Elegance 2.0 TDI CR 170 DSG Estate

The Passat with Daimler trim

I bought this car recently with 98k on it, it's been Skoda serviced on the dot, and nicely prepped by the used car dealer. My previous car was a Passat 2016 on a lease, with the same engine.
I had perceived Skoda was a cheap VW, but now I know its the opposite.
I am most impressed with the ( leather) upholstery ( certainly faux on the VW) I find the controls more logical on this older model. The comfort and ride ( on 18" rims) and cabin space ( leg and head room is outstanding) all feel superior to VW. The boot floor is no larger than Passat, but looks it. The car is long, and my 13 Elegance has no park aids on front, only back.
After reading about so many variants of these cars and bewildering spec lists, where they appeared to have every refinement imaginable, imagine my suprise to find a 2013 Elegance doesn't have DAB radio and plug in upgrades are not straightforward, because theres no USB port! I would have preferred that to an umbrella in the door. It does have bluetooth, mine doesnt want to read my music files-it may or may not work with your modern phone. I've got to upgrade to DAB, no way am I listening to Jeremy Vine.
The DSG transmission is great, you may shift gears yourself if that makes you feel more of a man, but there are no flippy paddles or sport eco options on this model. The flippers are no real use anyway. The 170 BHP should be enough to satisfy anyone who has chosen a Diesel car, the 160mph speedo is as silly as you'll see on a child's pedal car, the rev counter probably looks cool to the guy who designed the speedo. The car meets my needs because of space, economy, comfort with some nice design touches, great roadholding and punchy acceleration when needed. The technology is slightly dated, but thats because I've come from the later VW, in every other respect it feels like an upgrade. If you can buy a post 2015, the highest spec possible, it should fulfill your dreams, but if not, the old one is a thoroughly nice car.

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