Skoda Superb Problems

I'm a fan of the XC60, which still gets The Tick, but you should also consider the Skoda wagon lineup and test drive both the Octavia and Superb as they are from the Volkswagen family but better value.

With local production shutting down the big-car choices are getting fewer and fewer, but right now you can still buy a Calais if that's what you like. You can also buy an equivalent Falcon or Toyota Aurion. There are more expensive cars, from the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi etc. that would suit, but they come with a much higher price tag than a Calais. Others you could try are a Skoda Superb, a Honda Accord V6 Luxury if you're prepared to give up a little in size, and there's also the Chrysler 300C.

It hasn’t been hit, which would be obvious to an experienced eye, and there haven’t been any repairs done to it, so how does Skoda explain that. Your options are to continue pursuing Skoda to repair your car for free, enlist the help of your state consumer affairs people in the hope they might be able to assist you, or pay for it yourself and move on.

"Good will" claims are usually lodged by dealers having assessed the problem with the car, so you need to find a way to break through the barrier that appears to exist at the dealership and resolve the issue at that level. It is a seemingly justifiable claim; the mechatronic unit shouldn't fail on such a new car. You should also ask for a loan car while yours is being repaired. It's unacceptable that you are without transport for three weeks.

If you’re convinced that the problem is a manufacturing or materials fault (rather than the glove-box having been slammed or forced shut) then keep at Skoda until you get a satisfactory result. Having video of the glove-box performing its unwanted trick should help with any convincing you need to do. Don’t bother going back to the same dealer, contact Skoda Australia’s customer service department and go straight to the top.

Don’t be put off by being told that nobody’s ever heard of this problem before, either. It has been raised by other Superb owners on forums, even though we’re yet to hear of it in Australia. In the meantime, here’s something to try for yourself: The next time the glove box falls open of its own accord, instead of shutting it straight away (only for it to open again) wait a few minutes and then try to close it normally. The theory is that the pins you’re talking about that hold the lid closed can be slow to glide into their proper position where they hold the lid closed. Giving them a few minutes to resume their correct position will allow the glove box to be closed and stay closed. If that does the trick, lubricating the pins to allow them to move more freely might be worthwhile. It’s worth a try.

This might sound like an small problem to some, but having a glovebox that falls open into the passenger’s lap is actually a safety issue in the case of a crash.

While I’ll admit that an average fuel consumption figure of 12.4 litres per 100km is high for your car, there are a few things to consider here. By driving just seven kilometres each way to work and back, you’re probably running for half your driving time with an engine that is still warming up. Cold engines use a richer mixture and that means more fuel. Cold starts are a real problem for fuel consumption, and you appear to be driving on a cold engine for a high percentage of your daily run.

The other consideration is your average speed. You say that there’s no stop-start traffic conditions, but if you drive at urban speeds all the way to work, then you need to be looking at the official urban fuel consumption number which is 9.0 litres per 100km (the 7.3 litres figure you’ve quoted is for a mix of urban and highway running).

Even so, 9 litres per 100km is a lot less than 12.4 litres, so maybe there is something going on. Despite your reservations about Skoda’s politics, the best thing to do is to have the car electronically interrogated to see what, if any, fault codes appear. Only then can you really know what’s going on. Are you using the recommended 95-RON fuel? The wrong octane rating (RON) can have an effect on fuel consumption, as can a heavy right foot.

The demand for manual gearboxes is so low today that it’s not worth car companies doing all the compliance work needed when they know they would only sell a handful of cars. You might have to loo at something like a Holden Commodore.

It's hard to give you a definite recommendation, as most cargo measurements are in litres rather than floor length, but I reckon most mid-size wagons and large SUVs would do the job for you. 

Most of these have a flat boot floor with the seats folded, and likely have ample body length for sleeping. 

So Mazda6, Skoda Superb or Ford Mondeo wagons are worth a look, plus large SUVs like the Mazda CX-9, Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe. 

Don't be afraid to try them out for size at the dealers either. You'd certainly test out a mattress before buying right?!