Owner perception surveys don't mean a lot to me. People, for some reason, become partisan over their cars and defend them to the death, and don't relate a rational factual picture of their vehicle. The warranty surveys however are a completley different matter, because they deal with facts.

As for people's perceptions, who gives 2 funks? Many other people watch big brother, soap operas, wear shell suits and speed past schools. Doesn't mean they, or their opinions mean bugger all. The British aren't exactly renowed for having an intelligent and cultured society so why care what 2 numpties in a pub say? If you know about cars, you know what Skoda's are made from, i.e. VW parts, so generally average.

I doubt it.

Most of the surveys are in the car magazines themselves so Joe Bloggs on the street who just bought thier new car to get from A to B and thinks it looks O.K, couldn't care less about the JD Power survey or any other survey for that matter.

The guys who are offering thier testimony in these surveys are, to a certain degree, 'into' cars. Therefore when they compete the survey they are most likely to give a fair account of thier experiences of that particular manufacturer.

Er...isn't that what I was saying?

To do an accurate survey, the suveryor picks a representative set to survey - they do not rely on people voluntarily coming forward to offer their opinions as this introduces considerable bias.

Rob.

My boss used to drive a Mercedes, not a bad car, a few faults here and there but the local dealer was so bad it was funny.

We have a Mondeo estate we use at work too, paint started peeling off around the front end, took the local dealer over a year to get things right and they are always losing keys - I kid you not.

My local Skoda garage proved how useless they were when I had my Fabia.

Three brands, three very similar experiences in terms of dealers and three very different perceptions by the public (i'm sure).

if these surveys really measured more than people's perception wouldn't you expect to see each of the VAG marques getting similarish results? Skoda is the only one in the top 10, and Volkswagen is barely even in the top 20, so expectations must be playing at least some part?

if these surveys really measured more than people's perception wouldn't you expect to see each of the VAG marques getting similarish results? Skoda is the only one in the top 10, and Volkswagen is barely even in the top 20, so expectations must be playing at least some part?

Perception will play a part but how well the individual components are put together will also have an impact.

I don't know - are the Czech workforce a proud, conscientious lot? If so there'll be a good chance of good product. Do other VAG marques perhaps use a bunch of carefree, cheap immigrants? This isn't meant to be inflammatory, I'm using extremes to illustrate a point.

Meh, it probably is all overly defensive value hunters voting for Skoda...

I expect the cost of my insurance is going to be about the same as Tom's, Walkie's and Snoopie's was... They were all about my age with modified fabias.

So not impossible, but okayish (and helped by the fact that I am female)

I'm curious; can you actually put a figure on okayish? I have a friend who is 21 and she's looking at the vRS but put off by the cost of the insurance. She's not driven since passing her test so has no NCD. Who are you with, and is there much of an increase to the premium to be paid for the various "mods"?

Do other VAG marques perhaps use a bunch of carefree, cheap immigrants?

From what I've heard it's actually the opposite.

For example, I remember VW were part of a recruitment programme to employ people who'd been on the dole for a long time - so it's not necessaily people who *want* to work there.

I also believe that the German workforce is quite heavily unionised - so pay is quite generous, and work hours are strictly adhered to as overtime *has* to be paid for extra hours worked.

So if a large portion of the car's build price is labour, it means you'll still pay a high screen price for cheaper components (so as not to affect profit margins).

If there's fixed number of cars to assemble in a fixed time, the priority is going to be on getting it finished rather than getting it perfect...

Admittedly I'm speculating, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility - and at least with carefree cheap labour then the car would be cheap...

Rob.

I hope they don't!!

Save *** holes buying them.

A vain hope in the case of the Fabia I think.......

I'm curious; can you actually put a figure on okayish? I have a friend who is 21 and she's looking at the vRS but put off by the cost of the insurance. She's not driven since passing her test so has no NCD. Who are you with, and is there much of an increase to the premium to be paid for the various "mods"?

Good point actually as some insurers charge mods differently. Admiral charge

A colleague of mine (who has just spent 16K on a Mazda 3 sport) laughed today as he said " I'd rather be dead than have a Skoda badge on the back of my car"

Guess the reputation is still there eh ?

A colleague of mine (who has just spent 16K on a Mazda 3 sport) laughed today as he said " I'd rather be dead than have a Skoda badge on the back of my car"

Guess the reputation is still there eh ?

What about one on the front?

i hope they never do i don't want to be overcharged for the same car,the more they lose the image the more expensive they will get,on that note when do we take delivery of our run out edition skips? Well for the unlucky 1000 anyway.

MAY THE POOR IMAGE LIVE ON:thumbup:

Skoda has quite a bit of history behind it. Its unfortunate that it got the reputation it did during the time the country (and the factory) was under communist control, and maybe in people minds, the name is linked to other brands like Lada, FSO, and Yugo. I know someone who had an Estelle at Uni, never had any major issues with it all, apart from having the alternator replaced.

The fact that the Skoda brand is perceived the way it is by the public in general is a reflection of of a much wider issue driven by the media and good old materialism.

If you aint got the right suit, shoes or mobile phone it seems there are masses of people out there wanting to make themselves feel superior by being critical of you. People use 'badges' of many sorts....not just cars to cover thier own insecurities. In addition people are creatures of habit sticking to existing group and social norms for fear of being left out. A case in point is BMW. Once a brand that nodded in the direction of financial security is now a brand that offers a form of social imunisation, protection from exclusion, to the point now where owners bleat like sheep at the lights.

I am a teacher, and today I watched two scruffy young jack the lads (the type that we would have gladly have sent up chilmneys a while back) arriving late for school. I know it's wrong to judge and this kinda shoots my argument in the foot, but my reaction looking at them and their BMW driving mother was, 'God anyone and everyone is driving these things'. I pictured their raised self esteem when they pulled up at the lights assuming that others would think they were 'big shots' in a second hand BMW. I wondered if these were the kind of people who measured their sucess in life by the badge on their car.

All terribly judgemental of me I know and I have probably got this all wrong, but it made me think of the reasons that I could be judged by some, as having poor judgement for buying a Skoda.

Thing is, it's better to be an individual IMO and having a Skoda is rather 'individual' at the moment. Also in an inverted snobbery kind of way I will hopefully find myself looking down on BMW drivers and in a vRS, being able to put as much distance between myself and them, both literally and metaphorically.

Sorry alot of wafffle that........but I think the inverted snobbery thing has some usefulness.

M

Skoda a few years ago went through a stage of building poor cars but trying hard to care about the customer, Its great the cars are getting better, its a shame customer care has slipped behind a corporate screen that turns into a smoke screen if you have any major problems

A vain hope in the case of the Fabia I think.......

Very subtle. .....but true.

A vain hope in the case of the Fabia I think.......

I disagree... I drive one, and I have been told that I fit the Fabia vRS profile perfectly.

I disagree... I drive one, and I have been told that I fit the Fabia vRS profile perfectly.

I agree - with both you and Jon

The fact that the Skoda brand is perceived the way it is by the public in general is a reflection of of a much wider issue driven by the media and good old materialism.

If you aint got the right suit, shoes or mobile phone it seems there are masses of people out there wanting to make themselves feel superior by being critical of you. People use 'badges' of many sorts....not just cars to cover thier own insecurities. In addition people are creatures of habit sticking to existing group and social norms for fear of being left out. A case in point is BMW. Once a brand that nodded in the direction of financial security is now a brand that offers a form of social imunisation, protection from exclusion, to the point now where owners bleat like sheep at the lights.

I am a teacher, and today I watched two scruffy young jack the lads (the type that we would have gladly have sent up chilmneys a while back) arriving late for school. I know it's wrong to judge and this kinda shoots my argument in the foot, but my reaction looking at them and their BMW driving mother was, 'God anyone and everyone is driving these things'. I pictured their raised self esteem when they pulled up at the lights assuming that others would think they were 'big shots' in a second hand BMW. I wondered if these were the kind of people who measured their sucess in life by the badge on their car.

All terribly judgemental of me I know and I have probably got this all wrong, but it made me think of the reasons that I could be judged by some, as having poor judgement for buying a Skoda.

Thing is, it's better to be an individual IMO and having a Skoda is rather 'individual' at the moment. Also in an inverted snobbery kind of way I will hopefully find myself looking down on BMW drivers and in a vRS, being able to put as much distance between myself and them, both literally and metaphorically.

Sorry alot of wafffle that........but I think the inverted snobbery thing has some usefulness.

M

You know the score. In the Wirral (as well as Liverpool) it is essential to have the right brands. The same applies universally, it's human nature nowdays.

I was skitted in school for having a pair of Dunlop Greenflash trainers. I should have had a pair of Adidas Trimm Trabb or Stan Smith !

You can almost guarantee that the ones who don't like Skoda have never driven the modern car.

When I visit my mates (who all live in 'not very posh' areas of Liverpool) I have no worries about leaving my car outside because it's only a $hitty Skoda (as someone recently put it) It's quick, well put together, looks pretty decent, does 60 odd MPG, doesn't really depreciate much, good insurance premiums, and most of all it's a SKODA !!

My message to all the doubters is ..... yours.

I agree - with both you and Jon

Are you calling Emily an **** hole then Phil?

deleted

I think they will, but it is going to take a serious effort to sustain the improvements that have taken place over the last 10 years or so.

I took a friend back to her parents house the other day, and her mom and dad came out and looked at my new vRS, both were impressed with the looks etc, and obviously 200bhp helps as well. Her mom seemed quite impressed, and I got the impression she would consider buying one, her husband, although he liked the car, kept saying the badge put him off, if it was a BMW badge then he would have loved the car.

A friend of mine has just ordered a 325d sport, yes a very nice car, and a couple of extras that mine doesn't have, like electric leather seats, but the car is about £10 000 more expensive than my vRS. Full leather seats would be nice in my car, but tbh, once the seats are set people don't tend to move them around all the time. Would I have a BMW, of course I would, but mostly cause they are still rear wheel drive, would I pay £10 000 more for it, well, my answer is outside.

Skoda a few years ago went through a stage of building poor cars but trying hard to care about the customer, Its great the cars are getting better, its a shame customer care has slipped behind a corporate screen that turns into a smoke screen if you have any major problems

Skoda did not go through a stage of building poor cars.

jonny boy,

Is right mate.

I had Sambas but boy did I take some flack when I did the equivilent of buying a Skoda in 1981/2 by being the first lad in the school to have a pair of Puma Dalglish. Poor build quality and construction materials were sighted as reasons for pouring derision upon them, however it was probably more likey that they hadn't come from Wade Smith that sealed their fate. I kept wearing them, but no one else bought them.

Today everyone that knows me has me down as a chap who knows and loves his cars. Indeed, at work when I said I was considering a new car about a year ago the expectation was that I would go out and buy an Audi. Several kids in my school offered free advice and even set about trying to get me a good deal on the net. It has been interesting to see how staff, friends and students have reacted to my decison to ditch the Samba once more, and as one kind science teacher put it' become a trailblazer.

Interestingly, Year 11 felt that the vRS looked excellent front on in Race Blue and when part of a lesson was spent comparing my potential choices, they felt, given the price and the performance the Skoda was the best buy. However, I suspect they were much better at anticipatiing what I wanted to hear and didn't want to hurt my feelings. Two faced swines!

K Swiss trainners seem to be very popular at the moment in our school. God help anyone with Green flash!

M

i hope they never do i don't want to be overcharged for the same car,the more they lose the image the more expensive they will get,on that note when do we take delivery of our run out edition skips? Well for the unlucky 1000 anyway.

MAY THE POOR IMAGE LIVE ON:thumbup:

Here here. You have hit it on the head. I trully hope that Skoda will continue their 'sh!t' reputation.

And keep churning out the cars as they are today.

I would be happy to have a Skoda for the rest of my days:thumbup: