Professional mechanics recommend Czech Škoda cars among cars over 200,000 crowns. Hyundai cars were the worst

A unique survey conducted by a network of independent car repair shops, where 239 professional mechanics graded the fifty most popular vehicles in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, also evaluated cars at a price range of over two hundred thousand crowns. The Škoda Octavia III became the winner, while the cars of the South Korean carmaker Hyundai failed.

The main measured criteria within the network of independent car repair shops ProfiAuto, as with cars up to two hundred thousand crowns, was the reliability of the engine and its suspension, the failure of the electronics and the quality of the body. The arithmetic average of the evaluation of these attributes resulted in a five-point scale of marks as in school.

The number of 239 mechanics who in the third part of the survey evaluated the nineteen most popular used cars on Czech roads, which you can buy for more than two hundred thousand crowns, was also identical. Among the rated cars were the following models – Dacia Duster I, Ford Focus III, Hyundai i20 II, Hyundai i30 II, Hyundai i30 III, Hyundai iX 35 I, Hyundai ix20, Nissan Qashqai II, Seat Leon III, Škoda Fabia III, Škoda Kodiaq , Škoda Octavia III, Škoda Rapid, Škoda Superb II, Škoda Superb III, Škoda Yeti, Volkswagen Golf VII, Volkswagen Passat B8 and Volkswagen Tiguan I.

90% of mechanics would recommend damage to the Octavia

The winner of the test in this category was the Škoda Octavia III (manufactured since 2012). “Production of this Octavia began in 2013, with a facelift in January 2017 at the trade fair in Vienna. Among the most popular used cars that drive on Czech roads, the Octavia III is number one. Ninety percent of our mechanics would recommend it. Nevertheless, there are, of course, cases where you have to go to a car repair shop with this Octavia. Professionals in this model most often repair faulty wiring, EGR valve and front silencers, sometimes the front shock absorbers also flow, “ he says Jindřich Krejčí, director of the ProfiAuto project in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Škoda Superb III (2015) came in second in the survey, other positions belonged to Volkswagenes. Passat B8 (2014) and Golf VII (2012-2019) earned a score of 2.4, Tiguan I (2007-2016) received a mark of 2.5. “The younger brother Octavia with the Superb designation holds the Car of the Year 2016 title and would be recommended by the vast majority of our mechanics. This is the first vehicle in the history of the Mladá Boleslav brand to offer an adaptive DCC chassis. Quite often, however, the start-stop button broke down, and the car also has problems with injectors, faster brake wear or axle suspension. ” complements Krejčí and adds:

„For Volkswagen, drivers often complained about problems with locking the door, which may come as a surprise with German precision. The Volkswagen also had a number of problems with the wiring, the B8 model wore rapidly, especially the rear brakes, the Tiguan was bothered by the stabilizer bars.“

South Korean carmaker Hyundai failed

Hyundai cars performed worst in the survey. Among the five worst cars, they even occupied four places, among them only the Škoda Superb II wedged. The i30 III (2016) and iX35 (2009-2015) models fared the worst. “If the winning Škoda cars had problems with the electrical installation, then compared to Hyundai cars, these problems were almost negligible. For example, the iX35 very often suffers from short circuits, especially in air conditioners, the i30 suffers from a TPMS sensor. Corrosion, poor sound insulation and low clutch and brake life are very common problems with Hyundai cars. ” describing Lukáš Czauderna, consultant for the development of car services ProfiAuto Service.

The Czechs lacked targeted research

According to Krejčí, the aim of the survey was to provide Czech customers with the most comprehensive overview of the reliability of popular vehicles. “Before buying a car, most people look for the most reliable information about the selected model. But they are often missing. Thus, Czech drivers usually have to rely only on the advice of acquaintances or internet evaluations. However, very few surveys compare cars with each other, and most of them do not reflect the situation on the Czech market. “ explains Tailor.

The research took place last year and evaluated the 50 most popular cars in the Czech Republic, divided into three categories according to purchase price. The survey took the form of questionnaires. The evaluated models were selected on the basis of data on car registrations and sales for the period 2004–2018 according to the Association of Car Importers.

Zdroj: TZ ProfiAuto

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