Skoda brand image

digitaldr

Skoda - proud sponsors of Daniel and Majella's B&B Road Trip - I kid you not!

colm_mcm

Some geriatric that sounds like the wise old elf doing their radio ads too.

digitaldr

In fairness it's not a bad show.

me_right_one

Or a bad car!

digitaldr

and I'm sure Daniel's not a bad singer if you like that sort of thing!

CalamariFritti

I'd say it's well in line with the Skoda brand image. As in middle aged to older folks with a few bob - not too many bobs but defny not bottom end - who aren't too much into looks or sporty but want value for money and practicality above all. Sensible people. People who wouldn't turn the immersion on for too long.

milhous

Balls, I was just in looking at the Octavia vrs yesterday! At the minute it's passat highline with sportspack and Rline kit -v- vrs with a few bits and bobs...

What do you think of Skoda image overall nvm current sponsorship contracts!?

I should add that the attraction for the vrs is the extra 100+ bhp.

exaisle

In terms of bang for the buck, I think it's hard to match the Skoda....but I'd take a serious look at the Superb if I were you...

tossy

Isn't that Skodas target audience ? Smart marketing.

wersal gummage

Skoda image across certain parts of Europe = taxi. Not sure in Ireland? I guess in parts of Europe there are stricter laws on age of taxi vehicles, so in places where taxis are relatively new, I've noticed they are 90% skoda.

I'd drive one myself no problem but it would be for practicality, not wanting one!

digitaldr

CalamariFritti wrote: »

I'd say it's well in line with the Skoda brand image. As in middle aged to older folks with a few bob - not too many bobs but defny not bottom end - who aren't too much into looks or sporty but want value for money and practicality above all. Sensible people. People who wouldn't turn the immersion on for too long.

Are you Don Draper?

bazz26

I don't think Skoda has an image problem despite the sponsorship of some questionable tv programms. They are certainly not a budget brand these days and don't offer the same bang for your bucks that they did years ago when they were trying to shake off the VW budget brand image either.

Spec any of these cars up and you're into serious money. For example a Superb 2.0 150bhp Style is nearly the same price as a Passat 2.0 150bhp Highline Business Edition, both having nearly the same spec.

JoeA3

I think there are other brands in the VAG stable that have greater image / positioning problems than Skoda. SEAT for sure.

.........

Skoda - for people who are too snobby to have a plastic VW/Audi/Seat badge on the front of their shared parts bin car, but who still like to pay over the odds for their cars.

newacc2015

......... wrote: »

Skoda - for people who are too snobby to have a plastic VW/Audi badge on the front, but who still like to pay over the odds for their car.

Skodas are for people who want a VW group car without the problems. Audis are some of the most troublesome cars. VW can be a bit hit and miss. Skodas are extremely well made with few problems

There is another thread on boards with people driving Skodas with 700k miles! Try getting that out of an Audi

pablo128

newacc2015 wrote: »

Skodas are for people who want a VW group car without the problems. Audis are some of the most troublesome cars. VW can be a bit hit and miss. Skodas are extremely well made with few problems

There is another thread on boards with people driving Skodas with 700k miles! Try getting that out of an Audi

???? They are made from exactly the same parts! Same quality, made in the same factory, so how is one VAG brand vastly more reliable than another?

.........

pablo128 wrote: »

???? They are made from exactly the same parts! Same quality, made in the same factory, so how is one VAG brand vastly more reliable than another?

They've always been one of the most hit and miss overrated overpriced brands in the world, and They've always lived off the quite few and far between reliable models reputations.

mloc123

pablo128 wrote: »

???? They are made from exactly the same parts! Same quality, made in the same factory, so how is one VAG brand vastly more reliable than another?

I do think there is some truth to this...

R&D is mostly done and released on new Audis... These features and parts trickle down slowly over the following years to VW, Skoda and Seat. Meaning that they have 2-3 years of real life testing and refining before being used on the other brands.

I can see how Audi would have a higher fail rate as a result but the other brands which are slower to get cutting edge technologies don't.

H.E. Pennypacker

pablo128 wrote: »

???? They are made from exactly the same parts! Same quality, made in the same factory, so how is one VAG brand vastly more reliable than another?

Its not as simple as that - different car models stress the same components in different ways. In addition, even with the same car model, different factories build to different standards even though they're using the same parts. An example is the Mk4 VW Golf - the South African built models sold into the UK & Ireland were noticeably more troublesome than European built models.

pablo128

H.E. Pennypacker wrote: »

Its not as simple as that - different car models stress the same components in different ways. In addition, even with the same car model, different factories build to different standards even though they're using the same parts. An example is the Mk4 VW Golf - the South African built models sold into the UK & Ireland were noticeably more troublesome than European built models.

Yeah. South Africa. You know they were still making the mk1 Golf there until 2009?
And if different VW factories are making the same part to different standards, then VW have a very serious quality control issue.

GustavoFring

newacc2015 wrote: »

Skodas are for people who want a VW group car without the problems. Audis are some of the most troublesome cars. VW can be a bit hit and miss. Skodas are extremely well made with few problems

There is another thread on boards with people driving Skodas with 700k miles! Try getting that out of an Audi

Absolute complete and utter nonsense. And I own a Skoda.

H.E. Pennypacker

pablo128 wrote: »

And if different VW factories are making the same part to different standards, then VW have a very serious quality control issue.

Most of the more complex parts aren't made by VW but like I said, the same cars using the same parts but assembled in different factories have very different reliability records. The same applies to different VAG marques, same parts, cars built in different factories and with different reliability records.

Casati

I think Skoda has an issue with pricing now - a decent Superb with leather, auto, 2.0 diesel is heading towards mid 40's, even a well spec'd Fabia with a/c as standard is generally north of 20k.

They have the name for economic reliable cars but now Im on my second Superb I can't agree they are faultless - also I fear some of the models are falling behind similar class alternatives when it comes to standard spec - e.g. ambition Superb only has cloth seats where previous model had half leather/ alcantara as standard

I was pricing up a new Superb and ultimately once you spec a few extra's, it was coming in more expensive than a Passat with same engine/ spec. To rich for my tastes and think I'll be looking other brands next time round

.........

Casati wrote: »

I think Skoda has an issue with pricing now - a decent Superb with leather, auto, 2.0 diesel is heading towards mid 40's, even a well spec'd Fabia with a/c as standard is generally north of 20k.

They have the name for economic reliable cars but now Im on my second Superb I can't agree they are faultless - also I fear some of the models are falling behind similar class alternatives when it comes to standard spec - e.g. ambition Superb only has cloth seats where previous model had half leather/ alcantara as standard

I was pricing up a new Superb and ultimately once you spec a few extra's, it was coming in more expensive than a Passat with same engine/ spec. To rich for my tastes and think I'll be looking other brands next time round

Skoda have worked out that ironically inverted snobs that love skodas are willing to pay over the odds to pretend they can't afford another make.

JohnBoy26

H.E. Pennypacker wrote: »

Most of the more complex parts aren't made by VW but like I said, the same cars using the same parts but assembled in different factories have very different reliability records. The same applies to different VAG marques, same parts, cars built in different factories and with different reliability records.

If there is a common problem with one of these brands it's usually common in the rest of the group also. The bxe engine failures foe example.

I find vw's cars to have more attention to detail and on older vw's(not sure about the newer models)some important features that are missing on the skodas and seats.

JohnBoy26

newacc2015 wrote: »

Skodas are for people who want a VW group car without the problems. Audis are some of the most troublesome cars. VW can be a bit hit and miss. Skodas are extremely well made with few problems

There is another thread on boards with people driving Skodas with 700k miles! Try getting that out of an Audi

All of the vag group cars usually have the same common problems across the range(including skoda) as the share the same underpinnings and running gear in most cases.

CalamariFritti

digitaldr wrote: »

Are you Don Draper?

Haha I wish.

Yamanoto

Saw Bradley Wiggins doing ads for 'em in the UK, though they may give that one a rethink, given the recent revelations concerning himself & Team Sky.

AMKC

Skodas are more reliable because they are less complicated than there other cousins. As someone said Audi get the latest technology first then VW then Skoda and Seat. They are not all made in the same factories do. The Octavia is built in a factory in the Czech Republic. VWs are built in Spain, Africa and Germany, Seats in Spain and Germany.
The engines in the Skodas and Seats are not as complicated as the ones in the Audi,s and VWs but that does not mean that they are not complicated and faults can happen.

JohnBoy26

AMKC wrote: »

Skodas are more reliable because they are less complicated than there other cousins. As someone said Audi get the latest technology first then VW then Skoda and Seat. They are not all made in the same factories do. The Octavia is built in a factory in the Czech Republic. VWs are built in Spain, Africa and Germany, Seats in Spain and Germany.
The engines in the Skodas and Seats are not as complicated as the ones in the Audi,s and VWs but that does not mean that they are not complicated and faults can happen.

They use exactly the same engines.

.........

Yamanoto wrote: »

Saw Bradley Wiggins doing ads for 'em in the UK, though they may give that one a rethink, given the recent revelations concerning himself & Team Sky.

not really as VAG are good at faking emissions tests while projecting a clean image