Hi, 

I am looking to get into Skoda ownership with a 2011 Superb. 

I was looking for Elegance spec with 4x4 drivetrain.

 

I have shortlisted 2 cars under my 6k budget.

 

The first is a 1.8 TSI engine with a manual box, 1 owner, full dealer history.

The second is the 2.0TDI CR with DSG. 6 owners, full service history

Both Elegance, Both 4x4, both have circa 75k miles, very similar in price.

 

Personally i prefer the TSI but the engine issues on them are scaring me....

I don't do enough miles to warrant a TDI either........

 

looking for opinions please.......i am seriously stuck in the middle here!

 

Thanks guys.

 

 

 

If they are the same price and age then the tsi is overpriced or the tdi is underpriced.

 

Given the tdi and dsg should of cost more out of the factory. The 6 owners... in 9 years, maybe not a call for concern. I'd be tempted to enquire/see the history on the tdi, if 3 owners in say last 18 months... run away

I had a manual 4x4 tdi of that era, it was fine, even in heavy stop start traffic. Knowing what I know now, I wish I'd gotten the auto. But I'm not sure what the dsg of that era was like.

 

In a way, a manual is at least a known quantity.

 

But then you trade the 1.8tsi engine... one owner, full history, possibly a good bet. Not sure if either or both are from private or garage sellers. If the latter, I'd be tempted to go 1.8 manual.

Are you towing or anything that might warrant the diesel torque?

Early superbs are frankly outstanding value.  If it were me, it would be the 2.0 TDI. There have been far too many problems reported with the TFSi 1.8 engines in the form of timing chains, valves and oil useage. Search the net and make your own mind up, but diesel would be my choice.

Thanks ColinD

 

I wont be towing anything, probably circa 6k miles a year too. 

Diesel isn't really "needed", i only started looking at them because of the problems reported with TSI engines. 

 

But 6 owners from 2011??? it's a private seller. Got to be something wrong there. 

 

Both the cars im talking about are on auto trader atm.

13 minutes ago, Westbury63 said:

Early superbs are frankly outstanding value.  If it were me, it would be the 2.0 TDI. There have been far too many problems reported with the TFSi 1.8 engines in the form of timing chains, valves and oil useage. Search the net and make your own mind up, but diesel would be my choice.

 

Yeah i have had a look and its scary how many issues there are, but the 1 owner and full dealer history made me think twice. 

hmmmm

 

I really want a Superb!!!!!

The tdi I had was faultless bar one dpf fail. RAC could not force it road side, so had to make slow progress home.

 

Next morning it was clear and running fine.

 

If you can do the odd long run... and not use it for short shop trips, or if you do go the long way home. I don't think it will clog. I was doing about 40miles per day each way, for me the clog was after a week in ireland and it popped up just as I rolled of the ferry in anglesey, then went off then came back on at llandudno.

 

Otherwise it did what it did and did it very well. The dpf is possibly less of a risk than timing chains but that number of owners is a concern, for me at least, but might be a good reason too, as in not something iffy.

I am a sucker for a one owner FDSH car too, and I wouldn't be tempted by a 6 owner car unless it were banger money. That said I have purchased a few FDSH cars only to find that they have had service items skipped and badly looked after. FDSH is not everything, but it does make resale a lot easier if you want to move the car on again.

 

If the vendor of the 1.8 pertol would let me view the car when it was 100% cold, and offer a proper test drive, maybe have a punt. Check oil and coolant levels, and a look under the oil cap. Then listen to it start re chain noises, if happy, a decent test drive and check levels again once parked for 10 mins. If it did a what 20/25 mile drive with no problems, and you trust the seller???

 

A 1 'Former Registered Keeper' car  is just that, 1 former keeper on the V5. 

  No 'In Trade' keepers, or @the Car Auctions' OWNERSHIP is showing, the car could have changed hands several times and been a Taxi for a few weeks or months..

 

So you need to check when the 'Former Keeper'  last had the car in their keeping.  Then was that Keeper a Company or a private Individual, 

but still you know little about a beautifully presented car with a FMDSH. 

Anyone can made a hard used car look beautiful if they know how to.

 

Check what the Full Service History actually shows, as in was it serviced to the recommendations at the schedule these come up at.

Then is it even the original engine in the car, or maybe better still a nice rebuilt one.

Man i love forums, you guys bring up so many points i didn't even think of. Thankyou.

 

Ok so i'm leaning towards the TDI engine and DSG box now, i would rather fix a blocked DPF than a dead engine.......but i think i will wait a little to find one with less owners.

 

Given its lockdown, i will be sending the AA to do a check (just under £200) and they apparently check most things + a test drive. 

Anybody have experience of these checks?

8 minutes ago, e-Roottoot said:

Anyone can made a hard used car look beautiful if they know how to.

Agreed. Flip side, anyone can spot a polished turd if they know how to.

@Westbury63

Millions around that do not know how to and that go along to look without someone that can.

 

A RAC Inspection can be a total joke.  or as it is a, *82 point check.* So not a RAC inspection.

I have traded in cars that were advertised with a RAC Inspection before they even got to the dealer.    At least you get some support if it is a bag of nails and you discover that soon enough.

 

 

Edited 8 January, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

Just now, Saf_Bfd said:

i will be sending the AA to do a check (just under £200) and they apparently check most things + a test drive. 

 

I sold a Focus a few years ago and the RAC did a 3 page inspection and test drive. I won't be paying for one as a buyer. The engineer did what one would normaly check for, but put it on a nice A4 branded sheet. Expensive, more so if you choose not to buy the car because its a dog. Good money down the drain.

 

The net is full of info on how to appraise a car and what to look for. Spend a few hours reading and you'll be able to appraise a car easily enough.

1 minute ago, e-Roottoot said:

Millions around that do not know how to and that go along to look without someone that can.

Oh I know. Take a trusted friend if you can, very good advise. But, the info is on the net on how to appraise a car. You really can't hide abuse, and if you've put a bit of time into learning what to look for.....

@Westbury63

You certainly have not worked in the car trade with the people i have.

They can turn a turd in to concours condition and turn out a ringer in under a day.

 

Take a dead Hire Car / Taxi and with a stolen cars parts make it a 'First person to view will buy car'.  So best reserve.

@e-Roottoot Thats some doing in a day. Being able to look beyond a mop and decent valet, it's the trim that normaly shows the wear.

Simple really when salvage & stolen Cars are in building with people not working dealership hours with tea breaks and lunch breaks and have white marching powder.

it is a very busy industry in the UK.

Edited 8 January, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

Ok so the AA check is not really worth it according to you guys. If i scrap that idea then ill have to wait until lockdown is over to go have a look myself. 

 

This should give me plenty of time to collate some info on what to look for on the TDI CR engines and DSG boxes. 

 

Ill have a look for a buying guide on here now but feel free to throw some specific things my way guys. 

I'd say keep looking and try and find a 1.4 TSI?

 

The 1.8 TSI is just a horror. And unless you're doing a lot of journeys where the engine can get up to full operating temperature then the diesel should be avoided otherwise you'll end up with endless DPF Problems.

 

5 minutes ago, Phil-E said:

I'd say keep looking and try and find a 1.4 TSI?

 

The 1.8 TSI is just a horror. And unless you're doing a lot of journeys where the engine can get up to full operating temperature then the diesel should be avoided otherwise you'll end up with endless DPF Problems.

Thats one i've not thought about, 1.4TSI?
I take it that engine is much more reliable?

It doesn't suffer from the oil issues.

 

But the early ones had timing chain issues. So either a 2011+ car or an earlier one that's (likely) already had a new (revised) chain and tensioner fitted.

You can get them with the old 1.9 TDi engine, which most will say is the most reliable of all. It would certainly be my choice. Not fast, but that is a long way down the list of what I want out of a car!

 

2.0 TDi 140 manual would be my next choice, subject to it not having had the EA189 Nox fix done to it. (search for info and you need to know this for VAG cars).

The 1.9 is reliable yes. But they were sold under the Greenline name and so have a DPF fitted. And that's the worst possible combo for a DPF is the old PD engine since the injector timing is mechanical they can't control accurately or flexibly enough when fuel is injected to achieve decent Regens. They're also inherently a "dirtier" engine because of this and the DPF needs more frequent Regens than on a CR engine.

Generally, the 1.8TSI engines were good if they were well maintained.  However, the downside of those engines is the extremely poor MPG.  You are generally lucky if you do 35mpg on one of those cars.  I would stick with the PD engined TDI machine; generally a lot more bulletproof.  I would just say that DPF's are an issue, but a long hot fast run with decent hi-grade fuel will fix any issues.

@varaderoguyWhat do you mean by a decent hi-grade fuel?   Is that Premium Diesel from Shell / BP etc rather than standard diesel as sold by all Brands and Multi National be that Branded Retailers or Branded Super Market Filling stations?

 

Regardless of how well maintained even getting Full Main Dealer Servicing to the recommendations / Schedules / Owned by a VW Trained Master Tech etc they were and are a lottery.

The Members reporting issues with the 1.8 TSI's might be a tiny percentage of people that had ones failing, but then since VW Group fail to accept how many lemons they produced we will never know.

 

No matter how many thousands of good engines there are, you are looking for one of those and not the lemons.

 

Euro 5 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 & 2.0 TSI's can be like getting a bad apple from the barrel or even a lemon.

 

 

 

Edited 10 January, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

37 minutes ago, e-Roottoot said:

What do you mean by a decent hi-grade fuel?   Is that Premium Diesel from Shell / BP etc rather than standard diesel as sold by all Brands and Multi National be that Branded Retailers or Branded Super Market Filling stations?

Yes - decent quality fuel - not supermarket fuel - i.e. a branded fuel (Shell/BP/Esso) with additives. I know that other none-branded fuel's meet BSI requirements, BS EN288 (unleaded) or diesel BS EN590 (minimum requirements), but not all fuel is created equally.