To buy a Karoq or not?

[Italiastar]

I have ordered a brand new velvet red 1.5 SEL Karoq and am waiting for a build date.

Whilst the car has the features I want, Parking sensors all round, cruise and speed limiter, adjustable and removable rear seats, a tilt in "infotainment" system rather than an I-Pad plonked in the middle of the dashboard, real buttons and knobs to control functions. However, it has a number i dont:

• Kessy - i cant see the point in it unless your a car thief
  • Leather seats - never had them, but cant see the advantage, and some are "plastic" not off a cow, nor ever dirtied cloth ones despite bringing up 4 kids in my previous car
    • Low profile tyres
      
      The more i read, the more I am concerned whether this is the right car for me. My previous experience has been with a Seat Alhambra which I owned for just over 20 years, and it that time it never failed an MOT or skipped a beat. only cost me for consumables. My wife's car a Fabia VRS which we kept for 19 years, and again, never skipped a beat.
      
      I read that the Kodiaq has water leakage problems, ride problems, some say cabin noise, locks activating with keys and toddlers in the car, needing windows to be smashed to gain access, and the a DSG gearbox that can be unreliable and costly after 40,000 miles and has an expected life of 70k
      
      At £30k this will be the most expensive car I'll ever buy and i need reliability and not a money pit. I hear Skoda dealers quoting 2 months before they can book a car in for a diagnostic check.
      
      As owners can you please give me some advice based on your real experiences. I'm even tempted by a Yeti, but i could end up paying more than half the cost of the Karoq for a car that's 7 years old.

[IanW]

Kessy - i cant see the point in it unless your a car thief

Kessy is useful in that you dont need to take your keys out of your pocket (or handbag if you are female) to open the tailgate or doors. As to the car thief issue, that is primarily where they use 'relay' techiques to access the key in your house and send the code to the vehicle. Kessy prevents this as, if the key is staionary for more the 5 minutes i.e sat on the hall stand at home, it deactivates itself and prevents the relay technique.

Leather seats - never had them, but cant see the advantage, and some are "plastic" not off a cow, nor ever dirtied cloth ones despite bringing up 4 kids in my previous car

I'm not a fan of leather seats either, but the SEL only has partial leather. Most of the seat area is microsuede which is actually quite nice (and not cold in winter!)

Low profile tyres

Again not a fan!. Like you , I was concerned about the low profile tyres, but the 18" wheels on the SEL with 50 profile tyres are not that bad TBH. Not sure I would like the 19s on the Sportline though!!

[kodiaq]

Welcome to the forum.
Ian W posted while I was waffling!
I have owned 3 Karoqs. All 1.5L DSG*. 2 SEL, 1 Sport.
Taking your questions in order.
KESSY, What is not to like, Makes getting in and out easier specially if you are carrying things.
Leather seats. I will always go for leather if I have a choice, (as standard fitment but won't pay silly money for 'optional' leather.)
Some say they are too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter....I have never found this to be a problem. If anything IS spilt on them, far easier to clean.
Low profile tyres . HATE THEM! very uncomfortable ride (for my old back!) serious risk of 'curbing' . Crashes into pot holes with risk of rim damage. My thinking is that 'skinny' tyres are for sports cars. SUVs should have FAT tyres. My SPORT had 40 aspect and they were so awful I spent £300 on some 15 inch alloy wheels with 60 aspect rubber. Blissful ride with no affect on road holding .(I still have them but no longer need them if anybody is interested in buying them CHEAP!)
I will probably get lambasted for my following comments, but here goes.
I suggest you read this forum from top to bottom and see how many complaints there are about faults.

VAG is now earning a reputation decline from the once high reliability record that used to have. A lot of the problems seem to electrical around the infotainment system, which often affects things other than the radio.

So saying, I have owned 8 Skodas*(all DSG) in 13 years . Fabia Estate, faultless, two Yetis, faultless, 1 Yeti, wonky rear wiper (common fault) Kodiaq, I had the 6th one to be registered in the U.K. So VERY early adopter, SOS button would not link up. Dealer tried three times to no avail & I told him to give up.
Electric tailgate decided it had a mind of it's own and would open halfway and jam, had to be opened manually, often same problem trying to close. Pop out door edge protector didn't retract and got decapitated on closing the door. (Skoda gave them up eventually as they were a pain in the *rse.
There have also been faults reported on the Enyaq.

MY Three Karoqs all faultless.
*DSG depends on which model it is, see here.
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/advice/dsg ... %20avoided.

I was forum moderator on the Kodiaq forum since it's inception (resigned when a Canadian company bought the web site and ruined it!) and also moderator here since inception.

I decided to leave Skoda due to the increasing number of complaints.
But the main thing that made me decide to leave Skoda was a friend of mine who bought an Octavia estate PHEV, he had nothing but trouble with it. Mainly the 12v battery going flat constantly & other electrical problems (Which my dealer agreed was a common problem with the Octavia PHEVs) which of course made the car unusable until it was charged up.
Frankly I would have demanded my money back after three attempts by the dealer to put it right all to no avail. He persisted, but eventually gave up and now drives a Toyota (10 year warranty!)
I went to Honda HR-V Hybrid then CR-V hybrid. ( I previously had owned 6 Hondas) (3 year warranty . SKODA THREE YEAR warranty! ). I was then bitten by the pure EV bug and now own a Kia eNiro. KIA SEVEN year warranty. My first Kia . Brilliant in ever way. Everything works! including the connection app & all the electrics.

I have owned. 79 cars and have always found the Japanese (I have owned multiple Mitsubishi, Mazda & Honda) and now Korean make, to be far more reliable than others.

As far as long lead times for garage service , I think it is now common place as, due to the 'chip' shortage therefore lack of new cars. The sales of secondhand cars has rocketed and therefore need more servicing than new ones.
I had to wait a month to have the Niro serviced recently.
If you are sold on Skoda, then in my experience the Karoq is probably your best bet.
Whatever you decide,
I wish you happy motoring.

[mic44]

I have owned two karoqs , Edition and Sportline both 1.5 DSG no problems at all yet , with KESSY its so easy and when fob is still after 5 mins it shuts down so no relay type thefts , if need be put in a faraday bag , SEL seats part leather so main part microsuede . DSG box lovely smooth quick changing box . some say jerky when moving slow but never had that . wheels both had 19 inch 40 tyres not noisy in cab just have to be more aware of road surfaces and dont drive up kerbs . as for phew . hybrid and electric if god wanted you to drive electric he would have put a 13 amp plug up your jotter .

[kodiaq]

Mic44,
Why do you not have a pump nozzle up your fundament then?
eNiro. 313 miles to a full charge (in summer-276miles in winter). Cost £13!!!
Instant, HUGE torque, no turbo scrolling up. 0-60mph 7.4 seconds)
No road tax ('til' next year )
Cheaper servicing .
ICE, No thanks!.

[Italiastar]

Welcome to the forum.
Ian W posted while I was waffling!
I have owned 3 Karoqs. All 1.5L DSG*. 2 SEL, 1 Sport.
Taking your questions in order.
KESSY, What is not to like, Makes getting in and out easier specially if you are carrying things.
Leather seats. I will always go for leather if I have a choice, (as standard fitment but won't pay silly money for 'optional' leather.)
Some say they are too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter....I have never found this to be a problem. If anything IS spilt on them, far easier to clean.
Low profile tyres . HATE THEM! very uncomfortable ride (for my old back!) serious risk of 'curbing' . Crashes into pot holes with risk of rim damage. My thinking is that 'skinny' tyres are for sports cars. SUVs should have FAT tyres. My SPORT had 40 aspect and they were so awful I spent £300 on some 15 inch alloy wheels with 60 aspect rubber. Blissful ride with no affect on road holding .(I still have them but no longer need them if anybody is interested in buying them CHEAP!)
I will probably get lambasted for my following comments, but here goes.
I suggest you read this forum from top to bottom and see how many complaints there are about faults.

VAG is now earning a reputation decline from the once high reliability record that used to have. A lot of the problems seem to electrical around the infotainment system, which often affects things other than the radio.

So saying, I have owned 8 Skodas*(all DSG) in 13 years . Fabia Estate, faultless, two Yetis, faultless, 1 Yeti, wonky rear wiper (common fault) Kodiaq, I had the 6th one to be registered in the U.K. So VERY early adopter, SOS button would not link up. Dealer tried three times to no avail & I told him to give up.
Electric tailgate decided it had a mind of it's own and would open halfway and jam, had to be opened manually, often same problem trying to close. Pop out door edge protector didn't retract and got decapitated on closing the door. (Skoda gave them up eventually as they were a pain in the *rse.
There have also been faults reported on the Enyaq.

MY Three Karoqs all faultless.
*DSG depends on which model it is, see here.
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/advice/dsg ... %20avoided.

I was forum moderator on the Kodiaq forum since it's inception (resigned when a Canadian company bought the web site and ruined it!) and also moderator here since inception.

I decided to leave Skoda due to the increasing number of complaints.
But the main thing that made me decide to leave Skoda was a friend of mine who bought an Octavia estate PHEV, he had nothing but trouble with it. Mainly the 12v battery going flat constantly & other electrical problems (Which my dealer agreed was a common problem with the Octavia PHEVs) which of course made the car unusable until it was charged up.
Frankly I would have demanded my money back after three attempts by the dealer to put it right all to no avail. He persisted, but eventually gave up and now drives a Toyota (10 year warranty!)
I went to Honda HR-V Hybrid then CR-V hybrid. ( I previously had owned 6 Hondas) (3 year warranty . SKODA THREE YEAR warranty! ). I was then bitten by the pure EV bug and now own a Kia eNiro. KIA SEVEN year warranty. My first Kia . Brilliant in ever way. Everything works! including the connection app & all the electrics.

I have owned. 79 cars and have always found the Japanese (I have owned multiple Mitsubishi, Mazda & Honda) and now Korean make, to be far more reliable than others.

As far as long lead times for garage service , I think it is now common place as, due to the 'chip' shortage therefore lack of new cars. The sales of secondhand cars has rocketed and therefore need more servicing than new ones.
I had to wait a month to have the Niro serviced recently.
If you are sold on Skoda, then in my experience the Karoq is probably your best bet.
Whatever you decide,
I wish you happy motoring.

Thank you for your very comprehensive reply. Owned 79 cars - wow! I've only personally owned 5 in 45 years of driving - my last one being a SEAT Alhambra for 20.5 years and my Wife had a Fabia VRS for 19 years - both never skipped a beat. The Alhambra even comped a trip to Italy at 19.5 years old. I have decided to cancel the Karoq after reading about VW group reliability issues and also with the DSG. For me £30k is a lot of money to spend on a car, which i will only use infrequently, and maybe trips abroad once a year. The last thing i want is a car not available when I need it because it's waiting to be booked in. I comparison, my wife's mini dealer has bookings available the following day.

I'm in a quandary as it appears that you cant buy much on the used market under 10 -12K thats reasonable, and even then, some of the used cars I've seen whilst helping my daughter buy a car have been questionable, and these are main franchised dealerships. I see before going electric you have also owned Hondas, which are renowned for their reliability. The CRV is more than I'd want to pay, but the HRV may suit. I've also seen some Suzuki Vitara's at good prices including a brand new 1.4 MHEV for £17,500 which is a bit more than I want to spend, but tempting.

Thank you also to everyone else for your comments.

[kodiaq]

if you are not interested in performance try Kia. I am most impressed with my 2 year old eNiro that I have owned for 9 months.
I mention performance because Kias with ICEs do not have turbos, instead the use Atkinson cycle engines which are more economical but less 'zoomy'!
Have a look at Youtube and watch some reviews.
Also look at Autotrader for thousands of cars.
Feel free to P.M. me if you want any more help.

[Italiastar]

if you are not interested in performance try Kia. I am most impressed with my 2 year old eNiro that I have owned for 9 months.
I mention performance because Kias with ICEs do not have turbos, instead the use Atkinson cycle engines which are more economical but less 'zoomy'!
Have a look at Youtube and watch some reviews.
Also look at Autotrader for thousands of cars.
Feel free to P.M. me if you want any more help.

Thank you very much for your advice. I did toy with the idea of getting an Octy VRS a few months ag when I was offered a brand new 245 BHP one for £29,000 - thinking it would be my last real car, but the dealer would only allow a 15 minute accompanied test drive down a 50 mph busy a-road, with £1500 excess, so I told the salesperson to drive it. I quickly came to the conclusion that performance only meant you could pick up a speeding ticket quicker. Thankfully, i wasnt able to take it on a proper test drive, as otherwise, i might have bought it, like when we bought the fabia VRS, after we'd gone out to buy a 1.2 base model Fabia. I now dont regret it after finding out about the infotainment issues.

If I'm honest, parking sensors (only because my car of 20 years had them), Cruise and speed limiter and reliability are top of my list. Most cars have adequate performance, and the days of wanting to go fast are over. I have started looking for older cars now, as my need for a car is low, but after 45 years of having my own car, I'm not ready to give up. Even my Alhambra only knotted up 94,000 miles from new in 20.5 years. Thank you very much for your offer, I will contact you as i value your knowledge.

Many thanks,

Gerald

[CJJE]

All cars seem to have problem electronics nowadays, and it makes nostalgic for the simple mechanical beasts of the 1960s and 70s etc. Until you remember the endemic rust problems and poor fuel consumption!

Interestingly, my first car was a 1954 Vauxhall Velox (bought very secondhand in 1964). It was virtually the same size as my present Karoq, with a straight 6 2.25 litre engine, but only producing 58 bhp! It also had a 3 speed column change gearbox and wipers driven off the dynamo so they speeded up as you accelerated! (The passenger side had a tendency to fly off at 90+ mph!

Even the vaunted Kia Sportage has electronic problems... a friend's has faulty parking sensors and his dealer is struggling to get replacements.

Chris

[BTandSid]

We bought a 2020 Sportline last year to replace a Freelander so a different beast altogether really.
We couldn’t get on with the 19in Vega alloys at all, felt every pothole and bump in the road and it got to the point where I was tiring of Significant Other constantly pointing out everything in the road ahead of us. Consensus was to swap for smaller rims although I liked the Vegas. So I bit the bullet, kept the rims and replaced the Bridgestones with Michelin CrossClimate2s and wow, an absolute transformation. Totally transformed the ride and comfort, SO no longer complaining so win-win