Hi all, been trawling dealerships this weekend to replace our ageing FR-V. Been to them all, Seat nice, Nissan cheap and nasty, Ford boring, VW just stuck up, you kind of get the feeling you are not welcome with two teenagers in tow. So Skoda it was, initially i wanted the Karoq but the kids and SWMBO want the Kodiaq.

So have decided on the SE trim, don't need 7 seats or power tailgate or the LED headlights or the built in sat nav. is that wise should I go for the SE L? owners reviews gratefully accepted

extras are;

Panoramic roof,

Trinity alloys upgrade

Front and rear parking sensors- why not have fronts as standard penny pinching

LED interior pack

Rear camera

have typed the details into carwow and have had a quote for £24911 on PCP (sparshatts Botley) of course I will pay off in 14 days.

23 weeks lead time but no one has a demonstrator close by so have not yet place the order.

Don't be shy all opinions are welcome.

 

Roy

 

 

Edited 3 March, 20197 yr by roynhayley

Having had a panoramic roof in my previous Yeti that I loved but it after a while it contracted the well documented leak. That put me off sunroofs and the fact the Kodiaq sunroof is allegedly the same as fitted to the Yeti I omitted adding one to my Kodiaq.

I opted for the front sensors and rear camera and really help parking no end.

The one thing you are omitting that I wouldn’t be without are the LED headlights they really are 100 times better than halogen lamps.

Thanks @Kenny R I am undecided about LEDs, they are standard on the Tarraco I think but they don't do a DSG petrol yet so the point is mute.

 

SEL all the way. You’ll love it.

 

LED headlamps are the best.

 

I actually prefer alcantara to leather these days.

 

Skip the roof and the camera.  Beepers work fine. For me a camera is just an unnecessary (costly) distraction.

 

Hot screen is nice.  If DSG I’d always take the paddles and that brought unwanted / unnecessary hot wheel. But it’s nice too.

 

I’m biased of course.

Edited 3 March, 20197 yr by BoxerBoy

Another vote for the LED headlights, excuse the pun, but they are literally night and day compared to the halogens.

 

The heated screen is also a must for me, so much so that it (and the tow bar) necessitated a factory order.

 

I let price dictate my choice on our other car, and as a result I'm reminded of my penny-pinching each day I get in it. Not this time.

Thanks guys as always your opinions are welcomed, the roof is a must have, I've got it on the superb and wouldn't be without it. Mrs wanted a camera so that is a must have too. We don't do much night time driving so the need for LED's is still low down on priorities, however it is rising. @silver is the 1.4 powerful enough...we are coming from a 2.2 diesel honda that pulls ok but at 1520kg it is a little sluggish at speed when loaded. We really need a test drive but getting one in West oxford is proving to be difficult at the moment......

Cannot get led lights on an SE thriough carwow.....

38 minutes ago, roynhayley said:

@silver is the 1.4 powerful enough...

 

If you want to drag-race a Ferrari, no. If you want to take a fully-loaded Kodiaq on a relaxing family holiday through Europe, yes. It all depends on your driving style and what you want from the car. But do note that you can't get the 1.4 anymore... it's the new 1.5 with the GPF now.

 

33 minutes ago, roynhayley said:

Cannot get led lights on an SE thriough carwow.....

 

Can't get LED lights on the SE full-stop. You'll need an SEL or higher for those.

We also moved from an FRV to the Kodiaq and don’t regret it one bit. The Kodiaq is much quieter and refined to drive, although I do miss how flexible the FRV was when it came to finding space for luggage. 

 

We have the pano roof on ours and love it. I wouldn’t buy a car without it now. I found the headlights on the FRV dreadful and disliked driving in the dark as a result, so the LED lights on the Kodiaq were essential for me. They are a massive improvement. We also do big miles so I wanted the adaptive cruise control with is now also a “couldn’t live without”.  My other essential is now a heated steering wheel - I get cold hands, and the heated steering wheel sees use pretty much every day from autumn to spring. 

 

We did go for the LED interior lighting and to be honest, it adds a touch of bling but it’s very underwhelming. If you were looking to save money, I’d ditch it straight off. 

 

We  also really like the optional tray tables on the seat backs. My kids use them all the time to hold their iPads on long journeys, and I sometimes sit in the back when travelling away from home to eat my lunch - it’s a nice place to be. 

@MrTrilby  thanks for your input, appreciated, as for the FR-V headlights from year 2, car is now 13 years old, has had Phillips Extreme and adjusted a little higher but still passed every mot since. To me they are as good as my HID's on the Superb. The LED interior pack is probably an extravagance .....perhaps ditch that for heated screen and heated seats, just can't stretch or justify the almost £3k increase from SE to SEL spec.

We were going to but a Karoq but the tables on the back seats made the rear legroom too tight, you have to admit the FR-V has loads of passenger space for a short car.

13 hours ago, roynhayley said:

@silver is the 1.4 powerful enough?

 

I'm a bloke, no car is powerful enough 

 

Our Kodiaq is the school bus (8,000 miles annually) so the 1.4 TSI is ample.

 

However, it is also the weekend family car and has taken us on many longer / motorway journey's, including over to France. It will sit at 80mph as happily as any other car I've owned, including numerous 2.0 TDI diesels.

 

Overtaking, and steep inclines aren't it's strong point, it lacks in-gear acceleration and torque for the latter, but the little petrol engine is super smooth and ridiculously quiet.

 

The 2.0 TSI wasn't worth the £2K (I think) premium over the 1.4 TSI at the time.

 

We'll be keeping the Kodiaq until it dies (or we win the lottery), so longevtiy and long term reliability were high up our list. The 1.4 TSI engine is well aged and well proven.

Thanks for the response. We have a diesel Honda so performance was at best average, it is just so difficult to get a test drive in the 1.5 in a dsg form, loads of diesels but this would mask the driving characteristics and the issues 1.5 is supposed to have? 

I am in torn, I do not want to spend the extra on an SEL spec, as the extras do not cover my optional requirements so I would be paying best part of £3k For things I do not want. 

If Seat did a DSG 1.5 petrol that is the one I'd have, virtual cockpit and led headlights as standard, and the sunroof is almost £200 cheaper.

We too will keep the car until it dies, gone are the days of a 3 year swap out.

To be fair the Honda wants its third clutch @90k and 13 years, this one has lasted 65k so 10k over the average for the ICDTI honda units, cost for a clutch kit as the dmf would have failed, as before, is £1200 car is worth £1000 on webuyanycar but not if they knew the clutch was sh@*~ged 

 

 

 

 

Have you checked out the VW Tiguan?

 

They do the 1.5 TSI 2WD with DSG, from the 'Match' trim level.

 

Whilst the list price is higher than the Kodiaq, current discounts on the Tiguan are generous, so might be worth getting a few carwow quotes. Things like Adaptive Cruise Control and rear camera etc. are standard. Alas only halogen headlights (LED's are £1,375), and the panoramic sunroof is a cost option (£1,105)...

 

The Tiguan is Karoq sized. You need to look at the Tiguan AllSpace to compare size wise with the Kodiaq, and we found that even that was still a bit cramped inside compared to the Kodiaq. You’re right about price though - VW offer at least as big discounts, and through in much more kit as standard. 

18 hours ago, MrTrilby said:

The Tiguan is Karoq sized. You need to look at the Tiguan AllSpace to compare size wise with the Kodiaq, and we found that even that was still a bit cramped inside compared to the Kodiaq. You’re right about price though - VW offer at least as big discounts, and through in much more kit as standard. 

 

I don't understand this, everyone says the Kodiaq is bigger inside than the Tarraco and AllSpace yet they dimensions are identical? How is this possible? Either you get more rear legroom and a smaller boot or vice versa.

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by TonyTonic

They’re not identical. They’re similar inside and out, but enough differences to add up. They’re all three built with different priorities and compromises. If you’re thinking that one of the three might suit you, before committing £30k+, it’s definitely worth seeing all three in person to see which fits your needs and preferences best. 

2 minutes ago, MrTrilby said:

They’re not identical. They’re similar inside and out, but enough differences to add up. They’re all three built with different priorities and compromises. If you’re thinking that one of the three might suit you, before committing £30k+, it’s definitely worth seeing all three in person to see which fits your needs and preferences best. 

I have. Don’t like the Allspace (mainly too expensive) and have ordered a Tarraco as it’s cheaper spec for spec than the Kodiaq. 

I didn’t find any difference in the boot space and rear legroom and general space between either of them and generally don’t care about the umbrellas, torche or ice scraper. 

Otherwise there is no difference.  The seats are same shape and the buttons and knobs are also the same

I second the Tarraco  vote, if they did a dsg petrol i would have bought one last weekend!

The spec is higher, virtual cockpit and led headlights as standard, and size the same, they are in essence the same car,  however to get extras I want you have to go up the range so ultimately I suppose that spec for spec I'd probably  have to get an xcellence model which adds a higher basic cost.

VW do not seem to rate too highly with owners the Allspace rates 6/10 Kodiaq rated at 9/10 on carwow.

 

32 minutes ago, roynhayley said:

I second the Tarraco  vote, if they did a dsg petrol i would have bought one last weekend!

The spec is higher, virtual cockpit and led headlights as standard, and size the same, they are in essence the same car,  however to get extras I want you have to go up the range so ultimately I suppose that spec for spec I'd probably  have to get an xcellence model which adds a higher basic cost.

VW do not seem to rate too highly with owners the Allspace rates 6/10 Kodiaq rated at 9/10 on carwow.

 

Full LED inside and out. 

 

Tarraco got 8/10 on carwow bitbthe review was done even before it launched in the uk and they haven’t updated it since.  Not sure how they do this without test driving it. 

 

Anyway yes. I got the xcellence with panoroof for £31k on 0%PCP approx £315 a month with 10% deposit so well under the PcP deals for the Kodiaq with the same spec.  The Kodiaq would cost approx 33k with the same spec and then add the 5.5% interest. 

Time will tell once I get the car. 

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by TonyTonic

33 minutes ago, roynhayley said:

I second the Tarraco  vote, if they did a dsg petrol i would have bought one last weekend!

The spec is higher, virtual cockpit and led headlights as standard, and size the same, they are in essence the same car,  however to get extras I want you have to go up the range so ultimately I suppose that spec for spec I'd probably  have to get an xcellence model which adds a higher basic cost.

VW do not seem to rate too highly with owners the Allspace rates 6/10 Kodiaq rated at 9/10 on carwow.

 

They do the DSG petrol I think. Have you checked the configurator?

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by TonyTonic

PCP and PCH deals vary week by week, so it isn't an accurate way of comparing like-for-like pricing.

 

Looking at OTR road pricing and the list prices of factory options, then the Kodiaq and Tarraco are actually very similarly priced.

12 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

PCP and PCH deals vary week by week, so it isn't an accurate way of comparing like-for-like pricing.

 

Looking at OTR road pricing and the list prices of factory options, then the Kodiaq and Tarraco are actually very similarly priced.

I know what you are saying and assuming but it’s not the case at least for the Tarraco at launch. 

The xcellence trim with 150 diesel manual with panoroof costs list price £31,895 plus £960 for roof. 

If you spec up a Kodiaq Sel with the same features it will cost you close to £36k. Even with all the money off for the Kodiaq (approx 17%) and adding the interest it is a lot more expensive at least for PCP 

This is now, at the present time when SEAT are offering 0%

trust me I’ve looked at this VERY carefully. 

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by TonyTonic

Me too, I even posted in your own Tarraco thread...

 

I guess it depends on how much of a difference you believe makes one car significantly cheaper than another. For me, on a £30K car, anything between £1K and £2K is relatively minor.

 

On first glance, the Tarraco does look pricey compared to the Kodiaq, but when you look at the equipment levels they're actually very close.

 

I did a rough and ready comparison back in December, albeit on the entry level model. I took the base Kodiaq SE 1.5 TSI manual, 7 seater, and added all of the features needed to get it to the same (or as close as possible) base specification SE Tarraco.

 

Kodiaq SE 1.5 TSI 150 PS 6G Manual 7-seater - £26,750.

 

Plus...

 

Metallic paint - £595

KESSY - £215

Virtual Cockpit - £550

Driver Alert System - £50

ISOFIX on Front Passenger Seat - £45

Lumber Support for Driver & Passenger - £130

Drive Mode Selection - £100

Folding Tables on Front Seat Backrests - £130

Sun Visors with Mirror Illuminated - £10

Tri-Zone Climate Control - £305

Electrically Folding and Auto-Dimming Door Mirrors - £255

LED headlights - £? (not available as an option)

 

TOTAL - £29,135 (plus approx £1,000 for the LED headlights and fog lights, based on Octavia / Superb pricing) = £30,135

 

Compared to the standard Tarraco SE @ £28,320.

 

So a difference of £1,815, which can easily be swallowed up depending on when you're buying, in the dealers margin, dealers targets and the current manufacturers incentives.

 

The fact that (for me at least) the Kodiaq is better looking (inside and out), the Skoda brand is marginally more respected and their dealer network is rated higher, is more than enough to make the Kodiaq the better purchase.

Yes i saw that sorry. 

And That’s kind of the conclusion most reviewers also mentioned that it in the End depends largely on what looks one prefers as the cars are both so similar. Is the Tarraco better or does it do anything different than the Kodiaq? No definitely not. 

I love the way the Kodiaq looks, probably 5% more than the Tarraco and had Skoda done a 0% PCP offer at this time I would have gone for the Kodiaq probably. As I plan on paying the final payment after 4 years subject to the car being satisfactory after 4 years. 

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by TonyTonic

Whilst using the OTR price is the best way for a like-for-like pricing comparison, the reality is a lot of cars are bought using PCP or PCH, and this means more expensive cars can work out cheaper to own / finance.

 

If SEAT's deposit contributions and 0% finance make the ownership costs even lower than usual then I wouldn't blame anyone from choosing the Tarraco.

 

I'm sure it's every bit as capable as the Kodiaq / Allspace.