Scirocco Central

Hi all!

Collected my Deep Black, Manual, Deisel last Tuesday. It's got no options at all, and my modifications to date have been limited to removing the dealer stickers and their tax disk holder.



First the bits that niggle me about it...

I've read a lot of debate on here abot DRLs. I don't like them. If I want the headlights on, I'll switch them on. I have motorbikes as well, which do have DRLs, but they seem to have taken a better approach and simply not fitted a light switch. The Scirocco idea of having a switch which really doesn't do very much while the engine's runing seems a little confused. If they're for a legal requirement then we don't need a light switch. If there's no legal requirement then let me decide. I've contacted the dealer about getting the DRLs switched off.

Which brings me to my second gripe. The handbook doesn't seem to work correctly with my car. I can't get into the MFD "Settings Menu", and the instructions for control of the DRLs don't seem to work either. This seems to be partly down to the fact that I don't have a steering wheel with buttons, and so can't press the "Menu" button, and partly to the two different types of MFD. I've followed the steps in the example showing how to access the menu and nothing happens. Another job for the dealer.

Third, I've got smeary wipers as many of you seem to have. It's just where the sweeps of the lef and right wipers overlap in the middle of the windscreen. I've done 300 miles so far, most of 'em in the rain, so I'd have thought it would have cleared by now if it was going to. I've read the post on here about wipers and will go to see the dealer well armed when I go back.

Finally... When I ordered the car I had a choice of taking the zero-option car now, or waiting two to three months for a new build with my options. I took the zero-option-route. There were a couple of things I would have liked though. I don't like open cubby-holes so I asked about the smokers kit, and my garage is narrow, so I asked about folding mirrors. After four days, three phone calls, and half a dozen eMails I was told that these options could not be retro fitted to my car. Surely the ashtray just snaps into the hole in front of the gear lever? Has anyone out there had an ashtray fitted or know how they go in? Their answer on the mirrors didn't make sense either. If he'd said I'd have to buy two complete mirrors and a new switch, and pay them three hours labour, so it would be £500, at leasty I'd know they'd had a look for me. They simply said it can't be done. Surely the wiring loom is common and it's just a case of plugging in what you use?


Now the good bits...

The ride and handling are great. My previous car was an Ibiza 130 Sport, somehow the VW seems to be both more comfortable and better planted than the SEAT.

I'm still getting used to the power delivery on the Scirocco, very different to the Ibiza. The Ibiza is lighter, and the torque seemed to come in harder and earlier than the Scirocco, which made for really easy overtaking. The Scirocco seems to need more revs to achieve the same performance.

Scirocco economy is exactly the same as the SEAT, getting low fifties on my "A" and "B" road commute of 40 miles each way. This is pretty much what I expected, as the figures quoted for cars these days seem very hard to achieve in the real world.


Well that's it for the moment, I'll update when the dealer's got back to me about DRLs, Settintgs Menu, and wipers.

Do you have the GT spec with the highline computer system?

No it's not a GT.

I asked my sales "expert" what the difference was between the GT and the base model. He came up with "Climate", steering wheel buttons, blacked out windows and bigger wheels. I didn't think those things warranted the extra cash so I took the base car. I now suspect that he didn't have much idea about the spec of the car at all. The brochure wasn't much use either.

I see you've got a "Smokers Pack" on order, have you actually seen one? I want to know if I can just buy one from the parts department and stick it in the hole...

The brochure is just pretty pictures, you don't need that, unless you need to be sold a fantasy image of your new life with the car.

What you needed was the current pricelist/spec booklet. It's all in there, that's your reference when ordering a new car. Not the salesman, most have very little product knowledge.

I'm sure the GT spec gets the Highline computer as well as the things you specified... this is probably why you're not seeing the information you expect, however I don't know the difference between the Midline and Highline computer system. As stated, the price list listed what is standard and what extra's you get in the GT spec.

I've never actually seen the smokers pack up close but the lid looks much better, I just hope I can fit my petrol and loyalty cards in there as that's the main reason for it - I would guess that some holes would need to be made to retro fit it but I have no idea - sorry

Hope your experience of it gets better, I loved it when I test drove it and still have 2 months before it arrives, meanwhile I'm in a pooey Vectra

This is the extras

It seems that sales had the GT options fairly right, apart from the "highline". However, if not having "highline" had other consequences in that I can't do some of the things in the hand book, then perhaps they should have mentioned this. I don't like tinted windows, and I'm not someone who drives round with fog lights switched on all the time. I prefered the wheels that they said I would get on the standard car, though when it came these were not the ones he'd pointed out. I was told that it would be fitted with ones "...similar to..." the Donnington/Spa ones on another car in the showroom. He couldn't show me a picture of the standard wheels, but now that I have the car with them fitted they're OK.

Going back now, knowing what I know now, I might wait for a new build car. I miss the full climate control that I had on the Ibiza, and am very surprised that the VW doesn't have it as standard on all the Sciroccos. And I'd want the smokers pack to cover up the hole in the centre console.

The functionality of the RCD510 is great, but it's a disapointment that it was so much money to add Bluetooth phone to it. Also, driving in the dark, I think the contrast settings on the MFD and RCD510 could be better. The MFD does not compare well with the really excellent analogue dials and idiot-lights in the car. The MFD appears to be red characters on a pink background, rather than red on BLACK that would compliment the other gauges. I test drove a deisel Golf with the white "highline" display fitted, and think that might have better suited the Scirocco, but as I drove in daylight I can't say if the contrast was any better. The "black" areas of the RCD510 display are decidedly grey too.

These are all small points. The car is great to drive, and so long as the dealers sorts out the things that can actually be addressed I'll be happy.

arlurt wrote:The MFD appears to be red characters on a pink background, rather than red on BLACK that would compliment the other gauges.

Couldn't agree more, even white on black background would be nicer and more in keeping with the new golf

Also note that you don't get multifunction steering wheel controls.

I WANT MY CAR

An update...

It's booked in for Saturday to "...see if they can..." switch off the DRLs, show me how to access the Settings menu on the "Midline" computer, and to clean or replace the wipers. Can't ask anymore than that.

The salesman has put an iPod MDI cable to one side for me. The weight of information from this site preventing any discussion of the point. Shame that they try it on and don't just supply the cable though.

our last car was an Ibiza 130 PD sport, cracking little thing which wiped smiles off hundreds of chav's faces as their saxos could only watch it disappear in a cloud of smoke! You'll notice the better quality interior (suicidal cup holder, buzzy instrument binnacle in Ibiza) and i think the difference in engine is that the old one was the TD Pump Duse one whereas the Rocco has the full common rail unit. Would i be right to assume there's less torquey thump but a more smooth delivery across the rev range?

You've got it spot on. The Ibiza came in very hard at about 1750 rpm, in almost any gear. It was brilliant for quick safe overtaking, so long as you kept changing up and using the torque surge again and again. Revving it achieved nothing.

The Scirocco is very smooth, power (and torque) is much more progressive, so it doesn't feel as fast. The numbers seem to show that it is. The fact that the Scirocco is so much smoother than the Ibiza also seems to make the VW feel less urgent.

Having done 400 miles in the Scirocco now, I bet the Ibiza would feel pretty rough if I had the chance to drive it again...

I'am signing up for a GT tdi in black this week interesting your comments about the PD130 engine and the Scirocco's CR engine I'am driving a Fabia VRS just now and I love the low down grunt its good to know the CR engine is quick enough though...

I'm sure you'll be very happy with the GT. The Fabia VRS, Ibiza 130 Sport and Polo 130 Sport are all very closely related. The numbers quoted by VW on the website for performance and economy for the Scirocco are so close to the Ibiza that I'd just expected more of the same from the Scirocco. What has surprised me is how differently they do what they do. The Scirocco delivers the performance without fuss, where the Ibiza was more of an event.

I've had mine a week now, and am starting to think that maybe the GT was the way to go. I suspect that the car was originally designed as a GT and then they thought "...what could we take out to get it below £20K...?" and built the basic car. I think I'd rather have lost the adjustable suspension and kept the Climate Control, Highline and multifunction wheel, if they wanted to knock anything out of the spec...

arlurt wrote: I think I'd rather have lost the adjustable suspension and kept the Climate Control, Highline and multifunction wheel, if they wanted to knock anything out of the spec...

Yeah, I'd have thought the first thing they'd have removed from the non-GT would be the magnegitc adjustable suspension as it's around a £1k option IIRC so would have probably saved them more cash than removing all of the other stuff!

arlurt wrote:I'm sure you'll be very happy with the GT. The Fabia VRS, Ibiza 130 Sport and Polo 130 Sport are all very closely related. The numbers quoted by VW on the website for performance and economy for the Scirocco are so close to the Ibiza that I'd just expected more of the same from the Scirocco. What has surprised me is how differently they do what they do. The Scirocco delivers the performance without fuss, where the Ibiza was more of an event.

I've had mine a week now, and am starting to think that maybe the GT was the way to go. I suspect that the car was originally designed as a GT and then they thought "...what could we take out to get it below £20K...?" and built the basic car. I think I'd rather have lost the adjustable suspension and kept the Climate Control, Highline and multifunction wheel, if they wanted to knock anything out of the spec...

I've arranged a test drive of a Scirocco tdi on Friday to try out the CR engine then it'll be pen to order book...

Good luck with it.

As you're going for the GT, some of the niggles I've had won't apply. I'm on 600 miles now and it's starting to free off a little, the handbook says to be nice to it for the first 1000Km, then start using more throttle and revs, so I'll begin to get more of an impression on how it really compares to the Ibiza 130 PD.

I'm sure you've done your research on here, so should be able to get your iPod cable, and DRLs set as you wish. And an ashtray to cover up the hole in the dash...

Enjoy...

arlurt wrote: Surely the ashtray just snaps into the hole in front of the gear lever? Has anyone out there had an ashtray fitted or know how they go in?

Looking at the console diagram in one of the other threads it appears as though the ashtray / cubby units clip in from the top after the main console has been bolted to the floor brackets and the dashboard. From my knowledge of Dashboards and console this would make sense. Usually these type of parts are held in by a series of metal clips. Without anymore detail i can't tell you for sure and without knowing you run the risk of damaging bits.

Thanks for that.

I really didn't believe the salesman's assertion that the only way to fit an ashtray was to swap the interior...

I'm going to talk to the parts department, have a look on their system, and see if they can order the bits so that I can fit it.

I reckon all car salesman think that car buyers are complete idiots. They'll tell you that they've never been busier despite the fact that the showroom is deserted and if they don't know something ie can i retrofit an ashtray they'll come out with a complete load of shite so they don't have to bother finding the correct answer. Numpties, one and all!

pick mine up tomorrow