Skoda Karoq 2022 - Better Than Tiguan? (ENG) - Test Drive and Review

[@AHarker100]

You have my total respect for giving your review in English, much appreciated. Your style is certainly funny but also very practical. Great.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Thanks. It means a lot to me.

[@martin-1965]

@@MarekDrivesENG Going for a test drive at my local Skoda dealer next week based upon this review. It was either this or the Renault Captur for my needs. I'm no longer the sports car boy of my youth and with all the speed bumps in my city (and potholes) I need something with decent clearance and a high driving position. I've had a Seat Leon FR Sport for 3 years now and while fun to drive, the fixed rear suspension is a spine breaker lol. Also I demand physical buttons for climate control, not the stupid touchscreen controls in the Leon and the Golf (dangerous and useless). Anyway Marek, love your reviews and been subscribed for at least a few years now. Keep up the great work 👍

[@MarekDrivesENG]

@@martin-1965 While you're shopping, check out the T-Roc.

[@donovancattell6180]

Best car I have owned. Will do almost anything I ask of it without any fuss. Had mine 4 years and nothing has gone wrong.

[@mikeandtriciajohnson7241]

I like your review. 2 weeks ago I took delivery of a new 1.5 petrol Karoq SE L DSG. My previous car was a 1.9 Skoda Roomster diesel that I'd had since 2006 when I bought it new. The Roomster has been very reliable and comfortable for the last 16 years. In London the mayor had brought in the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) covering an area slightly bigger than the existing congestion zone, next year he plans to expand it to cover all of the London boroughs, the Roomster did not comply and it would cost me £12.50 per day ULEZ fee to drive out of my street. Whilst on my last holiday, prior to COVID, I'd rented a Toyota RAV 4 SUV and decided that I'd like something similar for my next new car. In recent years when taking the Roomster for a service I'd been looking at the Skoda SUVs and decided that the Kamiq was just a bit small and the Karoq seemed to fit my needs, the Kodiaq is just too big as it would encroach onto the footpath when parked on my drive, the Karoq fits nicely. The main selling point to me over the Kamiq or the VW, Vauxhall (Opel) and similar SUVs is the size of the boot in the Karoq where I can comfortably get a guitar case in, better than the old Roomster where it was possible but a bit of a squeeze. It wasn't possible in the Kamiq, VW or Vauhall. I opted for the vario seating in the rear, as I had it in the Roomster and found it very useful. My first week with the Karoq was spent mainly sitting on the drive in the car playing with the tech so that I know how it all works, we didn't have any in the Roomster. I've driven into the centre of London and "played with the traffic" in the Karoq and was pretty much at home in it and I got used to the bigger size fairly quickly and I like the higher driving position and the better view that it gives. I've driven with 4 adults in the Karoq and noted that there is a lot of room in the rear, this is partly due to the fact that I have short legs though I'm 1.75m tall and my wife is 1.50m tall so both the front seats are adjusted forward. So far I've found the Karoq to be very comfortable though I've not yet put 200 miles on the "clock". I'll most likely keep it as long as the Roomster or longer if it lasts as well as the Roomster did.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Congrats on the new car, I hope it serves you well! Yes, I heard UK parking spaces are quite narrow, and you can get a ticket if you don't fit.

[@mikeandtriciajohnson7241]

@@MarekDrivesENG The parking issue for me at home was the length of the car. I would need to park the Kodiaq right up to the house on my drive so that it didn't protrude onto the footpath by about 20cm this could get me a ticket though a bit unlikely as many of my neighbours protrude further and haven't been ticketed. I just like to have it neatly on my property and be able to get out of the front door of the house. There are some issues with some of the politically left wing local authorities who are anti-SUV and deliberately paint parking boxes that are too small for SUVs or bigger luxury cars. They forget that this also affects delivery vans and some of these authorities have even ticketed ambulances attending emergencies. We live in a mad world.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

🤦🏻‍♂️

[@aronvanselm6561]

I use the big hooks in the trunk for grocery bags, prevents them from falling over, quite handy;)

[@Secro1234]

22 Skoda Karoq is what we went with after looking at many cars. I didn't like a lot of the interior of competitors, or lack of smart design. What sold me was the varioflex seats, the design of the boot space, physical controls for climate and the passenger space. I noticed the one of the passenger doors isn't closing without a hard shut as well. The onboard GPS isn't very practical when driving in country Australia (it will take you down unsealed roads that are much longer to navigate than sealed roads that are further away, Google Maps handles this perfectly)I don't really have any complaints other than that, has been a pleasure to drive, very comfortable and looks good in my opinion.

[@rahimmalekshahi8750]

Is the back row spacious enough for passengers as tall as 180cm? And If the driver has the same height.

[@Secro1234]

@@rahimmalekshahi8750 yep, easily

[@AK-bf3mh]

After looking at multiple cars, we ultimately decided on the Karoq. The moment we sat in it, it felt perfect. While the Kodiaq is also great, parking it in a crowded city area would be a problem for us.

[@AK-bf3mh]

@@rahimmalekshahi8750 I am 194 cm tall and can comfortably sit behind my driver's seat, even with a panoramic roof.

[@wolfrick5300]

at last!my fav car with my fav reviewer!!!tyvm Marek!!!

[@wtorules4743]

Had a superb a while back, fantastic car. Really tempted by this even with its shortcomings. Thanks for the review.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Get it, before they improve it, like the new Kodiaq :/

[@John2710]

I have vario Flex in Yeti it is one of best systems for such car. It enables to transport almost everything.

[@marcush2220]

Very nice review Marek, as allways !

[@selindenizcebi9952]

Love u from Turkiye 🇹🇷❤️🇵🇱

[@distinctreflections]

I've had a mk1 2.0Tdi 4x4 version. It's been great so far (35,000 miles). Tows caravan well, economy towing 30mpg, solo between 46-52 depending on type of driving. Suspension is a bit soft (compared to the Tiguan I had before). But a decent car

[@0farmerjohn0]

I didn't know there's a separate channel English reviews now. I was subscribed to the other one since the beginning.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Sorry. I announced that in early January, when I split the channel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJuoYmCKbpt6as0 So much for YT Shorts getting good traction :) Anyway, I'm glad you found the old-new channel.

[@antonycharnock2993]

I've just bought a 3 year old Karoq SE 1.0TSI after my other car was written off. I'm very pleased with it. Quite funny when you made the underbite comment. My mum made the same comment when she saw one at the dealers "That car looks like its got Bugs Bunny teeth!"😂😂

[@AndREDraut]

The Variofelx seats are great but you cannot slide forward the middle section, that is a bit of a shame, because, if you really want that depth of the trunk on the whole width, you must remove the middle seat completely. That is a small detail though. The flexibility is great all-in-all. you can transport a lot of things in that car.

[@robc5955]

One of the things I love about Skoda (on my second) is the build quality, I hope this isn’t drifting as seems to be suggested.

[@bokichko]

my mothers 5 year old rapid from work is falling apart and it was babied...

[@enmirc9938]

Bravo Marek super video . My fav. car review. My greating from Greece. Sorry for the bad language

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Thanks! 👍

[@randombloke8802]

Great review Marek, I just bought a 2022 Karoq 1.5 and I love it.

[@floppyd0g]

Can you tell me how long you had to wait? They told me 10 weeks when I ordered it mid October. Thanks.

[@serkanbic]

How are the highway and the city consumption?

[@NigelRudyard]

I really like the Karoq, great review, Marek -- I am considering one of these.

[@seb_draghici]

Hmm ... I don't see the middle section sliding forward in any of the other videos about the varioflex. Only the left and right one are shown that slide forward. :-?

[@Slash5310]

Hello! Thanks for the review! Ordered Elegance 1.5 TSI with lots of those bells and whistles for comfort and safety. But was disappointed a bit that the blind spot monitoring system can’t be equipped due to shortage on parts. Really wanted to get this feature in my next car. Hope that it would be possible that the dealer could install it once parts become available. 🙂

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Fingers crossed!

[@bringoff]

Just got my Sportline 2.0 TSI 4x4 that I ordered last fall. Lack of Side Assist is definitely a bummer, and the dealer says they are unable to retrofit it. So I guess we gotta get used to it. I have to be more careful now as my previous car had blind spot sensors and that made my lanes changing habits slightly more relaxed 😄

[@tomoneal5627]

Great car , also to pull a 2t Horse Trailer! The AWD works really good at muddy and snowy conditions.

[@panagiotisgeorgiou2866]

It was a nice surprise that you upload a second video in the same week! As usual your reviews are great and I like your sense of humor! This car is soooo boring! It seems like being 10 years on the market! The excitement "almost the same car" of the group is Cupra Formentor and not Ateca!

[@MarekDrivesENG]

It's very similar to the Mk1 Tiguan, so you could say it's on the market since 2007 :)

[@GiannisMas]

Hello, i found your video and really enjoyed it! I am about to buy a new car and i am thinging skoda karoq 1.5 and toyota corolla cross 1.8. I really like the skoda but i believe i will be better off with the toyota (fuel consumption, future technology, better brand name in terms of reselling it which i am not thinking about, but better to have the option). I live in a city (a lot of traffic). According to your experience which model would you prefer? Ps: i am worried about the lifespan of the toyota battery. Thank you!

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Toyota battery is not a problem. Toyota front passenger seat though was terrible. Like nobody wanted to sit in front as a passenger.

[@GiannisMas]

@@MarekDrivesENG I remember you saying that in the video. However we did not notice that. Actually we own an older vw pole model (no new technology there whatsoever). So everything about the new cars is new to me. And I have nothing to compare the front seat of the corolla! So that is why I believe it is not going to be an issue :) but if I guess correctly (after having watched both videos) I think you are more in favor of the skoda, correct?

[@gregj7916]

Door closing issue might relate to airtight cabin. Try closing the door with the window slightly open…

[@MarekDrivesENG]

In 2000 I bought a new Peugeot 308. The doors closed fine, but I the hatch was problematic. It brand new, so I went to the authorised dealer to have the lock adjusted. I was told (half-jokingly) to wait a couple of yours for the seals to deteriorate, because then the air will escape. I owned the car for 12 years, and I always had to slam the hatch, because the seals were fine, and Peugeot didn't want to adjust the bloody lock :) Also, how often do you leave the car with a window opened slightly? And yes, I know the physics behind it, but either you engineer a way around it, or it's not done properly.

[@mihailrasin7535]

@Marek, another fantastic review! Given the choice and if you're going to be driving 80:20 Urban:Motorway, would you choose the 2.0 TDI 200ps or the 2.0 TSI 190PS - regardless of the VW Group model?

[@MarekDrivesENG]

190 TSI. Last summer we drove a Superb Scout with that engine from Italy to Poland. The fuel economy was good, and the performance more than adequate.

[@DM-0072]

Beautiful car....love my Karoq

[@jazzip2989]

Beautiful car 👍👍👍

[@NemanjaPantelic]

Kudos for driving position comparison between you and Ana. On top of that, kudos to Ana for reminding everyone how to set the correct position behind the wheel. Yes, I am talking about gauging it with her wrists. 🙌 But wait... 43.900? Either I lost touch with the market or this is way too expecive! How do I like it, you ask? I'll pass.

[@TheSpoovy]

Unfortunately I think you have lost touch with the market. Every new car review I see now I end up thinking the same when the price is mentioned -- "How much!?!"

[@wizbot]

never used the veroflex

[@TheBaldzhi]

Actually one of the few things that made my monday evening, this review. The car itself- not my type🤷🏻‍♂️

[@richarddastardly6845]

Cupar ateca looks nice, too bad no TDi on offer

[@t0urniquet]

Wait? Isn't it Monday? 😳

[@MarekDrivesENG]

And yet :) Sorry for the upheaval. I have a sponsor on the Polish channel, who needed a video before the queue.

[@t0urniquet]

@@MarekDrivesENG love Monday videos on the English channel, not complaining 😃😃😃

[@lacika_dnb]

@@MarekDrivesENG new standard :)

[@GaganKPolska]

My partner and I recently test drove Karoq, but we made a mistake of test driving Skoda Kodiq(L&K) first with 2L 200 HP diesel engine. But overall the impression is very nice, it's very tough to decide weather to get top spec or Karoq or for similiar money, get a lower variant of Kodiaq.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Unless you need the extra space (maybe third row of seats?) I don't think the Kodiaq brings anything significant to the table over the Karoq.

[@zappybazinga8124]

Had a Karoq and now a kodiaq. Kodiaq is more refined and has a nicer cabin.

[@bjarnithor1]

Marek, you obliously never do shopping, thats what the hooks are fore.

[@lucutes2936]

Karoq... Karaoke?

[@KLm912]

Great

[@ios8720]

its more close to T roc and less close to Tiguan . Tiguan is more to be compared with Kodiaq

[@cJ-cr8gp]

I have one as an occasional drive at a holiday home. It’s a great little cheap car. Slightly plain. Definitely no head turner. Just a sensible choice. I would recommend it although the VW and the Seat are not quite as “dowdy”.

[@nigelbath]

got one on order 1.5 sel

[@MarekDrivesENG]

I really need a crash course on what those SEL, SL, GL, etc. mean. Could you fill me in please?

[@nigelbath]

@@MarekDrivesENG its just different trim levels i believe

[@nikolayrayanov2895]

I remember when the Kodiaq was 30,000 Euro.

[@Rapscallion2009]

This is the problem with Skoda now. They used to be stellar value. Now they're only a little less then an VW. If you prefer their more family friendly, softer nature then maybe you go for one. But other than that the main reason for selecting them has evaporated. I certainly wouldn't object to this ksomething as a rental or fleet car. But spending my own money on it? - I'd personally prefer the SEAT if I needed to go VAG.

[@skytehpanda]

@@Rapscallion2009 I wouldnt blame Skoda, all dealers have increased price with insane margins since covid somewhat ended. Look at Suzuki Vitara, was 18k before Covid, now it's 28k.. a freaking Suzuki Vitara.

[@stevieg8934]

The Karoq is far far better than the current face lift Tiguan, VW have really dumbed down the model compared the Mk 2, Even the SEAT Ateca is far better too,

[@kevinn1158]

"The name Karoq is derived from Aleutian language, spoken by the native inhabitants of Alaskan island Kodiak. It is a combination of Aleutian words "kaa'raq" and "ruq", a car and an arrow, which are the elements of the Škoda logo." "Aleut or Unangam Tunuu is the language spoken by the Aleut living in the Aleutian Islands, Pribilof Islands, Commander Islands, and the Alaska Peninsula" Ok I had to look this word up because I thought Skoda was just makin' sh-t up. Apparently not. Phew I learned something today. That doesn't happen everyday... ;). Is this the size of the Taos?

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Taos seems to be a stretched Karoq. Yes, the Alaskan etymology of the Skoda SUV names was first announced during the Kodiaq launch. Also, I suspect they may have a bit of a PC issue with their logo actually being a First Nations headdress ;) In Poland we were convinced it's a chicken.

[@kevinn1158]

@@MarekDrivesENG Ah yes, everything is about indigenous truth and reconciliation here. I like the chicken idea. If Apple can have an eaten apple for their logo why can't a chicken get some respect? LOL. .. thank god I don't design logos, I'd have a bunch of seriously politically incorrect images/symbols. How about 2 big beer steins cheers-ing on the front of a car? 🤣

[@trk958]

@@MarekDrivesENG Not just in Poland, definitely looks like a stylish chicken.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

@KevinN sounds like a defunct Südtirolean brand founded by two brothers from a different mother. One was called Lutz, the other Luigi. They fought on whether the car should be big and spacious or sporty. They tested their ideas using oversized bobsleigh. This ended badly, so they pivoted into coach building. They had some success with a double phaeton concept, which they sold to Gräf & Stift. However after Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in it, Lutz and Luigi decided it's best to stick with Schlutzkrapfen, which one of the mothers taught them to make, when they were little.

[@kevinn1158]

@@MarekDrivesENG LOL

[@jazzip2989]

rather watch this guy review more than some bias and gimmicks from others..

[@threshingfloor8591]

Dude should work in Mac Donalds

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Would you like fries with that?

[@threshingfloor8591]

@@MarekDrivesENG Hope youre enjoying your new position.

[@takuan650]

The exterior design is pretty horrible for my taste. Good review though.

[@CatalinRaducan]

Soulless..

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

Not even a bit. Boring looks, I couldn't even tell it was facelift. Pointless car. Sorry but a car that looks like an off roader but that had absolutely ZERO skills at off roading is not my cup of tea. Specially those with the 4X4 option and that extra 4mm of ground clearance. Ok, some people need the 4x4 option, not to go off road but to have extra stability in rain and snow but then you get some useless 4mm of hight that will only hurt the car's handling. Didn't like the idea of those sliding seats, they are better in the way they slide but they are worst in the way that you don't have the handles to fold them from the boot. If you pay extra for something, it should improve the car period. And the styling... Is do bland and boring! I can't even tell if this one seats up or down from the Kamiq and the Koroq or the Kodiaq... God, I can't even remember which one this was! Ok, give it a plus for the physical dials. That's It.

[@TheSpoovy]

Part-time 4wd is of no use improving safety in slippy conditions at highway speeds, in a rainstorm for example, as it only kicks in when it detects wheelspin, by which time you're probably already in a ditch. The raised centre of gravity of these things doesn't help here either, you'd be safer in a fwd "normal" height car. I live in a rainy climate and drive a full-time 4wd Subaru for that reason.

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

@@TheSpoovy exactly, that was why when I lived in the Azores, with lots of rain, mud and cow manure on the roads I was planning to get a normal height Subaru 4wd as my next car.