I am having odd thoughts.  I am embarking on a journey to replace my Land Rover Freelander and I have been looking at Skoda.   Logically I have been thinking about the Scout but over the last few days I have been reconsidering my options.

 

Why not get a VRS, I don't need huge ground clearance, just enough for farm tracks and grassy fields, nothing too gloopy, just a tad slippery hence the AWD.  I think the VRS is only an inch or two lower anyway and that won't make that much of a difference.

 

Have any of you on here used your VRS on tracks/fields and have you had any issues?

 

Appreciate your thoughts 

Assuming you are thinking about a 4x4 VRS TDi the (top) Scout is pretty much the same engine I think?  The added ground clearance of the Scout would swing it for me if I frequently drove down rough farm tracks, I have managed to beach an O2 VRS on the middle of a track before. Does the Scout have additional undertrays etc too?

Edited 10 November, 20178 yr by juan27

The VRS is quite low to the ground. It also sports a crappy plastic sump which is unprotected and easy to snag. My sump was punctured by a rock when the Missus took a wrong turn down a country road. Fortunately she got it home with only minor leakage, but the split was rather large. See  here for my experience.

 

My advice is go for the Scout if gorund clearance is any risk whatsover. The VRS is more setup for tarmac, motorways and city life, and has no under-car or seal protection.

 

edit: Here is the crack in my sump. As you can see, my Missue was very lucky not to punch a hole through it. The extra 40mm of Scout ride hight would have sailed over the obstacle.

Edited 10 November, 20178 yr by Orville

I have a standard-height 4x4 (somewhere between the vRS and Scout) and I have had it bottom out on farm tracks.

 

If you take it off paved roads regularly - get the Scout 

 

As said above it is the same engine as the vRS

Hmmm, there I was selling myself a VRS and you guys have to bring common sense into play 

You're right though, it looks like I will have to get a Scout or another make -  or when I go up tracks I'll nick my wife's Yeti 

 

Thanks for you help

 

Karoq or Kodiaq?

Sold our freelander 2 for a VRS 4x4 very pleased even towing our 1800kg caravan across wet fields! I like the look of the Karoq if you need the clearance but gutted no higher powered model. 

Orville has made a good post which I want to refer.

 

Although the suspension of the VRS can cope with bad roads on a daily basis, it is not ideal in places which are not maintaned where you have bumps, potholes & very uneven terrain. Remember the VRS is made to be a sportier car, so with the car being so low you could also sustain damage to the bumpers as well as the chassis which could be vulnerable. When I encounter a bad untreated road on my travels, I have to go extra slow given past experience with other cars I owned built in a similar way making contact with the ground even when driving at a sensible speed. 

 

 

Edited 10 November, 20178 yr by sleeper77

and Kent roads are not like billiard tables, they are horrible in places and I do go along a lot of lanes.  Looking more and more like a Scout then

 

I am so used to my Land Rovers which include Defenders, Freelanders and Disco's - they just bomb along irrespective of road surface. And -  "what sleeping policeman",  they just go over them as though they are not there!!

,

This is the first time I have thought about ground clearance in years, for my own cars. I am retiring and we will end up with 2 cars, they Yeti and one other.  I am tempted to get a 2nd Yeti but would rather have something with a larger payload as well.

Definitely go for the Scout if you're driving on anything other than a smooth tarmac road. As others have pointed out, ground clearance will be likely be an issue on the VRS, plus the low profile tyres aren't suited to rough roads. The Scout will have much taller sidewalls, softer suspension and will handle rough stuff with far better comfort.

Plus they don't do the proper vRS in 4x4 yet But Why !! ah we now that answer, those crafty Germans are biting the hand that feeds them so to speak ( in the success of Skoda but wanting to keep it down)