Quality

[Brycem]

I jumped into our RS wagon last night having spent the last while driving our other car (a Hyundai i30 diesel wagon) and could not believe the feeling of luxury, quality engineering and build quality. And that was before I even turned her on. On the move you are immediately aware of the car's exceptional road manners which marry flat cornering with ride comfort, not an easy task and one that BMW has failed to master in its current crop of vehicles.

Admittedly the RS wagon retails at $16,000 more than the Hyundai but you can see where the money is spent.

I have always been slightly sceptical of Skoda's brand positioning in Australia but I can tell you the build and engineering is streets ahead of the volume sellers over here. I happened to be in the rear of a Volvo XC90 recently and I can tell you the plastics used in it are very Ford and not of the quality used by Skoda.

Perhaps I am not representative of the car buying public but any consumer who values a premium feel needs to get themselves down to their local Skoda showroom and soon.

Incidentally I can give the forum users an insight into the quality of Skodas and their ability to stand the test of time. A couple of years ago my brother, who lives in Scotland, bought a Mark 1 diesel Octavia wagon which had covered 200,000 kms and promptly put another 50,000 on it with no issues. The car did not have a service history but just kept going and going and returning ridiculously MPG figures.

There is a reason that most of the private hire taxis in the UK are now Skoda Octavias!

I will close by stating that those who have invested in the brand will be rewarded by many years of loyal service. Forget about resale - think quality and the rest will take care of itself!

[thommo]

Well said. I came from 10 years in Subaru and I thought they were excellent...until i got in the RS. I just love opening and closing the doors they fell so solid, not thin and rattly. The whole car is so much more substantial. Love driving it!!!

[Brycem]

Well said. I came from 10 years in Subaru and I thought they were excellent...until i got in the RS. I just love opening and closing the doors they fell so solid, not thin and rattly. The whole car is so much more substantial. Love driving it!!!

I couldn't agree more! Looked at a Forester XT and it was plastic fantastic! Just didn't feel premium in any way. The seats were also severely lacking in bolstering for a so called sporty version and the vinyl covered centre armrest was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I also looked at a Mazda 6 Diesel Wagon and it was a very competent vehicle but just a bit too swoopy on the outside and busy on the inside. The plastic gear knob and handbrake were the nails in its coffin. Oh and the seats were very poorly bolstered clothed in a very ordinary slightly distasteful Japanese fabric.

I couldn't bring myself to look at the Bommadore sportwagon. No desire to needlessly burn fuel for no advantage!

[Graybags]

You are preaching to the converted!

[Brycem]

and hopefully to those who are viewing the forum as visitors and agonising over whether to take the plunge with the brand!

[Swuzzlebubble]

and hopefully to those who are viewing the forum as visitors and agonising over whether to take the plunge with the brand!

Thanks - your comment is very relevant to those like myself weighing up a purchase.
You cannot compare quality from checklist of specs.
Of course you need to sit in the cars and see/feel for yourself and even then if rushed and distracted it is hard to take it all in.

[bobski]

I also looked at a Mazda 6 Diesel Wagon and it was a very competent vehicle but just a bit too swoopy on the outside and busy on the inside. The plastic gear knob and handbrake were the nails in its coffin. Oh and the seats were very poorly bolstered clothed in a very ordinary slightly distasteful Japanese fabric.

I agree on the interior. The only japanese car that I thought was close in that bracket was the accord Euro. But I have a mate with one and it has multiple squeeks and rattles (plus there's a big difference in performance/fuel usage for similar dollars)...