Having researched enough of not-so-expensive and value-for-money Skoda luxury cars, I wanted to go even further to save my hard-earned money. I wanted to look for a used (2010 model) Skoda Superb Elegance 1.8 TSI MT. I was specifically looking for all the features I wanted in a Skoda and also the features I didn't want or those that I could live without (such as automatic transmission, raw brute power of a V6 engine, diesel fuel etc). This Superb Elegance 1.8 TSI MT fit the bill perfectly.
Kudos to the previous owner who maintained it in a very good condition before passing it on to me (he had developed left shoulder problems and has trouble operating the stick-shift). The most unbelievable thing is that I bought my car for just 35% of the original OTR cost for a luxury car that has done 55, 000 kms in 3.5 years.
The model's name 'Superb' describes the car perfectly.
Now coming to all the dissatisfied Skoda customers, it is unfortunate that such a wonderful manufacturer is getting a very bad rap in India. I believe it is a catch-22 situation. Let me explain: Skoda cars are well-built, but Indian drivers (particularly the professional drivers) don't have the discipline/knowledge in handling an European import that has two sophisticated gearboxes meshed into one unit. Add to this our poor roads and bad traffic. Skoda's 7-speed DSG gearbox goes for a toss when a ruffian driver meddles with the manual operation of the DSG and the car is probably saying "Am I dead and gone to hell? Please don't torture me like this!". And being Indians, we like to blame our mistakes onto the car's design and demand free VIP service from the Skoda dealers. Skoda people probably put their foot down and refuse to dance to the owners' tunes because in a overwhelming majority of the cases, it is the customer or his driver who abused the car.
This cycle probably played out too often with too many DSG gearboxes and the end result is that while owners love their Skodas, they hate the dealers/service centers and get the same scornful treatment in return. This is what I feel about the Skoda brand in India at the moment.
I believe that if the owners never let any professional driver touch their sophisticated DSG-enabled Skoda cars (basically self-driven), none would be complaining.
I for one have become a fan of Skoda design, engineering and sensible pricing.
I will update this review again after 6-months of ownership.
PS: Since I purchased my car from a 2nd owner, I haven't had a chance to see any dealer/service centre. So, my dealer rating is a neutral 3/5 at the moment. This may change after a few service visits next year.
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