Hi,
This is the first time I am writing an ownership review so please excuse any errors.
The Basic Specs:
Skoda Laura 2.0 TDI DSG Auto transmission , (Ambiente) Silver
colour
Leather seats
16 alloys (standard fitment)
DSG gearbox
Purchased on 05 January 2013
Mileage on delivery 54 km
Mileage till date 27859 km
Fuel average over last 1.5 yrs = 9.8 kms/ltr city driving Bandra to
Nariman Point with A/c on
= 12 ~ 13 km/ltr highway driving (approx figure)
Why Skoda Laura ?
I previously owned a Ford Fiesta and my daily commute to office and back is approx 40 kms mostly city driving with Expressway/highway driving once in say 2 months .
I was quite fed up with the city start stop traffic and consistent clutch de-clutch in this horrible Mumbai traffic.
To be quite honest, I always loved the Skoda looks and when I test drove it I did not bother looking elsewhere. Fuel consumption was not up there on my wish list so I did not sweat too much thinking of the higher diesel consumption with an auto box.
Powerful, auto transmission, manual override, reasonably low in-cabin noise, comfortable to drive.... my wish list being fully complied with, I purchased this car.
27,000 kms later:....
A few starting points....
Exteriors Generally no complaints here. Besides a few minor scratches (thanks to driving in really congested traffic and in considerate taxis and auto rickshaws) the paint work has held out pretty good. No fading observed. Head lights, tail lamps , fog, reversing lights and turn indicators all working in good order. No electrical issues at all.
Tyres: here again these are in good condition. No uneven wear noticed. I ripped one of my tyres whilst driving at Nhava Sheva Port when I drove over some metallic part which cut the tyre so had to spend 5500/- (discounted price) for a brand new Goodyear tubeless. My fault here and not a manufacturing issue.
Interiors- There is sufficient room for 4 tall well built adults in this car . The centre console though intrudes into the leg space at the rear and causes quite a lot of discomfort to the 3rd passenger at the rear. I feel Skoda should re-engineer this to make it comfortable for those moments when you have a third adult averagely built passenger. Especially on longer drives.
The Radio is easy to use although I still have not figured out how to use BT-Audio and the A.S.S guys could not demonstrate it to me either. The I-phone for sure does not sync automatically on BT. A slightly higer ended touch screen type radio unit would have been better given the price.
What is also annoying that for the price you pay surely they could have provided a centre head rest for the rear passenger. In India its normally 5 to a car !!!
Aircon issues- Ineffective and when I complained they did try initially washing the condenser to see if it made a diff. Sadly it did not. So they want me to leave the car with them for 2-3 days to check it out. I am worried I will be slapped with a huge bill .
FUEL ECONOMY
The Fuel economy quite honestly is not good considering this is a Diesel . The Skoda claims of high fuel efficiency surely are inflated and I get an average of;
Bandra to Nariman point 9.8 km/ltr clocked repeatedly over the last 2 years with an occasional surprise of 10~ 10.5 km/ltr this is with the Aircon running throughout.
On the highway (Mumbai Pune expressway mainly ) I have got a max of 12 to 14 km/ltr
The Driving experience :
Driving this car is a real pleasure . It is quick to respond. The Auto box shifts seamlessly and is quick in the gear shifts. The engine is reasonably silent although I do wish Skoda would put some more insulation so that the diesel tick does not filter into the cabin. At high speeds, road noise does filter in quite a bit. A clear indication of this is that you need to turn up the stereo volume to hear the music above the road noise. Dont get me wrong though, the NVH levels are not so bad that it is a cause for concern. They just could have done better.
Floor the accelerator and this 2.0 ltr diesel motor does not disappoint. Slip it into S mode and the car hunkers down, the suspension gets stiffer and she can give the competition a run for their money.
27000 kms and I have not really noticed any rattles despite having driven on some very poor Mumbai roads. The suspension too has held out quite good and feels as good as new.
The A/C though is VERY disappointing and I feel Skoda would be well served, if they ask the Ford guys to give them some tips on the air conditioning. The aircon barely copes in the peak summer season and rear passengers do get a tad irritated and short tempered when driving long distances due to the heat.
I would have hoped that Skoda had provided some sun shades like they have on the Superb rear windows. Nevertheless I got these installed from a local vendor.
Although the top end model of this car comes fully loaded, the lower end or the Ambiente version of this car is disappointing in terms of fit out items.
For starters for the money you shell out for this car , I feel that Xenon lights, Cornering lights, folding OVRMs, auto dimming OVRMs, 17 alloys, front parking assist, DR Lights, EBD, TCS should be standard equipment outfit and not cost a bomb. Its daylight robbery as far as pricing goes for the Elegance model.
Also the multi function steering should be standard. We are living in the 20th century here and surely Skoda should realize that the Indian customer is very discerning.
The radio player swing model is functional and it is really adding insult to injury when they provide a stereo that is equipped with a single CD player. The stereo player on the higher ended models I believe is good though.
Spares and service:
Spares are priced such that it will surely give you a stroke or at least you are assured of getting High BP (blood pressure and not Brake Power !! ) at the least.
I cannot fathom why they are so expensive. The minor indentation and scratch on my rear wheel arch would set me back by INR12,000/- !!!. I can live with the slight dent.
An oil change is INR5500/- Ok this is not too bad.
My first service was done at 14500 kms at their Bhori Stable , Goregoan station left much to be desired. I am very certain that my engine oil was not changed. Essentially the car was only washed.
The 2nd service was carried out upon my insistence at 20,800 kms at AutoBahn service station at Kurla. Here the service was well done, oil changed, filters changed, VAS inspection done, car was beautifully cleaned, all checks carried out (i could see the guy carrying out the checks which was comforting to know).
The only thing lacking is the lack of knowledge with regard to VAG-COM settings which I feel Skoda should really train their mechanics and bring them up to speed with. For most of my queries related to VAG-COM settings went unanswered or were answered by a Typical retort quote/unquote This model does not have this feature Sir . Maybe they should go on the Team BHP website forums and read the posts every morning.
Other than the above there are no real complaints.
Likes :
Bold good looks except the rear . They could have done a better and smarter job with the rear C lights LEDs perhaps ??
Responsive engine but wished it came with a Torque converter
Smooth auto box gear shifts are quite fast and do not feel laid back
Sport mode is great- really kicks butt
Comfortable to drive
Seats 4 with comfort
Good braking however sometimes I feel that it could be better especially when you are doing some hard driving.
Steering is little heavy when being driven in daily city traffic
Trim levels in interiors are decent
Dislikes :
Rear seats too upright. Difficult to doze comfortably when on a long journey.
Rear seat back rest for the centre position projects too out. The third passenger is uncomfortable
Lack of leg room for the third passenger in the centre due to console protusion
High bodyline makes you feel slightly cooped in at the rear.
Rather large blind spot created due to OVRM position.
No Xenon lamps
No cornering lamps
No coming home/leaving home lights
No EBD & TCS
No seatbelt indicator/alarm warning bell.
Audio could be a lot better ( Skoda please discontinue the Swing audio !! )
No USB connectivity on audio
No Multifunction steering
Regards,
Seacat