Tips and advice for someone thinking of buying a Scala

[hetty1]

     Hello to all Scala owners. I am new to the Scala forums but not to Briskoda, I am on my second Fabia estate but am having problems finding a replacement Fabia, the used stock just isnt there. So I decided to broaden my search to look for a used Scala. The boot isnt quite as big, 467 litres as opposed to 530 but the creature comforts/drivers aids like cruise control and fog lights are all  there and there is more room for passengers. Also, What Car gave it 5 stars which they dont give out lightly.

 

 I have looked at various    sites and  have found out that there have been recalls with this model. One concerned the emergency call system that failed even on brand new cars and another concerned concerned the seams of the front  seat covers that came adrift and prevented the side airbags working properly  and increasing the risk of injury. The whole infotainment system has frozen, that seems common and there are probably other problems even if they havent led to recalls. The electronics in particular do  seem to have had a lot of gremlins .

 

     i will be looking    for a 2020 Scala or even an early 2021  with the either the 110bhp or the 115 bhp engine with the 6 speed manual gearbox. I dont want the 95bhp engine. All the versions except the entry model S seem to have lots of kit, they have  more than the corresponding Fabia. Its a toss up between an SE and an SEL, I would like the latter because of the standard sat nav but it wouldnt be a deal breaker. I might be completely wrong but I am always wary  of buying a car very soon after its introduction to allow some of the inevitable new model  problems to get sorted. So  I wouldnt be looking for a 2019 car, either a 19 plate or a 69. my search will be concentrating on cars with 20 and 21 plates.

      

              I am hoping to hear from you Scala owners with your tips on common problems likely to occur and what happened and which model would be best for me and the overall experience of running a Scala. My budget would be a max of £19000, I would expect £10000 min for the Fabia in p/x.

 

               Thanks for reading.

[Mdev]

I have a 20-plate Scala SE-L 1.0 TSI DSG (115ps) so hopefully my experience of it will be useful to you.

 

SE-L of this model year has a good amount of equipment including some things you may have anticipated on higher-end vehicles (e.g. digital dash, 9-inch central screen with nav and dual zone climate control). I went for the SE-L partly for these items but also because it included electric folding door mirrors and keyless entry and keyless start (features which the SE version does without as standard). However, this was personal preference. The only options I added were the tailgate design package (for aesthetics) and quartz grey paint. If I did not have a preference for the above features, I would probably gone for the SE which is itself very good spec wise. 

 

Other options I considered at the time of ordering were front parking sensors and the rear camera, but I felt the prices for these were high so I went without (although the car is relatively easy to park even with just the standard rear parking sensors).

 

 

Re inbuilt nav on the SE-L, it is good but I still tend to use Android Auto more regularly as the mapping / live traffic data is better. The 9 inch screen on the SE-L is impressive but I have had an SE as a loan car before and the slightly smaller screen it features is still very useable (plus it also features Android Auto + Apple CarPlay and has physical volume control - which is better than the touch one on the SE-L). 

 

Software-wise, I have had bugs with the e-call. I used to regularly get an error on the dash that the system was making an emergency call (although nothing would happen). It caused other glitches with the media screen / infotainment. However, since I had a software update performed around October last year by my local dealer, it has worked flawlessly and all the issues seem to be resolved.

 

Engine-wise, the 1.0 TSI is a peach. Typically thrummy (given it is a 3 cylinder) but there is good power across the rev range for everyday driving, even if the vehicle is fully-loaded up. The DSG suits the engine well but I am sure the manual would be fine also.

 

Hope this helps in your decision making.

[crussp01]

With that sort of budget you could buy new unless the wait is going to be a problem? My car was ordered in October last year and is the 1.5 SE with metallic paint and cost me less than £18k from a main dealer. Wait time has been around 5 months but this was communicated to me at the time of placing the order

 

[Simcity47]

I have the 1.5 tsi Monte Carlo, and I am very impressed with the build quality, refinement and the way it drives.

the downsides are the skittish handling at speed, it feels too wallowy and soft - plus it sits way too high. It needs sports suspension ( mg own personal preference )

the infotainment is a bit laggy, and jittery. However when it works it’s excellent. 
engine is very strong - feels more than 150bhp. 
i would definitely recommend the Scala. 

[Yetiherts]

I have SEL DSG this Things I like

Adaptive Cruise Control brilliant on motorway journeys 

Heated Font Screen an absolute must

Electric tail lift keeps the wife very happy

Electric drivers seat helps with arthritic hands

Great petrol consumption at motorway speeds

Things that annoy me

Lane control no permanent turn off

Infotainment system cronky 

stop start no permanent turn off

Heater controls too fiddly 

Sat nav next to useless

Up to 5 seconds wait for reversing camera to come on at times

Boy this thing rattles on bad road surfaces

 

Would I buy another one That’s a hard one

 

[Simcity47]

Good point on the lane departure turn off. 
it is annoying to have to disable it every trip. 
heater controls are fiddly ( for the digital climate models ) as you have to open up a separate menu. 
it’s still a good car though - and I do not regret buying it. Only seen 1 on the roads ever. Prefer rarer cars.

[POOPYDOG]

1.5 SEL

Keyless waste of space, 2 keys, low battery warning lights keep coming on, advised to replace batteries in the key fobs every 6 months, £5 each from dealers ,thats £20/year in batteries.

Infotainment still not working correctly after 9 months, now they tell me my subscription has expired. WELL IT WOULD WOULNT IT!!!  Does anyone pay extra for this?

STOP/START still not working but they have offered to fit me a hard wired dashcam!!!! Not even gonna go there.....ongoing.

Kangaroo starts " its a characteristic of this engine"    oh yeh thought it might be!!!!!!

Crashy suspension over speed humps. Not experienced  on the 1.0.

A few more items but  lost the will to live

[keystonedriving]

I have a 1.0 SE, 69 plate.  My previous car was a Seat Toledo (1.2 Petrol I-tech), in other words a Rapid.  The Scala in some respects has less kit than the Toledo (no sat nav) but on the other hand has some more modern equipment.  It's quieter and a little more economical than the Toledo (52mpg v 49mpg) but where the 1.2 had good torque (it was very rare to need 5th) the 1.0 is somewhat lacking in that department.  The stop-start rarely works, I think that the supplied battery is too small.  It will work toward the end of a long journey (200 miles plus) but otherwise it doesn't.

 

The 'lane assist' feature is downright dangerous.  It keeps trying to steer me into the path of the 44 ton truck coming toward me when I am getting in toward the edge of the road.  It also takes more notice of the dabs of glue left on the road surface when temporary road studs for roadworks have been removed, despite the presence of nice new white lines 2 feet away.  If you wish to get up close and personal with whirling truck wheel nuts, it's the system for you!  First job before pulling away is ALWAYS to disable it.

 

Overall I am happy with the car, the problems I have mentioned are not the end of the world and can be overcome.  Good leg room front and back, a reasonable ride and 115 hp will do me.  There may be better cars out there, but there are far worse ones!

[Simcity47]

Completely agree about lane departure. It’s a nightmare. I turn it off every trip. Thankfully it’s easy to do from the wheel controls.

useless gimmick. 

[longedge]

2 hours ago, keystonedriving said:

The 'lane assist' feature is downright dangerous. ......  First job before pulling away is ALWAYS to disable it.

I'm with you there and have said so (ad nauseum to some members here I believe 🙂) for the last couple of years. I normally disable it but sometimes I just want to nip out quickly and don't have the time to sit and wait whilst the system initialises and allows me access to switch it off.

[Steve8O]

On 05/03/2022 at 11:17, hetty1 said:

     Hello to all Scala owners. I am new to the Scala forums but not to Briskoda, I am on my second Fabia estate but am having problems finding a replacement Fabia, the used stock just isnt there. So I decided to broaden my search to look for a used Scala. The boot isnt quite as big, 467 litres as opposed to 530 but the creature comforts/drivers aids like cruise control and fog lights are all  there and there is more room for passengers. Also, What Car gave it 5 stars which they dont give out lightly.

 

 I have looked at various    sites and  have found out that there have been recalls with this model. One concerned the emergency call system that failed even on brand new cars and another concerned concerned the seams of the front  seat covers that came adrift and prevented the side airbags working properly  and increasing the risk of injury. The whole infotainment system has frozen, that seems common and there are probably other problems even if they havent led to recalls. The electronics in particular do  seem to have had a lot of gremlins .

 

     i will be looking    for a 2020 Scala or even an early 2021  with the either the 110bhp or the 115 bhp engine with the 6 speed manual gearbox. I dont want the 95bhp engine. All the versions except the entry model S seem to have lots of kit, they have  more than the corresponding Fabia. Its a toss up between an SE and an SEL, I would like the latter because of the standard sat nav but it wouldnt be a deal breaker. I might be completely wrong but I am always wary  of buying a car very soon after its introduction to allow some of the inevitable new model  problems to get sorted. So  I wouldnt be looking for a 2019 car, either a 19 plate or a 69. my search will be concentrating on cars with 20 and 21 plates.

      

              I am hoping to hear from you Scala owners with your tips on common problems likely to occur and what happened and which model would be best for me and the overall experience of running a Scala. My budget would be a max of £19000, I would expect £10000 min for the Fabia in p/x.

 

               Thanks for reading.

 

Hi @hetty1 have you managed to find a Scala or Fabia Estate to your taste and budget yet?

 

There seems to be a broad range of opinion on the Scala model here which is good and I hope has been useful to you in making your judgement.

 

I personally have a SEL 1.0TSI 115 6G with a few additional options.  It was purchased in March 2020 with lockdown 1.0 looming.  I had a previous relationship with Dennis Horton in Lincoln so gave them a call to place my order.  They actually found the exact spec I was after arriving into port that day as a display model for another dealer.  So a few phone calls were made by them and sure enough, it was registered and collected 7 days later.  You may be thinking to yourself why is this relevant, well personally I have found that a lot of problems/niggles have arisen in the backlog of production through the pandemic.    The Scala went into production May 2019 with first registrations 3 months later.  So 69 and 20 plates are not likely to suffer any pandemic problems.

 

I wont talk too much on mine as it is highly modified now and wont be relevant to your situation.

 

However I shall comment on some of the items already mentioned.

Amundsen crashing issue - yes had it - sorted with a software patch, not been a problem since.

Emergency SOS recall - yes got the letter - got it sorted with dealer - never actually had a fault with it though.

Lane Assist - yes dangerous - however as mentioned mine is modified, it is now 45mm lower and hence I had the ADAS (Auto Driving Assistance Systems) re-calibrated at a professional alignment and performance centre in Northampton.  I would have had done it by Skoda - but all four of my local skoda dealers/servicing partners didn't have the kit to do it!  Since having it re-calibrated it behaves entirely different to how it did from factory.  I would say I drive with it on about 50/50 of my journeys.

Start/Stop not working.  It is a small battery in the Scala, however it is well up to the task.  The issue is more that, for all the tech in modern cars they are not overly 'smart'  if there is a draw on the battery that is not there from stock, ie you have a dashcam wired in, then the system will disable the auto start/stop in order to preserve the battery levels, as the biggest drain on the battery is starting the car.  The system doesn't know if its a dashcam or full industrial generator plugged in, all it knows is there is an unidentified draw on the battery so it does what it's programmed to do.  I have fully upgraded the audio in mine with around 800w RMS now being pumped through the system.  Start/Stop has been permanently disabled ever since, however at my 2 year service recently the battery levels were checked and all was fine, which shows this little battery and the alternator is more than up to the task.

 

Now owned for 2 years, 17k miles, as mentioned just had second year service, all is great.

[Simcity47]

1 month in - and still love the car. 
negatives are far and away the suspension. It’s so soft and wallowy. Great if it was a base spec but it’s the Monte Carlo, which is touted as a sports model - which certainly  looks the part, but does not drive like it. Under damped and sits too high.

infotainment is slow and can freeze - hand gestures rarely work. 
plenty of positives however, refinement, interior space and quality, looks, engine, fuel economy, and seats are very supportive. 
I love the fact that there are so few about. I like the rarity. 

[Omniking]

16 hours ago, Simcity47 said:

1 month in - and still love the car. 
negatives are far and away the suspension. It’s so soft and wallowy. Great if it was a base spec but it’s the Monte Carlo, which is touted as a sports model - which certainly  looks the part, but does not drive like it. Under damped and sits too high.

infotainment is slow and can freeze - hand gestures rarely work. 
plenty of positives however, refinement, interior space and quality, looks, engine, fuel economy, and seats are very supportive. 
I love the fact that there are so few about. I like the rarity. 

I suppose you do not have the lowering option where it is few mm lowerand has suspension modes?

[Simcity47]

7 hours ago, Omniking said:

I suppose you do not have the lowering option where it is few mm lowerand has suspension modes?

I did not pay for this expensive option. It’s only 15mm lower anyway.

 

[hetty1]

Steve 80, Thanks very much for asking how my search is going. Being brutally honest it isnt going well at all. I cant really justify to myself the cost of a new or very nearly new Scala in these scary and volatile  times and having to make my finances balance.  Plus, the infotainment issues of the Scala are, frankly, disappointing although there are worse car issues of course. The stock of either used Scalas  or used Fabia estates just isnt there but my Fabia estate , I think, has a very slight edge. Apart from an unexpected water pump it has been very good and  I am now thinking of having the cambelt done and keeping it for two years more or maybe longer. Nothing is fixed, if I saw the right car at the right price I might still change but I cant honestly  see used     Fabia or Scala  stocks improving drastically in the near future, I really cant. Thanks again for asking.