Hello,

 

I'm going to be the proud owner of a Superb 280 L&K on Monday. It's a 2018 and i haven't actually seen it yet add it's in Edinburgh and I live near Manchester but it's at a Skoda dealer and they sent me a video so I'm happy with the condition etc.

 

A couple of questions,

 

I think it hasn't got paddle shifts, are they easily retrofitted?

 

Is the DCC an optional extra and if so how do you know if it's fitted?

 

I've come from a 450bhp Audi S6 so once the warranty has expired I may want to get a bit more power. Is there a preferred map or tuner and what sort of power can be liberated with just a map? I don't want crazy power, but a bit more oomph would be nice.

 

I've had a few VAG cars in the past but this is my first Skoda. A colleague has a Sportline 220 estate which i liked so I'm looking forward to getting it.

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions once I've got it.

 

TIA

I'm beginning to regret not holding out for a 280!

I think DCC is standard.

Not sure about flappy paddles, but my experience thus far is to leave the gearbox to sort itself (or flick the leaver across into manual, even if up and down are the 'wrong' way round) . 

I know what you mean about the gear stick. Had my S6 for 2 years and i still couldn't get used to it!

 

I wasn't sure about the DCC, some reviews of the car when it came out say it's optional, but then i know the spec changes with the updated touch screen etc.

Hi Gez280,

 

Welcome to the 280 club, I believe the paddles require a steering wheel change which can be done (£100 option from new).

DCC was standard on the L&K and the different modes are noticeably different to each other.

Welcome to the 280 club , can’t comment on the dcc (though as mentioned I believe it’s standard on the L&K) and haven’t experienced the power of an s6 (very jealous!) but even coming from a mk1 octy vRS then a mk2 diesel superb (bluefin 170) the 280 is a total beast when floored so I think you’ll be more than happy for a while (apart from the economy.... )

as for the flappy paddles, my sportline has them but to be honest they are really not necessary, I’m mostly driving in eco mode but even then a good stomp on the loud pedal and it does the business and if I know I want some power then the gearstick is easy to click into sport mode and back again. I find there’s a very slight delay when getting on the power while it drops the gears etc but then it just takes off like a scolded cat with an amazing soundtrack to boot from the quad exhausts. Smiles per gallon are worth far more than miles per gallon!

Cheers for the replies.

 

I've found a previous post from JBD where he linked all the brochures so it looks like the L&K gets the DCC which is a nice bonus. Shame mine isn't a later model year though as it misses out on ventilated seats and heated wheel but i can live without those.

 

I'm used to low 20s mpg so I'm  actually looking forward to maybe getting near 30!

 

I preferred the looks of the Sportline and would have liked
an estate but there's not many 280s to choose from so i had to compromise.

 

My S6 had a timing tensioner failure which just cost me £4k to fix so i was ordered to get something less expensive to fix and newer. Loved the car but another expensive repair just scared me too much, so here I am!

U'll know u have DCC when u select the Driving Mode and u have Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual modes.

Or physically looking at the shocks to c a tube/cylinder (size of a small redbull can) sticking out the side of the shock itself.

 

Enjoy ur new ride 👍

1 hour ago, Gez280 said:

Cheers for the replies.

 

I've found a previous post from JBD where he linked all the brochures so it looks like the L&K gets the DCC which is a nice bonus. Shame mine isn't a later model year though as it misses out on ventilated seats and heated wheel but i can live without those.

 

I'm used to low 20s mpg so I'm  actually looking forward to maybe getting near 30!

 

I preferred the looks of the Sportline and would have liked
an estate but there's not many 280s to choose from so i had to compromise.

 

My S6 had a timing tensioner failure which just cost me £4k to fix so i was ordered to get something less expensive to fix and newer. Loved the car but another expensive repair just scared me too much, so here I am!

I’m here for a similar reason, only coming from a V8 Mercedes. It got that bad the parts department had memorised my chassis number 😂. 
my DCC is good but the shocks are, well, shocking. Might change the springs as I find them very clunky. The heated wheel is brilliant, but every ventilated seat I’ve ever had just makes me feel like I’ve wet myself, which is not as funny when your sober. I don’t have paddles but don’t miss them either. Pull the selector back to activate sport and it completely changes the gear change parameters, to the point I wouldn’t be a***d doing it manually. I get anywhere between 23-44mpg, which is better than 8, so that’s a bonus. I also preferred the look of the sport line, but went with the L&K due to the spec instead. You could wrap the chrome if it bothered you that much. 
With a couple of mods to the intake and something like a Revo stage 1 ( other mappers available) and DSG map, you should see around 380 bhp’ish. 
great yoke though for just wafting about in, and the fact everyone thinks it’s an unmarked cop car (silver estate) doesn’t do any harm either. 
enjoy your drive home. 

7 hours ago, UndertheRadar said:

but every ventilated seat I’ve ever had just makes me feel like I’ve wet myself, which is not as funny when your sober.

I guess you mean the heated seats! 

Depending upon when the car was made, the ventilated part may only have been an option.

Love my heated seats but can’t keep them on level 3 for more than about 5 minutes! Level 1 seems nice for the 30 minute drive to work these cold mornings though.

51 minutes ago, john999boy said:

I guess you mean the heated seats! 

Depending upon when the car was made, the ventilated part may only have been an option.

The rears are heated only, but the fronts are ventilated. I find the cold air after a short while gives you a funny sensation that can get uncomfortable to say the least. My last Mercedes had ventilated seats, my Jag still does and my wife’s last S Max had front ventilated seats as well. The cold air in all of them gives me the same feeling. 🙁

I've had paddles from new and would not be without them. I literally use them all the time in fact knowing what I know now it would be a deal breaker for me not to have them.

I've owned my 280 for about 18 months, and I've never actually used the paddles (apart from when I first got it, to check that they worked).

 

Eco mode is fast enough for most situations, and I just pull the lever back to switch to "sport" mode when I want to get up to speed faster - great for a bit of extra "punch" when joining a dual carriageway, for example.

Agree with peeps who suggest pulling the lever to activate S mode. That works well when you want instant poke. 

 

 

Paddles can be easily fitted by swapping the wheel. Just hunt around for one you want or have a look online. There's a German shop (forgot the name) that has wheels for good prices. I have a fabia wheel in my Octavia so many of them are interchangeable. Just make sure you have the right buttons as that is where the paddles connect. Best bet is to buy the button set with the wheel.

 

Edit:

This is the shop:

https://www.cars-equipment.com/en/shop/three-spoke-steering-wheels-2/oem-5e0419091af-cwe-multifunction-steering-wheel/#prettyPhoto

Edited 3 October, 20205 yr by MarkyG82

14 hours ago, Clockworks said:

I've owned my 280 for about 18 months, and I've never actually used the paddles (apart from when I first got it, to check that they worked).

 

Eco mode is fast enough for most situations, and I just pull the lever back to switch to "sport" mode when I want to get up to speed faster - great for a bit of extra "punch" when joining a dual carriageway, for example.

Eco mode. Have to say apart from having a go once or twice to see if I could eek a bit more fuel out of the beast I’ve never used it. 
 

Just goes to show how people drive differently I suppose. I never use eco and paddles are used multiple times on every journey.

 

You use eco all the time and never use the paddles.

3 hours ago, Nick_H said:

Eco mode. Have to say apart from having a go once or twice to see if I could eek a bit more fuel out of the beast I’ve never used it. 
 

Just goes to show how people drive differently I suppose. I never use eco and paddles are used multiple times on every journey.

 

You use eco all the time and never use the paddles.

I’m curious Nick why you are using the paddles a lot then? Do you actually put the stick in manual mode or are you preempting an overtake by downshifting instead of waiting for it to do it automatically when you floor it?

admittedly at the moment being a new owner I’m still trying to reconcile the drop in fuel economy and I’ve definitely changed my driving habits from the old diesel mk2 (that got driven quite hard a lot and returned around 39-41 average) to this one that I find I don’t have to push hard usually hence I’m being a bit more gentle on the pedal.

I expect eventually I’ll stop caring about eco mode and fuel and just get in and drive the thing in standard all the time except when I’m feeling a bit silly and use sport mode.

be interesting to see how the economy compares once I do that, I’m averaging around 29.8 long term at the moment at just under 1000 miles ownership. (A lot of my work commute is motorway miles, 28 miles each way and probably 15 of that is motorway)

2 hours ago, SkudMissile21 said:

I’m curious Nick why you are using the paddles a lot then? Do you actually put the stick in manual mode or are you preempting an overtake by downshifting instead of waiting for it to do it automatically when you floor it?

admittedly at the moment being a new owner I’m still trying to reconcile the drop in fuel economy and I’ve definitely changed my driving habits from the old diesel mk2 (that got driven quite hard a lot and returned around 39-41 average) to this one that I find I don’t have to push hard usually hence I’m being a bit more gentle on the pedal.

I expect eventually I’ll stop caring about eco mode and fuel and just get in and drive the thing in standard all the time except when I’m feeling a bit silly and use sport mode.

be interesting to see how the economy compares once I do that, I’m averaging around 29.8 long term at the moment at just under 1000 miles ownership. (A lot of my work commute is motorway miles, 28 miles each way and probably 15 of that is motorway)

Comparing my commute to yours 27 miles each way with 17 miles of motorway always in Eco never use the paddles as with a stage 1 remap since 6,400 miles it responds just as quickly in Eco, Normal or Sport (the way it is programmed) with a best commute of 49.3mpg and 2 long distance holiday trips in July (210 miles at 48.0mpg) and September (280 miles at 48.3mpg) giving an overall 39.90mpg over 9,000 miles and 9 months. To average less than 30mpg you must be using full power launching away from traffic lights or driving at more than 70mph on the motorway where the 6speed 280 DSG will be revving higher than 2,300rpm. Every 10mph over the speed limit will increase fuel consumption by 10%. The extra 7th gear in the 272 helps motorway cruising to drop to 1,750rpm at 60mph or 2,000rpm at 70mph. Rarely need more than 3,000rpm due to 215bhp and 480nm available also helps. Maximum torque in the 272/280 arrives at a fairly high (for a turbo car) 4,500rpm but my stage 1 car hits peak torque at 2,800rpm so might be a good time to consider a remap and have the best of both worlds, more performance and better economy.

Edited 4 October, 20205 yr by shyVRS245
spelling mistake

Shy I live in one of the highest areas of the country so it’s downhill to the motorway but there’s no way around the uphill part getting back which just destroys any good work I do on the motorway to get over 30mpg. I also work 12 hour shifts days and nights leaving before 6am so don not want to spend any longer on the damn motorway than I have to hence I cruise at 80 usually to keep moving past not traffic (apart from the dreaded 50 camera zone), don’t particularly use full power acceleration much unless it’s for a lane overtake. We all just have different driving styles plus 6 gears vs 7 will put me at a disadvantage. Can’t remap as in warranty (and not willing to entertain the idea while true).

my biggest problem is not resisting using the power to create a gap when someone else is sitting on my arse after the 50 zone ends... 

Having driven down to Newquay recently it is indeed a bit of a rollercoaster motorway and on one steep downhill section I lifted and coasted in Eco and saw 800rpm and 90mph which made me chuckle. My shifts are also 12 hours long starting with 3 days 0600-1800 and 3 nights 1800-0600 and my best economy is at 5am in the morning and the worst at 5pm trying to get past those going home.

1 hour ago, SkudMissile21 said:

I’m curious Nick why you are using the paddles a lot then? Do you actually put the stick in manual mode or are you preempting an overtake by downshifting instead of waiting for it to do it automatically when you floor it?

admittedly at the moment being a new owner I’m still trying to reconcile the drop in fuel economy and I’ve definitely changed my driving habits from the old diesel mk2 (that got driven quite hard a lot and returned around 39-41 average) to this one that I find I don’t have to push hard usually hence I’m being a bit more gentle on the pedal.

I expect eventually I’ll stop caring about eco mode and fuel and just get in and drive the thing in standard all the time except when I’m feeling a bit silly and use sport mode.

be interesting to see how the economy compares once I do that, I’m averaging around 29.8 long term at the moment at just under 1000 miles ownership. (A lot of my work commute is motorway miles, 28 miles each way and probably 15 of that is motorway)

 

Hi Skud... Not read Shy's response yet but I would typically us the paddles both in manual mode and to override the DSG :

 

Going down hill say drop into 3rd if I feel I need more control / engine braking

Approaching a hazard that I consider needs a lower gear

Islands ( not always it depends on the island slotting into sport also works )

When 'pressing on' - Sport mode does an OK job but sometimes I like the option of doing it myself especially on decent driving roads

 

Paddles - No need to remove hands from wheel in manual mode

 

Overtakes it all depends on the situation of course I may use  manual mode with the paddles if it suits that particular overtake

 

Yeah I just dont take fuel into consideration .... I only do around 7k a year if it was a problem I would have gone for a 1.5

 

 

 

Edited 4 October, 20205 yr by Nick_H

Last time I “pressed on” during a quick run to the shops on a 23 mile round trip I got 23.7 mpg 

still didn’t feel the need to use manual much though! 

7 minutes ago, SkudMissile21 said:

Last time I “pressed on” during a quick run to the shops on a 23 mile round trip I got 23.7 mpg 

still didn’t feel the need to use manual much though! 

 

Well you asked and I told  There is no right or wrong way just drive the car as you see fit.

Edited 4 October, 20205 yr by Nick_H

1 minute ago, Nick_H said:

 

Well you asked and I told  There is no right or wrong way just drive the car as you see fit.

Very true!

I think coming from an S6 you will find the 280’s response a littke underwhelming. No doubt a DSG and engine map to stage 1 will make it feel a bit more peppy.