Daresay there's nothing wrong with the Superb, huge car with massive rear leg room, makes an excellent taxi.

However it looks like hell, ungainly, ill proportioned with lights that belong on another vehicle type altogether, like an obscure Indian built van.

I really could not have a car as ugly as that to have to look at on my driveway, whatever badge it wore.

Similarly i couldn't own an Auris or latest Yaris despite being an admirer of almost all Toyota products, my jury is still out on Avensis though Tourer doesn't look too bad in the right colour...pity about the idiot handbrake.

Ugly duckling gold medal must go to Audi A1 though, even Fabia looks better...no i'll rephrase that, the Skoda doesn't look quite as bland.

Personally i think the Skoda is ugly, but who am i to say anything, I have an epica!

On the subject of the transgressions of the grandfathers in both the cases of germany and Japan, my first mother in law was one of the few who escaped from the concentration camps (got out, was sheltered by a french family for more than 4 years,) spoke fluent german and had no grudges against them, without doubt i wish i was a tenth as forgiving as she was!

There is a time for forgiveness, ( I can remember the protests in N.Wales when I was a child and the german army came to do a bit of training.)

Before we judge, let us remember who rounded up the families of the boers in south africa many years ago...

Sure, remember, but forgive too!

Happy motoring to all.

If we allowed prejudices based on historical nationalistic wrong-doing to cloud our buying decision, I doubt there's a car brand any of us could buy. The only sensible way is to be hard-nosed and buy the most suitable vehicle for your needs.

I've long been a reverse badge-snob - I won't pay for "image" because I'm not bothered whether others like my choice or not - the vehicle has to suit me, not them !

I concur with the learned gentlemen but wouldn't limit that criticism to just the Superb as I find the look of the whole range of models rather dated and bland these days.

For the past 14-years I've run two Octavia's (an SLX for 5-years and the current VRS hatch for 9) and fully 'bought-in' to the Skoda brand, it's VfM,0% finance/free servicing deals & reliability, etc. and can't fault them on any of those aspects.

However, as much as I love the performance (delivered effortlessly when required) of the petrol VRS (I've never thrashed it/I repect it/I'm not too pre-occupied by MPG return figures) I certainly don't want my next motor to sport a rear spoiler (I could ask for it to be omitted?) and it (latest shape) just looks too 'boxey'.

The Fabia is too small for my overseas travelling requirements and that new Rapid looks, at first glance, like a dehydrated Octy. As for the Yeti, Roomster and Citigo, well... plainly not for me!

There's no badge stigma whatsoever with the marque as far as I'm concerned, in fact, I've been laughing all the way to my saving's accounts for years – yeah, right, but you get my drift.

So, Skoda, just employ someone in the Design department who has a thing for 'curves', not right-angles and I may well return to the fold in the future?

I can't see the point of SEAT either - two "value" brands is overkill and the Skoda builders in the Czech Republic do an excellent job. There is a huge disparity in their respective sales where I live.

Reading through this thread, I suppose it depends on whether a car has any emotional attachment for its owner - as it obviously does for the gentleman with the expensive Golf.

For me, it's a washing machine job - do the work properly for minimum overall cost. There really isn't a huge difference between cars of similar size and weight for a given power unit.

I can become emotionally attached to an animal - dog, horse - and even to a treasured musical instrument, but not a car for heaven's sake.

659.

Even though I've only ever bought Japanses cars in the past, I would always consider any make if the "whole package" met my expectations (including the ownership experience). I think "badge snobbery" makes more of a difference financially if you are the sort of person who only keeps their car for 3 years or less, i.e. you get a premium for German marques second hand, which tend to hold their value (percentage wise at least) more than those from other countries.

I'll be soon looking to replace my Mazda 3 saloon, and am considering the "Saloon hatchback" Skoda Rapid and its sister car from Seat, the Toledo. In this case, I happen to think the Toledo is slightly better looking (I much prefer the rear light arrangement of the Toldeo, but that's all) - I would look at the overall package, including price and the after-sales experience before making any choice.

Saying that, I would ONLY consider these cars if the apparent problems with the VAG TFSI timing chains and other reliability issues were sorted out - other than safety, reliability is the one area I would never compromise on.

So everyone who buys a MINI buys one because they are pretentious and if they were sensible they'd go and buy a Skoda? What's that if it's not some sort of badge snobbery?

When I last looked people in this country still had the freedom to decide where they spend their hard-earned.

BMW have managed to build a car that people buy, that's what business is about. I wouldn't have a Countryman myself but the MINI hatch Cooper S that I drove a few months a go was a scream, expensive for a small car but easy to see why people buy them - very rapid, fantastic handling and really well built.