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I haven't even seen one of these on the roads yet! Can anyone give some ownership feedback on them?
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I have a new Superb its the 2-0Tdi S Spec so its the lead in car of the range.
It is my company car I have had the car since mid November and so far it has done 4000 miles with no troubles.The car has a very good specification with most of the toys you wish to have on the car
My family call it the Limo because that it what it feels like to drive very smooth very quiet and so far an average of 48 mpg which is not bad for such a big car.
My work is mainly on country roads and A roads with little motorway driving and once you get used to it it really does not feel to cumbersome on narrow country lanes.
I did have a journey to Heathrow Airport and back from the far north of England just before christmas and after 500 miles there and back i did not feel as if I had covered that far the 6 gears certinaly help for relaxed motorway cruising.
The interior space has to be seen to be belived my son is 14 and 6 foot 3 inches and he has ample room to streach out his legs even with the front seats set as far back as possible.
The twin boot system might be reguarded as a gimmick but when you get used to it, it makes alot of sense. Lift up the hatch for big stuff and use the boot for other smaller items .The most interesting reaction has been from my work colleagues, most of whom worship at the alter of BMW, and Audi who cannot belive how good the car is to drive and ride in when we go to meetings, they seem to realise that is it one hell of a good car for alot less than their german cars. Also there car tax liability is more than mine.
Previous to the Superb I had an Octavia and the atitude of the Skoda dealers helped in my choice of the car, their service, courtesy and atitude to the customer is second to none.
So to sum up yes I am pleased with the car I am glad I chose it over the Mazda 6 which was seriously in the running so to all you badge snobs out there go and have a look at it because you are really buying an Audi because the new A6 is going to be based on the Superb the suppling dealer told me that one by the way.
Oh I have seen three on the road as well.
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Good to hear from a satisfied customer.
I have a Mk 1 Superb diesel and toyed with the idea of replacing it with a Mk 2. This was to some extent catalysed by a very good cash offer which I had from an airport taxi firm for my non-DPF 130 PS diesel. The lack of a DPF on my present car may be relevant.
Looking at the Mk 2, it became evident that any equivalent or higher powered version would have a DPF. Any problems here would completely nullify the diesel's advantages. As I tow a heavy trailer, I would not be prepared to accept less power.
One of the worst features of the Mk 1 (other than depreciation) is the rear seat fold - the squab doesn't. This seriously limits the usefulness of the load space and I have had to unbolt the seats on a few occasions. The Mk 2 is exactly the same, and I wouldn't be prepared to put up with this. The rear door is also a serious pain to operate if you want it all fully open in a hurry. I know this would annoy me beyond measure.
Given the well publicised unsuitability of DPF equipped cars for congested running, VAG have effectively shot themselves in the foot as far as the taxi trade are concerned. Given also that Skoda is the mainstay badge for this function, they have potentially lost a good bit of business.
I wonder if the offer for my pre-DPF AWX Superb was a response to the serious limitations of the later cars? My car has been reliable, comfortable and has a remarkably favourable ratio of economy to performance. I'm keeping it.
659.
Edited by 659FBE on 18/01/2009 at 16:15
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The DPF is fitted to my car and to my knowledge is not a problem I was told by the dealer that because my car will get hot daily and be used for good long runs on A roads the DPF cleaning will not be a issue.
Re the boot space I have not tried to takeout the back seats as i have not needed to but it copes with four full size cricket bags no problem.
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I kicked the tyres on a new Superb when I was looking for a replacement company car. I liked the styling, the interior space, the interior design and the very comfortable leather seats. The dual tailgate/ boot thing is totally pointless but beautifully engineered and feels nice to use.
Unfortunately there is no 6 cylinder diesel available so I crossed it off the list.
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The problem with DPF equipped cars is idling is not good for the DPF - so why a taxi may suffer problems.
Second generation DPF catalysed filters may be better.
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"Given the well publicised unsuitability of DPF equipped cars for congested running, VAG have effectively shot themselves in the foot as far as the taxi trade are concerned."
Surely all new diesel engines coming on the market are going to have to have a DPF to comply with Eurotrash legislation? Of course it's a good idea to cut down harmful emissions, but the legislators shouldn't have imposed this before the technology is ready.
The taxi trade probably needs to lobby manufacturers to get the DPF sorted properly. The first make to do so will get the business - at least when the supply of seondhamd non-DPD diesels runs out.
I think I saw that a Superb estate is on the way, which will deal with the seat folding issue above.
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Of course it's a good idea to cut down harmful emissions but the legislators shouldn't have imposed this before the technology is ready.
Actually, I think that legislation is usually much better if it's technology-independent. Here's what's required, now you folks go off and see how you can meet the target. That way , manufacturers are free to use whatever method works best.
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I think I saw that a Superb estate is on the way
I was told that about the MkI Superb when I had an Octavia!
The dealer I used at the time said they had very little communication from above about new models, in fact the first they knew of the 130ps TDi Fabia vRS was when one arrived at the dealership on a transporter!
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Plenty of spy shots if you Google.
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Given the well publicised unsuitability of DPF equipped cars for congested running, VAG have effectively shot themselves in the foot as far as the taxi trade are concerned
So my 53-plate 406HDi (DPF-equipped) estate wouldn't have been much good for taxiing then? It did 167,000 miles before the being-set-on-fire thing. The multifunction display would occasionally (maybe once in two months) read "Engine Antipollution System Defective" - at the time I didn't know this meant the DPF needed regenerating and the warning message went away in the normal course of driving within an hour or so every time.
Idling is not good for the DPF - so why a taxi may suffer problems
It didn't cause a problem on the 406, and on cold nights it might well idle for an hour or more between jobs. On the Octavia it made the exhaust fumes smell "sweet" once the car had covered about 200,000 miles - and still now I know when I smell the same smell I'm probably downwind of a mega-mileage diesel car. On the Fiat Ducato minibus (05 plate, 2.3JTD) the "sweet" smell started at 20,000 miles and the turbo went kaput at 40,000.
(Too slow with the edit button to post all in one go!)
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" before the being-set-on-fire"
Was that DPF :-)
Seriously, the only DPF car I have had is my current Mazda6. For lots of short journeys, idling etc the oil level can increase....
You sure a 53 plate 406HDi as a DPF though... I always thought they had a FAP. Very different. They use a liquid (eolysys?) as a catalyst. Diesel cars with a DPF inject extra diesel into the exhaust to burn off the soot in the catalysed DPF filter.
Edited by rtj70 on 18/01/2009 at 23:07
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Definitely a DPF on the 2.0HDi - it was the bigger 2.2HDi that needed the liquid tank topping up at service time.
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Back on topic - I will certainly look at one. I would have got a Skoda when I got the Passat but children not happy - what do they know about cars at the age they were (not that young)!
Next car meant choice restricted to Ford and GM group cars basically. Next time add Toyota/Lexus and Mazda.... now it's no GM (we had them as business need cars for 20+ years!) but add in the long awaited BMW, MB and VAG.
If I can get any VAG car next time I will consider the Superb but more likely the Octavia. Not sure 100% that Skoda or Superb are on the list - I got my car in 2007 so irrelevant anyway.
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We bought a Superb 2.0 TDI CR Elegance on 1/12/08.
We've done about 4000 miles since then. No significant faults so far, except some odd problems with the Satnav rebooting - which seems to have gone away without anything being done.
Bad points ?
None really. I mainly drove an Auto as my last car. That took a bit of time getting used to. The Clutch biting point was very fierce when new, but has softened. The Brakes are VERY effective on quite light touches - you have to learn to be gentle.
Good points ?
The Engine is V. Powerful from very low Revs. So if you put your foot down - it takes off like a scalded cat. Overtaking acceleration is particularly good.
44-45MPG on mixed use, about 52-53MPG on long journeys (we usually stick to 70mph)
From outside the car at, when idling, it does sound like a diesel. Especially when cold. Inside you hear nothing. The engine is very smooth (it may only have 4 cylinders - but it does have balance shafts!). At 70MPH you still cannot hear the engine at all on the inside. The loudest things is road noise, followed by wind noise.
I don't think the road noise is especially loud, I think it is more that the Engine and Wind are quiet. Car came with Continental Tyres, some people suggest there are alternatives which might be quieter.
Road Handling is good. Steering is not a problem. Nothing here has ever given me a moments cause for concern - but I am not a sporty driver any more. This car was bought to gobble up miles on the Motorway, without fuss - which is what it does.
Ride generally very comfortable - gets a bit harsh on really bad roads, but very smooth otherwise.
Massive amounts of space inside for everyone except, maybe, the 5th passenger. You can get the driving position really good - the driver seat moves F/W, U/D, Tilt, Recline + position and diameter of lumbar support. Fortunately Seat comes with 3 memories (including mirror positions). Steering wheel adjusts for tilt and in/out.
All seats extremely comfortable.
Boot cavernous. We went for the "adjustable floor". This can be used in various ways. We have it setup so we have two boots. One is accessible when we open the boot as a saloon, the other only when you open it as a hatchback, of open it from within the car. Which we find useful.
Loads of gadgets. Some of the translations in the manual are a bit iffy, so it can take time to work out how all the electronics works.
Interior Build quality is lovely. Solid, well designed.
We went for the uprated sound system - which is brilliant. to the point of being a slight problem - if you play the right Pink Floyd or Queen tracks, the bass response is so good that you can think, momentarily, like you've forgotten to change down a gear!
Headlights exceptional - both on Dip Beam (which has all kinds of clever tricks) and on Main beam - which lights up the road an incredible distance ahead.
Biggest failings ?
1) I miss not having a rear wash/wipe. It just about gets away with it...
2) View through rear window pretty limited. However side mirrors are excellent - and if you get front and rear parking sensors it is a very easy car to park, despite the size!
Park Assist is interesting, but needs a big space.
A.
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My son works for a big lease company.
They have a Superb as a pool car (among other makes notably Audi/BMW etc - and not just the cheap small ones).
He reports that everyone who has used it reports it to be very good.
BTW Q5 is also reported to be very good.
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Finally sat in one on Monday. Octavia has an intermittent beep and had some time to kill at the dealer.
One disappointment was how close to the roof my head was when I sat in the back, back seats are set higher than the front and my head (6' 2" tall and not especially long back) was so close to the roof I could not get my hand between the two. Plenty of leg room but a back problem means I sit properly and don't slump.
Too big or the two of us.
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