Are you a badge snob?

I have heard that about the old Astras. Blindingly quick on straight lines but somewhat "exciting" on corners :shock: Fortunately newer Astras handle very well, perhaps farmers were getting annoyed at finding them flying through their hedges at silly speeds!

The majority of the ENCAP is to do with protecting those inside the car, the pedestrian rating *was* fairly minor, but seeing as so many cars are getting 4 and 5 stars they are putting more importance on it now. If you think about the construction of a hatchback from 15-20 years ago then it is fairly simple. But now they have structures all over the place to absorb energy and also to add rigidity to stop your legs getting taken off by a door caving in or the engine landing on your lap.

You just have to look at the figures for mass. A small 3 door hatchback such as a Corsa now has a kerbweight of about 1100kg, cars of that class used to weigh somewhere around 800kg. :?

Don't get me wrong, if I had a big smash I would rather it were in a 1500kg ENCAP 5 star car that did 0-60 in 15 seconds, than an 800kg 15 year old car that did it in 7!
 
Adam

About performance, all I know is that the 110 TDi I have is a decent enough performer.

Now imagine a 160 version of the same engine in a much smaller car?

Never mind what other people think of you, if they're only a dot in the RVM?

I have a problem with repman in a std issue vectra turning up their nose at not only a Skoda, but a diesel one in front of them. I just crank up the speed when the guy in front has pulled in, and usually the vectra disappears quickly from view....

Now vectraman has a dilemma. He fancies a Skoda, but can't bring himself to drive one, let alone own one, especially as he will be the laughing stock of the office.

People say to me "If Skoda are that fantastic, why isn't everyone buying them?"
Skoda ownership is only growing slowly, because of resistance to the brand. But the people in the know are laughing, because they are more reliable and better screwed together than most.

Have you made an appointment to drive the new Octavia or the Superb yet, mate??

Don't worry about being recognised - a paper bag with holes will save your blushes! :D
 
OK, I will pop my head into the Skoda dealership at the weekend. I am set to try this out, especially since I got wasted by a Fabia vRS diesel at the weekend :lol:

Funnily enough I had considered taking a test drive of a Vectra SRi as the nearly-new car dealership near my parents has a job lot of 2.2s in, with the initial depreciation kindly taken care of (6 grand in as many months!). But I really don't think I could bring myself to buy a Vectra. Great cars, I have had them as hirecars before, but it isn't really a car for a young bachelor.

Any news on an Octavia cabriolet, like the Audi A4 one? :D
 
No, but if you believe the old jokes, just hire a skip!!!!

Vectra much better now. The chief designer of the interior was filched from Audi, so the interiors look and feel a bit more solid.

Julie had a very early Mk 1 Vectra co. car. - N reg. Diesel, only did 33K, gearbox sh@gged, water leaks whole heap of other more minor troubles... awful!

Still point taken- more of a repmobile & family car than Bachelor's mean machine!

Do try Ibiza in the same afternoon - they are based on same floorpan, but Seat is more youthful looking than the Skoda - don't get me wrong, the Skoda gets good reviews from the likes of WC?, but it is seen as a bit staid in design, and the Ibiza as more a young thing's car.

If price is important, you'll probably get a better deal on the Fabia at 11,500 for the vRS 130 TDi. The 160 Ibiza TDi weighs in at 15,500, a fair bit more!
 
Well you see that is it, I am a miser at heart. So I would probably feel short-changed to buy one car for £x when I could get the same chassis and engine with a diffferent body for £x - quite a lot. Although it would be more a case of "£14K for this sporty top-of-the-range turbo beast but with less desirable badging, or £14K for this bottom of the range VW with plastic wheeltrims".

I like the way a top spec Golf looks, but how a Golf R32 looks is a bit academic when the Golf I would be forced to get would look a bit dull. It's like when you see a BMW 3-series, and it would have looked so nice if they had bought the good wheels. But instead they have the tiddly ones and despite being debadged you KNOW it is a 316i. :cry:

What I will NEVER do though, is pay £20K for a Renault Megane or a Peugeot 307... Those are two cars that are WAY out of their (price) league!
 
Oh dear, I have just found some places that do Skoda tuning. Howsabout the 1.8T Octavia running at 210bhp?

Or a 175bhp Fabia vRS?!

Even a 288bhp Octavia, if you want to spend the money.

Oooooooh dear oh dear! :lol:
 
Adam - can you post a link? I'd like to know what they can do with a 110 TDi....... :twisted:
 
I can't find the links at the moment, but I believe one of them was a company called Jabbasport (website of the same name).

I have just spoken to my local Skoda dealership but I can't do a test-drive this weekend... too young to go out unaccompanied, and they only have one guy in the showroom due to holidays.

Was looking forward to that! :lol:
 
I just read the latest on the new 32 valve skoda, just a shame they're all in the radio....... The old ones are..... well still old :lol:
 
Right - there's another p*ss taker - send him for a test drive, too!!!!

Not that Adam took the mick...

Don't they let 23 yo's out on their own?

Bummer!
 
Skoda, nah, I'm too old, I remember Super Estelles, go on, splash some cash, buy a proper car. :wink:
 
Yeah, so do I, mate. I also remember them p e e i n g all over the competition in the RAC rallies......

Go on, you know you want to. Anyway, with VW behind them, you're infer a very pleasant surprise.

AND the new Octavia is even better than my 02 model....!
 
securespark said:
Yeah, so do I, mate. I also remember them p e e i n g all over the competition in the RAC rallies......
Click to expand...

Never won one, are you thinking about the hill climbing championships where I think skodas have been v strong.

I'm only poking fun at you, I know that skodas are quality cars now, tee hee :wink:

1932 Colonel A H Loughborough (GB) Lanchester 2.5
1933 Miss Kitty Brunell (GB) AC Ace
1934 F R G Spikins (GB) Singer Le Mans
1935 No Classification published
1936 C E A Westcott (GB) Austin Seven
1937 Jack Harrop (GB) Jaguar SS 100
1938 Jack Harrop (GB) Jaguar SS 100
1939 Abiegeg Fane (GB) Frazer-Nash BMW 328
1940-1950 Rally not held
1951 lan Appleyard/Mrs Pat Appleyard (GB) Jaguar XK120
1952 Godfrey lmhof/Mrs Barbara Frayling (GB) Allard-Cadillac J2
1953 lan Appleyard/Mrs Pat Appleyard (GB) Jaguar XK120
1954 John Wailwork/Harold Brooks (GB) Triumph TR2
1955 Jimmy Ray/Bdan Harrocks (GB) Standard Ten
1956 Lyndon Sims/Rupert Jones/Tony Ambrose (GB) Aston Martin DB2
1957 Cancelled (petrol rationing)
1958 Peter Harper/Dr Bill Deane (GB) Sunbeam Rapier
1959 Gerald Burgess/Sam Croft-Pearson (GB) Ford Zephr Six
1960 Eric Carlsson/Stuart Turner (S/GB) Saab 96 (two-stroke)
1961 Eric Carlsson/John Brown (S/GB) Saab 96 (two-stroke)
1962 Eric Carlsson/David Stone (S/GB) Saab 96 (two-stroke)
1963 Tom Trana/Sune Lundstr6m (S) Volvo PV544
1964 Tom Trana/Gunnar Thermaenius (S) Volvo PV544
1965 Rauno Aaltonen/Tony Ambrose (FIN/GB) Austin Mini Cooper S
1966 Bengt Soderstrom/Gunnar Palm (S) Ford Lotus Cortina (Mk2)
67 Cancelled (foot & mouth disease)
1968 Simo Lampinen/John Davenport (FIN/GB) Saab 96 V4
1969 Harry Kallstrom/Gunnar Haggbom (S) Lancia Fulvia 1.6HF
1970 Harry Kallstrom/Gunnar Haggbom (S) Lancia Fulvia 1.6HFS
1971 Stig Blomqvist/Arne Hertz (S) Saab 96 V4
1972 Roger Clark/Tony Mason (GB) Ford Escort RS 1600 (Mk1)
1973 Timo Makinen/Henry Liddon (FIN/GB) Ford Escort RS 1600 (Mk1)
1974 Timo Makinen/Henry Liddon (FIN/GB) Ford Escort RS 1600 (Mk1)
1975 Timo Makinen/Henry Liddon (FIN/GB) Ford Escort RS 1800 (Mk2)
1976 Roger Clark/Stuart Pegg (GB/ZA) Ford Escort RS 1800 (Mk2)
1977 Bjorn Waldegard/Hans Thorszelius (S) Ford Escort RS 1800 (Mk2)
1978 Hannu Mikkola/Arne Hertz (FIN/S) Ford Escort RS (Mk2)
1979 Hannu Mikkola/Arne Hertz (FIN/S) Ford Escort RS (Mk2)
1980 Henri Toivonen/Paul White (FIN/GB) Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
1981 Hannu Mikkola/Arne Hertz (FIN/S) Audi Quattro (A1)
1982 Hannu Mikkola/Arne Hertz (FIN/S) Audi Quattro (A1)
1983 Stig Blomqvist/Bjorn Cederberg (S) Audi Quattro (A1)
1984 Ari Vatanen/Terry Harryman (FIN/GB) Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 (E1)
1985 Henri Toivonen/Neil Wilson (FIN/GB) Lancia Delta S4 (E1)
1986 Timo Salonen/Seppo Harjanne (FIN) Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 (E1)
1987 Juha Kankkunen/Juha Piironen (FIN) Lancia Delta H4 4WD
1988 Markku Alen/Ilkka Kivimaki (FIN) Lancia Delta HF Integrale
1989 Pentti Airikkala/Ronan McNamee (FIN/IRL) Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
1990 Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya (E) Toyota Celica GT-Four
1991 Juha Kankkunen/Juha Piironen (FIN) Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16v
1992 Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya (E) Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
1993 Juha Kankkunen/Nicky Grist (FIN/GB) Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
1994 Colin McRae/Derek Ringer (GB) Subaru Impreza 555
1995 Colin McRae/Derek Ringer (GB) Subaru Impreza 555
1996 Armin Schwarz/Denis Giraudet Toyota Celica GT Four
1997 Colin McRae/Nicky Grist (GB) Subaru Impreza WRC
1998 Richard Burns/Robert Reid (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
1999 Richard Burns/Robert Reid (GB) Subaru Impreza WRC
2000 Richard Burns/Robert Reid (GB) Subaru Impreza WRC
2001 Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautainen (Fin) Peugeot 206 WRC
2002 Petter Solberg/Phil Mills(No/GB) Subaru Impreza WRC
 
securespark said:
Yeah, so do I, mate. I also remember them p e e i n g all over the competition in the RAC rallies......

Go on, you know you want to. Anyway, with VW behind them, you're infer a very pleasant surprise.

AND the new Octavia is even better than my 02 model....!
Click to expand...

But, me old Sparkodia, in the rally championships, they were definitely in a class of their own.

Did I say of or on ?

Joking aside, they were usually at the top of their class !!
Looking at ed's list, remembered I actually saw the fabulous ferrari engined Lancia Stratos on it's final RAC, early hours in Keilder absolutely blinding stuff !! ... good days.
Once in Wales we were walking into a stage and enquired from Hannu Mikkola and his Nav the co-ords for next stage, told us, no problem ... You just had access to the stars in those days.

P
 
Stratos?

That's a blast from the 70's.... fantastic car. Like the Delta was is in the 80's!

Then there was the other one. Was it Blue Stratos? Dreadful a/shave that we all wore and thought we were soooooooooooooo coooooooool.

NOT!
 
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