Hi All

 

I'm about to return to the Skoda fold after some poor experiences with Nissan and Citroen.

 

I have my sights set on a Superb but am unsure on the model I should go for. I started by looking at the SE Technology but I wondered if I might need Park Assist as my last two cars have been much smaller. Also, I have a spine condition which makes looking over my shoulder (and therefore reversing) rather painful. I then started looking at an L&K (all those goodies........) as amongst a raft of other things it has Park Assist as standard.

 

My quandary is whether to go for the SE Technology and whether or not to specify Park Assist as an optional extra, or go the whole hog and order an L&K. The uprated sound system, heated seats and heated windscreen all appeal.

 

I presume Park Assist works well and is not just a gimmick?

 

On a lease, the L&K would cost around £80 per month more. 

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks

Its very much horses for course game...

 

I have always been a fan of high spec'ed cars coming from BMW's, Audi's etc... (private purchases) however this time i decided to go down the company car route. I can pretty much order what i want but the PUC (amount I pay per month on top of my allowance increases.)

 

I looked at all the options and decided that a SE Business (now called SE Tech) was the best option for me this time as i'm never going to own the car and didnt want to pump any extra into it.

 

Yes.. the SE Business does not have xenons or the bigger wheels etc etc, however its a perfect tool for the job. Which for me is carting the family around, trips to the EU etc etc..

 

The SEL does not come with front parking sensors which are a must in my opinion and expensive to add as an extra.

 

I have no issues parking the car, however i have come from 5 series, A4's etc .

 

In order to decide, what's the difference between a SE Tech car with the options you want v a L&K ??

The other question is... £80.. £80 on top of say £200 maybe not a big deal, but £80 on top of £400 and you are getting close to A6, E Class and 5 series money. on leases..

Park assist is very good but does require a change in how you park. It takes a while to get used to using it but it will park you as well if not better than you can yourself. It certainly puts the car into spaces hat I would drive past as far too short. Some like it but SWMBO just wont use it because it does take a little longer to select and you do have drive quite slowly whilst looking for the parking spot; easy to end up with an idiot right behind you just when you want to reverse. It does both parallel and bay parking. That said, if you spec front and rear parking sensors they are very good.

 

On the L&K you get all round sensors that not only track front and rear bumper but also give you a 360 pic of the car and oncoming obstructions. The Superb is a big car and with the combi (estate) I wouldn't like to park it without them at least.

 

I would also say that the bi-xenon headlamps with AFS are excellent and if you do any amount of night driving I would consider them essential.

 

hth

Just to add my 2p about the parking sensors. I just have the rear but have no trouble parking the car. I can put the front of the car a few cm's away from the wall at the ncp.

I was a bit nervey for the first couple of weeks but now no problem.

Of course that's just the front sensors. Your neck problem must be a nightmare. It's bad enough looking over your shoulder when you've just pulled a muscle ....

As SL says above I couldn't be without the Xenons. That would be a deal breaker for me..... Back to Halogen ! Urgh no thanks !

Edited 28 October, 20169 yr by Nick_H

I coped without front sensors on my S2 and now on my S3 - I don't find it a problem but each driver is different.

 

Jury is still out on the Xenons for me - don't get me wrong they are good but I want the beam longer on travelling faster and it doesn't seem to do it. 

I coped without front sensors on my S2 and now on my S3 - I don't find it a problem but each driver is different.

 

Jury is still out on the Xenons for me - don't get me wrong they are good but I want the beam longer on travelling faster and it doesn't seem to do it. 

 

I never go above 55 so the long beam doesn't bother me ;-)

I never go above 55 so the long beam doesn't bother me ;-)

55 yards per second?

Are the xenon's adjustable? My led lights on my previous Leon were quite easily adjusted.

We had a 2010 Honda Civic and moved on to a superb on 1st sept.

As we leased it was decided a SE technology with no extras was the way forward as it's a lot of car for them rental payments (likened to a super mini).

The size was easy enough to get used to for me and my wife and the front and rear sensors really help in the tighter spaces.

Ultimately it's your money and you can buy what you feel is right for you.

My opinion (and it is just that) is that why hand over more money for a few extra gadgets in a car that already has a radar... sure ventilated seats may be nice etc but personally it's not worth £80 more per month over having say 'just' duel zone climate control.

I never go above 55 so the long beam doesn't bother me ;-)

 

55 yards per second?

 

I've tried spending too much time working this out -  unsuccessfully.

I've tried spending too much time working this out - unsuccessfully.

112.5 mph (got an app, no skill from me!)

Sorry guys it was Parsecs per second :-D

Edited 29 October, 20169 yr by Nick_H

Jury is still out on the Xenons for me - don't get me wrong they are good but I want the beam longer on travelling faster and it doesn't seem to do it. 

When I first had my FL I was quite disappointed with the xenons, they had a very poor range especially on low beam. I asked the dealer to check them and they asked me who had been messing around with them - I pointed out they had been like that sine new and they were the supplying dealer. A quick adjustment sorted them out, they now have a very good range on low beam, and high beam is great but is a combination of xenon and halogen (not sure if the mk3 uses halogen as well for high beam). Maybe they just need adjustment - worth asking your dealer next time its in. 

From experience with my previous Fabia 2 Monte Carlo Tech Black Edition almost everyone was complaining about the headlights (single halogen H7 bulb with a shutter to change from dip to main beam) and it turned out that they were all set low at the factory, I took mine to a friendly MOT Station and he showed me that they were set at the lower limit to pass the UK MOT, he just adjusted them up to just under the upper limit.

 

That coupled with a bulb upgrade made life much easier at night.

 

If you have xenons on the Superb 3 they are bi-xenons so no halogen for high beam. 

If you have xenons on the Superb 3 they are bi-xenons so no halogen for high beam. 

My mk2 FL has bi-xenons (so they do both high and low beam) plus additional halogens which come on for high beam only.

I was very tempted to lease a superb tech as the lease deals are very good at the moment but the two things that put me off are the headlights and the smaller wheels. I just don't think the mk3 looks as good on the 17s. Maybe compromise and get the executive or sportline?

Hi All

 

I'm about to return to the Skoda fold after some poor experiences with Nissan and Citroen.

 

I have my sights set on a Superb but am unsure on the model I should go for. I started by looking at the SE Technology but I wondered if I might need Park Assist as my last two cars have been much smaller. Also, I have a spine condition which makes looking over my shoulder (and therefore reversing) rather painful. I then started looking at an L&K (all those goodies........) as amongst a raft of other things it has Park Assist as standard.

 

My quandary is whether to go for the SE Technology and whether or not to specify Park Assist as an optional extra, or go the whole hog and order an L&K. The uprated sound system, heated seats and heated windscreen all appeal.

 

I presume Park Assist works well and is not just a gimmick?

 

On a lease, the L&K would cost around £80 per month more. 

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks

 

Does your back condition mean you ’need’ electric lumbar support to get comfortable?

as on the SE Technology that is option you would need to add (@ £550)

then heated front seats, as they really help with a bad back (@ £250)

Park Assist is £590 ... and very good,

then there is the electric boot (@ £400) or are you fine with opening and closing the boot manually?

Heated screen - no scraping again (@ £300)

 

By now you are probably better off with the L&K and you gain loads of other spec as well

 

Are the xenon's adjustable? My led lights on my previous Leon were quite easily adjusted.

 

Yes, but it needs to be hooked up to VCDS or the dealers tool whilst being adjusted.

I went for the SE Business on lease and it was delivered in March 2016, so far so good with no complaints about the car. As for the spec and price mine came in at £255 with some extras added. I don't know what the current spec is now but mine included front and rear sensors and I wouldn't be without them. Electric driver seat was included and is well worth it if you have a partner who might use the car too, still makes me smile to see the seat adjust and move depending on which key is used. I added the rear camera and electric boot and they are well worth it, as is the Canton sound system. I would say heated seats aren't essential with part leather/alcantara, I had it on my last car and don't miss it.

The 17 wheels look fine IMO and possibly give a smoother ride, as for park assist no denying it's useful for parallel parking but I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've done that in the last 6 months so for me it's not essential.

Pound for pound the SII in the right model is great value and I'm enjoying my time with mine, but if you venture too high I personally would consider a good spec BMW/Merc/Audi. The SIII is a great all round car and loaded with extras is tempting, but let's not get carried away it ain't a BMW 5, Merc E Class or Audi A6.

Does your back condition mean you ’need’ electric lumbar support to get comfortable?

as on the SE Technology that is option you would need to add (@ £550)

then heated front seats, as they really help with a bad back (@ £250)

Park Assist is £590 ... and very good,

then there is the electric boot (@ £400) or are you fine with opening and closing the boot manually?

Heated screen - no scraping again (@ £300)

 

By now you are probably better off with the L&K and you gain loads of other spec as well

 

 

Yes, but it needs to be hooked up to VCDS or the dealers tool whilst being adjusted.

 

SE Tech has the memory seat and electric lumbar on the drivers seat (passenger seat manual)

Hi,

After having leased SE Business Estate 2.0tdi (150bhp) for 10 months and visiting the dealeaship's garage 4 times, I decided to contribute to this discussion.

I placed an order on 8 Oct 2015 and got the car on 1 Feb 2016. Chose SE Business, which is SE Tech now (I haven't noticed any differences in spec but didn't check every position), on 3+23 contract. Options are 18 inch Zenith alloys and heated front seats.

Some notes on specification (in response to Original Poster):

1. Front and rear parking sensors as well as informative rear view mirrors do a great job and I never turned my head to look over my shoulders whilst parking. Don't think front sensors are a must but they make driving/parking easier;

2. Halogen headlights aren't great but acceptable. I fitted premium extra light bulbs which slightly improved visibility but xenons are better anyway (especially, if you often drive in dark/RAINY!!! conditions or want the light distribution to change automatically once in Europe);

3. Alcantara/leather trim is a paradise. Not hot in +40C summer and comfortable in cold times (although, i don't regret ordering heated seats and regularly use this option). Material is dirt proof and very easy to clean (based on chaos normally made by wife and children of 4 and 1 y.o. .

4. Auxiliary heater that uses heat from the engine for about 30 min after you stop it to warm the cabin.

Now the bad points:

1. Noise! After reading numerous reviews, I suspect it's the only basic spec or my car which are not properly insulated. 2016 Superb SE Business Estate 2.0tdi is a noisy car. There's a lot of road roar, really. I had a 2500 mile trip to France, Andorra and back, no much discomfort over there but British roads don't make it a comfortable car. You MUST test drive all specs. It looks like higher spec'ed cars are better hushed. Would like a quieter engine too.

2. Sound of closing doors. Same as budget Korean/Japanese;

2. Reliability...... Many words have been said about VAG Group. But I thought the owners were the problem. Owners who couldn't drive properly, accelerated hard on cold engine, stopped it straight after turbo had been pushed hard etc. I was wrong...

a) 2 weeks after delivery, my car was with a delearship due to bluish marks on the right side of the vehicle that could only be seen under the Sun. Factory Quality Control and the dealer didn't notice tnat

At 8500 miles all dashboad lights/dials stopped working. Pulled over at supermarked and couldn't start the engine. Skoda Assistance technician wasn't available so AA mechanic was called. After an hour of investigation, one of the fuses was taken out and put back . Dashboard got back to life, car could be started. Dealer didn't find any issues.

c) At 12950, low coolant alarm came on. I opened the bonnet and there was no coolant in the tank at all. Added some water according to service advisor's recommendation to get the car to the garage. No issues were found and the coolant was topped up to the max level. At 13300, coolant dropped to the very minimum level and the car made another visit to the dealership. After 5 days of testing they said there was no pressure drop in the system so Skoda UK didn't authorise the dealership to carry out any further works. I have been advised to monitor (That's what is said in carried out job description). Some research on the web shows it's not a rare problem with these engines. If no external leak can be detected , it means there might be a loss of coolant within EGR valve or cracked engine head/block. No need to explain, I believe..

Superb is a very well equipped car, offers a lot of space and good comfort. I set my budget to £250-275 a month when I was choosing a car. But now I understand that if I wasn't so greedy and stretched to just 300-350 I would get a completely different level of a vehicle. From extremely reliable top spec SUV like Honda Crv to new Merc E-class (yeah, that one wasn't available one year ago)

In addition to my comment in this thread, I insist people have a look at other brands If you are happy to lease and not buy, if you can spend some extra in monthly payments/insurance then considering The Big German Trinity is a must. Driving pleasure is incomparable to Skoda. Outgoing 5 series and A6 are offered on great lease deals, £50-100 extra a month on top of Skoda. E-class is a bit pricier but it all depends on the spec you want.

In addition to my comment in this thread, I insist people have a look at other brands If you are happy to lease and not buy, if you can spend some extra in monthly payments/insurance then considering The Big German Trinity is a must. Driving pleasure is incomparable to Skoda. Outgoing 5 series and A6 are offered on great lease deals, £50-100 extra a month on top of Skoda. E-class is a bit pricier but it all depends on the spec you want.

Couldn't agree more a quick glance shows you can get a BMW 520d [190] SE 4dr Step Auto for £298 on a 3x47 lease, or the Audi A6 2.0 TDI Ultra SE on a similar lease at £273 all including VAT. These are the latest 2016 quarter prices and there were definitely cheaper deals in the Summer.

Hi All

 

Thank you all for your helpful advice!

 

I have ordered an L&K 2.0 150hp estate. Business Grey and beige interior. I couldn't make a lower trim version stack up with all the goodies I wanted added on. Not looking to take delivery until mid February when my the lease on my Citroen Cactus runs out. I suspect the next three months will be longest in the year!

 

Did look at an Audi A4 but I don't rate my local dealer, and I found the Skoda more comfortable, and easier to get my bike in the back of.

 

 

Hi trickdick

Would you share what deal you got? Pm me if you wish

[quote name="Gizmo68" post="4742487" timestamp="1477757118"

Yes, but it needs to be hooked up to VCDS or the dealers tool whilst being adjusted.

Not true - they are adjusted the same way as any light, using a hex driver in the white adjusters on the light.

The car only needs to be plugged in and put into learn mode for the upper and lower tolerances on the self levelling system, and to program the AFS.