Hi all.  Been on this site for the past 3 and a bit years on the Superb 2 section as I have a 2008 Elegance 140 Diesel

The car has served me well for that time so I'm now looking at trading up to an S3.  I'm currently looking at Sportline models with the 2L TSI engine and looking for any tips on what I should look out for/avoid.

 

Is there and general failures on this model/engine which make them worth avoiding?  In know VW have had some poor petrol engines in previous models.

I'll be going for DSG, are there any expected issues there?

 

Also when do expesive service items occur.  I'm expecting DSG oil change would be 40k miles as per my current car and if I'm lucky enough to get a 4x4 the rear diff oil (and filter?) would be a similar mileage.

What about timing belt?  I got caught out on that with my current car as it had been changed not too many miles ago but then found out Skoda UK insist it should be done every 4 years regardless of mileage, is that same on the petrol engines?  Maybe they moved to a chain now?

 

Any information greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

4x4 system needs a service every 20-30k I’d say. Haldex oil change and filter clean. Mine was shot when I brought it at 30k but had replaced under warrantee, haldex plates are made of blamanche. Dsg oil change every 40k. Afaik cambelt is 4 years 100k. If you travel lots of distance the 4x4 dsg sportline 190 is ace. That’s what I have. If you don’t do a lot of distance the 4x4 sportline 280 is a beast. 2wd Is generally better on fuel by about 5mpg. 
If you want more grunt, diesel maps to around 230bhp and 500nm. Petrol 280 is 360bhp with stg 1. Petrol 220 would map to around 300bhp. 

Been running a stage 1 map on my 272 hatch since Feb 2020 and fuel consumption keeps improving now at 39.5mpg overall after 7,300 miles since I bought it 8 months ago. My car new (Sportline Plus) would have been £39,000 before any discount yet I paid just £23,840 from a Skoda dealer and £450 for the remap and it's very fast but cheap to run as road tax will be £150 when I renew in December. Mine had just 4,900 miles on the clock direct from Skoda UK Milton Keynes and has been 100% reliable.

Thanks for the responses both.

My mileage is about average I'd say at around 12000 in a 'normal' year.  However around 3/4 of that is work mileage which I get paid for so fuel consumption is not a major issue and whatever I get will probably be a petrol.

My previous car was a Golf R which, as I understand it, has a similar engine & drivetrain to the higher powered Superb models, I never really got into the mechanical and service side of things though as that was a lease so as long as I got serviced when due it was not my problem.

I'm a bit shocked at the haldex giving up at 30k, how can any major component fail at such humble miles?  Given that I'm most likely to be looking at cars around 3 years old I'll not have any manufacturers warranty remaing so that could be an issue.

Guess I've still got a lot of thinking to do, thanks again.

 

 

 

You're right the 280/272 share engine/gearbox, turbo (IS38) and brakes with the Golf R. Mine has done 12,200 miles and due the first service around December with 17,000 miles at 21 months old.

I’ve had my 272 Sportline for 10 months, having purchased a car with a very similar history to @shyVRS245 (albeit mine is Meteor Grey). 
 

Mine has just had its first service (I don’t cover enough miles to warrant variable servicing and don’t like the idea of old oil sloshing around the engine). Apart from a rattle which was fixed, it’s been faultless. I get around 34mpg overall which includes all types of driving. We recently got 38mpg on an extended run for a family holiday but that’s not the norm for me! Maybe I enjoy the power too frequently!

 

I terms of the Haldex, I assume  a failure at 30k miles is an anomaly; as said, it’s the same set up used in the Golf R and there aren’t hundreds of posts of failures at low mileage on the internet. My old boss had one which was running sweetly at well over 50k miles. I suspect that some may fail prematurely but that the vast majority will last well if serviced regularly. 
 

This is my second DSG car (my last car, an Octavia VRS had it too) and I love it! It’s so smooth and easy to live with (but can be a little less refined when manoeuvring) and I’d be loathe to go back to manual shifting now. Yes, I see the argument for less involvement when pushing on compared to a manual, but 80% of my driving is commuting and it’s perfect for this. Besides, I can always use the paddles if I feel the need. 
 

Overall, the Superb is a great proposition: it’s a quality product with a great drivetrain for a really good price. 

I bought mine at 40k miles and I completed the oil change of the Haldex (plus a clean of the pump filter), plus an oil and filter change of the DSG at 40,000 miles myself.

Both could also easily be done at an independent VW specialist and wouldn't cost much.

 

The DSG is generally quite reliable with the 280 or 272, ditto the Haldex if it is well maintained.