rpm. There's literally a hair in it. Once it's warm - oil, not the water - it's a very economical beast. Bursts of acceleration don't really dip the economy once it's properly hot, and if they do it recovers in a few seconds. You can cruise at 80 with bursts of 90 or so and still be tipping 40mpg. This is all assuming journeys of an hour or less. Longer journeys are, predictably, even more economical again.

 

It's not just about the cost of fuel, it's the refinement, pace, comfort and pleasure the engine brings. Unless you do moon miles and lots of town work, you'd probably not notice the difference! That's especially true coming from a 4x4. I must admit I'm a cured/reformed MPG watcher. I'd had mostly diesels until a couple of years ago, but my next car is going to be a 5.0 supercharged V8... You're a long time dead.

Edited 6 February, 2017 by Rainmaker

[old newbie2]

8 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

We've had a little family day trip today, out to Blackpool Zoo. Nice place.  This car just really makes sense once you get it out onto the motorways...

 

Two adults, three kids, a double (side by side) pram, two large bags, two picnic baskets, a storage box, four large coats, four pairs of Wellington boots, a crate of drinks and some miscellaneous 'stuff'. All swallowed with bags of room to spare. 

 

The car is up to 'motorway speeds' in seconds, then just glides in almost silence for mile after mile of relaxing comfort. A gentle squeeze of the throttle instantly dispatches anyone who gets in your way. I haven't had chance to do much motorway driving this last year so it was a refreshing change. 

 

I rather over estimated on fuel, however. Rounding up to 120 miles I used a fuel calculator suggesting £18.70ish at 35mpg. Since we were in the red I put in an extra tenner (i.e. £30) and figured we'd then have enough left to run about when we got home. We've just got back and I see we have almost half a tank of petrol remaining (43mpg overall). Oh well.  

Do you only put enough fuel in your car for the intended journey? 

I always brim the tank, otherwise I'd be forever looking for a petrol station every time I left the house. (Only one station in the town & it's always busy.)

 

I've just put the EOS away for the winter, but it was washed & topped up before locking it away in the garage.

 

The EOS also has a wide ratio / high geared 6-speed DSG (3K rpm in 6th = 95 mph) but my old Superb is more economical though it's lower geared

(3K rpm in 6th = 77 mph). Similar driving style & cruising speeds, both cars remapped to 250 bhp & with surprisingly similar weights too.  The Golf has similar gearing to a Superb 280,  but since it's only done 3.5K miles so far it might improve as it gets used more. It's a bit tempting to use the performance.............)

 

DC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ery time I wan

[Rainmaker]

4 minutes ago, old newbie2 said:

Do you only put enough fuel in your car for the intended journey? 

I always brim the tank, otherwise I'd be forever looking for a petrol station every time I left the house. (Only one station in the town & it's always busy.)

 

I was waiting for that question.   Usually, yes, it gets brimmed once every month or so and that's that. I've been playing around recently with just topping up weekly or thereabouts, to give me chance to experiment with different fuels and the ODBII reader (timing advance etc). I've been sticking to V-Power lately but wanted to give the M99 another bash, hence the 'go from fumes to what I need for the journey' strategy. You can feel the lack of weight at the back and it's very marginally better on fuel, so meh. We do such low mileage and live in the city surrounded by garages so it makes as good as no difference, really.

[old newbie2]

1 minute ago, Rainmaker said:

 

I was waiting for that question.   Usually, yes, it gets brimmed once every month or so and that's that. I've been playing around recently with just topping up weekly or thereabouts, to give me chance to experiment with different fuels and the ODBII reader (timing advance etc). I've been sticking to V-Power lately but wanted to give the M99 another bash, hence the 'go from fumes to what I need for the journey' strategy. You can feel the lack of weight at the back and it's very marginally better on fuel, so meh. We do such low mileage and live in the city surrounded by garages so it makes as good as no difference, really.

Lucky you, I can remember what it was like to live in a London suburb, but that was 40 years ago........ 

 

We know live in a small town, (16K peeps) with an ASDA gas station that sells diesel & 95 octane petrol..... 

Our most regular journeys are on country roads, so no-where to buy fuel at all.

Since the Golf "needs" 98 octane that would involve about a 20 mile round trip to the nearest Tesco....

 

Cheers, DC

 

 

[Rainmaker]

5 minutes ago, old newbie2 said:

Lucky you, I can remember what it was like to live in a London suburb, but that was 40 years ago........ 

 

We know live in a small town, (16K peeps) with an ASDA gas station that sells diesel & 95 octane petrol..... 

Our most regular journeys are on country roads, so no-where to buy fuel at all.

Since the Golf "needs" 98 octane that would involve about a 20 mile round trip to the nearest Tesco....

 

Cheers, DC

 

 

 

Crikey. My brother lives somewhere simlar (population ~9,000), but he runs an asthmatic diesel and doesn't care where it comes from. Have you considered Millers Petrol Power EcoMax? Very decent stuff, and it works out between 1p and 2p per litre extra (about £11 for a bottle, just 1ml of additive to each litre of fuel). It adds 2 RON, is packed with detergents, and I can vouch for its efficacy. I even add it to the 99 RON stuff.

Edited 6 February, 2017 by Rainmaker