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New member - which engine

7K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  scratch113 
#1 ·
Hi all. I've had a right week trying to test drive 5 cars on my short list. Only managed the kodiaq as all other badges refused my test drive because I have 9 points.

Now it's unfair to say that's the reason I'm getting a kodiaq, that would be unfair to the qualities of the car of which I was pleasantly impressed with... being new to Skoda an all.

So my question. I'm wanting the sport line probably in the odd looking meteor grey. But what engine would you guys recommend? I'm only going to be doing 10k a year. My commute is 10 miles.

I drove the SE L on the test drive which had the 190 diesel 4x4 auto. I'd like 4x4 and automatic but petrol or diesel? Is the petrol nippier ?

Also suggestions for worthwhile options... such as virtual cockpit and pano roof... is the usb and induction charging an option or revised spec? (SE L had old USB port and the sportline in the showroom had usbc and Wireless charging.

Much appreciated
 
#2 ·
I have the Se L 2.0Tsi and I find it quite peppy in sport mode. I've always preferred petrol over diesel, but I came from a 2015 Diesel Hyundai Santa Fe and I much prefer this car.
My advice and from others in the motor trade, is get petrol for your stated mileage, unless you intend to tow something heavy. If you're coming from a diesel and you're a spirited driver, you'll find the 2.0 Tsi a little thirsty, but for low mileage that's negated by the lower cost of the car and the fuel.
And there's also the 1.5 petrol as well, which isn't so thirsty.
 
#3 ·
Assuming you are buying and not hiring and based on only 10k miles per annum I would suggest petrol rather diesel. It's only going to get worst for both but I think diesel cars will be hit quicker and harder than petrol by the government and tree huggers. Some people rave about the 1.5 petrol but I have a diesel so cannot really comment on the day to day experience. Also depends on your driving style, maybe go to the 190 rather than 150 if you want to be more enthusiastic behind the wheel, that said it will never be like a sports car.

I have the virtual cockpit and love it, add the extra £45 onto the bill for the driver personalisation is a must, an extra key and the car changes the seats mirrors and other setting to yours when you open it. Worthwhile if you share the car.

Other than that I love the Sportline, not sure about the battleship grey but it's each to their own on that one.....
 
#4 ·
The dealer told me the 2.0 tdi was a 190bhp/ps whatever the rating is. But Skoda website says otherwise. Am I correct that the 2.0d is 150ps and the 2.0petrol is 190?

I'm coming from a Nissan navara 2.5ltr diesel. It's mpg was about 25. And the reason I sold it. Was too thirsty for commuting. Though the kodiaq was much more refined than the pickup but it just felt a fair bit slower. It may have been the auto box deciding to actually go when setting of from the lights I'm not sure.

My weekend car is a Lotus Exige so anything will feel slow compared to that.

I may rent (lease) or finance. Not sure yet.

Out of interest foxtrotalpha, what colour did you opt for? I quite like the blue and perhaps the red... the grey is deffo a marmite colour. I find it interesting, looks Matt but it's not.

EDIT: sorry just noticed your signature with the quartz grey
 
#5 ·
There is a 1.5tsi which is 150bhp but there was issues with that engine initially but I think that has been resolved.. I have the 150bhp diesel which does what I need and does about 45-50mpg if I behave. I drove the 1.4tsi which was its predecessor but I wasn't overly impressed, that said I was in the minority on here. I don't think it will give you the power you are used too but I could be wrong.

My comment about the colour was tongue in cheek, I preferred the quartz grey and at the time it was a no cost option. I think the Sportline is the the better looking one except for vRS so it would be the one I still choose as the vRS is overpriced. The meteor grey was seen all over the place last year, not only on Skoda, Audi but also on Fords, for me it's a bit Marmite and fad colour. Can anyone remember that horrendous metallic puke yellow that was once a vRS only colour.... bet they did resell well.

In terms of buying, PCP or PHC I went for the latter and for me the benefits of the contract hire out way the risks and benefits of buying. Once again I think I was in the minority. I'm telling you it's the future!
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the detailed response foxtrot.

Yeh I agree it's marmite, once in a while I quite fancy some of that. Especially the new peanut butter one lol. Yes I remember seeing it first on an Audi rs6/rs4 or something and thinking it looked like dolphins skin. The skoda type
Of the same paint is a bit lighter.

I think I'll plump for the 190 Petrol. The cost of the fuel will probably negate the mpg loss anyway. I'm guessing at 10k but it may well be 5k until life returns to pre Covid routines.

I tend to run 3 cars though work and normally contract hire for the same reasons you mention. The pickup I bought to get rid of some 'profit' prior to the corp tax bill, vat saving and Ofcourse avoid company car tax. Yet I wished I'd of leased it. So doubtful I'll do that again.
 
#7 ·
Before buying my first Kodiaq I drove both the 190PS TDI and 180PS TSI and preferred the diesel because of the mid range torque suiting my heavy foot more. I found that I had to work the petrol a bit more and it wasn't as effortless but definitely better refined NVH wise. Both ended up being too slow at the end and I ended up ordering an RS after two years :lol:
 
#9 ·
If you are paying your own money and don't need to tow. Diesel is a huge NO-NO. DERVS are depreciating like a brick in a vacuum. You will loose shed loads unless you keep it 'til it dies.
Modern petrol engines are so much more economical and bearing in mind the price differential between the two fuels. the advantage of diesel is waning rapidly.
Since you have a quick toy I would personally go for the 1.5 EVO TSi the initial problems with this engine kangarooing was only in early 18 engines and was mainly on manuals. There are no problems now.
It also has the capability to run on 2 pots under light throttle loads whic is supposed to save you petrol. I have had 3 1.5 DSG and would highly recommend it.
 
#10 ·
As an owner of a 2.0 TSi, I would agree totally with Colin - modern petrol engines are now surprisingly economical, and (usual caveats: my style of driving and the roads I use) I have never seen < 40 mpg from a tankful. It's also a quiet and smooth engine, with lots of low-down torque, making it a good match for the DSG box.
 
#11 ·
Colin Lambert said:
If you are paying your own money and don't need to tow. Diesel is a huge NO-NO. DERVS are depreciating like a brick in a vacuum. You will loose shed loads unless you keep it 'til it dies.
Modern petrol engines are so much more economical and bearing in mind the price differential between the two fuels. the advantage of diesel is waning rapidly.
Since you have a quick toy I would personally go for the 1.5 EVO TSi the initial problems with this engine kangarooing was only in early 18 engines and was mainly on manuals. There are no problems now.
It also has the capability to run on 2 pots under light throttle loads whic is supposed to save you petrol. I have had 3 1.5 DSG and would highly recommend it.
You maybe right on the residual costs for diesels, this is exactly the reason why I hire and not buy. It makes very little difference to my outgoings and I don't need to worry about such things, I don't even care about road tax as it's included.
 
#12 ·
Thanks all.

Can anyone let me know service costs over 3 years? Im going to go hire it rather than buy. Ive been quoted for £25 a month maintenance on top but I can only see costs for a year 3 service on Skoda website.

I presume there is an annual service and perhaps one major within that at maybe 20-25k?
 
#15 ·
Bigdaveuk said:
I think I'll plump for the 190 Petrol.
Think Skoda are in the midst of changes but if you're looking at Sportline here in the UK, then 150bhp diesel is 4x4 and manual only, 190bhp diesel is 4x4 and auto only, 2.0tsi is 4x4 and auto only.

One thing to keep in mind especially with the latter two is to limit any optional extras if you don't want to pay the higher tax ( VED ) rate. I don't know what the exact limit is but you may be dicing with death if say you adding a £1200 sunroof.

Regarding servicing, those prices are only supposed to apply to cars from 3yr old.

Given that your annual mileage is 10k and especially that you're hiring the car then you may have no option but to have the car on fixed ( yearly ) intervals.

I'd have thought the best option would be to take out the service plan offer on new cars - I think it's something like £159 and that'll cover you for the 1st and 2nd yr. For yr 3 onwards, refer to that pricelist. On the face of it, £25 a month is worse than daylight robbery. ( £600 for first 2yr or £159? :roll: I wish all my decisions were as easy as that ).
 
#16 ·
JamieK said:
Bigdaveuk said:
I think I'll plump for the 190 Petrol.
Think Skoda are in the midst of changes but if you're looking at Sportline here in the UK, then 150bhp diesel is 4x4 and manual only, 190bhp diesel is 4x4 and auto only, 2.0tsi is 4x4 and auto only.

One thing to keep in mind especially with the latter two is to limit any optional extras if you don't want to pay the higher tax ( VED ) rate. I don't know what the exact limit is but you may be dicing with death if say you adding a £1200 sunroof.

Regarding servicing, those prices are only supposed to apply to cars from 3yr old.

Given that your annual mileage is 10k and especially that you're hiring the car then you may have no option but to have the car on fixed ( yearly ) intervals.

I'd have thought the best option would be to take out the service plan offer on new cars - I think it's something like £159 and that'll cover you for the 1st and 2nd yr. For yr 3 onwards, refer to that pricelist. On the face of it, £25 a month is worse than daylight robbery. ( £600 for first 2yr or £159? :roll: I wish all my decisions were as easy as that ).
Yes it looks like my Sportline spec has been discontinued. The 150 diesels in only now available on the manual box and not the DSG.

Their website also states "SPORTLINE (7 SEATS) - The 2.0 TDI 150 PS 4x4 SCR manual engine is not homologated to tow. Engine from stock only" so they seem to be dumping that engine completely as it's a stock only item.

That should make the choice of engines easier especially if you want to tow anything.

The service plan is now £395 which is never going to be worth it.
 
#17 ·
Thanks guys. I'll take a look at that service plan. One that's part of the lease would cost £900 + vat over the 3 year duration. Foxtrot, are you saying the service plan isn't cheaper than just paying for it when it's due each time. Still looks cheaper than the 900£

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When I was building specs on the Skoda site I did notice some engines had been flagged as stock only.

Re the car tax stuff. Accountant had suggested I pay the company for the lease prior to the company having to pay, as such it would not be a benefit in kind. Not sure if that's a bit sketchy. Unfortunately my own credit rating is machinegunned so it's not an option to do it myself.
 

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#18 ·
Evidence suggests that the diesel Kodiaq is not depreciating as suggested although not sure how a brick depreciates in a vacuum cleaner. Looking at the current used cars on sale on various sites they are holding up exceptionally well regardless of engine size or type. This has been backed up by my dealer who told me he is finding used cars are fetching at least a grand over book price. There does not seam to be enough good used stock around at the moment.
 
#19 ·
Bigdaveuk said:
Re the car tax stuff. Accountant had suggested I pay the company for the lease prior to the company having to pay, as such it would not be a benefit in kind. Not sure if that's a bit sketchy. Unfortunately my own credit rating is machinegunned so it's not an option to do it myself.
Hi. I mentioned the VED ( Vehicle Excise Duty or as some folk still refer to as as Road Tax ). Benefit in kind is something different. Apologies if you're aware of this already - this might be news to some people tho.

Most folk will pay £150 a year for VED or road tax, however if the LIST price of your car is over £40,000 then you pay an additional £325 until the car is 6yr old. Note: List price is different from the on-the-road price. I don't know the exact figures but what it all means is if the on-the-road price is more than approx £40750 say, then you'll be liable to pay that higher tax each year. Your dealer will confirm the exact figure.

The on-the-road price of a Sportline 190tdi is currently £40225 here in the UK therefore you only have to add approx £500 of options before you'll be paying that £475 a year in road tax. If you have a look on Autotrader at 190 Sportlines registered after April 2020, you'll see most of them have either a heated windscreen or a spare wheel or some other option that doesn't cost that much - that's because if they ordered the car with more options, it would fall in to the higher tax bracket therefore be less attractive to buyers. It's the same story with the 2.0tsi - you have a little more scope for adding options but not much.

I've only ever seen two Sportlines on the road around these parts, I've never seens a vRS. I'm guessing it's because of that road tax. £475 a year may be acceptable to some if you're driving a BMW or Merc, but a Skoda? It's going to be hard to sell Skodas in this country at those prices. Earlier this year, Skoda UK made available the 1.5tsi 2wd for £35,000 Again, I'm guessing that VED may well have been the reason behind their decision.
 
#20 ·
Firstly, as the owner of a Sportline in Meteor Grey, there's nothing wrong with it as a colour choice! I can see how it's a bit of a 'Marmite' choice and I was always very rude about my mate's RS3 in the Audi equivalent - I always said it would look even better once they'd applied the topcoat of paint over the primer...

I never intended to end up in a Meteor Grey car, but saw mine sitting unregistered in the dealer's showroom when I went to test drive a Sportline. I'd already driven an Edition and didn't really like the shiny bits on the dash or the quality of the leather seats coming from a top-spec Land Rover Discovery Sport. The test drive I had in a Sportline was in a car that was in Quartz Grey, which was my initial preferred colour, but once I saw it thought it looked really boring. Sadly Race Blue wasn't an option on the Sportline when I got my car and my wife had a red car and I didn't want another red car on the drive (silly, I know!) I've also vowed never to have another black car as they're impossible to keep clean - same reasoning for white. That only left Meteor Grey or Brilliant Silver when I was choosing my car.

Big advantage of the Meteor Grey is that it hides the dirt really well, especially with a decent paint sealant on it.

As for options, the list price of the Sportline 2.0TSi 4x4 DSG is £38,880k without any options, so it doesn't take much to tip you over the £40k and therefore incur the additional road tax from year 2 onwards. My initial intention was to try to stay under the limit, but when it came to actually buying a car, every one already in the UK network that had a towbar fitted also had other options that put them all over £40k. I also couldn't wait for a factory built car as the lead time was about 3 months longer than the remaining time on my PCP deal on the Disco Sport (and I couldn't wait to get out of that car!)

My car came with loads of options, but sadly not the vitual cockpit or heated steering wheel, but I've managed to live without them. Maybe next time. That said, the discount/deal offered by the dealer on my particular car was just too good to pass up, so I ended up buying it there and then.

If cost is no problem, then panoramic roof is a must for me - really lightens the interior which is all black on a Sportline otherwise. I needed a towbar and the electrically deployable one is far better than the manually removable one on my old Disco Sport. It's also not really worth bothering with a dealer-fit or after market one as you need to add the tow bar prep from build, which then makes going that little bit further (admittedly £700 further!) for the actual towbar a no-brainer. It will probably cost more and not be as good to get your dealer to fit one. Only if that is the final straw that tips you over the £40k limit would I consider the dealer fit option - dealer fit options aren't counted for the road tax.

Drive select is also a good (and inexpensive) option, so worth adding and whilst I can't comment on the standard sound system, the Canton is pretty decent, so worth adding. Rear view camera is essential in such a long car. Adaptive cruise control is also excellent, but does take a little getting used to when it slows you down unexpectedly. If you bother to learn how to use it (and trust what it's doing) then it's actually really good.

Options on my car that I could live without would be the rough road package (never been more off road that a grassy field), high beam assist (it's rubbish) and traffic sign recognition (it's really rubbish!)

I also have the virtual pedal, which I thought I'd hardly use, but find I use it all the time and it's really useful and actually works (unlike the Land Rover version, which was again, rubbish!). I also have the heated windscreen, which is definitely worth considering as it beats the heck out of scraping the windscreen in the winter if you don't have a garage to keep your car in.

I don't have park assist, but wouldn't bother as I had it on my Disco Sport and my wife has it on her Merc C Class and neither of us ever use it - it's just too much hassle and easier to just park it yourself.

Finally, not options from build, but get an after-market rubber boot liner (Skoda don't make one for the 7 seater afaik), if you have kids with associated muddy feet get the rubber mats and tunnel cover for the middle row seats and finally if you do intend to put kids into the rear 3rd row seats, get a carpet mat (Skoda don't make a rubber one, but do have a carpet one).

Hope that all helps!
 
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