Funny car pricing in Europe

[wingman]

Hi.

I was going through some sites and got excited how much do US cars cost compared to European ones. The results are pretty ridiculous -

 

Skoda Superb L & K 2008 2.8l V6 - 1 029 900 Czk (57 216 USD)

Chevrolet Corvette 2008 6.2l V8 - 1 091 596 Czk (60 644 USD)

 

LOL. Personally I think I'm gonna pick the Corvette.

 

Prices are based on the fact that the listed Skoda model is their top one, so I picked a car with similar additional equipment.

 

Superb is politely said a not-very-high-quality car from the Czech Republic and for some dumb reason the Brits love it (no offense). The fact that something like the famous Corvette is as cheap (or expansive, depends on your point of view and current financial situation :P) as a mid-european crappy family car is imho hilarious. Best example would be the engine sound (although I think everyone knows the sound of a V8 ~500HP).

 

- superb (no matter it is the previous generation, the engine is the same.)

 

- corvette

 

Regards from Czech Republic :),

 

wingman

[KoenigseggBG]

May I say that the Superb is a great car. The quality is awesome (as in a Volkswagen) and it has a powerful engine (for a saloon). Compared to the cheap-quality Vette, I would take the Skoda. ;)

[Shy Guy]

I would take the Corvette, the car looks okay and the V8 in it is pretty good for the price.

[wingman]

●Koenigsegg● - We've been using Octavia for a really long time - try saying that after four years of driving it. First, the electronics are out, second is the engine (new one is almost as expansive as a new car). And overall quality (from materials to body quality) really sucks. On the other hand, large engines like the 6litre V8 lasts for ages, unlike the 2litre Skodas.

 

And by the way, Superb IS a modified VW (they changed the sign and nobody noticed, wow).

[Car Freak]

I think your Octavia is the first-gen one, am I right? That might explain the build quality issues. Either that, or you're a really unlucky owner. All modern Skodas are based completely on VW components. Engines, chassis, most interior fittings, you name it.

 

The new Superb is actually a very good car. My dad and I went for a test drive of that a month or two ago and he came away very impressed. Build quality is solid as a rock, the ride is pretty good, it's dead quiet inside the car, the DSG gearbox is really smooth, the 1.8l turbo engine is quite responsive, considering how much weight it has to lug around, and it has MASSIVE interior space. I'm 180cm (6ft) and my dad 187cm, and I had plenty of space to actually stretch out behind him! And I truly believe the huge boot can swallow everything including the kitchen sink.

 

But anyway, back on topic, yeah sometimes car prices can be pretty ridiculous. The price you quoted in the first post, is that how much the Corvette costs from a dealer over there? Or did you simply convert the US price?

[kalniel]

How much does it cost to run and insure the corvette, and can I fit my family, the dog and lots of luggage in it?

[wingman]

Yeah, it was a local dealer price ("US muscle cars dovozce pro Ceskou republiku" or whatever).

 

Anyway, I really don't like the idea of VW creating a car and making Skoda to take it and sell it as their own. I still remember when I first saw the add for Superb 2nd gen. "Wow, a new Passat - let's have a closer look", and a second later I saw a "No passat anymore - pure Skoda" text under it.

 

kalniel - Corvette insurance would cost around 15k (CZK, divide it by 18 and you have USD) a year, Superb with its little engine 7.5k. I don't have a dog so this solves another question, and for your family you can have another car; for example BMW 118d (or, for fans, Skoda Fabia HTP, where HTP means three piston high-torque engine with a piece of metal instead of the fourth one). You can get the money for it by cutting off some of the corvette's additional equipment..

[GTAMADDOG]

The Skoda/VW thing was a joint venture between them. If VW are happy with it then so be it. Everyone with an ounce of knowledge knew Skodas were rebadged VWs ages ago (since the Felicia?), it's just the bias people left turning their noses up saying they are still pure Skodas and cracking old jokes. Crack a joke on yourself for buying a VW and spending £5,000 more than you should have.

 

As for build quality, don't get me started. My dads Fabia is a 2003 model and it has less rattles and it's been back to the dealer less than my mums 2008 Polo. Infact it hasn't been back to the dealer besides getting serviced. The Polo cost almost as much as the Fabia did. The big difference being my mums Polo is a 1.4TDI and my dad's Fabia is the range toping VRS, equipment wise there isn't alot in it either.

 

The Superb is far from "crap". I'd be inclined to say it's almost what it says on the boot - "Superb". As for the Corvette, nice engine, as for the rest of the car? Nah. I wont be paying 50K+ just for a good engine.

[KoenigseggBG]

-Skoda>Vette-

 

I love you, man. :D

[Baldy]

I'd go for the Skoda, may not look as good or be as fast, but it's so much more practical for daily life.

[CarMadMike]

If i was 10-15 years older i'd go for the skoda, but meh, i don't need practicality now so i'd take the vette, you only live once...

[wingman]

Uh. If I wanted a car for daily usage, I would go for BMW 5(30i), probably E39+. Certainly not Skoda. As for GTAMADDOG, yeah, I know you Brits love Skodas and I really don't know why. Maybe they are paying more attention to the cars quality when constructing models for Britain, you can never know :D. (Seriously now, GB is commonly known here for being a great fan of these cars, on the other hand everyone else in Europe thinks of them as of cheap, low-quality cars for funny mud-driving. Octavia Scout 4WD was therefore pretty popular..)

[KoenigseggBG]

Uh. If I wanted a car for daily usage, I would go for BMW 5(30i), probably E39+. Certainly not Skoda. As for GTAMADDOG, yeah, I know you Brits love Skodas and I really don't know why. Maybe they are paying more attention to the cars quality when constructing models for Britain, you can never know :D. (Seriously now, GB is commonly known here for being a great fan of these cars, on the other hand everyone else in Europe thinks of them as of cheap, low-quality cars for funny mud-driving. Octavia Scout 4WD was therefore pretty popular..)

I'm seriosly interested from where do you get such statements. You can't speak as whole Europe or whole UK. I live in Bulgaria (yes, it's in Europe) and I love Skodas. They make great everyday cars for very decent prices.

[wingman]

About decent prices - lol, not really. And my arguments come from the fact that I live in the state where Skoda has its main factory (yes, thats in Czech Republic, too), I was there (Mlada Boleslav is the town called) and I asked a few guys who work here. They agreed that their cars are overpriced compared to Chevy or BMW (while concidering price vs. what you get for that money), however people keep buying - so they can keep selling for high prices. In fact, VW concern is known for artificially rising car prices in Europe. For prices comparable with Audi, BMW, Mercedes etc. you get a car of questionable quality (means it pretty much depends on your luck how good piece you get). I was in the factory two years ago, so if they haven't changed something recently, well...

[GTAMADDOG]

I'm a member on a Skoda, Alfa Romeo and a VW forum. I rarely see anything bad about the quality of how any Skoda is built. The members there aren't bias, if something is wrong, they'll talk about it. They are from the UK and Europe.

 

Things forever seem to be going wrong in the VW forum and it's always the same things. You're reading this from a VW fan. So don't think of me as a Skoda fanatic and VW hater.

 

Infact, am I correct in thinking the Auto Express Driver Power Survey this year voted the Skoda Octavia the Number 1 car, put against 100 different cars on sale in the UK at that time. It beat a Lexus, every BMW, every VW and every Mercedes in the survey. As for top manufacturer? You should have guessed it by now, Skoda. Yet again beating Lexus who had been at No. 1 for God knows how many years.

 

I refuse to believe the quality of build in cars varies that much from country to country. Well, maybe it does and maybe it's time you wrote to good old Skoda and asked them to check their standards because your British counter parts aren't having all the problems you're having.

 

This whole topic seems like a dig at Skoda. I don't like it one bit.

[Pherelas]

Why when comparing a vette agaisn't a skoda did you choose quility when backing the vette. The vette is more fun, cooler, looks better, sounds better, faster BUT is made out of pig iron where as the skoda is one of the most well make cars out there.

[kalniel]

kalniel - Corvette insurance would cost around 15k (CZK, divide it by 18 and you have USD) a year, Superb with its little engine 7.5k. I don't have a dog so this solves another question, and for your family you can have another car; for example BMW 118d

Isn't that also a really tiny car?

 

It's possibly an age thing, but unless you're having a mid-life crisis there does come a stage when you start wanting something that's a bit more comfy and luxurious :p

 

(PS I think skoda's are well built too - in some ways better for UK roads than VW badged cars, because VWs are designed for smooth german roads, while UK roads are more like Czech ones :p)

[Firestorm998]

If we're talking about paying our own money, it has to be the Superb. In the UK new, this Skoda is less than half the price of a 'vette & has the steering wheel on the right. The 'vette simply too wide & doesn't work on our roads. Quality sucks too.

Phew! At least I now know I'm not having a mid-life crisis.

[wingman]

Hmm.. I never thought about it this way, also had no idea about the fact that corvette's quality isn't something extraordinary, too. But when you buy a corvette, you buy it as a hobby, willing to put some money into it (gas, insurance, front spoiler repairs 'cause of the roads, etc.). The main argument however still lays in the fact that the "vette" cost almost as much as a European mid-class car; also it has some history and it's a pretty famous model, too. Yeah, Skoda has been around for some time, but it was never as popular - the chevy is more like an icon and the Czech automobile was focusing on building a reliable family car (not doing a very great job in that lately, too - until VW concern bought it and tweaked their models, some time later just modifying their own). Sorry, but when I'm going to buy another car, it'll be something like 2002 530i e39 (I currently drive the 530i e34 1990 with auto transmission - still smokes any current Skoda and your.. erm.. back part doesn't hurt after four hours of sitting in it).

[hpluls]

We've had a 2005 Octavia II 1.6 FSI for 4 years now and it's a great car. It's also one of the best selling cars in my country, and I'm not surprised about that - it's just a Golf, but bigger and cheaper. Isn't that a great deal? ;)

[Car Freak]

Anyway, back to the original point of this topic, regardless of how good or bad everyone thinks Skodas are... For some reason it only just registered in my mind what wingman was talking about in his first post. That a Superb can cost as much as a Corvette is simply ridiculous...

[wingman]

Yeah, I think I can see everyones point now - no matter that Skodas are overpriced, it's clear that I can't compare these two cars; it's about the same as a M1 Abrams vs. tractor.

[Car Freak]

Well, perhaps ironically, Skodas seem to be overpriced only in the country of their origin...

[wingman]

Yes, it is very likely. Now that I think about it, an Octavia Combi 2nd gen. 1,8 TSI costs 715000,- CZK (39 722,- USD or 24 655,- GBP) - how much does it cost in Britain and other countries?

[GTAMADDOG]

Yes, it is very likely. Now that I think about it, an Octavia Combi 2nd gen. 1,8 TSI costs 715000,- CZK (39 722,- USD or 24 655,- GBP) - how much does it cost in Britain and other countries?

 

I've seen the price of £15,000 on one website for the 1.8TSI Estate. I highly suspect you can easily get a VRS version for less than £24,655 with all the toys on it.