Octavia RS better than Cupra!

[Xizor]

This'll get you going for sure!

Had a look at a Skoda Octavia RS the other day and I've got to say that the build quality and finish (especially interior) was far better than Seat. Didn't drive it but I guess thay are much the same, might give it a go.

Shame about the image problem. Sad though it is I don't think I could live with the constant excuses and sniggers!

Any opinions. Be truthful now.

Cheers,
Xizor*

*real name witheld to protect the innocent.

 

[Toonman]

Octavia RS

Must've improved then. This time last year, I tried the RS and thought the Leon Cupra was the better car - build included. I'm sure last month's What Car said the Skoda's interior looked, "jaded and low rent".

You're right about the image problem though, but most Seat drivers get used to it, and ignore the "sniggers"...

 

[Neil82]

Toonman ill give you £11,000 for your "Bug Eye" Imprezza hehhehe.

 

[Toonman]

£11,000

Neil

Why would I possibly want to sell?

 

[Toonman]

Oh and it's IMPREZA...

 

[Toonman]

And Neil, if you're looking for one, good luck at finding an 8 week old WRX for £11K...

 

[Kentboy]

You're right about the image problem though, but most Seat drivers get used to it, and ignore the "sniggers"...

I read it that he was worried about the image of the Skoda!! Interesting tho' as most people I tell that I'm getting a new "Seat Leon Cupra" look at me with a blank expression rather than snigger!!

What Car said the Skoda's interior looked, "jaded and low rent".

I must admit I read this too and it reflected my opinion. I just couldn't have that huge green monster eye-balling me from the steering wheel every where I went. The interior was just a little naff for my tastes. Nice car with a good road presence,just a shame its a Skoda for many reasons - IMHO, with or without sniggers!

 

[Toonman]

worried about the image of the Skoda

It was tongue in cheek, hence the

On a serious note though, I'm not sure why many Seat owners worry about the image of Skodas. Seat have hardly been known for quality over the years. Most of the General Public either don't know what they, are or remember them as those rusty, nasty little Spanish "Fiats", but without the reliability of the Italian product...

When I bought a Leon Cupra, friends and colleagues gave me sympathetic looks. One even said they hadn't realised things were so bad financially... Seat UK need to do some serious marketing if they want to rise from the depths of cult manufacturer. Those damned, cheap and nasty TV ads don't help!

 

[ZBOYD]

hadn't realised things were so bad financially...

They are obviously not friends, and are cheeky *******s, id of laid someone out if they said that to me.

SEAT's are not that cheap a car. I dont call £18k cheap, its bags better than some much more expensive cars in the bracket.

I think its a really snobby attitude that, people like that are probably into one upmanship, and have vast amounts of debts and over burdened credit cards themselves, and are in fact probably in finacial trouble themselves

Each to their own, at the end of the day, if your lucky enough to afford more expensive cars, sometimes inferior too, then good on them, but dont make assumptions based on what people drive.

OOh im so angry i could crush a grape :head:

People like that need a good slapping

 

[Toonman]

SEAT's are not that cheap a car

That's my point though Mark. It's all about perceived value! Most don't see Seat as anything other than a cheap brand... We've all discussed the ads and when Seat UK stick rubbish out like that on TV, do you blame members of the General Public? I don't. Seat UK have the problem, not the Public.

 

[Toonman]

And no, the person that made the comment wasn't a friend. She was taking great delight in the fact I no longer had the Scooby and saw the Seat as a step backwards.

She is not party to my financial circumstances, and has made no mention of the arrival of the WRX. Likewise, I failed to remark on the appearance of her "new" L Reg (circa 1993), Fiat Punto...

I know you didn't mean that you'd lay, "someone out", as I suspect you're like me, the none violent type. People can be so rude can't they?

 

[Xizor]

OK so Seat haven't got such a great image either but at least not many people have even heard of them. EVERYONE has heard of Skoda and can probably recite a Skoda joke or two.
I still say the Skoda RS is a better made car but the new Cupra is more tasteful.
Car makers never seem able to shake off there bad image earned years ago. Even modern Alfa Romeo's still remind me of my old rusty unreliable Alfasud's.

Cheers,
Xizor.

 

[ZBOYD]

I personally don't base a potential car on image, only in the respect of my own personal taste, in that I mean I do i like the image of the car, but i dont care what others think of it, whether that be a SEAT or a less expensive or more expensive car.

I make my own decisions based on my own ideas of what i want and like in and about a car, i think everyone should base their car buying decisions on that.

I hate the present SEAT ads, they are fairly tacky and cheap, but then when i chose a SEAT, or any of my other cars ive owned, its been my own personal preference that has steered me towards it, not an advert.

 

[LDoR]

Well, Xizor, thats your opinion, and fair enough. To me there are alot of sililarities between the interior of the Leon and the Octavia, but to me the Leon is closer to the look of the Audi and to me has an element of class that just isn't present in the Octavia (nothing to do with badges, it's just the way the car looks).

As for the SEAT v Skoda argument. Well, i'd never really heard much about SEATs until quite recently in my life when i was introduced to the last version of the Ibiza. However, i've known about Skoda for ages through a school joke that went like this.

'Why are Skoda factories built on top of hills?............ So that you can't push it back up when it breaks down'


I've heard stories about engines falling out from them and other horrible things but never a bad word about SEAT.

Skoda had a stronger image as a bad car manufacturer than did SEAT so i am now branded against them and getting rid of this image is going to be a hard task for Skoda no matter how good their cars.

And in all honstey, i don't like the look of the Skodas either, i just hate that front grill design.

 

[Neil82]

Originally posted by Toonman
And Neil, if you're looking for one, good luck at finding an 8 week old WRX for £11K...

Hehehe nah id rather just buy a MY99 or 00 for £11,000 and get a faster and better looking car I was just saying that with the new Impreza coming out I wouldn't like to see what the ugly bug eyes will go for! The new one has a better interior, handling, more hp and looks so much better.

Anyway for £11,000 I could get a nearly new 172 or Clio Cup which has better handling and is faster. Flame suite on (sorry this forum is dead and needs a good argument)

 

[mark sheerin]

Octravia RS vs Leon Cupra

Parked next to a Octavia RS and decided to have a ganders inside and was shocked to see how grubby the white panels in the seats had become.

Nearest description would be a childs pushchair.

Wether this guy was a slob or wether these panels get grubby anyway I don't know.

Looked bad enough to put all thoughts of getting one out of my mind.



Any Octavia RS owners have any more light to shed on this subject.

 

[vibrio]

Re: worried about the image of the Skoda

Originally posted by Toonman
Most of the General Public either don't know what they, are or remember them as those rusty, nasty little Spanish "Fiats", but without the reliability of the Italian product...

if that was not quite true I would be most upset FIAT have improved though like most cars makes have

 

[Toonman]

The new one

Neil

The new one has an almost identical interior, may or may not have better handling, has 7bhp more (gosh...), and in the opinion of those who posted in here last week, doesn't look better...

I knew it was arriving in May and it didn't stop me buying in mid August. Glad I did. Best car I've ever had and I just love it. Love the build and reliability, love the way it looks, love the performance, love the handling, love the interior space etc etc.

As for residuals? Can't see it making much difference - never has in the past, and I've traded 3 Impreza Turbos in, each time when there'd been a new model out. Still, with you owning a Nissan Primera, you'll know all about lousy residuals...

I quite like the new Primera mind - went out to Colorado to photograph it back in February 2001. A very enjoyable assignment.

 

[Neil82]

Re: The new one

Originally posted by Toonman
Neil

The new one has an almost identical interior, may or may not have better handling, has 7bhp more (gosh...), and in the opinion of those who posted in here last week, doesn't look better...

I knew it was arriving in May and it didn't stop me buying in mid August. Glad I did. Best car I've ever had and I just love it. Love the build and reliability, love the way it looks, love the performance, love the handling, love the interior space etc etc.

As for residuals? Can't see it making much difference - never has in the past, and I've traded 3 Impreza Turbos in, each time when there'd been a new model out. Still, with you owning a Nissan Primera, you'll know all about lousy residuals...

I quite like the new Primera mind - went out to Colorado to photograph it back in February 2001. A very enjoyable assignment.

Yeah I know about depreciation but I used it to my advantage The new Primera is "different" pitty they never released the 200 hp VVT one in the UK! Evo mag tested it and said it was brilliant but we will never see it! Just like the Primera T-EV P11 (same type of Primer as my Sri) which had a 2.0L 190hp VVT engine

Back to the thread, I really like the Skoda RS but compared to a MY2003 Cupra Id have the Cupra everytime.

 

[Toonman]

have the Cupra everytime

Well we agree on one thing then Neil. I thought the Cupra was a much better package than the Skoda, that's why I bought one. Nothing to do with image or lack of.