RedRobin Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Okay, the Skoda is extremely good value for money and it's also a different body shape and fulfils different needs from the Golf. But.... In spite of this VRS I had a ride in being a Stage2 Revo with loads of grunt, without any suspension mods it felt soft and detached from the road. Smooth but too soft. Trim design isn't very good quality either but each to their own. Not a bad car and obviously good value but I was glad to get back into my car. The GTI feels much more sporty and taut. Not really an in-depth review but just some impressions as to what you get for your money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davyk31 Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Interesting review Robin, all these other cars with the same engine as the GTI but cheaper like the Skoda, Leon etc make me wonder if a bit of money saved would be a good thing. Always still feel the VW is worth the extra cash for the perceived brand quality it emits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 The Skodas slightly softer but theres not much in it imo. The leon FR is harder than the GTI it is the sporty brand of VW group afterall. But your comparing the skoda too a modified suspension GTI with 18". I like the skodas interior myself if its the new one not the older one. We are very tempted to get the skoda octavia VRS 2.0T as the main family car due to bigger boot etc also helps my uncle is MD of a dealer chain which includes a skoda dealership so can get one for a nice price. less than a 2 year old GTI would cost. I still think the Golf GTI is way way way over priced for what it is at new retail or even new discounted. It should be cheaper than an Audi, and not much more than any other mainstream brand rival. The golfs interior lower dash/centre concel are all cheap feeling plastics and should not be for the price of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fresco1 Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 I like the vRS, but would see it more for Mrs. Fresco (i.e. in need of a big boot for her bloody shopping trips) rather than a weekend tear-about. It's nice in that deep blue colour. But I still love my GTI, and hadn't noticed the trim issues until you pointed this out!! My previous Audi's all had excellent trim quality - better than the GTI - but were otherwise unmitigated disasters on every other front. Audi build quality is a perceived marketing tag, just a pity the cars they sold me were rubbish (and even tried to kill me and the family!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac_Terrorist Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 [ QUOTE ] I still think the Golf GTI is way way way over priced for what it is at new retail or even new discounted. It should be cheaper than an Audi, and not much more than any other mainstream brand rival. The golfs interior lower dash/centre concel are all cheap feeling plastics and should not be for the price of it. [/ QUOTE ] Agreed Snoopy VW are relying heavily on the heritage and kudos that the GTI badge holds. They are trying to turn the GTI into a brand in my opinion...where on your GTI's does it mention the word Golf? None the less, a damn good car to drive and own. I had my heart and mind set on an Audi A3 for at least six months and then wandered from the Audi forecourt next door to the VW forecourt and couldn't ignore the value. Yes the GTI is expensive but the A3 is even more expensive. The A3 carries a better brand image but the GTI is the driver's choice - all in my opinion of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fresco1 Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Interesting that second hand you can pick up a year-old Audi A3 2.0TFSI S-Line for about £18,999 now ... ! There's a dozen or so on the Audi website at the moment ... so much for build quality and rock-solid residuals! What's a 2.0TFSI S-Line retail - about £25K? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted April 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Dave_K - I agree with you - Each to their own taste and, of course, budget, but I wouldn't be turning around to look at my parked VRS like I still do with my GTI. I like eye-candy . Geoff - Yes, it did prove to me that I was right to do my suspension mods. I'd got used to it and taken them for granted. I prefer feedback to softness. Re your comment on "cheap feeling plastics" on centre console. I'm not sure I agree but deffo fancy some carbonfibre just for that area. EVOMS do a superb replacement set of parts where it's all properly fitted and not just stuck on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted April 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 [ QUOTE ] VW are relying heavily on the heritage and kudos that the GTI badge holds. They are trying to turn the GTI into a brand in my opinion...where on your GTI's does it mention the word Golf? [/ QUOTE ] ....The GTI already is a 'brand' with an iconic reputation which the Mk4 nearly lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac_Terrorist Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Interesting that second hand you can pick up a year-old Audi A3 2.0TFSI S-Line for about £18,999 now ... ! There's a dozen or so on the Audi website at the moment ... so much for build quality and rock-solid residuals! What's a 2.0TFSI S-Line retail - about £25K? [/ QUOTE ] They certainly are losing value quicker than GTI's although I understand that you can expect a discount off the list price too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppetboy Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 [ QUOTE ] I wouldn't be turning around to look at my parked VRS like I still do with my GTI. [/ QUOTE ] I still do that everytime I park her up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted April 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I wouldn't be turning around to look at my parked VRS like I still do with my GTI. [/ QUOTE ] I still do that everytime I park her up... [/ QUOTE ] ....Then we are both perverts, muppetboy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 [ QUOTE ] ....'s although I understand that you can expect a discount off the list price too [/ QUOTE ] Exactly compare the GTI to them both at discount on what you can get for what price and the GTI is Audi money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_m Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 but the interior quality and the overall quality of the Skoda is a lot worse than the VW! Plus depreciation is one point to consider!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Re your comment on "cheap feeling plastics" on centre console. I'm not sure I agree but deffo fancy some carbonfibre just for that area. EVOMS do a superb replacement set of parts where it's all properly fitted and not just stuck on. [/ QUOTE ] The 'grab handle' bits are nasty and not good molding quality imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Plus depreciation is one point to consider!! [/ QUOTE ] Please don't get on that bandwagen. % values of depreciation is the statistics way of fooling people to buy expensive cars. making them think they loose less due to % when its £notes LOSS people should be looking at. Work out the £ numbers of the % value of what YOU paid is lost over 3years compared to the GTI % of what you pay it may suprise you. A high %loss of a low number = less than a low %loss of a high number In other words a high % of retained value of a high price car can often equal or be less than a low % retained value of a low priced car. PS [ QUOTE ] overall quality of the Skoda is a lot worse than the VW! [/ QUOTE ] Thats incorrect. Skodas build quality is higher than VWs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted April 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 ....Er....WTF does it matter - If you continually compare things on the price you paid after you've bought it, it'll spoil your enjoyment of it. Anyway, it's obvious and not even disputable that Audi interior quality is better than VW and VW interior quality is better than Skoda. Skoda's DESIGN is very low standard in most respects including body styling. IMO if you insist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irnbrukid Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] VW are relying heavily on the heritage and kudos that the GTI badge holds. They are trying to turn the GTI into a brand in my opinion...where on your GTI's does it mention the word Golf? [/ QUOTE ] ....The GTI already is a 'brand' with an iconic reputation which the Mk4 nearly lost. [/ QUOTE ] It started going downhill from the MK3. Dont think skoda interior is that much worse than the golf, when the MK5 Golf not gti was released i had look at it and was disapointed not that i was looking for one friend was looking for MK4 tdi much better interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleywater Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Sod the money difference..........just take a good look through your bifocals............. Its Cherie Blair V Beyonce And I aint spending a night parked up in Cherie Blair for no amount of discount! Period! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Why should you not compare price. Im still looking to replace the second car (at present a SEAT leon) and imo Paying extra does not always meen better. Some people are hung up on image some not. We had a skoda for a weekend and i liked it much bigger than the golf especially the boot a bad thing for feel of the handling (felt like an Audi A4/A6 in size) but it handled well and went well. looked very nice in the metallic blue and got lots of looks and even a few thumbs up by people (one local force used the older VRS so they have a rep round here) something i did not expect and have not got with the GTI :shock: As for looks the grill is a bit bigand bling but i don't mind the rest. Unlike the golf which in 3door looks a bland design to me especially the rear quarters a typical german blandness you can almost mistake it for a polo. Its why i went for a 5door GTI apart from its more practical. Mind i think anything compared to the golf on a golf forum for fanatics will get the same biased views posted here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_m Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Sorry Snoopy but I totally disagree!!! VW quality IMO is better quality than the Skoda! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Ask the new head of VW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesB Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Well, I've gone from Audi to Skoda and MrsB has a VW. Overall, I'd say that you get what you pay for to a degree, as the Audi was much higher quality than the Skoda and the VW sits somewhere in between. However, I think you see diminishing returns. The Skoda interior, in my experience at least, has shown the best value for money. My gut feeling is that you pay for form more than function. But then why shouldn't you? Surely the most important thing is that you feel happy with what you have bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted April 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Who cares what he thinks - We're the consumers. Just to be clear - I'm talking about aesthetic design rather than quality of manufacture. The Skoda already looks dated. It's a good car, but. Beyonce gets my vote every time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted April 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Surely the most important thing is that you feel happy with what you have bought. [/ QUOTE ] .... Absolutely! The owner of the VRS preferred his car and I preferred mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac_Terrorist Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 I think it also depends on how you define 'quality'. There is build quality, but there is also material quality. Pesonally, I dont think there is any disputing that VW materials are of a better quality / feel than Skoda. I also believe that Audi materials are of a better standard than VW. (I'm relating all this above to interior only) I read a lot of motoring journalism for what it's worth including the various driver surveys. I wonder what the proportion of Skoda drivers have experienced more expensive machinery and have moved up to Skoda from budget brands. Skoda saw a gap in the market to produce a quality car at an affordable price. I wonder therefore if these people's expectations are lower than say someone who has become accustomed to a quality product? (and yes, I'm aware of a few who have 'moved down' to a Skoda and have been equally amazed). Reading some of the survey results I sometimes wonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now