Test drives required

[s55shh]

Ok so its getting close to decision time for my next keeper. Expected to last 4 years and 120k miles.

 

L&K Spec Estate

 

I can't justify more than about £26K which counts out the 190 DSG 4x4.

However I can't decide between 150 DSG (poss big repair bills) or manual 4x4 

I spend a lot of time doing long journeys at night often in bad weather, and drive across to Italy twice a year.

Then there is the curved ball of the petrol 220?

 

I really think I need to drive one of each. Sadly, when my current Superb was in for service last week, the pre booked test drive couldn't happen as the demo car wasn't there. 

I'm in and around Kent during the week and Staffordshire at weekend. Anyone know what demos local dealers have got?

[UncleWang]

Have you looked at new car discount for pricing?

[s55shh]

Have you looked at new car discount for pricing?

Yes, hence the £26k gets me either a 150 dsg or 4x4 L&K estate with some options.

[SurreyJohn]

Getting a diesel demo is easy, the 220 petrol demo is a rare beast.

I was lucky, got to drive the petrol and it was outstanding, but it had been borrowed from another branch for a week and could only get a shortish slot on weekend as many others wanted a test drive.

The petrol is virtually silent, not surprised there is no manual as would need to look at instruments to know what engine is doing as can't hear it, very flexible engine, and if you floor it, goes like a rocket. The big engine has the wet plate DSG that avoids the problems of the early dry plate.

In real world driving the TSI engines are much closer to diesel mileage than you might expect from official figures so don't discount it even if you do higher mileage.

There is a thread about experience of 220 petrol if you can't find a demo

Edited 10 April, 2016 by SurreyJohn

[FelisBengalensis]

What about putting an extended warranty on it? Should help avoid scary repairs?

[Jaytip]

In real world driving the TSI engines are much closer to diesel mileage than you might expect from official figures so don't discount it even if you do higher mileage.

Over 120,000 miles that difference in fuel economy is going to add up.

[Rainmaker]

Unless you are very short of cash (in which case I doubt you'd be dropping >£25,000 on a new car) get the 220 petrol all day long. As above it's silent, flexible and has a proper kick in the back when you floor it. We've only had ours a week (i.e. not 'run in' yet) and it's giving 35mpg around the doors and 42mpg+ fully loaded on a run at 'motorway speeds' without even trying. The cost difference between it and the much lower powered diesel is negligible really, about £9 a week if you're doing 15,000 miles a year. The DSG box suits the petrols far better than the diesels too (drive both then you'll see what I mean!). Also does the L&K really add that much?

 

Genuine question but I have pretty much everything I could imagine on the SE-L Executive except little bits like variable floor (an option anyway) and electric passenger seat. Nothing I'd miss day to day (we had an L&K Octavia for the week before the Superb arrived and I can't say I noticed any difference in the real world when we swapped them over). The only thing we really noticed was the absence of KESSY on the SE-L Superb, but using a button on a key is no hardship, and if you're keeping the car longer term it's one less thing to go wrong... Only suggesting it as the drop down to SE-L may well free up funds for the couple of options you'd miss and leave you with cash in the bank. 

[Rainmaker]

Over 120,000 miles that difference in fuel economy is going to add up.

 

About £3,500 difference over what is essentially a lifetime of driving for most cars. To get a smooth revvy petrol with a chunk more power and infinitely more refinement that's a bargain in my book. It's not even the difference between SE-L and L&K for enough money to cover the difference for 10 years' regular driving or the natural lifespan of the car. Meh. You pays your money and makes your choice.

[Gizmo]

Unless you are very short of cash (in which case I doubt you'd be dropping >£25,000 on a new car) get the 220 petrol all day long. As above it's silent, flexible and has a proper kick in the back when you floor it. We've only had ours a week (i.e. not 'run in' yet) and it's giving 35mpg around the doors and 42mpg+ fully loaded on a run at 'motorway speeds' without even trying. The cost difference between it and the much lower powered diesel is negligible really, about £9 a week if you're doing 15,000 miles a year. The DSG box suits the petrols far better than the diesels too (drive both then you'll see what I mean!). Also does the L&K really add that much?

 

Genuine question but I have pretty much everything I could imagine on the SE-L Executive except little bits like variable floor (an option anyway) and electric passenger seat. Nothing I'd miss day to day (we had an L&K Octavia for the week before the Superb arrived and I can't say I noticed any difference in the real world when we swapped them over). The only thing we really noticed was the absence of KESSY on the SE-L Superb, but using a button on a key is no hardship, and if you're keeping the car longer term it's one less thing to go wrong... Only suggesting it as the drop down to SE-L may well free up funds for the couple of options you'd miss and leave you with cash in the bank. 

 

But he’s not doing 15K PA it’s double that!

 

And yes the L&K does add quite a bit more:

 

Standard Equipment (over SE L Executive) 

 

DESIGN

18" Pegasus anthracite alloy wheels with anti-theft wheel bolts (18" x 8J with 235/45 R18 tyres)

LED exterior light package (LED rear tail lights high, registration plate illumination and boarding spots)

COMFORT & CONVENIENCE

CANTON sound system (10 loudspeakers, central speaker, subwoofer and digital equaliser)

Boot net programme Floor mats

Electrically adjustable driver and front passenger seats with memory and lumbar support

Piano black decorative inserts Tri-zone climate control 

Heated windscreen

Heated front and rear seats

LED interior light package (LED ambient lighting in 3 colours, front and rear reading lights, footwell lighting, door handle illumination and vanity mirror lighting)

TECHNOLOGY

Dynamic chassis control (DCC) Blind spot detection

Colour Maxi-DOT

KESSY

Lane assist Park assist TV tuner Virtual pedal 

[Rainmaker]

 

But he’s not doing 15K PA it’s double that!

 

And yes the L&K does add quite a bit more:

 

Standard Equipment (over SE L Executive) 

 

DESIGN

18" Pegasus anthracite alloy wheels with anti-theft wheel bolts (18" x 8J with 235/45 R18 tyres)

LED exterior light package (LED rear tail lights high, registration plate illumination and boarding spots)

COMFORT & CONVENIENCE

CANTON sound system (10 loudspeakers, central speaker, subwoofer and digital equaliser)

Boot net programme Floor mats

Electrically adjustable driver and front passenger seats with memory and lumbar support

Piano black decorative inserts Tri-zone climate control 

Heated windscreen

Heated front and rear seats

LED interior light package (LED ambient lighting in 3 colours, front and rear reading lights, footwell lighting, door handle illumination and vanity mirror lighting)

TECHNOLOGY

Dynamic chassis control (DCC) Blind spot detection

Colour Maxi-DOT

KESSY

Lane assist Park assist TV tuner Virtual pedal 

 

 

Fair enough on the extra kit, as I said it's not something I looked at and didn't bother me (I'm deaf so Canton is wasted, I don't care about KESSY, IPA is faster than a heated front screen, and I would rather skip DCC etc). It was just an off the cuff suggestion that might save the OP money (maybe he doesn't care either). But the point about fuel still stands. Using my own driving in a 150 diesel and a 220 TSI to give equal consideration to both, even at 30k a year it'd be less than £15 a week difference... Pocket change really and I for one gladly give up a pack of fags and a cup of coffee a week for the better driving experience. Horses for courses and all that.

[UncleWang]

Fair enough on the extra kit, as I said it's not something I looked at and didn't bother me (I'm deaf so Canton is wasted, I don't care about KESSY, IPA is faster than a heated front screen, and I would rather skip DCC etc). It was just an off the cuff suggestion that might save the OP money (maybe he doesn't care either). But the point about fuel still stands. Using my own driving in a 150 diesel and a 220 TSI to give equal consideration to both, even at 30k a year it'd be less than £15 a week difference... Pocket change really and I for one gladly give up a pack of fags and a cup of coffee a week for the better driving experience. Horses for courses and all that.

Is that how much fags are  now? ....£4 for 2 oz of golden Virginia when I gave up!!!

[Jaytip]

What are you basing the diesel MPG at? I can get 65mpg out of my 170bhp SII easily on a gentle motorway run.

I achieved this once coming back from Heathrow to South Wales with the sat nav set to 62mph.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Prykey]

How does that help someone looking to buy a Superb Mk3?

[Jaytip]

How does that help someone looking to buy a Superb Mk3?

Well we are not comparing Skodas to Landrovers here are we. Both cars are Skoda Superbs. One is a series II and one is a series III. They shouldn't be THAT far apart.

People bang on that modern petrol engines are close to Diesel engines in terms of MPG. The reality that my photo above proves is that they are not.

[Rainmaker]

Well we are not comparing Skodas to Landrovers here are we. Both cars are Skoda Superbs. One is a series II and one is a series III. They shouldn't be THAT far apart.

People bang on that modern petrol engines are close to Diesel engines in terms of MPG. The reality that my photo above proves is that they are not.

 

Yes but likewise take a peek at the MPG thread and you'll see that mk3 diesels are likewise nothing close to the mk2 diesels. It's all very well saying if you set the sat nav to 62mph and drive downhill with a tail wind on a blue moon you'll get fantastic mpg. In the real world, with varied conditions and very mixed driving over the course of weeks and months, the results aren't poles apart between the two fuels.

 

I got 23-24mpg out of the mk3 Octavia 150 TDI every day without fail the other week (cold, short trips around town) and it hit 45mpg once warm and on a longer run. Doing the same daily runs in my 220 TSI I get 22 around town on the short cold runs (32mpg+ once you get past a mile or two) and 44mpg at 80mph on a run. No sitting at 60 required. So in real world usage (rather than exceptional long distance slow runs under ideal conditions) the two are hardly earth shatteringly different tbf, and one is much nicer to drive than the other. You have to compare apples to apples rather than 'Petrols do 20mpg when cold but my hot diesel did 100mpg on the motorway downhill once'.

 

Bear in mind I drove diesels for 10 years before this last year or so, covering 50,000 to 60,000 miles a year. My S2 with the 1.9 PD 105 engine likewise did 78mpg indicated (73mpg brim to brim) but that again was ideal conditions, once. It also did 19mpg on the school run. I switched to petrols after my mileage dropped and I'm not spending more than a couple of quid in difference a week atm. So we went from say 15,000 at £40 a week in a 2.0 TDI and now drive 2.0 petrols and pay about £25 to £30 a week (fuel costs less now).

 

I'm certainly not bashing one choice or the other, just saying it's not as clear cut as is sometimes made out. Especially considering the 2.0 TSI is 220 or 280 HP and doing 45mpg on a run. Factor in the 1.4 with 150hp (same as the diesel) and the MPG is around the same, if not favouring the petrol unit on local runs!

 

OP don't let this side track you, drive both and do your own sums and see what's right for you.

Edited 10 April, 2016 by Derv

[Jaytip]

Yes but likewise take a peek at the MPG thread and you'll see that mk3 diesels are likewise nothing close to the mk2 diesels. It's all very well saying if you set the sat nav to 62mph and drive downhill with a tail wind on a blue moon you'll get fantastic mpg. In the real world, with varied conditions and very mixed driving over the course of weeks and months, the results aren't poles apart between the two fuels.

I got 23-24mpg out of the mk3 Octavia 150 TDI every day without fail the other week (cold, short trips around town) and it hit 45mpg once warm and on a longer run. Doing the same daily runs in my 220 TSI I get 22 around town on the short cold runs (32mpg+ once you get past a mile or two) and 44mpg at 80mph on a run. No sitting at 60 required. So in real world usage (rather than exceptional long distance slow runs under ideal conditions) the two are hardly earth shatteringly different tbf, and one is much nicer to drive than the other. You have to compare apples to apples rather than 'Petrols do 20mpg when cold but my hot diesel did 100mpg on the motorway downhill once'.

Bear in mind I drove diesels for 10 years before this last year or so, covering 50,000 to 60,000 miles a year. My S2 with the 1.9 PD 105 engine likewise did 78mpg indicated (73mpg brim to brim) but that again was ideal conditions, once. It also did 19mpg on the school run. I switched to petrols after my mileage dropped and I'm not spending more than a couple of quid in difference a week atm. So we went from say 15,000 at £40 a week in a 2.0 TDI and now drive 2.0 petrols and pay about £25 to £30 a week (fuel costs less now).

I'm certainly not bashing one choice or the other, just saying it's not as clear cut as is sometimes made out. Especially considering the 2.0 TSI is 220 or 280 HP and doing 45mpg on a run. Factor in the 1.4 with 150hp (same as the diesel) and the MPG is around the same, if not favouring the petrol unit on local runs!

OP don't let this side track you, drive both and do your own sums and see what's right for you.

I don't wish to argue with you but clearly what you get out of a diesel and what I get out of s diesel are very different mpg's. My 65mpg+ is not a one off in ideal conditions, I used to get it regularly on a motorway run, likewise I got about 44mpg with just town (note, not mixed, just town) driving.

The car was used as a taxi, so I think it's fair to say the sort of mileage it did was real world.

[Rainmaker]

I don't wish to argue with you but clearly what you get out of a diesel and what I get out of s diesel are very different mpg's. My 65mpg+ is not a one off in ideal conditions, I used to get it regularly on a motorway run, likewise I got about 44mpg with just town (note, not mixed, just town) driving.

The car was used as a taxi, so I think it's fair to say the sort of mileage it did was real world.

 

No arguing here either mate, it's one of this board's finer qualities. We can have a bloody good discussion with nobody getting all angry dwarf about it. Taxis tend to run all day and are nice and warm. My usage is very different (repeated cold runs) but since the scenario is the same for both cars the comparison is valid. For longer stop/start trips around the city, with traffic and multiple drops/stops at various houses even my 220 is hitting 40mpg so not much behind despite almost 100 extra horses. As I said a 150 diesel v 150 petrol has barely a hair in it, and in many cases the petrols are coming out on top. For moon mileage and mostly long runs the diesels are still a valid shout, but for shorter runs, town driving and just simple driving pleasure it's the petrol every time imho. Good discussion, cheers! :beer:

Edited 10 April, 2016 by Derv

[old newbie2]

Ok so its getting close to decision time for my next keeper. Expected to last 4 years and 120k miles.

 

L&K Spec Estate

 

I can't justify more than about £26K which counts out the 190 DSG 4x4.

However I can't decide between 150 DSG (poss big repair bills) or manual 4x4 

I spend a lot of time doing long journeys at night often in bad weather, and drive across to Italy twice a year.

Then there is the curved ball of the petrol 220?

 

I really think I need to drive one of each. Sadly, when my current Superb was in for service last week, the pre booked test drive couldn't happen as the demo car wasn't there. 

I'm in and around Kent during the week and Staffordshire at weekend. Anyone know what demos local dealers have got?

Dartford Skoda had a 150 DSG a few weeks back. Nice car, not quick but easy to drive. If we did your miles then we might have considered it, but we

would prefer a petrol.

 

DC 

[Jaytip]

but for shorter runs, town driving and just simple driving pleasure it's the petrol every time imho. Good discussion, cheers! :beer:

I couldn't agree more. My last petrol engined car was before my kids came along and it was an NSX [emoji1]

[Rainmaker]

I couldn't agree more. My last petrol engined car was before my kids came along and it was an NSX [emoji1]

 

Ah, see. You just have to scrape away the carbon and there's a petrolhead underneath. We have two kids and one on the way, and our S3 is the family bus primarily. I refused to get an MPV/crossover contraption and the 220 ticked all the boxes - space for them, fun for me! I wonder if the OP has rolled his eyes and run away yet? haha.... As I said earlier OP, and I'm sure everyone will agree, test every engine you can and only then make your mind up. It's funny how your mind can change either way once you've actually driven something.

[s55shh]

This is actually very helpful. I drive a Superb S2 150 DSG now and get average 45mpg over 12000 miles since Xmas. Mileage won't always be this high, but sadly work is 225 miles from home. I do have a petrol car for fun (Duratec engined Lotus Elise) so I can blow the cobwebs out, however, a big part of me is leaning away from complex diesels and ultimately the 220 has got the VRS engine. I think I need to find one to test drive...

[philpix]

Leeds Skoda dealer has a black 190 hatch L&K beige leather demo.

They also told me they could source demo cars from around the country from the Skoda database.

Your local Skoda dealer should be able to source a demo for you.

[ColinD]

I took a punt on my superb way back when. It was manual and they had no dsg's in to test.

 

I took a dsg octavia instead. So it might be an avenue, to borrow a petrol octy. I don't know if the dsg in the superb/octy on mkIII is the same, I've had my head in servers and code too much of late. Anyhow if it's a choice between a guess and a might be similar it's worth a punt.

 

I opted for the manual, but regretted it within weeks on my stop start manchester commute. Then the DSG woes came to light and I was so glad. In your boots I'd be going for the DSG, the new ones I've tested seem far better. 

 

We also have a forum for buying/selling advice, never know might be something in there too, that can shave a few more pence off... Good luck and enjoy it! http://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/288-buying-dealers-service-help/

[RickTT]

Ok so its getting close to decision time for my next keeper. Expected to last 4 years and 120k miles.

L&K Spec Estate

I can't justify more than about £26K which counts out the 190 DSG 4x4.

However I can't decide between 150 DSG (poss big repair bills) or manual 4x4

I spend a lot of time doing long journeys at night often in bad weather, and drive across to Italy twice a year.

Then there is the curved ball of the petrol 220?

I really think I need to drive one of each. Sadly, when my current Superb was in for service last week, the pre booked test drive couldn't happen as the demo car wasn't there.

I'm in and around Kent during the week and Staffordshire at weekend. Anyone know what demos local dealers have got?

Maybe drop a post on the forum to any local members to your area who maybe willing to take you out for a spin ?? Pack of beer in return of course

[FelisBengalensis]

The 190 TDI will give the same mpg as the 220 petrol it seems! Something is very wrong with these 190 engines and their current map if the petrol version is getting that close. 65mpg is nowt but a dream.