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Im amazed someone can buy a brand new car but not 'see' the windscreen built in heating element and seats that do not meet their needs. Do these people make do with a 10 minute test drive? Before buying any new car Ive always insisted on upto half a day's test drive and if the dealer doesnt agree, I go elsewhere.
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Re the 308 GT if the problem with potholes comes from the rear of the car its the lack of independent suspension not the really fault of the choice of 18 inch wheels. I'm happy with the ride on mine (hatch) its just the odd bump because of the cheap torsion beam suspension on the rear. Cross Climates also soften the ride a little instead of the standard Pilot Sports.
If you feel the ride is bad everywhere you can get genuine Peugeot alloys on eBay - someone may do a straight swap if your lucky.
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With regard to the collision in the lane the answer tho this is install a car cam.
That would conclusively show which vehicle was stationary. I might even be tempted to wait until the court to show it!
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Re needing a license translation in Austria, it's not necessary. UK licenses, both paper and credit-card style are accepted without problem. We live in Austria and had no problem with the UK paper style before we exchanged them for Austrian credit-card style. The only thing to beware of is that they need to be carried at all times while driving - if you are stopped in one of the frequent random checks, you won't be allowed to proceed without your licence. You will need to fetch your licence before you can drive on, even if it means using a taxi or bus to fetch it from wherever you have left it. If your spouse or accompanying passenger has their licence, they can take over the driving.
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To the person thinking of buying a Skoda, I would advise them to take a test drive at Motorway speeds, before making a purchase, as the sheer road noise can be a nightmare and not a pleasant place to spend a long motorway journey. I drove an Octavia VRS and Scout, and for me the sheer tyre roar on both cars was untenable and a complete deal breaker. The Superb may be better, but having read several reports to the contrary, I would seriously insist on a motorway test drive before buying so you can decide for yourself.
Don't just take my word for it, google "Octavia road noise" or even "Superb road noise" and see that the problem does exist. It's a shame Skoda haven't bothered to address this, as it is otherwise a good car, but I guess the cost savings need to be made somewhere, and my guess is that its in the level of sound proofing.
Some owners suggest swapping the standard tyres for cross climates or softer winter tyres, but why should you go to the expense of replacing a set of perfectly good tyres to make up for the manufacturers' R&D issues?.
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I can't agree more with this comment. It is important to test drive a car in the driving conditions that you are most likely to use the car for. Some years ago, I test drove a Skoda Octavia after reading and hearing the high praises for it, but chose a Toyota Avensis in the end because it is much quieter and comfortable on motorways. I have not looked back since buying it, and simply cannot understand why the motoring press continue to sing high praises of Skodas (or any VW Group cars) when the Avensis is miles better., and yet had poor reviews. Perhaps Toyota does not "contribute" as much to the motoring journalists, alledgedly.
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