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Skoda Slavia Review: Update after 30,000 km & 2.5 Years of Ownership

22nd April 2025, 17:03 by Kanad Kalasur

Today, my Skoda Slavia hit the 30,000 km mark, which took around 2.5 years to achieve. This is my second update regarding the car on this forum.

BHPian dr.jjp recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Skoda Slavia 30,000 km & 2.5 Years User Experience

ODO Reading: 30,132 km

Time of Ownership: 2.5 years

Today, my Skoda Slavia hit the 30,000 km mark, which took around 2.5 years to achieve. This is my second update regarding the car on this forum. The first update was made after 1 year of ownership when the ODO read 8,500 km.

The Good Things

1.5 TSI + MT Combo

The 1.5 TSI engine paired with the manual transmission is an excellent combination, offering the best of both worlds. It provides great fuel economy when driven sedately and excellent performance when you want it.

Best fuel economy: 20.3 km/l (when driven sedately for 100 km).

Highway economy (Trivandrum to Chennai with a fully loaded boot and 5 passengers): 15.6 km/l.

The engine effortlessly accelerates to high speeds, and you may not even realize it without checking the speedometer and you will get to know it only when there is continuous beeps above 120 kmph.

The Other Things
• AC Performance
The AC performance is subpar during the summer months but is okay in winter and rainy seasons. I’ve heard that Skoda has made changes to the AC tuning in newer models, and I hope they provide this update to older models as well.
• Rattling
There are occasional rattling sounds from the dashboard when driving over rough patches. Over time, I’ve gotten used to it, but it’s still noticeable.

Expenses (Other Than Normal Services)
1. Left Fog Lamp Bulb Replacement
While cruising on the highway at around 110 km/h, a piece of plywood like thing flew from a pickup truck in the left lane and hit the lower part of the bumper with a loud thud. Shortly after, a warning appeared on the console indicating a fault with the left fog lamp. Upon checking, I found mild scratches near the front grill and fog lamp area, but the light itself was not cracked. The bulb was fused, and the cost for replacement was ₹900.
2. Brake Pads Replacement
During my second service, the service advisor recommended replacing the brake pads after around 4,000 km. I opted to replace them at 24,000 km (3,000 km after the second service), and the cost was ₹7,000, as the discs were still in good condition.
3. Multiple Tyre Punctures
All four tyres were punctured multiple times due to screws, especially after driving on the same stretch (Tumkur-Bangalore Airport via STRR).
4. Bulging Front Left Tyre
In November, I noticed a slight bulge on the front left tyre, which needed to be replaced. One of the tyres also had two small punctures on the edge, so I was using it as a spare tyre. I replaced both tyres with Continental UC 6, which cost around ₹18,500.

5. Low Coolant Level
One morning, the car displayed a low coolant warning. Upon checking, the coolant level was indeed below the low marker. I went to the service center, and they topped it up free of charge.

• Horn Replacement
I replaced the stock horn with a dual-tone horn, which was one of the best decisions. The sound matches the car’s character. However, the only issue is that water can get into the horn while pressure washing, causing it to make weird sounds.

Service Center Experience
• PPS Skoda Trivandrum
I had my first routine service at PPS Skoda in Trivandrum. The service advisor who attended to my car was the same person who serviced my previous Skoda Rapid when Malayalam Skoda was operational in Trivandrum. As usual, the service experience was great.
• PPS Skoda Tumkur
Since I am in Tumkur now, I’ve been dependent on PPS Tumkur for my car's services. They provide a good experience and are attentive to even the smallest details. The service advisor here is a pleasant person to deal with.
• PPS Skoda Bangalore (Majestic)
I had to get a routine service at PPS Skoda in Bangalore (near Majestic) due to a recall. Unfortunately, this was a below-par experience. The service team tried to push multiple add-ons, even though I had specifically requested to only carry out routine services. It was one of the worst experiences I’ve had with Skoda after using their products for about 6 years.