Skoda Rapid - A Skoda Fans New Toy

[xtremeshock]

As the title suggests I am a Skoda fan, a rarity in today's age to be a Skoda fan for so long. I have seen from my own eyes the Skoda A.S.S. has gone from being a very professional one to one that is now, you have to be really lucky to have absolutely no problems, and I can say that I have had my fair share of luck, and I am still riding on that luck to have purchased my 3rd Skoda.

My First Skoda – Skoda Octavia L&K: We (We as in me and my family) have moved up from a Hyundai Santro to the Octavia, 7 years ago, so you can imagine the difference in luxury we had. The moment we saw this car we were sold on it. The only dilemma we had back then is whether to go for the Skoda RS or the L&K, we kept dilly dallying our decision to Gurudev Motors, in the end they got fed up with us and readied both the cars . Petrol being 43kmpl back then was not making it an easy decision. But then, me being around 18 back then sealed the deal, Dad was not in favor of giving such a powerful car in my hands. I am sure if we had bought that car I would still have to this day. Awesome car, never gave us any problems, still regret selling it.

Second Skoda – Skoda Laura L&K 2008: We used the Octavia for 3 years and we did only 19,000kms when we sold it, can you believe it. Some close friend of Dad’s suggested not to keep a Skoda for more than 3 years and that’s it. I was eyeing the new Superb which was yet to be launched, but alas. To be honest I still love the Skoda Octavia more than the Laura to this day. Yes, the Laura has more features and is more spacious, but Octavia connected to you in a way which made me think “I guess this must be what a beemer might feel like”. Anyways, we still have the car 30,000kms till date and we are loving it. And I must make a special mention for the boot, man, that thing can swallow anything you can throw at it, and if it still gets full, just remove the parcel tray and voila more space, a great boon.

Skoda Rapid:

It was a fairly simple decision, we wanted to let go our reliable and trusty Honda City. Petrol prices going through the roof and we stay on ECR which makes a lot of daily commute. I placed the add on TBHP Classifieds, and voila I have 3 or 4 potential buyers in no time. But in the end I sold it to team-bhpian Mr.Boss, a very nice guy and a clean sell. You can check out his link here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...y-zx-vtec.html

We needed a good city sedan to replace our perfect ‘city’ car. As with most of you it was a 3 way battle between Vento-Fiesta-Rapid. I did not consider the Verna and Vento because when I went to the showroom they made me feel like they are doing me a favor by giving the car in "only 4 months". Though really loved the Vento's Shadow Blue colour. The Fiesta was a strong contender and I really loved this car, but it lost out on price and rear seat feel as we might get a chauffeur in the future, plus the boot is not the most practical to place and remove heavy luggage.

Also a special mention is that I would have definitely picked up Chevy Magnum if I did not already own its petrol sibling, a very competent car, very spacious, feels like a segment higher. I test drove her and boy is that torque addictive dated looks be damned, this car with a good touch-screen HU replacement is a very VFM buy.

After reading the official TBHP Review, ( A special thanks to the entire Team BHP community for helping not only me but countless others for helping them make a good informed decision) which sealed the deal for me, very similar to the Vento but with its flaws rectified namely Price-Suspension-lag. I went to the showroom and had a nice talk with the owner and he promised me to give me the car within a month, provided I either take the loan through them or the Insurance. Sure enough, I got my car within a month

Car Purchase Break-up:

Ex-showroom cost - 9,35,338/-
Insurance+Secure - 38,260/- (Basically its bumper to bumper coverage)
Registration - 1,06,034/-

Attachment 894782

Initial Ownership Drive: I have done more 500kms till date (without a number plate as I am still waiting for the registration to happen, though I just received the number)The Rapid does feel like a nice place to be in, you have good view of the road ahead, and steering with its soft touch feel, does feel nice to hold. The car has a taller stance compared to the City and I feel the ingress and egress of this car is better than Honda. But, overall this car is a good replacement to Honda City, feels like a good easy car to drive, especially in the city, and hopefully the petrol bills will get lesser as well.

Any person buying this car should replace its shoes for better ones from the get-go, because the current Apollo's don't inspire too much confidence. I also plan to do the same after putting in some kms on the odo as I had already climbed 100kms when I realized how bad they were, should have listened to other team-bhpians suggestions, oh-well.

Pros:

• Light steering with some feed-back, good for the city and manageable on the highway. But after test-driving the Fiesta, everything feels secondary.
  
• Precise and smooth shifts. The gear-shift throw is fairly short as well but not as good as a swift though.
  
• Light clutch, I felt it is as good as my Honda City. The pedals also are fairly placed from each other. Good for those party shoes you don't want to get scratched.
  
• Adequate power, this is in reference with the test drive car, as I still am in the running in stage for my car. Hope to do a re-map after a year, hopefully by then Petes would have come up with something.
  
• I love the way the glove-box neatly houses the service and car owner booklet without affecting its space.
  
  
• The braking in this car is much better than in my Honda City Vtec, despite the City having 4 disc brakes it did not have ABS and I had absolutely no confidence in braking at high speeds. But the Laura on the other hand is still much more confidence inspiring than the Rapid.
  
• Though I have not driven much, but on one tankful I am getting an average of 14.5 kmpl. Might get a little worse after running in as I am strictly following the manual right now.
  
• The boot space though fairly average especially by Skoda terms, allows for easy luggage loading/unloading. The Fiesta in comparison had a bulge which did not allow for easy unloading of luggage.
  
  <The Fiesta>
  
  <Rapid>
  
• Love the antares alloys. One of the reason I went in for the Elegance variant, though the variant below this made a lot of sense as you miss out only on the alloys and electrical power mirror adjust (correct me if I am wrong) and with the money saved you can easily get some really nice alloys with good shoes and money to spare for the I.C.E.
  

Cons/things that could have been improved:

• Lack of features, I feel the car misses out on park-assist, self-folding mirrors, steering controls, and at-least a better OEM music system, definitely cost-cutting evident, but on the flip side it gives you a chance to install much better quality aftermarket ones though maybe at the risk of the electrical warranty depending on your dealer.
  
• The rear seat comfort of the Honda City was much better, the city had a recline angle which made it very comfortable for the rear passengers, and it also felt more airy than the Rapid. You have got to give it to Honda for space management.
  
  
• The radio antenna does not fold down like in the Laura so I am a little scared that it might break each time I put/remove the car cover. Is there a shark-fin antenna replacement? would love to get one of those.
  
• Sound Quality is a big let off, even if it was average I would not feel the need to change the music system, but in this it feels like a must.
  
• This might not be considered a con, but the engine though quite powerful, is no Vtec. I really miss the high revving surge that you get in a Vtec engine, guys please don't trade in your Vtec's for a diesel, you will be highly dis-appointed.
  
• The multi-function display is too small to read information at ease, it would have been much easier to read if it was slightly bigger.
  
• There seems to be something amiss with the suspension. It does not soak up bumps all that well at low speeds, at first I thought it was my tyre pressure, but having set it at 32psi all round the problem still persists, very irritating, but surprisingly on slightly higher speeds it settles down nicely. Is it just me being over-sensitive?
  
• The spare tyre is a steel rim and not an alloy, I don't know if this is 14" or not but it definitely is a let down, in my other cars Honda City (now sold), Laura, Chevy Magnum, all had the spare tyre with alloy.
  
  
• I personally love the blue back lighting that is there in the Vento, the green seems very dull in comparison. This is not a con either, just a personal preference.

Upgrades/Accessories Planned:

• Have already got the car cover from the dealer – 1500/-
  
  
• 3M sunfilm for 2200/- still have to get them installed from the dealer, opting for medium black shade. I hope they do a fair job, if not, will install garware for the front windscreen as well.
  
• Also planning to get Stanely Leathers done from the dealer itself as they giving me a quote for 40,000/- and Stanley is giving me the same for 46,000/- for classic. Below please find the pictures of Vento interiors, the design I plan to get but the colour will match the interiors. What do you guys think?
  
  
• Apart from this I still have this dilemma with respect to I.C.E.
  Option 1: Is to get a Witson Unit with an amp and front components mostly Morel Maximo’s .
  Option 2: is to get a Pioneer AVH – P8400BH from Canada $700 AVH-P8400BH - <b>NEW!</b> - 2-DIN Multimedia DVD Receiver with 7" Widescreen Touch Panel Display, Advanced App Mode, Built-In Bluetooth®, and HD Radio™ Tuner | Pioneer of Canada - English excluding fitments such as Parking assistance, add-on navigation system, external microphone and universal camera. So this should work out to be very expensive just for the HU. Though I really want the Pioneer as I still have not seen good or bad the Witson unit really is. Any suggestions would be welcome. I need Bluetooth for calling, GPS, rear camera, and then improve the ICE little at a time.
  
• Might get the 3D Kagu mats at a later stage. Have put in my old mats for the time being.
  

I hope if and when I get these installs done the interiors should be a better place to be in.

I have got the Capp. Beige colour to match my Laura and have also got the same number as my Laura 5800, for the Laura I got this number by luck but for the Rapid I had to shell out 8750/-. Don’t know if this is the prevalent rate as this is the first car I am opting for a desired number.
Also, are High Security Number Plates getting mandatory in some time?

After Sales Service: We have a good rapport with Mr. Sunil from Guindy Service Station, he is the service manager and has been with company for more than 8 years. He has replaced 2 leather seats and an amplifier with-out any problems under warranty for our previous/current cars. So I have some faith in him and I hope it stays. Another tip is to be very thorough when you receive your car, it would be better if you can personally go and pick up the car instead of your driver, in this way the problem, if any, can be solved right there and then without any excuses from the service centre. This has helped me many times.

Will give a better analysis on ride and better photos at a little later stage, and will also keep this thread updated for any accessories/mods done.

Disclaimer: The above views are completely mine and might not be accurate.

<I was experimenting in capturing the lines of the Rapid in some pics but I guess it did not come out that well>

[Y@SH]

Congratulations! At first I thought it was a Rapid with a VW steering and reminded myself that they aren't that similar after all!! Great choice indeed. Do they have extended warranty on the rapid?

[xtremeshock]

Originally Posted by Y@SH

Congrats!! But why do I see a skoda with a VW steering?

Thanks, thats from a Vento, just wanted to show what design I am interested to put in my Rapid.

[sameerg001]

Congratulations on your new ride, nice choice of color looks hot esp. in the last pic. Regarding the seat covers IMO get something with more of black in contrast with beige or chocolate and beige or something similar will look good, or you can get something like that in VW passat

Wish you wonderful miles ahead and a pleasant experience with her.
Drive safe will ya.

Cheers
Sameer

[Durango Dude]

Finally a happy Skoda client. Cheers and Congrats. Wish your honeymoon with Skoda continues. Car looks fabulous. Why do you have that seat cover with electric blue borders and then light brown borders?

[bala80]

Congratulations on your new car. Wishing you a very memorable ownership experience and hope the luck with skoda continues

- Seat covers - Good choice, classic is stanley's starting range, correct? Is it full leather? Also does this quote include door trims and steering grip. When I got stanley satin grade (full leather) done on my vento 6 months back, I paid them 36,500 Rs. I didnt get the door trims though. Did you directly call stanley's boutique in chennai to enquire?

- Pioneer HU is anyday better than the witson's, caska's etc as far as SQ is concerned. The one that you had listed is the 7 inch touchscreen system, there is a 5.8 inch HU (3350BT) if you are interested. You can source it with B&W here in chennai for around 21-22k. These are pretty cheap in US, do take a look at amazon for comparable prices. Witson or Caska's will cost much more than this.

- For registration number, that is the price in chennai.

[Ford5]

Congratulations on the new rapid! For a moment i thought Gurudev Skoda stole some hapless Vento owner's steering wheel and gift wrapped it to replace your steering wheel

[jods]

Congratulations! The car looks beautiful, though personally, I feel single color seat covers look more classy.

You mentioned Skoda Secure. Is the same as Skoda Shield, that is does it have 2 years extended warranty? I ask this as I currently deliberating insurance cover for my Rapid. The dealer quote of Rs 38,000 looks excessive as compared to the Rs 28,000 quote given by ICICI Lombard. How much did Skoda Secure cost you?

Please also post more pics of the seat cover you finally decide to go with.

[suhaas307]

Note From Team-BHP Support-Team: Thread moved from Assembly line to Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports section. Thank you for your valuable contribution.

[majorpayne]

Nice review dude. The car looks really nice. You should post pics of both your skodas together

Oh and maybe you could throw in that "champagne" colored dog of yours (if you can get him to stand still for 5 seconds) between the two cars to complete the pic!! LOL

[volkman10]

Congratulations on owning the Rapid. A well packaged Sedan.

Wish you happy ownership and many miles ahead !

Cheers!

[shankar.balan]

Well done! I also love the Skoda cars which is why I went and got a Yeti.
I love that Rapid too very much and I enjoyed reading your review (s).

Cheers and wish you many happy miles ahead!

[swiftnfurious]

Nice review. The color or the car & alloys are SUPERB! IMO, DON'T choose the blue seat cover - that looks too bright. The last pic with beige lines are looking good though! Don't you get some other designs?

Anyway wish your luck continues and the car serves you miles of happy traveling!

Edit:: I suggest you put a 3M film on the front windshield as well. Try to get a quote for the entire car from the 3M guys [directly] and you might save some bucks than getting those installed with the dealer.

[xtremeshock]

Originally Posted by sameerg001

Congratulations on your new ride, nice choice of color looks hot esp. in the last pic. Regarding the seat covers IMO get something with more of black in contrast with beige or chocolate and beige or something similar will look good, or you can get something like that in VW passat

Wish you wonderful miles ahead and a pleasant experience with her.
Drive safe will ya.

Cheers
Sameer

Thanks. Yeah I am contemplating with chocolate and beige as it matches with car interiors, also looking at perforated leather, have left this choice with the wifey

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

Finally a happy Skoda client. Cheers and Congrats. Wish your honeymoon with Skoda continues. Car looks fabulous. Why do you have that seat cover with electric blue borders and then light brown borders?

Fingers crossed. That is someone elses car which stanley gave me as an example.

Originally Posted by bala80

Congratulations on your new car. Wishing you a very memorable ownership experience and hope the luck with skoda continues

- Seat covers - Good choice, classic is stanley's starting range, correct? Is it full leather? Also does this quote include door trims and steering grip. When I got stanley satin grade (full leather) done on my vento 6 months back, I paid them 36,500 Rs. I didnt get the door trims though. Did you directly call stanley's boutique in chennai to enquire?

- Pioneer HU is anyday better than the witson's, caska's etc as far as SQ is concerned. The one that you had listed is the 7 inch touchscreen system, there is a 5.8 inch HU (3350BT) if you are interested. You can source it with B&W here in chennai for around 21-22k. These are pretty cheap in US, do take a look at amazon for comparable prices. Witson or Caska's will cost much more than this.

- For registration number, that is the price in chennai.

Yeah the quote is including side doors, steering wheel, and gear lever.

Thanks for the I.C.E. options, will look into it.

Originally Posted by Ford5

Congratulations on the new rapid! For a moment i thought Gurudev Skoda stole some hapless Vento owner's steering wheel and gift wrapped it to replace your steering wheel

lol. I guess we bhpians are a little more trained for not getting caught in such cons.

Originally Posted by jods

Congratulations! The car looks beautiful, though personally, I feel single color seat covers look more classy.

You mentioned Skoda Secure. Is the same as Skoda Shield, that is does it have 2 years extended warranty? I ask this as I currently deliberating insurance cover for my Rapid. The dealer quote of Rs 38,000 looks excessive as compared to the Rs 28,000 quote given by ICICI Lombard. How much did Skoda Secure cost you?

Please also post more pics of the seat cover you finally decide to go with.

Yeah am contemplating on that as well, with darker thicker stitching and perforated leather seats, lets see.

Skoda Secure is bumper to bumper Insurance Skoda is offering and Skoda Shield is the extended warranty, though they say they have not started the extended warranty warranty for the Rapid just as yet. The cost is mentioned in the updated opening post, one of the pre-requisites of getting the car early.

Will definitely update on the seats as soon as I get them on.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Note From Team-BHP Support-Team: Thread moved from Assembly line to Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports section. Thank you for your valuable contribution.

Thank you for finally accepting my thread.

Originally Posted by majorpayne

Nice review dude. The car looks really nice. You should post pics of both your skodas together

Oh and maybe you could throw in that "champagne" colored dog of yours (if you can get him to stand still for 5 seconds) between the two cars to complete the pic!! LOL

Yep, will definitely post pics of both the cars together as soon as I get my number plate and put some tints.

With regard to the champagne coloured dog, I will have to get greasemonk for him to stand still in one place

And can you find out how much the pioneer costs with all the necessary accessories costs in Canada? and maybe a equivalent JVC unit will do as well.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Well done! I also love the Skoda cars which is why I went and got a Yeti.
I love that Rapid too very much and I enjoyed reading your review (s).

Cheers and wish you many happy miles ahead!

Thanks. I feel the Yeti is the perfect car for Indian roads, I suggest that car to anyone who asks me. I would have gone for it too if I did not own the Laura already.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Nice review. The color or the car & alloys are SUPERB! IMO, DON'T choose the blue seat cover - that looks too bright. The last pic with beige lines are looking good though! Don't you get some other designs?

Anyway wish your luck continues and the car serves you miles of happy traveling!

Edit:: I suggest you put a 3M film on the front windshield as well. Try to get a quote for the entire car from the 3M guys [directly] and you might save some bucks than getting those installed with the dealer.

Lol, no way will I ever put the blue colour. And yes, you can get any design you want including your name stitched on the seatcovers, but you will have to go for higher grade leather which could cost anywhere between 70K-1L. With the classic leather you have very limited designs you can play with, plus the wifey loved the design, so.

The 3M Film I have got a dealer discount, he is charging me only 2200/- for the windows and the rear, 3M will charge me somewhere between 4-5K for the same. Will see with regard to the front windshield, if the current film can't tackle the Chennai heat then will get the film for the front wind-shield as well, maybe 3M or Garware.

[majorpayne]

s ure. Will do and let you know