Ambition, good value entry level superb? Or way overpriced/under-equipped ?

[VAG newbie]

The Superb Elegance is fine (it has tonnes of equipment with a price that's okay) but the Superb Ambition does need work, particularly with the wheels and really awful interior trim (black cloth with grey inserts). Based purely on RRP the Passat 118TSI looks to be so much better value as you mentioned. The Ambition 103TDI deal at $35,990 drive away (which gives you room to add options in) is great however, they really should keep it there!

This is from a discussion in another thread, which is a bit off topic. So I thought we would transfer here and further the discussion, and see how everyone else think.

I personally bought the elegance model, and I believe it is one of the best value for money car on the market at that price range. In comparison, I felt Ambition is a bit under-equipped or over priced.

I couldn't have agreed more with Jake02 that the interior looks awful. The black cloth with grey insert makes it really cheap looking, and lose the upmarket feeling. They should stick to all black, with option of beige trim as in upper end Octys. That will make it look more upmarket.

Even that, it is still $2000 too expensive. At the same RRP, the Passat 118TSI comes with leather, driver's fatigue detection system, partial power driver's seat, parking sensors front and back! At the same price, you can also get a better equipped, better performance Octy RS. So, other than the extra space (esp wagon), I don't see why would anyone buy an ambition over Passat 118TSI or RS.

I agree at $35990 drive away, that is a good deal, but I'm afraid that applies to stock car only, so you won't have a lot of liberty on options.

Obviously it is reflected in the sales. Majority of people will pay the extra to go for elegance. But, as people have complained, many of them don't need GPS or other extras that are thrown into the elegance. But if they go for ambition, by adding a few options (eg. Leather and electric seats), the extra cost is already enough to get an elegance.

So, if Skoda Aus or Matt Weisner is reading this, they should seriously consider drop the price of Ambition, and allow people to have room for options. Or upgrade some of the equipments. (leather would be a nice start!)

[iampivot]

It looks even worse in light of rumors that the new inclusions for the MY12.5 Passat will include: GPS, rear-view camera and electric tailgate as standard, from August onwards.

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/forums/f27/my13-changes-72516.html

[Yao]

Very overpriced and waay underspecced. Was never an option for me as I wanted leather seats, pano sunroof and the like. Was initially considering the Passat until I came across the superb elegance and never looked back. For the money, nothing else compares in my opinion

[VAG newbie]

It looks even worse in light of rumors that the new inclusions for the MY12.5 Passat will include: GPS, rear-view camera and electric tailgate as standard, from August onwards.

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/foru...ges-72516.html

That really sucks! I hope its just a rumor and not true. That means all you have to do is add driver's visibility package and electric seat, then you have a wagon that is better equipped and cheaper than the equivalent Superb wagon.

But at the same time, I am glad I didn't buy the Passat (due to the lack of reverse camera as an option in MY12), otherwise I will be crying like a girl now.

[Albervin]

Question for those with a reversing camera or have used a car with a reversing camera. If you have sensors and dipping exterior mirrors, how do you concentrate on cameras, mirrors and sensors when reversing? My sensors pick up a small bottle on the drive way when reversing ( I did a test of obstacles ) so does a camera show or alert the driver more than just scanning all 3 mirrors and utilising the graphic/audio alerts from the sensor? IMHO the driver's fatigue detection system is for idiots too stupid to be on the road. I have done many long drives (and rides on a motorbike) and long before you doze off you start to see things that aren't there. Learned my lesson 30 years ago and now I don't let it happen. A driver fatigue system will not work if you are wired on Red Bull, Cocaine, crystal meth, NoDoz plus or the promise of rampant sex (sorry) because it will not trigger your self preservation response. There have been a lot of studies, testing and research to show this but car manufacturers choose to ignore it.
My only reservation with my Superb Elegance is the quality of the leather. It does not seem as thick as my previous Audi but the stitching is superior. I am hoping that any deficiencies will appear before the warranty expires.

[VAG newbie]

There was once I bumped into a pole when reversing. The pole is one of those that are about 90cm tall, so you can't see it from the rear windscreen and mirror. It was just between 2 parking sensors and neither one picked it up. So reverse camera has it's value. also I have 2 boys both under 5. I don't know if rear view camera will really prevent you from running into these kids, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Basically what I do is, look at camera once, make sure there are no obsticle behind me, then I reverse. As I reverse, I depend more on parking sensors and side mirrors, but occasionally I still scan through the camera to make sure no new obstacles appeared.

Anyway, none of these technology is perfect. I still happen to bump into somebody the other day. She was backing of from her parking spot while I was backing up from mine. For some reason, we didn't see each other and both of us just bumped into each other. Worst of all, she was my boss......

[woofy]

The scenerio above happened to me in a public carpark, although the other person wasn't watching at all and actually reversed from across the way and two parks up, they just did a crap reverse out and backed up far further than needed without watching that I was reversing straight out and been reversing the whole time. It was years ago and she reversed into my blind spot, I stopped once I saw her but it was just a tad too late.

[VAG newbie]

I just read the review on the 2013 VW CC. They have included GPS, RVC, Bi-xenon with AFS, electric front seats, KESSY and automatic foot operated boot release as standard without raising RRP. This makes it better equipped than the Elegance, with a much sleeker styling, plus the availability of premium options such as adaptive cruise control, this makes even the Elegance not such a good value (although there are still $6-7000 difference, CC is in a completely different class), not to mention Ambition which is now way overpriced by comparison.

What the hell is VW doing? Are they trying to kill Skoda? Even me, I kind of want the CC instead of Superb next time.

Does anyone know if there are any equipment upgrade with MY13 Superbs?

[2009fsi]

Skoda has chosen to position Superb in the Australian market as a large car & therefore puting it up against Comodes & Falcons. Why, I don't know. Just because very smart design sees Superb with more rear leg room, doesn't make it a big car. It really shoulld have been product placed in the medium ar range. It is certainly no bigger han a V6 Camry. By throwing it into this Large car market, pricing is already defined & $35.5k is right on the same money as a Ford XR6. So, does the Ambition really stack up as value against the latest offerings in an XR6. In my opinion, NO. The ford has standard things Ambition has as extras. Personally, I think Skoda marketing is pretty poor in Australia. The Superb should be marketed around the Elegance level of refinement, as a luxury medium sized limosine

A comment on options: reading in forums here & in Briskoda forums, it strikes me there is a fixation about having everything that opens & shuts, in some kind of cargo cult mentality, often against the justification of better maintaining resale value. Me toos, bleed depreciation just as quick & just as much as the rest of the car. In fact, most depreciate faster, because they're technology based & quickly superceded.
How many people do you know who just had to have a GPS installed, so they could use it to drive to all the same places they done so for years. I reckon 95% of those known to me fit into exactly that category. My son in law fiddles with his, just to go to Bunnings! AND, I reckon it was the reason he recently run up the back of another car, while driving to work. I think GPS is really handy for a traveller, but most never travel anywhere NEW with it.

I have not seen any ad for a Superb in more than a year, except inside a Skoda dealership. The 103TDI 4x4 came out, but few people know of them, except other Skoda owners. This lack of momentum & product recogntion for Superb will effect resale value. As far as omparisons go, I find it hard to compare Superb to Passat. I would not buy a Passat, because the cabin design limits the car to a medium small car, even if they have put a Mickey Mouse "3rd" seat in the back. I'm sure Skoda's remapping of the engines, particularly the V6, is a bigreason why Passats are dogged by DSG problems & Skoda isn't.

I doubt an Ambition could be good value, no matter how well optioned, compared with Elegance. From the resale perspective, Ambition depreciation seemed faster, based on what I saw when looking several months ago. It is hard to get a real picture though, because the niche market for Superb has so few cars for sale, even right across Australia. We need Skoda to get off their backsides & promote their product properly, imho.

[VAG newbie]

Ok, VWA has just put the last nail on Superb's coffin by officially announcing the upgrades for their Passat.

At $38990, same price as a 118TSI ambition, Passat gets full leather, GPS, RVC, full alloy spare, driver fatigue detection, plus the badge. Why would anyone buy an ambition now?

Even compared to the Elegance grade, which Skoda is $5000 dearer than Passat. For the $5000, I can opt electric seat, visibility assistance pack with changes to spare, not only it will be in par with the Superb's equipment level, yet I can have departure warning and daylight running LED.

This really s**ks.

I guess the only thing that is going for Skoda is it's better built quality.

[Jake02]

To me the previous Passat looks a billion times better (especially the saloon) than the new one and the Superb saloon is no stunner, so in terms of what to buy it's easily the wagons that are the superior choice. The Ambition wagon is better value than the saloon because it picks up standard ParkAssist and of course THAT ROOM! Skoda if you're listening, cut the Elegance by $4k and just don't have the Ambition at all - I see more and more Superbs everyday but they're certainly not the Ambition!

Superb Ambition wagon > Passat wagon.
Chery J11 > Superb Ambition saloon/Passat saloon.

[iampivot]

It seems there are a few new / dealer used MY11/12 Superbs on carsales.com.au, so I guess it might be room to negotiate a bit on price.

Would a MY11 Elegance be a better value in terms of depreciation than a similar prices MY12 Ambition (optioned with leather)?

[woofy]

I would think so....all depends on whether it really is the MY11 or MY10 even....