OK so i've had my scout for just over 2 weeks and yesterday she finally got her first proper long run although it was totally unexpected. My wife had been looking at getting a small run-about with a bit of commuting thrown in. She didn't want to take the scout to work as the parking spaces are small. Anyway on Friday night she declared that she'd found the car and that in the morning we'd be off to take a look. Turns out the car, a BMW 1 Series 120d XDrive was in Exeter, some 300 mile round-trip from Reading all told! Up early on the Saturday, MacDonalds breakfast eaten, we hit the M4 heading south. 

 

So first observation. Live Traffic Updates. With my phone acting as a wifi hotspot the Nav picked up the ever changing traffic situation and began routing us around hold ups caused by holiday makers all heading to Cornwall. Overall it did a good job of avoiding most of the serious delays although once on the way back it decided that central Bristol was the quickest route vs the M5. All told the live traffic worked a treat. Importantly it didn't suck up too much data either which was a pleasant surprise. 

 

Next up. Comfort. I'm still coming to terms with just how quiet and comfortable to car is. Compared to the Octy vRS I had the scout is very quiet and you feel that you are floating along, cocooned from the outside world. It's not without wind noise but that's restricted into the background as opposed to the "wing mirror wind tunnel" on the vRS. The car never feels rushed and it doesn't screen at you to mash the right peddle to the floor in the way to vRS simply wanted to be driven.. fast!!. The seats are lush and very comfortable. Visibility is also really good and the pan roof gives the whole car a light and airy feel. Upon arriving in Exeter I felt refreshed and relaxed. It was a similar experience on the way home again a few hours later. 

 

OK lets talk fuel. My scout packed the 150 TDI with DSG so it's never going to win awards for fuel economy. On the run we nudged 47.2 mpg. Not bad, all things considered, especially that the car had only (just) ticked over its first 1,000 miles. 

 

Pump up to volume. The Canton is awesome. It clear, carries a fair amount of base and never sounds tiny. I love it. Listening to "Bluetooth-streamed" Lord of the Rings soundtrack on the way back was a real pleasure. 

 

So overall she performed beautifully, the car, not the wife who did purchase the car after all, which bodes well for our next long run. Reading to Lake Windemere over the August Bank Holiday weekend!! This time we'll be 4 up (Me, Wife, 2 teens) with a full boot and a long way to go. I am actually really looking forward to it considering that 3 weeks ago I was planning on taking the vRS. I can honestly say that even though I'd wanted a Kodiaq since I first heard Skoda were making a 4x4 SUV and really went to town doing my homework on the car, I still can't quite believe that it's exceeded my expectations and has made me a very happy owner

 

 

 

 

Robdav

 

Be aware of the potential traffic delays on the M6 when going to the Lake District, I have seen 4 hour queues at Bank Holidays. Can you do it in the evening when it tends to be clear although the evening before a Bank Holiday could be just as bad. I know this sounds daft but we go there regularly and we often go late in the evening to avoid getting stuck. What does one do on a motorway when stuck for four hours, I mean bladder wise????

@brackenwood - thanks for the heads up! We're leaving early on the 25th so hopefully we'll break the back of the drive before it gets too busy. WIll try and avoid the M6 if possible.