After a month and a half and 2,000 miles with the Octavia, time for some first impressions which I hope might be of interest.
This is my third vRS estate, the first being a diesel manual (blue) and the second a petrol DSG (white). This one's a petrol manual (red). Not (quite) as capricious as it sounds: I'm now doing between 10,000 and 15,000 miles a year rather than 20-25,000, and although the DSG works well and was totally reliable (wet-clutch), I always got the feeing that it was holding the car back just a bit.
I did wonder during the (quite reasonable for a new model) 16-week wait for delivery whether I'd miss the DSG. But no, I don't. There's none of the holding back with the manual, and as it loosens up I'm enjoying this superb engine more and more. In terms of torque and smoothness, the 2.0 TSI really is the next best thing to a straight six.
I had the extra expense of winter tyres: the old 16" steel wheels with the excellent Kleber Quadraxer all-weather tyres won't fit over the brake calipers of the mark 3 vRS. But at least that's two new sets of tyres bought upfront. Both sets of tyres are Continentals. Ride and handling are fine, and the steering on this vRS is much quicker and more direct than the old one. And it's been very sure-footed in the torrential rain.
I was very tempted by a Golf GTI. There's a very fair comment in the current issue of CAR where the Golf and vRS are tested together - the vRS is a bigger car and just slightly more ponderous. But it is only slightly, and we still need the space of an estate, so this and the lower cost price, the 0% finance, the proper handbrake and the excellent dealer I use (Jewsons of Oxford, shortly to be rechristened Ridgeway Skoda) swayed it in favour of the Octavia.
The icing on the cake is 40 mpg on a long run. I'm no boy-racer but I like to get a move on (or I wouldn't have had the vRS in the first place).
I didn't need many extras - cruise control, variable boot floor, spare wheel, silver roof rails (to set off the black rubber window surrounds) and Amundsen sat-nav which was a surprisingly reasonably £550, and far better than the feeble old TomTom that I used to have to rely on. The seats are excellent and the new dash gives a good feeling of space. So far my only criticism is that for some reason Skoda have deleted the separate section of the driver's door mirror which avoided a momentary blind spot. I must see if there's any after-market substitute.
Otherwise, so far so very good. I look forward to every journey - not something you could say about every large estate car.
(Note to mods - the category list doesn't yet have the Octavia III.)
Last edited by: Avant on Mon 13 Jan 14 at 21:29
|
|
Sounds good Avant. I like red cars, always have. Cheerful somehow.
|
Sounds good. I'm starting to draw up the list of possibles for my car in Sept/October. Now I've seen rental costs for an Octavia vRS and Golf GTI/GTD they are both cheaper than I'd imagine. All to do with residuals as well as deals with Skoda/VW no doubt.
But by the time I'd spec them to how I'd want them (leather, Xenons, sat nav, metallic paint, etc - some of which is standard but not all) then the Mazda6 2.2d Sport* might be no more expensive. Have to sort out some test drives :-)
What colour did you plump for this time Avant? And are there pictures you can share? What you see in a brochure is always going to look a bit different.
* Downside is there is no spare wheel!
Last edited by: rtj70 on Mon 13 Jan 14 at 23:02
|
I'd have liked it in the very nice light metallic blue (denim blue) but for some reason you can't have that on the vRS. So it's Corrida Red which has the advantage of not costing extra.
A spare wheel is a low-cost option on Skodas - probably fair enough as I think the reduced weight of the standard car leads to a lower emissions figure. (If that's wrong, someone will no doubt correct me!). I don't know if Mazda do the same.
I did think about a Mazda 6, but I wasn't convinced that they'd sorted out the diesel engine problems, and the petrol is 50 bhp down on the vRS. Have you been happy with your Mazda, Rob?
I don't think I'm clever enough to download, or indeed upload, pictures on to here! But the red looks much the same as in the brochures.
Last edited by: Avant on Mon 13 Jan 14 at 23:35
|
>> A spare wheel is a low-cost option on Skodas - probably fair enough as I think the reduced
>> weight of the standard car leads to a lower emissions figure. (If that's wrong, someone will no
>> doubt correct me!). I don't know if Mazda do the same.
I think it's possible but expensive. And probably not available via the lease company.
>> I did think about a Mazda 6, but I wasn't convinced that they'd sorted out the diesel engine
>> problems, and the petrol is 50 bhp down on the vRS. Have you been happy with your Mazda, Rob?
Totally different engine to the diesel Mazda6 I got in 2007. Can't comment on if there is a DPF issue or not but I'd not heard anything about the 2nd gen Mazda6 diesel either. I'd not go for the 165PS petrol - no torque. Possibly the 175PS diesel but the 150PS has emissions of only 104g/km CO2 now.
The 150PS is probably good enough with 380Nm of torque. But the 175PS has lower emissions than my 170PS VW diesel but 420Nm torque instead of only 350Nm.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Tue 14 Jan 14 at 00:23
|
Does yr Octavia have the trick part-time 4wd Avant?
Must say it sounds very adequate.
|
>> Does yr Octavia have the trick part-time 4wd Avant?
The vRS does not have the Haldex 4wd system.
|
|
May well be an available option... but I feel the jalopy would be quite decent without it.
|
|
My best mate has just abandoned many years of Mondeo ownership for the latest Skoda Octavia Estate with all the toys (after trying out various alternatives), partially because the new Ford model is still quite some way off and won't, he understands, be built in Europe.
|
>> won't, he understands, be built in Europe.
I thought the dispute was because it won't be in Belgium (Genk) but it was to be Europe.
A vRS is still an option for me and with options will still be a saving per month. Always nice to save more money. But where to draw the line - a VW Up! would save a lot over a VW Passat/CC as well! :-) Or a Prius Plugin.
|
|
It's an embarras de richesses rtj. I like nearly all of them too... just as well I can't afford them. I'd be such an idiot.
|
|
Don't forget I'm talking about my next company car. And I have a nice allowance which is boosted if I get one with lower emissions. If I took the cash alternative, to make it work I'd have to take a chunk of savings to fund it to make the allowance pay. Over 3 years it would be a return but not sure I want to.
|
Prius is a brilliant product, and the plugin may be quite economical to run with the right use pattern. I think one would perhaps suit us very well, and herself would be sure to approve. It's an ingenious, reliable machine, nice looking in its way and undoubtedly interesting to drive.
They're a bit dear for me though. Plus, I am told its powerful magnetic fluxes (must have them, with that damn great reversible motor and huge slab of traction batteries) can do random things to a pacemaker. Doubt is cast on that by the pacemaker people in hospital, but they didn't seem to really know. Better safe than sorry, the more so as you draw ever closer to the edge.
Never mind that. What a chap verging on middle age needs is a chipped vRS and lead boots. Much more fun.
|
>> can do random things to a pacemaker
Interesting.... and mother in-law has a pacemaker. Strike that off - not that I wanted one. The savings per month might be tempting for some.
|
>> >> can do random things to a pacemaker
You can file that canard with "mobile phones are making children's heads fall off".
|
>> >> can do random things to a pacemaker
>> You can file that canard with "mobile phones are making children's heads fall off".
Are you an expert? Pace maker clinic will tell you not to put a mobile phone in a pocket near the pace maker. Also electric blankets warn of pacemakers. Mother-in-law asked about the heat pad she has and the manufacturer is coming in to do tests at their expense to see if it interferes with a pacemaker.
|
>> Are you an expert?
Luckily I don't have to be. Extraordinary claims, etc. if someone wants to show there's a problem, they can. Nobody has done so, even after looking. Up to the claimer to prove it, obviously. When they do we can take some notice.
|
What about the mobile phone and pacemakers? Or the electric blankets? Or just the electric cars?
The two other examples were given to my mother-in-law by either the clinic or the instructions with a new electric heat pad. And the maker of that heat pad are coming into Manchester Royal Infirmary soon to conduct some testing.
|
|
None of those are interesting to me except the car. Sorry.
|
>> Prius is a brilliant product,
>>
Hmmm, not sure about that. I've not driven one but the mini-cab ones I've been in have been unrefined (CVT type 'box) and uncomfortable. Reliable, though, hence their fairly wide use as mini-cabs. For the type/money my time with a Vauxhall Ampera suggests that's a better bet.
So far as new Mondeo production is concerned, I understand that all the former Genk-produced Fords (Mondeo, S-Max, Galaxy) will be made in Valencia.
Last edited by: Boxsterboy on Wed 15 Jan 14 at 15:51
|
>> (Note to mods - the category list doesn't yet have the Octavia III.)
I tried to add it last night but don't have the necessary permissions to do so!
|
Avant, thanks for the write up - as I have said before the Fabia vrs I had (In Corrado red) was one of the best, fun, cars I have ever driven and was sad to see it go. Was set up brilliantly for some jaunts up the North of Scotland, great power on demand for overtakes, yet economical at same time.
The new petrol, DSG version does not get such positive write ups.
The Octavia vrs Estate ticked many of the boxes for my next car but the previous generation was just too "fleet car / private hire car" for my liking.
And at the end of the day, I spend most of my driving mimsing about anyway trying to squeeze the last mpg out of the car....
|
Ye'll have had yer tea?
;-)
|
He might have had something stronger....
The Octavia can be had with 4 x 4 but I think only with the 150 bhp diesel engine (and it's a good engine with plenty of oomph). But as people have often said on here and on HJ, a good set of winter tyres should mean you don't need 4 x 4 unless you often drive off-road.
Thinking of the Prius, I've tried it a few times and liked it. The one thing it isn't good at is motorway driving, which I personally do quite a lot of - so it's as ever a matter of horses for courses.
Last edited by: Avant on Tue 14 Jan 14 at 16:53
|
|
Surprised that cruise is a cost option. Was standard on my Mk 2 Elegance.
|
Cruise as standard on my mkIII elegance also
|
I'm pretty sure it was standard on the first two vRSs as well. I suppose Skoda (or maybe Skoda UK) deleted it to keep the list price down - but it was still a stupid decision.
I think the vRS is based on the SE rather than the Elegance: the Amundsen and the variable boot floor that were extras on my vRS would have come with the Elegance.
|
>> I suppose Skoda (or maybe Skoda UK) deleted it to keep the list price down - but
>> it was still a stupid decision.
>>
The lack of standard safety features on the last gen Octavia put me off buying one (4 years ago in the UK), curtain airbags and ESP were (albeit cheap) optional extras on most models when they were standard on all Golfs and Seats at the time. I expect most punters didn't notice or care but it meant that I couldn't get a car from stock so bought a Golf.
In Aus Skodas are actually very well specified, the VRS has cruise I'm pretty sure but the same can also be said for Golfs - they appear to be better specced than in the UK. Corollary is that the availability of factory options is greatly reduced. Probably something to do with lead-times I guess.
I think that cruise control can be retrofitted to VAG cars for around GBP200, suggests that it's standard fitment would be almost zero cost and that Skoda UK omit the feature for differentiation purposes ?
Nice 'report' by the OP, I presume from the Avant moniker that you once ran Audis ? My experience so-far with DSG has been very good, it drives like a TC-auto and makes very smooth and snappy gear changes, mine is a 2012 build so supposedly post-recall/updates, it has a 150,000Km and 5 year warranty which I hope won't be needed.
Last edited by: idle_chatterer on Thu 16 Jan 14 at 01:42
|
I think most cars nowadays have cruise control already in them and 'retrofitting' means attaching the buttons and reprogramming the ECU to activate the CC.
And yes, it is deleted to enable 'upselling' higher spec models for little extra real cost.
|
>> I think most cars nowadays have cruise control already in them and 'retrofitting' means attaching
>> the buttons and reprogramming the ECU to activate the CC.
>>
>> And yes, it is deleted to enable 'upselling' higher spec models for little extra real
>> cost.
>>
Indeed, similarly features like auto-hold, self-parking, tyre pressure monitoring are little more than ECU feature codes and must offer fantastic profit opportunity when charged as optional extras (the same business model as software companies, think 85%+ margin).
The down-side for customers is that even these relatively cheap 'options' are immediately almost worthless when purchased, company car drivers with leases (as I was formerly and I suspect the OP is) are doubly-hit by leasing companies who prorate and charge the options cost over the lease (ascribing it no residual value) and HMRC who tax the inflated on the road price.
People purchasing second hand can get something of a bargain though.
Last edited by: idle_chatterer on Thu 16 Jan 14 at 05:10
|
|
The latest Golf not only as cruise control but's it's adaptive cruise control.
|
|
Only on SE spec or higher.
|
Answering Idle Chatterer - when I first joined the HJ forum in 2004 I had an Avant (A4 2.5 TDI). I loved it, but its replacement would have been a 2.7 and was just too expensive. I could have an A4 with the same engine as in the current Octavia, but I just can't see that it's worth the £7,000 or so extra. £2,000 maybe.
I could have had Adaptive Cruise Control as an extra - didn't want it. I didn't really want Lane Assist either although that's standard: it's supposed to ensure you stay awake by weighting up the steering in case you change lanes inadvertently. But I can disable it.
My worry is that some of these nanny-state electronics become standard in future cars and won't be capable of being disabled.
|
|
Definately the engine to have and fairly cheap to buy too because everyone wants the Diesel. If you are not already there check out Briskoda: friendly bunch of guys.
|
Skoda Octavia II - Impressions after 2,000 miles with a Mark 3 vRS - Runfer D'Hills
