[Ravich]

Originally Posted by Easynow

Say Ravi,

What was the Odo reading at the time of delivery?

Rgds,
-vishwa

47 kms in the stockyard. After this , trips to RTO and back , their second show room , their garage took this higher to 110 or so.. May be on the high side but mercifully no scratches etc...

[Easynow]

Originally Posted by slackyboy

Congratulations on accquiring a fantastic ride! I was all gung ho on getting the TSI but changed my opinion to the TDI. Why?? I'll tell you.

1.No great discounts on offer for the TSI, so the difference between the TSI and the TDI was just 60K after the 50% discount offered on the insurance by the chennai dealer.

2.My mileage of around 18K per month meant i also had to look at FE in city driving which is about 70% of my usage.

Looking at the FE of the TSI i am sure with that kind of raw power and pure joy one feels you will surely get 8kmpl in the city! Also the TDI commands a higher resale value than the TSI at least for the moment!

So guys am i correct in choosing the TDI over the TSI? Havent paid the advance yet. Will do it tommorow. Your advice will be greatly appreciated.

Hey there Slacky!

I have also booked a TSI and am expecting delivery before the new year. I currently live in Bangalore and have moved here recently. Prior to this I have lived in chennai for donkey years and my regular usage involved 2 to 3 trips to chennai every month. A monthly average of 2K plus Kms. Now was the 18 K kms usage on your end a typo? I totally agree with your second point and similar considerations and yet I went in for the TSI.

Reasons being 1) Apprehensions over VW (Cousin Skoda) phasing out the noisey TDI,which seems highly likey, and replace it with a CRDI. Post which I reckon the resale price reasoning would go outta the window. 2) The NVH of the TDI was a putoff. 3) The driving pleasure that I derived from the TSI during the short TD was reason enough to conveniently forget the FE issues.

Now if I don't end up with a lemon I don't propose to sell it for atleast 5 years and hence even if the TDI to CRDI transformation doesn't happen the resale reasoning gets another -ve. So 'n Hence...

Disclaimer: These ofcourse are my personal opininons and needn't apply to you. Different folk Different Strokes

[Ravich]

Originally Posted by slackyboy

Congratulations on accquiring a fantastic ride! I was all gung ho on getting the TSI but changed my opinion to the TDI. Why?? I'll tell you.

1.No great discounts on offer for the TSI, so the difference between the TSI and the TDI was just 60K after the 50% discount offered on the insurance by the chennai dealer.

2.My mileage of around 18K per month meant i also had to look at FE in city driving which is about 70% of my usage.

Looking at the FE of the TSI i am sure with that kind of raw power and pure joy one feels you will surely get 8kmpl in the city! Also the TDI commands a higher resale value than the TSI at least for the moment!

So guys am i correct in choosing the TDI over the TSI? Havent paid the advance yet. Will do it tommorow. Your advice will be greatly appreciated.

I haven't driven the Laura diesels (any variant ) - so cant really tell you anything of insight on the engine first hand. I did drive the Cruze and found it to be quite good - did not find any severe turbo lag issues personally.

I talked myself into saying FE and diesel price differential did not matter much given my three year projection and daily workday commute of less than 25kms. I backed it up with the usual financial analysis and rationalized I cant really tell how TSI will depreciate :-)

Besides I am diesel phobic. I know you have many fine diesels now and this is an uninformed , ancient prejudice !. I will be cured once I am exposed to what is possible in 320d and the like.

I think if you factored projected resale/depreciation , FE and the actual opportunities for really exercising a TSI engine in a city, TDI is probably a better choice (?):. When I put up my Optra Royale for sale ( in excellent condition after 3 years) , the depreciation shocked me so much that I decided to give it to my wife and replace her Alto.

But then all this get tossed aside, when you take it (the TSI) out for a spin on the Easter express highway or the twisties to Nashik.

This is a personal,subjective opinion - pl. dont take it as anything else. I did not research the diesels at all as you can tell.

Originally Posted by Ravich

47 kms in the stockyard. After this , trips to RTO and back , their second show room , their garage took this higher to 110 or so.. May be on the high side but mercifully no scratches etc...

I am surprised Chennal dealers are not offering any major discounts on TSI 2009 production. Mumbai discounts seemed uniformly good ( there are only two dealers anyway). You can probably push them .

The good discount I got, plus the NCB from my Optra made up for any FE concerns that I did not really have.

Are you going for the DSG ? The TSI 6 speed manual is actually good - try it if you haven't. Short and crisp throws.

Originally Posted by Akki_5

Most cars (if not all) have only one rear fog lamp (usually right side). So there is nothing wrong with your car. With the older Laura you could switch on the left rear fog lamp through VCDS but that is not an option on this new Laura.

Thanks - a few phone calls and a possible trip to the garage saved !
Need to read up on the Skoda idiosyncracies I guess.

Originally Posted by ketla2411

Congratulations on your new buy Ravich.
Regarding those specks on your rear windshield, no worries. Auto glasses, for safety reasons are toughened, also known as triplex safety glass. What this means is , your wind shield has three layers, coisisting of a inner/middle/outer layer. The middle layer is actually a plastic sandwitched in between the other two, heat toughened for a perfect bond, which causes those geometric 'specks' as you call them. When seen from certain angles, they are noticable. If you watch closely , I am sure they will be visible on your front windscreen too.
Anyway enough of '''gyan'' for this post .
Happy motoring , you WILL have the last laugh every time you let your right foot do the talking.

Thanks. Why dont I see this on new cars :-) . Believe me I looked at every car in the JMD workshop . I had the same spots issue in my Baleno -but I recall it seemed to develop after using the defogger during the monsoon. I havent seen it on the front windshield in any car.

I thought it develops after rapid heat/cold cycles and that theres no reason for it to appear in a brand new windshield.

But let me find out what's the official position of the manufacturer of the rear winshield glass. I will keep you posted.
Regards
Ravi

Originally Posted by Easynow

And going by the spots made by water around the car I can appreciate the fact that that you gave the lady a wipe for good measure before ye showcased the beauty.

One of the simple pleasures in life - that is actually healthy and instant gratification ! Besides, I suffer cardiac arrests when I actually see the hired car washers at work in Mumbai.

[slackyboy]

Yeah! I surely expected the Chennai dealer Gurudev to offer more discount on the TSI. Would have clinched the deal immediately if id got the kind of deal its offered elsewhere in the country. Not sure why Skoda is into this kind of strategy. Pretty weird.

Unfortunately it wasnt so and so, even though i had a TD of the TSI and fell in love it..(The accelaration from any gear is simply awesome).the mind took over the heart and i have to say that i am bound to go with the TDI unless im pretty sure that i get a decent FE on the TSI in the city!

Thank again for the responses.

Originally Posted by Ravich

I am surprised Chennal dealers are not offering any major discounts on TSI 2009 production. Mumbai discounts seemed uniformly good ( there are only two dealers anyway). You can probably push them .

The good discount I got, plus the NCB from my Optra made up for any FE concerns that I did not really have.

Are you going for the DSG ? The TSI 6 speed manual is actually good - try it if you haven't. Short and crisp throws.

[androdev]

@Ravich Great looking car. I also own blackmagic Laura but just couldn't keep it shining after 2.5 yrs of f%*#* bangalore traffic. Felt nostalgic after seeing the photos :-) *sigh!*

I too went through similar buying emotions - liking the model a lot, reading all the bad press about Skoda, rationalizing my choice, looking out for lemon-symptoms during the initial days and eventually having 2.5 yrs of happy ownership. I still continue to be the sole-washer of the car.

brakes are my favorite bits of this car.

happy ownership!!

[hitinv]

Originally Posted by shuvc

Congratulations. Wonderful car.


That's a lot of discount. At a recent (Dec) Auto Fair in Cal, the dealer here said 'discounts' on the TSI was only 25K worth of accessories.

The 95K could be a corporate doscount.

Originally Posted by shuvc

Congratulations. Wonderful car.


That's a lot of discount. At a recent (Dec) Auto Fair in Cal, the dealer here said 'discounts' on the TSI was only 25K worth of accessories.

The 95K could be including corporate discount.

[az.shahulhameed]

I share your feelings for the Laura as far as acceleration and aura is concerned friend. I noticed this in the debut Laura which I had the pleasure of driving 3 years back. The presently released model looks better and hopefully should drive better.

Unfortunately for Skoda though, it had to brush on the wrong side of many of us here at Team-Bhp and has lost the shine that one associates with the vehicles under this marque. I was supposed to pick the Fabia 8 months back but stuck to the Swift since the one thing that I can't stand is poor customer care, be it the receiving or the giving end!

All the best!
Shahul

Originally Posted by Ravich

I took delivery of a Laura TSI - black on Dec 24th from JMD Auto.
I have not seen any thread on Laura TSI ownership yet. Hence this one.
Initial experience ( must state that this is not a review) :
1. Had a mild panic attack when the RTO Mumbai is said to have insisted on a copy of a new PAN card for my Company and refused to accept the one that was in the name of the company before a merger - inspite of a letter from Income Tax certifying validity. This took two days to get resolved I am told.
End result: I had to wait till 8 PM to take delivery.
2. I had taken a pre RTO inspection of the car. Interestingly in the stockyard, the Laura allotted to me, did not have any dust cover on the roof unlike the Superbs. I was annoyed, at the show room later, to see a new Laura with the dust cover. The dealer ofcourse could not explain this.
3. I took another inspection in the JMD workshop on the day of delivery - this time noticed that the rear windshield had some speckles (when viewed at the right angle in sunlight - some thing you see in some cars after 2 or 3 years). But for this the car was perfect. You had to look very carefully and be looking for this to notice it. Intend to get Skoda to replace this. Dealer said they would revert - they could not see this as it was dark by the time I took delivery in the show room.
4. Did not get the RTO receipt - was assured this would be available on Saturday (worrisome alright but given the number was released so late in the evening - could understand it). Octroi, tax invoices etc were in perfect order. Amounts were right.
5.Car had less than half the reserve - had to drive to the petrol pump. For all my vast driving experience, was a little nervous , driving a shiny new Skoda Laura amidst the mad traffic in Mumbai peak hour. Felt a little self conscious with the ribbons and balloons.
Filled the tank - MFD shows 400kms left ( ~ 8kms /ltr :-)) I havenot reset the memory so far. As advised filled up regular unleaded. (no additives).
6. Engine continues to delight -was a little careful not to get too excited - shifted through all 6 when possible.
7. Tyres seem bad ( Good year) compared to my older car. Intend to change tomorrow to Bridgestone Potenza or Yoko. The ride was worse than my Optra Royale.

8. Side mirrors seem too small after the Optra. Miss the ability to fold them ( in the frightening multi lane chaotic traffic. Visibility through front windshield is great; I expect the downward sloping dashboard will minimize annoying reflections on the windshield during the day.
9. Steering at low speed is very very light.. improves at speed.
10. Brakes bite - very sharp.
11. With the center storage lid closed, not easy to grab the handbrake lever
Kept it open.
12. Stereo is good. Surprised theres no manual override lever to unlock front/rear doors when locked.
13. Surprised that the odometer (not trip) memory can be reset and resets automatically after 99 hrs or 9999Kms . Is there some other way to determine how many kms a vehicle has run?

14,. User manual refers to two 1.8 TSIs ( a 118KW and another 112KW), The service manual printout refers to this as 118KW
15. Overall, engine delights. Acceleration is so beautiful . You know you can effortless out accelerate anything ( well almost) on the road in any gear (well almost).
16. JMD seems good (notwithstanding my suspicion around the stockyard incident). They waited till 830 PM to deliver the car to me. The workshop staff seemed very courteous. Had the accessories they promised fitted on time. Stanley leather seats will be done early next week.

My apologies if this first writeup seems like War and Peace. I wanted to be as accurate as possible given the mixed feelings BHPians have for Skodas.

[Akki_5]

Dude, we want more pictures of the Black Beauty! Some interior shots too.

[vinaydas]

congrats on the buy n show looks good in black.

[Easynow]

After all the driving that I am sure you must have been upto over the weekend I suppose ye might have a fair idea about the FE, Ravi.

[Ravich]

Originally Posted by Easynow

After all the driving that I am sure you must have been upto over the weekend I suppose ye might have a fair idea about the FE, Ravi.

Best so far 8.4l/100km Mumbai to Titwala
City traffic around 10 to 11.5 ltr /100km on easter express highway in Mumbai 12km trip

FE seems to be better than I thought. But I kept the speed under 110, shifted through to sixth most of the time. Thats another surprise -I find it easy to shift through to six quickly. I thought I will never be able to use the sixth given that I rarely touched the fifth in my older car.

[slackyboy]

@Ravich, I'm glad that you are getting good FE on the TSI. As you said shifting the gears properly and sticking to speeds around 100 and 110 do help a lot. Yeah the gears do shift well though i thought the Altis had a super slick gearbox. Still very good!

[basilmabraham]

Congrats on the blank beauty. Please upload more pics of the car. Do keep her shining. Drive safe.

[Ravich]

Took the car to JMD workshop . On seeing the spots (visible at an angle and under sunlight) the service advisor looked up a few other cars to see if they had similar spots. A brand new Superb had very similar spots. So his advice - lets follow up with Skoda with a photo of the glass.
Positive - customer centric response ( half expected the person to tell me there is no problem and dismiss , this was a pleasant surprise).

On the other minor issue ( stalling at very low speed)- either I have grown used to the car or running in has solved the problem( more likely the former). Havent experienced this now. In fact car is driveability in the city is fantastic - front seat leg support, position , visibility and steering are all excellent.

Commute FE over my regular route- MFD shows 8.5l/100km which is better than what I used to get in my 1.6 l Optra. Driving with a light foot I guess ! and holiday season .

Overall - so far outstanding. Touchwood.

[don_carmaster]

Hey Ravi Congrats on your buy<(know its a bit late but still.!!)

My Uncle has the Laura Ambiente TSi Silver colour and i must admit its looks are just stunning!
He recently had a hit by a nincompoop ,driving a lancer ! The skoda lost one of its reverse sensor heads and a scratch scraping some paint with a small dent on the bumper ,but the lancer had lost-
1.Fog lamps(left one)
2.Head light(again left one)
3.The front bumper lost its place and hanged!
4.Front grille,and
5.A nasty dent on the bonnet
This shows the quality of skoda monsters!!
It was due to a chain reaction! but the skoda didnt hit the front so a, Broken chain reaction!

Keep revvin'
Regards