Skoda Kamiq Limited Edition or Toyota Rav4 Hybrid Cruiser 2WD?

tsuitenaishoujo on 13/06/2021 - 12:45
Last edited 20/06/2021 - 10:27 by 1 other user

Hi OzBargain Community

I'm hoping I could ask your thoughts on my current predicament. As the title suggests, I am thinking of purchasing either a Skoda Kamiq or a Toyota Rav4 Hybrid (brand-new).

Our budget is between 35k-50k though if we could get something under 40k would be better. We're happy to go with the Skoda given the recent good reviews from various car websites, its inclusions and the lower price compared to the Toyota, however coming from a family that loves Toyota's reliability we're quite sceptical with the Skoda. Also, I don't think it can compete with the Toyota's resale value, though we're not planning to sell either car until after 10+ years if they remain reliable.

We've weighed the pros and cons and it's come down to:

Skoda Kamiq Limited Edition price around $39k
Skoda
* Better features/technology such as wireless Android Auto/Apple Carplay, more modern/bigger infotainment system/cockpit
* slightly smaller size which I can drive more comfortably in compared to the Rav4
* lower price considering the $10k price difference
* panoramic roof
* we prefer the adaptive cruise control on the Skoda - can be activated at a lower speed compared to the Rav4
* umbrella in door (kidding! :))

Toyota Rav4 Hybrid price around $49k
* hybrid - save on petrol, though if our calculations are correct, we might just save around $1k per year on petrol
* better resale and more reputable in terms of reliability
* better driving experience (RAV4 is more responsive and the Skoda has a slight lag due to the dual-clutch) and more spacious
* 360 camera compared to just the 360 sensor on the Skoda (nice to have, not necessary)

What does everyone think?

TIA

Edit

Thank you everyone for the feedback. We have gone to Skoda and made an offer but they didn't even want to budge from the RRP, so we've decided to go with the Toyota.

Poll Options expired

  • 20
    Skoda Kamiq Limited Edition
  • 17
    Toyota Rav4 Cruiser Hybrid 2WD
Automotive Car Skoda SUV Toyota

Comments

  • pharkurnell on 13/06/2021 - 12:52
    +1

    Have you driven either of them? that usually helps the final decision - also what is the delivery time on either…

    • spackbace on 13/06/2021 - 13:13

      Yeah, that RAV4 will be 6-7 months wait currently

      • Ocker on 13/06/2021 - 15:25

        With that wait time it could be January 2022 before you take delivery of your new 2021 build car - already a year old.
        Something to bear in mind

        • spackbace on 13/06/2021 - 15:26

          In WA, which OP is in, we sell off compliance, so wouldn't be a big deal.

          The harder ask would be delivery in December after waiting 6 months

          • Ocker on 13/06/2021 - 15:36

            @spackbace: The a fair way to do it and the way it should be everywhere

            • Euphemistic on 13/06/2021 - 18:06

              @Ocker: There’s a few threads here suggesting it’s not fair!

        • Euphemistic on 13/06/2021 - 15:31
          +1

          I don’t they build it, then park it for 6 months to tease you. It will be built and shipped as quickly as possible, meaning probably closer to 6-8weeks from build to delivery.

    • tsuitenaishoujo on 13/06/2021 - 13:17

      Yes, I've driven both and feel that both cars are something I need to adjust to anyway, as I'm currently driving a small hatchback. I'm going back to Skoda for a test drive again on Saturday. Delivery time doesn't matter, not that much in a rush, though I find it so crazy almost all dealers have a wait time of min 3months. My mom just bought a car from another dealer yesterday and delivery is around Nov.

  • MS Paint on 13/06/2021 - 13:00
    +2

    Do you kayak?

  • Legoncy on 13/06/2021 - 13:35

    You have to determine if spending an extra 10K to get a hybrid and a Toyota is worth it to you.
    The resale will be better same with fuel costs however it’s roughly 25% more then the Skoda.
    I know there’s a long wait time on the Toyota’s as well so you might need to take that into account

  • Mechz on 13/06/2021 - 14:42

    10k is a lot of fuel in a reasonably frugal car.

    • pharkurnell on 13/06/2021 - 15:59
      -2

      So is the difference in resale :)

      • Mechz on 13/06/2021 - 16:14
        +2

        Better in your pocket now than later.

        • TEER3X on 27/06/2021 - 18:11

          Exactly.

          You can also throw that $10k into an investment and it'll be worth a lot more by the time you need to sell/dispose of the car.

  • Emerald Owl on 13/06/2021 - 14:46

    Maybe try to figure out which car you actually like better (ignoring price). Then ask yourself if the difference in price is worth how much you like it. Hybrid is probably better for the environment.

  • psyren89 on 13/06/2021 - 15:16

    Other than fuel, also take into consideration servicing and potential repair costs.

  • Drakesy on 13/06/2021 - 15:52
    +1

    I'd go the Rav4, but the prices they're charging are a bit ridiculous.
    Although the demand doesn't really help. Secondhand the GX hybrid model is going for roughly the same price as the Skoda, so you'd be able to have your cake and eat it. (Although i admit it's not the cruiser model.)

    Wouldn't complain if i ended up with the Skoda though

  • plmko on 13/06/2021 - 16:19
    -2

    Rav 4 ain't a pretty car…..but hot damn Skoda Kamiq like that's a new definition of not pretty.

  • Ryk on 14/06/2021 - 08:29
    +2

    The lag in the skoda is likely the turbo on a smaller engine, not the dual-clutch.

  • Car-la-la on 14/06/2021 - 08:42
    -3

    The Dual-clutch / lag on the skodas was an absolute deal breaker for us!

  • TheQ on 14/06/2021 - 09:41
    +1

    As an owner of a Kamiq LE I can shed some light on this.
    Half of my colleagues own the RAV4 Hybrid, so I've also sampled this vehicle extensively.

    The value equation on the Skoda is unrivalled. The equivalent spec in Europe costs a good $10-15k more.

    It's a small car with really good internal dimensions (i.e I'm using a rear-facing child seat without the passenger having to sacrifice any leg space).

    On the fuel side of things I average approx. 7L/100km doing mostly urban driving. On freeways I've been down to 4.2L/100km due to the built in cylinder de-activation.
    The engine is otherwise quiet and responsive. The dual clutch is best I've experienced so far in the last 5 years of driving DSGs. Lag is really a non-issue, especially
    if you deactivate start/stop. In S mode the car feels quick and almost a bit 'sporty.' It also corners really well as it sits low to the ground.

    I love the steering wheel, active cockpit and large infotainment with wireless Android Auto. The LED headlights are amazing and even beats the ones on my previous MY19.5 Tiguan.
    What I don't love is the lack of memory on the drivers seat, some initial plastic creaking that I've now fixed and the lack of a subwoofer.

    The RAV4 on the other hand is a bigger car with better boot space in particular, higher ride height, lower fuel consumption on urban driving and potentially higher resale value. The ride is also a bit softer, but really something you just get used to on the Kamiq.
    The internal design however, as most Toyotas, is utilitarian and old fashioned. CVT transmissions are imo garbage. It also costs more and the wait is longer.

    Like others have mentioned, for the extra money you can buy a lot of fuel (in my case approx. 6 years worth). You should also be able to get the LE for 37k as you would want to skip the non-opening panoramic roof as it only makes the AC work harder to keep the car cooled.

    BTW, Skoda consistently rank high in reliability in Europe (higher than sister brands VW/Audi), albeit not as high as Toyota.

    • tsuitenaishoujo on 15/06/2021 - 09:10

      Thank you for the info. Exactly how we feel about the Kamiq as well. One of the deterrent for us is just how it'll last after 10 years and how much/difficult servicing will be.

      • TheQ on 15/06/2021 - 11:08

        It's my first Skoda, so won't know until a decade has passed :) In terms of service, for the first 5 years, you'll be better off getting a service pack. After, any VW specialised mechanic (of which there are many) can service the car.

        • tsuitenaishoujo on 15/06/2021 - 11:17

          Fingers crossed yours lasts more than a decade :) That's pretty much our problem, none of our friends/family drives a Skoda so we're getting a lot of skepticism from all sides and "pressure" to get the Toyota because they think the Skoda will bring a lot of servicing issues unlike the Toyota.

  • Shiq1 on 14/06/2021 - 10:28

    I helped a mate order the efour RAV4 hybrid cruiser recently, had to special order (wanted tan interior), dealer said no discount, shopped around and managed to get about $2.5k off d/a pricing, delivery apparently Sept. during the test drive I was pretty impressed with the interior compared to previous versions but still very plastic forward but servicing and running costs are cheap compared to Europeans.

    On the same vein, I’ve had a mate buy a Kodiaq RS (I know diff size car) recently and was very impressed by interior and materials, I think it drives a lot better but servicing isnt cheap especially if you want to keep it long term especially the major dsg service.

  • Noblejoker on 14/06/2021 - 17:33
    -1

    Not sure why comparing a hybrid with non-hybrid?
    Why not buy a late model RAV petrol?
    Resale value not a problem as first wave of depreciation paid by someone else
    Will use more fuel than Skoda but not that much more - and be cheaper
    Servicing will be easier and cheaper
    No wait time presumably
    Best of both worlds?

  • nephilim on 15/06/2021 - 11:45

    Honestly crazy to buy a Rav4 hybrid for 49k, when mitsubishi outlander phev are on clearance for 51k drive away.

    • spackbace on 15/06/2021 - 17:37

      Chalk meet cheese

  • PeeDee123 on 26/06/2021 - 18:03

    Hey mate, I'm in this exact same situation (somewhat) - I'm also based in WA, and I've also shortlisted the Kamiq Limited Edition in metallic colour (~39K) and the RAV4 Hybrid GXL 2WD (~45K). The Skoda Vic Park dealer just won't budge! It's like, the RRP is set in stone, haven't received a quote from the Toyota dealer though, but I have a feeling that they won't give much discounts either, probably like $1~2K, not sure, will have to check. So… You went with the RAV4 then? Interesting!! The Toyota dealer that I went to (south of the river) said that the waiting time on the RAV4 is around 9 months!! But if they are giving me a good discount then I don't mind waiting. I'm in the same situation as yours - we've always had Toyotas in the family, and none of my friends have Skodas. But that doesn't mean Skoda is bad! However, I've read about some serious issues with DSG transmissions, turbo lag, and also the longevity of the dry-clutch trans. I drove the Kamiq and I agree with the turbo-lag. We will be keeping the car for 9-10 years as well, and 90% of the time, it will be driven within 25-30 kms from the city. I'm also used to driving a small hatchback, so the RAV4 seems like a huge step-up in terms of size and heftiness. Gosh! It's so difficult to make a decision. If you don't mind me asking - how much discount did you finally get? Just a ballpark would be fine as well, that will help me during negotiations. Ta!

    • Velt on 27/06/2021 - 17:56

      Try the Mandurah skoda and see what they're like on the price?

    • tsuitenaishoujo on 27/06/2021 - 18:07

      Hi, I'm sorry you couldn't get any discount from the Vic Park dealer either, I think they're just very confident that the product is selling very well, so there's no need for any discounts at all; plus I had the impression that the salesperson was quite arrogant so I'm kind of happy that I didn't give them my business. Did you try Mandurah Skoda - we couldn't be bothered. The Skoda is definitely more fun than the Rav4 though.

      We ended up putting an offer for the Cruiser Hybrid (SOR dealership) with around $1k discount so quite happy with that, though maybe we could've gotten more, I don't know (maybe spackbace can comment here ;)). I think from other posts, there are people who managed to get around $1k-$2k? I suppose it just depends on the dealership. We went to New Town and they only offered free paint :) Now the waiting game…. here's to hoping the car would arrive by Christmas :)

      Good luck with the nego! I'm kind of glad we didn't go with the Skoda just because of the unknown factors, i.e. servicing costs and reliability. Yes, the Rav4 is $10k more but I'd sacrifice that for the peace of mind and resale value.

      • kamac93 on 12/05/2024 - 09:33

        Hey guys!
        I am currently about to purchase the Skoda Kamiq, just wondering if you any of you have purchased it since these posts and how the vehicle is travelling? I just test drove it yesterday and was suprised by the power and the feel of the drive, very impressed. Also slightly worried about it being a Skoda and the reliability of the VAG group. Thanks!

        • tsuitenaishoujo on 12/05/2024 - 23:27
          +1

          I bought the Rav4 and ended up waiting 2 years 2 months haha. Worth the wait though. Very happy with the Rav.

    • spackbace on 28/06/2021 - 10:42

      PMd

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