[Vinith7979]

Originally Posted by Clayton Crasto

Not even ABS sensor failures?

No Brother,but Facing these issues at such a low mile is sad. Wish You trouble free miles.

[PrathamTSI7DSG]

wishing you many more trouble free miles in you rapid. I myself own a polo 1l tsi and have driven a 1.6 tdi polo their diesel engine are absolute gem but when i went out to buy one diesel was discontinued by vag. Make sure you keep this beauty.

[PeteKing75]

Originally Posted by Vinith7979

BEGINNING

Hello everyone,

This is my first thread on Team-BHP and it's a long term review of my Skoda Rapid.

How It Began?
It was June 2015 and my college started up. I was using a Yamaha R15 at that time for my daily commute. The search for a car began when my dad became concerned about safety and the family needed another car too.

Cars Shortlisted By Me
1. Used Honda Civic.
2. Used Skoda superb.
3. New Honda City diesel (launched at that time).

Options Given By Dad
1. Skoda Rapid / VW Vento
2. Maruti Suzuki Baleno

The Selection War
My mind was fixed on the Honda Civic initially, but couldn't find a well maintained one. So dad and I came to the conclusion that we should buy a new car. My mind immediately started thinking about the Honda city diesel VX MT and dad also agreed for a test drive. After the trial, dad immediately rejected it considering head room at rear and he didn't like the suspension setup either.

I was upset at that moment and didn't bother to look at other cars. After a week, dad asked to me take the Rapid or the Vento. As a Skoda fanboy, I said let us take the Rapid itself.

The Test Drive
We reached Millennium Motors Coimbatore (now SGA Cars) and I drove the car. It was smooth and sturdy, but I dint get that tank like feel which I loved in the Octavia 1.9 TDi. I was not interested in the Rapid at that time, but agreed to take it anyways. I opted for the manual one even though the sales person and dad suggested that I go for the DSG .

Booking
Dad booked the car in December 2015 - Candy White 1.5 TDI manual Style variant.

Delivery
After 15 days, I got a call that the car is ready for registration and I was happy all of a sudden. After all, I'm a car guy. Then we registered it and took delivery on January 5, 2016.

Initial Experience
1.At first I didn't like the car much. I always compared it to the Honda City and missed some features.

2.After 1,000 km, we went on a family trip to Mysore and I slowly started loving the car for its handling and everything.

Daily Driver
I started using the car regularly and had N number of road trips and finally, my college days came to an end in 2019. By that time, the car had completed 75,000 km.

Then I reduced the usage of the Rapid and started using other cars in our garage for while, but I felt most comfortable in the Rapid all the time. So, both dad and I are using it as a daily commuter to our office.

90,000 km Service.
1. The front suspension was worn out and we changed it.
2. Rear suspension bushes were changed.
3. Coolant expansion tank was leaking; changed it.
4. Brake pads were changed.
5. Regular oil service done.

1,05,000 km service.
Considering it was a major service, I thought of rejuvenating the car. By that time the headlamps and fog lamps had become yellowish, so replaced them.

1. The headlamp was cleaned and the outer lens was replaced:
Attachment 2252975

2. Notice the clean headlamp with new outer lens:
Attachment 2252976

3. Fog lamps cannot be cleaned, so replaced them with new ones. Got them from Boodmo:
Attachment 2252981

4. The coolant fluid was dirty. I flushed the radiator, cleaned it and filled it with new coolant (7 litres approximately). This was done at a FNG. Flushing and cleaning costed about Rs. 3,000 and coolant Rs. 2.000. I could immediately feel that the a/c was cooling very efficiently and the car would reach 90 degrees temperature after 4 to 5 km. Earlier, it was reaching 90 degrees at less than 2 km.

5. After finishing all this work, I left the car at the ASC. Considering it as a major service, the ASC requested me to change the following parts:
A. Timing belt along with water pump
B. Brake fluid
C. Engine bed
D. A/C belt
E. Regular oil service
F. Steering rack

After this service, the car felt like it felt on the day of delivery and it was very joyful to drive - so smooth and no noise. The engine mounting or the engine bed is a major part which I advise everyone to change after every 1 lakh km to maintain that new car feel. All the vibrations will be cut down. I experienced this in our Laura too.

Images of the replaced parts

1.Timing belt
Attachment 2252993

2.A/C belt
Attachment 2252994

3.Water pump
Attachment 2252995

Attachment 2252996

4.Engine mounts
Attachment 2252997

Attachment 2253009

Attachment 2253018

Summary
The Skoda Rapid is an excellent car and one could opt for it as a daily driver in my opinion. I appreciate my dad's decision now. The car has not shown one single error till date and it has been a fuss-free product. Now I'm strongly connected to the car and never think about selling it.

I'm attaching some pictures of my car as on date. Fellow BHPians, please pour in your thoughts about my thread.

Tinted with 3M RE50 and BK50
Attachment 2253019

The always neat and tidy engine bay
Attachment 2253020

The front seats
Attachment 2253021

The rear seat
Attachment 2253022

The dashboard
Notice all the A/C vents are working and are not replaced
Attachment 2253023

The rear A/C vents (which broke in no time)
Attachment 2253024

Instrument panel
Attachment 2253025

The alloy wheel
Simple and elegant. Upgraded tyres to 195/60 Michelin Primacy 3 ST
Attachment 2253026.

CONCLUSION
1. If well maintained, Skoda cars will never create any issue. I'm telling this from my own experience. The car has now completed 1,13,670 km and still shines like new. All of my cars are always foam washed at home with a Bosch AGT series washer.

2. Provides excellent fuel efficiency. I get an average of 20 kmpl on city and highway drives. My daily average running is 100 km. The mileage was calculated on full to full basis only. The MID however displays 22.5 kmpl.

3.
(i) A drawback, I feel, is that the front seats could have been a little wider.
(ii) The battery life is less compared to other cars. Only lasts for 2 to 2.5 years.
(iii) Should have provided a 6th gear.
(iv) The prices of the spares are on the higher side.

Overall it's an amazing car.

Thank You.

I cannot agree more with your views; I have a 2013 1.6 TDI remapped by Tune o Tonics with 135 BH and mind numbing 320 NM Torque for a car of this class. It has so far never let me down and will be hard to replace. I have a Kushaq as well now and while that has its own merits with higher GC and wider, comfy seats and more head and leg room, the Rapid TDI is truly a driver's car. I have also installed slightly wider seats with more padding from Imperial Leathers in Bangalore and they have done a great job. If only there was a 6th gear, it would be perfect. I look forward to go beyond 11 years at least if not full life!

[PrasadS]

A Happy Rapid (2016- Dec facelift) Style Plus TDI MT owner here.

Almost 7.8yrs of delightful ownership of this beige beauty. The Odo stands at 78k as of today.
Except for a steering rack issue around 35k kms(warranty replacement) and the ABS sensors, no major work so far.

Just today went for a ABS sensor replacement and gave the following observations to a FNG:
1: Brakes laking bite and are spongy
2: At high speeds the car sways as if wind is pushing it aside.
3: Depressing the clutch makes a grinding kinda noise(started a week back), and a very very rare slight juddering on slopes.

Other than above, everything is good with the pickup and the suspensions (no thuds inside and far better than our recent hycross).
Since I've shifted a bit far from my work, i now have almost 50km highway runs daily. Being a spirited driver, i used to get 700kms tankful stop and go, i thought with constant highway runs i should get around 900, but get around 800 only.

Things i was told needs to get done and approx cost at my regular fng:
Disc 4200
Pad 2500
5500 front shockups
2500 front kit
5200 back shockups
2000 kit
14000 timing kit
3300 water pump
Linkage 6000
16000 clutch

Another fng added even more items:
Clutch assembly
Pressure plate
Release bearing
Clutch plate
Bolt
Linkage
Strut kit
Balance rod bush
Engine mounting
Tappit cover oil seal 4 piece
Vaccum pump gas kit
Tappit cover gas kit
Rear buffer bush
Rear shockup
Coil spring
Liner to be checked

The brakes make sense and the rear shocks showing leak, so even that I'll get changed. Not sure about the rest of it as i don't feel the behavior of the car shows these need to be changed. Or maybe I've gotten used to it. And honestly I don't know what half the items are or what they do lol.
What do fellow members recommend, please help. And recommendations around Mumbai and Navi Mumbai will be helpful. Skoda ASS will cost a bomb for above