The 220ps experiences, questions & answers thread

[dg360]

Did a reasonable distance earlier in the week ~130 miles.  Average 44 mpg which is my record.  That was on 95.  I've run it exclusively on shell or tesco super since new but had to fill up in a little place that didn't even have super.  Wondering if I shouldn't bother with the expensive stuff from now on...

[TonyTonic]

Hi all, I Am in the market for a new car and never considered a Skoda but I am going to test drive a L&K 220 hatch this weekend and am so excited about what it will be like....Slight concern is the fuel consumption but reading all of the thread it doesn't seem too bad.  Does it feel like a thirsty car or is it OK?

[Sagalout]

For the power available it is remarkably economic. I average 35 mpg pootling around the lanes. On a long run I can get over 40mpg. 

I would describe my driving style as progressive and I often use the loud pedal for overtaking. 

 

However, in 'true fun' mode it is a little more thirsty  And you can have some true fun with it too.

 

It is a very smooth car with power available when you need it or choose to use it.

As a comparison I had the 150TDI from the early S3 production; averaged 45-50 mpg but was nowhere near as smooth and comfortable. 

[Rainmaker]

@TonyTonic What car/engine are you coming from? Whether a car 'feels' thirsty is a matter of great subjectivity. I'd been used to diesels mostly, and the 220 was a bit of a culture shock. That said I soon adjusted and realised how remarkably economical it actually is, especially considering 'what' it is. @Sagalout has it exactly right. It's thirsty compared to a diesel until it warms up, but after that it will seemingly take all the heavy driving, overtaking, spirited back roads and whatnot that you can throw at it, and the MPG just stays where it is - or even goes up! Mid 30s overall, early to mid 40s on a run (more if you're very careful) and 20s on a cold engine with a short urban stop/start journey are about right. Everyone's driving (and driving conditions) are different but that's a good guideline I'd say, and broadly agrees with Sagalout's findings too.

 

Drive it gently in D until the oil (not just the water) is warm, and then do as you please. You'll be fine. Even with predominantly local journeys on a cold engine, I still average 32mpg to a tank overall. When I'm driving more 'normally' (i.e. a few longer trips thrown in too) I get mid 30s or more to a tank easily and mid 40s on a motorway run. The car is smooth, refined and punch as heck when you want it to be - whether riding the low down torque for unobtrusive progress around others and taking sneaky low-key overtakes, or wringing its neck to the red line around the de-restricted country roads. Try one, and try a 280 too (if you can stretch to it the AWD is inarguably a massive advantage). I doubt you'd go back!

[Whenwillilearn]

Love and hate my 220tsi and was a bit of an impulse purchase.

 

Likes:

External aesthetics

It in black. My car is very black

Interior space

Boot space

ACC

Keyless opening

Power boot

Power - adequate for the cars size

Interior lighting

Reasonable MPG for a large auto car 25 town seen 50 on motorway cruise

 

Dislikes:

DSG not what i had expected, hesitant and cumbersome

Road noise a little more intrusive than would expect

Sunroof, nothing more than a feature that creates rattles and creaks

Poor trim material selection, appears brittle and flimsy

Stop start. Utterly useless and IMO dangerous

Thin external paint coat chips very very easily

Worst of all? When ACC is selected and the target car is displayed on the maxidot the graphic is an octavia. Why no superb!

 

 A few positive comments have been made by friends about the car but no one has said they would buy skoda. I wont again. I will enjoy this car as much as possible but will be moving upward towards the new Volvo XC range with the next car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TonyTonic]

1 hour ago, Rainmaker said:

@TonyTonic What car/engine are you coming from? Whether a car 'feels' thirsty is a matter of great subjectivity. I'd been used to diesels mostly, and the 220 was a bit of a culture shock. That said I soon adjusted and realised how remarkably economical it actually is, especially considering 'what' it is. @Sagalout has it exactly right. It's thirsty compared to a diesel until it warms up, but after that it will seemingly take all the heavy driving, overtaking, spirited back roads and whatnot that you can throw at it, and the MPG just stays where it is - or even goes up! Mid 30s overall, early to mid 40s on a run (more if you're very careful) and 20s on a cold engine with a short urban stop/start journey are about right. Everyone's driving (and driving conditions) are different but that's a good guideline I'd say, and broadly agrees with Sagalout's findings too.

 

Drive it gently in D until the oil (not just the water) is warm, and then do as you please. You'll be fine. Even with predominantly local journeys on a cold engine, I still average 32mpg to a tank overall. When I'm driving more 'normally' (i.e. a few longer trips thrown in too) I get mid 30s or more to a tank easily and mid 40s on a motorway run. The car is smooth, refined and punch as heck when you want it to be - whether riding the low down torque for unobtrusive progress around others and taking sneaky low-key overtakes, or wringing its neck to the red line around the de-restricted country roads. Try one, and try a 280 too (if you can stretch to it the AWD is inarguably a massive advantage). I doubt you'd go back!

 

Ahem, a 1.4 NA petrol Astra :( 

 Test drive booked on Saturday will come back here with impressions.

Thanks for the responses! I have watched may You Tube videos and on that basis I quite fancy the L&K 220 hatch in Business Grey. Hopefully it will live up to expectations.

 

Does that trim come with Reverse camera thingy and self parking? Is the Media Control any good? Is it with it? What size wheel come as standard? 

[TonyTonic]

Is the DSG basically the same as in the Passat? I tried an Audi A6 (as there are great savings to be made 25% with the new one coming in June) and it wasn't that responsive either. I am assuming Stronic is the same in the VAG group. The Audi A6 is tiny in the back seats, I am over 6 foot and just fit behind my seat position and would definitely not be comfy on a long journey

Edited 27 March, 2018 by TonyTonic

[TonyTonic]

20 minutes ago, Whenwillilearn said:

Love and hate my 220tsi and was a bit of an impulse purchase.

 

Likes:

External aesthetics

It in black. My car is very black

Interior space

Boot space

ACC

Keyless opening

Power boot

Power - adequate for the cars size

Interior lighting

Reasonable MPG for a large auto car 25 town seen 50 on motorway cruise

 

Dislikes:

DSG not what i had expected, hesitant and cumbersome

Road noise a little more intrusive than would expect

Sunroof, nothing more than a feature that creates rattles and creaks

Poor trim material selection, appears brittle and flimsy

Stop start. Utterly useless and IMO dangerous

Thin external paint coat chips very very easily

Worst of all? When ACC is selected and the target car is displayed on the maxidot the graphic is an octavia. Why no superb!

 

 A few positive comments have been made by friends about the car but no one has said they would buy skoda. I wont again. I will enjoy this car as much as possible but will be moving upward towards the new Volvo XC range with the next car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poor trim etc. that is my concern as well , it all looks great but is it that good? I mean you should't expect luxury class from a cheap(ish) car but they are positioning themselves there so people will expect it.

[JR RS]

12 hours ago, TonyTonic said:

Thanks for the responses! I have watched may You Tube videos and on that basis I quite fancy the L&K 220 hatch in Business Grey. Hopefully it will live up to expectations.

 

good choice in color - i got a hatch in business grey too.

still loving the color trim wheel combo

 

milage - i easily get 800-900 kms between fill ups.  and i don't drive like Ms.Daisy 

 

[TonyTonic]

13 minutes ago, JR RS said:

 

good choice in color - i got a hatch in business grey too.

still loving the color trim wheel combo

 

milage - i easily get 800-900 kms between fill ups.  and i don't drive like Ms.Daisy 

 

Lovely!! Is that the standard rims?

[JR RS]

16 hours ago, TonyTonic said:

Lovely!! Is that the standard rims?

 

no, its the optional 19" Phoenix rims.

[TonyTonic]

I've test driven the Super 220 TSI yesterday (in sport line trim, I would go for the L&K). It is very fast, kick down screams the car forward very quickly. Torque steer is very strong and also lifts the front high up. I feel the 6 speed DSG is not enough and that it would rev too high at hight speeds in Germany when I go over Europe.

 

It felt very mushy and soft to drive but I have pushed it on occasion to see how it feel under heavy acceleration. The upside of that is that it is comfortable.

 

I have also tried a 150 TDI Kodiaq, lovely. But the driving position is not for me, wife loves it. BUT...I guess I could get used to it.

 

Have also tried a Passat GT 190TDI this morning with Active Info Display and Sunroof as standard, 7 speed DSG. A bit firmer , very torquey and felt a little more stable with less torque steer as it had the XDS fitted. It's smaller in the back and felt a bit narrower, i.e. less shoulder space in the front than the Superb.  Not sure if the Superb comes with XDS. also, the hatch opening on the Superb is sooo much better than the classic saloon style on the Passat

 

Decisions, decisions. 

 

 

[100andthirty]

I have just completed a 1600 mile round trip to the Alps. It's the first time I have used most of the performance available. That said, I still haven't needed to use full throttle!.

 

After delays at the Channel Tunnel on Good Friday, I drove at the French motorway limit down to near Nuit St George achieving just 32.5 indicated mpg. This in wet weather with 4 people, a full boot and a roofbox with six pairs of skis. Second day involved some very hilly autoroutes and mountain passes. The car treats mountain climbs with utter contempt; always ample power and always in the right gear. On the return journey, roads were very busy. The surge of power when the gearbox kicks down from 6th to 4th - even at 75mph is awesome and very useful to slot into the overtaking lane. There were just one or two places where  it was sensible to select 5th manually to avoid the car labouring in 6th. It was easy to cover over 200 miles between breaks. A very easy car to live with!

[Rainmaker]

13 hours ago, TonyTonic said:

I've test driven the Super 220 TSI yesterday (in sport line trim, I would go for the L&K). It is very fast, kick down screams the car forward very quickly. Torque steer is very strong and also lifts the front high up. I feel the 6 speed DSG is not enough and that it would rev too high at hight speeds in Germany when I go over Europe.

 

It felt very mushy and soft to drive but I have pushed it on occasion to see how it feel under heavy acceleration. The upside of that is that it is comfortable.

 

I have also tried a 150 TDI Kodiaq, lovely. But the driving position is not for me, wife loves it. BUT...I guess I could get used to it.

 

Have also tried a Passat GT 190TDI this morning with Active Info Display and Sunroof as standard, 7 speed DSG. A bit firmer , very torquey and felt a little more stable with less torque steer as it had the XDS fitted. It's smaller in the back and felt a bit narrower, i.e. less shoulder space in the front than the Superb.  Not sure if the Superb comes with XDS. also, the hatch opening on the Superb is sooo much better than the classic saloon style on the Passat

 

Decisions, decisions. 

 

 

 

Yes the Superb has XDS. The car will feel much more responsive and less wallowy if you leave it in manual mode when pressing on, especially on bendy back roads. It makes a huge difference! DCC will also be your friend here, no doubt. When you say 'rev too high' at high speeds in Europe, what exactly do you mean? The 220 revs rather lower than the 280 and several owners on here regularly go well into 3 figures in Germany in theirs without complaint. I've seen 130mph in my 220 without issues, the car is nicely mid power band and still returns mid 30s or so. Phenomenal really.

[TonyTonic]

I mean Whats the revs at 100mph for example in 6th. 

[freelunch]

I'm off to Berlin tomorrow – had my alignment adjusted in anticipation. Really looking forward to the Autobahn. Here, I tend to stay within 10% of the speed limit, because I'm old and sensible. I'll let @TonyTonic know what the tach tells me at 161 kph, that's for sure!  

[TonyTonic]

3 minutes ago, freelunch said:

I'm off to Berlin tomorrow – had my alignment adjusted in anticipation. Really looking forward to the Autobahn. Here, I tend to stay within 10% of the speed limit, because I'm old and sensible. I'll let @TonyTonic know what the tach tells me at 161 kph, that's for sure!  

Cheers fella. Enjoy !

[Rainmaker]

15 hours ago, TonyTonic said:

I mean Whats the revs at 100mph for example in 6th. 

 

I couldn't tell you off the top of my head. I do know 80mph is 2,000rpm; 100mph is somewhere in the region between 2,500 and 3,000rpm, so hardly excessive. Many petrols will pull that or more at 70 and still be perfectly refined.  @freelunch will be able to give you a more accurate number tomorrow, as he'll be driving sooner than I.  

[100andthirty]

If engine speed at 80mph is 2000rpm, then at 100mph, the engine speed will be 2500rpm.

[Rainmaker]

10 hours ago, 100andthirty said:

If engine speed at 80mph is 2000rpm, then at 100mph, the engine speed will be 2500rpm.

 

Absolutely. Sorry, I was trying to be brief and ended up making it confusing. In actual fact 80mph in 6th is a hair over 2,000 but nothing you can measure. As such 100mph will be just over 2,500rpm or perhaps nudging 2,750rpm.

[freelunch]

Wow. This site gets a lot of traffic in four days! I'm in Berlin, and just checking in to answer @TonyTonic 's question. At 100 mph, my 220 DSG (sixth gear) makes between 2,750 and 2,800 RPM, observed.

 

The unrestricted Autobahn was not as much fun as I was anticipating. If you want to attempt your maximum speed, you better try it at 3 am. There is simply too much traffic otherwise. I saw 120 mph, but it was too stressful to maintain. Also noted: the maximum you can set the ACC is 160 kph, or 100 mph. And, this is what I did. Amazing how comfortable assured the Sportline is maintaining that speed. 120 mph was a bit frenetic – the steering was set to normal, maybe it would have been better on Sport? In any case, I found the sweet spot to be 3,000 rpm (abut 108 mph).

 

I have no idea what my mileage is. I've got everything set to KPH at the moment and won't be calculating my mileage until I get home with all my receipts. (And, what is "mileage" in kilometers per hour? Kiloterage?

 

This car really soaks up the miles. I do take awhile to straighten up after two hours behind the wheel, but that's just old age. 

 

More thoughts on my return.

[freelunch]

We finished our 1,400-miler without mishap. Now, maybe this is standard for a car. Until this trip, all my major tours of Europe have been on a motorcycle. I've stopped for a disintegrating wheel bearing, a wiring loom failure, an overheating engine, a leaking clutch seal... I've had my bike fixed in four different languages. Our last trip to Spain was the first time in memory that I didn't have to worry about the bike at all. Then, I sold it.

 

So, this perfect trip is a big deal to me. This Škoda is a wonderful machine. It ran flawlessly and I didn't pick up so much as a paint chip. Mind, I did pay €161 for secure parking over the nine days.

 

I just checked my mileage: the first fill up gave me 36.3 mpg, about normal. The second fill up was after seeing how fast this machine would go on the Autobahn. I was expecting it to be bad, but 31.9 mpg is pretty good when the ACC is set at 160 kph and I saw 200 kph a couple times. 3,000 rpm seemed to be the sweet spot, about 108 mph. The engine just purred. I settled down on the drive from Berlin to Aachen and the mileage improved: 37.0. My best ever tankful was on a trip to Edinburgh – I got 40.7 mpg obeying the speed limit, officer. So, doing the ton has only dropped me 3 mpg. Not bad.

 

The other thing was the DCC. Some have wondered if it's worth the money. After this trip, I have to say yes. You'd think an unrestricted Autobahn would be nicely paved. Ha! Putting the DCC in Comfort mode really helped. You could hear the tyres hitting broken pavement, etc. but you could not feel it in your backside. The roads were level, so there was no floating, just smooth riding.

 

My individual setting has the suspension set to Normal, but the pickup of the ACC to Sport, and the ACC set to its closest following position. If you leave a gap in Deutschland, you're going backward. 

 

The parking garages were interesting. The Škoda is a long car and the proximity sensors were working overtime. I was bolt upright and trying to see around the A-pillar, but the only time I misjudged a lane position was on the Eurotunnel train. No worries.

 

Can't wait until my next trip! Maybe, Italy. Trouble is, after nine days we were ready for our own bed. It's heck growing old... 

[Jimbo_Jet]

First post here from a long time lurker on these boards since Feb, scoping out a potential new car. Is it common knowledge that the 220 is now no longer available?

 

Found this out as I decide to go for a 220 Sportline Plus as a new company car 3 weeks ago (thanks to advice on here) and then was notified last week that Skoda have pulled the 220 engine ahead of the new EU emission standards which are coming in this year.

 

Spoke to the dealer and all that he could offer me to order in Sportline Plus was the 150 diesel. All petrol options had gone and he believed it was likely the 190 diesel would be pulled shortly as well. 

 

Looking at alternatives at the moment...... may have to consider the diesel. 

[TonyTonic]

1 hour ago, Jimbo_Jet said:

First post here from a long time lurker on these boards since Feb, scoping out a potential new car. Is it common knowledge that the 220 is now no longer available?

 

Found this out as I decide to go for a 220 Sportline Plus as a new company car 3 weeks ago (thanks to advice on here) and then was notified last week that Skoda have pulled the 220 engine ahead of the new EU emission standards which are coming in this year.

 

Spoke to the dealer and all that he could offer me to order in Sportline Plus was the 150 diesel. All petrol options had gone and he believed it was likely the 190 diesel would be pulled shortly as well. 

 

Looking at alternatives at the moment...... may have to consider the diesel. 

The 280 seems to be available.

[hwr1983]

26 minutes ago, TonyTonic said:

The 280 seems to be available.

 

It's on the configurator, but so is the 220.  As far as I know (from my dealer) the 280 is gone also - currently - to be replaced with a lower powered version I believe (from reading around here)