2021 1.5 TSI SEL or Facelifted 2023 SE ACT

[Ldouglas24]

Hi, new to this forum and currently in 2 minds which car to purchase. 
 

Both cars are very similarly priced. 2021 SE L 16k miles - 2023 SE - 8k miles.

 

I'm currently looking at both cars and trying to justify going for the older model (2021) which is of course a higher specification. With heated seats, alcantara finish, led headlights etc and moveable back seats was enticing. Although no full digital dashboard not. 
 

2023 SE model - 

Obviously attracted by its age and mileage, but am I loosing out in a lot of required specifications? Plus side, digital dashboard speedo etc. 

 

I appreciate the answers may be what’s more important to me, but has anyone had experience of 2021 models compared to the new face-lifted model, but lower specification. 
 

thanks again for you help. In a right muddle!

Edited 2 April by Ldouglas24
Added year

[Rory]

Is the digital dash the narrower one - basically I think it just has one "dial" in the middle?   I didn't like that at all when given an SE courtesy car.  The old twin dial non-digital dash in ours is lovely and clear.

 

the Karoq spec is a bit weird in this respect - even the facelift SE-L only gets the 8" display.   Yet the bigger one was standard on daughter's SEL Kamiq.

 

Does the newer one have lane keeping assist?  Drives some people bonkers - my neighbour hated it so much he sold his car back to the local Skoda dealer and bought an older one.  It can be turned off with a couple of button presses, but has to be done every trip.   I assume the older car doesn't have it but check that - our 22 reg SEL doesn't but the specs did change a bit during Covid.

Edited 2 April by Rory

[NottsIan]

The SE L will also have a reversing camera, not sure id like to reverse mine without it...

[croquemonsieur]

I'd probably go for the SE as the rear seats are fixed which means it has a more solid and thus more sound isolating rear parcel shelf, meaning less road noise.  However if the rear seats will be used alot, I suspect the lift out adjustable-back-and-for seats in the SEL are more comfortable, as the seat part is 25mm higher off the floor.  The boot cover here is a roll top to allow for variability in seat position.  I certainly thought the rear seats in my previous similarly equipped Yeti were better than my current Karoq SE seats, but I don't often have passengers in the rear and so glad of the extra noise isolation..

 

If you can find an older SE Tech, that version has some rather nice alternative features to the SEL - it had the same Sat Nav but also Adaptive Adaptive Cruise Control which I really like and a couple of other things & it didn't come withe KESSY which I'd rather avoid if at all possible.  Also smaller road wheels with higher profile tyres meaning nicer ride and cheaper more readily available replacement tyres.

[croquemonsieur]

PS it's fairly easy to fit a reversing camera to the SE, but costs a bit and I wouldn't be without that extra bit  either.

[SurreyJohn]

I would go back to the tried a trusted split the difference in specs into three columns : Absolutely essential to you; nice to have but could exist without it ; don't really care if got it or not and wouldn't ever pay extra for it.

 

Write them down in 3 columns and see what is in first column and if you value it more than year and half's car age.  Completely ignore column 3 and just use column 2 as a tiebreaker.  
 

And obviously if you share car with spice/partner get them to do same exercise before comparing overall results.

 

[mumpsim]

You are well aware of the pros and cons of each car. When I come across that situation, I resolve it by waiting for another car to come up that has fewer compromises.  And I travel to get it if necessary, a long way sometimes.

[ItalianJob]

1 hour ago, croquemonsieur said:

I'd probably go for the SE as the rear seats are fixed which means it has a more solid and thus more sound isolating rear parcel shelf, meaning less road noise.  However if the rear seats will be used alot, I suspect the lift out adjustable-back-and-for seats in the SEL are more comfortable, as the seat part is 25mm higher off the floor.  The boot cover here is a roll top to allow for variability in seat position.  I certainly thought the rear seats in my previous similarly equipped Yeti were better than my current Karoq SE seats, but I don't often have passengers in the rear and so glad of the extra noise isolation..

 

If you can find an older SE Tech, that version has some rather nice alternative features to the SEL - it had the same Sat Nav but also Adaptive Adaptive Cruise Control which I really like and a couple of other things & it didn't come withe KESSY which I'd rather avoid if at all possible.  Also smaller road wheels with higher profile tyres meaning nicer ride and cheaper more readily available replacement tyres.

If only the SE Tech had LED lights. Not very 'tech' really 😄

 

[croquemonsieur]

Yep, shame they didn't throw those in too.

 

Following Rory's message & referring to driver assistance aids, whereas as the Karoq Adaptive Cruise Control attracts maybe 50/50 for or against comments on this forum (I'm definitely for),  I don't recall any positive comments on the Lane Keeping feature as implemented in Skodas. I was keen to have this in my Karoq, but circumstances didn't allow, so maybe that was for the better.

[Rory]

14 hours ago, ItalianJob said:

If only the SE Tech had LED lights. Not very 'tech' really 😄

 

 

Wow, I thought that must be wrong, to be honest, but sure enough the spec says Halogen headlights.    LED running lights.

[Rory]

4 hours ago, croquemonsieur said:

Yep, shame they didn't throw those in too.

 

Following Rory's message & referring to driver assistance aids, whereas as the Karoq Adaptive Cruise Control attracts maybe 50/50 for or against comments on this forum (I'm definitely for),  I don't recall any positive comments on the Lane Keeping feature as implemented in Skodas. I was keen to have this in my Karoq, but circumstances didn't allow, so maybe that was for the better.

 

I've only driven VW courtesy cars with lane keeping assist and it didn't bother me - I thought it was amusing more than anything else.  

 

Daughter says it's close to terrifying in her Kamiq - unless she's massively exaggerating it sounds much more forceful than I remember - or perhaps I just never did anything to make it intervene more strongly.

[skomaz]

11 minutes ago, Rory said:

 

Daughter says it's close to terrifying in her Kamiq - unless she's massively exaggerating it sounds much more forceful than I remember - or perhaps I just never did anything to make it intervene more strongly.

 

 

I think a lot depends on how confident / nervous a driver you are - I've never had issues with any of the vehicles I've driven that have had it fitted but then I can image a less experienced / more nervous / less confident driver might panic a bit when it intervenes.

[croquemonsieur]

Some people are nervous or just don't want to try anything different, like a friend who had a fairly upmarket a Karoq.  He wouldn't go anywhre near standard fitted cruise control and as for automatic cars, no chance. It takes me a while to familiarise with new features - I started off using ACC just on quiet motorways and slowly graduated to incorporating it in more competitive situationss like the M25.  Then onto non motorways. No doubt I'd have taken a similar approach with Lane Keeping.

[ItalianJob]

1 hour ago, Rory said:

 

Wow, I thought that must be wrong, to be honest, but sure enough the spec says Halogen headlights.    LED running lights.

Shame really. I've just had a test drive of a used SE Tech and it was rather nice, but didn't cotton on to the fact there's no LED headlights.

I would have bought it otherwise.

Other than that it drove great.

[Ootohere]

?

What is the issue with having a car without LED headlights.

 

EDIT. Good news that the DfT (Not the Government as reported on the news) are to look into Headlight Glare.   

Look right into it, and then decide if the EU Regulations have allowed some really crap types of headlights for cars, and tail lights and brake lights.

Government Research.   Odd it has taken 14 years of this Government to bother.

There is a GE coming.   Nothing to do with populist ideas, get older, blinder voters on side.

 

There are plenty drivers around that should be using lane keep assist to help keep other road users safe from their wandering about all other the road.

Edited 3 April by Rooted

[ItalianJob]

39 minutes ago, Rooted said:

?

What is the issue with having a car without LED headlights.

 

Because once you've had good LED lights on a dark twisty country road I could never go back to halogens.

It's like electronics handbrakes, I could never go back to a manual one.

[Ootohere]

This is the issue, good dipped headlights for those on twisty country roads that will likely be a 60 mph speed limit and the Government needing to listen to those that have to put up with them coming towards them.  More likely Matrix LEDs, though and not just bulbs being the problem.     E-brakes are good, and Autohold, and using an E-brakes manually to have the parking brake on and no rear brake lights on.  A hand brake is damn useful with a Skoda where there is the needs to get the rust cleared off the rear discs after every time the cars are washed or parked..

Edited 3 April by Rooted

[Ldouglas24]

On 02/04/2024 at 15:15, Ldouglas24 said:

Hi, new to this forum and currently in 2 minds which car to purchase. 
 

Both cars are very similarly priced. 2021 SE L 16k miles - 2023 SE - 8k miles.

 

I'm currently looking at both cars and trying to justify going for the older model (2021) which is of course a higher specification. With heated seats, alcantara finish, led headlights etc and moveable back seats was enticing. Although no full digital dashboard not. 
 

2023 SE model - 

Obviously attracted by its age and mileage, but am I loosing out in a lot of required specifications? Plus side, digital dashboard speedo etc. 

 

I appreciate the answers may be what’s more important to me, but has anyone had experience of 2021 models compared to the new face-lifted model, but lower specification. 
 

thanks again for you help. In a right muddle!

Thanks all for your replies! 
 

after a couple days stewing and sleepless nights!! - I’ve opted to go for 2021 Se L. 
 

Yes, the new grill is nice but as soon as I saw the alcantara on the SE L then I was convinced. 

im excited to read through many forums and watch numerous videos to learn more about the SE L before picking up from Škoda next week. Do any one of you have own one yourselves and have any handy hints and tips?  

Thanks all again for your help!!