In-depth reviews

Skoda Rapid owner reviews

"It's one you'll buy with your head rather than your heart, but the Skoda Rapid is a very practical, affordable and dependable family car"

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by Richard Ingram

27 Feb 2018

.polaris__post-meta--date { display: none; } .polaris__post-meta--date.no-script { display: block; padding-left: 45px } 27 Feb 2018

Carbuyer Rating

3.1 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.0 out of 5

Reviews

Owner Reviews

5 out of 5
4 out of 5
3 out of 5
2 out of 5
1 out of 5

77%of people would recommend this car to a friend

Common Problems

Gearbox / clutch (1 case)
Gearbox / clutch, Suspension (1 case)
Electrics (1 case)
Other (2 cases)

Review 1 of 13

Tell us what you think about your car?

The only faults I can identify with my Rapid are the seats are too firm (VW Group car seats are always too firm - known from having various Passats over 11 years and a 63 plate Octavia Estate for 2 years), the auto start / stop sometimes fails to kick in, and that water can gather in the rear doors. None of these are significant enough to complain to Skoda about. The VW Diesel engine scandal (toxic gasses) are something that I will live with as I have heard many reports in the auto trade media that the 'VW fix' does expensive damage to the engine. The car drives great - it's design was never intended for track (or street ?) racing and gives a comfortable ride - we just put a cushion on the seats to soften the harsh seat ride and then all is well. The 64.3mpg is the average mpg since the car was purchased new, a drive from Glasgow to Edinburgh during rush hour traffic speeds has returned an average of 96.3mpg - brilliant. The luggage space in this car is fantastic and the level of equipment is enough for us. We deliberately did not select a car with very low profile (16 or 17 inch) tyres as I've had very bad experiences with low very profile tyres on the Octavia and on generation 3 Ford Mondeos where wheels were damaged due to pot holes and flats. The very low profile tyres don't give enough indication of a punction when driving, and don't soak up bumps well making the shock absorbers work harder / wear out quicker. Careful tyre selection will give good overall performance. Current tyre wear status is that the front tyres are still originals with a guess of another 3000 miles of wear left. The rear tyres will probably manage 45000 miles in total at renewal. Yes the car is narrower than the Octavia - which is also a great car, however seating for 4 is all we currently need. All being well I have no intentions of parting with my Skoda Rapid SE CR 1.6 TDI Greentech.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I have found the Rapid very quiet and responsive to the accelerator. There is absolutely loads of space both inside the cabin and the boot is very large indeed. The fuel consumption going by the computer is averaging 46mpg which in a car that size with a small engine is very acceptable. The car is comfortable to drive, but the gear change is a bit clumsy compared to previous vehicles I have owned. However I am looking forward to owning it, as it is comfortable, solidly built and rattle free.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Disappointed overall. After 5 years with a fantastic reliable, robust and economical Octavia which returned mid 50 mpg I decided to go with the Rapid this time. Ride is very bumpy and gearbox/clutch not smooth at all. Driving like a saint I get 47mpg despite a mix of urban and motorway I can get nowhere near the 55mpg widely stated.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Find the car verry bumpy rough ride poor lights very nippy, plenty of boot space, poor seats, radio buttons stick out to far not like a japanise car lacks the refinement and finish everything is basic electric are noisey

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Among the best cars I've ever owned, great level of performance, comfort and reliability. I've done 50,000 miles and I've not even had a warning light, commuting average fuel is around 52mpg, it's great on the motorway, average fuel is just above 60. Very safe and the boot is huge. Nearly 600L with the back seats up, it's bigger than some estates. I service it myself every 6 months which is usually 9,000 mile intervals. Looks great, drives great, will keep this one for a long long time. The DSG gearbox is smooth, attentive and matched well with the TSI engine. Suspension is comfy and smooth yet holds its own in corners and rough roads. I bought it 12 months old with delivery miles for £9,995. Still on original brake disks and pads. Previous cars are Jaguar S Type 2.7D and Mercedes Benz E220d. 10/10

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Constantly damp inside and needs to be driven permanently with a/c and heated rear screen on. The car is damp to touch inside and steams up all the time, the dealer believes there to be no leak or water ingress in the car! Really poor quality car in honesty and really disappointed having read the reviews on Skoda! The electric mirrors also have a mind of their own, the ride quality is appalling, for a 10 year old car let alone a new one. The fuel economy figures are complete nonsense as the car will not return 50 mpg on a long motorway run at 70 mph. Also the dealer service is very poor. I would personally not touch one of these with a barge pole and have been put off having another Skoda. I bought a service plan which according to the OBC the car has not been serviced despite the paperwork I was given showing it had. The equipment on the car is in honestly reasonable like cruise control, sat nav and all round electric windows and rear parking sensors. It is just put in a very average package and a unhelpful dealer network.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

This car is all I expected from a low cost model. Comfortable and quiet and reasonably economic to run. I have covered 12,000 in six months, absolutely no issues. Pluses are space, great boot, very quiet inside and nice features. Minuses are few and nothing not already mentioned by others but OK for the price. If it is as reliable as my old Octavia I will be very happy.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This is a truly fantastic car, especially when you consider what it costs. I have owned Skoda before, so knew they were good, but the Rapid is a revelation. I have owned Mercedes, Volvo, Mitsubishi and Ford in recent years and the Rapid's build quality and fuel economy is superior. I do wonder if I have been driving the same car as some other reviewers have been! - I would recommend this one any day to anyone.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Bought this Skoda Rapid after driving Seat cars for over 10 years must say very impressed have the Elegance model very sporty looking car, handles very well and can shift when you want it to, we have two young kiddies so plenty of room for them and the boot is massive, you can get everything in, pram etc. Fuel wise very good, and overall would reccomend to anyone with a few kids ticks all the family car boxes.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I bought this car when it was a year old at 13,000 miles - it was a Hertz rental vehicle. Since then I have driven 40,000 miles in it; it has proved to be comfortable, reliable, with good performance and it's spacious. The dashboard is undoubtedly plasticky, but overall I have been very happy with the car, and with the service provided by the suppplying dealer, Faintree Skoda of Telford.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Generally good value, though the Elegance model isn't particularly well appointed for a top-of-range version. Engine is quite sprightly and frugal - very impressive. Six speed gearbox gives high gear for cruising. Car is quiet and refined, but the ride is disappointingly harsh at low speeds. Handling is competent but uninspiring. Seats benefit from the fitting of after-market cushions (Halfords), otherwise they're over-firm. Oh how I miss my old Alfa 156!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Issues i've had include a harsh ride on 16" wheels. I fitted aftermarket 15" alloys with Vredestein Quatrac 5 all season tyres (same size as spare - 185/60) and it made a significant improvement. The seat squab didn't have enough support so I had a bespoke foam wedge made (like a slab of cheddar!) - now it's very comfy. There was a squeaking rear wiper - a new blade cured the problem. The stop/start is now switched off (Battery too small?). There was a judder in reverse early on, it cured itself! Otherwise it's a very good car - peppy, big inside, a joy to drive. It's done 19K miles; this one's a keeper. Forget the plush interior this car is solid, well built and quiet. I've fitted aftermarket. Osram headlight bulbs and they're now the best headlamps (short of Xenon types) ever. Note the 1.4 TSI is no longer available, which is a shame. Buy second-hand with confidence. The DSG is magic and if possible get the 123ps version of the 1.4 that was available only until the 2017 face lift.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very comfortable ride easy handling only downside is it is very thirsty at speed & going up hill

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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