oldstan

I just had another look at the infotainment issues that you blokes experience. I can see 21 PAGES of comments about the "Update to 1669 Version" I could have been tempted by a new Octavia Estate but if I add this topic to the countless DSG topics that I'm very conscious of ..... ?? I honestly can't believe a company as vast as VAG - who have been making cars since the old King dies .....

I wish I could offer a sensible reply to TheWanderer. If it were those warning bongs (i.e. over the speed limit and straying over the white line etc.) then I might have said look at Renault (or Dacia, but nothing sporty with Dacia) .... because they have a dash mounted switch with which you can easily turn the warning bongs off - however it's not exactly that we're talking about. I would say that reviews of the Toyota infotainment often offer a degree of appreciation of their system insofar as they still off actual physical controls for the heating/air con. And say the screen isn't too bad regarding ease of use. I'm not looking forward to having to get used to the screen myself but everyone else has had to get used to it so I guess I will, given time. What I'm less happy about with VAG is them sticking to three years warranty. That plus the apprehension of owning a DSG out of warranty. Very recently I was told of a Golf R owner having to pay over six grand for a repair to his DSG box .... and his was a 2 litre which would have had a wet clutch in it, and there's a long held belief that wet clutches are more reliable than dry (although I did, recently see, on here, a post that suggested that the opposite was the case ?? ). There may be a school of thought that suggests Toyota's 10yr warranty plan is just a clever means of ensuring Toyota main dealer servicing for 10 years but for those of a cautious disposition it's quite an attraction and, to me, suggests a degree of confidence in the product I haven't, yet, made a decision and remain open to opinions be they positive or otherwise.

I just scanned through this thread, as well as trying to research (via Google) whether the Octavia (and also the Seat Leon estate as it's vaguely similar albeit a bit smaller) is considered "reliable". Most of the motoring websites love the Octavia but, equally, most criticize the infotainment and lack of real buttons and switches as we used to have in days of old. Same with all manufacturers, it seems. As well as looking at the VAG products with a view to buying a new one, I have found that the Toyota Corolla Touring (the estate version) is in a similar class, sizewise, and I can't see anything like the same degree of critical judgement of Toyota's technolgy and reliability as is found with VAG (and Octavia particularly). If anyone takes any notice ofmotoring press surveys you would be disheaterened with some Octavia or VAG results .... but not everyone does take notice. It has to be said though that reading through the above thread - and having an element of familiarity with DSG boxes - I'm leaning a bit towards something other than an Octavia. Which doesn't accord with the sheer volume of them currently in use with the Emergency Services, who must, surely, give them hard use and yet still you see Octavias adorned with blue lights in the hundreds.

Thanks. No, the problem is she can't lift her leg over the passenger door sill of the Yeti (which is 420mm from the ground). A door sill which is, say, 360mm off the ground is just about OK. Hence the Leon or Corolla. A Jazz is close and my little Hyundai i10 is OK too I did detail this in the initial post of this thread. But that now seems a long way back.

All received with thanks. And if I add the gist of what's been said here to the gut feeling I currently have then my conclusion is, yes, I'd be happier with a 1.8 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Touring Sport (posh for an estate) ... in base "Icon" trim - coz it has 16" wheels and none of the stuff I neither need nor want. A Seat Leon estate (1.5 DSG) has very similar dimensions to the Toyota and probably fits the bill closer than an Octavia as the Octavia is tad wider and my garage door opening is tight.... but the same DSG questions hang in the air. Since starting this topic the good lady has been told to report for an urgent MRI scan and it's probably prudent to see what her mobility prognosis is before doing anything else. Further thanks for all the interest and assistance.

If I'm spending nearly £30,000 of my own money on something I'm going to do more in terms of trying to get it right than simply buy it and hope to enjoy it. Briskoda has, for all the time I've been a member, prided itself on in depth conversation about detail .. sometimes in much detail in order to arrive at a conclusion. My enquiry was reasonably simple and revolved around what type of DSG was fitted to a particular range of cars. It transpires that the answer isn't necessarily that straightforward so forgive me if my enquiries appear unnecessarily pedantic.

All received.👍

There's most certainly nothing like nine years cover included in any of the VAG products. Off the top of my head Toyota / Lexus give a basic 3 yrs but if serviced at a Toyota dealer they extend the warranty for a further year at a time up to ten (I don't think that includes breakdown cover though). Similar thing with Dacia and Suzuki - up to 7 yrs. Kia - 7yrs Hyundai 5 yrs MG 7 yrs

I'm very confident I'm guilty of over-thinking this whole thing. But if I'm going to spend getting on for £30k on a car I want to try to get it right. My current Yeti and the little Hyundai i10 1.2 petrol i also have were bought new in 2011 and have been great but the Yeti might have to go and I want to try to get the right replacement. In all honesty I'm thinking I stand the greatest chance of not getting it badly wrong by moving away from VAG and going with a base model 1.8 Hybrid Corolla Touring Sport (the estate car version) ... their engine and transmission seems to be well proven, extremely economical and Toyota have enough confidence in their product to offer an ongoing 10 year warranty (if serviced at a main dealer). I don't mind spending time researching and am grateful for advice received but get the feeling that's where I should be looking further. I could be wrong though ... I can only do my best (which sometimes isn't all that wonderful)

Thanks for the above. But can I ask again for the data print out where it will tell an argumentative salesman that the 115 PS Tdi 2 litre diesel engine has a DQ200 attached to it. I just spotted in an article online that that same engine (the 115PS) exhibits 300 Nm torque in the graph it displays. And we know that the DQ200 only, apparently, served engines up to 250 Nm. Believe me, these are only snippets I picked up ... I don't make any claims of expertise at all.

All received, yes, thank you. AND I didn't know that the 115 PS version of the 2 litre diesel is fitted with DG200 dry clutch. I don't know where you spotted that but I haven't been privy to that little snippet in all the checking I've done. That defeats the whole point of my enquiry because I would only want the Icon version (for one or two reasons) and, unless I'm mistaken, the Icon only comes with the 115 PS ... so i might as well have the 1.5 petrol with the DQ200. (and take the two years extra warranty). Would you be good enough to show me that in black and white so that if and when I mention it to a Skoda salesperson I can have it in writing when he says he doesn't know.

No, strangely enough I haven't been through all of those topics ... my enquiry was about the Octavia diesel, asking if they all had wet clutches, thinking that they were more reliable than dry ones ... which was my belief having read so many instances of dry clutch issues as opposed to the wet versions. I fully acknowledge that my information may be ill conceived and that DQ200's are now the more favoured option ... I simply wasn't aware of it. If so I stand corrected. It's just that wherever I look in the motoring press or online I kept seeing that wet is best and dry is, well, ... less best 😊

I spent some time trying to see evidence of the wet clutch being less than reliable .... and the dry clutch being the more reliable option and wherever I look I see that popular opinion dictates that the wet version holds up considerably better than the dry ones. Which is what I've long believed to be the case. Help me out. I'd like to see something a concrete.

I honestly didn't know that. I have always thought (rightly or wrongly) that the wet ones posed less of a risk than the dry. I was very much aware that the dry was maintenance free and that the wet needed oil changes but apart from that have assumed the wet to be the ones to go for if looking for reliability. The thing that initially encouraged mt was the fact that so many Octavias are used by Police and Ambulance services. not to mention minicabs - and they're not noted for mollycoddling their cars. As mentioned, I would definitely take the extra two years warranty whichever model I chose ..... but it's a tiny bit disappointing that more manufacturers (inc. VAG) don't show more confidence in the way that Hyundai, Kia, Toyota etc. do. Heck, even Dacia have extended warranties up to 7 yrs. Slightly odd that Renault have gone back to a shorter warranty length, I rather thought Renault was on the up and up.

I'm having second thoughts. I only do low mileage with one regular weekly 15 minute 60mph 'A Road' journey there ... and then the return journey. At the moment the rest is local stuff at low speed. I guess that's not great for a 2 litre diesel. And diesels aren't exactly simple bits of kit. I was only thinking of a diesel because they have a wet clutch, not a dry one. I don't need one for mileage reasons. As I said earlier, mine has been fine but DSGs don't have a fabulous rep. for simplicity and for being bombproof (or cheap or easy to fix). The only attraction is the VW dealer (who services Skodas) is nearer than the Toyota dealer - and they collect and deliver for routine services. But I'm thinking that, in itself, isn't the most sensible reason to choose a particular make and model.