So, after ordering in April I finally took delivery of my GTD last Friday :-)
I've just come from a Mondeo Mk4 2.2 remapped to 227BHP and 366lb/ft. Before that I had an Octavia vRS TDI CR so I had high expectations.
I've already covered 550 miles and my impressions so far? It's a very well balanced, sorted, refined and competent car.
Good pointsEngine - very quiet from inside the cabin. In theory it's got a similar power to weight ratio to the Mondeo. However in sport mode the throttle response is so immediate and willing to rev that acceleration through the gears actually feels quicker. Roll on acceleration in 5th and 6th feels slightly slower at motorway speeds but it's still tight so will see how this goes.
Power delivery - Most powerful FWD diesels I've driven have been a point and squirt affair. If you tried to get on the power too early out of a corner you'd get wheel hop and lots of understeer. Not so here… you can apply the throttle mid corner and it takes it all in its stride.
Seats - very comfortable. I did a 230 mile trip earlier this week with no issues
Handling - absolutely fantastic, this thing's a bloody limpet! The progressive steering has taken a little getting used to but now feels very natural and direct. The vRS was grippy and planted… this is the same but there's a nice sense of balance and poise… even with the diesel lump up front!
Ride - extremely well judged. One of the complaints I had with the vRS was the constant patter and fidgeting over poor road surfaces. In the GTD it's all very well controlled with no nasty thumps or shocks. As expected it hasn't got the completely limo like ride of the Mondeo but I don't feel noticeably less comfortable.
Headlights - they look fantastic from the outside and provide great visibility. The fact that they swivel round bends was a nice surprise too.
Bluetooth - audio quality when streaming via BT is very good. Phone integration works well too.
Bad pointsSome road roar on bad surfaces, much better than the vRS but not as good as the Mondeo.
A little bit of wind noise from around the mirrors
Got bit of a rattle / squeak from behind the dash at low speeds - I've jacked it up and confirmed the transport blocks have been removed. I'll see if it disappears over the next few weeks.
What really strikes me most is what a well thought out and ergonomic car it is… from the little reminder to take your phone with you when you switch off the ignition to how well things like the stop/start and electronic handbrake work. I'm expecting it to be a very easy car to live with day to day.
Here's a few pics of when I cleaned it last weekend. For the detailers amongst us it got snowfoamed, Tardis'd and IronX'd. The wheels and plastic trim were treated with Gtechniq C1 and then everything got treated with 2 coats of C2v3 -