Thinking of joining the 280 community

[D-Cunningham]

At the age of 68, I’m reflecting on my car options. I’ve had three Superbs, all diesel and automatic, and I want to change to petrol. My options are the 190 petrol or the 4x4 280. I know that the only way to find out for sure is to go and test one, but I’m seeking your practical experience to guide me before doing that. I have plenty of dealers that I can visit. My local ones are in Oxford and Aylesbury but there are plenty of others within an hour’s drive. My questions are about the factors that might improve driver comfort, including tyres. Which models might make the driving more comfortable? Should I avoid the low profile tyres on the Sportline range, for example, and go for 18 inch ones? Should I choose one with seating that is more adjustable for lumbar support or will all of the seats in the range be comfortable enough? Given my age, how easy is it to get in and out? I ask the last question because you will appreciate that today’s popular choice of vehicle is the SUV and Skoda do have the Kodiaq, if I wanted to keep driving a bigger car. They are seriously more expensive, though, as the next examples of current Superbs on sale will show.

 

Marshalls, Bedford – 2019 Sportline Plus, 3500 miles, £23990

Robert Eardley, Stoke – 2018 SEL Executive, 4800 miles, £23000

Meadens, Brockenhurst - 2019 Sportline Plus, 2700 miles, £24,295

 

Admittedly, a truer price for a nearly new 280 is closer to £27000. However, the 190 petrol Kodiaqs tend to be nearer to £30000 for a similar specification. 

 

So my questions really are - Do I join the Superb 280 community? Or do I opt for the Superb 190, which many argue is quite fast enough, and would be quite a bit cheaper? Or do I join the growing tribe of drivers who are opting for an SUV? In my case that SUV would have to be the Kodiaq, which gets the same rave reviews as the Superb. What choices!

 

Thank you for reading this. I hope you can help me. 

[mandp]

I'm 5 years older than you (don't know how relevant that is!) but you can see to the left what I went for.

Plenty fast enough and mega comfortable.

I came to it from an SUV (Peugeot 3008) and am delighted with the change.

You do need a test drive though.

Hope that is of some help.

[freelunch]

A couple of thoughts from another OAP:

 

From your list, I'd go for the Marshalls car – my Croydon Marshalls has been good to me.

 

I have a Sportline 220. It's very easy to get in and out of. I'm 5'7" and fit.

 

If you don't absolutely need a 4x4, consider the 220 Sportline. Plenty of power and better mileage.

 

I get a nice ride on 19" wheels. The seats are great, but it depends on the individual. Plenty of scope for adjustment.

 

SUVs are for mothers to drive their kids to school. Plenty of boot space in the Superb.

[penguin17]

Take both cars out for extended test drives and find out which you prefer and suits your needs/requirements would be my primary piece of advice.  I was in a similar position 18 months ago, after years of diesel ownership I no longer did the high mileage and wanted a bit of fun.  My last diesel and first Superb was the 150TDI Sportline.  I loved the Superb and the Sportline trim so was naturally drawn to either a 220 or 280.  I weighed up the options and took advice from owners on here and in the end it was simply a case of "if I buy the 220 I will always regret not going for the 280".  On a back-to-back test drive of both cars they felt very similar indeed, only at the top of the rev range did the extra BHP make itself known.  My test drive was on a warm Spring day so I didn't have any issues with front end traction in the 220 but having owned a few 200bhp+ FWD cars in the past I've found the front wheels can easily be overwhelmed on a wet/greasy surface; something which I found out when trying to make speedy starts from roundabouts, junctions etc e.g you can find the limits just through normal driving, not being an idiot. 

 

Running costs wise; the 280 is thirsty but not overly so when you take it's performance into consideration....it's a pretty rapid car that isn't exactly small but driving sensibly on a long run 40 MPG is achievable, with some spirited driving that will come down to low 30's/high 20's and around town I get mid 20's at a push.   Insurance wise (subjective) my annual premium was significantly cheaper in the 280 vs. 150 TDI; I changed details mid-term and the insurer at the time just charged an admin fee, when I queried the cost of change they said it would actually be a cheaper car for me to insure.  

 

Comfort wise, the Superb is a lovely car to spend time.  Even with R19's and slightly lowered (-15mm) suspension the Sportline is by no means harsh.  It's definitely setup with a bias towards comfort and compliance, eg; the Sportline doesn't ruin the ride quality IME.  If anything I'd say it's less wallowy in comparison to a 'standard' Superb which I found leans a bit too much. The Sportline seats are less padded but (subjectively) I find they support me in the all the right places so are very comfortable.  I've driven 6-8 hour stints in the car and never has my back ached or I felt ruined at the end.   With adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist and the DSG long journeys are no problem at all.  

 

A word of warning for the R19's, Skoda have fitted 235/40's which aren't the biggest size and there's good availability but...they do tend to be an expensive size.  Even when compared with 235/35 or even some the R20's.  All-season tyres are also very limited in this size, I found literally a choice of two.  One of which I've fitted and used; Vredestein Quatrac 5's (which are very good) but I've also got some Michelin PS4's which are exceptionally good, the best I've ever used but as mentioned it's not the cheapest of tyre sizes.  

 

You could also take a look at the Superb's stablemates with the same engine in the Golf R or Cupra 300 estates, but I feel both are a little behind in quality vs the Superb and the Golf R gets a little too much of the wrong attention from thieves where I live.  Lovely car though.  There's also the Cupra Ateca which ticks the SUV box and ~300bhp petrol box; meant to be very good. 

 

Back to my fist sentence; get out and try as many trim/engine variants as you can.  I literally spent 3 days at most VW group dealers in the region and it really helped.  The fact a Volvo dealer wouldn't accept my TDI as a p/x, ruining my chance of the V60 Polestar is another matter all together but in hindsight I think the 280 is the better car anyway (perhaps...) 

Edited 27 November, 2019 by penguin17

[nicknorman]

63 year old with 280 L&K. The sport line does look a little more boy racer but I prefer the comforts and equipment of the L&K. The car has 19” wheels which wouldn’t have been my choice (it was a dealer car with 9k on it when I got it) but the DCC works very well. I leave it in normal round town, and sport on the open road. But there is a big difference according to tyres. I’ve found the current Michelin PS4S rather harsh, whereas the previous Kumhos were much nicer (but only lasted 10k).

 

Overall it is a fantastic car, I remain very pleased with it 3 years on. But it may also depend on where you live - no point in having a car very fleet of foot if you live in a traffic-congested area. I live in NE Scotland and as such I can use the car in the manner intended by the designers, every day.

 

Once you are accustomed to 4x4 you don’t want to go back, so I wouldn’t get a 220.

Edited 27 November, 2019 by nicknorman

[edwards]

Preface this with the fact I'm 46, 6'1" and reasonably fit, but my view FWIW:

 

I have a 280 sportline (before the plus was around) with a fair few extras like heated seats all round, heated screen etc. Its simply the best car I've ever owned and its a Superb 'grand tourer' vehicle. Basically, 'what Penguin said'.  Power on tap when you need it, I've never unstuck it even when trying so oodles of grip, comfy suspension that can cope with twisty side roads as well as cruising. Mine doesn't have DCC and I've not felt the lack. Seats are good, supportive and no aches after 6h stints. I tow a box trailer that is probably 1000kg laden and it does that really well too, although that might not matter to you so much.

 

My economy figures are similar to those mentioned above, but then I've only done 14k miles since march 2018 so I'm not too bothered. I guess you don't really buy a car like that if you are a hypermiler  

 

I had a 172ps petrol turbo Vectra before this and it would unstick the front wheels pulling away in the damp a fair bit. I test drove a 220 and found the same issue, and I suspect the current 190 would do the same. That may or may not bother you, its a minor thing really on a FWD car to slip a bit, but the 4x4 solved that. Like penguin, there was an element of 'I'd always regret it' if i'd not gone for the 280 as well.

 

So in summary try them all, then buy the 280

 

 

 

Edited 27 November, 2019 by edwards

[boydeee]

I can only repeat what the others above have said! I have an SEL Exec 272 and, for me, it's the best all round car I have ever owned. 

 

I have never owned a car with bigger wheels than 18s and that is what my Superb was ordered with. I can't comment on how cars with 19s would ride, but as others mentioned, get out and test them if you can. 

 

This is also my first car with 4 wheel drive and living in lovely rain soaked Scotland, it's so reassuring being able to pull away from a standstill and never worry about being caught out by traction issues. (Of course metering my feet in a FWD car is not too complex for me, but once you get used to 4 wheel drive it is sublime).

 

The mentioned fuel consumption figures tie in with mine. I do around 10k a year and see up to 40mpg on a run or at least very high 30s. The simply enormous tank isn't fun to fill but I tend to seldom fill mine (perhaps 3 times since buying it)  But you do get familiar with the petrol station staff...

 

My car has just passed its first 10k miles and feels even smoother than this time last year when I collected it. 

 

For reference, I'm 34 but my parents are around your age and they have no problems at all accessing and exiting the car. I'm 6'1 and I have an extra seat memory position saved for getting in and out. The seat moves fully aft for this. This is more to try and reduce wear on the seat bolsters though...I'm not a chunkster! 

[Groaver]

I've had my Superb for just over a year now. It was secondhand and came with 19" alloys. I wouldn't recommend them for ride comfort but at least the DCC on comfort can help. Winter tyres with a soft compound are also fantastic on the ride quality.

If you do short runs the 280 will drink the juice. My 7.5 mile drive to work is downhill there (ave 30 mpg) and obviously uphill back (ave 24 mpg) but I've seen 40+ on longer runs.

The L&K seats are comfortable big chairs but not so great for holding you in corners.

Four wheel drive is largely unnoticeable unless you pull away hard and it is just so reassuring.

It's really a thoroughly enjoyable saloon/estate that gives virtually nothing away about its performance by the way it looks.

I had a BRZ before it and I really don't miss it too much (well, a little for the handling) such is the breadth of its appeal.

[Bigeater]

If you're switching to petrol, then it has to be the 280 surely. Why settle for something less in the 190, when you can have more

[bigman1976]

I’ve recently moved into a 272 Sportline which I purchased from Marshall’s Oxford (it’s identical to the one in Brockenhust which was on my shortlist but the Oxford branch was more convenient). Before the Sportline, I had an Octavia vRS petrol estate. 
 

My initial impressions are that the Superb is a better quality product than the vRS, which itself was a great car. The interior is cavernous and well screwed together with plenty of toys to keep my happy.The seats are very comfortable and it’s easy to find a great driving position. I’m 6’6” and find ingress and egress not problem at all. 

 

I cannot say which power plant is best for your needs as I have no experience of the 190bhp engine. What I can say is that the higher output engine is swift and the all-wheel-drive means it has ample traction. It can be utterly docile and unobtrusive when you need it to be but it will really push on when needed. The ride on the 19s is fine in my opinion; it’s certainly not uncomfortable but I’ve come from a vRS which has a firm ride. 
 

I think it’s worth trying both a Superb and a Kodiak so you get a better impression of what suits you best. But, if you go for the Superb, go for the 280 version. You’d always be wondering “what if” if you got one with less power. 

[D-Cunningham]

I am really grateful for every one of your comments. I was particularly taken by the remarks about FWD. As a younger person, I had an Octavia vRS for a year and noticed how it could spin the front wheels quite easily. I moved from that to an Octavia L&K diesel and felt more of that armchair experience. My armchair life has continued in the Superb Elegance Mk2. I think I’m maybe ready to accept more cosseting from an L&K Superb, although I appreciate the positive remarks that some of you have offered about the comfort of the Sportline seats. Therefore, I have identified hereabouts several likely candidates - Sportline Plus and L&K - for me to try. I am tending towards the L&K, even though it’s a bit more expensive. I think they come in 235/45/19 tyres as against 235/40/19 for the Sportline Plus. I’ll only know if it makes any difference to the ride by trying them both.  

 

Another thing that I’ve noticed is just the quantity of nearly new Superbs that are around just now. I’m guessing that it reflects the wider reduction in consumer spending across the country on big budget items. There also seems to be a trend among dealers of slicing a few hundred pounds off the asking price between the initial sale offer and later in the sales period, presumably as stocks of these cars pile up. In theory, this should be a good time to do business for anyone who’s after a nearly new Superb, often with just a few thousand miles on the clock. As a relative novice, I do wonder whether some of these cars have just been registered by Skoda HQ and used casually by HQ staff as runabouts. If anyone has more information on the likely history of these nearly new cars, then I for one would be fascinated to know more.

 

For me, the next few days will be taken up in testing out both versions of the Superb. Once done, I will be reporting back on how your very welcome advice has helped me to weigh up my buying options. Thank you again.

[freelunch]

I bought the sales manager's car and got £9K off the list price. Only had 1,700 miles on it. After three years of ownership (and 16K miles), I've decided to keep it for another three years or until it starts to exhibit problems. Um, which I really don't expect.

 

After that, it will be electric.

[D-Cunningham]

Since my last posting I have visited my local dealer and tried out two nearly new cars that he had in stock. One was a facelifted 190 SEL DSG hatchback and the other was a 272 Sportline Plus estate. The SEL did have some interesting features, including virtual dashboard, ventilated leather seats and matrix lights, which included the automatic high beam dipping function (others among you will know the specific name for it). However, when I tried the 272 Sportline Plus, the difference in performance was stark. It just seemed so much more commanding. I was reminded of some of the remarks from my earlier posting made on here by some of you, about whether to go for a 272 over a 190! There's also the psychological benefit of knowing that you have four wheel drive to keep you that little tighter to the tarmac and to cut your chances of spinning your front wheels. The Sportline Plus did lack the automatic dipping function, which was a pity. My wife and I are keen to have as many aids as possible on our replacement car, including using the latest technology when night driving, so that we don’t have to fiddle about manually dipping the lights. Others may think that this is a minor matter, but I find night driving a pain and would rather be able to focus solely on my driving. The result was that the dealer drew a blank in terms of cars in stock being available for me. So, I have asked the dealer to look me out an L&K. I’m hoping that by choosing a 272 L&K, I can have more bits of luxury/driver assistance than with either the facelifted SEL or any Sportline Plus. It certainly will have the auto dipping function, for example. It may not be a facelift model but it's highly unlikely that there's going to be one of those available in L&K livery in my price range. So that’s my update so far. I’ll let you know more once the dealer has had a chance to search round for an L&K (probably hatchback rather than estate) that matches our budget. 

[D-Cunningham]

Choices, choices............. and compromises!

 

Here is an update on my quest for a nearly new 272 L&K within the budget that I had set for myself. For the money I had available, there was just one 272 L&K Superb available. By the time I had got in touch with the dealer, it had been sold. This left me with a difficult choice – do I go for the 190 L&K (with all the toys) or do I step down to a 272 Sportline Plus (within the budget but minus all the toys)? My mind was made up for me when I discovered on the dealer‘s website that, overnight, another of its branches had reduced the price of a facelifted 190 L&K by a full £2000, thereby taking it from ‘too much money’ to ‘within budget’. I got back in touch, organised a test drive and was offered an improved trade-in price. I had taken a friend with me to sit in the back while I test drove it. He was knocked out by the comfort in the back and I was impressed by all the kit available to the driver. In all, this represented the best compromise, and so I’ve agreed to buy it. It should be ready to collect either later this week or definitely before Christmas. Yes, I would have liked a facelifted or even pre-facelift 272 L&K, but the money would not stretch that far. Within my budget, there weren’t even any pre-facelift L&K cars on sale. Anyway, I console myself with the fact that the 190 is far from sluggish. So, I’ll take on the chin the loss of power from not buying the 272 and replace it with the extra spec that you get with the facelifted 190. I’ll post some pictures in due course. 

[penguin17]

2 hours ago, D-Cunningham said:

Choices, choices............. and compromises!

 

Here is an update on my quest for a nearly new 272 L&K within the budget that I had set for myself. For the money I had available, there was just one 272 L&K Superb available. By the time I had got in touch with the dealer, it had been sold. This left me with a difficult choice – do I go for the 190 L&K (with all the toys) or do I step down to a 272 Sportline Plus (within the budget but minus all the toys)? My mind was made up for me when I discovered on the dealer‘s website that, overnight, another of its branches had reduced the price of a facelifted 190 L&K by a full £2000, thereby taking it from ‘too much money’ to ‘within budget’. I got back in touch, organised a test drive and was offered an improved trade-in price. I had taken a friend with me to sit in the back while I test drove it. He was knocked out by the comfort in the back and I was impressed by all the kit available to the driver. In all, this represented the best compromise, and so I’ve agreed to buy it. It should be ready to collect either later this week or definitely before Christmas. Yes, I would have liked a facelifted or even pre-facelift 272 L&K, but the money would not stretch that far. Within my budget, there weren’t even any pre-facelift L&K cars on sale. Anyway, I console myself with the fact that the 190 is far from sluggish. So, I’ll take on the chin the loss of power from not buying the 272 and replace it with the extra spec that you get with the facelifted 190. I’ll post some pictures in due course. 

Good stuff.  The main thing is that you're happy with it; which it sounds like you are.  A nice early Christmas pressie. 

 

Best of luck with the collection, don't forget to check absolutely every panel before 'signing on the dotted line'.  Ice scraper on the inside of the fuel filler flap and umbrellas in the doors are other things to check 👍

 

Looking forward to seeing some pics. 

Edited 16 December, 2019 by penguin17

[ColinD]

As an owner of a 272 sportline plus... 

 

I could easily of got what I wanted with the 190 L&K. I put the 272 over the toys and pay for it every mile

 

I could've got what I wanted with far less than either. But hey, thats our secret

 

Glad you found the car for you, all choices are compromises in some very small way.

 

[D-Cunningham]

And finally, here we are. Too many bells and whistles to mention. Just 190 but L&K through and through! I'll be spending the next few days learning how to navigate this spaceship. 

 

 

[bigman1976]

Congratulations! That’s a great looking car. Enjoy!