Kamiq review - short and sweet

[fabill]

26 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Xman did add their experience, and unless he is making it all up then it is based on fact.

 

I dont see anything that he said which is pointless or misleading, he simply has a different opinion of the vehicle he drove than you do.

 

Remember that many people are currently buying vehicles sight unseen.

 

You state:

'I dont see anything that he said which is pointless or misleading, he simply has a different opinion of the vehicle he drove than you do.

 

Had you read my previous posts you would have seen I already acknowledged it is okay for Xman to have a different opinion from me. That's a no brainer. What is not okay is for that opinion to be factually incorrect.   

 

Two questions to you,  J.R.

Have you read all of Xman's posts? 

Have you been in a Kamiq? 

 

If you answer yes to both then you shouldn't need me to explain what is 'pointless/misleading'. 

But just in case you need an explanation:

 

Quote from Xman

'...................Cheap and nasty interior was my impression, hard plastics all round, some badly fitting, including the top of the dash and doors where I would have expected some squidgy material on a SEL.'

Fact: The top of the dashboard and door cappings are soft (squidgy) not hard plastic. Precisely what Xman would have expected!!

Note: This might be important for some prospective buyers. Certainly is for Xman; why mention it otherwise. Could Xman's erroneous comments dissuaded them? Perhaps?    

Observation: In my Kamiq and the other three I test drove the cabin fit is/was exemplary.  

  

2. Quote from Xman: '...................Rear seat area looked very cramp(ed) indeed with lots of exposed hard cheap plastic trims at the sides.'

In a later post he stated:  'I will admit my assessment of rear seat space was by looking from the front passenger seat.'

Comment: Xman didn't actually visit the rear. My opinion and that of every motor mag reviewer out there is opposite to that of Xman. The rear area is not cramped. On the contrary it is spacious.  

Note: The faces of the door cards are trimmed in fabric. 

Again, as above, rear area might be important to prospective buyers.  Xman does it no favours in that regard.  

 

In closing.

I already have a Kamiq so Xman's comments are of no consequence to me. 

But, if other members/visitors contemplating a purchase have squidgy plastics and generous rear area as priorities they might just be persuaded to ignore the Kamiq. And that would be wrong, don't you agree?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[fabill]

1 hour ago, xman said:

Seems some can't respect that people can possibly have a different opinion to their own. I thought that was an exclusive mindset among those characters who post in the political threads of the roadside hotel.

 

If you love your Kamiq - that's great - Im glad for you, so you made a good decision, for you.

 

To me, after an hours test drive, it was just hmmm, lets look at something else instead.

 

End of my contribution to this thread.

 

Heres Mat Watson's view, more in line with yours, maybe not as extremely gushing

 

 

 

 

'Seems some can't respect that people can possibly have a different opinion to their own.'

 

Your comment is disingenuous. I've already acknowledged in previous post that you, same as everyone else, is entitled to his/her opinion.      

 

'Heres Mat Watson's view, more in line with yours, maybe not as extremely gushing'

 

Here's Mat Watson's view, more in line with yours. 

That's a real compliment. Thank you.

'.......maybe not as extremely gushing'.

Perhaps not. But if he had driven it for as many miles as I have he might have been even more gushing.         

   

[J.R.]

Unless you took the test drive with Xman I dont know how you can say that what he related from his test drive were not facts, unless you believe he did not test drive a Kamiq or is making the whole thing up.

 

I am not here to answer your questions and whether I have been in a Kamiq is irrelevant, you accused someone of making a pointless and misleading posting  because what ticks your boxes in a vehicle does not tick his, that was what I was commenting on, I could not care less whether a Kamiq is good bad or indifferent or whether one person loves it and another is not impressed.

[fabill]

1 minute ago, J.R. said:

Unless you took the test drive with Xman I dont know how you can say that what he related from his test drive were not facts, unless you believe he did not test drive a Kamiq or is making the whole thing up.

 

I am not here to answer your questions and whether I have been in a Kamiq is irrelevant, you accused someone of making a pointless and misleading posting  because what ticks your boxes in a vehicle does not tick his, that was what I was commenting on, I could not care less whether a Kamiq is good bad or indifferent or whether one person loves it and another is not impressed.

 

Your comments miss the point completely.

What he experienced during the test drive is totally irrelevant.

Like you, I couldn't care less what anyone thinks of the Kamiq. 

However, to make comments that are patently wrong is something I do care about.   

[J.R.]

How can you say that what he says is patently wrong when you did not see the car he drove?

 

My comments miss what point? - That you consider he is patently wrong? - That is exactly what my comments were about.

 

"What he experienced during the test drive is totally irrelevant" - yes you are right, I must be missing your point, why did you ask me if I had been in one if you consider it irrelevant?

[Fergusthedog]

I have a Karoq and my take is the Kamiq dash is full on fugly in comparison but only based on my trying both

 

[fabill]

10 hours ago, J.R. said:

How can you say that what he says is patently wrong when you did not see the car he drove?

 

My comments miss what point? - That you consider he is patently wrong? - That is exactly what my comments were about.

 

"What he experienced during the test drive is totally irrelevant" - yes you are right, I must be missing your point, why did you ask me if I had been in one if you consider it irrelevant?

 
The car he drove is irrelevant in the context of what I take issue with. 
 

All Kamiqs have same top of dashboard and front door cappings. 
They’re are what Xman expected - squidgy, not, as he commented, hard.

That’s what is patently wrong.

A test drive is not necessary to establish that. That’s the point.

 

The same can be said of the rear area. 
Xman states it looked cramped. Patently it is not cramped. Not just my opinion but the unanimous verdict in the motoring press. As previous, that doesn’t require a test drive.  That’s the point.

 

As I’ve stated on numerous occasions I acknowledge and respect the right of everyone to his/her opinion. These are generally a mix of factual and personal. The latter is obviously subjective. The former is not. It should be objective. Accurate. 

 

I trust this answers your questions.

 

 

 

[J.R.]

15 hours ago, xman said:

Seems some can't respect that people can possibly have a different opinion to their own. I thought that was an exclusive mindset among those characters who post in the political threads of the roadside hotel.

 

If you love your Kamiq - that's great - Im glad for you, so you made a good decision, for you.

 

To me, after an hours test drive, it was just hmmm, lets look at something else instead.

 

End of my contribution to this thread.

A very wise decision it turns out, I am now following your lead.

[fabill]

4 hours ago, J.R. said:

A very wise decision it turns out, I am now following your lead.

 

Sorry to hear that. I was enjoying this. 

Edited 13 April, 2021 by fabill

[J.R.]

3 hours ago, Fergusthedog said:

I have a Karoq and my take is the Kamiq dash is full on fugly in comparison but only based on my trying both

 

Your opinion is totally irrelevant and patently wrong.

 

Trying both is not necessary to establish that. That’s the point!

[Fergusthedog]

J.R. totally agree don't know what I am talking about 

 

[fabill]

3 hours ago, J.R. said:

Your opinion is totally irrelevant and patently wrong.

 

Trying both is not necessary to establish that. That’s the point!

 

From Xman: End of my contribution to this thread.

From J.R. : A very wise decision it turns out, I am now following your lead.

 

Oh, you're back in the game again! 

Changed you mind?  

Not following Xman's lead, after all.    

Good. I'm enjoying this. 

[logiclee]

My 2p worth.

 

I'm undecided. 

 

14 Skoda's have sat on my drive and 3 still do.

 

At some point I have a 2017 2.0TDi 150PS L&K Yeti to replace. So Kamiq or Karoq?

 

Kamiq has a longer wheelbase than the Karoq and isn't that much shorter but doesn't offer the SUV driving position of a Yeti or Karoq. 

 

Interior feels closer to the Fabia (We've had three) than Octavia (We've had three) even if the door tops are squishy.  I'd want 1.5TSi SEL DSG but at the price (£26k) I'm disappointed with the interior. 

 

The Karoq is £29k but it carries it's price point better I think.

 

Kamiq SEL

 

Karoq SEL

[Expatman]

Problem is the natural replacement for the Yeti is probably a VW T-Cross, but because it is a VW it is of poor interior quality compared with how Skoda would have finished it. Skoda would have used soft touch plastics for the dash and included many more extras both as standard and as extra cost additions. If the T-Cross was finished like my Yeti SEL Drive - leather seats, heated windscreen, reversing mirror etc. as standard plus an options list including powered seats then I would have bought one in a heartbeat. Not so the VW T-Cross model.

[fabill]

11 hours ago, Expatman said:

Problem is the natural replacement for the Yeti is probably a VW T-Cross, but because it is a VW it is of poor interior quality compared with how Skoda would have finished it. Skoda would have used soft touch plastics for the dash and included many more extras both as standard and as extra cost additions. If the T-Cross was finished like my Yeti SEL Drive - leather seats, heated windscreen, reversing mirror etc. as standard plus an options list including powered seats then I would have bought one in a heartbeat. Not so the VW T-Cross model.

 

I apologise if you've already viewed this video.

If you haven't then, I think you might find it interesting and informative. Especially the reference to the Yeti.

It's not all praise; no review ever is, but the pros have it over the cons IMO. He is not complimentary reference the ride. The test car is the SEL with 18" wheels. Mine is SE with 17" Volans and low resistance tyres. Perhaps this combo makes for a better ride. It's not as smooth a ride as the Peugeot 2008 I test drove for instance. But I'm not dissatisfied.   

The Skoda configurator shows the options list includes the features you have in your Yeti. Of course, some will or might incur extra cost.  

 

Edited 14 April, 2021 by fabill

[logiclee]

14 hours ago, Expatman said:

Problem is the natural replacement for the Yeti is probably a VW T-Cross, but because it is a VW it is of poor interior quality compared with how Skoda would have finished it. Skoda would have used soft touch plastics for the dash and included many more extras both as standard and as extra cost additions. If the T-Cross was finished like my Yeti SEL Drive - leather seats, heated windscreen, reversing mirror etc. as standard plus an options list including powered seats then I would have bought one in a heartbeat. Not so the VW T-Cross model.

 

I don't really need the size of the Karoq but it does have a more SUV like driving position, the Kamiq is more like a Scala Scout.

 

What I do need is towing capacity and looking into it the Kamiq shows more of it's underpinnings. 

 

My Yeti has a 1585kg Kerbweight and 2100kg tow limit.  A diesel Karoq is similar 1600kg kerbweight and 2100kg max tow. Petrol 2wd Karoq 1.5 SEL is around 1500kg Kerbweight and 1500kg/1700kg  tow limit.

 

The best Kamiq is a 1.5 SEL with around 1340kg kerbweight and just a 1250kg tow limit.

 

A diesel or petrol karoq would be OK for me but the Kamiq is not beefy enough as a Yeti replacement. 

 

 

[Expatman]

2 hours ago, logiclee said:

 

I don't really need the size of the Karoq but it does have a more SUV like driving position, the Kamiq is more like a Scala Scout.

 

What I do need is towing capacity and looking into it the Kamiq shows more of it's underpinnings. 

 

My Yeti has a 1585kg Kerbweight and 2100kg tow limit.  A diesel Karoq is similar 1600kg kerbweight and 2100kg max tow. Petrol 2wd Karoq 1.5 SEL is around 1500kg Kerbweight and 1500kg/1700kg  tow limit.

 

The best Kamiq is a 1.5 SEL with around 1340kg kerbweight and just a 1250kg tow limit.

 

A diesel or petrol karoq would be OK for me but the Kamiq is not beefy enough as a Yeti replacement. 

 

 

You have highlighted the problem for me with the Kamiq - the driver and passenger seats are just set too low in the car. My wife has a dodgy back and finds “dipping” down into a car or “raising” out of the seat difficult. The Yeti seat heights are such that she can just slide in and out on the same level. Apart from that the Kamiq is fine but ‘that’ rules the Kamiq out for us. Karoq is higher but just overall bigger than we want. Hence our looking for alternatives of Yeti sized cars and seeing the VW T-Cross, right seating height but down market interior compared with the Kamiq and the options list is woeful! Where is the memory electric seats, leather seats, heated windscreen etc? None are even available as paid for upgrades. In the final analysis seat height is more important to us so it will have to be the T-Cross (or possibly the T-Roc) or, of course, one from an alternative manufacturer. The new Honda H-RV due in the summer looks interesting for a start - true hybrid. 

[Expatman]

12 hours ago, fabill said:

 

I apologise if you've already viewed this video.

If you haven't then, I think you might find it interesting and informative. Especially the reference to the Yeti.

It's not all praise; no review ever is, but the pros have it over the cons IMO. He is not complimentary reference the ride. The test car is the SEL with 18" wheels. Mine is SE with 17" Volans and low resistance tyres. Perhaps this combo makes for a better ride. It's not as smooth a ride as the Peugeot 2008 I test drove for instance. But I'm not dissatisfied.   

The Skoda configurator shows the options list includes the features you have in your Yeti. Of course, some will or might incur extra cost.  

 

Thanks, I hadn’t seen that review before. I have described my situation in my reply to logiclee (above). It is basically seating height that is the problem and the Kamiq is just too low to suit our needs.

[HareLaw]

Just in case, the driver's seat height is adjustable but not the passenger's. Like you, my wife was uncomfortable in that so we paid for the height adjustable upgrade to this second seat and all is well, happy all round

[aaaaplay]

Wow you guys get some truely basic specification in the UK.

 

Ie don't even have manual air conditioning as an option, climatronic is standard.

 

Our MY2020 even got boot nets included as standard.

 

In Australia our line up is as follows:

• Kamiq 85TSI manual – $26,990 (15,000 GBP)
• Kamiq 85TSI auto – $27,990 (15,600 GBP)
• Kamiq 110TSI Monte Carlo auto – $34,190 (19,000 GBP)
• Kamiq 110TSI Limited Edition auto – $35,490 (19,800 GBP)

 

[snala]

Different here in NZ from Oz too. 

We have a Monte Carlo, cost $47k NZD and had to spec the front seat heaters and rear boot opening as is not standard here. Cellphone charging not standard either so quite a few differences. I have a Kodiaq VRS too and interesting to see how the infotainment in Kamiq is a dumbed down version of what mine is, the Navigation too.

Still, drives well especially on twisty roads using the sport suspension setting.  Did  715kms over the last 2 days and fuel light only just come on. High beam lights are better than the Kodiaqs with the new Bi LED type lenses too. New steering wheel is nice as well. 

[fabill]

23 hours ago, HareLaw said:

Just in case, the driver's seat height is adjustable but not the passenger's. Like you, my wife was uncomfortable in that so we paid for the height adjustable upgrade to this second seat and all is well, happy all round

 

Although I am very pleased with the Kamiq, as the first post on this thread confirms, the standard specifications are meagre in comparison with other brand offerings at same/similar price. In fact, almost without exception, this policy is endemic in VAG. 

But it didn't dissuade me from opting for another - the Kamiq. I chose the Kamiq primarily on my experience of the VAG 1.0 litre engine and DSG transmission which was in the 2018 Audi A3 we had previously.

 

Now, to the point. The passenger seat. For that to be non-adjustable is in one word, Unbelievable. More especially as the Kamiq is an SUV.

For certain, our car would have arrived without an adjustable seat had my wife not mentioned the fact when we test drove the dealer demonstrator. And I'd have been in the first instance surprised and the second livid. 

You see, it would never, ever, have occurred to me to check. Would it have occurred to you?   

 

So, for those who might be considering a Kamiq be aware that height adjustable passenger seat is standard only on the SE-L. It is an option on S and SE.       

Edited 20 April, 2021 by fabill

[Ootohere]

Lets be honest, the Kamiq is not by any stretch of the imagination a SUV, a Crossover or a Soft roader.   

It is a family size hatchback with a slightly higher roof height and not particularly good ground clearance and no AWD option.

The Advertising people might like to include the Kamiq as part of Skoda's SUV range.

Edited 20 April, 2021 by e-Roottoot

[Northam]

Love mine.  Nice interior, nice space inside and that dash, never had a virtual dash.  Ride wise well it has 18” wheels you can expect a little harshness, but they look good.

[chrisluciofg]

17 hours ago, snala said:

 

 

had to spec the front seat heaters and rear boot opening as is not standard here

 

in your opinion - which is better value overall ? Kamiq MC or Kodiaq RS ?