Yes...it's a Skoda!

[Captain Kirk]

Here we go, I thought it was about time I posted a pic of my car.
This was taken in the Austrian alps after driving nearly 2000 miles, so it is a little dirty!....enjoy

 

[liam72uk]

Ahhh snow, draglifts. Roll on winter.

From the thread title I thought it was going to be a picture of a Bentley.

Nice Picture by the way.

 

[gillywibble]

Another Octy II owner here. Very nice

 

[Captain Kirk]

I've gotta say, you get some comments from people who don't know how good Skoda's are these days, but I'm really pleased with it. 2.0 TDi, from a 1.4 petrol golf, it shifts when I want it to!!



(I realise a 0-60 time of 9.5 seconds is slow to some, but from my past car history, it's like lightspeed!)

 

[4ndy89]

I still can't quite believe the amount of badge snobbery that still exists surrounding skoda, I was having a discussion with somebody the other day, even though all my points were good, his argument was constantly "but it's a skoda..."

Although that said, I wasn't to keen until I saw the mileage Sormicroft had racked up, that certainly put a lot of confidence in skoda for me.

 

[teulk]

Dont VW make parts for the skoda ?

 

[Andrew Leitch]

I still can't quite believe the amount of badge snobbery that still exists surrounding skoda, I was having a discussion with somebody the other day, even though all my points were good, his argument was constantly "but it's a skoda..."

And what's so wrong with badge snobbery? I'd much rather have a Denon DVD player than a Bush DVD player and I'd work a bit harder to afford the better badge.
And I really don't understand why Skoda owners feel the need to convert everybody into Skoda lovers.

 

[Rich]

Dont VW make parts for the skoda ?

Yep, all of em - Well not quite. Anyway, all major parts are Audi/Skoda/SEAT group built. You will find more VW and Audi logo's on a skoda, than Skoda logo's (feel free to check all parts under the bonnet if you don't believe me).

I think the only thing not built by other companies seem to be the body panels.

 

[Rich]

And what's so wrong with badge snobbery? I'd much rather have a Denon DVD player than a Bush DVD player and I'd work a bit harder to afford the better badge.
And I really don't understand why Skoda owners feel the need to convert everybody into Skoda lovers.

Not the greatest of comparisons really is it? A Bush DVD player will be crap. A denon one probably wont. That's preferring the denon because of its extra quality, not because of its badge.
The same cant be said for comparing Skoda to other cars in the same class. Most people judge it ONLY on badge, when in reality, they are up there with the best cars in their class.
Lets put it another way. If Denon bought Bush, and then started making similar looking DVD players with identical components at knock down prices, what would you do then?

 

[gillywibble]

I don't want everyone to like Skodas, it will push the prices up.

 

[BigglesPiP]

A VW made by people who give a damn.

VW themselves are struggling with the Unions at the moment, the quality is suffering.

 

[WJA96]

And what's so wrong with badge snobbery?

Well, it makes you a snob for a start, and I don't ever recall that being a good thing.

I'd much rather have a Denon DVD player than a Bush DVD player and I'd work a bit harder to afford the better badge.

Well, I'd like to think that the actual DVD player was better if it was a Denon, with better video and sound quality. That's not badge snobbery, that's just being an informed consumer who appreciates something better.

However - consider a person who pays £12500 (after discount) for a basic Skoda Octavia 2.0PD with the same running gear and most of the switchgear as a basic VW Golf 2.0PD (£14000), a Seat Leon 2.0PD (£13000) or an Audi A3 PD (£15000). The only things different are the styling, the suspension setup and the all-important badge. Even the seats and audio systems are the same. At that point the only reason you buy the Audi or Golf is because you want people to think better of you at the golf club or because you like being treated with disdain at the Audi or VW dealer. I prefer the camaraderie you get amongst the Skoda and SEAT drivers and the dealers are on a different planet in terms of being helpful and offering true customer service.

The Superb is not as good as an A4 or Passat because it uses the older model's floorpan, but the other models pretty much are absolutely current VAG technology built in a lower labour-cost factory, hence they are a bit cheaper. Because it's the 'value' VAG brand you don't get some of the higher power engines (SEAT are 'sporty' so they get them) but generally, the informed consumer gets a better deal with Skoda than the other VAG group brands.

You can take the VAG thing to a further level and ask why pay tens of thousands more for a Porsche Cayenne over a similar spec. VW Touareg which is exactly the same car, built in the same factory in Bratislava in Slovakia? Badge snobbery of course.

And I really don't understand why Skoda owners feel the need to convert everybody into Skoda lovers.

Possibly because we feel a little defensive about the badge or possibly it's just we know we've got a good deal and we want to tell people about it?

 

[K.C. Leblanc]

I had a diesel one as a hire car in Spain. Smashing mile muncher.

 

[Captain Kirk]

Well I love mine! It's the Elegance model, so has all the toys like dual zone climate control (but not sat nav annoyingly).
Also it did 2700 miles in 2 weeks without missing a beat!

 

[Andrew Leitch]

I had a diesel one as a hire car in Spain. Smashing mile muncher.

There's no doubting that. The last Skoda I was in had 230,000 miles on the clock. But then it was a minicab. Personally I wouldn't want to drive something which made me look a minicab driver. I have higher aspirations but I guess some people don't mind a cheap badge and prefer the Aldi/Lidl lifestyle.

 

[WJA96]

I have higher aspirations but I guess some people don't mind a cheap badge and prefer the Aldi/Lidl lifestyle.

Nope, I don't mind Aldi or Lidl - they provide better quality than ASDA or most of Tesco's and Sainsbury's stuff at a better price. They pay their staff better and the only downside is that you have to lift the product out of it's shipping case yourself. I can do that.

As for higher aspirations - I've been technical director of a £75M/year turnover company, had my own SAP consultancy, I have 3 houses (in Germany, Northern Ireland and Norfolk) and my other car is a Boxster 2.7 but it's not practical on a day-to-day basis, hence the Skoda. I can have pretty much anything upto £50K in my garage, but those two suit me in terms of my requirements. I consider myself to have been successful and lucky in equal measure and I still have goals, but looking down my nose at anyone, for any reason, isn't one of them.

My dad drove the old 2-stroke and V4 SAABs before they became a 'badge' and Lauren and Klement used to be the car to have, long before Bentley ever built a car. The Communists trashed a good marque, but VAG have allowed the Czech's to build cars to be proud of again, and I, for one, am proud to say I drive a Skoda.

 

[Azagoth]

My old 130 Rapid served me well for years, and that was back in the day of all the Skoda jokes. It was a great tough little motor, anything went wrong with it and all you needed was a hammer, screwdriver and a spanner!

 

[Dogbreath]

There's no doubting that. The last Skoda I was in had 230,000 miles on the clock. But then it was a minicab. Personally I wouldn't want to drive something which made me look a minicab driver. I have higher aspirations but I guess some people don't mind a cheap badge and prefer the Aldi/Lidl lifestyle.

Oh dear, that says it all really. You are clearly a 'label' person, who judges thier own perceived image over anything of substance. You are the fashion industries wet dream.

If you don't want a car that minicab drivers use, that rules out most cars in the Skodas class, e.g. Passat, A4, Pug 407 etc. Cabbies often drive Skodas because they know they are well built and able to take the mileage, whilst being cheaper than most of the competition. They do not drive skodas because they shop at Lidl or Aldi.

 

[Dolph]

However - consider a person who pays £12500 (after discount) for a basic Skoda Octavia 2.0PD with the same running gear and most of the switchgear as a basic VW Golf 2.0PD (£14000), a Seat Leon 2.0PD (£13000) or an Audi A3 PD (£15000). The only things different are the styling, the suspension setup and the all-important badge. Even the seats and audio systems are the same. At that point the only reason you buy the Audi or Golf is because you want people to think better of you at the golf club or because you like being treated with disdain at the Audi or VW dealer. I prefer the camaraderie you get amongst the Skoda and SEAT drivers and the dealers are on a different planet in terms of being helpful and offering true customer service.

You appear to have forgotten significantly better residuals in your analysis, and your assumption that the quality is the same is misplaced. There is a definite quality difference between Audi and VW, let alone between Audi and Skoda or seat, certainly if you're looking at the current cars.

Possibly because we feel a little defensive about the badge or possibly it's just we know we've got a good deal and we want to tell people about it?

Skoda cars are undeniably a good deal, I don't think anyone has said otherwise, but the need to defend the badge (even when no real negativity has come up about it) isn't becoming.

 

[4ndy89]

And what's so wrong with badge snobbery? I'd much rather have a Denon DVD player than a Bush DVD player and I'd work a bit harder to afford the better badge.
And I really don't understand why Skoda owners feel the need to convert everybody into Skoda lovers.

Had to reply to that, even though im not a Skoda owner.

I find that the majority of people seem to recommend their own car to everyone else anyway. The problem I see is that people see the badge and instantly think ZOMG SKODA LOL, at the end of the day it's just a badge and there really shouldn't be so much snobbery about something which really isn't inferior in a price/quality ratio.

Also, just to point it out, I shop a Lidl a few times a month, I prefer the fact that there never seems to be much of a queue and I can actually buy decent foreign food at a realistic price.