As a lifelong Skoda driver I have always been proud of the well made cars and excellent dealer support. As a family we currently run 4 of them - 2 x Mk.1 Fabias and 2 x Estelles. All have been absolutely excellent and reliable - only 2 breakdowns total in 10+ (Fabia) and 20+ years (Estelles) and 4 cars (all daily drivers as needed). I have therefore always supported them and given positive comments to other drivers and all the people who express an interest in the brand. I have not used a main dealer for over 5 years now as I have an excellent local independent.

 

However it seems to me (and this is why I am asking) that generally (not specifically Skoda) cars are becoming way more complex (more that is going wrong and making older (5+ years) cars less reliable and the dealers less responsive / easy to deal with - especially with warranty work.

 

I suggested Skoda to two colleagues lat year and they both came back to me saying that the dealer they visited was poor and they would not be going back (one was ignored and one said the staff were disinterested).

 

Hope this is not common - so what do you find? Also how are modern Skoda compared with 90's - 2000's Have they got more reliable generally or is trouble to be expected?  Has addition of all the new tech been positive?

 

Interested to know.

I had an Octavia VRS from 2007 - 2014. I still rate it as one of the best value cars I've ever owned.

 

But right now (and for some while) I just think they're too expensive. When a Skoda is priced up close to a 5 series BMW really I'm not going to choose a Skoda even if the Skoda has more toys.

 

Also many of the old Skoda dealers who were the old fashioned laid back family run businesses have all been bought up or forced out by franchise demands and not they are all part of large dealership chains. So you get the same experience as you would anywhere else.

But I have to say when I bought mine the experience I had with those smaller Skoda dealers wasn't particularly good at all anyway.

Way to expensive and service quality is going down, with service costs up.

 

As said they’re pretty much bmw/jag priced for comparative models. Sometimes more toys to go wrong, sometimes less, but the essentials such as seat comfort and adjustment are just not as good.

 

Frankly, much as I have liked them, I won’t be buying a Skoda when the list price mean you pay the extra 310 in tax. Sure retail price is actually lower, but that’s not the point.

 

TBH, I think VW group cars as a whole have got expensive, but it’s more noticeable on Skoda.

 

 

Edited 10 February, 20206 yr by cheezemonkhai

From what I see, others are agreeing - too expensive too soon.

 

I'm not quite sure where Skoda as a brand are heading - what they want to be. Its so far away from the Favorit and Felicia days that they are like totally different companies. Even the Mk1 Fabia was relateable to the 'old days'. I always promised that I would stay loyal to the marque but I don't want to pay for gimmicks and gizmos that will go wrong as I like to keep my cars for a long time and take good care of them. Dacia seems to have taken over from Skoda in the simple and good value role.

 

Time will tell I suppose but I do hope that Skoda don't lose sight of the ethos that made people appreciate them above other car makes.

I think if you buy nearly new there are some bargains out there as with nearly new SEAT's but nearly new VW's and Audi's are not such good value. In 2017 I think I paid too much for a new Octavia Vrs245 with 4 options that cost me £28,100 on the road. However having bought a 4,900 mile Skoda UK Superb 272 Sportline Plus hatch at the end of December for just £23,840 from my local dealer with 2 free services I feel I got a much better deal than the new Octavia in 2017. Compared to a new Superb I saved £15,000 which suggests top of the range Skoda's (Kodiaq Vrs springs to mind at over £43,000 new) are poor value new and will depreciate a lot in value. The Superb is a much higher quality product compared to the Octavia and you can see and feel where the money has been saved on the smaller, cheaper car.

Edited 10 February, 20206 yr by shyVRS245
spelling mistake

The MkII Octavia, MkII Superb and Yeti were the last of the really tough bullet proof Skoda's.

 

I spend quite a bit of time on the Kodiaq and Karoq forums and the amount of issues is worrying. It should be noted that they're largely electrical / software related, so yes, they are getting overly complex.

 

The Fabia and Estelle are as back-to-basics as you can get so it is a little unfair to compare models developed several decades ago to ones on sale today.

 

It is however well proven that cars are more reliable now than they've ever been.

 

For me, a lot of this is down to the owner. Mechanical sympathy together with preventative maintenance (fixed rather than variable service intervals) all help.

 

Take a look at my thread close to this one, I've recently moved away from Skoda for the first time since 2009. They simply aren't as good value as they used to be.

 

I would happily sacrifice brand image (when Skoda were still the butt of jokes), knowing I was getting a really solid car at a very cheap price. Skoda is now cool, and that pushes prices up.

Just wondering silver1011 have you driven the E220 in the snow yet because a small boat like a CLS in snow might be interesting to say the least.

I haven't no.

 

A few guys from work have struggled in years gone by in their rear wheel drive BMW's.

 

I ran a separate set of wheels and winter tyres on my MkII Superb for several years, I went through three full sets of winter tyres. It has to be said though I can't say that I ever got to properly use them in anger.

 

I am 40 years old now, my attitude towards getting into the office has waned somewhat, if the weather is looking dicey I'll stay at home 😂

 

If things get really bad we have the wife's Kodiaq, although it's on summer tyres.

 

A good point though, it is fair to assume the CLS won't be much use in snow!

 

Edited 10 February, 20206 yr by silver1011

Skoda CZ is simply clever.

Ask more money and supply cars with less bits.  Some of the bits are pretty cheap crap anyway that is likely to break.

Skoda went back to basics with the Scala and Kamiq with an actual manual parking brake. (hand brake.)  In Australia where emissions apparently can be what they are they are going 1.4 TSI engine and a 8 speed TC auto box.  Smart move as the 2nd recalls are on DQ200 DSG's 2009-2016)

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/477697-just-got-my-new-skoda-15-tsi-two-features-missing

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/477576-new-karoq-release-for-your-amusement

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, silver1011 said:

The MkII Octavia, MkII Superb and Yeti were the last of the really tough bullet proof Skoda's.

 

 

Had a MK1 Octavia for 15 years that I took to 325000 miles, now have a MK2 at 122000 I think for the last 18 months and will soon be moving on to the Yeti.

 

The MK2 may be as bulletproof as the MK1 but it is nowhere near as reliable but its all down to the surfeit of complicated and for me unnecessary electronic systems and their inability to cope with voltage drop on starting that in no way impedes the engine from firing up in 1/4 turn, both were/are 1.9 TDi's, the first an ASV engine IIRC  mechanical injection pump and it once ran for 500 miles without the alternator charging, the only discharge being the ECU and the fly by wire throttle. It was so reliable electronically that in all the time I owned it I was ignorant that it actually had a Canbus.

 

The MK2 does however have more gimmicks & gadgets that may have appealed to buyers when it was new dependant on the price.

 

My Yeti is a poverty spec and lacking a lot of the toys and I hope consequent problems, time will tell, its encouraging to hear it being spoken of as the last of the bullet proof Skodas.

 

I have no desire to buy anything newer from Skoda, quite the opposite after reading all the tales on here. and if I had to would seriously consider Dacia or Hyundai.

Selectivity is important when getting that Bulletproof Yeti.

You need to swerve some that had Zinc Inclusion and never got panels replaced but a joey up paint job. 

Swerve the 1.2 TSI that never got the up-graded chain / tensioner because older or the TPI actions never done.

Swerve a dodgy DQ200 that might not have had the 1st or the 2nd service campaign and because not in the World but in Europe were not in the World Wide Recall.

Then there are those that might have been up for The Fix because of the Defeat Device debacle but have not had it and really should get treated like a Euro 4 when it comes to Low Emission zones or have more stringent tests imposed.

It is what it is, I didn't really have the choice, I was bored and as a CAT S write off it was a cheap and interesting project, like my MK2 after the event I found that my usual luck continued and I dodged most of the bullets.

 

Where I dipped out was not realising that being a post 2014 car I would have a malus payment on first registration in France and that for reasons that I still dont understand the EU5 diesel engine of the same power as my much older EU4 Octavia is rated at 145g CO2 whereas the older more polluting one is only 117g, it means I will have over €1000 malus to pay so I should have bought a one year older car with a higher spec and much more powerfull engine and had nothing to pay.

 

That and the emissions fix being done but I expect most have if they have been dealer serviced.

 

 

Edited 10 February, 20206 yr by J.R.

Anyone that wants or needs a New Automatic (2 pedal car) does not get lots of choice and nothing under £16,000.

 

They would need to go for a Citigo iV (electric)

or a Scala Petrol DSG is the lowest RRP for an Auto Skoda @ £20,200 and you might get one for just over £16,000.

One thing that is lacking in my opinion is that Skoda don't offer their own engines any longer. I remember not so long ago that one of the high up people in Skoda said that having their own engine was very important and I agree. Unless under full VW control they are not allowed to?

 

It would give an added and different perspective to the range. Make it a good one and it may well be a good reason to choose Skoda over one of the other VW brands.

Also why do Skoda engines often get de-tuned compared to the same engine in a SEAT, VW or Audi. The Golf R is available from 268bhp to 345bhp in various cars in the VAG.

29 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

Skoda engines often get de-tuned compared to the same engine in a SEAT, VW or Audi.

Meercatting!!

I think it went downhill after the mk1 octavia and fabia to be honest. Don’t think i would own a new skoda tbh. My 2018 seat leon is the worst car for faults and things breaking and falling off. So cannot see skoda being any better

 

VAG group as a whole is a shambles and treats their customers like idiots

2 minutes ago, BigJase88 said:

I think it went downhill after the mk1 octavia and fabia to be honest. Don’t think i would own a new skoda tbh. My 2018 seat leon is the worst car for faults and things breaking and falling off. So cannot see skoda being any better

 

VAG group as a whole is a shambles and treats their customers like idiots

I bought new SEATS from 1998 until 2005 but they were getting worse from a reliability and interior quality aspects so moved to Skoda and generally they have been more reliable and better quality. No current SEAT offers the build quality of my 2019 Superb IMO.

5 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

I bought new SEATS from 1998 until 2005 but they were getting worse from a reliability and interior quality aspects so moved to Skoda and generally they have been more reliable and better quality. No current SEAT offers the build quality of my 2019 Superb IMO.

Seats all have crap carpets, you know that horrible carpet you expect to see in a french car, gets hair and all sorts stuck in it. Even the cupra gets crap carpets.

 

one thing that always set audi’s apart you always got a nice quality carpet, even the boot area had the nice carpet. However i have noticed on the latest audi a1 they too have adopted the crap quality carpets (in the boot anyways) whole world has went cheap

5 minutes ago, BigJase88 said:

Seats all have crap carpets, you know that horrible carpet you expect to see in a french car, gets hair and all sorts stuck in it. Even the cupra gets crap carpets.

 

one thing that always set audi’s apart you always got a nice quality carpet, even the boot area had the nice carpet. However i have noticed on the latest audi a1 they too have adopted the crap quality carpets (in the boot anyways) whole world has went cheap

Yeah the accountants have taken over the car industry.

 

20 hours ago, shyVRS245 said:

Yeah the accountants have taken over the car industry.

They've always run many parts of the car industry, Ford engineers said to me in 1990 that the best engineered version of a car was the year it was introduced because after that the bean counters tried to reduce the manufacturing costs year on year.

Unless a Skoda UK configurator error which is not uncommon, getting disk brakes on the rear of a 2020 Skoda Fabia is a £100 option.