Hello everyone.

 

I am about to push the button on an order for a Superb from my local dealer, and I’m wondered if I could ask some detailed questions I am left with after doing my homework?

 

My usage will be normal family and leisure driving plus use for my work as a property developer .. so towing, long and biggish loads etc up to say a secondhand kitchen or a mini digger. But the towing will more be trailer than caravan. It is designed to be a long term car.

 

The car will be a Superb Estate SE L Executive. The current plan is the 2.0 TDI 150PS version on all season tyres, but I am more than a little tempted by the 190PS 4WD option. But 3k+ extra for that seems a lot. I am limited to that model due to needing eg fold flat front passenger seat.

 

My particular questions.

 

Are there any good reasons to go for an after market rather than manufacturer fitted towbar ? For aftermarket I could use a place in Derby which has been recommended here. The dealer asked me for an option between 7 and 13 pin wiring ... am assuming 13 pin wiring, as it will be a new trailer or van.

 

Does DCC help much when towing over the usual Driver Mode Select options?

 

Are there any roof bars available which stow under the variable boot floor (though I may make my own one of those) and can always be left in the car?

 

What is the best way to fit a dash cam, forward and back?

 

Has anyone had any success getting an allowance on the normal - Pirelli? - new tyres against a set of eg Michelin Cross Climates? How did you work it? One thought is out ave te car delivered directly to a local tyre place or persuade the dealer to take the Pirelli’s in as stock.

 

There seem to be a number of smaller options eg Blind Spot Warning, which can be turned on electronically as the kit is already installed via the appropriate diagnostic systems. Can I do that with Parking Assist?

 

If I have a black one will I lose it visually in large car parks? That seems a good rationale for a brighter, more unusual, colour.

 

Thanks for any time you are able spend. 

 

Ferdinand

 

 

Edited 4 July, 20188 yr by Ferdinand2000

Hello, welcome!

 

A lot of questions! I'll have a crack at the towing ones.... So, I'd for sure go for the more powerful diesel, particularly if you are contemplating towing something a heavy as a mini digger - watch the max towing weights as it varies with model, up to a max of 2200kg,  and also consider that although that is the max allowable, its not necessarily the max sensible and the car itself is relatively light for what it is. Dependant on what surface you may be towing on, the 4x4 may help. I have a 280 petrol 4x4 and it tows beautifully, but I've only had max 1600kg behind it.

 

Towbar wise, the OEM one gives you uprated cooling and charging systems as well as a very neat install that is easy to operate . I'd certainly opt for that over an aftermarket one, which will probably only be a couple of hundred pounds less  unless you fit it yourself. Also, the OEM one is wired and programmed by Skoda so any warranty issues are covered should they arise. Get the 13 pin socket for sure, whatever bar you go for. that means you can tow a caravan or similar and if you need 7 pin for a more normal trailer of a lightboard you can buy an adapter for a few pounds.

 

Another thing I would recommend if you will be towing a lot is to get the rear camera. It has a 'look down' mode where you can see the hitch and it makes reversing up to a trailer and absolute doddle. I was very unsure about it before ordering but now I am really pleased we went for it. Its a good bit of kit for normal reversing but for reversing up to a trailer hitch its brilliant.

Pay attention to wheel sizes, in regard to fitting all-season tyres. 

 

17’s and 18’s have a lot of options available whereas you have a choice of 2 for the 19’s, and the price goes up significantly. 

 

You should be ok with a SE L but something to keep in mind. 

Colour? I'm a fan of colour. In a car park, any Superb will disappear from view because it will be obscured by all of the SUVs parked around it. However, it will stick out farther. Yours will be the longest car in the lot!  

 

You said it was a long-term car. So buy the car you want. DCC is worth the money, IMHO.

As far as I know DCC is not self leveling so it can stiffen (or loosen) the damping but will not level the car so will give you no benefits in terms of that when towing. I have the SEL without DCC and I can not say I have felt I have needed it with the car handling well without it. So unless you are going to be really throwing it around you probably do not need it (also if keeping the car long term then a non DCC suspension will be cheaper to maintain in the future potentially).

If you have the forward facing camera then you are supposed to be able to activate lane assist with VCDS but I do not think you will be able to activate blind spot etc.. The blind spot warning has a unique wing mirror with the blind spot light in it which is not fitted to a standard car without blind spot detection on it. Parking assist requires extra side sensors which again are not fitted unless you have parking assist so you can not activate it afterwards. Hence if you want blind spot detection and parking assist then you need to add these to your option list. If you want lane assist then adding the A5 camera (cheapest way to do this is the Traffic Sign Recognition system) to your option list is required.

Roof bars will have to go diagonally across the boot to fit and I think the variable floor has compartments in it that would prevent this so you may have to make your own. Try to look at one in a showroom to confirm if this is the case.

The colour choices for the Superb are pretty woeful with the a mixture of blacks, greys and whites which are all pretty boring. I went for Petrol Blue which is OK from the bad bunch but would still prefer something brighter like my Race Blue VRS before this car. That said I have never 'lost' my car in a car park as I tend to be able to remember where I left it!!!!!!! I would have considered the red but was not prepared to pay the additional premium for it especially as it was not a red I really liked that much either.

Ferdinand2000,   welcome to the forum.

 

?

Has the dealership salesperson been able to tell you what the build week will be and when delivery of the car will be?

1 hour ago, PSM said:

I would have considered the red but was not prepared to pay the additional premium for it especially as it was not a red I really liked that much either.

 

When I picked up my Sportline yesterday, the dealer had it parked nose-to-tail with a new Velvet Red Superb estate, so it was very easy to see that the new red is (to my eye) much better than the old Corrida Red. Deeper, more lustrous (and I have a good wax on mine) with a slight metallic flake. I'd pay for it.

 

I said as much to the salesman. "No", he said. "Your red is no longer sold. It's rare!" So there you go. Any offers?  

I wouldn’t pay £900 for that red.

3 hours ago, cheezemonkhai said:

I wouldn’t pay £900 for that red.

Agreed. With such a limited colour palette for the Superb, you shouldn’t have to pay for any colour. 

 

Thanks so much for all your the comments. Very nearly there, now, but with a couple of even more detailed questions. We are at:

 

Skoda Towbar .. yup.

Paint .. probably petrol blue and beige interior.

Paddle gearshift .. yup, plus whatever steering wheel options necessary to allow it.

TRaffic Sign Recognition ... yup, especially in what I think is the absence of a speed limiter in the CC.

Parking assist ... yup, especially to help with hitching up through the rear camera.

Fold flat seat ... yup.

Boot realease for rear seats ... yup.

Virtual pedal ... yup.

Blind spot system ... standard on Executive.

Temporary spare wheel .. yup.

 

DCC ... probably not.

Pano sunroof ... maybe, depending on the final price.

 

** Remaining Questions.

 

Not sure about the variable boot floor.Having looked at one It does not seem strong enough to take 600kg, even spread out.

 

Am I right that the retracting rear shelf is the thing that can be tapped and then folds away, and can be removed and stored under the variable floor?

 

Is the heated windscreen a real benefit?

 

Tempting to have the 2nd USB socket for when one of them dies. Any thoughts are welcome.

 

Does anybody actually use the waste bin?

 

Thans all

 

Ferdinand

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 minutes ago, Ferdinand2000 said:

 

Is the heated windscreen a real benefit

 

If you live in areas where the temp regularly leads to an icy windscreen then yes, IMO.  Also great if you have early morning starts.  By the time you've scraped the rear side windows (Skoda ice scraper on inside of fuel filler) the windscreen and rear window are clear.   

 

The Superb doesn't have a Winter pack as such but I've spec'd heated screen, washer nozzles and seats on both my Superbs and haven't regretted it.  Especially earlier in the year, when we had a good week or two of snow and freezing temps.  

 

I don't have the Superb estate but defo found the variable floor useful on my previous estate and I've seen a few posts on here from people who didn't get the chance to choose the spec of their cars (used, ex-demo etc) and they do wish their cars had the variable boot floor.  

 

The good thing with the TSR option is that it specs the car with the A5 forward facing camera and once you have this then High Beam Assist and Lane Assist can be retrospectively enabled using VCDS.  Those are quite pricy options! 

 

Edited 6 July, 20188 yr by penguin17

I would not prsonally buy a Superb without DCC. Regular suspension was way too fluid for me. I have DCC and I love it. Also, when you have very heavy and unbalance stuff on your trailer, then you can put DCC in sport mode so your car backside won't bounce arount like its trying to twerk and failing miserably doing it. 

 

And new questions:
Variable boot floor - I would rather say NO if you are using heavy loads (600kg is heavy IMHO). If variable boot floor is needed (I personally dont get it), you better get a custom made one that is made for your needs.

If rear shelf will fit under variable boot - it even might. See the picture attached.

Heated windscreen - a true must with every Superb. Could not live without it anymore.

USB socket - Buying something double just for security if first one dies sounds a bit odd to me. If something breaks up, you get it fixed. 

Extra waste bin - IMHO pointless thingy. 

Pano sunroof - It's a cool thing and makes car more spacious but would think twice. They have tendency (especcially Skoda ones) to start making noises in time. You are going to give your Superb some hard time with towing excavators and driving around 7 days a week with 600kg lead bars in the trunk so in years that will leave it's mark on your car body structure. The softer car body gets, more odd noises will be produced from odd places like panoramic roof. 

Ok, maybe I used too dark colors and theatrical expressions on pano roof but you get the point

 

 

Edited 6 July, 20188 yr by alf.onso

Thanks all.

 

Going in tomorrow am to finalise my order.

 

Ferdinand

 

 

OK Order placed.

 

Skoda Superb SE L Executive Estate 2.0TDI 150PS SCR DSG7

 

Final options (unless I reverse ferret by Monday) !

 

petrol blue + beige colours

1D4 - Integrated tow bar

3GN - Variable boot floor

KA2 - Rear view parking camera

PFC - DCC

PJ5 - Modus 18in alloys

PJA - Temp spare wheel

PK9 + PK7 - Virtual pedal

PKJ - Fold flat passenger seat

PKV - Heated screen

PLE - steering wheel with paddles

PPA - park assist

PWD - Traffic sign recognition

UK3 - rear backrest release 

 

If there is anything I have missed I can potentially modify with some paperwork pain up until Monday AM

 

My only doubt is the DCC and possibly not having the extended warranty, which might be wise on a highly specced car, and whether I have missed any FOC options.

 

Very happy so far with my local dealer (Rainworth).

 

Opinions seem to differ but I love the variable boot floor. Loading heavy items I just lift them up and in without lifting over a lip and lowering down. I store bags and odds and ends under the floor keeping the boot floor clear for the dog. And obviously a flatter load area when the seats are folded . My boot floor is permanently in the upper position.

On 07/07/2018 at 16:46, Ferdinand2000 said:

I have missed any FOC options.

 

Do use the finance to get £3000 off and 2 free services. You can pay it off within 14 days if you want and still keep the discount and services.

 

And did you make use of this?

 

Plus, if you request a test drive online you will receive a £500 voucher** to redeem when you order your new ŠKODA SUPERB.

Edited 8 July, 20188 yr by xman

Thanks both.

 

@xmanyes I have all the incentives in the order, except for the Fuel Card. My test drive was earlier in Q2 (order was Q2 just so 4K), and was a walk-in not an on-line request .. so I suspect I need a bit of goodwill from Skoda UK to slightly vary their own terms.

 

TBH I do not think I will get that one.

 

The main decisions now will be extended warranty, how to finesse the Winter Tyres if possible, if I want to pay off the finance early,  and whether I actually want to get myself a large old estate to start acclimatising my driving from the current car which is 1mm under 4m long to the new barge which will probably arrive in October.

 

Ferdinand

 

 

Edited 9 July, 20188 yr by Ferdinand2000

Sounds like a good spec. if you've got the heated screen I'd add heated washer jets - they are cheap and it would be a bit odd to have an ice free screen you couldn't spray as the jets are frozen...

 

On the boot floor - I think you are making the right choice. after all, if you don't like it them slap it down to the lowest position and leave it there! I have mine up normally as it makes opening the dog crate easier and sliding things into the load bay, and when I really need mega capacity like going on holiday, I drop it down.

38 minutes ago, edwards said:

Sounds like a good spec. if you've got the heated screen I'd add heated washer jets - they are cheap and it would be a bit odd to have an ice free screen you couldn't spray as the jets are frozen...

 

On the boot floor - I think you are making the right choice. after all, if you don't like it them slap it down to the lowest position and leave it there! I have mine up normally as it makes opening the dog crate easier and sliding things into the load bay, and when I really need mega capacity like going on holiday, I drop it down.

 

My thinking was that if I have an ice free screen which has had water on it due to the melting ice, then I don’t need to spray any water on it , so the heated nozzles are just the car’s appendix.

 

Your counter has some force, however.

Edited 9 July, 20188 yr by Ferdinand2000

23 minutes ago, Ferdinand2000 said:

 

My thinking was that if I have an ice free screen which has had water on it due to the melting ice, then I don’t need to spray any water on it , so the heated nozzles are just the car’s appendix.

 

Your counter has some force, however.

 

The heated screen melts ice, but on its own it won't clear dirt, salt and spray etc.  The heated jets are something like £60 so unless its taking you over the £40k threshold or something, its not a huge outlay if you never use them!

 

The nozzles don't provide a hot water spray so in that way they won't clear ice from a screen, they just heat the nozzles themselves to prevent freezing.

Edited 9 July, 20188 yr by edwards

I thought heated nozzles are pointless on other cars as they are out of the airflow and if they freeze so will the pipes.

 

Do people disagree?

1 hour ago, cheezemonkhai said:

I thought heated nozzles are pointless on other cars as they are out of the airflow and if they freeze so will the pipes.

 

Do people disagree?

Having had my jets freeze at -2c in February I would spec the heated version, though I also had rubbish screen wash fluid so that might have been at least part of the problem. 

Don’t have heated jets on the mk2 or mk3 and not had them freeze with decent screenwash concentration.

 

i’ve seen it on cars with the nozzles in the bonnet though.

Edited 11 July, 20188 yr by cheezemonkhai

On 06/07/2018 at 11:52, Ferdinand2000 said:

 

Not sure about the variable boot floor.Having looked at one It does not seem strong enough to take 600kg, even spread out.

 

 

Do you really mean 600kg???

 

I know my home made boot floor can take 100kg as I've crawled about in the back, but I'd not want to try 600!

 

Possibly might be OK if you were to put a few long timbers under the VBF such that the VBF couldn't flex (and put the rear shelf between the timbers)