NRMA Open Road March/April 2010 - World Beating Wheels

[aslsw]

I haven't seen anyone else post about this article (sorry if I've missed it). Here are a few snippets from what they say about the Octavia RS:

"Is the RS TDI the best value European car on the market? Again, the prognosis looked good ..."
"The diesel power band impressed with its breadth..."
"And it sounds fine when extended, too."
"Sometimes, Sport is too aggresive, holding gears longer than is necessary or comfortable."
"Conversely ... 'Normal' can change up too early."
"... the ride gets better with speed; only around town is it on the wrong side of firm. The RS also excels as a relaxed family cruiser..."
"The brakes are strong but over-eager, while the steering has a meaty feel too it but is a bit dull, giving the impression the Octavia is not as alert to direction changes as it really is."
"... the Skoda is not quite the market darling we anticipated."
"The Skoda is a terrifically capable workhorse, but the new VW Golf GTI betters it for ability, appeal and value."
"Frankly, it [the Golf GTI] makes the Skoda seem a bit expensive."

I can only assume that these journalists look at list price only. For starters, the price comparison is unfair, as it compares the diesel Skoda with the petrol VW - if you go back to the petrol Skoda, then it beats on price alone.

Secondly, add any single option to a VW and you will be paying more. When I was looking, I couldn't figure out how exactly the same optional equipment (albeit with a different badge) could cost so much more when put on a Golf instead of a Skoda.

At least we should be grateful that Skoda is getting noticed...

[K1W1]

In five years time when Skoda is an established brand in Australia it will be safe for journalists to pronounce them as good cars. At the moment none of them have the balls to go out on a limb for fear of being excommunicated by some other manufacturer.

[gregozedobe]

The trouble is, a lot of "average" car buyers will read an article like that and not bother to even look at a Skoda because an "independent" journalist has made a comparison based on just plain wrong information.

For some strange reason he compared the price of a base Golf GTI (manual gearbox, petrol engine) with a vRS fitted with two VERY expensive options (TDI engine and DSG), then downgrades the vRS because the "The VW has a smoother turbo-petrol engine" and the VW "makes the Skoda seem a bit expensive". WTF !!!!

He also states the VW has "even more advanced transmissions", when AFAIK they are identical.

I hope Skoda Australia take notice and force him to either do a retraction, or better still actually compare apples with apples ie a GTI and a vRS with both cars having the same engine (turbo petrol) and gearbox, and include some long journeys on typical (ie rough) NSW country roads, not just a short blast on some smooth freeways.

I don't mind journalists expressing opinions, but when they get basic facts totally wrong and then make conclusions based on those incorrect facts it annoys me (and obviously hardly anyone get their facts checked before publication any more).

[Jake02]

I actually wrote in about this, so you may see it in the next issue. I'm sorry but the whole situation with Skodas being reviewed unfairly got to me, it's happened many times before and I was shocked at the level of inaccuracy, especially from a corporation that criticises so much in society, eg petrol companies. As mentioned above, the reviewer compares a diesel RS to a petrol GTI, suggests that the GTI makes the RS look expensive (and yet a 5-dr TSI liftback manual is a whole $3k cheaper than a 5-dr manual GTI, with options to the RS spec it'd be a much bigger gap) and so on and so forth.

The biggest annoyance however was suggesting that the GTI is a better 'world-beater car'. If this 'world-beater' competition was based purely on performance then maybe, but the RS offers 90% of the drive of the GTI, and yet it's the GTI that offers less than 90% of the practicality of the RS. A 'world-beater' suggests that the car is good in all areas. Try fitting a family of four and all their luggage for a weekend away in the back of a GTI. Didn't think so. In the RS? Done and dusted. I'm sure that makes the RS a much better 'world beater' car. Hello Open Road!?

[gregozedobe]

Sic'em, boy

[Antiplastix]

Its the NRMA, who gives a "flock" what they think. They cater to old grannys and would have everyone driving around at 80 km/h. I think most people (like me) withdrew any interest in their opinion when they sold out and demutualised.

[Bayford Skoda]

Next to none of our customers seriously compare an RS TDI to a Golf GTI... Different animals all together. The TSI maybe...

[gregozedobe]

Next to none of our customers seriously compare an RS TDI to a Golf GTI... Different animals all together.

I must be an exception, because I seriously compared the two, and chose the one I preferred to drive (the extra space of a vRS wagon was only a bonus, not a deciding factor).

I found the GTI was too "busy", while the Skoda was much more relaxing when in cruise mode (which is how I drive 95% of the time). Once I tried both out on a rough country road the vRS was way ahead.

Nearly 2 years on I am still very happy with my choice.

[bobski]

I must be an exception, because I seriously compared the two, and chose the one I preferred to drive (the extra space of a vRS wagon was only a bonus, not a deciding factor).

Me too, I was serious until I walked into the dealership and saw that the new GTI looked a bit boring, opened the boot and thought, yeah thats not going to work.

It seems odd to me that they'd compare the TDI RS to the Petrol GTI when a TDI GTI is on the way. Maybe it was a case of what press cars were available at the time. But we've all done the value assessments and the Skoda is ahead by $4-5k (and the dealers are doing deals which they wouldn't do on a GTI).

I doubt Skoda would care too much though, they seem to be selling their allocation of cars? And unless you are Toyota battling technical problems that have caused deaths and a lot of suspiciously litigious activity, getting your name out there is great publicity. Being able to go head to head with the GTI hero car is a good result.

I'd definitely like to see an RS/Golf/mondeo/Mazda 6/Honda Accord comparo.

[mrgolf]

I love how you fan-boyz get all hot under the collar when Skoda doesnt get great press coverage. Even the RS, while being a very capable car, is just not world beating. While all else in its class might not boast the power figures, they better the skoda for equipment etc in the current market cos the Octy is out of date, even with the facelift. The other cars are simply newer. Comparing it with the GTI will always see it come off second best as the Octy just isnt as composed as the GTI. And, yes, 1.5K less than a GTI is pretty exxy when Skoda is meant to be the badge engineered junior brand of VW.

While I dont agree 100% with everything I just said, I do think I have expressed the other side of the coin most rose coloured glasses simply wont see. The Octy is a well built car which is also well engineered and equipped. But, while it is certainly amongst the top, it isnt the best car money can buy, even in its segment.