Iphone-MDI-USB

[JWardSound]

not on my rapid sadly.

[johnh510]

The Rapid does seem to be poverty spec compared to the Toledo: I have a Sport 1.2 TSI which isn't a year old yet, and there is nothing on the steering wheel apart from the horn push in the middle. "Infotainment" is a "Swing" - but I think the accountants cut the ropes, it's more of a plank... I even had to download and add the icons for the radio stations.

 

It does however have heated seats in the front which have been useful lately.

[JWardSound]

i've had a skoda fabia for a long time and its reliable. I went Rapid for the boot and its cheap to run. I was also looking at Hyundai i30s, which i really like, they come with all the bells and whistles and the post 2012 models are nicely styled. However with first baby on the way I went for the sensible choice! By all means not the most exciting car i hope i will ever buy but the price i paid for the mileage made it a no brainer, pretty low spec though. Thiss particlar one was cheaper than any Toledo's for the mileage.

 

The Fabia is due a replacement at some point so maybe i'll get a little 2 seater sports car or something...

Edited 3 March, 2018 by JWardSound

[johnh510]

Your comments about the Fabia are interesting - we have had three over the years from about 2009, two hers, one mine.

 

The first one was new in 2009 (HTP combi) which was nice and reliable for the first six years or so, give or take several issues with the catches for "roller blind" over the luggage area once repaired under guarantee, and second and third at our expense. It's a weak spot which has been redesigned completely in the Mk111. Other issues included sticking drum brakes - resolved oddly enough after a service at a VW garage (I think they replaced the inspection bungs in the drum back plates, but people who know better disagree.)

In its last year or two the fun started - the aircon mysteriously stopped working after a routine service, but a visit from a mobile specialist found nothing wrong, other than a severe shortage of gas (with no leak to explain it).

Then the drivers' window wouldn't close from the door switch, but would close with a long press to lock on the remote. "Diagnosed" at significant cost to be the switch. Switch changed, not the fault. Eventually found to be wiring fault.

Then the central locking started to play up, and the gearbox started to get noisy... time to get rid.

Got a Mk111 TSI combi SE, which is mostly better: better ride, better economy, better performance, better door mirrors (you can use them when its raining hard on the motorway).

The biggest issue so far is disk corrosion, which never seemed to be an issue on the Mk11's we had. Admittedly they were both "S" spec with steel wheels and plastic trim so you couldn't see what the disks looked like, but you can see AND feel the roughness of the disks on the MK111 SE which smooths out after some use. That never seemed to be an issue with the earlier cars.

 

I suspect the disk issue is down to the accountants again: disks probably almost certainly made from cheap recycled steel.

 

 

I traded in my 2012 (HTP combi) for the Rapid as it was approaching it's sixth year. I really wanted a current model Octavia, but couldn't cope with the low frequency noise on some road surfaces).

 

[JWardSound]

my 2001 fabia is not without its niggles! Driver door lock has gone, aircon doesn't work but i have never looked into it as I'm not really that fused, not sure it was amazing when it did work.,. boot catch intermittent but works after you open a side door, rear wiper has probably corroded and doesn't work well and the garage can't connect to it to get fault codes (which is probably a good thing) but the car is now 17 years old. The drive is still fantastic and economy seems fine (though not a touch on the rapid) It's done 127000 miles, i've had it since 66000, never broken down (i've said it now..)  The power steering went which was costly to replace (the whole thing...) and had to do it twice because of a dodgy east London garage did it the first time and that lasted about half a year...

 

I've been saying for years that i will replace it on the next expensive MoT or failure and so far nothing major. Don't do many miles on it now the wife uses it for a run-around so can see it going on and on.

[johnh510]

I obviously hadn't read the detail of the cars in your profile - you're doing well with the Fabia, I hadn't realised it was that old. Long may it continue.

 

Aircon is almost well named. But when once you've had (working) aircon... well, it's now on our must have list. It's useful for demisting too.

 

In my post above I intended to say I can feel the rusty/rough disk surface through the brake pedal, and that the feel improves as the surface polishes up.

I suppose we don't use the car enough these days: it can sometimes stand (outside) for a day or three without moving.

[camelspyyder]

A day or three?  My 67 plater had sat unmoved outside for 49 days when SWMBO took it to Tesco last Monday. It's been under snow ever since too.

 

 

Edited 3 March, 2018 by camelspyyder

[johnh510]

Monty Python 4 Yorkshiremen, revisited:

"We were evicted from *our* hole in the ground; we had to go and live in a lake!"

 

 

 

[SwissSkodaOwner]

Hi,

 

and what about changing my (not that) "old" swing radio for a new swing model. Considering that i dont really need an included GPS and the only thing i want is a better integration for my iPhone/ipod on usb port. It's quiet difficult to know which model is compatible.

 

Could it be a solution ?