End of the road...

[MorrisOx]

So it's the end of the road for my five-year Skoda journey.

 

Started with an Octavia (where I endured the permanent noise and fidgeting of a torsion beam back axle - never again!), then graduated to a Superb.

 

For me, the Superb is the best of Skoda: genuinely decent ingredients wrapped up in a handsome body which swallowed everything that having two daughters at university at the same time could throw at it.

 

I reckon the Superb is at its best lower down the range, where it's not trying to be something that it's place in the VW pecking order won't allow. So whatever people tell you. the 1.4/1.5 TSi is perfectly capable of shifting this barge in a quiet, smooth manner, as long as you're not tempted to indulge in the kind of cornering that exposes the ocean liner suspension settings. My 2018 car had the updated  infotainment system and blending voice commands with Apple CarPlay works brilliantly. It's been such an easy barge to pedal around in.

 

Coming towards the end of the PCP, I did wonder about replacing it with a Superb iV, which again looks like a good value intro into decent hybrid tech. But...the dealer was disinterested and in the end I came back to what is (for me, anyway) the nagging issue with Skoda: they're better than you'd expect, but never quite as good as they could be. The Superb has got the ingredients to be very quiet, opulently comfortable and remarkably refined. But we all know why it falls short of that.

 

I no longer need anything as big, so looked initially at an Audi A3. No new cars available until September because of the production delays caused by he global shortage of semiconductors brought on by soaring demand for computers and mobile devices during lockdown. But found a Golf 8 eTSi 1.5 DSG mild hybrid in stock, specced nicely, and went for it.

 

I've heard plenty of nightmare stories about its glitchy infotainment (which is the next generation on from the Superb), and the panoply of driver assistance systems is taking some getting used to. But it has fully-independent rear suspension. It's quiet and smooth.

 

The End.

[Baxlin]

Enjoy!

 

I suppose I’m following you, a couple of cars behind: I’ve just got rid of horribly unreliable D3 engined Volvo C70 (although I will miss the folding hardtop), and bought a 1.4TSI DSG Octavia.  Loving it so far!

[MorrisOx]

My Volvo was epic, but also epically thirsty & developed an autobox fault (occasionally downshifting from 4th to 2nd) which the specialist spannerman suggested would ultimately be an £800 swap-job. So I got rid.

 

Octavia was a 'find me a big boot quickly' choice. Was pleasantly surprised by interior quality & engine/gearbox combo, but sad to say my daughters complained regularly about noise & ride in the back. So flipped the PCP early to the Superb. Did it's job brilliantly, but the smaller Skoda choices all have the dreaded torsion beam and I won't go there ever again.

[irc]

I got my 1.4Tsi Superb estate with a few options  - paint, fold flat front passenger seat, two height boot floor, heated washer jets, all season tyres,  new for £18k in May 2018.  Massive carrying capacity. Comfortable. Huge bargain.  I took a PCP for the deposit contribution and free servicces but now paid off.  

 

Intend to keep it for a few years.  Can't see anything near that value on the market now with the same space.   Only way I might change is if we switch to being a one car family again. It's a bit big for my wife to drive. 

[MorrisOx]

14 hours ago, irc said:

I got my 1.4Tsi Superb estate with a few options  - paint, fold flat front passenger seat, two height boot floor, heated washer jets, all season tyres,  new for £18k in May 2018.  Massive carrying capacity. Comfortable. Huge bargain.  I took a PCP for the deposit contribution and free servicces but now paid off.  

 

Intend to keep it for a few years.  Can't see anything near that value on the market now with the same space.   Only way I might change is if we switch to being a one car family again. It's a bit big for my wife to drive. 

It’s a hard act to beat for best value barge (and I don’t say that disparagingly - my V70 was exactly that!).

 

But I just don’t need the size anymore and switching to a smaller Skoda meant torsion beam hell. Just ain’t going to go there!

 

Genuinely sorry to see the Superb go. But for me at least there was no Skoda alternative. And the dealer made zero effort to keep me.