[kedar_GT]

Originally Posted by solaris007

I had the same line on thought for a long while. However, one member mentioned how their kid kept staring up at the panoramic sunroof throughout the test drive for another vehicle.

I did not want to sacrifice my kid's comfort for my pure driving pleasure Sunroof aside - this is an amazing car and one of the very few attainable "wow" cars plying our roads.

Totally agree and resonate with your thoughts - I thought exactly the same.

[kedar_GT]

Originally Posted by CircleOfLife

Totally respecting your opinion and agreeing to the fact that sunroof has certain USP with kids & better half too.

It's not just that. A few months down the line once the Slavia is out, the non-enthusiasts will be hard-pressed to understand why you spent almost 2x on a similar-looking car, without ventilated seats, a sunroof and equally spacious rear and boot. I am sure one will have to keep a counter ready for such queries.

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

Did you test-drive the Crysta as well? Would suggest to drive it as well, unless you’re against the taxi-image synonymous with it. Although that lurching forward tendency is present in the Innova as well!

I have driven the 2.8L Crysta & it's a fab car - but after owning an MPV (Ertiga) I really don't want to go down the same path.

[aadya]

I might sound a contrarian, I avoid Cars with sunroof as 10 minutes into the drive Kids want to stand with the heads jutting out of the sunroof,which is extremely dangerous. So I avoid sending my kids in the cars with sunroof unless I am there to make sure they do not attempt it. Even if I was a kid I would have done the same and probably more.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by kedar_GT

It's not just that. A few months down the line once the Slavia is out, the non-enthusiasts will be hard-pressed to understand why you spent almost 2x on a similar-looking car, without ventilated seats, a sunroof and equally spacious rear and boot. I am sure one will have to keep a counter ready for such queries.

Once they sit inside both the cars the query will get answered itself

Though I havent seen Slavia interiors, I am pretty sure Octavia will be much better here. Even if Slavia interiors has good quality than Kushaq.

[CircleOfLife]

Originally Posted by kedar_GT

It's not just that. A few months down the line once the Slavia is out, the non-enthusiasts will be hard-pressed to understand why you spent almost 2x on a similar-looking car, without ventilated seats, a sunroof and equally spacious rear and boot. I am sure one will have to keep a counter ready for such queries.

This was exactly the question i asked myself when Slavia designs were released. The USP of current Octavia on the road of the moment is it's design. It is easily distinguishable to anything on the road & grabs attention of the crowd. I have even notice kids discussing about the vehicles. With Slavia it changes & challenges this perspective. Unless one enters into a showroom and compares both Slavia and Octavia side by side it would be hard to comprehend the price difference for a near similar design vehicle. Over that one gets sunroof, ventilated seats, lesser cost of ownership and if you add 1.5 ltr engine on top of it then for most of folks with majority city driving & part highway commutes it suffices the need.

Recently as i was travelling our of state decided to get the PUC done . Didn't want to take risk of PUC challan or getting into animated discussion with cops. Ahead of my car there were some young crowd in Rapid TDI who were also getting PUC done. Looking at Octavia point of discussion among them was to gauge how Slavia will look . Octavia might have edge in terms of fit & finish along with driving dynamics, but as you rightly pointed out good luck explaining this to someone who didn't enter a showroom and checked both of them. Octavia positioning of being a premium enthusiast sedan will still be it's USP and Skoda is also satisfied selling lesser units in the current semiconductor shortage situation.

[FamilyTraveller]

Originally Posted by solaris007

Sunroof aside - this is an amazing car and one of the very few attainable "wow" cars plying our roads.

Fully respect your decision but want to tell you (so that you can leverage our experience in making an informed decision) that when I bought my 330i my 2 kids were excited about the SR but we have hardly opened it more than a few times because
1. Opening it fully lets in lot of dust makes the car quite dirty so have not done it more than 1-2 times in city driving. Difficult to open in highway rides as it lets in too much road and wind noise and also increases the drag.
2. Letting the kids take their head out is complete no and very risky
3. Opening just the sunroof cover lets in lot of sunlight and warms up the car a lot in Bangalore during the day time.
4. Reduces the headroom a lot (2 inches at least)

Pros of sunroof
1. opening the cover lets in good light and makes it feel more airy and spacious especially during evening and highway drives when sun is not directly overhead.

[kedar_GT]

Originally Posted by FamilyTraveller

Pros of sunroof
1. opening the cover lets in good light and makes it feel more airy and spacious especially during evening and highway drives when sun is not directly overhead.

This is all that I want - so a moonroof would also work great for me. Especially since this car will be a replacement for my highway steed. But alas - that ain't happening with the Octy

Thanks for your inputs though!

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by FamilyTraveller

Fully respect your decision but want to tell you (so that you can leverage our experience in making an informed decision) that when I bought my 330i my 2 kids were excited about the SR but we have hardly opened it more than a few times

Completely agree - The only time I use the sunroof is going up the mountain to on the way to Kodaikanal every couple of months - the speeds are slow enough when going uphill on the winding roads, and the level of dust etc. is quite low. The weather is never too hot and the experience is very nice. But this is about 5% of the total time I use the car.

On a different note, Octavia continues to impress the few times I have seen it in the showroom for had a quick look at a friend's car. The door's are very heavy and solid (much more so than the previous generation Octavia) and the interior material quality has made a significant step up (but then so has the price!). As Skoda skims the top of the market, I think there is an opportunity to introduce an 1.5MT version with fewer features around 20 lakh price point, to make this great car more accessible for a broader audience as well as get some higher volumes for Skoda in this segment, where it is the undisputed leader now, and as a leader they should expend the market overall.

[DonHyd]

Octavia is sandwiched between Slavia and Superb. Value conscious will lean towards Slavia and the quality obsessed will find Superb a better proposition. Also, not sure but the present Octavia's rear seat doesn't appear as spacious as the previous generation one. Superb is in a different league altogether. Skoda's optimistic pricing of the Octavia doesn't help the case.

Having said this, on a stand alone basis, Octavia is a brilliant car with a brilliant engine, music system, and supportive seats.

[solaris007]

I took a few test drives today to confirm whether the Octavia still made any sense.

First I started with the Jeep Compass Model S 4x4 Diesel Automatic - it was my front runner from the very beginning as I really liked it during my first test drive. However, second time round I seemed to be more aware of all its shortcomings:

1. Loud idle and engine noise: This car can best be described as a beast. For those that love the manly diesel clatter and noise during high revs this car is perfect. I did notice this noise during my first test drive but I turned off the music system this time to really hear it. Definitely did not want to live with this Diesel engine noise after coming from smooth, silent petrol engines
2. Passable interiors: Compared to the previous generation this is definitely a huge step up but on closer inspection there are a lot of scratchy low quality plastics. I use a Hyundai Venue as my daily driver and I would honestly be hard pressed to tell you there is a significant difference between the two. No “wow” feeling at all
3. Flimsy doors: Even I could not believe this and I did not remember experiencing it on my first test drive. The doors did not close with the expected reassuring thuds (maybe my mind was tuned to my experiences with the VW/Skoda cars). The door actually flexed a little on closing - which was very surprising to me
4. Technical issues: The first time I test drove this there were issues connecting with CarPlay wirelessly. I chalked it up to a rare instance. However, history repeated itself and no matter what the SA did, he could not get it to work. He even tried unsuccessfully with his phone. Wireless charging was hit or miss, had to get the position of the phone exactly right for it to work.

I finished the test drive very unimpressed. I already knew going in that the performance would not leave a smile on my face but there were just too many negatives for me and so I was back to square one.

Then I test drove the Tiguan. Damn that is a fine looking car from every angle (except the basic looking alloys). It had the performance but the interiors and features left a lot to be desired. During the test drive I kept asking myself why I should settle for a car that does not “wow” me like the Octavia does. I had given up on the Octavia since the Kodiaq Sportline was announced and it covered most of the its shortcomings.

However, further thinking lead me to ask myself - do I really, really need that SUV ground clearance for 95% city driving? Do I need that massive panoramic sunroof? Do I need those 1-2 extra speakers on an already excellent music system? Would this be the last time I would think of buying a sedan as old age eventually catches up?

Even if those features are good to have - are they worth almost 10L+ (30% premium) over the Octavia? I am not so sure now.

[CircleOfLife]

Originally Posted by solaris007

However, further thinking lead me to ask myself - do I really, really need that SUV ground clearance for 95% city driving? Do I need that massive panoramic sunroof? Do I need those 1-2 extra speakers on an already excellent music system? Would this be the last time I would think of buying a sedan as old age eventually catches up?

Even if those features are good to have - are they worth almost 10L+ (30% premium) over the Octavia? I am not so sure now.

Those are valid question. Will this be your primary vehicle for everyday commute? In your shoes & being in Hyderabad there is one more question to add to list on Sedan vs SUV debate in your mind. Would you be comfortable enough to take a low slung Sedan on water logged roads? I would always be very cautious in a rainy season & this will always be back of my mind during a downpour.

Also not a big fan of touch screen panel in Octavia, add to that if you have noticed it is more oriented towards left hand side. While driving it's not comfortable that home screen button is far towards left hand side and one has to bend to reach towards far left. To an extent these are addressed by few physical buttons provided but otherwise it's uncomfortable ergonomics.

If you travel through narrow roads or very tight parking regularly then that's the only place where owning a big suv is a challenge.

Kodiaq addresses short comings of Octavia. If kodiaq or even karoq was available during my purchase decision then these would have been more favourable.

Every vehicle has its short comings but with Jeep there should be one more factor to weigh in, there is only 1 dealer in the city, you have to live with them irrespective of levels of service experience you get from them. Prefer to go with any brand that has multiple dealers as this gives you a degree of flexibility.

Take multiple drives, I would say atleast 3-5 times and on different routes & timing each time. You should be able to gauge what appeals to you and which shortcomings you will be able to make peace with. At the end of the day you should be also satisfied when you sit behind the wheel else the sheer experience of ownership falls apart.

[GeeTee TSI]

Picked up the Skoda Umbrella from TAFE Access (which was not provided along with the essential kit at the time of delivery)
I had to ask for it and they provided it but just one for the drivers door

[faderifts]

Hey guys , need suggestions on tyre upsize for the the Octavia l&k. Which would be better 215/55 R17 or 225/50 R17 ? Will there be a effect on ground clearance by going for 225/50 ?

Appreciate the help thanks.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by faderifts

Hey guys , need suggestions on tyre upsize for the the Octavia l&k. Which would be better 215/55 R17 or 225/50 R17 ? Will there be a effect on ground clearance by going for 225/50 ?

Appreciate the help thanks.

Since it’s L&K I believe the wheel width is 7J and hence 225 will fit.
A quick search in tyre upsize calculator shows upgrade to 225/50/17 gives 0% deviation. So I suggest going for 225. It will also enhance the looks and car will be more stable and handle better. There will be no effect on ground clearance with 225. The ride might become slightly more stiffer, but I am sure it will be a good compromise.

[CircleOfLife]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Since it’s L&K I believe the wheel width is 7J and hence 225 will fit.
A quick search in tyre upsize calculator shows upgrade to 225/50/17 gives 0% deviation. So I suggest going for 225. It will also enhance the looks and car will be more stable and handle better. There will be no effect on ground clearance with 225. The ride might become slightly more stiffer, but I am sure it will be a good compromise.

With 7J in L&K rim suggested upsize is a perfect fit. To add to that i would suggest go for Michelin. Compared to stock good year even with lower side wall you will be able to negate some of the stiffness. One noob question, does lower side wall also result in lower GC?