Can you elaborate to someone who may be considering the hybrid Grandland? Is your view based on personal experience or what you've read?
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Vehicle discussion. The SUV vs standard types of car.
- Thread starter cactustwirly
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Can you elaborate to someone who may be considering the hybrid Grandland? Is your view based on personal experience or what you've read?
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But if they fit new pads, you get a lifetime warranty of free replacement whilst you own the car. I've taken advantage of this offer - if they say the brakes need replacing on my car, it will be at their cost!
they drive horrid , rattle inside , rubbish gear change typical Peugeot. I have been a mechanic for 20+ years in a main dealership.
you do realise the hybrid starts at something like 38k and you only get 10-20 miles on the battery alone
The blurb quotes 30 miles on battery - probably the theoretical, laboratory-based range. There is a 'business' version of the car which comes in at around £30k
Skoda is easily a better brand than Volvo. Across their range, Skodas are better value for money compared to the equivalent Volvo and have higher owner satisfaction scores.
I wouldn't say modern French cars are unreliable at all either, all of my Dad and I's (eleven in total) have been fine.
cactustwirly
Established Member
Not in my opinion.
Skoda and Volvo serve different markets, Skoda are entry level, and Volvo are a luxury brand. It's like comparing apples and oranges.
But having been in both, I'd choose a Volvo any day of the week!
Yes Volvo's are more expensive than a Skoda, but you get what you pay for, you get a much more comfortable car with a significantly better interior build and feel, overall it's a better car to drive.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
I wouldn't have described Volvo as a luxury marque, they were workmanlike even before Ford owned them. And now they're owned by Geely, I definitely wouldn't! Skoda, on the other hand, have VW engineering behind them, not that German cars are what they were.
Goes to show, if everyone liked the same thing the world would be very boring.
Interesting!
FWIW I had a Crossland recently for about two months when the insurer were messing about getting my Fiesta fixed after a car rolled down a hill into it. It wasn't the worst built car I've ever driven (that accolade goes to a Peugeot 308 pool car I had in one job) but I'm not sure I'd pay actual money for one when there are far better SUV/Crossovers available for similar money.
The Seat Arona was much more impressive, and I almost got one before we went with the Qashqai on space.
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cactustwirly
Established Member
Very strange you say that, my parents have owned quite a few Volvo's they are anything but workmanlike. I know they are owned by Geely, but they seem to have done better with Volvo than Tata with JLR.
The fit and finish on my mum's V40 is significantly better than my Dad's Jaguar without a doubt, Volvo are also one of the only brands to use real leather, the Germans use fake leather now, and JLR definitely do!
In what world is the Skoda Superb or Skoda Kodiaq an entry level car? I was looking at well over £20,000 for brand new base model of the latter.
If you get what you pay for with a Volvo, then why are they lower down than "entry level" Skoda in customer satisfaction surveys? The 2020 Driver Power survey has Skoda in fifth place, with Volvo in tenth two places behind Peugeot. In the same survey in 2019, Skoda was again fifth and Volvo wasn't listed in the top ten.
If you want a premium car where you get what you pay for, then it's Lexus all the way.
Large SUV (by british standards) in being an expensive car shocker. The equivalent car wearing a Seat, VW or Audi badge costs even more than the skoda badged equivalent, and this is the same with any VAG car - taking the electric city car as an example, the skoda starts at £17.5k, the SEAT at £19.8k and the VW at £20.5k
Skodas are very well put together cars and are great value for money in terms of trim and options, you would hope that they'd do well in customer satisfaction. Volvos you are paying more, so you are likely to not be as impressed (not to mention that the sort of person buying a Skoda is more likely to overlook the sort of things that somebody buying a Volvo won't)
At that price, it's still hardly "entry level" is it? Something like the Dacia Duster is what I'd describe as entry level.
Respectfully, I'm not buying that, particularly when premium brand Lexus is consistently at the top of satisfaction surveys.
cactustwirly
Established Member
£20,000 is cheap for a big SUV
The equivalent sized Volvo is about £50k, but then that's competing with the Range Rover, which the Skoda isn't...
Best car manufacturers 2023 | Auto Express
We reveal the UK’s best car brands based on the feedback from car owners who took our 2023 Driver Power survey...
www.autoexpress.co.uk
Anecdotally there are hardly any Lexuses(Lexi?) on the road, there are about 5 Volvos on my street alone...
Customer satisfaction surveys are not everything!
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£20,000 is cheap for a big SUV
The equivalent sized Volvo is about £50k, but then that's competing with the Range Rover, which the Skoda isn't...
Volvo is number 10, the highest premium brand, their competitors Audi and Mercedes are a lot lower than that!Best car manufacturers 2023 | Auto Express
We reveal the UK’s best car brands based on the feedback from car owners who took our 2023 Driver Power survey...
Anecdotally there are hardly any Lexus' on the road, there are about 5 Volvos on my street alone...
Customer satisfaction surveys are not everything!
If you think £26,000 is cheap for a large base model SUV, I despair.
Nice try, but Lexus (first place) is the highest placed premium brand on that list.
Clearly you just can't accept anyone having the audacity to criticise Volvo. At least I can accept people criticising the car manufacturer which I like the most.
LOL The Irony
On Moderation
However, they are both becoming cult cars. The Multipla for it's styling (funnily enough, people are starting to call the facelifted version ugly) and the Avantime for it's rarity.
A Lexus is just a Toyota with a big engine and some leather thrown at it. And that isn't a bad thing at all.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
cactustwirly
Established Member
No that's not true Volvo definitely have their faults, especially when compared to BMWs.
But comparing them to Skoda is ridiculous, it's like comparing Tesco Value to something like Booths, they serve different markets.
Not saying a Skoda is bad, but it's never going to have the quality of a premium brand, it's just not.
The Duster is a whole smaller class compared to the Skoda (compact SUV vs 'SUV') - a fairer comparison would be the Duster to the Karoq. I would also probably say that the Duster is almost sub-entry level as it's that much of a standout in it's class when you look at trim and standard fitment. But of course, this all depends on what you are looking for in a car - the Duster is perfectly adequate if you are after the absolute cheapest SUV that'll get from A to B
nlogax
Established Member
Skodas are reliable and well-built cars with definite luxury features (all thanks to VW), but they're built to suit a particular budget. They're not trying to compete with Volvos, I think that's pretty obvious. You could easily get a Skoda with most of the features of a Volvo in the same size / class, but that price difference widens when you move up in size or class of car.
FWIW most of my cars I've leased or bought from new, and the only one that I had repeated problems with was a Volvo. Including having it sent back for two weeks of investigations under the bonnet to figure why the thing wouldn't get out of limp mode. I'll never buy or lease another Volvo.
FWIW most of my cars I've leased or bought from new, and the only one that I had repeated problems with was a Volvo. Including having it sent back for two weeks of investigations under the bonnet to figure why the thing wouldn't get out of limp mode. I'll never buy or lease another Volvo.
Bobdogs
On Moderation
I drive a sixteen year old Skoda Fabia which cost me £1600 three years ago and averages 57mpg driving mainly on country lanes and is 100% reliable.
My local long established one man (a proper mechanic not a technician) garage has looked after all my cars for the last 25 years. He does charge full price for an MOT but if there is a minor fault he will correct it there and then. I am suspicious of cut price MOT centres and would refer to various Watchdog style programmes that have covered this subject.
I despise SUVs and never give way to them.
Slightly off topic, can you currently buy a car based pick up?
All the new ones are monstrous four wheel drive vehicles with double cabs. Surely there would be a market for a smaller model.(not a Daihatsu)
My local long established one man (a proper mechanic not a technician) garage has looked after all my cars for the last 25 years. He does charge full price for an MOT but if there is a minor fault he will correct it there and then. I am suspicious of cut price MOT centres and would refer to various Watchdog style programmes that have covered this subject.
I despise SUVs and never give way to them.
Slightly off topic, can you currently buy a car based pick up?
All the new ones are monstrous four wheel drive vehicles with double cabs. Surely there would be a market for a smaller model.(not a Daihatsu)
nlogax
Established Member
There's a Holden SS 6.0 on Autotrader right now. Or for 5k less, a decent looking Chevy El Camino on eBay
I’m not sure if you are able to pick 2 comparable vehicles to slot into your claim here but to me it sounds like you’re suggesting that a corner you would take at 50mph in a Mondeo you could only take at 30mph in a Kuga. Which is frankly insanity. i’d drive around the corner at the same speed in both those vehicles. If the above claim were true that speed would be 30mph Or probably less. If you’re driving that close to the limit of a vehicles ability Then you’re driving too fast / dangerously. The difference in handling between these two types of vehicle should NEVER matter because you shouldn’t be pushing them to those sorts of limits.
240s are incredibly expensive now. I am tempted by one but can’t really justify sometimes upwards of £10k one.
so the first 125mph train is better than the first 50mph train?
On a 7 year old Ford? I’ve just paid £150 for an ‘A’ service on a 19 plate E-Pace. Add the price of an MOT (obviously doesn’t need one yet) and that falls way short.
True. But always worth checking the price difference. My vans have always had Mercedes parts on them as they’re no more expensive than pattern ones but this isn’t always the case.
Overall we are seeing that all vehicle types have their uses (if they didn’t they wouldn’t exist) and that everyone has their preferences. What we are also seeing is that everyone is wrong and stupid at the same time. According to the next person anyway.
The typical brand A is the best because uncle Trev had one in 87 as a company car and all other brands are unacceptable is going around. This is ok, it promotes discussion. I would be interested to know how many people (to pick some random examples from this thread and elsewhere, but not specifically relating to contributors here) that have considered Skoda as a cheap entry level manufacturer have been in or preferably driven (if indeed they can drive) a recent superb. I wonder how many that consider an SUV completely pointless and nothing but a status symbol have driven one or used one, or have the ability to drive one, or could afford to buy one, or insure one. I wonder how many that suggest they’re practical have tried to fit as much in them as a Passat or a v70. I wonder how many that have essentially scored several manufacturers and put them into league tables have owned more than one of those cars, and if they have, were any of them NOT at the top of their list?
Clearly it’s personal for a lot of people and I’m somewhat baffled as to why. To think that a person would let me out of a junction if I was driving my 13 year old Vectra estate but wouldn’t do so if I was in the e-pace is amusing, I think. I dread to think how they’d react if I was in my Vito, thankfully it’s silver not white.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
If you insert the word "comfortably" it makes more sense. My old Vectra would certainly corner much faster than my current Land Rover Defender (other than both being huge, heavy and blue they are rather chalk and cheese though in other ways e.g. practicality very similar, and the Vectra was both about 1' longer and about 6" wider). But in neither case was I being dangerous in doing so or being anywhere near the vehicle's actual limits.
Every milestone in car safety is a brilliant achievement that should be applauded, but it's as clear as day a five star rated Renault is a safer car to be in than a Volvo with a four star safety rating. To be the manufacturer which produced the first car to get the maximum Euro NCAP safety rating is a fantastic achievement, but clearly some people on here disagree with that because it's a car manufacturer they don't like.
Fifteen years ago, I was involved in a car accident when travelling in a Renault Clio, and the way the car performed to protect my Dad and I from injury when a much bigger and sturdier family car crashed into us head on (and came off worse) was outstanding. We were both able to open the doors and walk away. That car is why I will always trust Renault to keep my family safe in the event of a collision ahead of any other car manufacturer in the world. I'll admit there's better car manufacturers out there than Renault, but they're safe, and as a parent that's my main priority when buying a car.
thejuggler
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How in any way is the first 'service' on an electric car any way comparable to a 7 year service on Focus?
You are aware that Volvo didn't go "ah, we've got 4 stars, that'll do" and then put their feet up. A modern Volvo scores just as highly (if not higher as a result of additional safety tech such as AEB) as a Renault. Basing your car choice off of historic milestones seems a pretty odd way of going about it, but evidently you have your reasons to trust them
E pace is Jag's compact SUV (an evoque with Jag logos essentially), it's got 2l ICEs under the bonnet which will (like the focus) need oils and filters every year or so.
cactustwirly
Established Member
It depends on the schedule, as you're basically paying for labour.
The heaviest service is about £1000 from dealer, as it includes labour intensive jobs such as cam belt changes, and extensive checks.
A service after a year is just an oil change basically, so it would be the cheapest.
As described above it’s not electric, it’s diesel in this case. Most people think it is because of the ‘e’ so understandable.
It’s it’s 3rd Service at around 55,000 miles. Having had a larger service in mid November which was still less than £300.
We are talking about servicing here. Not servicing and anything it just happened to need at the which is based on countless variables.
If it has an oil change, and a filter, and air filter, plugs if it’s petrol, perhaps a fuel filter if it’s diesel, and the remainder of a general service then £250 (let’s assume the mot is £50 which is about normal around here) for a vehicle renowned for being cost effective to repair and service is a lot.
If we are considering a ‘service’ to be whatever it needs at the time then it’s not just servicing.
An oil and filter change, a set of front pads, a lambda sensor and a rear number plate where water has blackened the older one isn’t a true representation.
I fully agree that a car with a higher safety rating should (and generally is) safer. Of course, as with lots of things, when it’s 20 years old and had a few owners of unknown driving style and ability there’s often no telling what might happen in the unfortunate event of a serious accident. In fairly recent times (last 20 years or so) we have seen most manufacturers improve their vehicles safety when they release new models or revisions of current models. It was some time before another manufacturer scored so highly I think so they certainly deserved to be proud of their achievement. Did that make that particular model the safest at the time? It appears so. Are they currently the safest cars on the road, well the results seem to suggest there are many others on par but they’re certainly not making death traps and haven’t for some time. We shouldn’t ignore but also shouldn’t dwell on the 1 star scoring 1997 Clio of course, and accept that focus on pedestrian safety didn’t really get prioritised for some time after with many of their models (and countless others from other manufacturers) scoring only 1 star on that test.
A number of years ago a lorry swerved across infront of me under emergency braking (he was avoiding something himself) and I hit it (now pretty much stationary) at about 50mph, which was around 1 second worth of thinking and braking time from ‘line speed’ on the m42. After a bit of swearing, I got out pushed my car with help from the Lorry driver to the hard shoulder. Swept up the headlight debris and waited for recovery to take the car back to the garage where it was of course scrapped. Other road users were left completely and utterly lost for words as to how, not only was I not in 11 pieces but I’d just got out as if I had arrived at the local supermarket. It was baffling to them how a car had hit the lorry at such a speed and could still be recognised as a car.
I was in a 2000 (W plate) Volvo S80 T6.
Every single person I’ve ever spoken to has a story of their own or of a friend or third or forth hand about Volvo and them being safe cars. For years. 40 years even. And we have established that some of the tank like features on old Volvos turned out to not necessarily be the best way to handle crashworthiness but they have had the reputation of being safe cars for decades.
As for whether people like Renault or not. My late father was a Renault dealer / service agent until the early 90s. I’m quite fond of several of their cars old and new.
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