1 Litre SE 2000 Mile review

[OldBluebird]

Clocked up 2k and had the benifit of a 6 hour round trip.

 

Good Points.

Roomy, swallowed 2 people + Dogs + Luggage with space to spare. 

Economy. Good Ave so far 48MPG and for my long trip 59 Mpg (but see niggles), easy to read above 50 on anything over a few miles.

 

Niggles.

Speedo: Over reads approx 5% vs GPS. This is dissapointing. I first realised it on cruise at 65 when i was overtaken by a lorry. After 8 years with cars ( Mercedes) that were spot on, this really niggles me. And also impacts the economy readings.

Suspension: Really noisy over ripples, better on main roads. Daughters Fiat Panda shows how it should it can be done.

Mystery Noise: Beep or squeal every few mins on the move, so high pitched i cant hear it but wife can. (trip to dealers to be sorted)

High side affected by wind on motorway

Seats not quite as comfy as I expected on long journeys despite playing with the lumbar support

Wipers - Dreadful , brand new but dragging squeeling. Must replace.

With more use, I agree that the engine as impressive as it may seem satisfies less the more its driven. It flatters to decieve, when you need it to get up and go, you find its already got up and gone...

 

 

Verdict. 

At this moment I'm not feeling the love. I'm also tempering this with that fact i've barely driven for 6 months and now have to get used to a car with gears after 8 years in Autos. But i've got 4 years of this so i'll come back in 6 months and see if i've changed my mind. 

[Kenny R]

Sounds like you’ve bought the wrong car.

[Tim1631]

With more use, I agree that the engine as impressive as it may seem satisfies less the more its driven. It flatters to decieve, when you need it to get up and go, you find its already got up and gone...

 

It's a 1 litre, what else do you expect 😂😂😂😂

[DSL]

Re wipers, also have found them awful, any suggestions re better blades or does that not make any difference?

[Phil245]

3 hours ago, DSL said:

Re wipers, also have found them awful, any suggestions re better blades or does that not make any difference?

 

There was a thread on Karoq wipers ( might have been on another forum) and somebody had fitted these to stop the dragging/juddering and had good results....

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-A864S-Aerotwin-Wiperblade-Set/dp/B00W1KKYUI

[Kenny R]

Also recommend Bosch aerotwin when you need to replace wipers but problem is more likely to be caused by wax/environmental  contamination on the screen, that cleaning should solve.

[logiclee]

Noisy suspension also affects other MQB Skoda cars, not sure why.

 

The Mk2 Octy and Yeti didn't do it but the Mk3 Octy and Karoq do. A backward step.

 

 

 

 

Edited 19 August, 2020 by logiclee

[DSL]

2 hours ago, Kenny R said:

Also recommend Bosch aerotwin when you need to replace wipers but problem is more likely to be caused by wax/environmental  contamination on the screen, that cleaning should solve.

Will give the screen a clean.  The car was sat in a compound for 11 months so screen prob needed a good clean before I picked it up, prob with a load of gunk.

[Sanqhar]

I use white vinegar. 

 

tom

[croquemonsieur]

Interesting, but I do strongly disagree with the comment that the Karoq suspension is noisier than the Yeti.  My 17" wheeled 2019 spec Karoq (done 6500miles), if not perfect, is significantly quieter for road roar & bump thump than my previous Yeti (and rides better) - even after I'd changed the Yeti to 16" wheels - that's with the controversial Turanza tyres on the Karoq + it being so quiet in other respects would make road noise stand out more.

 

Neither do I find side-wind stability a particular issue - after having formerly owned automatic BMW E39 523 & also Saab 9-5 over many years.  Those cars had more road noise too.

 

I find the seats firm but comfy, so does the misses, must suit our backs.  The Saab used to give me a little back ache on longer journeys.

 

I assume the car is a manual, certainly impressive economy and a bit better than I get with the DSG, which however is still good.  On the other hand, I really like the way the 3cyl engine/DSG combo drives and even though no road burner, it has all the accelaration I need for overtaking + goes well up hills, both when 'gear lever' is dropped into Sport Mode - but a few others have suggested the DSG version might be nicer to drive than the manual.  It purrs along at 70-90mph.  Previous Yeti 1200/DSG combo also worked well if just a little noisier - the Karoq does need to use the Sport Gear lever mode more due to it's tendency to stay in as high a gear as it can get away with, but going into Sport is so easy and actually makes driving more involving

 

Agreed about the awful noisy front wipers, as many have noted - got the Bosch replacements (2 lots) when going cheap some time ago on Amazon, but still not tried out.

[croquemonsieur]

I've used a half lemon a few times, works for a short while, but wipers soon revert to the graunching noise.  The recent 1st annual service report said the wipers were OK!

[Fux]

On 19/08/2020 at 09:35, OldBluebird said:

Niggles.

Speedo: Over reads approx 5% vs GPS. This is dissapointing. I first realised it on cruise at 65 when i was overtaken by a lorry. After 8 years with cars ( Mercedes) that were spot on, this really niggles me. And also impacts the economy readings.

Suspension: Really noisy over ripples, better on main roads. Daughters Fiat Panda shows how it should it can be done.

Mystery Noise: Beep or squeal every few mins on the move, so high pitched i cant hear it but wife can. (trip to dealers to be sorted)

High side affected by wind on motorway

Seats not quite as comfy as I expected on long journeys despite playing with the lumbar support

Wipers - Dreadful , brand new but dragging squeeling. Must replace.

With more use, I agree that the engine as impressive as it may seem satisfies less the more its driven. It flatters to decieve, when you need it to get up and go, you find its already got up and gone...

 

 

Verdict. 

At this moment I'm not feeling the love. I'm also tempering this with that fact i've barely driven for 6 months and now have to get used to a car with gears after 8 years in Autos. But i've got 4 years of this so i'll come back in 6 months and see if i've changed my mind. 

 

speedo: I've noticed speed being over reported as well - at least highway/road speed measurement signs always display lower speed than the in-car speedo

suspension: the only time I notice it being noisy is when driving over highway speed bumps (when there's bunch of those road ripples), but overall I'd say suspension is soft/quiet and soaks up the bumps nicely (but it helps having 17" wheels with thicker tire wall compared to 18" wheels)

and regarding driving noise, tires have a big impact on decibels - replacing the ones shipped with car for a better quality ones should help

mystery noises: none in my car, not even a creak or a squeal

seats: I've got sportline model with sport seats  - they're fabric and have good lumbar support (no lower back pain after 3h of driving), I'd only replace them cause they are wider than standard seats and cloth is harder to clean

wipers: work great, can't hear them in the rain

 

 

I'm on a 2019 Sportline 1.5TSI (manual) - economy isn't great (cause I don't have patience and drive slightly more aggressively) and you can easily waste a lot of fuel or have the engine near diesel mpg figures (if you take it lightly)

Also I miss diesel low rpm pulling power (turbo lag is noticeable in 1.5TSI)

 

Overall I am happy with the car so far (after 9months) - enough interior space, good build quality, good ride, good equipment level for cheap (much cheaper than equally specd Tiguan - Seat Ateca is cheaper than Karoq but Seats have ultra bland interiors, even Ateca after recent facelift)

 

Unfortunately I was in a car accident recently and now have to wait for repairs (totaling nearly 40% value of the car - dealer said they will be done in 3 weeks time and will disassemble and assemble whole car again bringing it back to factory condition - I doubt it, but lets see)

Edited 20 August, 2020 by Fux

[agedbriar]

Quoting from this site:
https://www.wewantanycar.com/news/car-speedo-how-fast-are-you-going/

 

"The current UK law is based on the EU standard with some minor changes…

A speedometer must never read less than the actual speed or show more than 110% of actual speed + 6.25mph. "

 

Hence, to be safely within the prescribed tolerance, most manufacturers calibrate the speedometers to about 105% actual.

 

Edited 20 August, 2020 by agedbriar

[kenfowler3966]

I bet the odometer reads perfect though. My previous Yeti was about 75 mph on speedo for a true 70 yet the odometer on a 100 mile trip was within .1 of a mile to the figure from the sat nav. The estimated arrival time was spot on as well hence the car knows it’s true speed and distance traveled.

I will have to determine the speedo readings at true speeds and remember them like I did with the Yeti. Not a big issue really.

[Belushi]

6k miles in my 1l Karoq SE Tech since March, including a couple of long trips.

I'd agree about the wipers, I can't understand why my previous two Mk3 Leons, and this Karoq all have noisy wipers when the wipers on my partner's Golfs (Mk7 and Mk7.5) have been completely silent. 

Seats I find pretty comfy, longest journey in one hit was 200 miles and I felt fine after it.

No mystery noises, overall very quiet apart from a bit of booming if you travel without the parcel shelf in place.

The engine is an odd one. My worry before I got the car was that it would be out of its depth - it absolutely isn't, and will happily sit in the outside lane at 85 - 90mph (where legal ) all day long, and for my day to day use + commute it's fine. A trip to the Yorkshire Dales showed its shortcomings though - short straights, lots of bends, climbs etc had me constantly changing gear, or being caught in the wrong gear.

Long term consumption is an indicated 45mpg. The engine just seems a bit pointless in this application really - it's not the economical option (I'm convinced I'd get better mpg with the 1.5l engine), so the only benefit is cheaper purchase price + insurance costs. 

The only toys I really miss on this spec are the auto near side mirror for reversing, and LED headlights, it's got everything else I need.

[CJJE]

On 20/08/2020 at 13:00, Fux said:

Seat Ateca is cheaper than Karoq but Seats have ultra bland interiors, even Ateca after recent facelift)

 

Just had a look at the updated 2021 Ateca pricelist. Don't like the way you have to buy their mix of features with no choice of options... and not impressed by the paint colours. Just how safe would a car in Dark Camouflage be?? Does it come with an insurance surcharge???

[Berisford]

I have a gripe about the wipers on our SEL, I don't hear the blades on the screen but the motor makes enough noise to be an irritation - on my Golf all my other cars in recent memory they were quiet enough for me not to have noticed or indeed ever considered the motor whirring - but the Karoq - too noisy.

 

[StEdmund]

There have been several threads about the awful, squealing wipers; cleaning the blades and screen does not help, but I can vouch for the fact that swapping the supplied blades for Bosch makes all the difference in the world. 

[KaroqHenry]

Why do so many people think that  the 1.0 TSI engine is not going to be powerful enough, it has 115bhp, which  is more than you need for normal legal driving in a car of this size.  The 0-60 and top speed figures compare very well with most of the cars I have owned, and are almost identical to the Mk3 Mondeo TDci I used to drive and tow a caravan with.

[Tim1631]

18 minutes ago, KaroqHenry said:

Why do so many people think that  the 1.0 TSI engine is not going to be powerful enough, it has 115bhp, which  is more than you need for normal legal driving in a car of this size.  The 0-60 and top speed figures compare very well with most of the cars I have owned, and are almost identical to the Mk3 Mondeo TDci I used to drive and tow a caravan with.

 

It isn't that quick in an UP! GTi never mind a Karoq. Would never buy a Karoq with that engine!! 

[KaroqHenry]

5 minutes ago, Tim1631 said:

 

It isn't that quick in an UP! GTi never mind a Karoq. Would never buy a Karoq with that engine!! 

I test drove it and it is plenty fast enough.  The 1,0L TSI fitted to the Citigo is not 115bhp and yet felt plenty quick (my wife drove one before he she got her Fabia). Back when I was a teenager the car all my friends lusted after was an Escort XR3i (I had a lowly Escort 1.3L). The hot hatch XR3i had a lower top speed than the Karoq with 1.0TSI and was less than a second faster 0-60. The diesel Karoq is slower (0.3s slower to 60 and 1 mph slower top speed) and yet no one goes on that it is under powered.

[Belushi]

I don't think anyone will buy a 1.0l Karoq expecting it to be 'quick'. However, it definitely doesn't feel slow, it doesn't feel under-engined, and it doesn't feel thrashy, noisy or un-refined.  

If you had to do a 200 mile drive every single day with five people on board and all their luggage in the boot, you might want to consider one of the other engines in the range. I don't, so the small engine works well enough for my needs, even stepping down from previous cars with a lot more power. 

[Fux]

also 1.0TSI manual only has 5 gears, instead of 6 you get with 1.5TSI > better to have 6 for highway cruising

[Belushi]

Just now, Fux said:

also 1.0TSI manual only has 5 gears, instead of 6 you get with 1.5TSI > better to have 6 for highway cruising

 

 

No, it's got 6 gears. 

[croquemonsieur]

Car Magazine review noted that the 1.0 was the quietest of all the engines in the Karoq range.  I've never tried nor ridden in a 1.5 so can't compare, but reviews do seem to reveal there is some noise variability with this engine.  I did try a 2.0 diesel 2 years ago and that was pretty quiet, much more so than a 1.6d Ford C Max and similar sized diesel in a BMW Active tourer I'd tried 3 years previously.

 

So noise is one reason for choosing the 1.0 and for me an important one.  Reason 2 is potential reliability - the problems some people have had with the complex 1.5 are well documented here - but admittedly not everyone has been affected, I doubt even a majority.

 

Reason 3, the 1.0 is maybe £1500 cheaper than the 1.5.  On the other hand, when looking into things a year ago, I found little difference in insurance costs.  Agreed I wouldn't recommend the 1.0  as being any more economical than the 1.5, both can be surprisingly good.

 

Reason 4 if you want an automatic, a must for me, the 1.0 might be a better long term bet than the 1.5, pity it isn't available just just now.

 

I wasn't aware of this VG forum at the time of buying my 1.0 DSG, but having joined a few months after and read many of the threads, I reckon I made a good choice.   I did read several early reviews at the time, of course, and picked up comments that the 1.0 DSG was surprisingly fast and that some (but not all) reviewers were disappointed with the 1.5 performance (though no doubt rather faster).  The 1.5 0-60 times are impressive nevertheless - a full second faster than the BMW Active Tourer - and I'd like to try one some time, now that VAG are seemingly getting over the teething problems.

Edited 24 September, 2020 by croquemonsieur