RugbyRebels

Makes you wonder what we're exporting to the Czechs in exchange. Bet it's Aluminium cladding.
Although, weren't Skoda's pretty much indestructible. Even when the jokes were popular they were basic but solid. You army boys usually like that sort of thing.

There's no shame in an Octavia these days but a Fabia.......
Buy an Octavia, Passat or an A4 and you're progressively paying over the odds for a badge and a slightly more refined interior but you have a decent, respectable car whichever you choose. The same can not be said with regards a a Fabia v Golf and A3.

Mellsblue wrote:There's no shame in an Octavia these days but a Fabia.......
Buy an Octavia, Passat or an A4 and you're progressively paying over the odds for a badge and a slightly more refined interior but you have a decent, respectable car whichever you choose. The same can not be said with regards a a Fabia v Golf and A3.

That's because you are talking about different classes of car. The Fabia is the Polo equivalent, not the Golf/A3 equivalent.
In any case for VAG group cars in the Golf class, I would go with the SEAT Leon every time.

Stones of granite wrote:The Fabia is the Polio equivalent ...

Fixed that for you. Travelling in a Fabia carries the same social stigma as having a communicable disease.

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:

Stones of granite wrote:The Fabia is the Polio equivalent ...

Fixed that for you. Travelling in a Fabia carries the same social stigma as having a communicable disease.

Try a Dacia. I think you actually have to ring a bell as you drive.

Stones of granite wrote:

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:

Stones of granite wrote:The Fabia is the Polio equivalent ...

Fixed that for you. Travelling in a Fabia carries the same social stigma as having a communicable disease.

Try a Dacia. I think you actually have to ring a bell as you drive.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... -who-warns

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:

Stones of granite wrote:

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:
Fixed that for you. Travelling in a Fabia carries the same social stigma as having a communicable disease.

Try a Dacia. I think you actually have to ring a bell as you drive.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... -who-warns

https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... tudy-finds

Stones of granite wrote:

Mellsblue wrote:There's no shame in an Octavia these days but a Fabia.......
Buy an Octavia, Passat or an A4 and you're progressively paying over the odds for a badge and a slightly more refined interior but you have a decent, respectable car whichever you choose. The same can not be said with regards a a Fabia v Golf and A3.

That's because you are talking about different classes of car. The Fabia is the Polo equivalent, not the Golf/A3 equivalent.
In any case for VAG group cars in the Golf class, I would go with the SEAT Leon every time.

Seat's are great, they just have that bit of vim along with the engineering quality of a VW and the price of a Skoda. I'd take an Ibiza over any of Fabia, Polo or A1 every day. As for Leon's I'm getting a new Leon a week on Monday and couldn't agree more!

Stones of granite wrote:

Mellsblue wrote:There's no shame in an Octavia these days but a Fabia.......
Buy an Octavia, Passat or an A4 and you're progressively paying over the odds for a badge and a slightly more refined interior but you have a decent, respectable car whichever you choose. The same can not be said with regards a a Fabia v Golf and A3.

That's because you are talking about different classes of car. The Fabia is the Polo equivalent, not the Golf/A3 equivalent.
In any case for VAG group cars in the Golf class, I would go with the SEAT Leon every time.

Pedant. Regardless, we all just get to chuckle at Serj.

Hey now! I told ye, they swapped it.

It's definitely an upgrade.

kk67 wrote:Makes you wonder what we're exporting to the Czechs in exchange. Bet it's Aluminium cladding.
Although, weren't Skoda's pretty much indestructible. Even when the jokes were popular they were basic but solid. You army boys usually like that sort of thing.

Back in the day when the RAC Rally was a real test of man and machine, Skoda won the under 1300cc class 17 years' running. So yeah, they were pretty bombproof despite all the jokes.

onlynameleft wrote:

kk67 wrote:Makes you wonder what we're exporting to the Czechs in exchange. Bet it's Aluminium cladding.
Although, weren't Skoda's pretty much indestructible. Even when the jokes were popular they were basic but solid. You army boys usually like that sort of thing.

Back in the day when the RAC Rally was a real test of man and machine, Skoda won the under 1300cc class 17 years' running. So yeah, they were pretty bombproof despite all the jokes.

Talbot Sunbeams also had rally success, but the normal road version remained a heap of shite.

Stones of granite wrote:

onlynameleft wrote:

kk67 wrote:Makes you wonder what we're exporting to the Czechs in exchange. Bet it's Aluminium cladding.
Although, weren't Skoda's pretty much indestructible. Even when the jokes were popular they were basic but solid. You army boys usually like that sort of thing.

Back in the day when the RAC Rally was a real test of man and machine, Skoda won the under 1300cc class 17 years' running. So yeah, they were pretty bombproof despite all the jokes.

Talbot Sunbeams also had rally success, but the normal road version remained a heap of shite.

The Talbot Sunbeam Lotus won the WRC before the Quattro took over but we were getting close to the days of Group B then when the rally cars bore little resemblance, other than physical, and later none at all, to the roadgoing versions. It was an homologation special basically and far removed from the (shite) family hatchback of similar name. Good ones go for well over £30k these days.
The Skodas were more or less entirely standard save for roll cage and tyres.
Although In any case I was referring to a point about them being 'solid' rather than great.

onlynameleft wrote:

Stones of granite wrote:

onlynameleft wrote:
Back in the day when the RAC Rally was a real test of man and machine, Skoda won the under 1300cc class 17 years' running. So yeah, they were pretty bombproof despite all the jokes.

Talbot Sunbeams also had rally success, but the normal road version remained a heap of shite.

The Talbot Sunbeam Lotus won the WRC before the Quattro took over but we were getting close to the days of Group B then when the rally cars bore little resemblance, other than physical, and later none at all, to the roadgoing versions. It was an homologation special basically and far removed from the (shite) family hatchback of similar name. Good ones go for well over £30k these days.
The Skodas were more or less entirely standard save for roll cage and tyres.
Although In any case I was referring to a point about them being 'solid' rather than great.

Sure, I take your point, but there is a lot more to a car being a good car than racing performance.

Stones of granite wrote:

onlynameleft wrote:

Stones of granite wrote: Talbot Sunbeams also had rally success, but the normal road version remained a heap of shite.

The Talbot Sunbeam Lotus won the WRC before the Quattro took over but we were getting close to the days of Group B then when the rally cars bore little resemblance, other than physical, and later none at all, to the roadgoing versions. It was an homologation special basically and far removed from the (shite) family hatchback of similar name. Good ones go for well over £30k these days.
The Skodas were more or less entirely standard save for roll cage and tyres.
Although In any case I was referring to a point about them being 'solid' rather than great.

Sure, I take your point, but there is a lot more to a car being a good car than racing performance.

I agree although that seems apropos of nothing as I have never suggested the Skodas of old were 'good' cars, merely that they were extremely reliable and to be fair the majority of their rally wins were like the hair and the tortoise (although the rear engined layouts did help for rallying if not for general motor car use).

onlynameleft wrote:

kk67 wrote:Makes you wonder what we're exporting to the Czechs in exchange. Bet it's Aluminium cladding.
Although, weren't Skoda's pretty much indestructible. Even when the jokes were popular they were basic but solid. You army boys usually like that sort of thing.

Back in the day when the RAC Rally was a real test of man and machine, Skoda won the under 1300cc class 17 years' running. So yeah, they were pretty bombproof despite all the jokes.

Not just my imagination. Thanyou, Matey.

VAG's marketing strategy interests me. The placement of VW for the German Mittelstand and it's wider European equivalents as well as the placement of Audi for the aspirational Professional class is obvious. The sporty, Latin image of SEAT is also fairly clearly targeted at the young and young at heart, but Skoda? If you look at the lines of the body panels and hideous badge with it's green- paint beast, you could get the impression that they are deliberately made to look shite. It's almost like a brand too far.

I have often wondered how much autonomy each brand has because you are right and their motorsport strategy is all over the place too. On the road stuff, there is far too much overlap and competition between brands and Skoda has no real 'fit'. It is reminiscent of British Leyland but at least the various VW brands do share parts. If I were in charge I would make Skodas my equestrian and agriculture brand, not entirely utilitarian but more four wheel drive (in the existing models), less of the luxury ones that no one buys, I would have models with washable interiors and I would make something similar to the Audi Allroads (and drop them from the Audi range). The other brands are OK but if Seat is the sporty one they need to run most of their motorsport through that brand.
Mind you they are an enormously successful conglomerate so maybe I am talking out of my hole.

Washable interior....Introducing the all new Skoda Dogger.

If that's what floats your boat. Once you've paid you can do what you like with it.

I drive a Skoda Felchia and you can kiss my ass!

onlynameleft wrote:If that's what floats your boat. Once you've paid you can do what you like with it.

You're my kind of salesman, Fella. Keep going.

It all started when Rugby Rebels moved to that new weird format