SE Technology 1.5TSI

[Zengt12]

My 1.5 SE Technology arrives this Monday 19/3. Feeling excited now. However I cannot see what all the fuss is about with it's space and practicality. My wife's 03 Citroen Picasso has far more boot and storage and interior space. it has 3 removable sliding full size reclining ŕear seats and with tables. All in a smaller car. I am looking forward to the Karoq as this will be my first ever VAG vehicle

[Orville]

The Xsara Picasso was a different type of car. MPV's are like household mini buses - generally ugly but ultra-practical. SUV's on the other hand tend to be stylish, more like a car than a mini bus, with decent practicality. 

[Zengt12]

Yes agree SUV's are more like a car to drive. The Karoq does feel very safe and solid. I choose the Karoq over the Octavia VRS 245 which is what I really wanted. Both on a PCH before Xmas extremely cheap. An amazing car but spoilt by being amazingly uncomfortable. The more I think of the Karoq comfort and speed should be good.

Edited 17 March, 2018 by Zengt12
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[Orville]

I own a Karoq 1.5TSI and an Octavia VRS TSI Estate. I bought the Karoq as a second-car, but now prefer driving it over the Octavia most of the time. If I could only keep one of them, in all honesty I'd pick the Karoq. It's not perfect (a 4WD 2.0TSI is not available yet), but it's pretty good.

Edited 17 March, 2018 by Orville

[Zengt12]

I must have made the right choice then!

[loadswine]

Funnily enough,I agonised over the Octy VRS versus Karoq as well, before ordering mine. I loved my vrs tsi that I had, but the Karoq was very convincing and more urgent to drive than I expected, plus the vrs245 orders were closed, so am happy with my choice.

[nickfrog]

On 17/03/2018 at 21:10, Zengt12 said:

My 1.5 SE Technology arrives this Monday 19/3. 

 

Good! Where are photos though ?

[Zengt12]

I am very impressed. Feels very well built and smooth. I find the EPB weird. It did roll back on my drive once. Like a previous remark earlier the car has lurched forward a few times from start off. I put this down to the EPB as if it has snatched then released. My Karoq arrived by transporter. A neighbour came out taking a picture of the truck thinking a McLaren had been delivered!

[nickfrog]

Looking great - it's the same shade as the snow !! Uncanny.

[threadbear]

Smart looking motor in the white. 

[loadswine]

Excellent! Nice to see folks taking delivery.

[Orville]

Identical to mine - looks very nice in white. The accelerator pedal on mine is very sensitive, and when combined with stop-start-startting plus the EPB, it can result in some lurching until you are completely used to it. I think I have learned to drive around it by putting a slight pause in-between coming off the brake and hitting the accelerator.

 

edit: Just realised you have a manual and I have DSG. I think the EPB should work the same on yours (deactivate soon after releasing the brake pedal), but it make also wait to feel the clutch disengage before release (especially if on a hill). To test whether it is the EPB causing lurching or simply a new clutch being grabby, you can override the EPB and use the manual mode.

Edited 20 March, 2018 by Orville

[skidpan]

We looked at the Karoq in the showroom when we ordered the Fabia, thought it might be a good option to replace the Superb in a couple of years. Very disappointed. I am not comparing it to the Superb since that is a bigger car all round but the rear seat space is less than the wifes outgoing Note and once you have fitted a spare in the boot with the raised boot floor the capacity in there will probably be about the same as the Note. All in a car almost 2 feet longer than a Note, not very clever.

 

But the Karoq is no different to all cars of this type. Its more about fashion and style instead of practicality. Unfortunately the SUV appears to have virtually killed off the MPV which was a much more useful car.

[ethereum]

1 hour ago, Orville said:

Identical to mine - looks very nice in white. The accelerator pedal on mine is very sensitive, and when combined with stop-start-startting plus the EPB, it can result in some lurching until you are completely used to it. I think I have learned to drive around it by putting a slight pause in-between coming off the brake and hitting the accelerator.

 

edit: Just realised you have a manual and I have DSG. I think the EPB should work the same on yours (deactivate soon after releasing the brake pedal), but it make also wait to feel the clutch disengage before release (especially if on a hill). To test whether it is the EPB causing lurching or simply a new clutch being grabby, you can override the EPB and use the manual mode.

 

I test drove one and thought the same

[Portman]

1 hour ago, skidpan said:

But the Karoq is no different to all cars of this type. Its more about fashion and style instead of practicality. Unfortunately the SUV appears to have virtually killed off the MPV which was a much more useful car.

 

I have to agree with you skidpan.  I am looking to replace a Renault Grand Scenic with something a little smaller but the Karoq is a nearly-there solution in my opinion.  Skoda could have been "really clever" with the design giving more rear seat knee room plus useful other storage spaces such as underseat drawers in the front and even underfloor cubbies like the Scenic (and others).  Whilst I like the idea of  seat back tables those in the Karoq do take up space and could have been designed to have been sculpted into the front seat backrest. 

Also, on the varioflex seats the centre seat will not tumble all the way forward as it fouls the centre console, and the outermost seats require the front seats to be moved forward a couple of notches for them to tumble all the way forward.  When you are a tall driver who needs the seat all the way back, that's not fun.

It's what I call "simply stupid" design.

Is there something better on the market - probably not, and that's the problem.

[Orville]

1 hour ago, skidpan said:

We looked at the Karoq in the showroom when we ordered the Fabia, thought it might be a good option to replace the Superb in a couple of years. Very disappointed. I am not comparing it to the Superb since that is a bigger car all round but the rear seat space is less than the wifes outgoing Note and once you have fitted a spare in the boot with the raised boot floor the capacity in there will probably be about the same as the Note. All in a car almost 2 feet longer than a Note, not very clever.

 

But the Karoq is no different to all cars of this type. Its more about fashion and style instead of practicality. Unfortunately the SUV appears to have virtually killed off the MPV which was a much more useful car.

For me the Karoq is more spacious than I anticiapated. Owning an Octavia Estate I expected the 1ft shorter Karoq to be noticeably smaller inside, but in reality I only really notice a difference within the boot area. Front legroom is fine for me (6ft5), and shoulder room is actually better than the Octavia. Rear legroom loses a couple of inches to the Octavia, but I can still sit comfortably behind my own seating position, although my knees do come very close to the front seat. As I said, the boot is noticeable smaller than an Octavia's, but it is still big-enough for most situations and is of a very good size. There is room for a spacesaver wheel without eating into boot space (FWD version). For it's size I think they have done a good job with interior space. They could have eeked-out a bit more by making it taller and boxier, but that would have uglified the car reduced economy, and decreased refinement. All cars are a compromise.

 

The Note offers exceptional space for it's size, aided greatly by the sliding rear seats which can give good rear legroom or good boot space. The Note is an MPV, who's gender focuses on space and practicality. SUV's offer more car-like abilities with some sacrafices to space. SUV's are really just tall-hatchbacks, albeit slightly more practical and sometimes more attractive than their shorter cousins.

Edited 20 March, 2018 by Orville

[Zengt12]

I agree with all you guys about MPV and SUV's. My previous car was a Honda Civic Tourer ftom new. Huge boot and lovely to drive. The Karoq already feels a much nicer vehicle and really does feel like a car to drive. Somehow it seems much more spacious than when I sat in the first showroom models. I admit originally I was never impressed with the styling when it was first introduced looking like any other bland SUV but the styling grows on you and it looks better than the more angular Ateca 

Edited 20 March, 2018 by Zengt12

[Zengt12]

Cheers Orville about the advice on lurching! It only happened once today trying different techniques.

[Zengt12]

Fuel consumption today. Pretty good for a new engine also in a bit of slow traffic. Not been above 2000rpm yet. Just started using eco mode today after three days of normal mode.

[OldKaroq]

11 minutes ago, Zengt12 said:

Fuel consumption today. Pretty good for a new engine also in a bit of slow traffic. Not been above 2000rpm yet. Just started using eco mode today after three days of normal mode.

Looks good! What engine do you have?

[Zengt12]

3 minutes ago, OldKaroq said:

Looks good! What engine do you have?

1.5 Petrol. Going to run in for 500 miles gradually increasing rpm

[OldKaroq]

2 minutes ago, Zengt12 said:

1.5 Petrol. Going to run in for 500 miles gradually increasing rpm

Sorry, the post was titled with 1.5 tsi and you were the OP. 

I have ordered the same engine and looking forward to getting back to petrol after 25 years of diesels!

[Zengt12]

We will have to have a competition do see who gets the most mpg.

[MarcusKaroq]

31 minutes ago, Zengt12 said:

1.5 Petrol. Going to run in for 500 miles gradually increasing rpm

 

DSG or manual? Do engines still need running in any more? I got told they don’t? 

[OldKaroq]

18 minutes ago, Zengt12 said:

We will have to have a competition do see who gets the most mpg.

 Every year I think I drive more slowly - being 60 will give me an automatic advantage!!