A Superb purchase experience

[blueSup]

I thought I'd chip in with my experiences, after seeing Enobar do the same, around purchasing and owning a new Superb. There might be something here that saves problems from befalling others or gives you a little more information to work with.

It's broken out into chapters (sorta) to give an idea of where I'll head, and the first two parts are below.

-Initial research
-Booking a meeting with a salesman
-Visiting the dealership
-Following up with the dealer
-Next closest dealer
-A quick spin
-Ensuring the accessories are factory
-The "dealer pass-off"
-Some followup
-The wait


Initial research
It starts in January. I wanted a wagon and was initially focussed on a Commodore Sportwagon. No need for the V8 as I already have one, so V6 it was. My cars have always had a limited slip diff so that was on the cards as well.
Please Mr Holden, could I have a manual V6 wagon with L.S.D, in that lovely green colour you have?
No. V6 manual with L.S.D is sedan only.

Ok, thinks me, I'll go all the way to the top of the tree to the Calais. The Calais has everything. Can I have a Calais V with V6 and L.S.D in green please?
No. Only a V6 manual and any V8 can have a L.S.D.

Ok, thinks me, I'll have to go to a V8 *sigh*. Can I have a Redline wagon with L.S.D in green please?
No. We don't do Redline in green.

By this time I was a bit frustrated and didn't really want a V8 so it was back to the research.
I would be disowned if I ever purchased a Ford so the list included anything around the cost of the Calais wagon that wasn't clutching a Blue Oval.
The Mazda was ugly, the Hyundai a bit garish inside, the Subaru a bit nanna and on and on.
Then I found the Passat and quite enjoyed the look of the front. The diesel had the most torque so that went on the shopping list. A mention was made of a sister car named Superb so that went on the list as well.
What followed was an orgy of YouTube and web sites. Wheels magazine was useless as it's just a big brochure.
My favourite clip was this:
2015 Skoda Superb Combi 4x4 - Test, Test Drive and In-Depth Review (English) - YouTube
With some others:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXeRugo-YVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyDkKPt9hCA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnPdU2QsKRo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpgycoCyqh0

I even watched non-english clips (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B_V5cZVIiE it gets fun from the 5 minute mark) to get a feel for the cars on my list.
So now it's time to take a look in the steel. My plan is to just look, no test drives, until I narrow down my list to two cars.
It's no use driving lots of cars that I don't really like, it just wastes time for everyone.
I didn't know it at the time but that plan was setting myself up for failure.


Booking a meeting with a salesman
It’s coming up to Easter long weekend so I reason that many people will be away and I can take my time looking at cars. I’ll target three places - the VW dealership, the Skoda dealership (both within walking distance) and I’ll have a last ditch attempt with Holden to see if things have changed. If things go poorly in the steel, then I’ll wander around the other dealerships and browse.

VW answered quickly and professionally, and Mr M would meet me first thing in the morning before he’s even had his coffee. They didn’t want any other details.
Skoda answered after a few rings but Mr B would be away that day so Mr X would help me. They requested a name and number that I supplied.
I didn’t bother booking a time with Holden.

Now to brush up on another couple of clips I had found in my research, and wait until Saturday arrived.
(Warning - John is quite opinionated)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5wMmq6-kNc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQctuPp3kjU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wAUdojj3iA

[Pongee]

Hi blueSup,

Thanks for sharing your experience - I have subscribed to this thread. I am a newby here researching for a potential purchase of either a Scout or a Superb. I look forward to the rest of the story.

[blueSup]

Visiting the dealership


Saturday arrived with a gorgeous clear sky. There was glistening dew over all the different VW models adding a bit of movement to the cars in the lot, some of which had already been opened up. I found my way inside the main building and asked for Mr M. who was immediately presented. Young and enthusiastic are the descriptors that initially spring to mind.
A Passat wagon is positioned directly where I am standing and looks quite impressive with its R-Line livery. I remind M that I'm not here to drive, just to look. He asks what I'm currently driving and I tell him only that it has eight throttle body fuel injection and he'd never guess it. Mr M takes me out to the lot and shows me the entry level Passat. We discuss the differences in headlights between it and the next model up. Even with that hint he is still focussed on the entry level option, probably thinking I'm a tyre kicker because I don't want to drive a car *right now*.
We open and close the doors and tailgate, discuss equipment levels, and look at spare wheels.
I move directly to the next model up, still with petrol motivation, and state how I like the look but have a love of torque. Mr M twigs that perhaps the diesel is a better fit and leads me back inside.
I outright state that the front of the R-line draws me to it and we get into some more detail about the car. I ask about a tow bar option and am assured that, whilst one isn't available at present, it will be available soon.
The other side of the showroom has a "new" All-track Passat in orange and Mr M asks if the 4motion would interest me? I respond that it looks like it has dressed up for Mardi Gras, and the R-line appeals more. M wrangles a key to show off the sunroof and tempts me to sit in the car. It is very black inside and feels, not quite cramped, but tight. The steering wheel feels a little oddly placed as well. A few positional adjustments and it still feels a little uncomfortable so I exit the car and start talking about the "blue stuff" that has to be added to the fuel and where it is available. When asked why this is a better purchase than a Skoda, M spoke of the after sales service (good deflection) and offered to show me the very clean workshop, an offer that I declined. I note that Mr M has now spent 45 minutes with me and thank him for his time, mentioning that I have a few more dealerships to visit but would be in touch.


Returning home I brush up on some Skoda details and wander off for my 11am appointment. Parked directly outside the dealership, after returning from a test drive, is a white 162TSI wagon. Gee it's sexy.
This dealership is quite small and the office is jammed with vehicles. Mr X is located, I introduce myself and state that Mr B said to seek him out regarding the wagon parked outside.
X takes me outside and I mention that I don't want a test drive just yet, a look is sufficient. He opens up the car and starts on a small pitch about the features. Everything is still new for him and his interest is probably placed elsewhere. The passenger seat had been moved back as far as it could go, exposing the threaded bar mechanism. I remark that it's unusual to see something so untidy in a car with such attention to detail in other places. X hastily moves the seat forward to cover the mechanism. At this point he returns inside and leaves me to inspect the car. The tailgate did not have the handle to release the tow bar, but the bumper had the cutout for it underneath; strange. The rear glass is also clear, not tinted like the web site configurator suggested. The cover on the sunroof lets through just enough light and a little heat. The seating position feels much more natural than the Passat, with none of the tightness. It looks like a full-sized spare is included.
I return inside and enquire about the available colours. Mr X shows me some curved metal plates of the available colours and we stand outside to discuss the car and the availability of the 206TSI model. We move back inside and X states they have a 206 but in hatch form and it is presently undergoing checks before becoming available for a test drive. He shows a 3 page list of all available Superbs and each of the highlighted ones on the list is (apparently) a Wagon 4x4. We discuss an opportunity to test drive the 206 and Mr X gives me a card for Mr B, saying that I should deal with him as he took the initial call. He is unhappy with the 20 kilometre route I suggest for the test drive and is firm that this model is so new that test drives should be kept to a minimum. I thank Mr X for not pressing me into a test drive and depart.


Next up is the Holden dealer. I toddle along and park just outside the premises. The dealership itself is undergoing a refurbishment so the building front is a little bare. My dealership experiences so far have been quite pleasant and free of pressure and I expect this to be the same.
Time travel can be a little disorienting for a minute after it occurs, especially if it is unexpected and you don't have your towel handy.
One second I'm in 2016, the next I'm in 1982. Is this what Sam felt like in Life on Mars?
The car yard is crowded with second hand vehicles (the time portal to the dealership is located away from the new car area) and I am met by a smoking, leather tanned gentleman (is the smoke from his time travel? I check to make sure I am not smoking) and asked what I want. He points to the office with an A4 sheet of paper taped to the door.
I enter the office to be met by a young lass at a desk. I know it is a desk as it has a computer on it. It might also be an old round dining table from the spare room. The lass asks if she can help me, and I respond that she could sell me a car. She giggles and says she is not allowed to sell cars and points to the open office door behind her. The office has a very dark glazing dividing it from the rest of the sales office. Out walks Mr Y and asks what I'm after. A V6 wagon, probably a Calais. Out we go to the jumbled mess that counts as their outdoor showroom. I remark that it's just as well I don't want a test drive immediately as there is no way to get the cars out. Mr Y subtly changes demeanour. We look at a wagon and I am informed that I had better get an order in early as they will stop making them in June or July (he left off 2017, probably because that year seemed so far away). I enquire about the green colour I am after and am asked, "Why would you want that colour? No one buys that colour." I point out three of the same colour on the lot near the time portal. Mr Y looks at his watch and starts playing with his mobile phone, missing a few questions that I repeat. No limited slip diff unless V8. No green in Redline. He's never heard of the Black Edition but there is a fax (fax!) in the office somewhere that might mention it. Mr Y spies another salesman (Mr Z), calls him over and introduces us. Y is then off, lickedy split. Standing in the sun had turned him into a ball of sweat and Mr Z looked like he might melt soon too.
Z and I talk cars and look a little closer at the standing out build quality. Mud flaps stood out as not attached properly, panel gaps stood out, and the outstanding lack of choice stood out the most. Mr Z takes me back to the office to get my details. He wipes all sorts of paperwork from his desk and we sit down. Name, email address, phone, car preference, and budget are all painfully entered into his computer, a card is provided and we say goodbye. The first spam email from the dealership would take 34 years and one week to arrive. It only took a few more steps for me to return to 2016, and a few more after that to realise why the salesmen seemed so disinterested.
To each of them I stated my intention: No test drive today, just looking.
Translating that to sales-speak (via Google, it's 2016 now) I learn it means: This guy is wasting my time, he’s not looking to buy.


Next: Following up with the dealer

[VW Convert]

Love your writing style, can't wait for the next episode!

Cheers

George

[copeboox]

Oh, do go on...

[blueSup]

Following up with the dealer


My homework now was to dig a little deeper into the cars and the sorts of support available after purchase. Whilst the VW dealership was proud of their service department and offered me a look, the Skoda dealer didn't fill me with ease.
The salesman said that sometimes they send work to the Mazda dealer across the road, or down to the old packing warehouse / hardware store which they have set up as temporary facilities.
I already knew about the "DSG horrors" and there is no shortage of stories on the web to back that up. Many of the stories seemed to be more along the lines of lazy claimants or lazy dealers not following a process through.
We all know that companies in general lie through their teeth so I wasn't about to jump on the Dieselgate bandwagon and ruffle my feathers indignantly. They lied, they got caught, others are being found out with them, they get punished. Hopefully fairly. Besides, the Passat uses blue wee so was outside that scandal.
Warranty coverage was also considered. My first new car had 12 months or 20,000 kilometres, whichever came first. The coverage was simple but low, much like the cars it covered. Nowadays there are so many more things that can go wrong; computers that talk to sensors that talk to computers that talk to gizmos that talk to motors to determine if they want to open a tailgate. If something in that overteched plumbing is on a lunch break then poor Bethany gets trapped in the car and OH MY GOD WONT SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN????
I don't have a Bethany, nor am I buying one soon, but I am still interested in gaining access to my car if Fritz goes on the fritz. So I looked at the key for the Superb.
The physical key is hidden away in the radio key. Hidden. Just like the door lock itself. Forgotten about. Perhaps the designer didn't like lock hardware on display so invented pants for it. Pants hide many unsightly things.
Go on, Google some driver's door pictures now. I'll wait. Here's one Skoda prepared earlier.

The pic might appear at the end of the post in your browser.

This search led me to the Owners guide and the guide for the Infotainment system. Going by the numbers, because bigger is better (see pants), the car presents more to learn about than the Infotainment. I’d hope so! Or more pictures. I'm hoping for pictures because reading. I'll pop a link to the guides at the end of this chapter.


I also Youtube-d. Furiously. Like a teenager. Sometimes it was hard to see the car because of other things in the picture but I tried my best.



The pic might appear at the end of the post in your browser.
And what is this Russian lass actually talking about whilst slamming into the door? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FzKVUPQSUo
(I know it’s the previous model but still fun after the 10 minute mark)
Then I had to take a breather, because I found this. Road Vehicle Descriptor (RVD1)


Passat is on the verge of having the same engine and 4x4 system as the 206TSI Superb. MY17. Dilemma.


Talk about sidetracked from warranty. Take a look at the warranty offering on the Superb. Warranty this. Service for that. Pack for both. I think. Is anyone else confused? I understand the standard warranty, but is the extra stuff the same, just longer? (no pants joke) Or is it a special warranty like those in the 80's and 90's (hello Holden!) that has limited coverage and only if you fart twice on days ending in y?
I'll be able to ask all these questions of the salesman when I see him next.
Oh! The salesman! I'd should email him about that test drive in the 4x4 sedan.


********
On 28 Mar 2016, at 10:07 PM, blueSup wrote:

Hello Mr B,

I spoke to you last week about the new Superb range that has just landed and you pointed me toward Mr X for a Saturday visit.
X was welcoming and allowed me to inspect the wagon at my own pace, which was very much appreciated. He mentioned that there can be a lead time of up to 9 months on some vehicles (wow!).

I noted that the rear bumper of the demonstrator had the cut-out for the tow bar but I can find no information on the web site listing it as an option. An Australian government website (that I stumbled upon whilst watching crash test videos for the wagon) lists the towbar as an option in the same sentence as the Sportline model. Might that mean the Sportline would need to be released before the towbar was available?

X also mentioned that the 4x4 drivetrain would be available for a test drive soon, but in a sedan version. It was also explained that, as they were not precisely demonstration units, the drive would need to be short. I would be interested in booking a drive on either of the next two Saturdays. Would that be enough time to determine that availability of a factory fitted towbar?

Thank you for your time.
********



The following day I received:


********
On 29 Mar 2016, at 9:11 PM, Mr B wrote:

Hi blueSup,
I'll let you know when the 4x4 is ready for a test drive, I'm just checking with Skoda re the towbar situation, the wagon I have was supposed to have it fitted on arrival here, but as usual there's always some options missing, but that would indicate that it could be a factory option.
I'll let you as doom as I can confirm
Thanks
Mr B.

Sent from Mr B's iPad
********


Trying not to seem eager or overly available, I waited nearly a whole hour before going for a swim. Well, salesmen are like sharks, aren't they?


********
On 29 Mar 2016, at 10:01 PM, blueSUp wrote:


Hi Mr B,


Thank you for getting back to me so soon. I trust that missing options is something that only happens to the demonstrators.


blueSup
********


********
On 29 Mar 2016, at 10:32 PM, Mr B wrote:


No
All 2015 production models.


Sent from Mr B's iPad
********


Well, it seems someone missed the smiley I placed at the end of the email. Was the reply terse because he was using the iPad in bed and didn't want to drop it on his face? (We've all been there)
I'll wait for Mr B to write back, letting me know which day is best. He might be happier in the daytime.


Here's a link to an artful piece of music for you to listen to whilst we wait.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4′33″

Manuals link:
Å*KODA Superb - Owner's manuals - Å*KODA

Next, the next closest dealer.

[blueSup]

Next closest Dealer


Saturday 2nd April arrived and went. Nothing from Mr B.
I see it's a waiting game! (like the blinking game but with less action right at the end)
Good Sir, you have met your opponent. I'm going to wait you out. I'm good at waiting. Mr B won't be using my interest in the car against me. No Siree!


Saturday 9th April.
Mr B Day.
Or rather, no B day. Radio silence. Maybe he really did drop his iPad and had no way of contacting me? Nah, his face would be soft and break the fall. Wouldn't it?


So what next? I decide action is best. I try to think of what to have for lunch.
I'm not going to chase someone I've been talking with so I can spend a large amount of money, they should chase me. If Mr B's organisation/approach is any reflection of the dealership in general, how bad might their servicing department be? I only have one brush so I'm going to tar the dealership as a whole.
Lunch was yummy.
There are three Skoda dealers within an hours drive. One north, two south. I double my odds and pick south.
Ring D1, phone rings out. Check web site, yes they are open. Maybe they are all having lunch? Yummy lunch.
I ring D1 again. Phone rings out.
I ring D2. They answer after two rings. Progress! I am put through to Mr F.
Yes, they have a Superb. Yes it's available for a test drive. Yes it's a wagon. Yes it's a 206.
Time to jump into Dory and down to D2. Dory has a power steering pump that sometimes likes to sing. Like she's attracting whales. But on this trip I won't be finding nemo, I'll be finding Superb.


Arrived. OK, seems this is the old Ford Dealership. Should that be an omen?
I find Mr F and sit at his desk. A proper desk, and it's clean. I'm surrounded by Mitsubishi cars. More omens?
We go outside to look at the Superb. It sits much better than the 162. 15mm makes a huge difference. (don’t see pants)
Wander around, look under. No bumper cutout for the towbar. Interesting.
This one has factory tint on the rear glass though. Looks good.
Space saver spare wheel. Yuck.
We talk some small talk and wander back to Mr F's desk. I fill out some forms. Drivers license, blood group, mortgage papers, waivers, lunch order (lunch was yummy). The usual $3k waiver if I Bingle it. He heads off to get trade plates and unblock the car from it's parking spot.
A child walks past wearing his father's suit. It's possible the child works here.
One of the wandering staff has heard that I have travelled to get here (she lives close to me) and asks why I didn't go to the nearest dealer? Well, let me tell you a story....


Next, a quick spin.

[2009fsi]

Love your work bluesup.

My experience started the day Skoda 'released' the 2016 Skoda Superb with a flurry of short lived advertising. Of course I've been reading & watching reviews by British & European motoring journalists for several months. I've even noticed new Superbs popping up on the British dramas my sister habitually records & watches. "What do you think you are doing", she screams, as I grab her Foxtel control to rewind scenes of the good doctor, driving along a winding seaside drive in the car I want; a 206Tsi 4x4 sedan. Yes she agrees, it is a good looking car & yes she thinks its lines much better than the old 3T.

It is a Wednesday morning in early March when I discover the shallow motoring press in Australia are releasing reviews. As usual, they overdose on minor things, mainly focusing on the whiz bang entertainment features for passengers, most likely to drive the driver to distraction. (Message to self: go to the local gunshop & buy some good earplugs.) I'm screaming out for a real analysis of how the car drives, brakes, handles etc. Alas, I read in frustration a diatribe of everything but. The Australian journos reviews span a range of opinions, from questioning Skoda's sanity in releasing such a large but 'superb' vehicle, to the tomes on the VW saga & doubts about the DSG the journo used to love, but has now heard from others is suspect, to the bloke who never really got past a rattle he put down to a loose umbrella. Read one & you immediately spot the swathes of content lifted straight from the press release in all. Wasted space the lot of them. The only thing to do is, load the missus into the car & head to the nearest Skoda dealership.

We arrive at Dealer A. I walk in & spend 5 minutes looking at cars on display in the showroom whilst salesman 1 & two continue their conversation, telling jokes & laughing. I'm obviously a interrupting a well established daily ritual..... I want info, so I decide to persist, since I'm already here. Finally, salesman junior deems it necessary to find out why this inconvenient distraction, is here. "I'm interested in buying a new Superb", I tell him, as we stand in the middle of his showroom. "We don't have any", he says. "How about this Octavia Ambition demonstrator, (we've been trying to get rid of for 18 months)". "I can do you a good deal on it", as he persists in trying to steer me to his problem. '"Any information, a brochure perhaps on the the new 206, in particular", I ask. 'Never heard of it', he says. "Really, I'm told Skoda ran 3 days of extensive training for dealers last week." We don't sell many Superbs, so we didn't go.", he says. By now my wife has walked out. The salesman clearly thinks by not offering a seat, he'll be rid of me quicker. I've already decided I'll never buy a car from these pr!cks, but I give him my detail & he promises to call me, as soon as he has anything. I'm still whistling Dixie, eight weeks on.

What a let down. Not only no cars, but no information at all & a distinct feeling of utter disinterest in selling a car. By now, I can see the steam rising from the ears of she who must be obeyed. "Forget it, I want to go shopping", she states. Cunningly, I suggest a very large shopping area near the geographic centre of Sydney, knowing we will pass by a second big multi brand dealer. "Oh look, another Skoda dealer". "We may as well drop in, just in case", I say. The eyes beside me are undoubtedly rolling, but I refuse to look.

On entry, I cannot see any Superbs, but the salesman nearly as big as me, is welcoming. He offers a seat immediately & asks if we'd like a cup of coffee. "Black tea, for us if you can, thanks". A quick nod & salesman number two scurries away to be mum. "What can I do for you today", he says with a smile so in contrast to the other dealer's grinch. I tell him I have a 3T V6 & am really interested in updating to a new Superb 206 sedan. "Fantastic car", he says. "I had the chance to test one at Skoda's training days, last week." "I can tell you all about them, prices, packages etc, but unfortunately we won't get our demonstrators on site here, until Saturday" We spend the best part of an hour going through detail. The man is a fountain of knowledge & copies me a raft of information he's been given during the training days. Or salesman has a real sparkle in his eye as he relates his experience driving the car, He opines, "this Superb& the 206 in particular, is a fantastic car; it will kill Passat." Skoda has of course launched the cars before having any brochures or even delivered cars to its dealers. One gets the feeling they've gone through the motion, but don't actually think many people will be interested. I leave happy with what I got & we make arrangements to come in on Easter Saturday to look at & test drive the real thing. He promises to ring me on Friday afternoon to confirm the new Superbs are available. True to word, he does so, even though he's on his day off.

What a contrast with the other dealership! I'm still waiting for that call, if you are reading this, Mr, Warren's worst salesman. Or, maybe your boss is.

I arrive, alone, on Saturday to a new 206 wagon registered & available for test drive & a black sedan on display in the show room. I'm impressed by the physical car already. After 15 minutes going over the sedan on display, it seems to me Skoda has addressed most, if not all the deficiencies of the old 3T. Our salesman knows I want to buy one, but he's also clear I will buy the best deal offered me. He knows I know exactly what the book says my 3T is worth. It is time for the the solemn signing ceremony the legal eagles demand to test drive item X on their asset register.

Needless to say, I signed on the dotted line with this salesman. His deal was the best. The saga of Skoda logistics & botched stock control which followed, is another story. But I now have my car. Beauty mate!

I should make a very brief mention of dealer three. I never got a price from them. They were a ducks & drakes dealer. Go get your best deal from someone else, then come back & let us trump him by a token or two. They didn't give me a change over price, supposedly because their 'valuer' isn't in today. Obviously they recognised I was a fool who probably came down in the last shower. The epitome of the lazy salesman's business model.

[blueSup]

It's good to get some feedback that a few people are enjoying my ramblings.
Keep going with yours 2009fsi, as I'm enjoying your posts as well.

[blueSup]

A quick spin


Mr F walks me out to the car, waiting to be reversed out of a tight space. The car, not Mr F.
I'm a bit like an Emu or Kangaroo so ask to to be passenger, primarily to get a feel for the car whilst someone else drives, before swapping a little down the road. In reality I fear a reversing Bingle and can hear "where the bloody hell are ya?" after I watch $3k fly out of my wallet.
Mr F obliges and I get cosy in the passenger seat.
Without warning, preamble, or even a handshake, cold air blows up my bum. Ventilated front seats, remember? Not just warmed. I could get used to this. But not in a kinky way as I'm wearing pants.
I move the seat from Really Far Backwards to This has to be Nearly All the way Forward, and there's still plenty of room. The black on the dash looks like it might be fiddly to clean judging by the dust on it already. The buttons popping up on the screen just as a fingertip approaches is a nice touch, but then I get to wondering how it looks for approaching fingers (what else might it be looking out for?) and miss the thump of the tyres as we leave the carpark onto the road. At least I think I missed the thump as the car was handling the bumps and differences in height quite well.

The noise from the radio (talkback) filled the cabin at a low volume and was changed to some modern music. I asked to keep the music low as I wanted to hear the car. Mr F manoeuvres the wagon off the main road and starts to 'drive'. In sales parlance this means floor it going up a hill. The thrust is a little slow in building but I understand how a turbo works so I wait a little. Then the engine gives some respectable thrust and makes a grumbling noise. Not a rumble, just a grumble. I could get used to that too. I suggest that Mr F refrain from full acceleration demonstrations as that is not what will sell me on the car.

We drive a little further and Mr F parks on a downhill. I notice he doesn't pull the electric park brake before he swivels toward the open car door. The car lurches forward a little.
We swap sides and I mirror up. And in. And around a bit more. Gee the rearview mirror is dainty, and the view from the mirror is a little more restricted than I had imagined it. The steering wheel feels a tiny bit thinner than expected and is quite angled.
The pedals are in the right place so I employ the left one and move the gearbox to drive. Then the wipers come on. How does moving the gear lever to Drive make the wipers come on?

I apologise for my slip up and try to reverse my years of expecting the indicator stalk to be on the right.
Happily, the blinker box noise thingy is a real thingy and not a sound pumped through the speakers. This pleases me more than a cool bum.
The A pillars are much thinner than those on the current Commodore (hooray!) and the dash is simple and clear to read. This wagon has a black interior so I wonder what the legibility of the lighter dials in the beige interior would be like. The screen between the dials presents clearly and colourfully without overloading the information on the screen. The cutout space around the dash is shaped like that in the Passat so I can imagine a future model will offer the full LCD screen in place of the dials.

Everything in the car is working as it should and feels naturally placed. We discuss the different suspension modes and I avoid looking at the settings whilst they are changed. Can I feel a difference? Well, the steering weight seemed to change but the rest of the ride seemed unaffected. Perhaps it was because we had found The Smoothest Roads In Australia right at that very minute?
Time to place my teeth on the steering wheel.
Wow! The brakes on this car are sudden and touchy. Almost like they have had some very heavy and repeated jabs for quick stops in all of their 30 kilometre life. I remember to keep an eye on my foot and apologise for some sudden braking a number of times.

As a car, the Superb functions well. It moves along with the traffic, it is sized pleasingly, and it can go when it needs to. There were no rattles or odd noises and the cooling had worked well, but it is late March so not very summery outside. The three stalks jutting out of the steering column have a kajillion positions on them and a few very small toggles, so it may take some time to get comfortable with all the functions they offer.
By now we are back to the dealership and I swing into the driveway with a Golf hard on my tail. The parking spot the wagon came from is filled with another car so I leave it to Mr F to park whilst I head back inside.


Next, ensuring the accessories are factory