Scirocco Central

I keep reading nit picking reviews about the Scirocco and they are obviously highly biased for reasons of initial new cost and a lack of getting to know the car.
To me the R looks different at all 3 sides and the contours on the sides catch the eye even today among other coupes which just look like add-ons (Focus and Megane).
There is plenty seat height adjustment and the steering wheel turns with a high degree of accuracy (the car's XDS on corners at speed make it smooth and so more under control than others). That's not lack of feel in the steering wheel but better handling.
You immediately notice how it pulls to centre to aid driving effort. May be not what you are use to for turning.

The 3 modes of ACC are great yet could have had its button in either centre or 2nd in from right for the UK RHD.
Reviews say about little difference or that Sport is too hard. Educate them! You pick the mode for the type of surface and if its A or twisting B roads (not just track days).
You do notice the bumps on A roads on Sport but if you drive hard on B roads its amazing how it sponges into corners and keeps it tight after sinking in. You simply can not drive the same on Comfort mode like that!
It's also very good to be able to switch to Comfort (if you use Normal often) for bad pot holed roads and speed bumps.
Having the option to change the feel of the car makes it like 3 different cars with tighter turning on Sport. Reviewers miss the best points whilst some try to get 0-60 in 6secs in the icey wet and fail obviously!
I therefore know reviewers are total amateurs in their role and it takes time to know what you are talking about.
Magazines should employ owners of cars to review them

There is no design floor about opening the Tailgate by FOB. Many cars do that nowadays. However it would've been ideal to have opening the Tailgate to also open the doors to prevent accidental locking your keys in the boot! It does have a switch in the drivers door too.

One said the brakes bite too hard. Well they do require wearing in and getting used to from what you already drive. Mine are totally fine. I also noticed they do bite hard when you need them to e.g. not committing to overtake. It must be the ABS that does just that!

Lastly, you pick the stowage around the gear stick that suits you. Yes the bottle holder infront of a manual stick, which has a slide cover compartment behind, will be in the way! So choose what will work best. You can order after market parts too.
I'd wish that the VW dealers were fully trained at fitting Reverse Cameras and full LED swaps from Halogen yellows to keep labour costs affordable. They could improve and it would help the S/H market more. We don't expect to hear "ah well it all depends how long it takes" - not if they are trained. That way they can get a fixed price and therefore advertise offers to all users. They just are that lazy to keep up and is the very reason they push you to add the extras from new.

I think you're missing the point. Car reviewer will probably drive several cars in any week and will give an unbiased opinion on how his test drive goes and what he feels about the car compared to the many similar cars they have driven.
An owner will always give a biased review of the car he/she chose to buy over the similar types available on the market.

To call all reviewers amatures is a bit of a sweeping statement, I wouldn't call Tiff or Vicky amatures yet they slated the R on the track when it was compared against its nearest rivals the Ford Focus and the Megane. The fact is, on that day driven the same way on the track the scirocco just wasn't as good as the other two cars.
A reviewer can't say, I've driven this car for 6 months and if I select this mode and take it easy into the corners it will be 3/10ths of a second quicker around the track. They will jump in select Sport Mode and go for it.

You picked the Scirocco R over the other cars because it's what fits your requirement. Just enjoy it for what it is and accept its never going to be the best FWD car out there on the track...but it was never designed to be.

James321 wrote:I think you're missing the point. Car reviewer will probably drive several cars in any week and will give an unbiased opinion on how his test drive goes and what he feels about the car compared to the many similar cars they have driven.
An owner will always give a biased review of the car he/she chose to buy over the similar types available on the market.

To call all reviewers amatures is a bit of a sweeping statement, I wouldn't call Tiff or Vicky amatures yet they slated the R on the track when it was compared against its nearest rivals the Ford Focus and the Megane. The fact is, on that day driven the same way on the track the scirocco just wasn't as good as the other two cars.
A reviewer can't say, I've driven this car for 6 months and if I select this mode and take it easy into the corners it will be 3/10ths of a second quicker around the track. They will jump in select Sport Mode and go for it.

You picked the Scirocco R over the other cars because it's what fits your requirement. Just enjoy it for what it is and accept its never going to be the best FWD car out there on the track...but it was never designed to be.

Good point, well said. Everyone has different requirements and expectations.

Funny how reviewers are never amateurs, if they say the car you have is the "best"

You both missed my point to potential R buyers which this area is titled for.
So many reviewers nit pick for things that simply are not issues what so ever as if their model is the ONLY configuration - unadjusted seat height for headroom, cup holders, brakes biting, tailgate FOB, steering not responsive just because the car is actually in more traction control.
I ain't biased as I criticise what I "know" needs improving and it's nothing to do with comparisons at all.

Review: http://www.caradvice.com.au/156871/volk ... -r-review/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Cons= Limited rear headroom; small boot; ride quality issues despite adjustable suspension; forward and rear vision not great; 98 RON fuel requirement" Loads of room - so much I need a net to hold my shopping in place! Rear seats are for the kids mainly and they all miss the point of them being buckets that also include Isofix for baby seats. This is capturing the correct market for its full potential.

I rest my case - they are all part-time amateurs in knowing (for the true facts) what they are criticising.
THE END.

Well you have actually listed all the issues I have with my R so thanks for the reminder.

As for "THE END"? This is a public forum where people will have different views to you, if you are so opinionated- why ask the question in the first place?

What question? I merely point out that reviewers of the R have no worthy cons for the purpose of prospective buyers which this area is titled for that. Look at the menu heading http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/forum/ ... um.php?f=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The price for base model is realistic for the quality and extra design tech it involves.
Comparing price to what else is similar is just trivial. We can only have what we can afford.
If you have gripes then it's not for you but surely the Golf instead. There is a niche for all needs.
This is a 4 seater Sport Coupe and the best in it's class over 5 years and gets better as later technology comes around.

Waste of time thread IMO

Great thread, how to justify to myself why I bought one

ACC is flawed given it messes with the steering weight, the car is only predicable in comfort or sport, it can handle as well in comfort, particularly in the wet, it should be an option as £700 gets you well on to the way to a decent suspension set up

Having had a rocco for a few days the quirks came flooding back to me, I'll throw in the A piller thickness which just gets in the way, funnily enough I went for a 3 door Golf lol

Chungster wrote:Waste of time thread IMO

Click here and read what it says in the main menu of the forum under "Scirocco R Talk" please: http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/forum/index.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you were looking at all the reviews around online (that you didn't see before buying yours) and are "a potential buyer" (as this section is titled) then just perhaps this would be of interest but you got yours already so why even comment. Write another picking review

Wigit, you found Normal mode to behave wrong as a design fault or just that it had the weighted feel as do the other modes but expected it to be lighter? It acts progressively but the travel sharpens cycling through modes. It is at best with 2 hands race style so I bet harder work in the manual box.
I do admit the pillars are at the point to blind spots at roundabouts but you must get used to its differences.

the issue with ACC was two fold for me:

I never liked the steering weighting in comfort or normal, sport was approaching the feel of my wife's mk5 GTI which always gave better feedback, whsilt in comfort you may want slightly more roll but why would you necessarily want a lighter weighted feel to the steering, for me I'd actually want more

The dampers just didn't cut it for me me and in normal mode as were just in consistent how the behaved around bruntingthorpe

To be honest I think it is the reviewers who are missing the point. Yes its all well and good getting hold a smart medium performance car and trowing it around a race track or disused airfield. And yes it might be mildly interesting to hear that car A is 3/10th of second faster than car B (based upon one lap by a potentially biased driver). Or that car A has a tendency to over steer in the wet when thrown in to a corner at 80 mph.
For the 1% of car drivers who take their day cars to track days I'm sure all of that is reasonably important. But for most people who are thinking about buying or changing their car most reviews are no more that a bit of fantasy and light entertainment, oh and a load of fun for the reviewer.

A serious and useful reviewer will report upon more day to day humdrum things that are relevant to ordinary use of the car in your life. Things like -
- is the radio poor quality or unfriendly to use
- are the seatbelts difficult to reach
- can you get a suitcase or your weekly shopping in the boot
- what's it like to park in a supermarket carpark
- what's it like for getting in and out
- how does it behave in slow moving congested traffic

All comments and criticisms should also be relevant to the class of car and its price.

Precisely my point Zephy. I read another that again said the ACC is too stiff and may suit smooth German A roads but not our English twisty roads. That's what gas suspension does rather than leafs of old. Its the same on mountain bikes with air suspension: bumpy at slow speeds but plush at high. It is called Sport mode for good reason and does sink greatly into our windy B roads. On Sport it takes a bigger hit to get a deeper initial compression. That is fun and knowing it has more control too. They could have made it auto-sensing your driving style but at least it does stick to the setup you choose and gives you more for your lefthand to get involved with after going with DSG. I like it for its flexibility yet steering could be lighter but that's the pull to centre aid. (I wonder if VCDS has a switch to opt??)

This is why I say they are amateurs at reviewing. They don't spend enough time with the day to day practicalities as you mentioned but let their ego run wild and bring in their bias towards other possible buys. The Lambos are not the fastest cars and only have 2 seats with limited visability - so what! If you judge a car you do so on its own merits and function.
For the 1% track dayers I wonder how many of you dare to use flick turn and lift-off oversteer? There surely must be differences between manual & DSG in these situations BUT again in knowing the track AND the car you best judge how and when to handle it. Advanced drivers say you can undulate it on the throttle at great speedy corners. Spending time with it will get you use to its new ways. It was previously thought not possible to get it sideways when cornering in a FWD.

To me DSG is the choice in a fast road car for its super smooth gear changes. The Youtube clips showing its acceleration totally sold it. Why want all that power to have to change gear manually so fast and get the kicks in your back as you do so. It spoils the thrilling pull. The paddles are amazing fun on windy roads through forests and mountains. It does give you 60secs before intervening back to auto Drive and is fine. Yet when I use the gear stick shift to compare how I'd feel with manual box again, its pointless driving style trying to turn with one hand especially if you lift your hand off and it pulls centre fast! Ofcourse two hands is the safe racing style.
Reviewers have missed out on the DSG and that boooooooooooom!!!

"The engine sounds like diesel on idle" only when you are a reviewer who opens the lid to see whats inside and hears this for cons to write of. It sounds beefy enough at idle from the drivers seat and gets beefier in reverse! I love it how you don't touch throttle at all to reverse and it purs around like a lion not a kitten.

Lets hear it for FWD " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;