[narula123]

Originally Posted by Maky

Hello Narula. Many congratulations on your new purchase.
.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience I will be keeping away from them come next-gen Superb.

I will be needing a similar treatment for the next new car and my existing one requires a repaint as well. Not knowing much about the top detailing services or shops, Could you possibly tell me of other options we have in Bombay for such services? or do you feel this Optimum Detailerz is the best we have.

Thank you.

Thank you for the wishes. My experience with JMD did leave a sour taste in the mouth and I hope they improve their processes to give customers a better experience in such a competitive market.

Incidentally, I recently found out that the mumbai Skoda dealers did go through this thread and the feedback here was noted (Power of T-bhp!). Hope it helps towards a positive change.

On the detailing front, I was quite clueless until I found and read through the PPF thread (Paint Protection Film (PPF)). Its quite informative and I am sure it will help you make the right decision. Personally, this thread and a friend's experience guided me to Optimum and I am glad I went to them for the service. They were a delight.

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by narula123

Recently did a weekend round-trip from Mumbai to Lonavala (unfortunately coincided with a long weekend rush-to-the-hills) and below were my observations:

1. The ride comfort continues to be amazing. Its a magic carpet ride on majority of the road surfaces. The really nasty undulations are going to be felt though.
2. Gosh, I wish it had DCC. Specially when you are in the mood for some fun and give it the beans. I did run 32 Psi all around and it helped but I think there is scope for more tweaking.

Congratulations on your Superb. It's a car that I still ogle at despite getting a Kodiaq. That long saloon design is something! Lava blue is an amazing shade and it makes it pop!

A lot of your observations holds true to the Kodiaq too but like you rightly remarked, DCC and All wheel drive makes a ton of difference. Comfort mode let's you glide over most rough patches with only the deeper ruts registering into the cabin with a thud. But I am sure you will grow to enjoy the wafty ride quality of your superb as it's meant to pamper you.

Enjoy many miles with your Superb. Know that it's one of a kind and there isn't another saloon that can quite match it in this price range.

[narula123]

I usually follow my own method of running-in all my new vehicles and part of that regime is to get the first oil change done at the 1000-1500 km mark.
Even in the case of the Superb, Skoda recommends the first oil change at 1 year or 15,000 kms but I chose to go ahead and get her fresh oil at the 1500 km mark.

Called up Mody Skoda workshop in Kurla and coordinated with the CRM to fix up an appointment. On the d-day showed up early at their opening time of 9.30 am and was pleased to find the staff already in. The facility is quite spacious and looked well-cleaned & maintained. I usually judge a workshop by how clean and organized it is and this one dint disappoint. The Skoda one is definitely a notch or two above the Mahindra workshop I am accustomed to.

The service advisor was prompt, courteous and wasted no time in attending to my appointment. I had requested for an engine oil & oil filter change along with a general checkup and cleaning+wax polishing. Time estimate was given 2-3 hours and cost estimate was around 8-9k. Since this wasnt a full-fledged service, I requested them not to use my Skoda service package and bill this as an out-of-pocket expense.

My overall experience with the Kurla workshop was quite upto the mark. The final expense was around 9k and they took about 3 hours to give the car back to me.

What they can possibly improve is the customer lounge experience and small things like putting a protective cover on the interior bits to avoid soiling by the mechanic's/driver's overalls.

[narula123]

So, brother recently upgraded his A3 to a BMW 330 Li (hunted for an Octy/Superb but no luck, dint want another Audi and the C dint win).

I had the 330 with me recently for a few days when I went home to attend the Indian leg of MotoGp. So a mix of city traffic and some spirited driving on the open highway gave me a good idea of how the 330Li fares against the Superb.

Where the 330Li shines through:
1. That Gearbox is MAGIC! Mated to the extra 50 odd bhp on tap, the gearbox on the BMW is probably the best in the segment by a long margin. It being intuitive is an understatement. Its hands-down my favourite part of this car.
2. The new dual screen setup is quite well done and the graphics and menus are a notch above the ones on Skoda. Is it perfect? No and I’ll shed more light on it later.
3. You cannot ignore the extra poke this engine has vs the 2.0 TSI. The aural note it delivers when revved is also better.
4. The overall ‘solidness’ of the interior build quality is definitely a notch above Skoda with the latter itself being quite impressive. The noise isolation inside the cabin is also better. The tan interiors also get more marks from me than the Superb’s beige.
5. The handling. This maybe an extended wheelbase version but the BMW has the Superb licked when it comes to sheer handling prowess. Its not even a contest when you experience how the Beemer grips the road through tight flowing corners.
6. The Steering. Hands down the best steering I have experienced in a car even among the luxury brands. Its a delight to hold and it’s super precise and communicative. Loved it!


Here is where the Superb outshines the BMW:
1. The sense of space in the Superb is unbeatable. The Li has improved rear legroom almost matching the Superb’s but the overall sense of space in the Skoda is a grade higher. Don't even get me started on the comparison on the boot space. Also, 3 abreast is an easier fit in the Skoda.
2. I prefer the physical HVAC and ICE knobs in the Superb vs the ‘all-inside-the-touchscreen’ thing in the BMW. I also prefer the driver’s instrument console layout (and its various options) on the Superb vs the Beemer
3. The adjustable lumbar support, the ventilated and massaging seats, the rear sleep package, the cushioning on the seats and the ride quality all make the Superb a more comfortable car to be in vs the 3.
4. The Superb guzzles lesser fuel vs the 330 relatively. Put the BMW on sports mode and you’ll wonder where the fuel vanished. The Eco mode on the BMW does salvage some points.
5. The 17 inch rims on the Skoda lose out on handling but make up for it on ride comfort & practicality vs the low profile setup on the BMW. I honestly was super cautious taking the BMW through bad patches or over nasty expansion joints.
6. The Air conditioning on the 330 was a bit disappointing. It did not cool fast enough or intense enough as I expected it to and I honestly was surprised by this. In comparison the Superb’s unit works noticeably more effectively.
7. The Price. No contest here. You spend almost 25 lakhs more for the BMW. You get a better badge value and more futuristic interiors with a much more potent engine. But still, 25 lakhs more??

I loved every minute of driving the 330 Li. The way it drives and handles makes every moment spent in the driver’s seat an experience. It makes you understand why BMW has a reputation for making ultimate driving machines. The Li version also makes the 3 series very family-friendly and practical specially for the chauffeur driven (my brother is). The sense of overall luxury in the BMW is a slight notch above the Superb. But then you cannot ignore that this delta vs the Superb comes at a hefty price. My heart wants to ignore the 25 lakh differential but my mind tells me I can buy another bike or another Crossover SUV in that much money.
Lucky for me then that we have both the Superb and the 330Li in the family to keep the decision-making aside.

[nova.19_exe]

Congratulations on the new ride, Narula123!!

Felt amazing to read your review! Very well written!

That Superb L&K in that color shade looks stunning!! And when the sun shines on that car, oh my god, it's gorgeous!!

DQ381 paired with a 2.0TSI engine will not disappoint! I'm yet to get someone to give me a ride in a Superb! Can't wait!!

[krishnadevjs]

Congratulations once again, buddy! Like I told you before, Skoda really has some amazing cars. They’re absolutely value for money, give 70% of the performance of a luxury sedan and are extremely practical!

Even after the M340i, there are days I miss the comfortable ride and cavernous boot space of my Octavia. Not to mention the fact that I’ve spent more on tyres in 8 months with the BMW than 5 years with the Octy.

On the dealer part, this is where I’m gonna tell you, “Told you so!”. JMD was shit 5 years back, and judging by your experience, they seem to be consistent. For service, you can go to Mody near the racecourse. They’re pretty good.

[ashish2135]

Wow! @narula123, both these cars are fantastic! I am in love with the Superb and even it's SUV cousin Kodiaq.

Earlier this year when I finally came down to making a decision I pulled the trigger on 330Li. I always knew that the Superb would not satisfy my long pending craving for a beamer.

I still find myself ogling at the Skoda siblings when I spot them on the road. The BMW is fantastic and every drive feels like an occasion. Hoping I can put more miles on the 3 and get myself a Kodiaq in the future!

[84.monsoon]

With the next generation Superb around the corner, it may be able to compete better with the 330i on the instrumentation and electronics. Remember, the current Gen Superb came out in early 2016, nearly 8 years ago. The fact that it is still stacking up pretty close to a much newer car (current Gen BMW 3 series launched in late 2019 and facelifted again this year), speaks.to the timelessness of this machine.

The Superb deserves the higher 245 HP tune of the 2.0 TSI engine, as it is a much larger car than Octavia, Audi A4 etc., which get the same TSI with the lower 190hp tune. Hopefully Skoda will fix this in the launch of the next gen Superb in India (hopefully early 2024).

[narula123]

Originally Posted by nova.19_exe

Congratulations on the new ride, Narula123!!

Felt amazing to read your review! Very well written!

That Superb L&K in that color shade looks stunning!!

Thank you for the wishes. I agree the colour has to be seen under the sun to actually appreciate its beauty.

Originally Posted by krishnadevjs

For service, you can go to Mody near the racecourse. They’re pretty good.

I actually went to Mody Skoda service but at Kurla. Was quite impressive.

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

With the next generation Superb around the corner, it may be able to compete better with the 330i on the instrumentation and electronics.
The Superb deserves the higher 245 HP tune of the 2.0 TSI engine, as it is a much larger car than Octavia, Audi A4 etc., which get the same TSI with the lower 190hp tune. Hopefully Skoda will fix this in the launch of the next gen Superb in India (hopefully early 2024).

The teaser images of the next Gen Superb interiors are very impressive and I think the new car will again disrupt the market with its VFM equation.
The Superb in few international markets does come with the 245bhp engine and a 4X4 setup. For India I think that’ll throw the price off and put a big questionmark on the Audi-Skoda price ladder (The A6 used the 245Ps tune currently IIRC)
I hope I am wrong but I think the new Superb will come to India in the 200Ps tune (upgraded tune on the current 190 setup). Even at a 50ish price for the new car it will still be a very tough competitor to the German sedans.

Originally Posted by ashish2135

Wow! @narula123, both these cars are fantastic!
Earlier this year when I finally came down to making a decision I pulled the trigger on 330Li.

Thank you and congratulations on the 3!

[narula123]

Been a year and the Superb is living upto its name. She just went through her first service and is now sporting some 6k on the odo which are mostly highway miles.
In March, I did do a 1500 km roundtrip to Udaipur and she was a delight. Barring the horrible state of roads in Maharashtra, NH8 was nice and the new Mumbai-Delhi highway leg from Bharuch to Ahmedabad was top class. So much so that it actually got boring after a while as the car just chugged along like a sofa on cruise control.
The stock Apollos have been surprisingly good and have been working better than my expectations on grip and comfort. Have noticed that they are a bit louder now. Maybe in a year they’ll make way for a set of Continentals or Michelins.
Another small niggle to report is this occasional rattle from the right side of the dashboard specially over bad surfaces. The SA checked and suspected a loose part somewhere inside but wanted to keep the car for 2 days to open and inspect. I plan to get this checked soon because frankly the rattle (when it shows up) is a bummer in an otherwise silent cabin.
The Canton music system, the TSI motor, the 1BHK boot and the seat comfort have all been making me feel paisa-vasool on every trip.
She reports a FE of about 9-10 in the city and 13-14 on the highways which I am ok with considering my heavy right foot and liberal use of Sports mode.

On a side note, I couldn’t thank my stars enough when I saw the pricing of the relaunched Superb recently.