Ordered a Skoda today!!

[A210AMG]

As a tow car they also get great results.

Like I say I'm sure you will be happy with it. You have had a bad time with your merc.

 

[fuzzer]

I like cars that take on other cars which are out of their league, and come out on top. I think based upon what I read, the Superb appears to be such a car (not driven one though).

Its brilliant , easilly as good as a W203 to drive. Not quite up to a W211 tho, but very relaxing and smooth with the DSG and pretty nippy too.

I was impressed with the list of standard features on the elegance such as memory seats , SAP telephone navigation 6cd system and xenons.

Options like self parking which is only available on the A class can be had for £300 on the superb. Plus its a saloon and a hatchback depending on what you need at the time. Theres nothing worse than opening the tailgate when its freezing tha letting all the heat out.

 

[flango]

I like cars that take on other cars which are out of their league, and come out on top. I think based upon what I read, the Superb appears to be such a car (not driven one though).

Have a drive and you might want to revise your opinion and cancel the compulsory subscription to Barge Owners Monthly. I'll guarantee you one thing after you have driven it you will really appreciate how good MB are

Would appear they are pitching the Superb against BMW 5 series and E class, Volvo S60 sector. Thats a bit like putting Amir Kahn up against Victor Meldrew

Skoda Octavia Vrs punches above it weight but thats where it ends.

 

[maddog]

Have a drive and you might want to revise your opinion and cancel the compulsory subscription to Barge Owners Monthly. I'll guarantee you one thing after you have driven it you will really appreciate how good MB are

Would appear they are pitching the Superb against BMW 5 series and E class, Volvo S60 sector. Thats a bit like putting Amir Kahn up against Victor Meldrew

Skoda Octavia Vrs punches above it weight but thats where it ends.

I really dont think the Superb is any more barge like than a E class

S60 = too small boot is 250 litre smaller than the Superb let alone the cabin, plus it has horrid depreciation

£27k wont buy you a poverty spec 5 series or E class let alone a comparable model unless you go used and you can get a new fully loaded 3.6 litre 4x4 Superb for that

As far as I'm concerned my shortlist was Jag XF , Jag X type 2.2 Estate or Audi A4/A6 2.0t or 3.0 TDI

If the dealers were better i may well have thought about a new E class though , as i said i like the car and i've enjoyed my time with it.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Have a drive and you might want to revise your opinion and cancel the compulsory subscription to Barge Owners Monthly. I'll guarantee you one thing after you have driven it you will really appreciate how good MB are

I did add that I hadn't driven one.

I think given your experience, you'll inevitabley have more of a feel for the subtleties in dyamics of a car, which most of us - including me - do not have, and so your perceptions and conclusions may be different to the majority.

To be fare Barge Owners Monthly have a better feel than me too, so I'll be guided by them.

Mercedes Enthusiast is fantastic - their writers have incredible journalistic talent, and really have an in depth understanding of the motor car. Puts all other publications, including Barge Owners Monthly in the shade.

For those who know my trick, I think ME is awful!! Shhhh.

 

[flango]

I really dont think the Superb is any more barge like than a E class

S60 = too small boot is 250 litre smaller than the Superb let alone the cabin, plus it has horrid depreciation

£27k wont buy you a poverty spec 5 series or E class let alone a comparable model unless you go used and you can get a new fully loaded 3.6 litre 4x4 Superb for that

As far as I'm concerned my shortlist was Jag XF , Jag X type 2.2 Estate or Audi A4/A6 2.0t or 3.0 TDI

If the dealers were better i may well have thought about a new E class though , as i said i like the car and i've enjoyed my time with it.

Not being funny but New BMW 520d M Sport = £27,215 would not call that poverty spec.

I agree with your choices Jag XF & X type re branded Mondeos not worth the money, A4 too small and emissions high from 2 litre, 3 litre not got much more guts. I understand you are fed up with MB but

Now let me think BMW or Skoda?

 

[A210AMG]

oh lord will you buy me a skoda....


ooops sorry that does't work.



As for depreciation your merc was bad, agreed, but even the superb if your buying brand new will be bad? All new cars are.

Did you also look at the VW Phaeton?

This looks a lot of car for £24K

http://www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/cardetails.php?t=portfolio&u=79572

 

[robert.saunders]

I didn't get this much stick when I got the Mondeo! But saying that, I do miss Mercedes... I don't miss the dealer though, and my local Ford dealer is on a level par...

Fair play to you maddog for sticking your guns and giving reasoned responses

 

[verytalldave]

It can take 20/30 years for a make of cars reputation to turn round.
Vauxhall back in the late 1950's and 60's were absolute rust buckets.
People talk about Mercedes being bad, but Vauxhall back in the day were in another league. From showroom to dump in 3 years was not uncommon if you lived on the coast. Vauxhall have really only got back into their stride in the last 10 years or so. So thats the best part of 30 years.
Skoda is not going to loose its "skip on wheels" reputation/name for at least another 20 years or so.
Even BMW had a bad name back in its bubble car days. And its only since the birth of the original 3 series has it managed to shrug that undesirable image off totally.

 

[maddog]

Skoda is not going to loose its "skip on wheels" reputation/name for at least another 20 years or so.

As i said wayyyy back luckily for Mercedes they have their bombproof reputation , thing is neither Skoda nor Mercedes deserve the perceptions they currently have

Truth is anyone who knows anything about modern cars will tell you how good Skoda are, they are a sum of their VW and Audi parts at the end of the day whilst those less informed may well make jokes about them it doesnt change that fact*


*These are the same people who think because we won the world cup on 66 we have a world class team and that Great Britain actually leads the worl din anything nowadays

 

[maddog]

Not being funny but New BMW 520d M Sport = £27,215 would not call that poverty spec.

I agree with your choices Jag XF & X type re branded Mondeos not worth the money, A4 too small and emissions high from 2 litre, 3 litre not got much more guts. I understand you are fed up with MB but

Now let me think BMW or Skoda?

520d M sport has an RRP of over £30k!!

http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/pricesan...b-TEk=@bm-WjVTMA==@spv-S,00.html?tab=standard

No xenons , no leather , no sat nav, no bluetooth ,no leccy seats no headlamp wash so yes poverty spec for £30k

 

[Sonny Burnett]

took my 210 to the dealer today in chelmsford i had a cracked rim and the spare had no bolts... they gave me brand new bolts and fitted the wheel for free...

 

[maddog]

oh lord will you buy me a skoda....


ooops sorry that does't work.



As for depreciation your merc was bad, agreed, but even the superb if your buying brand new will be bad? All new cars are.

Did you also look at the VW Phaeton?

This looks a lot of car for £24K

http://www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/cardetails.php?t=portfolio&u=79572

True but they are bargains but Phaeton is still smaller than the Superb and lacks the useful twindoor boot plus it looks pretty similar imo, if the Superb wasnt as big as it is i would need another estate car and £24k for a used car ....... the Skoda is less brand new with a fair few options


I dont expect the depreciation to be any better on the Superb than the Merc percentage wise but its cheaper to start with , I've kept my E class almost 8 years for it to be paid for via the company car allowance we get , if i keep the Superb anymore than 4 years i'll be in profit and i really cant see it falling apart before then so its miles better value in the long term.

Of course Its easy to downsize a car and save money if you are happy living without your toys , I really dont see any compromise with the Skoda over my current car its got a better spec just lacks a bit of pace and handling, of course unlike some I didnt buy my E class as a status symbol but as a practical family car so lack of bragging rights doesnt bother me.

 

[maddog]

took my 210 to the dealer today in chelmsford i had a cracked rim and the spare had no bolts... they gave me brand new bolts and fitted the wheel for free...

Perhaps I should move to Essex

Think its cheaper to change the car though

 

[flango]

520d M sport has an RRP of over £30k!!

http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/pricesandspecifications_detail/0,,1156_2053__bs-NQ%3D%3D%40bb-TEk%3D%40bm-WjVTMA%3D%3D%40spv-S,00.html?tab=standard

No xenons , no leather , no sat nav, no bluetooth ,no leccy seats no headlamp wash so yes poverty spec for £30k

Whats RRP got to do with it, we are in a recession premium manufactures will discount more than mainstream

£27,215 http://www.sytner.co.uk/ or you could spec up an SE model to come in close to that

OK on M Sport no Xenons, but part leather, Sat Nav in BMW, MB, VAG is pants anyway so why would you want it? better off with a £99 TomTom, According to BMW forum bluetooth standard on 2009 models (March on), as is leccy drivers seat & Headlight wash.

I really hope you are happy with the Superb but I just struggle to get my head around it. Opinions and choices vary depending on what floats your boat, each and to their own I say. Look forward to reports on the Skoda when you get it and hope you do enjoy it and I actually have to say I think you will get better dealer support from Skoda than MB. Good MB dealer support is few and far between

 

[maddog]

I personally dont think a tom tom or garmin is a patch on a factory fitted Sat Nav system you only hear that from those that didnt spec it from new , Comand on MB is a VERY desirable feature even the older units like the w210 has and cars without it are worth a lot less

The Columbus system in the Superb has built in harddisk, takes SD cards so you can load up you MP3's, plays dvd and mp3 discs and has a very good , clear sat nav screen thats 4 times the size of a Garmin , it even displays phone text messages it may not matter to you but its an important feature to me and i'd want something of that standard in whatever car i buy

To bring a 520d (STILL SMALLER THAN THE SUPERB SO STILL MISSING THE POINT!!) up a similar spec as the Skoda you'd be paying a £10k premium even with your discounts i really dont see the sense in that

You may of course be able to negotiate a good discount on the Beemer , the deals arent quite so good on the Skodas because they are actually selling

 

[flango]

I personally dont think a tom tom or garmin is a patch on a factory fitted Sat Nav system you only hear that from those that didnt spec it from new , Comand on MB is a VERY desirable feature even the older units like the w210 has and cars without it are worth a lot less

The Columbus system in the Superb has built in harddisk, takes SD cards so you can load up you MP3's, plays dvd and mp3 discs and has a very good , clear sat nav screen thats 4 times the size of a Garmin , it even displays phone text messages it may not matter to you but its an important feature to me and i'd want something of that standard in whatever car i buy

To bring a 520d (STILL SMALLER THAN THE SUPERB SO STILL MISSING THE POINT!!) up a similar spec as the Skoda you'd be paying a £10k premium even with your discounts i really dont see the sense in that

You may of course be able to negotiate a good discount on the Beemer , the deals arent quite so good on the Skodas because they are actually selling

Sorry didn't realise size was important or at least thats what I keep telling Mrs F

 

[A210AMG]

I do think even though I admit to having a dig the car will be great,

It will have all your toys, drive well, give good mpg etc and I do hope you enjoy it and the ownership that comes with it.

All the Skoda owners now probably are having the last laugh as they have come on a long way they do seem to be aiming for more quality whiole so called premium brands are perhaps losing sight a little. Its a shame the name still makes me think of all the skoda jokes of old.


When do you collect the car, post some pics and you initial thoughts etc.


I know your made up with it so good on you.

 

[flango]

Sorry couldn't resist, No Offence

 

[Dieselman]

Sorry didn't realise size was important or at least thats what I keep telling Mrs F

But she might be in the same camp as maddog...