[poloman]

8th guideline from my experience.

Stop worrying too much, care for your car, trust your car and enjoy your drive.

2.5 years 25K in my Polo. Not a single issue or niggle worth mentioning. Now is it not defined as ''reliability' ?

[robimahanta]

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

5. This is the most important one - Avoid Accessorizing Your Car – avoid ICE upgrades, reverse parking sensors, extra lights, change of original lights, change of horns, sun control films, seat covers (where the seats and pads have to be removed to fix them) etc even if the accessories are the original ones. Satisfy yourself with what is available in the higher variant and stick to the stock car. This will help improve the reliability. If you cannot do without accessories, then it is better to avoid a Skoda.

This should be like "avoid accessorizing unless you really know what you are doing" . Check out forums like briskoda.net you'll see some pretty nicely modded skodas.

[v&v]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

@Ajmat - European cars, esp. Skodas, make mechanics out of men? Ask v&v!

@v&v: You're another one of those whom Skoda has turned from a man into a mechanic - before that, when did you ever contemplate getting an OBD-II cable and the software to be able to scan your car whenever the CEL made an uninvited appearance? As to trouble-free - sure, we found a great car, did a lot of research before you bought it, but your headaches and expenses had always been more for the comparatively lesser-run vRS, than the entire lifespan of ownership of your Safari (which, reputedly, is certainly not a niggle-free vehicle either).

Dada - Thats a nice tag "Skodas, make mechanics out of men".

My requirement while picking up VRs was clear, it was only for weekend rides, in 2 years i have driven 18k kms.

Repairs were 2 coils and AC fan replacement a total of 8k which is pretty acceptable for a 6 year old car. Yes , this car was like new you know and still trying to maintain it like that.

As for OBD, i would have bought scanner before itself if i had an OBD -2 complaint car. Even safari is partially complaint except mode 6.

Yes in the beginning i was little skeptical about the reliability after reading through the various articles. Now i can say its over-hyped. There was a time when customer were taken for a ride but not now !!

[shipnil]

Since quite a few bhpians are suggesting to change the title to "European cars, 7 things to remember" etc., would like to know where would you put Ford? Company is American but most of the products in India have European lineage. I am using a Ford, the experience has been decent so far barring few minor niggles.

[agbenny]

Originally Posted by agbenny

The title is simply misleading. Its should read "7 Simple Guidelines if you're buying a Skoda" or "7 things to note before you buy a Skoda".

Skoda is in India for more than a decade. I know the are very much driver friendly. In general, there is a opinion that Skoda sales and service net work is not customer friendly. I never had a Skoda, so I cannot comment about their service, But I know their products are well built, slightly over priced and delight to drivers. Unlike Fia and, Mitsubishi their product line too well defined.

Those who are concerned about the nagging issues like electrical faults etc, should visit Tata and Mahindra's service centres. You will understand Skoda is much better.

Over all, Japanese/Korean Vs European vs American were discussed enough for years, and this thread is just repeating.

Mod Note: "7 Simple Guidelines if you're buying a Skoda" *was* the original title of this thread. It was changed on popular demand

:-) I understand, But still the discussion is revolving around Skoda.

BTW, Offtopic, How many premium car owners are members in team-bhp? This question came to my mind when I think of BMW, Audi, Benz, Volvo owners to respond to this thread.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

@Veyronsport,

Your thread summarizes all the horror Skoda vehicle ownership reviews available on the forum. ?

Originally Posted by Repsol

There are some really satisfied owners in this forum who are owning Skodas and are confident enough to recommend the same to others as well.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Wow - a nice way of saying "Stay away from Skodas unless you have deep pockets and/or the technical expertise to fix them". Wonder if excerpts from this thread would also someday be added to the annals of Skoda jokes.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I think this thread title needs to change to "Euro Car" else poor old Skoda takes another beating of sorts!

.

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Why Skoda? This would probably be applicable for most European cars.
Your points are very valid, but somehow, they give an impression that this is another "Skoda bashing" thread.

Perhaps, a change in tilte would set it right.

Originally Posted by download2live

The opening post of this thread is sure going to turn many of the "Perspective buyers" of Skoda to stay away.

Most of the people will settle for peace of mind. Who wants to mess with the car or leave the car at A.S.S? Most of us are too busy for that. I am not saying all, but most of us.

Originally Posted by agbenny

The title is simply misleading. Its should read "7 Simple Guidelines if you're buying a Skoda" or "7 things to note before you buy a Skoda".Mod Note: "7 Simple Guidelines if you're buying a Skoda" *was* the original title of this thread. It was changed on popular demand

Folks, Just want iterate that is specifically on european cars and not just Skoda.

Taking my mod hat off, some thoughts on why we keep going back to Skoda and Mercedes -simple, they have been in India for over 10 years and have sold significant volumes to expose their faults and we have witnessed the entire lifecycle.

VW, Audi and BMW have not been here long enough and once the BSI runs out we might be hearing lots more stories down the line

[wilful]

@VeyronSuperSprt - I think you've put most things in perspective. This is a useful thread and will help most car buyers weigh the pros and cons before taking that plunge towards Skoda/European cars.
I think (as noopster put it) there is always a niggling fear of something big, and therefore expensive, breaking down in a European car as the years go by. I had the same feeling when I owned an Opel Corsa.

[Akshay1234]

All I can say is read my very first experience with Skoda Servicing -
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post2865712

[vikrantj]

I feel following points are what people lookout for in a after sales service :

1. Frequency of service required.
2. Location of service center from one's house. Here brands like Tata, Maruti, M&M score. They have a authorized service point in practically each area of the city and also in remote locations.Thus the owner has a choice of service centers if he is not comfortable with one.
3. Availability of spares. Everything that usually available or is made available in a week's timeframe. My friends Fabia had a damaged bumper , he had to wait for a month to get it.
4. Cost of the spares. The Japs and Indian cars have spare parts which are typically priced significantly lesser than European counter parts. This is mainly due to local sourcing.

This really tilts the scale in favour of Japs and Korean cars over European cars.

[Sam Kapasi]

You know somewhere in 2004 or 2005 we had had a discussion, a rather heavy one on this forum. It is too long ago to remember.

It was about the then favourite car of the motorheads here, the Maruti Baleno. MB to some.

And in that rather heavy argument about "My MB versus your MB(Mercedes-Benz)" - IMO the argument got personal (as is what happens when passionate heads collide). And the member then said a closing line I will never forget.

My MB is better than your MB. The ABS can never fail on my MB, because it has no ABS!!

[mb_jg]

Originally Posted by agbenny

:-) I understand, But still the discussion is revolving around Skoda.

BTW, Offtopic, How many premium car owners are members in team-bhp? This question came to my mind when I think of BMW, Audi, Benz, Volvo owners to respond to this thread.

My father-in-law was sweating buckets to take his BMW 3series from Pune to Goa. Supposedly someone told him these cars get spoiled in the rains. Oh yes & also cause the car did not hold a spare wheel
Man, but the 3 series is pure evil on the highway, you just can't get enough of all that torque!! Very easy to get yourself killed if you cannot keep your adrenaline in check

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

So here are the guidelines and am trying to keep it as simple as possible:

Initially I thought this is another Skoda bashing thread, but I was in for a pleasant surprise
Completely agree with points 1, 2 and 3. And going by the sales chart, its quite clear that our car buying public is following these rules (1 &2) quite diligently.

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

4. The adage “Less is More” is very apt for Skodas/ VW if you do not want to be a part of the VW Group’s Global R&D wing. Simply put, avoid the DSG’s and the L&K variants. Stick to manual gearboxes and at max the Elegance trim.

Outside the Superb’s issue with 7-speed DSG, there are not many instances of DSG failure in other VAG cars, e.g.; The Laura TDI or Jetta Highline (yes, the latter is too new to comment), but from what I have seen around there are minimum issues with the 6-speed DSG in the TDI powered cars or high-end petrols like Golf GTI. So I will reserve this statement only for the Superb TSI AT.

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

5. This is the most important one - Avoid Accessorizing Your Car

Very important point! These complex machines are best kept in factory setting. And if updates are really required, go for those from the OEM accessory range. Or go with the pre-owned low-mileage Japanese.

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

7. The final step before you buy a Skoda is, I believe, to set yourself certain exit criteria.

Why is this applicable only to Skoda/European cars? Shouldn’t this be the case with any other car as well? Why there should be additional tolerance for a Hyundai or a Toyota?

----------

Notwithstanding all these issues /problems with Euro cars, them supporting flatbed truck business etc., I have noticed something very interesting. In this forum we have seen folks moving from a Suzuki to a VW, or a Toyota to a Skoda, but not many have done the opposite way (or at least I have not noticed). And looking at the no. of positive ownership reviews of Jetta, Yeti, Laura, Vento, Rapid, BMW 3/5, Fluence etc., I am forced to believe that the much clichéd Skoda /European horror stories have lost steam.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Notwithstanding all these issues /problems with Euro cars, them supporting flatbed truck business etc., I have noticed something very interesting. In this forum we have seen folks moving from a Suzuki to a VW, or a Toyota to a Skoda, but not many have done the opposite way (or at least I have not noticed). And looking at the no. of positive ownership reviews of Jetta, Yeti, Laura, Vento, Rapid, BMW 3/5, Fluence etc., I am forced to believe that the much clichéd Skoda /European horror stories have lost steam.

Excellent point vb-san! Euro cars somehow manage to deliver that special feeling. And by that I don't mean the feature list or just the fit and finish. Well sorted ride and handling, good steering feel, excellent highway manners, understated elegance in their designs, solid build quality and overall engineering depth is what has endeared me to the Euros. Having owned Japanese and Korean cars in the family for more than a decade, I am totally smitten by my humble Laura (one of the more economical Euro cars if you include the big Germans) . I doubt if I'll ever go back to the Japs or the Koreans when its time to upgrade.

The OP has some very valid points though. Reliability is one area where plain statistics do not favour the Europeans. Perhaps in the next decade or so we can hope they catch up with the Japanese in this department.

[airfoil]

VeyronSuperSprt,

I'd love to know what were the workings behind your starting this thread were.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by dezrskb

I'm aware of horror stories of Skoda A.S.S going around. But I'm willing to take the risk. But guys what I want to know is whether current 6 speed DSG is more reliable than previous one? What about reliability in comparison to manual? I will be keeping the car for at least 5 yrs (about 75K Kms I guess). Also how much better is VW and Fluence when compared to Skoda?

Also what is the general feeling on the Skoda Shield? with that I am supposed to have 4 yr / 100000 kms warranty which looks fair enough. Doesn't it inspire any confidence?

The horror stories of Skoda ASCs are more or less, a thing of the past now and you have many happy Skoda owners with Lauras and Yetis on this very forum. Anshuman's Laura DSG is past the 30k km mark and he has absolutely no issues to report on the reliability of the car.
Also remember the fact that the amount of attention that is paid to your car at the ASC is directly proportional to the rapport you build with the chaps there and this holds true for any brand of car.
The new DQ 250 6 speed DSGs are certainly very reliable and you should not have issues with them, however, like you said, the 4 yr/100,000km warranty should put your doubts to rest.
If I required a car for the next 5 years, it would most certainly be a Laura Elegance/L&K DSG.