ANOTHER 10,000 mile update

[dstev2000]

This seems like a decent point to post my thoughts about the car - good and bad. You'll need a mug of tea and a few biccies for this one. I might have rambled on a little too long 

 

I haven't been around for a while, working away from home = no spare interwebs time. I think i've more than made up for my absence with this post.....

 

Engine

 

Reasonable, once you get used to it. It still doesn't feel like it has 190PS on tap though. It's reasonably smooth for a diesel.

 

Can be frugal if driven VERY gently. I can get close to an average of 60mpg if i'm VERY careful with it. But it's bloody miserable driving everywhere at 55 mph*  

 

*where speed limits allow

 

It's thirsty when pushed even reasonably hard. Put your foot anywhere near the go pedal and that mpg plummets. 

 

Keeping up with the Audis in lane three equates to low 40s. 

 

The engine sounds horrible! for the supposedly latest technology that VAG can produce, it doesn't sound very nice at idle and sounds worse under load. The CR170 is a better engine IMO. The 170 used to pull hard right to the redline. The 190 starts to run out of puff after 3500 rpm. It behaves like an 8 valve engine. 

 

Overall I'm really not impressed with the engine, especially having paid a premium of over £2,000 over the CR150, and the added potential grief of AdBlue. 

 

Talking of which.....

 

The AdBlue thing isn't an issue on a day to day basis. When the range gets to about 2,000 miles, I just shove a 10 litre tank of it straight in. BP do them for about a tenner which is ok until the pump infrastructure improves. It's as easy as topping up your washer fluid. I've added 20 litres to it so far. Added to the quantity that was put in at the factory (probably wasn't filled right up - maybe 12 litres?). I've used around 22 litres over 10,000 miles which is ~450 miles per litre. 

 

It remains to be seen how reliable the AdBlue system will be once the miles rack up. 

 

DSG gearbox 

 

Smooth and seamless gear changes most of the time, does a very good impression of a 'slush box' 'auto when creeping along in traffic. 

 

Pulls away in slow traffic with no issues at all, really does feel like an auto box in those situations.

 

It doesn't feel likes it's 100% correctly mapped for the CR190 engine. For instance, it will sometimes kick down from 5th to 3rd which takes the revs up to around 4,000 rpm, which is as much good as a chocolate fireguard. This is due to the engine doing nothing useful apart from making more noise at those revs. 

 

Sometimes it will jerk, clunk and knock when shifting from 1st > 2nd under heavy load. 

 

Sometimes it will get confused at a roundabout, suddenly forgetting it's a DSG 'box and instead thinking it is a toaster for a few seconds. This has lead to a few embarrassing moments at roundabouts as it decides what it wants to do next. Making allowances helps, but it's easy to forget.

 

Interior and build quality

 

Generally, the car is nicely put together, the seats are comfortable and supportive. No one has complained about being uncomfortable. A 6 hour drive down to Cornwall was a good test for this. I felt like I could jump back in the car and drive straight home. 

 

Most of the plastics and trim are good quality and feel solid. Looks good as well. 

 

The stitching is coming apart on one of my rear seats, despite being used about twice. Most of the time my jacket is draped across the rear seats so it's not as though it's a taxi or anything like that. It's going in to be looked at soon. 

 

I hate how flimsy the upper parts of the door cards feel. I habitually push the door open above the window switches near the gloss black trim and the door card really flexes a lot there. I'm trying to change my habit but i've always opened my car doors like that. 

 

Rattles....where do I start....

 

This is a developing problem as the miles go up. I have a rattle in my dash that turns into a high pitched buzz when I boot the engine. I've had the vent assembly out several times, I've had to superglue the IR sensor as that was rattling like a pig and i've applied copious amounts of anti rattle tape where it fits together and into the dash recess. Despite my best efforts, there is still this buzzing noise 

There's a rattle above the middle air vents and my driver's side vent.

My load cover rattle has come back, despite my redneck fix with a hammer. 

There's still loads of vibration coming through from the engine when it's under load, this is being looked at shortly. 

There is another rattle in the passenger door area, I can't locate it as yet but i'll find it eventually. 

 

Hopefully these can be sorted out over time, not great for a £38k car though 

 

Gadgets/Technology

 

 

Columbus unit: this is generally very good. Seems to be nice and stable and responds quickly to inputs. Can't fault it apart from a few clumsy software UI issues, like getting to Apple Car Play from the map screen. The sat nav postcode input is also a little clunky and excessively convoluted. 

 

Smart Light Assist (SLA:) This is very clever indeed and is overall quite impressive. I have only been flashed twice so far. In both instances the beam was split to cut out the oncoming car, I think they assumed my main beams were on as both sides of the road were being lit up, even if the road wasn't. My SLA also seems to be a bit twitchy about dual carriageways.

 

The system will raise the beams gradually as usual, but the driver's side light then drops back down. You can see the beam fidgeting around the white line that marks the start of the central reservation. It's as though the software is wrongly interpreting the line as something else. It's fine on the motorway and single carriageway roads at varying speeds. Software bug perhaps? I'll enquire about any updates to the algorithm that's behind SLA when it goes in. 

 

Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC): More often than not I leave it in the normal setting. If I have passengers or I'm driving along a road with a crap surface, I'll switch to the comfort setting. Having fun on a twisty road obviously means it's time for the sport mode. This aside, it's still a big barge and isn't a sports car by any means - and never will be. It was standard on my L&K but I'd have to think long and hard about adding it as £750.00+ option. 

 

Ventilated seats:  They add a nice perforated finish to the leather faces. I'd like the fans to be a little more powerful in all honesty but they are still nice to have, i'd add them again if I had to. 

 

Reversing camera: Definitely worth the cash, and I'd definitely have it again. The Superb is a big old barge and this comes in useful when parking in London as most spaces are about the exact same size as the Superb 

 

Blind spot detection: I'm not going to get involved in the whole 'you shouldn't need them blah blah' argument. They are an excellent safety feature as long as you DON'T RELY ON THEM!! They are an added layer of safety to the Mk.1 human eyeball. They certainly aren't a substitute for looking over one's shoulder before changing lanes. They are very good at picking out the bellends on the motorway who change lanes right into your blind spot. I'd have them again and would pay money for them too, they were standard on the L&K. 

 

They seem to get a little confused by the Blackwall Tunnel. The close proximity to the concrete walls might be causing the radar to reflect abnormally, causing the driver's mirror to light up nearly constantly. No problems with the Dartford, Hatfield, Rotherhithe or Holmsdale tunnels so I'm putting it down to the close walls as the cause. Heavy rain can cause the odd false alarm too. 

 

KESSY: Once you get used to it, it's a great feature. The 'Virtual Pedal' (who came up with that crap name?) works every time. My 6 year old, however, thought it worked by kicking the actual bumper..... :no:

 

Premium WLAN/LTE internet: I've got a pay monthly SIM in the car with unlimited data. This means I have internet access for my laptop/iPad in my car at all times for work and such like, irrespective of the hotspot on my iPhone. It also means it's not the end of the world if I leave my phone at home - which happens from time to time - as I can call and text from the car as normal. A lot of people question the point of this option but I'm glad I added it. 

 

Canton sound system: Excellent! can't fault it. I've always spent good money on decent A/V kit at home and I'm very happy with the performance of the Canton system. It never feels strained or underpowered no matter what music I throw at it. I'd pay for it as an option. Luckily it was standard on the L&K. 

 

TV Tuner: I've used it a few times but I really wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there. MY17 has seen to that anyway  :p It's mostly an exercise in showing off to passengers.

 

Park Assist: Haven't used it once in 10,000 miles. Wouldn't miss it to be honest. 

 

Thoughts in general

 

I love the car's looks. It looks really good from any angle. The Mk2 was a bit awkward from the back but the Mk3 has been well and truly fixed with the horizontal lights across the boot. It still gets lots of looks and pointing at in the traffic. I still don't see any on my travels so it's still a very exclusive car. 

 

The Petrol blue metallic is surprisingly difficult to keep clean. It shows dirt easily and watermarks show up too much. I'm also disappointed by the fact some bird **** that was identified the next morning and dealt with has left some permanent marks in the lacquer on the bonnet. Marks that are beyond my best efforts with some car polish. 

 

The car cruises really well on the motorway and is great for long distance driving. It's a very comfortable car to drive. The back end feels a little loose through the bigger bumps but I'm not sure if this is to do with the rear bushes that is associated with the knocking rear suspension. 

 

If I had to criticise the driving position, I would say the steering wheel needs to come out a little further for taller drivers. 

 

I really didn't like the door mirrors at first, but now I've got used to them they are ok. They still lack visibility though, and could really use some wide angle aspheric tips. 

 

To be honest, the car is a love/hate thing at the moment. I love the car in general but there are a few little things that annoy the hell out of me, mostly the vibration and noise coming through the firewall from the engine, the knocking rear suspension and the failed stitching on the rear seat. Oh, and the rattles. It's also recently developed a metallic 'click' from the front nearside wheel when turning lock to lock or pulling away. I'll add it to the list..... :|

 

As I've already mentioned, the engine is really underwhelming, even at 10,000 miles. I thought the car would be noticeably quicker than my old CR170 Superb, what with it being lighter and the extra 20PS. To be honest, it feels slower than my old car  . It would have to be the 240PS twin turbo next time round. Failing that, I would consider the 220PS petrol as the overall average fuel consumption of the CR190 driven normally isn't that great. 

 

The boot is probably the car's biggest asset. I run my own Air conditioning business so I often have to carry lots of heavy equipment. The Superb is exemplary at this. This was the main reason I went for my first Superb estate, it's bloody massive! 

 

Despite having the beige interior, it's still looking good. As long as you keep on top of cleaning and protecting the leather seats, the colour isn't a problem. 

 

So all in all, I still really like the car apart from the few niggles it has. I hope they can be fixed with relative ease when it goes in to be looked at. 

 

If the Kodiaq wasn't on the horizon, I would definitely go out and buy another one next time round - with a better engine  :p

 

 

 

 

[Alvaro]

Nice review. I had the opportunity to test a 190 diesel some months ago and I agree with you, It still doesn't feel like it has 190 PS.

[Gizmo]

In my case it wasn’t, when it went on the dyno it was producing 170, which I would say is about right.

 

The rattles are bloody annoying though, my biggest one is from the engine bay just before you come to a halt, not sure if it’s a heat shield or not but it does my head in every time I hear it. 

[dstev2000]

Its definitely something around the bulkhead/firewall area in the engine bay. Something is vibrating or rattling against the body of the car which is being transmitted into the cabin. Highly irritating and by far and away the most annoying thing at the moment. I noticed there's what looks like a black vacuum pipe in the engine bay below the intake pipe/MAF assembly.

It seems to just flap around in mid air with no place to clip it. I think this might be the external rattle I hear from the engine when its cold. It's unrelated to the racket in the cabin though. 

[OllieMK]

In my case it wasn’t, when it went on the dyno it was producing 170, which I would say is about right.

The rattles are bloody annoying though, my biggest one is from the engine bay just before you come to a halt, not sure if it’s a heat shield or not but it does my head in every time I hear it.

My current Sirocco has this same engine and it pulls like a train. I'm not sure how much lighter it is than a Superb. It's mated to the DSG too. I pick my Superb tomorrow so I'll soon notice as difference if there is one.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

[Simon-R]

In my case it wasn’t, when it went on the dyno it was producing 170, which I would say is about right.

 

The rattles are bloody annoying though, my biggest one is from the engine bay just before you come to a halt, not sure if it’s a heat shield or not but it does my head in every time I hear it. 

 

I had a rattle from my 150 dsg diesel when you came to a halt that was a badly route gear selector cable, might be worth checking. It was worse when engine temp was up to normal running temperature.

[dstev2000]

And I forgot to mention the rear screen washer is a joke, and the rear wiper is already squeaking and juddering, despite being thoroughly cleaned on several occasions   

 

On a positive note, the retrofitted heated fan jet washers are still working a treat. Now looking at the frameless rear view mirror for the next retrofit. 

[FelisBengalensis]

Great review and apart from the rattles (I don't yet have any) is an almost complete match to my experiences. I love the car, but the 190 engine needs some serious looking at by Skoda as it is nowhere near as good as it should (and could) be, and the DSG keeps having brain fade! Thank goodness for flappy paddles to get it in the right gear at the right time.

[dstev2000]

Having come straight from the (350Nm) CR170 Mk2 to a (400Nm) CR190 Mk3, I was expecting a little more oomph. Granted my Mk3 DSG weighs in at ~1500kg, versus the ~1487kg of my previous manual Superb. But even so.......

 

 

*cough* remap *cough*

[BillyJim]

DSG gearbox 

...

Sometimes it will get confused at a roundabout, suddenly forgetting it's a DSG 'box and instead thinking it is a toaster for a few seconds. This has lead to a few embarrassing moments at roundabouts as it decides what it wants to do next. Making allowances helps, but it's easy to forget.

This may actually be the fuel-economy-related throttle response mapping rather than the DSG. Even with the petrol 280 there is a response lag if slowing/braking and then applying acceleration, particularly disconcerting if you're trying to get out into a gap in the traffic.

Even from standstill it needs a heavy application of the right foot to get it to respond with any sense of urgency.

In my case I've totally cured it (see here), though at £169 it's not exactly a cheap cure but for me it's been worth every penny.

[Rainmaker]

Regarding the bird bomb damaging the clear coat... Have you tried to clay or machine polish the damage? Either way, give it a good clean and then get the hair dryer out (may require living with a female or a trip to the shop). Start an inch or two away from the damage on a lowish heat setting. After a good 20 to 30 seconds, check your work. If no improvement, move closer a little and/or apply for a slightly longer time. Repeat until the damage has disappeared (no, really!). 

 

Dunno how or why, but over on DetailingWorld they discovered that the hair dryer trick practically eliminates clear coat damage caused by bird etching. Seems it doesn't actually break into the clear coat at all, just marks it. If you click the link you can see pics of it in action and a better description of how to do it. For whatever reason, heat fixes it. Can't hurt to try!

Edited 14 July, 2016 by Rainmaker

[dstev2000]

This may actually be the fuel-economy-related throttle response mapping rather than the DSG. Even with the petrol 280 there is a response lag if slowing/braking and then applying acceleration, particularly disconcerting if you're trying to get out into a gap in the traffic.

Even from standstill it needs a heavy application of the right foot to get it to respond with any sense of urgency.

In my case I've totally cured it (see here), though at £169 it's not exactly a cheap cure but for me it's been worth every penny.

 

I'd willingly pay that to give the car some 'pep'! 

 

I tried the Audi throttle VCDS mod and it made my car behave quite strangely. It actually stalled the car a few times and knocked out the Stop/Start when the DSG box was in manual mode. 

 

I'll sit back and wait to see what others say about this little widget before I commit, I'll also have to talk to my insurers to see what they think about it. 

 

Failing that, maybe there's the chance of some software updates to the box and/or engine, seeing as the model is still relatively new. 

 

I'm still irritated that 190PS and 400Nm doesn't deliver some respectable shove. SWMBO has a 220PS vRS estate and it feels twice as powerful, despite 'only' having 30 PS more power, but 50Nm less torque. Yes, yes I know one is a diesel and the other's a petrol - apples and oranges -  but the difference is night and day, even at low revs around the peak torque bands of each car, the difference is ridiculous.

 

It's where you find they've turned the wick right down in response to Dieselgate.....

[dstev2000]

Regarding the bird bomb damaging the clear coat... Have you tried to clay or machine polish the damage? Either way, give it a good clean and then get the hair dryer out (may require living with a female or a trip to the shop). Start an inch or two away from the damage on a lowish heat setting. After a good 20 to 30 seconds, check your work. If no improvement, move closer a little and/or apply for a slightly longer time. Repeat until the damage has disappeared (no, really!). 

 

Dunno how or why, but over on DetailingWorld they discovered that the hair dryer trick practically eliminates clear coat damage caused by bird etching. Seems it doesn't actually break into the clear coat at all, just marks it. If you click the link you can see pics of it in action and a better description of how to do it. For whatever reason, heat fixes it. Can't hurt to try!

 

 

I used a vast arsenal of polises and clay bars to try and improve things. I didn't want to go too mad as it's all too easy to do more damage than was there originally. 

 

I might pinch SWMBOs hair dryer and give it a shot. It sucks that it marked it that easily though. I carefully cleaned it off as soon as i noticed it. Can't have been there much more  than 10 hours. I noticed it at about 7am and I got home at around 9pm the night before and didn't see it. I would have noticed it as well, given its prominent location. 

[Rainmaker]

I'd willingly pay that to give the car some 'pep'! 

 

I tried the Audi throttle VCDS mod and it made my car behave quite strangely. It actually stalled the car a few times and knocked out the Stop/Start when the DSG box was in manual mode. 

 

I'll sit back and wait to see what others say about this little widget before I commit, I'll also have to talk to my insurers to see what they think about it. 

 

Failing that, maybe there's the chance of some software updates to the box and/or engine, seeing as the model is still relatively new. 

 

I'm still irritated that 190PS and 400Nm doesn't deliver some respectable shove. SWMBO has a 220PS vRS estate and it feels twice as powerful, despite 'only' having 30 PS more power, but 50Nm less torque. Yes, yes I know one is a diesel and the other's a petrol - apples and oranges -  but the difference is night and day, even at low revs around the peak torque bands of each car, the difference is ridiculous.

 

It's where you find they've turned the wick right down in response to Dieselgate.....

 

According to my tests (and BillyJim's, and Micloi's) the 'little widget' is phenomenal. It transforms the response of the car and box, and doesn't touch the engine or ECU. It's not a remap or anything of the sort, it just changes 'how' the car puts the power down. The Skodas are extremely soft and laggy on their throttle maps. With the gadget there is no more lag, and no more choosing between dozy D or insane S.

 

You get a throttle that can be applied just a bit to give strong, instant and progressive acceleration across the rev range, or a bit more throttle to drop a gear or two (petrol) and accelerate hard through the top of the rev range. No negative effects on fuel economy (noticeable anyway), and it brings the car alive. Without it you have a range of throttle travel that goes "Nothing... Nothing... Very sluggish slow acceleration... OMG DROP THREE GEARS AND GO FAR FASTER THAN THE LAW ALLOWS FOR NO REASON!". With the gizmo it's much more progressive, infinitely more controllable and completely removes the dead zone. Highly recommended. 

[CTRob]

According to my tests (and BillyJim's, and Micloi's) the 'little widget' is phenomenal. It transforms the response of the car and box, and doesn't touch the engine or ECU. It's not a remap or anything of the sort, it just changes 'how' the car puts the power down. The Skodas are extremely soft and laggy on their throttle maps. With the gadget there is no more lag, and no more choosing between dozy D or insane S.

 

You get a throttle that can be applied just a bit to give strong, instant and progressive acceleration across the rev range, or a bit more throttle to drop a gear or two (petrol) and accelerate hard through the top of the rev range. No negative effects on fuel economy (noticeable anyway), and it brings the car alive. Without it you have a range of throttle travel that goes "Nothing... Nothing... Very sluggish slow acceleration... OMG DROP THREE GEARS AND GO FAR FASTER THAN THE LAW ALLOWS FOR NO REASON!". With the gizmo it's much more progressive, infinitely more controllable and completely removes the dead zone. Highly recommended. 

 

Do you need to notify your insurance company about these units?

[OllieMK]

This may actually be the fuel-economy-related throttle response mapping rather than the DSG. Even with the petrol 280 there is a response lag if slowing/braking and then applying acceleration, particularly disconcerting if you're trying to get out into a gap in the traffic.

Even from standstill it needs a heavy application of the right foot to get it to respond with any sense of urgency.

In my case I've totally cured it (see here), though at £169 it's not exactly a cheap cure but for me it's been worth every penny.

I have this issue on my Scirocco. I totally had to change my driving style to suit but it does take you by surprise now and then. Even if you then plant your right foot it can just spin the the fronts up on a FWD car.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

[Superb170]

Great review and thanks for taking the time to put that together.  Some very interesting comments in there.  I'm starting to look towards my next car change and will be ordering over the next few months.  190 v 150 is a big question for me, having had two 170s and I'm leaning towards the 150 based on what I've read from a few members on here.  I've driven the 150 and it feels fine and almost equal to the 170.  Disappointing to hear about some quality problems especially the rattles.

 

How would you rate overall refinement (I know you said the engine is noisy) especially of you've driven other similar cars?

[philsmith]

Just to balance this story, I have to say that my car has not had or got any rattles, squeaks or groans whatsoever, it is totally silent.(apart from the variable boot floor when empty. 'cause it has no catch!) also no loose trims anywhere inside or out, the car was put together perfectely.

Edited 14 July, 2016 by philsmith

[BillyJim]

Just to balance this story, I have to say that my car has not had or got any rattles, squeaks or groans whatsoever, it is totally silent.(apart from the variable boot floor when empty. 'cause it has no catch!) also no loose trims anywhere inside or out, the car was put together perfectely.

+1

Unfortunately not everyone is as fortunate!

As more people are likely to voice complaint if they suffer this type of thing than those who keep quiet because they have no complaints I think it results in a skewed perception of the Superb build quality.

[SteveHut]

Good review. Tend to agree with most of your comments. Though I always leave suspension in sport and even then I find that too soft though I had an A6 Sline with the lowered suspension which was a bit firm but I never felt it overly harsh. The DSG box seems to be Jackal & Hide, works well most of the time then throws a strop and forgets its a gearbox and has to change gear or changes gear to early then changes back down again. The camera is certainly worth it as in London a lot as well and great for parking though its still a big car and doesn't always fit in spaces or multi story car parks very well. Also have to be careful as can lose cars in the blind spot especially when joining a motorway, always have to check over your shoulder. No idea how much Adblue would cost me as filled mine up twice in 14000 miles though don't pay for it as borrow the trucks supply which considering how rough the engines sounds is a bit ironic.

 

Do love the look of the car especially on 19s. Not sure at this stage whether I would buy another.

[philsmith]

+1

Unfortunately not everyone is as fortunate!

As more people are likely to voice complaint if they suffer this type of thing than those who keep quiet because they have no complaints I think it results in a skewed perception of the Superb build quality.

 

Yes complaints always get more air play than compliments.

 

As for the DSG, I think the problems may be a diesel related thing as my petrol car seems always to be in the correct gear, except when I put it in sport when it refuses to change up into the higher gears, you can get up to 80mph on the motorway and it is still in fifth! So I tend to only use sport when I need some fun or want to overtake something even quicker then normal.

[Vaim]

According to my tests (and BillyJim's, and Micloi's) the 'little widget' is phenomenal. It transforms the response of the car and box, and doesn't touch the engine or ECU. It's not a remap or anything of the sort, it just changes 'how' the car puts the power down. The Skodas are extremely soft and laggy on their throttle maps. With the gadget there is no more lag, and no more choosing between dozy D or insane S.

 

You get a throttle that can be applied just a bit to give strong, instant and progressive acceleration across the rev range, or a bit more throttle to drop a gear or two (petrol) and accelerate hard through the top of the rev range. No negative effects on fuel economy (noticeable anyway), and it brings the car alive. Without it you have a range of throttle travel that goes "Nothing... Nothing... Very sluggish slow acceleration... OMG DROP THREE GEARS AND GO FAR FASTER THAN THE LAW ALLOWS FOR NO REASON!". With the gizmo it's much more progressive, infinitely more controllable and completely removes the dead zone. Highly recommended. 

 

Are you saying it completely eliminates the throttle lag? I'm pretty annoyed by slamming gas and having to wait 1-2 seconds for it to react at all.

[Rainmaker]

Are you saying it completely eliminates the throttle lag? I'm pretty annoyed by slamming gas and having to wait 1-2 seconds for it to react at all.

 

That was my experience, yes. They do a 30 day money back guarantee (plus 14 days distance selling protection) if you fancy giving it a go.

[Vaim]

That was my experience, yes. They do a 30 day money back guarantee (plus 14 days distance selling protection) if you fancy giving it a go.

 

Alright, and if there's no real negative mpg impact, i might actually have to try it.

[Bally]

+1

Unfortunately not everyone is as fortunate!

As more people are likely to voice complaint if they suffer this type of thing than those who keep quiet because they have no complaints I think it results in a skewed perception of the Superb build quality.

+1 too!

 

Just coming up to 5k and, touch wood :peek: , no rattles, squeaks, funny noises or issues (apart from the rubbish windscreen washers!).

 

Just thought add my tuppence worth to support the quiet majority