Christian

After a long wait, my new Octavia Estate 1.9Tdi is just a few days away. I can`t wait to get it! Thanks to many people here for helping me make up my mind regarding which engine to go for. I was wondering if anyone could give me some helpful advice when it comes to running it in ( I believe that`s what it`s called in English) What is the best way do run the car in to make sure that it performs well in many years to come? I have heard that if not done correctly, one might experience that the engine uses alot of oil, does not perform fully etc. All help is much appreciated!

I`ve had the opportunity to test drive the car with both 16" alloys and the 17"Pegas wheels. I am really glad that I did as I was not too impressed with the Pegasus wheels. They look great on the car, but I found that they were too noisy on the car. Offcourse the tyres might also be some of the reason for this, but we were surprised at how much noisier the car was. therefor we went for the 16" instead. And we can`t wait untill it gets here, arrives in Norway on July 4th and should be ready a few weeks later

I currently drive a Renalt Megane and must say that I am impressed with how little tyre/ road noise there is in it. So while trying out potential new cars, and among them the Golf and the Octavia I must say that these have more tyre and road noise. With the 16" wheels it no problem, and the ones I tried had Brigdestone Potenza ER30 on them. I also tried an Octavia with 17" Pegasus and there was alot more noise coming from tyres/ road, I couldn`t believe how much difference there was. But as they say, sometimes 1" can make a hell of a difference What kind of tires do people prefer? Seems that most Octavias get either Bridgestone or Dunlop, and from what I gather, none of them are great. I currently drive Continental sport contact and they are good.

I ordered my new Octavia about 1 month ago, and prior to this I drove 3 of the engines. They were the 1.6MPI, 1.6 FSI and 1.9TDI. I did not try the 2.0 TDI as cars are very expensive here in Norway and the 2.0TDI is about 4.500pounds over the 1.9TDI. The MPI felt OK in an empty estate, certainly not a VRS but it felt OK. I am sure it will struggle abitt when the boot is not empty though. The 1.6 FSI was a tip-tronic but it felt slightly more powerful than the MPI. This must the the most controversial engine ever to come from VAG. Some praise it, others hate it. Seems that those who own it are satisfied with it, while those who don`t are very critical of it. Most of the motorpress find this engine a good match for the Octavia though, but my guess is that it needs some mileage on it to loosen up. I went for the 1.9TDI after a test drive for several reasons, and am very happy that I did. It is not the most sophisticated diesel around, but it`s a well proven and solid one. Not having been a diesel driver before, I was surprised by the torque and the immediate response which the petrol versions did not have. The noise level is no issue when sitting in the car, slightly more vibrations and noise when starting it, but it goes away when driving. Outside you hear it`s a diesel though. Another good reason for choosing the diesel is the resale value as here in Norway estates compared with a diesel are very popular these days. Add that most of the motor press has praised the Octavia estate with this engine will definately helt it`s value. One test even said that they`d take the 1.9TDI DSG L&K over a 2.0 Elegance any day as they were so impressed by it. My advice is that if you don`t use the car that much, nor do you load the boot or backseat, the 1.6FSi will probably be a good choice. If you want some more "action" and power and an engine that really suits the car very well, the 1.9 TDI is probably the best choice. Where I live, it`s definately the best combination with the Octavia as far as value and resale value goes, and even though it`s slower than the 2.0TDi, it`s definately faster than the 1.6FSI no matter what Skoda quotes in their official numbers. I can`t wait to get mine, will be built in week 24 so mid-July it should be here!!!!

I got a mail from my dealer today, my car will be manufactured in week 24. When finished, how long do they normally stay at the factory untill they are shipped to their location? And when should I expect to have it?

Well, I believe that it must be correct since also the superchip tests revealed the same number on the 1.9TDi, 118 bhp. This was the same as several Norwegian tests revealed. One was NAF, the Norwegian equivelant of Germany`s ADAC, who tested the Golf. Another was Norway`s biggest newspaper who ran a big article, and the headline was "Skoda`s horses are the liveliest". They also gave 118bhp on the 1.9TDi. I think the VAG petrol engines were very close to the quoted numbers. If I remember correctly it also featured the Audi A4 1.9 TDI which Audi claims has 115bhp, and I believe it was quoted as having 118bhp. I also found a NAF test on the Octavia I, which had the 1.9TDi in 130bhp configuration. Tests revealed that it actually had 150bhp!! And, as previously mentioned, a Norwegian test of the Octavia Estate 1.9 TDi, gave the 0-62mph at 10 secs. They tried several times and the result was always stable, around 10 secs. which is far from the 11.9secs claimed by Skoda. In fact, I haven`t seen any tests where the 0-62mph has been 11.9, all have been lower.

I wil think about getting an engine heater when winter comes. I am currently parking in the street as I live in an appartement. Therefor electric power for it is not possible, and a diesel driven one is too expensive. But as soon as I have the chance, I will get an engine heater installer, possibly also an interior one if I haven`t got a garage. Thanks alot for the advice on how to drive the car "in", much appreciated! another interesting thing about the 1.9TDi; Norways biggest newspaper ran an article a month ago on various cars and how powerful their engines actually were. Some were what they claimed to be, a few less than what they claimed. And then the surprise: The Octacvia did not have 105ps, but 118ps!!! Checked other sources and turned out that the Golf has the same. My guess is that since Audi uses the same engine, although as a 115ps, they simply put the same engine in all 3 brands and just gives different data on it. Does anyone else have some information on this phenomenon?

Thanks guys! Sadly, I have to wait some time before I get it. Seems like they have alot to do at the Skoda factory these days. If I ordered it this week, they could guarantee that I would get it in early July, which is just in time for the summer holiday. They told me it took slightly more time now as the factory was starting production of the 2007 models in June and this would cause a slight delay. So the good thing is that I`m getting a 2007 model. Shame though, that it`s over 2 months away. Does anyone know what they manual says about the "drive in" of the car (how it should be driven when brand new)? I want to break it in nicely, but not in such a way that it gets too lifeless as they sometimes can when driven too nicely. Hope you know what I mean...

I have finally ordered a new Octavia and I am thrilled about it! After an hour long test drive with a manual 1.9 TDi, we decided to go for it. We never got to test drive a manual 1.6 FSi, and even though it felt very good with an automatic, and probably is as a manual too, we went for the diesel for several reasons. The most importat ones were that it felt powerful and strong, as well as it will keep it`s value better. Here in Norway, Estates with diesel engines are the most popular cars. I found the diesel to be more noisy when started, as well as going on slow speeds, but not when speed increased. We are thrilled about the Octavia, and feel like it`s a real bargain compared to other cars. We also got a good deal from our dealer, so all in all we feel it`s a real catch. Thanks to all of you for your input and help regarding this car, much appreciated!! And I am very happy to be a member of the Skoda Octavia family!

I test drove 2 Octavias yesterday. Same engine, but one had 16" tyres, the other 17". The 16" was the first one and it really nice. Then the 17" which was alot more noisy (tyre/ road noise). They were a world apart! I thought about getting 17" as they look really cool, but no way after driving with them. Some might disagree, but it really killed alot of the ambiance and luxury of the car, as well as the quality feeling. But the 16" were perfect! I thought about full leather as I think it looks really nice and classy. But my parents have had it in all their cars and there are some downsides I think: They are really cold in the winter, and can hot in summer.. I also find that I get sweaty/ damp in them. My mom hates them, always have and they have now settled for a leather/textile combo. They also tend to look worn after not too long, which can be a drab. I`ve seen 1 year old cars where the driver seats looked like hell. I went for the DUO leather/upholstery which was already in the L&K. Think they mix the best of both worlds as you get leather (well, look-alike) in the doors and on the sides of the seats, but textile where your *** is. And they are great to sit in. I think it`s a great combination and it still looks classy!

Thanks so much for your great input, much appreciated! Although cunsumption has not been a maor concern, I checked my 1.4 Megane today. 0.8l pr.10km!!! Whopping!!! And the Octavia won`t use any less as an FSI. Petrol prices are insane here in Norway as well these days, and there`s about 15pence to save on diesel. Thanks also for the input on the TDi in winter, it gets as low as -18 here, but average -5 to 8. That shouldn`t be a problem with a TDi I guess. I will try to take a longer test drive with the TDi tomorrow and see if a diesel is my thing, being a petrol driver all my life. Will keep you updated, as I am also making a desicion tomorrow. I can`t wait to be an Octavia driver, regardless of which engine. What a great car!!! I feel I get so much more than I do compared to the Megane Grandtour DCI and Golf V 1.6 that I also looked at. I am definately going for the L&K (different in Norway than in UK, here it is Xenon, cruise, park sensors all over, Nexus Navi and Leather/fabric seats etc. over the Elegance) I feel like I am making a great buy, alot of car and value for the money! And it is a beautiful car too, more so than the Golf!

Thought I`d just post a quick review of the 1.6FSi which I tried earlier today. It was a tip-tronic version, so it is probaby abitt slower than the manual one. Must say that it was not as slow and gutless as I expected. Tried a Diesel DSG just before so I could sample abitt better. It didn`t feel gutless or noisy as some have mentioned, had a rather sporty sound to it when pushed. It was much more refined than the diesel, and there were little or no vibrations and rattles in it when pushed. So all in all it was a good drive too, but it was a rather short test drive and I didn`t try it out on any motorway speeds. The car felt very different with the two engines. The Diesel made it feel like a powerful train, but somewhat unrefined and noisy. But it might be me who is not used to driving a Diesel. But it sure had alot of torque and that turbokick was nice! With the FSi it felt more refined and classy, as well as much quieter. There were no rattling from the interior when pushed which the diesel had. Still, I can not make up my mind!! And I have to decide by tomorrow morning. Will the diesel hold it`s value much better? And what`s it like when it`s cold outside, a problem we have here in Norway. For those of you who have the diesel, does the interior etc. rattle and creak when you push it? And what`s the power and noise/ vibrations like at high to very high speeds(62mph and upwards)? Appreciate all the input, especially since I have to make up my mind soon. Thanks for helping and listening!

An update from me regarding the engines. I took the advice from several here and had a test drive in an Estate 1.9TDi. I first tried one with the DSG, only one they had available at the moment, and it sure was a sweet ride. Not used to drive an auto, but it was really nice and I even tried it in the "tiptronic" mode. Impressive! I also got a chance to drive a manual one later, although only for a quick trip. It felt more powerful than the DSG, but also somewhat rougher and noisier. But it sure was a fast ride, and I am positive that it`s way quicker than the 11.9secs quoted by Skoda. Actually, a Norwegian car magazine tested it and it made it in 10secs (0-100km/h). So good engine, although rough and noisy as a manual. I think I might get the chance for a 1.6FSi tomorrow, but it has an autobox. I will se where this leaves me, at least in terms of noise and refinement. If it feels powerful enough as an auto, it will probably do. The TDi is 2500pounds extra, and I`m already above what I planned to spend on a car. Hope some might add some more input on the 1.6FSi! Will keep you updated on how the test drive was!

Thanks again for all the input, please keep`em coming!! I have been searching all over the internet to find some info, and has managed to find some. Interestingly the 1.6FSI and the 1.9TDI were tested against each other, both fitted in the new Passat Sallon. The FSI was the winner. "Passat TDI gegen FSI

Thanks again for replying and for the input! I also hope that someone who has got an Octavia with this engine can tell me something about it. Seems like a fair enough engine, and alot of car magazines rave about it in their tests. (Check out WhatCar, they say it`s their favourite pick for the Octavia) I usually drive the alone or with one passenger, loads only during holidays or the odd trip to Ikea. Already tried it with the MPI and it was waaaay faster than my Megane, offering more instant reaction etc. Please keep those inputs coming!