Suberb Combi Car: Best Value & Space

Hi,
I'm currently test driving the model with a 170 hp CR engine, DSG transmission, and Elegance trim.
Excellent engine and transmission. It revs up very quickly and shifts just as fast. When cruising, it selects appropriate shift points.

7,2 L/100 km laut BC, mit einigen High Speed Tests auf der BAB 9 (Schkeuditzer Kreuz Richtung Dessau, 3-spurig) und auch Etappen mit 140 km/h, um den Vergleich mit unserer Standard-Reisegeschwindigkeits-Geräuschkulisse zu haben, etwas Landstrasse und sehr wenig Stadtverkehr. Auf 154 km ein "ertankter" Durchschnittsverbrauch von 12,2 L/100 km! Entweder haben die mich im AH verarscht, ("der ist vollgetankt", was die Anzeige bestätigte) oder die Möhre schluckt echt extrem viel, bei ab und an Vollgas! Oha!

The car is huge inside, especially along the length. However, it's quite narrow, so the proportions aren't quite right. The leather is nice, but some plastic parts (like the window switch assembly or other parts in the door) feel cheap and are the same as those found in the Fabia. The feel of the dashboard and door panels is generally good, especially when you compare the price (41,000€) to an MB, Audi, or BMW. The parking assist system can only park in spaces that are at least 6 meters long! You're unlikely to find spaces that long in the city.

I'm looking for something that can fit two child seats and a teenager in the back. The 3BG is only narrower in the front (estimated). The Superb's rear bench/seat area measures 130 cm wide, and the backrest (top edge) measures 128 cm. The 3BG has an equally wide seat area, and the backrest (top edge) is 132 cm wide (all measurements taken with a ruler, approximate).
An MTB bike can fit in the back, behind the rear seats when the "covers" at the back of the cargo area are removed (they can be pulled upwards, good mechanism). The rounded rear design sacrifices a lot of vertical storage space.

"Those who can live with the CZ status: it's likely a good buy, at least I've never regretted buying my Fabia because of the brand. The fuel consumption issue needs to be checked!"

haithamina

Quote:

I'm looking for something that can fit two child seats and a teenager in the back.

T5 from Tradeport.
I don't have three children yet, but there's a bus available starting with three children.
Everything else is just fiddling around.

If you install two ISOFIX car seats, there's barely enough room in a regular car to fit a Nintendo DS between them.

m;

PS: And I definitely can't fit a Cannondale Lefty fork in there.
Another point for the T5!

Well, the T5...
Ich lese nun schon lange im T5 Forum mit. Auch die letzten T5.1 hatten alle T5 Macken (Krümmer, WaPu, fressende PDE, undichte Fenster, Antiebswelle, ...). Den kauf ich sicher nicht. Mal sehen was die T 5.2 so taugen. Bi-Turbo rules!
haithamina

T5.1, 174 hp, 57,000 km, no problems. Just the stupid "warning water level" light that always locks out when the reserve light comes on... but that can be easily disabled in 5 seconds using VAGCOM.
The first ones probably had some real flaws. Ours has two sliding windows that are used frequently and are still sealed, and the rest also shows no signs of wear. It's always the case that problems accumulate online, and I don't even have an account with the T5 group...

"But the Suberb is a great car, and I'm sure I'd enjoy it. However, I can only criticize Martin, because even with two booster seats, the middle seat becomes unusable. Below the T5, there's also the Caddy, but I wouldn't give up our van; it's a fantastic car!"

matthiasTDI96 wrote:

T5.1 174HP, 57,000 km, no issues.

Well, that's encouraging. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things continue to go smoothly for you T5 drivers!

Lately, there have been several reports in the T5 forum of power steering failures (pumps), either due to "misuse" such as full steering lock and driving on snow (which you shouldn't do!), or simply happening while exiting the highway (!!!). However, it seems that accelerating (increasing engine RPM) at the end of the exit ramp can prevent this. One driver, however, ended up hitting a tree at 40 km/h... Well, I'll stop there.
But even as a VW enthusiast (or even the VW enthusiasts in the T5 forum), the "typical" issues described there are enough to give you goosebumps. Therefore, my conclusion is similar to what one might draw regarding V6 TDIs and camshafts: there are problems that manifest in an above-average failure rate.
Most of the described quirks are also found in the Touareg. The difference is that the T5 driver is often perceived as a "tinkerer/hippie/DIY enthusiast" (and therefore receives no goodwill), while the Touareg driver is seen by VW as driving a premium product, and factory defects are rectified through goodwill programs.
Okay, I would be happy if my concerns could be addressed. I will continue reading.
haithamina
P.S. I've updated the report on the Super B. It drives well, as I said. It's a bit noisy at speeds above 180 km/h, and then it also feels a bit too soft. However, switching from the 3BG isn't really necessary or useful due to space constraints. Should I get a V70?

Quote:

I'm looking for something that can fit two child seats and a teenager in the back. The 3BG is only narrower in the front (estimated). In the back, the Superb's bench/seat area measures 130 cm, and the backrest (top edge) measures 128 cm. The 3BG has an equally wide seat area, and the top edge of the backrest is 132 cm wide (all measured with a ruler, roughly).

3C Variant:

approximately at shoulder height: 132 cm.
Upholstered seat height: 131 cm. Usable space between the doors (hip/child seat): 138 cm.

m;

The V70 is huge. How does the interior width compare to something like the Yeti? According to the internet, the elbow room measurements for the Superb are almost identical, and since the V70 has a boxy shape, there's also no loss of headroom.

--> I'm curious to see how unreliable the T5 will be. As I said, ours is still good, but I also think that not all of them will fail completely, because I have a friend who is self-employed and has the same model as we do, and he uses it every day for work. His is now approaching 100,000 km despite no maintenance, and he also only has the WWZH problem . However, I can understand the motivation to not buy a V6, as I also have concerns about the potential for expensive repairs .

Yeti?
Och nee, so ne Pseudo-Abenteuerkiste. Pfff.
I also remember the Sharan. I don't know if and how much wider the rear bench seat is. But it's probably a) also quite old and b) not really a good compromise: it has a large windshield area, but still doesn't offer much more space than a Passat (the extra height is rarely needed; it's more about the space for the five people).
haithamina

I'm not sure anymore if I forgot it.

Why isn't the 3C in your "search list"?

As I said, with two child seats installed, a third person in the back will have "no fun" to "no chance" of being comfortable.
Okay, so there's no chance with 2 ISOFIX seats, but I can measure it if you like.

However, if they are "just" booster seats and there are NO headrests attached to the backrest, it might work.

http://www.autobild.de/ir_img/58236558_0649427e08.jpg

m;

Hi Martin,
Yes, a 3C is in sight, and there's a great one available in Berlin: black, leather interior, 170 horsepower, Sportline trim, excellent condition (rated 2 out of 2), with just under 40,000 km on the odometer, and priced under €23,000.
However, it's not really much bigger than the 3BG.
The children will be a) 4 years old in August, b) almost 4 years old in August, and c) 11 years old in August. So, we'll need car seats for a while longer, with two needing child seats and one needing a seat more suitable for older children.
haithamina

As I said,

Having three children in my extended family (ages 6, 7, and 9), I've already tried many different configurations with two 3D printers.

If you use ISOFIX, the larger child seat will have to go in the trunk. There's no other way to do it in the V70. I can test this further, as we have a wide range of Volvo models at the company.

It's not (just) my bus fanaticism that leads me to say "starting from number 3, there's a bus."
Everything else is fiddling around, and I don't want to go back to anything other than ISOFIX - especially when it comes to 4-year-olds.

Is there not supposed to be a new, VW-only version of the Sharan coming out this year?

You'd be a beta tester again, wouldn't you?

I can't really imagine the Superb being any bigger, because what's missing in the back for three children is simply too much.

m;

Abenteuerkiste....recht hast du! My mistake.

Mhh, that reminds me that the E-Class was sometimes available as a T-model with an optional seven-seater configuration... But I wonder if that really makes sense? I can only say that having two Isofix anchors side-by-side on the rear bench still leaves a seat in the middle, not the most ideal one, but it fits. What's amazing about this van is that, no matter how much "own offspring" you transport (even if you only have one), the vehicle is almost always completely full when driving around. It's a school bus, after all. That's why it sometimes happens that there are six child seats inside. Fortunately, I only have to drive it very, very rarely.

dieselmartin wrote:

Isn't a new, VW-only Sharan supposed to be released this year? You'd be a beta tester again, wouldn't you? m;

No more beta testing! I'll only be buying facelift models from now on. But: I once had a van (T2), that was awesome, driving to northern Spain with a trailer. And that was with a worn-out gearbox (Where is that gear?). I've also driven the T5: great! The Phaeton was also nice to drive, but would I buy one?
@ Matthias
My wife is absolutely terrified of the idea: a huge bus, soon to be "living" in HD (meaning no parking), and then the thought of her saying, "Could you please take our kids with you? You have a bus, after all!" Just the thought of it causes panic, which could lead to an accident. Then we'll need external airbags.
haithamina

Yes, the circle of friends is growing for a specific purpose. Do we need to practice selection ?

And if they once realize that the bus has a trailer hitch that can tow up to 3000 kg...

dieselmartin wrote:

And once they find out that the bus has a trailer hitch that can tow up to 3000 kg...

Oh yeah... bring a Christmas tree with you... if you then have 10 on the hook because one is still broken ...


I just test drove the Yeti. Please disregard my mention of the car. What did they do about the space? The rear seats and the trunk are rather unsuitable for both passengers and luggage, no matter how far the rear seats were moved. Otherwise, it drives quite decently, even though you can see where they cut costs, despite the nice dashboard. Not an adventurous, pseudo-car for parents .