[kiran_cr]

Originally Posted by dspeter

I agree. I've been a proud owner of the Skoda Rapid Petrol AT for the last 5 years. In my opinion its the best automatic sedan in its segment. The gear upshift and downshift is effortless and very responsive. No other car matches the build quality and performance in this segment. I recently changed the stock tyres at 40K to Yokohama R15 and the right quality has enhanced significantly. I've seen a noticeable reduction in cabin noise too. A clear thumbs up from me to Skoda. No intention of selling this car for the next 5 years if it holds up good.

Hi my 2015 Rapid has crossed 40k and im thinking of changing the stock alnacs. I was confused between Michelin and Yokohama R15. Just wanted to know if you considered anyother tyres before zeroing in on Yokos.

[Shome]

Originally Posted by nikhilpai

Does the 4 year extended warranty of Skoda take care of the ASS issues which everyone complains about? Or it could still turn bad?

The ASS issues have nothing to do with the extended warranty. If something major goes wrong, the service from Skoda is/perceived to be suspect (although I do think they have improved over the years). But then again, I've had a car which has not needed any major downtime. Parts availability is the major issue if it's not a running part. Extended warranty is essential cause of parts cost but doesn't guarantee that they will be readily available and your car won't be in the workshop for extended periods. However, at the cost of repeating myself, Skodas are solidly built and generally shouldn't require any downtime if you stick to your service schedule and oil changes. It's mainly the electronics which cause the headache if they go kaput.

My car is now going in for a suspension overhaul but not at Skoda ASS. This is my first major expense and I'm going in for some custom shocks suggested by fellow BHPian Jatin at his Wagenwerks workshop. Will keep you guys updated once the work is done.

Originally Posted by kiran_cr

Hi my 2015 Rapid has crossed 40k and im thinking of changing the stock alnacs. I was confused between Michelin and Yokohama R15. Just wanted to know if you considered anyother tyres before zeroing in on Yokos.

I changed mine to XM2s at 45k and I'm now at 53k. These are super silent, comfortable, and haven't faced any issues with the softer sidewall. These are my 3rd set of XM2s, the other 2 were on my A-star and Swift. Can't really go wrong with Michelins but to each his own. Also, haven't tried Yokos.

[kiran_cr]

Originally Posted by Shome

I changed mine to XM2s at 45k and I'm now at 53k. These are super silent, comfortable, and haven't faced any issues with the softer sidewall. These are my 3rd set of XM2s, the other 2 were on my A-star and Swift. Can't really go wrong with Michelins but to each his own. Also, haven't tried Yokos.

Thanks shome for the quick reply. Yes XM2 are amazing set of tyres. I have it in my Figo and ride is excellent. Since i already had XM2s i wanted to compare it with Yoko R15 and anyother options available so that i can choose the best amongst them.

[deepfusion]

Continuing with teh same issue.

Key programming issue.

Tried resolving with VCDS cable 12.12 software.

Failed. Any guidance please.

[aadya]

I am in the verge of booking Rapid MPI AT. I see a lots of flak about this engine being a dud. I did a test drive and found it to be reasonable in the city with two people, which would be my usual driving condition.
Occasional high way trip twice or thrice in a year with three adults/2 children and luggage, an approximate payload of 350 kg is on the cards.
I am not an enthusiast by any means. Though TDI+DSG combo is excellent,I want a trouble free ownership. I really do not have the time(I shave while at work) or resources to wait for weeks to replace mechatronics unit or such things. Esteemed members please guide me.

[Funny]

Originally Posted by aadya

I am in the verge of booking Rapid MPI AT. I see a lots of flak about this engine being a dud.

IMO Rapid MPI is a safe bet, here's why..
We had a Rapid MPI MT (AT is a 6-speed torque converter and should be more reliable than the DSG) for about 5 years which we sold recently since we got a compact SUV. The Rapid's MPI petrol was like a bullet-proof engine for us, it never broke-down in the span of 5 years in-spite of our low running (24K kms) where-in the car would be parked for weeks together and would still fire-up without any problem whenever we used it. All we did was the regular service as per the manual (once in a year or 15K kms) and it was running great. The stock battery was changed recently since it became weak after running for 5yrs!! The car always felt very stable and planted on straight lines and could be pushed around corners as well and it would surprise you with its stability and solid feel. As you already pointed out, the engine is not powerful, but I felt its adequate and one can have a blast by revving it till its red line, the only downside being that the fuel avg will drop to 9-10kmpl if you drive it that way
I did follow certain routine like idling the car for about a minute on cold starts, filling fuel at reliable pumps (99% at Shell), keeping the tyre inflated with nitrogen/normal air on a regular interval, driving mostly on good roads (even though I had to take longer routes) and smaller things like switching on AC after driving for a while, not using any electronics including AC when the engine was not running etc. All these things helped in keeping the car in top shape I believe which is why I intend to follow the same on all our current/future cars!
The usual fuel economy was about 11-12kmpl within city and 13-14 on highways. One issue we felt was the ground clearance which is not that great when the car is loaded, the under-body will scrape on the gigantic speed-breakers of Bengaluru but this can be addressed by driving slowly and diagonally over the taller speed breakers. Another thing we felt was the lack of features, at the time we bought it had a basic audio system with driver airbag only, but I think the feature list has improved now so it shouldn't be a problem. The AC performance was a bit less maybe because we had Black Rapid which required more effort from the compressor for cooling after getting baked in the sun..

I always wanted to put a sticker at the back saying : "Tank On Wheels" but never got the time to do it
It was really difficult for us to let the car go since it had absolutely no issues and everyone in the family loved the car for what it is.

Hope this helps in making up your mind!

~Drive Safe

[ank.nsit]

Originally Posted by aadya

...
I am not an enthusiast by any means. Though TDI+DSG combo is excellent,I want a trouble free ownership. I really do not have the time(I shave while at work) or resources to wait for weeks to replace mechatronics unit or such things. Esteemed members please guide me.

If tension free ownership is a priority, go for yaris cvt. It drives well, has amazing ride quality and a low cost of ownership.

[gigatech2006]

Originally Posted by aadya

I am in the verge of booking Rapid MPI AT. I see a lots of flak about this engine being a dud. I did a test drive and found it to be reasonable in the city with two people, which would be my usual driving condition.

I recently bought the MPI MT. It's a good package overall. I bought the style MY19 variant with 16-inch wheels and that seems to be a mistake. I somehow feel the 15-inchers were better for comfort. At low speeds, and on the horrible roads of Bangalore, I feel the suspension is not up to the mark (on the same roads, my Fiat doesn't even bother me!). Highway stability is good though.


Since I still own a Fiat Punto, maybe I'm wrongly expecting the Skoda's one to be as good as the Fiat. So, if you're coming from another car other than the Fiat, I'm sure you will like the Rapid's suspension and stability.


The engine is definitely not under-powered. Don't go by the enthusiast's version of 'old engine'. It's good enough for the city and occassional highway trips (similar to my usage). According to the manual, the Rapid petrol 0-100kmph is at 10.2 secs, and on the diesel it's 10.3 seconds. One point though - it's not as refined as the one in Honda City.

Can other Rapid petrol owners with 15 and 16-inchers give their 2-cents about the suspension at low speeds? I'm maintaining the pressure at 34psi on all wheels.

[kiran_cr]

Friends
I own a 2015 Rapid DSG elegance plus variant. Till now I have been using Regular Diesel from Shell or IOC COCO bunks. I was wondering if any of you have used speed diesel or equivalent? I want to know if there will be any significant performance changes or any ill effects to the engine if I start using speed diesel? Please help me out.

Cheers

[aadya]

Originally Posted by gigatech2006

The engine is definitely not under-powered. Don't go by the enthusiast's version of 'old engine'. It's good enough for the city and occassional highway trips (similar to my usage). According to the manual, the Rapid petrol 0-100kmph is at 10.2 secs, and on the diesel it's 10.3 seconds. One point though - it's not as refined as the one in Honda City.

As per my test drive,1.6 MPI Engine feels adequate. Acceleration is not seemless like Ivtec but similar to verna. Gear box in stop and go traffic equal to cvt of city but slightly inferior to TC of verna.

I did not do a highway test drive but did a test drive with speeds reaching 70-80 in ORR, mid day when traffic was the lightest. Suspension feels stable.

Tested the engine by driving with Five adults(approximate payload of 350kg), up and down basement parking ramp, couple of flyovers and underpasses there was no noticeable discomfort from engine or gearbox and test drive vehicle was Ambition AT 1.6MPI with 3000 km on odo.

I am keeping my fingers crossed. Rapid MPI seems to be Jack of all and master of none. I am not sure about how it will fare in long term. But overall we do not have any major issues with any of the petrol engines(of all manufacturers) currently being sold in India.

[Vipin Kumar]

Originally Posted by gigatech2006

I recently bought the MPI MT. It's a good package overall. I bought the style MY19 variant with 16-inch wheels and that seems to be a mistake. I somehow feel the 15-inchers were better for comfort. At low speeds, and on the horrible roads of Bangalore, I feel the suspension is not up to the mark (on the same roads, my Fiat doesn't even bother me!). Highway stability is good though.

Since I still own a Fiat Punto, maybe I'm wrongly expecting the Skoda's one to be as good as the Fiat. So, if you're coming from another car other than the Fiat, I'm sure you will like the Rapid's suspension and stability.

What is the issue with the 16 inchers? Is it feeling hard on slow speeds on undulating roads?

Fiat's is also hard suspension set-up, I suppose. Then, is Rapid's softer compared to Fiat's? In that case, the 16 inch wheels should be of help, I assume.

I am not getting this point actually in this way. What I have been thinking is that Rapid has a little softer suspension set-up compared to the ones in Linea and Punto, but harder than that of other competitors including the Vento. We need to recall that Ford Fiesta would have been an exception but is no longer in production here.

The 16 inch wheels would only add to Rapid's rigidity of ride (?) Is it only that it is not giving plush ride at slow speeds?

[Ajay_the_Don]

My Rapid produce a squeaking noise when the front windows moves up and down. I suspect some rain water got into the the window lining and the fabric material in the lining absorbed some and got bloated which is creating the noise when the glass moves against it.



Any solution to solve this?


I do not want my windows to get scratched.

[Mr_Bean]

Originally Posted by Vipin Kumar

What is the issue with the 16 inchers? Is it feeling hard on slow speeds on undulating roads?

A bit bumpy and hard at slow speeds within the city, majority of the bangalore roads are bad. Ride is a lot better once the vehicle picks up speed beyond 40-50.


Skoda recommends a psi of 38 for the 16 inch tyres, I started experimenting with 36 psi and now settled down at 34 for a slightly cushiony ride.

[gigatech2006]

Originally Posted by Vipin Kumar

What is the issue with the 16 inchers? Is it feeling hard on slow speeds on undulating roads?

Fiat's is also hard suspension set-up, I suppose. Then, is Rapid's softer compared to Fiat's? In that case, the 16 inch wheels should be of help, I assume.

Well, compared to the 15-inchers on Rapid petrol, the 16-inch low-speed ride quality is noticeably bad. It's jittery on Bangalore roads where most of the top layer of tarmac have been washed away and the coarse gravel is exposed. Heck, I can feel the joints on the bridge (On the Punto, the shock is never transferred inside the cabin and I all I hear is a super muted sound that the tires make while going over these joints.) However, as the speeds increase, and the roads smoother, it's rock solid (as solid as the Punto, if not better).



Punto's suspension is firm as well, but I never feel the coarse gravel, nor do I get the urge to slowdown when going over sharp road imperfections. On the Rapid, I slow down! That's a big difference. I can put my fist down and claim that Fiat's suspension is unrivalled - be it slow speed or high speed. Period.

[RGK]

Happy New year to Skoda Gurus,

My friend has planned to sell his 2012 Rapid (top end diesel) which has done 94k. The car is in good condition except for the below repairs.
-- The remote lock button is not working (Unlock is working, need to lock manually)
-- Air Flow adjuster in left side AC vent is not working
- Tow hook dummy in the front bumper is damaged and open
-- Few dents and scratches, but the body line is good

All regular service is done at Gurudev periodically. What will be the expense that I have to plan if I get this car and have it for the next 3 years (If I drive another 30-40k kms).