9 hours ago, GoneToBeemer said:

 

Problem is, some of the die hard fan boys would argue a Superb is comparible to a Bentley inside.

 

The Superb is a lovely car, as is the Octavia, but they are built to a price, simple as.

 

 

9 hours ago, Alan_P said:

Well Bentley can only dream of Skoda build quality

Seriously though, it is a Skoda forum so it’s to be expected. Let them get on with it… as long as they are happy

 

 

Haha this is true...or even Rolls Royce 

 

100% agree - I’m totally impartial, in fact I couldn’t care less what car I drive, I’m not a badge snob, and I would have a Skoda again tomorrow!

 

I do circa 25k miles a year, so all I am bothered about is wafting about in quiet comfort, great seat, sound system and a large fuel tank (pet hate of mine having to fill up!).

 

If I could have found a S3 L&K for the right price, that’s what would be sitting on the drive.

12 hours ago, GoneToBeemer said:

 

I watched this last night - no way is it anywhere near as nice inside as a Superb or Passat, and the Mondeo seems to have lost its edge now. Unless you could get a mega good deal on one, you can’t imagine anyone choosing one over the Skoda / VW counterpart. 

 

I did... and don’t regret it one bit.

 

I spent so long looking for my last car and considered so many other cars it was tiring.

 

Key things for me were value for money, performance, driving characteristics and kit.

 

The Passat and Superb could simply not match it. In fact, for a year old Superb they were coming out as expensive vs kit levels, engine etc. 

 

For example, kit on mine - heated steering, full leather 10 way electric adjustment, electric boot, 500w 12 speaker stereo, sports suspension, 180bhp dual clutch, digital instrument cluster, adaptive cruise, LED head lights - it has a massive spec on it. 

 

The equivilent Passat or Superb would of been far more expensive to have that kit on it.

 

it easily returns 50’s MPG and careful driving will hit 60mpg.

 

It has a more sophisticated 5 link rear independent suspension more akin to what’s on the 5 series than what is on MQB based cars independent rear.

 

Yes the interior isn’t full of high quality plastics - that’s not what I bought it for in the first place, however it’s solid and has no rattles and nothing has fallen off in the past 30k Miles.

 

Its been completely reliable, no faults or issues or anything breaking.

 

its great to drive, really rather good considering it’s in 19” alloys and sports suspension - refined and rides well.

 

The Superb is also a very good car as well, better than the Passat - however it doesn’t offer the value it once did. Prices have steadily increased over the years, and I think in the future this will be more of an issue as VW will charge Skoda more for the rights of using VW tech.

 

Also - I’m dubious of What Car reviews! What car are owned by Haymarket publications, who in turn operate Haymarket network, one of Haymarket networks partner is Volkswagen - in fact you can work for Haymarket at Volkswagen head quarters in Milton Keynes.... which makes me wonder how impartial the reviews are...

 

 

Considering the the new Mazda 6 Estate that will be coming in Q3 to the UK. Superb car. Watched a few reviews on Youtube from the states where its been on the roads since this Spring, Depends on the UK engine line up though

 

 

With regards to the Superb, Passat and Mondeo here are my thoughts.

 

Before ordering the Superb we looked at the Mondeo but not at the Passat, it was just too expensive. The Mondeo was fine on paper but compared to the Superb it fell well short and we did not actually drive one. 

 

The width across the mirrors was the first issue, it would not have fitted between the garage door frame without folding one in and lets be honest, using mirrors when reversing is pretty handy. The superb fits in with no issues.

 

Considering its was actually bigger outside Ford have managed to make it smaller inside. Less rear legroom and a much smaller boot. Quite an achievement.

 

Interior quality did not have the quality feel of the Superb especially in the rear. Not a deal breaker, the 2 facts above had already done that.

 

We had a Mondeo from 2003 to 2006 and it was a good car. But the new one appeared no bigger inside than our earlier one yet had grown outside, guess that is the American influence.

 

Now for prices. At the time the Mondeo and Superb (both hatches) were similar after taking Broker deals into consideration. The Passat would have needed to be the estate which pushed the price up. Current deals (at Carfile - no extras) suggest that (after contributions etc) the Superb 1.4 TSi 150 PS SE is £16108, the Mondeo 1.0 Ecoboost Zetec is £16337 (unfortunately the 1.5 is not listed - I would not consider the 1.0) and the Passat estate 1.4 TSi 150 PS SE business is £20157. If I were buying now the situation is actually clearer than it was in November 2016, the Superb wins again (providing you can actually order one).

 

 

2 hours ago, TonyTonic said:

Considering the the new Mazda 6 Estate that will be coming in Q3 to the UK. Superb car. Watched a few reviews on Youtube from the states where its been on the roads since this Spring, Depends on the UK engine line up though

 

We did look at the Mazda 6 as well and it did warrant a test drive but in truth fell well short. Price wise we considered the 2.0 Petrol estate in (I think) SE trim. It was possibly better kitted than the Superb and priced almost the same but soon fell off the leader board. Space in the rear and boot were poor for such a large car. The boot space further reduced if you specified the space saver spare which was a £450 extra, ouch. Then there was the drive, the engine had no punch at all, loads of revs needed to get decent performance. After 20+ years of turbo's and supercharged (diesel and petrol) it would have been a pointless buy. The new one really needs to up its game in several areas.

 

For the record we have had 3 Golfs and a Polo in the past, all good cars so no prejudice. From January 1986 to February 2003 there was a VW on the drive but in February 2003 bought the above mentioned Mondeo, it was much better than the Passat and the Octavia Estate we looked at, cheaper as well.

58 minutes ago, skidpan said:

We did look at the Mazda 6 as well and it did warrant a test drive but in truth fell well short. Price wise we considered the 2.0 Petrol estate in (I think) SE trim. It was possibly better kitted than the Superb and priced almost the same but soon fell off the leader board. Space in the rear and boot were poor for such a large car. The boot space further reduced if you specified the space saver spare which was a £450 extra, ouch. Then there was the drive, the engine had no punch at all, loads of revs needed to get decent performance. After 20+ years of turbo's and supercharged (diesel and petrol) it would have been a pointless buy. The new one really needs to up its game in several areas.

 

For the record we have had 3 Golfs and a Polo in the past, all good cars so no prejudice. From January 1986 to February 2003 there was a VW on the drive but in February 2003 bought the above mentioned Mondeo, it was much better than the Passat and the Octavia Estate we looked at, cheaper as well.

Yes, would have never considered the Mazda 6 before but the new one coming in Autumn Q3, has been much improved and is miles better than the one before. Now that they've ditched Ford, Mazda is regaining traction and is going back to their traditional values.

I watched few reviews on Youtube from the US and this confirms it. Hence it gets a mention. Have a look , you will be surprised.

Edited 5 June, 20188 yr by TonyTonic

On 03/06/2018 at 18:51, freelunch said:

When my warranty is up, the first car I will look at will be the Giulia Veloce.

 

I went and drove the Giulia before deciding on the superb as I have always had a thing for Alfa's, great motor but felt it was just too wee in the back with 3 kids.. and the saloon isn't that practical. 

2 minutes ago, technics100 said:

 

I went and drove the Giulia before deciding on the superb as I have always had a thing for Alfa's, great motor but felt it was just too wee in the back with 3 kids.. and the saloon isn't that practical. 

Same thought here, tried it, amazing motor but very small, probably a fraction smaller than even the 3 series BMW.

Mazda reminds me of Alfa , a sort of Asian version of Alfa Romeo.

Edited 5 June, 20188 yr by TonyTonic

I arrived at the Alfa dealer in my Brera when I went for my test drive. The interior was fine, certainly more room in back than what I was used to, but when I popped the boot lid, "Where's the boot?!" I think part of the problem was the small access. I like a hatchback.

 

It's simple for me: Alfa = heart; Škoda = head.

The Mazda 6 looks great, but I’ll never buy a N/A engine again (or a diesel). 

9 minutes ago, GaSelle said:

The Mazda 6 looks great, but I’ll never buy a N/A engine again (or a diesel). 

Why not NA? Diesel i can understand somewhat. 

None of the small capacity turbo engines give you the claimed figures. Its all on paper to satisfy Regulations. 

Edited 5 June, 20188 yr by TonyTonic

Because a turbocharged engine performs so much better for everyday driving IMHO. 

1 minute ago, GaSelle said:

Because a turbocharged engine performs so much better for everyday driving IMHO. 

Hmmm i have to disagree with that sorry

most driving is Done at low RPMs , particularly stop start traffic where turbos lack that Initial response. Some are better of course 

Edited 5 June, 20188 yr by TonyTonic

Each to their own. A 1.4 TSI feels way more powerful than a similar Mazda 2.0. Better torque, more economical etc. 

2 minutes ago, GaSelle said:

Each to their own. A 1.4 TSI feels way more powerful than a similar Mazda 2.0. Better torque, more economical etc. 

Mazda have been number one repeatadly in real Life Fuel consumption figure lists. Especially the latest iterations

Edited 5 June, 20188 yr by TonyTonic

Look them up at i.e. Sritmonitor.de. 

 

Average for all Superb 3 1.4 TSI 6,91 l/100km. 

Average for all Mazda 6 2.0 (2016->) 7,54 l/100km. 

 

I’m fine with the fact, that hou disagree. Fact is, that a TSI has better torque at lowers revs. A N/A need a lot of revs to get going. At 34, I’m getting too old for that. 

Just to add, I’m on my second 1.4 TSI 150. Also have a 1.0 TSI, and once had a 1.4 TSI 122. None of them lacks response at all, and all are able to live up to the claimed figures. 

I'm sorry to interrupt, but I've had a whiskey and the last post reminded me of the first and only time I ever drove a 427ci Corvette.

 

I inched it away from the traffic light in first. Halfway through the intersection, I snicked it back into second and eased the clutch out. The car went sideways!

 

Okay, okay, I exaggerate, but it definitely burned rubber and the rear wanted to meet the front. These F1 drivers don't get enough credit for what they do...

 

Back on thread, I, too, appreciate having the power down low. The PedalBox I bought was just to get a more responsive throttle, but it helps show off the low end, too.

 

I've never noticed any turbo lag on this 220ps Sportline.

25 minutes ago, TonyTonic said:

most driving is Done at low RPMs , particularly stop start traffic where turbos lack that Initial response. Some are better of course 

 

27 minutes ago, TonyTonic said:

None of the small capacity turbo engines give you the claimed figures. Its all on paper to satisfy Regulations. 

 

Its obvious from the above posts that you have never driven a 1.4 TSi engined car. I would recommend you do so before making such comments again.

 

11 minutes ago, GaSelle said:

Just to add, I’m on my second 1.4 TSI 150. Also have a 1.0 TSI, and once had a 1.4 TSI 122. None of them lacks response at all, and all are able to live up to the claimed figures. 

 

Totally agree. We are on our 2nd 1.4 TSi, the first a 140 PS in a Leon, the 2nd a 150 PS ACT in a Superb. They are incredible engines, loads of power from about 1500 rpm all the way to the redline. The Leon did 45 mpg overall and we expected less from the bigger Superb, we were wrong its also doing 45 mpg overall. 2 weeks ago we had a trip to Scotland, did 1000 in the week. Car averaged 54 genuine calculated mpg and we don't hang about. 430 miles in 7 hours driving. Beat that in a Mazda 6.

47 minutes ago, freelunch said:

I'm sorry to interrupt, but I've had a whiskey and the last post reminded me of the first and only time I ever drove a 427ci Corvette.

 

I inched it away from the traffic light in first. Halfway through the intersection, I snicked it back into second and eased the clutch out. The car went sideways!

 

Okay, okay, I exaggerate, but it definitely burned rubber and the rear wanted to meet the front. These F1 drivers don't get enough credit for what they do...

 

Back on thread, I, too, appreciate having the power down low. The PedalBox I bought was just to get a more responsive throttle, but it helps show off the low end, too.

 

I've never noticed any turbo lag on this 220ps Sportline.

Is your 220ps a dsg or manual

Ok I may be wrong.  I haven’t driven the 1.4TSI so maybe I’m wrong. 

Still good to look at other stuff and compare. Can’t hurt. 

I still love mine, 2.0 TDI SEL Exec with a couple of options such as the rain sensor (I just like the frameless mirror, I have a hatred of auto wipers really), phonebox, self parking and such. Had it since December, put nearly 15k on it already and it's been absolutely flawless. On a 4 year PCP, so I'll get a call two years in probably asking if I want to change. Not sure what I'd change for, around that time I believe they'll have the plug in hybrid going, so I'll probably look at that. I think the only thing I'd do differently is go for an auto, and go back to an estate.

 

Came out of a 2012 Avensis T-Spirit before this one. The only thing I really miss is the keyless entry / go. Might go for something more powerful too. It's easily the quickest car I've owned, but I know that 150 TDI will map to 200...

Not many candidates for replacement in my case.Arteon VR6 shooting break or Superb Vrs. Otherwise im staying with Superb 280 i just love size and performance of this car. 

On 6/3/2018 at 18:34, dg360 said:

I literally have no clue why people buy large Vauxhalls anymore.  When I was looking at leases, an Insignia estate was £100 - £150 a month more than a Superb (for less car).  Well into BMW and Merc territory.  

If I was choosing without a worry in the world and I didn't need an estate - I'd get an Alfa Giulia.

 

Because some companies have one make company car schemes.

 

DEC Marconi had when i joined., With Arqiva now and they do (Hyundai) but even more specific  - i40 estates and there are only business needs cars, no perk cars.

On 6/4/2018 at 15:26, RickTT said:

Mondeo is getting old now - but heres a new review

 

 

 

where its been compared to the Superb and passat..

 

 

Couldn't take her seriously after she mentioned it being the aspirational car . . . . 

 

The Cortina was an aspirational car, the Mondeo never has been, the aspirational choice since before the Mondeo was launched has been the 3 Series.  The Mondeo was the car you chose when you couldn't get anything else.  In my view it still is.  I still remember having a Mondeo hire car three weeks after the launch.  It was the first Mondeo I saw and attracted some attention, I would have preferred the Production Manager's 318.

 

Personally:

• Couldn't live with the interior design, I'm over 14.
• Had a Ford Kuga hire car a couple of months ago and the infotainment user interface is crap - screen size isn't everything.
• Ford discount heavily so as a company car driver (as I used to be) I would be paying tax on a fictitious list price that is never paid.
• They always worked out expensive on the lease, only £30-40 a month less than the 520 or E200 and emissions are traditionally high.
• They don't wear well.
• Couldn't live with the outside. Second Gen. Mondeo was a good looking car, this isn't.  It is more of a jelly mould than the original Sierra.
• Its a Ford.

I spend a minimum of 2 hours a day in the car, what I look for is a comfortable place to sit, quiet, economical, low cost, reliable, good radio/stereo.  Ford haven't met these for some time as I don't care that much about driving dynamics (as long as they are better than a Montego).  Most of my miles are motorway and you shouldn't be testing the handling limits on a public road, if I wanted to throw a car around I would get a track day car.