Upgrading

[Woosh]

Hi all,

I've a '11 superb saloon which I have really grown to love over the years, almost part of the family, unfortunately though, in a few places the old girl is starting to fall behind, certainly in the face of modern technology.

The other half has voiced dissatisfaction a time or two as well 🙄

So I had a look at things, if I looked at a new car I would certainly have to downgrade rather a lot which I wont do, I spend a lot of time in my car.

I could look at buying a slightly newer secondhand motor, but I may well find myself in the same position again plus I wouldn't know of any gremlins, so on.

So I've ended up where I am now, upgrading my own.

My thoughts as they stand, 

The Bolero unit, works fine but by current standards may as well be a gramophone.

What sort of things are out there that would retain functionality with the rest of the car, climate control/reverse sensors/ steering wheel controls? Perhaps a later unit from skoda?

Engine, is a bog standard 1.6tdi, its recently chewed through 2 injectors so the other two will no doubt follow soon enough, but otherwise runs like a dream, I plan to get a map on it, which I understand makes a world of difference to a 1.6 I also wouldn't mind at some point in the future looking at the turbo.. it will no doubt require a new one at some stage anyway.

One thing I would really like to look at is the gearbox, its currently a 5 speed manual, I was in the mind of trying to bolt a 6 speed in for better motorway work, but am now of the understanding the 5 and 6 share the same top ratio?

So is there any way within reason of getting slightly more legs out of it?

A final thing for now is wheels, the previous owner had frequent meetings with the kerb apparently,  so am looking at new alloys, just got to find some that suit the look of the car.

Anyway those are my thoughts, would anybody here be able to shine any light on them? I will keep researching in the meantime but experience beats theory.

Thanks All,

Tony

[chimaera]

The most pain free way to get the kind of things you're chasing is to swap your car for a similar age 2.0 TDI in Elegance spec. Probably not the answer you want to here, but for such a comprehensive feature upgrade it's the best option. If you want to stick with the 1.6, look at the facelift version released late in 2013 as the 1.6 got a 6-speed box as standard from then. Yes, there will be an unknown factor in changing car, but you're facing unknowns in integrating new stuff into your car too and hoping your car's existing (old) components will play nice with new stuff.

[TheRobinK]

4 hours ago, chimaera said:

If you want to stick with the 1.6, look at the facelift version released late in 2013 as the 1.6 got a 6-speed box as standard from then.

 

I'd agree with chimaera - I have a 2014 1.6d facelift, Elegance spec with the 6 speed gearbox. Apart from the step up in "premium feel", I found the 6 speed gearbox a much improved experience to the 5 (I test drove a 6 month older car with a 5 speed and comparable miles - 5000 on one, 6200 on the other).  I also don't feel it has fallen behind much at all - thanks to the level of spec they put on the car as standard. 

[silver1011]

Swapping gearboxes would be a no-no for me. Too much hassle / risk / effort.

 

I was in the same position as you not too long ago, swapping a 2011 Superb SE for an E-Class.

 

My main tickboxes were an automatic gearbox, heated seats, Bluetooth telephone connection and LED / xenon headlights. The Superb already had everything else.

 

Don;t get hung-up on the desire to update the Bolero, in-built sat navs are poor, both the ones in the wife's Kodiaq and my Mercedes are really poor. Just get yourself a mobile phone holder and use Waze, it is light years ahead of any inbuilt systems.

 

Bluetooth can be retrofitted relatively easily too. Other than that the Bolero does its job well.

 

Pressumably your 16" alloys are the Spectrum's?

 

 

 

I'd avoid going up to 18" with the Thermisto's or Luna's and instead go for the 17" Triffid's, a nice compromise between tyres costs, pothole protection and aesthetics.

 

Whilst my Mercedes is a lovely car, I miss the Superb.

[Woosh]

Thanks for the replies, while I understand what people are saying with going for a newer model, with what I have allready spent on parts and with the way I have come to love that car, Its really not an option I'm looking at.

Mine does have a bluetooth module fitted which works well, I am intrigued to see if there is any way to bring android auto into the picture at all? 

I have to agree with waze, it's all I've used for a while,  just at the moment, it half hides behind the gear stick, with the phone in the tray. Another thought that has just occurred to me, did the superb ever have wireless charging in place there? I feel like I've read something,  but that may well have been another car..

My wheels are indeed spectrums.

As it goes I've had a look and had settled on some 17" looking at these,

https://m.rimstyle.com/alloywheels/detail/?car_model_id=1149&year=2011&s=8AW3rvsM

I think they would compliment the style of the car quite nicely.