Hello, 

 

You seem like a friendly bunch, so hopefully you can help. Sorry a lot of questions for a first time poster. 

 

Considering buying a newer car to replace my ancient 05 Golf Plus. 

I'm looking at a 17 plate 2.0L petrol 220hp L&K. 

 

I love the spec, comfort and legroom. Ideally I'd like 7 seats, but to get a Kodiaq with the same spec will cost a lot more. 

 

I'll be doing the school run Mon-Fri and usual family stuff on weekends. We'll have the occasional drive across the country and would like to take the opportunity to visit more of the UK. Currently about 6k miles a year. 

 

1.

On the short test drive, it seemed "twitchy" / ultra responsive. 

I'm concerned it may be over powered in a sense that it may be too easy to inadvertently accelerate too fast and bump into something during a school run. Is that something you get used to quickly? What about in winter conditions? (it's not a 4x4).

 

2.

It's big. Anyone find that an issue on narrow UK roads? It's also 60cm longer than the Golf. 

 

3.

I'm hoping it's a lot more relaxing / less stressful to drive on long trips with the better comfort and driving aids (ACC / Lane assist / blind spot), is that true? 

 

4.

Do people tend to steal / intentionally damage Skodas? 

 

5.

Is there a good tool to calculate depreciation / estimated value after 5 years? 

 

6.

I'm excited about the heated windscreen. No more scraping ice in the cold, does it work properly? Are there visible wires? I couldn't see them. 

 

7.

Thoughts on dashcams? 

 

8.

Anything else I should think of? Any common things/defects to check for before buying? 

 

I'm trying to reconcile that I need a daily school run car & a car for longer journeys, which I'd like to make more often than now. I don't want two cars. 

 

Thank you. 

 

 

 

I have a 16 plate 280 L&K

Which I love!

 

your points for which I have an answer

1. I found the throttle response a bit odd. The first half of the travel is pretty dead, all the action is in the second half. This was fine for gentle driving but I found it hard to drive briskly as the difference between “brisk” and “flat out pinned to the seat” wasn’t much in terms of throttle travel. I got a “pedal box” which is inserted in the wiring between throttle and engine (just a matter of unplugging a connector and inserting the box, which has the right connectors to go straight on). This allows you to adjust the mapping of the throttle - idle is still idle and full throttle is still full throttle but the way it progresses in between can be adjusted. I made it more sensitive to smaller throttle presses and whilst that might sound as though I made it more twitchy, in fact it made it more predictable and easier to control IMO. Pedal boxes from the likes of Racechip.

 

2. It is big. But I do a lot of driving on windy Scottish country roads and don’t find it an issue. You soon get used to it. Parking aids are good. I had a reversing camera retrofitted which is great.

 

3. Very very relaxing and easy to drive on a long run. Limousine-like.

 

4. Yes, but probably less than many other brands.

 

6. Works well, no visible wires. It’s not instant but quicker than waiting for the heater to warm up.

 

8. For me the lack of 4WD would be an issue with all that power. But if you can’t afford / find a 280, you will still find the 220 a great car. I just had to put on new rear discs and pads at 30,000 miles. Rear discs seem to corrode very quickly (Scottish salty roads not helping) so I’d check those for obvious bad scoring and corrosion.

 

Edited 5 November, 20187 yr by nicknorman

Can't respond to all your queries - partly as I have a diesel, but I can make the following observations:

 

26 minutes ago, ChaybobbTidbit said:

Hello, 

 

You seem like a friendly bunch, so hopefully you can help. Sorry a lot of questions for a first time poster. 

 

Considering buying a newer car to replace my ancient 05 Golf Plus. 

I'm looking at a 17 plate 2.0L petrol 220hp L&K. 

 

I love the spec, comfort and legroom. Ideally I'd like 7 seats, but to get a Kodiaq with the same spec will cost a lot more. 

 

I'll be doing the school run Mon-Fri and usual family stuff on weekends. We'll have the occasional drive across the country and would like to take the opportunity to visit more of the UK. Currently about 6k miles a year. 

 

1.

On the short test drive, it seemed "twitchy" / ultra responsive. 

I'm concerned it may be over powered in a sense that it may be too easy to inadvertently accelerate too fast and bump into something during a school run. Is that something you get used to quickly? What about in winter conditions? (it's not a 4x4).

 

2.

It's big. Anyone find that an issue on narrow UK roads? It's also 60cm longer than the Golf. 

 

This was a concern for me prior to purchase, but it's not been a big issue. Small roads here in France and smaller ones in Greece (where we went this summer) have been negotiated with ease. The only place where the size has been an issue is in car parks in which it can be a bit more complicated finding a suitable space (not to mention the side sensor alarms going mental at barriers and elsewhere, which you kind of get used to).

Quote

 

3.

I'm hoping it's a lot more relaxing / less stressful to drive on long trips with the better comfort and driving aids (ACC / Lane assist / blind spot), is that true? 

 

Absolutely, I've travelled for up to 10 hours in it and got out as fresh as a daisy. Shove it in normal (or even comfort, though I rarely use it) and it wafts along. I find it a relaxing car even on our local roads here, which are windy, hilly, A roads.

Quote

 

4.

Do people tend to steal / intentionally damage Skodas? 

 

5.

Is there a good tool to calculate depreciation / estimated value after 5 years? 

 

6.

I'm excited about the heated windscreen. No more scraping ice in the cold, does it work properly? Are there visible wires? I couldn't see them. 

 

Works well and there are no visible wires.

Quote

 

7.

Thoughts on dashcams? 

 

8.

Anything else I should think of? Any common things/defects to check for before buying? 

 

I'm trying to reconcile that I need a daily school run car & a car for longer journeys, which I'd like to make more often than now. I don't want two cars. 

 

The Superb has ample space for 5 people and oodles of luggage space in the back.

Quote

 

Thank you. 

 

 

 

 

Edited 5 November, 20187 yr by The Wanderer

Hi @ChaybobbTidbit and welcome. I agree with what has been written above, but would add:

 

1. I have the TDI so can't comment on engine response from the TSI. But as @nicknorman has pointed out there can be a feeling of "nothing... nothing...waaaay too much" about the throttle response. Some have fitted pedal boxes, I just flick the DSG lever to Sport if I want it to move at the first touch of the throttle, then move it straight back to Drive. Sounds counter-intuitive but it works. At 6k miles per annum, petrol is definitely the way to go.

 2. Make no bones about it - it's a big car. As others have said, the front and rear sensors help you get used to the size and after a couple of weeks I'm betting you won't even remember it being a concern.

3. DSG, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Assist (together providing the utterly brilliant Traffic Jam Assist function) and Blind Spot Monitor make long drives an absolute doddle. I do about 30k motorway miles a year in mine and 70%+ is effectively "autonomous". It can take a while to find the right seat position for you, but once you do the motorway miles just roll by.

4. I'm not aware of any particular increase in thefts of Superbs over other types (unlike the Golf R for example). If it has Kessy, which I'm presuming it will as my 17 plate L&K does, keep the keys in a faraday pouch or sealed metal tin to stop the scrotes from boosting the signal and taking the car.

5. Not aware of any depreciation calculator which is specific to the Superb. Buying one at 18 months old means you have already avoided the horrendous "drive it off the forecourt" loss, but just like any other car you will see it fall in value annually.

6. Heated screen works well - there are no visible wires as others have said. I would have a look at your insurance though to make sure windscreen replacement is covered (or stick some money down the back of the sofa as a windscreen replacement fund). I might be completely wrong but it seems to me the heated screen is more prone to chips than the non-heated versions on my previous Superbs. I've already had one chip repaired and have a couple of others that are too small to repair. I'm working pessimistically on the basis I will need a new screen within the next year. It can be expensive as it might also involve re-calibrating the camera that provides assist functions.

7. I wouldn't be without a dashcam. There are lots of threads on the different models and how to fit them. Use the search function at the top right hand side of the screen - there's loads of good advice in the forum.

8. I'd be checking the usual things. Has it got full service history from Skoda (there are no service log books any more so get the dealer to print it if you are buying from a dealer, or get the owner to get it printed for you if buying privately). An HPI check (is it still called that?) is essential if buying privately. You should get the balance of the manufacturer warranty, which is usually 3 years from first registration, but could be as much as 5 years depending on what the original owner asked / paid for. Go through it from front to back with a fine tooth comb (better still, take a knowledgeable friend or mechanic who is not emotionally involved with the car to get an objective opinion).

 

Good luck - I have to say this Superb is the best car I've owned, and I look forward to getting in it every day.

Thank you for all the helpful responses so far. To add is done only 4k miles and buying from a Skoda dealer. It was a demonstrator / director's car. 

I drive a 66 plate 280 L&K estate, absolutely fantastic car so my advice would be buy it, you won't regret it! 

 

For you specific questions I've put some responses below:

 

1) As others have said the throttle response takes some time to get used to but you will adapt after a few drives. I imagine the mapping of the throttle is very different to your Golf so with muscle memory you're pushing the pedal in too far causing the quick acceleration. I find when I drive my wife's car it takes a few minutes to adjust as the throttle is very sensitive.

 

2) Never had a problem with narrow roads and have driven down some pretty small country roads! However, I do find some of the older multistory car parks difficult to navigate, especially with the high kerbs. 

 

3) Definitely is a breeze for long distance drives on motorways. ACC is good as long as it's not too busy and is great for average speed cameras or driving on unfamiliar roads. Lane assist is really only good on motorways but does give you a safety net should you lose concentration and start to veer out of a lane. Blind spot is also great but I still have to manually check my blind spots out of habit! 

 

4) & 5) No idea sorry

 

6) Heated windscreen is brilliant, a different technology to Ford so no visible wires but can apparently affect GPS signal so there is an area around the wing mirror left clear to get signal (useful if you go for a dashcam with GPS). Coupe of frosty morning last week and the screen was clear by the time I'd done the side windows (and the heated seat was warm...toasty!)

 

7) I wouldn't be without a dashcam given how some people drive. I picked up a Nextbase when Maplin was selling them off, video quality was good but have heard you need to regularly format the card and battery life isn't great. 

 

8) As others have said rear discs corrode quickly and it's worth checking all the little extras are there (umbrellas, boot net, etc) as they sometimes go missing. 

 

Good luck!

1. I opted for the DTUK Pedal Box to counter the throttle lag.

2. Not so much bother in a straight line, the car seems smaller once you get inside. However, it has a long wheel base. Take care on tight left-hand turns until you get used to the length. The rear wheel will track inside the front wheel and it's easy to clip a curb (or a parked car) if you're not careful.

3. Very nice motorway cruiser. It's a heavy car, though, so I take twisting country lanes a bit more sedately.

4. No. (Touch wood.) Only one report of a theft on this site that I'm aware of.

 

This is a great, value-for-money car. You'll have to get used to the Audi parents on the school run making skip jokes, though.

11 minutes ago, freelunch said:

You'll have to get used to the Audi parents on the school run making skip jokes, though.

Right up to the point you let them sit in it - or offer them an umbrella from the door when it starts to rain...

I have a 2017 sportline 220 and i pretty much do what you described, school runs, trips out at weekends and we occasionaly drive down south to from yorkshire. I have just recently swapped my wheels and tyres for winter set.  I have no issues so far at alk with the car and love it. It hasnt snowed yet so cant comment on how it will perform in the white stuff

Re your first point re the twitchy throttle, I am guessing the reason for this is that you test drove an automatic and the Sales person stupidly put the car in Sports Mode.  This happened to me and I had to put it in normal mode.  I am not sure why sales people do this.  When the car is in Sport Mode, it makes the throttle highly responsive and I personally do not like it.  Put the car in normal mode and it is a pleasure to drive, very predictable and for a large car, handles very well.

Go for another test drive and insist the car is left in Normal Mode.

 

1) I have had no problem and I have the 280 L&k. I drive in and around London for many of my miles and never have I worried about bumping anyone, even when parking.

 

2) I'm a bit more cautious driving through a 6'6" width restriction than I was in my Octavia and I am conscious of the extra length when taking very tight corners on London roads. Other than that its an utter dream to drive. I live in the country and work in London so I get country lanes, tight London streets etc in my regular drives.

 

3) I cover a lot of motorway and its a blissful place to be especially with the sound system. ACC I use a lot,but I find myself toggling it on and off a fair bit. While it will slow you down for a car in front, its quite militant in keeping you at the set distance. So for example if that distance is supposed to be 30m it'll actively brake to keep you that far away, where I'd prefer it to just accept that 20m is fine and just ease off the throttle a bit. You get used to it and you do whatever suits you. Also of course the car can;t see 5 cars ahead, I can. So when I see cars braking I can flick it off and coast, while it would wait until the car in front of you slows, meaning you slow faster than you really need to. Lane assist is fine but I could happily do without it. Oddly I find it actually annoys me more than it helps. I can be on a fairly straight bit of motorway and it'll bing at me to check that I'm not dead because I've not had to add any steering input. Blind spot detection is something I'd never go without again. Knowing that some tit is in your blindspot even if you have no intention of going anywhere is very useful and you can see it without actually looking at it.

 

4) Nobody cares about Skodas except for Skoda people.

 

5) Accept that it'll be lots in part becase of answer #4. Mine was bought 4 months old and I don't plan on chopping it in for many years so depreciation wasn't on my list of things to worry about.

 

6) Yes it works, no there are no wires. It's a very thin sheet of gold in the screen if I recall correctly. The heated wheel is also beautiful in the deep dark winter. You're still going to want to shift any snow if its on there though.

 

7) Had one on my Octavia, never actually looked at any of the footage, never bothered refitting it to the Superb.

 

8) Nothing really. Enjoy the space, the comfort & the ride.

 

 

Certainly in the 280 4x4 spec you can throw it around quite happily. It sticks. But its not a sports car. Its a road boat and it's beautiful.

Edited 6 November, 20187 yr by DBT85

Thank you all again for your helpful answers. 

 

During the test drive, I used ACC on a dual carriageway and I felt it change speeds. But when the car in front stopped completely, it didn't seem like it was going to stop. I let it go for a bit, then hit the brakes. I was expecting front assist to brake automatically / warn me (it was turned on). Am I wrong in expecting that or could it be broken?

1 hour ago, ChaybobbTidbit said:

Thank you all again for your helpful answers. 

 

During the test drive, I used ACC on a dual carriageway and I felt it change speeds. But when the car in front stopped completely, it didn't seem like it was going to stop. I let it go for a bit, then hit the brakes. I was expecting front assist to brake automatically / warn me (it was turned on). Am I wrong in expecting that or could it be broken?

ACC should bring the car to a complete stop if the car it’s following stops. Front Assist is a last resort damage limitation thing, don’t expect it to stop the car in time.

ACC doesn’t detect stationary things including cars, unless it’s been following a car that stops. So if you come upon stationary traffic it won’t see it.

 

You only have to touch the brake, barely press it, to disengage ACC so possibly when you thought you were guarding the brake pedal in fact you pressed it slightly? And thus dropped out ACC?

7 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

ACC should bring the car to a complete stop if the car it’s following stops. Front Assist is a last resort damage limitation thing, don’t expect it to stop the car in time.

ACC doesn’t detect stationary things including cars, unless it’s been following a car that stops. So if you come upon stationary traffic it won’t see it.

 

You only have to touch the brake, barely press it, to disengage ACC so possibly when you thought you were guarding the brake pedal in fact you pressed it slightly? And thus dropped out ACC?

Thanks, need to try it again to be sure. 

About Front Assist, I was basing myself on the description here https://www.euroncap.com/en/ratings-rewards/euro-ncap-advanced-rewards/2013-skoda-front-assistant/

 

Rereading it, it sounds like it would brake/warn the driver quite late? 

21 minutes ago, ChaybobbTidbit said:

Thanks, need to try it again to be sure. 

About Front Assist, I was basing myself on the description here https://www.euroncap.com/en/ratings-rewards/euro-ncap-advanced-rewards/2013-skoda-front-assistant/

 

Rereading it, it sounds like it would brake/warn the driver quite late? 

Yes that is a good description. Note no automatic braking above 30kph (19mph). And note it uses the word “mitigate” not “prevent”. I have never had it brake the car. I have had a couple of warnings, eg when a car coming the other way turned right across my path, very close. I was doing about 30mph so outside the automatic braking envelope.

I have tested the front assist lol, and it does brake quite hard, i turned out my my road wherea car had just gone past, he was around 150 yards in front of me now and was turning right and i was going straight on, i could see he was about to turn and from judgement i could see i could carry on at my speed, when i got close the car slammed on lol

A word or two on ACC. It does maintain a set distance from the car in front, which is speed-dependent, so it will keep you further away from the car in front at 70mph than at 30mph. There is a sprung switch on top of the ACC stalk that you use to set the base distance (it's shown as a set of horizontal "bars" on the maxi-dot). On the motorway I tend to set it to the closest setting, then push the sprung switch to the right to increase the distance around town. That means I can keep ACC active for almost all of my drive if I choose. You move the stalk itself up to increase the reference speed (in increments of 5mph) and down to reduce it. Really useful and again means the ACC can be engaged pretty much the whole time. Skoda say it's primarily for motorway use, but there are plenty of us who use it around town too.

 

Secondly, you don't need to go on a dual carriageway or motorway to test whether it will slow / stop as the traffic in front does. It can be activated the second you move off (it defaults to speed limit 20mph if you do this) and as long as the green speedo symbol in the maxi-dot is lit it will immediately control throttle and brakes. This is the single biggest improvement in my current car over the previous manual Mk2 - traffic jams and slow-moving bumper-to-bumper traffic are a complete non-event; the car manages the whole thing for you.

 

There is a bit of confusion in this thread about Front Assist. It isn't the slow-speed protection system - that is called Automatic Emergency Braking at the front, and Rear Traffic alert at the back (or at least it is in my manual). These will automatically brake the car if it detects a risk of collision if, say, nosing out of an obscured road or reversing out of a parking space. It will use the front / rear and side sensors to detect on-coming traffic and brake if it believes there is a collision risk. It operates up to c5-7mph. Front Assist is available at all speeds and will emergency brake the car at any speed - I've had it activate when a lunatic pulled out into a non-existent gap between me and the car in front at 70+mph. You get a big red scary symbol in the maxi-dot and the anchors come on. Like others have said, it will also sometimes activate early / unnecessarily - just touch the throttle and the car will continue happily on its way.

I have a 220tsi L&K hatch.

 

It will feel very different from a 13 year old car but you should have no concerns about being able to drive it 'sensibly' on the sort of journeys you outline. The throttle response on the 220 is on the 'slack' side and unless you really put your foot into it will smoothly accelerate from standstill.

The car is very smooth and relaxed but has a tiger under the bonnet if required. With the DCC, which is standard on the L&K, you can adjust the suspension and drive to suit your needs. 

As others have commented the L&K, as the top spec car, has many toys that will require some careful study to really appreciate fully but that is part of the fun of having such a well specced car.

Buy it and enjoy I would say. 

I had a plastic bag blow up in front of me. The sensor saw it and slammed on the brakes. Luckily the wasn't anyone behind me.

I may have to put a notice in my back window " I stop for plastic bags"

59 minutes ago, facet edge said:

I may have to put a notice in my back window " I stop for plastic bags"

 

Can I recommend that in such circumstances you avoid the red light district - or have a damn good excuse when Mrs Facet Edge finds out.

 

Another question: 18" or 19" wheels? I don't care about the look, but comfort, noise, grip.

Thanks

I have a sportline 220 standard 19s but have recently put genuine skoda superb 18s cassiopiea i think they are called with winter tyres and dont really notice much difference

1 hour ago, ChaybobbTidbit said:

Another question: 18" or 19" wheels? I don't care about the look, but comfort, noise, grip.

Thanks

Not a massive difference but 19" for better / sporty handling, 18" for a more comfortable ride and possibly cheaper tyres.

 

Given the choice I think I would have gone for 18" but I bought my car at 6 months old and it had 19s

Edited 6 November, 20187 yr by nicknorman

Hello, an update.

I bought the car, got it a few days ago, thanks for all your advice.

I haven't driven it besides coming back from the dealer, but I was just trying it out while parked and I can't seem to move it from a standstill without it moving quite quickly/jump fast.

I'm going into D or R and barely pressing the accelerator to get it going.

I don't see how I could comfortably park it or move smoothly backwards onto a busy road.

What am I doing wrong? Is there a way to get it to move slowly by itself? I have it in Comfort mode.

Edited 22 November, 20187 yr by ChaybobbTidbit

I think to answer my own question, after a bit more experimenting. I need to remove the auto-handbrake and just use the brake and it will move slowly in that case.

Is that the right way?