A Superb purchase experience

[blueSup]

Hi Karl,

I thought about test driving the Passat R-Line Wagon (140kw diesel) but the cockpit felt cramped and off centre. Once I saw the lightness, space, and clean design of the Superb I didn't look back. And with 4x4 only available with the 206 TSI that's the way I went.

[blueSup]

Here little shippy shippy

I thought your butt looked familiar.



Medea, the little shippy that could, has rounded Perth. Next stop Melbourne on 24th August, followed by Port Kembla on the 26th August.
And when I say little I mean, F*ck off look at the size of that f*cker!
I'll now return to my usual composed self.
But OMG Wow that's huge!
Bask in that sentence if you don't get to hear it often.

From Port Kembla to the ex-Ford showroom can take from 1 to 3 weeks contingent on tea breaks and sickies.

Next stop, figuring out the extra warranty and service packs, choosing a number plate, making an SD card for some toonz, and most importantly..... figuring out a name for the car.

[blueSup]

Having it both ways, or, I want your body

The Owners Manual is a place of wonderful information.
I have been reading the PDF version of the manual in preparation of taking delivery of my big blue box.

Keeping the paint looking new is something I like to do so it's good to see that wax can be used.

Page 176 of the PDF Owners Manual
Vehicle Component : Paint
Facts of the Matter : No water droplets form on the paint
Remedy : Use hard wax (min. twice a year), apply wax to clean and dry body


But some cleaning products can be nasty nasty things so it's good to see this warning on the following page.

Page 177
CAUTION
Vehicle paint
- Do not treat painted parts with (sic) or hard waxes.



This seeming dichotomy had me confused. Then I figured it out.
I can't use hard wax on any painted surface of the car BUT I can use it on *my* clean and dry body. And at a minimum of twice a year too!
Day Spa here I come.

[Enobar]

I thought your butt looked familiar.



Medea, the little shippy that could, has rounded Perth. Next stop Melbourne on 24th August, followed by Port Kembla on the 26th August.
And when I say little I mean, F*ck off look at the size of that f*cker!
I'll now return to my usual composed self.
But OMG Wow that's huge!
Bask in that sentence if you don't get to hear it often.

From Port Kembla to the ex-Ford showroom can take from 1 to 3 weeks contingent on tea breaks and sickies.

Next stop, figuring out the extra warranty and service packs, choosing a number plate, making an SD card for some toonz, and most importantly..... figuring out a name for the car.

i think mine might be in the same boat. Coming to Adelaide though, i assume it will disembark in Melbourne 4 days earlier than yours. Of course its still got to make it to Adelaide from there so we could be looking at very similar delivery dates. I have my fingers crossed for 8th or 9th September because im going on a road trip on the 10th and would love to take some new wheels....

[blueSup]

Excellent news Enobar. Melbourne tomorrow at 4pm. Sydney 2 days later. Both MY17 from the sounds of the timing.

[Woodgrub]

Ah thank you for a very interesting read, and also informative as soon to be relative and my daughter are thinking Passat but Superb seems to be the vehicle you like.
Keep it up, the writing I mean as you do it better than Wheels magazine.
Kind regards
Woodgrub

[Enobar]

Excellent news Enobar. Melbourne tomorrow at 4pm. Sydney 2 days later. Both MY17 from the sounds of the timing.

Yeah my dealer confirmed the MY17 build for me - yay!

I've been overseas for the last 5 days visiting family & I think my partner was glad to get rid of me so he didnt have to keep hearing about the impending arrival of my new toy.... Lol

[Jondalar]

Just let the dealer sell you paint protection, then you're not allowed to use any wax or polish at all, just pH balanced car wash without wax in it.

The Owners Manual is a place of wonderful information.
I have been reading the PDF version of the manual in preparation of taking delivery of my big blue box.

Keeping the paint looking new is something I like to do so it's good to see that wax can be used.

Page 176 of the PDF Owners Manual
Vehicle Component : Paint
Facts of the Matter : No water droplets form on the paint
Remedy : Use hard wax (min. twice a year), apply wax to clean and dry body


But some cleaning products can be nasty nasty things so it's good to see this warning on the following page.

Page 177
CAUTION
Vehicle paint
- Do not treat painted parts with (sic) or hard waxes.



This seeming dichotomy had me confused. Then I figured it out.
I can't use hard wax on any painted surface of the car BUT I can use it on *my* clean and dry body. And at a minimum of twice a year too!
Day Spa here I come.

[blueSup]

The Servicing hall of mirrors

A bit of a long post - you have been warned.

2 year extended warranty: $1699
5 year service pack: $2650
5 year Care Pack: $3899

Take off the warranty and the 5 year servicing is: $2200
An average of $440 per service.

The capped price servicing portion of the site lists the following service costs for comparison.
12 months - $315
24 months - $387
36 months - $644
48 months - $786
60 months - $495
Total: $2627
Buying the 5 years up front adds $23 to the cost but there won’t be a price increase. (That’s not to say what is covered won’t change).
We know that the capped price charges will change and the change is published on 1st December each year.

So, what is covered?

The helpful dealership has provided a listing of the work performed during the 5 years of the care package.


1st year/15,000kms.
COMPLETE SERVICE TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION
REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
ENGINE DRIVE BELT : CHECK CONDITION
CHECK COOLING SYSTEM
CHECK AIR CLEANER ELEMENT
CHECK BATTERY CONDITION AND FLUID LEVEL
CHECK EXHAUST SYSTEM
CHECK ALL FLUID LEVELS
CHECK STEERING & SUSPENSION COMPONENTS
CHECK FRONT AND REAR BRAKES
CHECK & ADJUST PARKING BRAKE
LUBRICATE LOCKS, HINGES & LATCHES
CHECK ALL SEAT BELT COMPONENTS
CHECK LIGHTS, WIPERS, TYRE PRESSURE & ALL FLUID LEVELS
DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM: READ OUT FAULT MEMORY
CHECK AND ADJUST HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT
RESET SERVICE INTERVAL INDICATOR
COMPLETE ROAD TEST TO MANUFACTURER HANDBOOK
COMPLETE SERVICE STICKER AND ENDORSE MANUAL

2nd year/30,000kms.
COMPLETE SERVICE TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION
REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
REPLACE BRAKE FLUID
ENGINE DRIVE BELT : CHECK CONDITION
CHECK COOLING SYSTEM
CHECK AIR CLEANER ELEMENT
CHECK BATTERY CONDITION AND FLUID LEVEL
REPLACE POLLEN FILTER
CHECK EXHAUST SYSTEM
CHECK ALL FLUID LEVELS
CHECK STEERING & SUSPENSION COMPONENTS
CHECK FRONT AND REAR BRAKES
CHECK & ADJUST PARKING BRAKE
LUBRICATE LOCKS, HINGES & LATCHES
CHECK ALL SEAT BELT COMPONENTS
CHECK LIGHTS, WIPERS, TYRE PRESSURE & ALL FLUID LEVELS
CHECK AND RECORD TYRE TREAD DEPTH
DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM: READ OUT FAULT MEMORY
LUBRICATE SUNROOF RAILS,SEALS,CLEAN DRAIN TUBES IF FITTED
CHECK AND ADJUST HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT
COMPLETE ROAD TEST TO MANUFACTURER HANDBOOK
COMPLETE SERVICE STICKER AND ENDORSE MANUAL

3rd year/45,000kms.
COMPLETE SERVICE TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION
REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
ENGINE DRIVE BELT : CHECK CONDITION
CHECK COOLING SYSTEM
CHECK AIR CLEANER ELEMENT
CHECK BATTERY CONDITION AND FLUID LEVEL
CHECK EXHAUST SYSTEM
CHECK ALL FLUID LEVELS
CHECK STEERING & SUSPENSION COMPONENTS
CHECK FRONT AND REAR BRAKES
CHECK & ADJUST PARKING BRAKE
LUBRICATE LOCKS, HINGES & LATCHES
CHECK ALL SEAT BELT COMPONENTS
CHECK LIGHTS, WIPERS, TYRE PRESSURE & ALL FLUID LEVELS
DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM: READ OUT FAULT MEMORY
CHECK AND ADJUST HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT
RESET SERVICE INTERVAL INDICATOR
COMPLETE ROAD TEST TO MANUFACTURER HANDBOOK
COMPLETE SERVICE STICKER AND ENDORSE MANUAL

4th year/60,000kms.
COMPLETE SERVICE TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION
REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
REPLACE BRAKE FLUID
ENGINE DRIVE BELT : CHECK CONDITION
CHECK COOLING SYSTEM
CHECK AIR CLEANER ELEMENT
CHECK BATTERY CONDITION AND FLUID LEVEL
REPLACE POLLEN FILTER
CHECK EXHAUST SYSTEM
CHECK ALL FLUID LEVELS
CHECK STEERING & SUSPENSION COMPONENTS
CHECK FRONT AND REAR BRAKES
CHECK & ADJUST PARKING BRAKE
LUBRICATE LOCKS, HINGES & LATCHES
CHECK ALL SEAT BELT COMPONENTS
CHECK LIGHTS, WIPERS, TYRE PRESSURE & ALL FLUID LEVELS
CHECK AND RECORD TYRE TREAD DEPTH
DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM: READ OUT FAULT MEMORY
LUBRICATE SUNROOF RAILS,SEALS,CLEAN DRAIN TUBES IF FITTED
CHECK AND ADJUST HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT
COMPLETE ROAD TEST TO MANUFACTURER HANDBOOK
COMPLETE SERVICE STICKER AND ENDORSE MANUAL

5th year/75,000kms.
COMPLETE SERVICE TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION
REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
ENGINE DRIVE BELT : CHECK CONDITION
CHECK COOLING SYSTEM
CHECK AIR CLEANER ELEMENT
CHECK BATTERY CONDITION AND FLUID LEVEL
CHECK EXHAUST SYSTEM
CHECK ALL FLUID LEVELS
CHECK STEERING & SUSPENSION COMPONENTS
CHECK FRONT AND REAR BRAKES
CHECK & ADJUST PARKING BRAKE
LUBRICATE LOCKS, HINGES & LATCHES
CHECK ALL SEAT BELT COMPONENTS
CHECK LIGHTS, WIPERS, TYRE PRESSURE & ALL FLUID LEVELS
DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM: READ OUT FAULT MEMORY
CHECK AND ADJUST HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT
RESET SERVICE INTERVAL INDICATOR
COMPLETE ROAD TEST TO MANUFACTURER HANDBOOK
COMPLETE SERVICE STICKER AND ENDORSE MANUAL


Take away the checks and what do we have?


$315 - 1st year/15,000kms.
REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
LUBRICATE LOCKS, HINGES & LATCHES
CHECK AND ADJUST HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT
RESET SERVICE INTERVAL INDICATOR
COMPLETE ROAD TEST TO MANUFACTURER HANDBOOK
COMPLETE SERVICE STICKER AND ENDORSE MANUAL

$387 - 2nd year/30,000kms.
REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
REPLACE BRAKE FLUID
REPLACE POLLEN FILTER
CHECK & ADJUST PARKING BRAKE
LUBRICATE LOCKS, HINGES & LATCHES
LUBRICATE SUNROOF RAILS,SEALS,CLEAN DRAIN TUBES IF FITTED
CHECK AND ADJUST HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT
COMPLETE ROAD TEST TO MANUFACTURER HANDBOOK
COMPLETE SERVICE STICKER AND ENDORSE MANUAL

$644 - 3rd year/45,000kms.
REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
CHECK & ADJUST PARKING BRAKE
LUBRICATE LOCKS, HINGES & LATCHES
CHECK AND ADJUST HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT
COMPLETE ROAD TEST TO MANUFACTURER HANDBOOK
COMPLETE SERVICE STICKER AND ENDORSE MANUAL

$786 - 4th year/60,000kms.
REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
REPLACE BRAKE FLUID
REPLACE POLLEN FILTER
CHECK & ADJUST PARKING BRAKE
LUBRICATE LOCKS, HINGES & LATCHES
LUBRICATE SUNROOF RAILS,SEALS,CLEAN DRAIN TUBES IF FITTED
CHECK AND ADJUST HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT
COMPLETE ROAD TEST TO MANUFACTURER HANDBOOK
COMPLETE SERVICE STICKER AND ENDORSE MANUAL

$495 - 5th year/75,000kms.
REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
ENGINE DRIVE BELT : CHECK CONDITION
CHECK & ADJUST PARKING BRAKE
LUBRICATE LOCKS, HINGES & LATCHES
CHECK AND ADJUST HEADLAMP ALIGNMENT
COMPLETE ROAD TEST TO MANUFACTURER HANDBOOK
COMPLETE SERVICE STICKER AND ENDORSE MANUAL



It’s interesting to note the difference between the 2nd year and 4th year.
$399 *more* for what is listed as exactly the same service. More than double the cost of the 2nd year.

The 1st and 3rd year are just as fun.
$329 *more* for the same thing, also more than double.

One of the people I spoke to on the phone when obtaining this information commented, “we don’t get many people paying up front.”

Anyone game to comment?
To add insult to injury, the EA888 engine used in the Superb 162 and 206 has a toothed chain-driven double overhead camshaft.

[bego9]

Thanks for the above bluesup.
Just to add on.
The service for 162TSI is a bit different on the third year

The capped price servicing portion of the site lists the following service costs for comparison.
valid to 31 Dec 2016
12 months - $315
24 months - $387
36 months - $495
48 months - $786
60 months - $495
Total 3 yrs $1197
Total 5 yrs $2478

Skoda service pack for 3 yrs $1299
Skoda service pack for 5 yrs $2650

So if you just want to service only then currently it is cheaper than the service pack (provided there is no increases in the cap service in the future).

[2009fsi]

bluesup.
Thanks for putting the work into gathering the info & your analysis. Your breakdown is worth retaining, bluesup.
Practically each service does little more than changes fluids & filters, lubricate the hinges. What you get is basically a hedge contract on prices of labour, the filters & oil. A lot of the checking is where they'll sting you. The parts deemed to be 'wear & tear' which will empty your wallet. That's what all the checking is about. "Find stuff we can bill them for."

What I'd like to see is the really service instruction which says "Change brake pads at XXkms, (no matter whether they need it, or not)" This was certainly the case in the past.

Service plans also lock owners into propriety servicing where the conflict of interest between what is needed & parts sales add to the bottom line for the dealer & VAG/Skoda. They also allows VAG/Skoda the opportunity to bury updates which might otherwise demand recalls. As my mechanic mate said, "They're going the same way as Merc & BMW, strangling service information to make independent servicing near impossible." Basic information like the capacity of the sump is no longer provided. Nor does the service book tell you anything about the details of service, as they did for the 3T series.

I have real problems with 15,000kms / 1 year servicing intervals. I don't believe this is anything more than the minimum they can get away with while the car is under warranty. It feeds planned obsolescence.

I will add to that, State Roads departments which deem it unnecessary to have cars to be inspected for roadworthiness for the first five years. Some people/businesses will just drive cars into the ground. By the time they need to be inspected for road worthiness, they're already death traps best consigned to the wreckers yard. My son-in-law is a classic example. He runs 60,000kms a year onto his Lexus, travelling to & from work & business needs. He gets it serviced every 6 months. The car is mechanically clapped out, but it won't need a road worthiness inspection, until next year! By then, it'll probably have close to 300,000ks on the clock. Would you buy a car with 300,000ks on the clock? Me neither.
;

[blueSup]

Winner winner chicken dinner or gearbox or diff

Thank you to the the kind Miss H at the dealership who dug a little deeper into the questions I had. She even put me on the phone with Mr A from servicing and we got to the bottom of the differences.

Year 3 adds in the fluids from the Haldex diff (4x4 model).
Year 4 adds in the gearbox oil as it’s a wet clutch 6 speed DSG.
The belt refers to the ancillary belt driving the water pump, air conditioning, and alternator.

And yes, it is all fluids (mostly) and a few checks, plus the hourly time of the apprentice (mostly).
2009fsi comments that a care pack is a hedge against future prices going up. Exactly.
I never did like hedges. Always scratchy and take a lot of maintenance. Nor Benson and Hedges. Yuck. Smokers.
And I don’t really understand hedge funds.
So will I take a care pack? That comes down to the maths and the interest I’d earn on keeping the money in an account for the same period. Will the interest earned minus fees and tax keep up with inflation plus Skoda/VAG tax?
Care to hedge your bets?

[Sunkist]

every 2 years the air filter will be changed aswell. and the spark plugs at 60k

[blueSup]

A Visitation!

The Customer Experience Ambassador from Orbiting Skoda HQ visited my email in-box.

The CEA advised me that my page references about the use of wax on the paint were incorrect and also provided me with the correct ones.
In their words, “Waxing the paintwork is recommended and waxing ‘matt painted parts’ and plastic parts in(sic) not recommended.”

Being the jovial man I am, I pointed out that they were working from the superseded manual that contained no clashing information. They now have a link to obtain the current one from, and a PDF of the pages in question with nice pink highlights to attract their attention.

Oddly, I’ve had no further reply. What’s the orbiting period of Orbiting Skoda HQ? Perhaps they only have line-of-sight comms?

[2009fsi]

A "Customer Experience Ambassador", bluesup? Me think a rare breed, possibly emerging from the swamp, just for you & already endangered. One wonders what the KPIs might be. Hosing down 'unhelpful' forum comments, possibly?

Your highlighting of the contradictions in the manual also brings into question the appropriateness of the very lucrative dealer flogged 'paint protection' products. Perhaps this is why you've been visited by that formerly undiscovered species from Skoda.

My reading of the manual, & I can't be sure it will be the same as the version supplied with your car, indicates Skoda thinks you shouldn't do more than wash it & even then, lists ingredients which must not be in your 'shampoo'.

This highlights the biggest problem one has as a Skoda owner, getting accurate or even consistent information about your vehicle. I think the situation is, neither Skoda Australia or dealers know. I really do think Australia is probably the least supported Skoda market in their network. I've had a survey from the dealer, but so far it appears Skoda doesn't have any interest in my experience with their top of the range vehicle, or for that matter, even know I exist. Meanwhile, my neighbour is being deluged with 'care' after buying his new Ford Mustang. Quite a contrast.