[sanyog26]

Originally Posted by Squanderer

So I spoke to BHPian Sabarish and he recommended that I go with Yoko BLue earth and I went with it. Got my stock ones (185/60/ R15) exchanged for 2750 a piece and the new ones (195/60/ R 15) costed 5100. I am very satisfied so far. I plan to add floor mats and a steering grip. Not a huge fan of seat so ditching that for now.

Do you anticipate any warranty issue with the company since you upgraded from 185/60/R15 to 195/60/R15 ?

Also,what is the mechanism for the tyre shop to offer/calculate a price for the stock tyres on the car ?

I'm planning to upgrade from stock MRF on my Rider to Continental and also exchange the steel rims for a nice set of Momo Alloys.

Should I worry about warranty issues if I stay with similar profile tyres, but upgrade to alloys ?

And how much can I expect for trading in stock tyres and steel rims ?

[sahil624]

I went to the Skoda showroom today to check out Rapid. Apparently, there are some heavy discounts on Ambition and Onyx variants. He shaved off 70-80k even before negotiating. Plus, he was not sure when would the Rider plus variants hit the showroom.
There was a blue color in the Onyx variant and it looks absolutely smashing!

[4G93T]

Originally Posted by Pastey93

Hey! I was wondering if it’s only me or does anyone else also feel that the Rapid and Vento drive differently. I test drove both the cars and feel that Rapid is much eager and quick than Vento.

They indeed drive different. The Rapid is definitely more eager to accelerate and has a better low end grunt. Also in terms of suspension the Rapid feels stiffer while the Vento is more forgiving at lower speeds.

I'm in the same dilemma as you. Have booked the Vento Highline but confused now.

[4G93T]

Originally Posted by sahil624

I went to the Skoda showroom today to check out Rapid. Apparently, there are some heavy discounts on Ambition and Onyx variants.

That's the color to pick for Rapid. Unfortunately, no such offer in Bangalore, they are only giving a 50k upgrade offer and then a exchange bonus. They do have another 30k as loyalty bonus. This is applicable only if anyone in the family already owns a Skoda.

[Pastey93]

Originally Posted by 4G93T

They indeed drive different. The Rapid is definitely more eager to accelerate and has a better low end grunt. Also in terms of suspension the Rapid feels stiffer while the Vento is more forgiving at lower speeds.

I'm in the same dilemma as you. Have booked the Vento Highline but confused now.

That’s exactly what I felt after driving both of them. Also, I feel Rapid looks (subjective) better from front than Vento as the current Vento looks too Polo-ish from front. The previous version had some distinguishing element like chrome slats on the radiator grill.

[SansGT]

Originally Posted by 4G93T

They indeed drive different. The Rapid is definitely more eager to accelerate and has a better low end grunt.

Both these cars come with the same engine at the same state of tune. Then how come Rapid has a better low end than Vento?

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Pastey93

I test drove both the cars and feel that Rapid is much eager and quick than Vento.

Originally Posted by 4G93T

The Rapid is definitely more eager to accelerate and has a better low end grunt. Also in terms of suspension the Rapid feels stiffer while the Vento is more forgiving at lower speeds.

Originally Posted by SansGT

Both these cars come with the same engine at the same state of tune. Then how come Rapid has a better low end than Vento?

Even though both are supposedly mechanically identical vehicles, a very noticeable difference was also noted during the original TBHP reviews, albeit with the older engines. . Fast forward to 2020 and while the 1.0 TSI maybe identical, Skoda and VW could have tuned it in different ways.

References:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post2579641 (Skoda Rapid : Test Drive & Review)
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post2578141 (Skoda Rapid : Test Drive & Review)

Extracts:
Skoda claims that the Rapid and Vento are mechanically similar with no improvements to the Rapid. We find this very hard to believe as the Rapid has a superior suspension setup, and way better NVH insulation.

What surprised us was not the performance, but the NVH levels. Having driven a Vento just 2 days prior to the Rapid, the difference in NVH levels left us wondering if these cars are really the same underneath. Where the Vento engine’s clatter was audible at medium speeds and even more so above 3000 rpm, the Rapid was eerily silent (once warmed up, of course). There was no diesel thrum even at 3000 rpm, when cruising north of 130 kph. This was in stark contrast to the Vento where we could hear the diesel working under the hood at any speed. The next day, we took a ride in the Yeti, and were shocked to see much worse NVH compared to Rapid. It appears that Skoda has spent a lot of time & attention on the Rapid's NVH insulation.

The Rapid simply absorbs these bad roads without breaking into a sweat. It’s much better than the Vento which tends to crash over such roads if you don’t slow down enough.

Compared to the Vento, the suspension appears to be more compliant. The Vento is probably better on straight roads, though on typically Indian highways which are nowhere near perfect, the Rapid inches ahead. The Rapid’s suspension setup is like an improved version of the Vento’s.

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by Pastey93

Hey! I was wondering if it’s only me or does anyone else also feel that the Rapid and Vento drive differently.

Originally Posted by 4G93T

They indeed drive different. The Rapid is definitely more eager to accelerate and has a better low end grunt.

Originally Posted by SansGT

Both these cars come with the same engine at the same state of tune. Then how come Rapid has a better low end than Vento?

Even though they are mechanically same, are the ECUs also programmed the same? There could be a difference in the way each car delivers its power & torque even if the figures are identical, right?

Also, there would be subtle differences in the aerodynamics which may affect the NVH levels - just a hypothesis!

[4G93T]

Originally Posted by SansGT

Both these cars come with the same engine at the same state of tune. Then how come Rapid has a better low end than Vento?

They definitely drive different for sure. Others who have test driven both can shed some light on this. I'm guessing the tune is slightly different or the only other reason could be if Vento has some kind of a restriction put on the power for initial kilometers till the 1st service.

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Even though both are supposedly mechanically identical vehicles, a very noticeable difference was also noted during the original TBHP reviews, albeit with the older engines. . Fast forward to 2020 and while the 1.0 TSI maybe identical, Skoda and VW could have tuned it in different ways

This makes more sense. I feel the difference largely comes with how these two cars have been marketed. The Rapid is more of a sportier and fun car while the Vento is marketed more like an executive sedan with better forgiving suspension and hence the linear power delivery. The fact that VW has the Polo for the fun part might also be a reason to do this.

Also, if I plan to get some mods on these cars and want to find out which would be a better buy. I'm planning for a remap after the first service so which of these manufacturers would be more mod friendly (I understand this is a futile question considering its a perfect recipe for voiding warranty but how strict are these brands when it comes to an alloy change here and a remap there?)

Originally Posted by Pastey93

That’s exactly what I felt after driving both of them. Also, I feel Rapid looks (subjective) better from front than Vento as the current Vento looks too Polo-ish from front. The previous version had some distinguishing element like chrome slats on the radiator grill.

We both have a similar taste. The Rapid is definitely the better looker from the front. It reminds me of the bigger Octavia.

[Turbohead]

I doubt if they have different ECU tune for both the cars.

Chances are the final drive ratio of the Vento and Rapid maybe different. It'll be cheaper to change the final drive ratio rather than change the gear ratios of every gear. I'm assuming the Rapid might be having a larger ratio for more torque and the Vento a smaller ratio for fuel efficiency. There is no information on the final drive ratio nowadays. I remember Autocar used to publish it for every car long time ago.

The only way to find out is to check the speed in kmph at 1500 RPM in all the 6 gears. If they're all different, then the final drive ratio is different. If the speed is different in only certain gears, then one the gear ratio of that corresponding gear has been fine tuned by the company. If there is no difference in speed in any of the gears at the same RPM, then it's a different ECU tune for sure.

As far as suspension is concerned, we'll have to check the spring color codes, shock absorber number, ball joint number, link rod number etc to find out if there's a difference.

I'm just a mechanical engineer by degree. People in the industry will be better equipped to answer it correctly.

[Squanderer]

Originally Posted by sanyog26

Do you anticipate any warranty issue with the company since you upgraded from 185/60/R15 to 195/60/R15 ?

These are essentially R15 tyres but 10mm wider. No, there won't be warranty issues if you stick to r15 tyres.
I'm not sure how the depreciation on tyres work. Mine had about 100km on the odo when I did the exchange. Do check with a couple of dealers as exchange rates can vary.
My dealer did tell me that there will be warranty issues if you upgrade to 16in alloys as the alignment of the screws are slightly different in the rider from those found in ambition. (I doesn't make sense to me). Good luck!

[Pastey93]

Originally Posted by Squanderer

My dealer did tell me that there will be warranty issues if you upgrade to 16in alloys as the alignment of the screws are slightly different in the rider from those found in ambition. (I doesn't make sense to me). Good luck!

Doesn’t rider and ambition both run on 15inch wheels?

[amarnani13]

Originally Posted by Pastey93

Doesn’t rider and ambition both run on 15inch wheels?

Yes, they do. While the rider runs on steel rims, the ambition has 15 inch alloys.

[Squanderer]

Originally Posted by Pastey93

Doesn’t rider and ambition both run on 15inch wheels?

My bad, yes they do, I meant the 16 inchers on onyx and above.

[sanyog26]

Originally Posted by Squanderer

These are essentially R15 tyres but 10mm wider. No, there won't be warranty issues if you stick to r15 tyres.
I'm not sure how the depreciation on tyres work. Mine had about 100km on the odo when I did the exchange. Do check with a couple of dealers as exchange rates can vary.
My dealer did tell me that there will be warranty issues if you upgrade to 16in alloys as the alignment of the screws are slightly different in the rider from those found in ambition. (I doesn't make sense to me). Good luck!

I'm quite eager to upgrade to 15" alloys. The only thing stopping me from doing so is the apprehension of warranty voiding. I feel a good set of alloys will change the look of the Rider variant completely.

What are the advantages of opting for 10mm wider tyres ? Any remarkable change you have experienced ?

My car has done barely 45kms and I hope the stock tyres don't depreciate much..