Another Ex Skoda Man…

[isleaiw]

Originally Posted by LordLucan

well, the interior switches on my passat and Skoda felt identical to the ones in my Skoda. Were they made in the same factory? I neither know nor care. The fact is the percieved quality was the same. Could the same be said of cars built by Skoda before it became part of the VAG group... certainly not.

Also, wasnt the Q7 and Touareg built in the same factory?

I know someone with a seat who peeled the seat logo off something under the bonnet to reveal a VW logo...

Up, Citigo and Mii all built in same factory.

Coils (remember the problem with them?), electric window regulators (another common problem in the past) all from the same supplier and the same component.

I've had a few VWs and Audis, but that is because they do what I want. And I like the perceived quality of the interior. But I dont believe that they are really different under the skin to their Seat and Skoda cousins....

[Whaty]

I’ve had my S90 exactly two weeks today and therefore I felt this was a good time to offer my initial impressions.

My previous car was a Skoda Superb SE Tech Hatch (150) DSG. Approx. value £26k
My current car is a Volvo S90 D4 Momentum. Approx. value £36k

I tend to get my cars on PCH these days and despite the difference in the purchase price, on like for like contracts (same term, mileage, etc) the leasing company quoted the same initial/monthly rental for both at the time I placed my order.

I had the Superb for 2yrs and did almost exactly 25,000 miles. I have to say it proved to be a brilliant car, everything worked, it never let me down, it was comfy (although I did have some problems with the driver’s seat initially), relaxed, reasonably quiet and refined and, over the 25,000 miles, it averaged a little over 50mpg.

In choosing the S90 I knew there would be a few features from the Superb I would miss but, after a great deal of consideration, I clearly decided to take a chance on the Volvo.

Things I miss: Cooled glove box and centre storage, front fog lights (mainly for aesthetic reasons), puddle lights, high level interior lighting (door handles, etc), Velcro storage retainers in the boot, the removable torch/storage light, the variety of information available in the drivers display and of course, the famous umbrellas…

I appreciate that many of these things are available on higher spec’d models or through the options list but going down either route would have increased the cost significantly.

My initial impression of the S90 is that it is a very comfy, quiet, relaxed and refined car. I don’t want to drive it like a sports car so this suits me perfectly. I believe the materials used throughout the cabin are of a slightly higher quality than the Superb and overall, it’s just a very nice place to be. On the move it feels assured and settled and, in my opinion, it deals with our atrocious roads far better than the Superb.

So far it’s been used mainly for my commute to and from work, approx. 25 miles across a mix of motorway, 50mph A roads and a little town work, typically it takes around 45 – 50 minutes. My first tank-to-tank refill suggests I’m getting around 45mpg and this seems to be backed up by the onboard computer. I’m quite happy with that, when I got the car, given its size etc, I saw anything over 45mpg as a bonus.

So, in conclusion. Whilst the Superb was an excellent car and there are a couple of things I miss, I definitely made the right decision in choosing the S90. For me it’s about reliability, comfort and refinement. The Volvo clearly has the edge when it comes to the comfort and refinement, lets just hope it comes with the reliability too.

[LordLucan]

Well, today is the big day for me. I waved goodbye to my Octavia VRS Estate and welcmed the V90 into the household. Ive still not driven it yet but that will be my commute home later.

[Whaty]

LordLucan, hope you enjoy driving it as much as I enjoy driving mine...

[Crockers]

Lovely colour......but then I would say that 😀

[jonnyu]

Originally Posted by LordLucan

well, the interior switches on my passat and Skoda felt identical to the ones in my Skoda. Were they made in the same factory? I neither know nor care. The fact is the percieved quality was the same. Could the same be said of cars built by Skoda before it became part of the VAG group... certainly not.

Also, wasnt the Q7 and Touareg built in the same factory?

Sorry for relaunching this discussion but I had to.
LordLucan, I rented an Audi from 2016 over the weekend and boy was I surprised.
What a crappy car...
I have to say that you are right. This is indeed the same as a skoda or a seat with a different logo.
How did this happen to Audi? How did they lowered so much the quality standards?

So, I'm just writing to concede you the victory on this discussion. It is the same thing: Audi, Skoda, VW but since my last owned Audi was from 2010 and I knew well all the segments from those times, I made outdated statements about Audi, Skoda and VW.
Today they are indeed all the same, they share indeed all the parts, and this didn't happen a few years ago.

Sorry for misleading anyone.

[RobQuads]

Originally Posted by isleaiw

I know someone with a seat who peeled the seat logo off something under the bonnet to reveal a VW logo...
.

Yup - our old Octavia VRs had audi stamps all over it. Many of the dash switches i.e. for the headlights etc were the same exact part, some of the control modules were interchangeable with audi parts, again different part numbers on the bag but exactly the same part inside the bag.

Obviously there are differences but they certainly share a lot of parts.