[noopster]

I would read Swanand Inamdar's and GTO's posts closely- between them they cover all the relevant points.

Personally I love the Superb and you cannot go wrong with the 1.8 MT TSI. The DSG7 is the weak link in the petrol while the diesel is not even available in the MT avatar. But I do think 24L OTR is a big amount to shell out. Not long ago the same car was 22L OTR (I think that's what dkaile paid for it) and considering it's an outgoing model you should be able to squeeze better discounts from the dealer.

The one thing I would be concerned about is the fact that you are buying the outgoing model. When paying so much you may want something that stays current at least for a few years!

[VW2010]

Superb is more a practical choice. The space is a boon for the family. The fun drive factor is there in the octavia but more so on roads that will be fun to drive in the first place.

The superb is still lot more fun than some of the asian manufacturer cars which means you will not lose much on driving pleasure.

Only worry would be the kind of dealer you have at your place, the support you can get and the clout you have to get your things done at any german car dealership.

Skoda superb was the only reason i got my Jetta. Dont regret it but given a chance again, i will up my budget and get the superb. Its just too classy and high end in everything.

[Macfreak7]

I'd suggest the Superb and IMO these points quoted below pretty much sum up my reasons as well. The Superb is definitely not a car that wants to be thrown around, so it isn't exactly "sporty". It does kinda make you adopt a more sedated driving style. So if you have a tendency towards a more spirited driving style then you might be better off with the Octy, even tho. with the standard rubber / suspension settings it isn't exactly begging to be thrown around either.

OR (and this is my REAL suggestion) you could go for the manual Superb, spend some more $$$ - get lower profile tires with 17" / 18" wheels, a nice suspension upgrade from Bilstein, and a performance remap. Result? A pretty darn sweet ride.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

My vote will be for the Supreb here for the following reasons:
1. MT transmission over the Dsg so less stressful ownership.
2. Higher segment car.
3. More features.
*snip*

[shankar.balan]

Octavia and Superb belong to two completely different segments.
Someone said that with the Superb you're getting Merc E Class features and even some S Class features at the price which is cheaper than a C Class.

If you like wallowing in Luxury and perambulating about at a reasonably sedate pace then buy a Superb. If you like driving yourself and occasionally flooring it and enjoying an exhilarating drive then buy an Octy.

[graaja]

Hi All,

Thank you very much for the overwhelming feedback. This is worth every attempt I made (was successful on my third attempt) to become a member
I will first arrange the feedback received into 5 categories and quote the feedback from that category.

Drive or driven:
GTO: "The choice is simple: Do you want a backseat or a driver's car? "
GTO: "The Superb is built for chauffeur-driven comfort..."
GTO: "The Octavia is built for self-driven owners, while providing "acceptable" backseat comfort."
Swanand Inamdar: "That said, the Superb as a selfdrive may sometimes give an image of that of a chauffeur"

As the car will be driven only by me, Octavia scores here.

Driving pleasure:
GTO: "The Superb is built for chauffeur-driven comfort, while providing "acceptable" driving pleasure. However, that long wheelbase takes the outright fun of driving away."
vb-san: "I would suggest that you stick to the 1.8 TSI Octavia booking. It’s a good package, and probably a better driver’s package compared to the Superb."
akshay1234: "The Superb does feel more luxurious, but then the Octavia is more fun to drive, has smaller dimensions and is better suited to driving yourself"

I was not aware that a longer wheelbase would take the fun of driving factor compared to shorter wheelbase. Now I understand why purists prefer a hot hatch. As my primary requirement in a car is driving pleasure, Octavia scores this one.

Reliability:
alpha1: "And to couple with this - the lower segment vehicle comes with the DSG7 which has had its share of bad name. "
Swanand Inamdar: "Are you sure the 1.8TSI in MT is still available? If it is, then i would suggest the MT Superb, simply because the 7DSG is problematic and prone to failures. That, with Skoda not offering the extended warranty (on the Octavia) just yet, makes it a double whammy."
IshaanIan: "manual transmission is a huge factor towards peace of mind offered."
akshay1234: "Now back to the DSG Octy, most DSG issues seem to have happened in the city with cars driven in traffic. Apparently its because of heat. With your being being primarily highway driven, the shifts will be less and so will the strain on the gearbox."

Yes. The SA said Superb 1.8TSI MT is available. Though there is a high probability that DSG issues are resolved, the clear winner in this category is Superb.

Size:
androdev: "If you can't put rear space to good use, the size of the car is a liability in every sense."
sriramv.iyer: "I would recommend Octavia unless you are very particular about seated belly dance (I have no idea what it means!)"
eq24: "I would vote for the Octavia simply because the Superb is just too big for city use. If you have a driver than fine otherwise running around in the city will be a pain."
IshaanIan: "The sheer space offered and quality is unparalleled and as you pointed out; manual transmission is a huge factor towards peace of mind offered. Also, trust me when you move to the D2 segment, it really does open several metaphorical doors to you"

The huge space offered by Superb makes it totally luxurious inside the car, at the same time takes away the driving pleasure. As I will be only in the driver's seat, the increase in rear legroom does not give much advantage to me.

And I have no intention of doing a seated belly dance

Value:
akshay1234: "You will be spending more than the Octy on the Superb, and yet in a few weeks time people will say you have an old model."
noopster: "The one thing I would be concerned about is the fact that you are buying the outgoing model. When paying so much you may want something that stays current at least for a few years!"
eq24: "More over the Octavia is brand new car, whereas the Superb as you said is nearing a facelift. The resale alone will take a massive hit not to mention that Superb Petrol resale is nothing to talk about anyways. "

I had not given any thought on this. I had totally overlooked the fact I would be paying close to 2L more for a car that would be outdated the moment I buy it.

Conclusion:
I was considering Superb only for the reliability it brings in the form of manual transmission. However, it looks like the bigger size would take away the fun factor, which is equally important to me. Also, from your feedback it looks like a discount of 1L is not enough to justify buying an outgoing model. So, I guess I will stick to Octavia for now, unless they come up with some insane discount like 2L or more.

Originally Posted by GTO

Suggestion: I would highly recommend the Octavia diesel MT or even better, the Jetta Diesel MT (multi-link rear suspension). The VAG diesels are very fast, fuel-efficient, have nearly zero turbo-lag and are more robust too. I drove the Octavia MT for 3 days and can tell you, it would be my pick over the TSI....eyes shut.

If you want an automatic, go for the diesel with the (more reliable) 6-speed DSG.

In the early stage of the selection process, I did consider going for diesel and did a comparision between Octavia and Jetta. However, I had to drop the idea due to two factors. When we were doing a test drive of the Octavia Diesel MT, there was this thrumming sound from the diesel engine that completely filled the cabin. As I have a severe hearing loss, I need a very quiet cabin to make any conversation possible at all. Due to this noise, my wife totally ruled out diesel. The second deterrent: when I talked to the VW dealers here to know about Jetta, they were totally not interested in selling the model. They were only trying to discourage me by saying the waiting time for Jetta would be 4 months and no guarantee on the delivery time as well.

[prakhar1998]

I would say, eyes closed go for the Superb.
The new Superb will be introduced in the Auto Expo next month, after which the cost of the older model will drop even more. Wait till the launch of the old model and I am sure the Superb's price if not less, will be in par with the Octavia. The Superb's build quality is far better than the Octavia's. Firstly, the tank like build quality is missing in the Octavia, then space in the Superb is more and the manual transmission being offered is faultless. BUT wait for the launch of the new Superb.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by androdev

DSG vs MT: Hmmm... the million dollar question that every potential TSI buyer is asking himself. Get MT if you want to dial down some fun-to-drive factor for peace of mind. I would be very hesitant to buy DSG if I am maxing out on my finances, don't have a backup car and tend to lose sleep over car troubles. To put it politically incorrectly, get DSG if you don't get shocked by a car repair bill that can run in to a couple of lakhs and the car will be out of service for a couple of weeks.

I don't know where you got that from, but Skoda has been fixing DSGs under warranty, and under goodwill even if the warranty is over. So no question of a few lacs. And I doubt the car would take a few weeks for that. Its generally done in about a week or 2 max. But yes if something does happen (the chances of which are getting less and less), there will be some inconvenience of being stranded wherever you are.

Graaja - Good choice on sticking with the Octy 1.8. What colour are you thinking of?

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Macfreak7

The Superb is definitely not a car that wants to be thrown around, so it isn't exactly "sporty". It does kinda make you adopt a more sedated driving style. So if you have a tendency towards a more spirited driving style then you might be better off with the Octy, even tho. with the standard rubber / suspension settings it isn't exactly begging to be thrown around either.

OR (and this is my REAL suggestion) you could go for the manual Superb, spend some more $$$ - get lower profile tires with 17" / 18" wheels, a nice suspension upgrade from Bilstein, and a performance remap. Result? A pretty darn sweet ride.

I am indeed planning to throw the car around in corners. That is the whole reason for selecting a German car for its stability in corners. For a sedated driving style, I would have opted for a Honda City CVT

Also, I am already stretching my budget for the Octy. Superb will be some more stretch. So wheel and suspension upgrade is impossible.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Octavia and Superb belong to two completely different segments.
Someone said that with the Superb you're getting Merc E Class features and even some S Class features at the price which is cheaper than a C Class.

If you like wallowing in Luxury and perambulating about at a reasonably sedate pace then buy a Superb. If you like driving yourself and occasionally flooring it and enjoying an exhilarating drive then buy an Octy.

Yes. I plan to drive myself and looking forward to that occasional flooring of the pedal. So, that leaves me with the Octy!

Originally Posted by prakhar1998

I would say, eyes closed go for the Superb.
The new Superb will be introduced in the Auto Expo next month, after which the cost of the older model will drop even more. Wait till the launch of the old model and I am sure the Superb's price if not less, will be in par with the Octavia. The Superb's build quality is far better than the Octavia's. Firstly, the tank like build quality is missing in the Octavia, then space in the Superb is more and the manual transmission being offered is faultless. BUT wait for the launch of the new Superb.

I was indeed attracted by the reliability of the manual transmission and space. However, from the feedback I receive from most of the people, Superb is more for a sedate driving style, which I do not possess

Originally Posted by akshay1234

I don't know where you got that from, but Skoda has been fixing DSGs under warranty, and under goodwill even if the warranty is over. So no question of a few lacs. And I doubt the car would take a few weeks for that. Its generally done in about a week or 2 max. But yes if something does happen (the chances of which are getting less and less), there will be some inconvenience of being stranded wherever you are.

Graaja - Good choice on sticking with the Octy 1.8. What colour are you thinking of?

The service manager here also assured me that all problems are fixed in the DSG and even if the DSG fails outside warranty, they will be replacing it under goodwill warranty. Many other users in this forum too have confirmed this. I think I will have to live with that small risk of getting stranded in case of failure and go with the Octy.

I have ordered Silver as I felt it looks very good on this car. White is another color that looked good, but did not select it, as one of my friends joked white is a color for taxis and government vehicles.

[cruze'ader]

Hi graaja. I think out of these 2, the Superb makes for the better choice. My reasons for favouring the Superb might not be technical, but more personal. Some of them are:

1. I would prefer driving a manual any day. Being an auto-enthusiast, like all of us here, auto transmission does not cut it for me at all. Somehow, it doesn't feel like I'm driving at all, when I'm driving an autobox.

2. The superb is clearly the superior car here, though Octavia is the fresh-face. The Superb gets all the admiring looks, and yes, this car makes a statement wherever it goes.

3. One of the points you were worried about was the facelifted Superb which could lessen the value of your car. I must say, this doesn't bother me in any way at all. If I love a car with all my heart, I would go for it no matter what the consequences. For example, when I was about to buy the cruze, I didn't like the newer 166 bhp engine because it lacked the turbo kick of the older model. And that was one of the main reasons why I loved the cruze other than its looks. So I went for a used car with the old engine, though it doesn't give me the premium of a new car.

So I say, if you love the Superb, go for it without a second thought. In the long run, you might be surprised that you ever had a doubt in getting this car.

[VeyronSuperSprt]

Here's a Sixth point to add to your Five:

Stop analyzing beyond a point. It won't get you anywhere except to a stage of analysis paralysis.

The difference between the cars you've shortlisted isn't night and day. At the most, a few percentage points in the overall ownership experience.

You've probably realised that almost every Skoda owner is happy. And I don't think you'll be an exception. So stop this tedious analysis and come join the club!

[mints21]

After having read all these posts, I am myself confused as to what should be my decision and how do I justify my decision to myself if I would have been at your place.

You should take the decision which suits your requirements and is to your likes.

However, I would suggest that if you are spending so much money on something that will be termed as old in a few months from now then it make no sense putting your hard earned money there.

When buying a luxury car of this segment then a lakh or two should not matter.

Either go for New Octavia or New Superb.

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by GTO

.

Suggestion: I would highly recommend the Octavia diesel MT or even better, the Jetta Diesel MT (multi-link rear suspension). The VAG diesels are very fast, fuel-efficient, have nearly zero turbo-lag and are more robust too. I drove the Octavia MT for 3 days and can tell you, it would be my pick over the TSI....eyes shut.

Dear GTO, I have not driven the Octavia diesel - Do you say that it is more fun than the TSI? I should really go for a test drive then

Thanks for this input!

[graaja]

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

Here's a Sixth point to add to your Five:

Stop analyzing beyond a point. It won't get you anywhere except to a stage of analysis paralysis.

The difference between the cars you've shortlisted isn't night and day. At the most, a few percentage points in the overall ownership experience.

You've probably realised that almost every Skoda owner is happy. And I don't think you'll be an exception. So stop this tedious analysis and come join the club!

Totally agree with you. Beyond a point, analysis will only lead to paralysis. Coincidentally, one of my close friends mentioned the same a couple of days back!

They say "An idle mind is a devil's workshop". As my delivery is expected only in March or April, I have nothing else to do (I mean, outside my everyday job). These Skoda horror threads that pop up like clock work periodically are pushing me into this analytical mode regularly, every time trying to find a better solution than the one already made. This will end only when I take delivery of the car, at which point of time, I will start concentrating on preparing my ownership thread

For now, I am taking a resolution not to do anymore analysis and just wait for the delivery of my Octy. I also hope to God no more Skoda horror story thread pops up in the meantime.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by sriramv.iyer

I have not driven the Octavia diesel - Do you say that it is more fun than the TSI?

It's better to live with.

• The diesel is also fast. It has more than enough power to keep the enthusiast in you happy
• Diesel's fuel-economy will be noticeably higher. It's a double whammy for the TSI as petrol is the more expensive fuel
• Longer tank range. An advantage when cruising long distance
• Euro diesels are usually far more robust than the petrols
• 6-speed MT for old school enthusiasts. This would be the primary reason I'd pick the TDI over the TSI
• There are strong, valid concerns over the long-term reliability of the TSI's DSG gearbox
• We can safely assume that the diesel's resale value will be superior to that of the TSI

[SmartCat]

Check out the review of the new Skoda Superb (facelift)

http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-rev...ve-369491.aspx

Looking at the pics, it looks like it has new Octavia's front end, old Superb's side profile and Audi's rear end. This one is ideal for somebody who is cross-shopping across three different segments