Snobbery

[Whenwillilearn]

I dont think being part of the Audi VW family tree is anything to shout about. 3 out of 5 ratings for both brands on quality is just above average and with horror stories of dealers being unable to fix some of these cars leaves a lot to be desired.

[rtj70]

The VW Group which includes Audi as one brand has some excellent technology and platforms to share. You cannot blame the parent company totally for dealers - they do not own or operate these since they are franchises.

 

Expectation is another matter - I'd expect a better service from Audi than I would from SEAT or Skoda because of what I am paying. Hence Skoda being higher in the driver power lists.

 

Fingers crossed I like my Skoda Superb. I think an Audi A4 and even a VW Passat would have some equipment of higher quality plastics and finishes. But I think the Superb is a much nicer designed car than a Passat. My opinion.

 

I think the move to touch controls is wrong. The new Columbus and VW equivalent is wrong. Audi is ditching the excellent MMI and going for dual touch screens - see the new A7 and A8. 

[181ce]

I've had 3 BMW's

I won't be buying a 4th

Unless I win the lottery and can buy an exotic one.

Pound for pound I don't think Skoda have a match quality/kit

 

[CWARD]

 

15 minutes ago, 181ce said:

I've had 3 BMW's

I won't be buying a 4th

Unless I win the lottery and can buy an exotic one.

Pound for pound I don't think Skoda have a match quality/kit

 

 

I went the opposite way. I’d heard plenty of good stories about the Skoda brand and took the plunge. The reality didn’t live up to what I’d been told and ended up been the worst car and dealers I’d had in over a decade. I got rid of the car and sucked up the financial loss but benefit from having problem car ownership since with a lower running cost as a bonus. 

[YTT]

When I put my TTRS in for the service at an Audi main dealer, there was a noticeable drop in the 'premium' image that they previously pushed. In particular, I had to pay for a loan car (I have never had to do that with any car in the last 15 years) and I had to take it back afterwards because it was smoking. Turned out to be oil they'd spilt all over the place. One thing didn't change, though - the outrageous price. So I wouldn't necessarily expect a better service from a 'premium' dealer.

 

The A5 loan car I had was new, a few hundred miles on the clock. My beef with it was that it was harsh, noisy and the driver cockpit was awful. Badly laid out, claustrophobic and unintuitive. The tech was particularly difficult to use. You'd need to read the manual. The interior space was limited for a car that was so big on the outside. Bit like a reverse Tardis!

 

I've yet to find out what the aftersales service is like at my local Skoda dealer, but when I went to look at the car in the first place, they were the most attentive of any of the dealers I visited.

 

I've found the quality of the Superb interior to be very good. I don't know if that's because it's an L&K, I haven't been in any others. Interesting that switchgear has been mentioned. My Audi-driving business partner took a drive in it and immediately observed that the switchgear was 'the same as Audi'. I agree with him, having just sold my TTRS. Ironically, when I first drove it I happen to mention to my missus that the window switches operated better than my old TTRS ones!

 

As far as touch screens go, I like the Columbus. They've come a long way since the touch screen I had in my Jag in 2011. I sold that car at a great loss almost solely because of the awful touch screen. The Superb one is light years ahead and very well thought out. And I like the fact that a lot of the common controls still have a physical button.

 

I'm not looking to artificially 'big up' the Superb. I was fully prepared for something less than my previous Audis / Jaguars / Mercedes. But so far that's not been the case, it's repeatedly impressed me, at any price. It's early days, I'm just hoping nothing happens to soil my view!

[rtj70]

CWARD is an interesting poster.... had a bad experience and still posts here. Presumably to reinforce his bad experiences and let others know?

 

But nearly 2300 posts. Must have liked Skoda at some point

Edited 14 November, 2017 by rtj70

[dg360]

I think the only thing I can take away from this thread is that all manufacturers seem to have problems with consistency. Be that with quality, reliability or service.

I can see why Tesla have gone to extreme lengths to avoid traditional dealers.

[CWARD]

25 minutes ago, rtj70 said:

CWARD is an interesting poster.... had a bad experience and still posts here. Presumably to reinforce his bad experiences and let others know?

 

But nearly 2300 posts. Must have liked Skoda at some point

 

I did like it for a few months. Loved the DSG gearbox and the boot space that bigger than a Mondeo estate. Then the problems started, excessive condensation, creaking interior, canbus faults, rear wiper failure, sensor problems and dealer that didn’t really care other than how much he could charge. I may have bought a lemon but I came here looking for answers and found others with the same problems so knew I wasn’t alone. 

I stay around to pass on information I gained the hard way to others, just like others had done for me. 

[YTT]

I've never known a vehicle forum of any manufacturer or model that didn't have a liberal sprinkling of horror stories. I don't think Skoda forums are better or worse than any other. I just cross my fingers that I won't be one of the horror stories. And buying from Audi / Merc / BMW (for example) won't make you immune, as well I know...

[YTT]

On 03/10/2017 at 00:20, YTT said:

Having owned a number of 'premium' cars (including a top-of-the-range Jag XF S, two Merc E55AMG's, a Merc CLS500 and currently an Audi TTRS), you should see the look of horror I get off people when I tell them I just ordered a new Skoda Superb to replace the TTRS!

As far as I'm concerned, it's the car industry's best kept secret. I don't feel embarrassed, I feel smug. Having ordered a new 280 L&K with just about every option available, I'm getting a lot more car for a lot less money than a Audi / BMW / Merc. You can freeze on a cold winters morning. I'll put on my heated front seats. And heated rear seats. And rear screen. And front screen. And heated washer nozzles. And heated steering wheel. I could go on and on with all the other features. I'd rather have these than a level of  unquantifiable 'niceness' or a race track handling ability that I'll never use.

You can, of course, get these features in the 'premium' brands. But once you start adding options, the price goes through the roof. It winds me up when I see reviews that say something to the effect that 'the Superb is a great car, but I'd choose an Audi A4'. Trouble is, you can't have one, not at the same spec / price. I've spent a month doing the rounds at dealers, test driving, negotiating etc. I couldn't get a 'premium' brand at anything close to the deal I got on the L&K, from a main dealer. I've read some people saying Skoda's prices have crept up too high. But the reality is you can get a deal on a Skoda that is much better than some others. I was stunned at the price I got mine for.

And it's not about affordability. I can afford a Rolls Royce. It's about value for money.

I'm lucky enough to have a lot of experience of 'premium' brands over many years and frankly, they're not worth it. You pay 25-50% more, but you don't get 25-50% more. I've done my time on the badge snobbery roundabout. And all my 'premium' cars developed rattles here and there after a while. What, do you think they don't?! And they all needed expensive repairs at some point and servicing costs were horrendous.

I test drove the Superb and loved it. When I get mine, I'm expecting it to be not quite as good a ride as some other cars I've had. Nor as fast. Nor as 'nice'. But there's a different between 'not quite as good' and 'bad'. It's good enough for me and in the real world there are few occasions when the 'premium' brand advantage actually means anything on the road.

And perhaps more than anything, I just enjoyed driving it more than the others I tried.

So back on topic, when I see an Audi / BMW / Merc now, I smugly think my new Suberb will be bigger, faster, better equipped and more enjoyable, for a lot less money. Which I guess is Skoda brand snobbery.

 

 

 

I was reminded today that I made my first post here a year ago, so I thought it appropriate to post an update! I've had the 280 L&K Superb nearly a year now and it has been everything I thought it would be. Absolutely no regrets and I get as excited about driving it today as I did on day one.

 

I am pleased to confirm that as anticipated, when I see an Audi / BMW / Merc now, I smugly think my Suberb is bigger, faster, better equipped and more enjoyable, for a lot less money.

[181ce]

21 minutes ago, YTT said:

 

I was reminded today that I made my first post here a year ago, so I thought it appropriate to post an update! I've had the 280 L&K Superb nearly a year now and it has been everything I thought it would be. Absolutely no regrets and I get as excited about driving it today as I did on day one.

 

I am pleased to confirm that as anticipated, when I see an Audi / BMW / Merc now, I smugly think my Suberb is bigger, faster, better equipped and more enjoyable, for a lot less money.

I've also bought that tee shirt,I agree 201%

[Matchman55]

On 14/11/2017 at 21:28, YTT said:

I've never known a vehicle forum of any manufacturer or model that didn't have a liberal sprinkling of horror stories. I don't think Skoda forums are better or worse than any other. I just cross my fingers that I won't be one of the horror stories. And buying from Audi / Merc / BMW (for example) won't make you immune, as well I know...

 

I picked up my 1 yr old Sportline 220  a week ago.My previous car was an Audi A3 S-line which I kept for just short of 2yrs. it was a lovely looking car but was not perfect by anybody's imagination. I had to do a fair bit of customisation to get it looking how I wanted it. I.e change out all the horrible yellow interior bulbs and the hideous yellow fog/ coming home lights. The suspension was too hard and in the 1st year, I had to have both water pumps replaced at a considerable cost in a car with less than 50K on the clock.

My sportline is light years better in terms of its equipment and performance and looks good too. I've suffered a fair bit of the Skoda negativity from my friends but that's their problem. Looking forward to many miles of driving pleasure.