Gerrycan

@kreeker, with regard to your trip: You may be the odd one out driving a 'sports' biased car into that environment, most of the other vehicles there will be awd utes, full off-roaders or 'soft' SUV. The RS estate should be brilliant for the tarmac portion but the lack of ground clearance and the RS big wheels (19 inch?) won't be so great on corrugated dirt roads. I've got 17 inch on my 1.4tsi and they are just ok, so choose your dirt roads carefully. If the dirt roads are dry and have just been graded the only problem is dust. Make sure you check the accuracy of speedometer with a GPS or appropriate app on your phone, as speedometers tend to be a bit optimistic and you want to be travelling at the speed limit to maximise the distance you have to cover. I've always come across at least one speed camera in places you will least expect them on my longer journeys. Be very careful around dawn and dusk for more strays, usually kangaroos, emus, wombats (solid little creatures and capable of a surprising turn of speed if they dash out and a lot of car damage) and there are the feral donkeys and even camels. I have seen lots of goats on some trips but strangely never as roadkill. You can get usually get 95 octane (not cheap) at the roadhouses but cannot remember if 98 octane is sold so it might be a good idea to take a bottle of octane enhancer with you if that is your usual preference. Check tyre pressures and have good time. If you get the time I'd be interested to read how your trip went.

I've never quite understood the concern for 'glazing' by maintaining a constant speed for a long time in a petrol engine especially in your case where it is going to be under a certain amount of load at 110 kph. The condition is much more commonly applied to diesel engines subject to very light loads or idling such as can occur for an over-specified diesel generator. I would have thought at 5k km your modern engine was quite well run in, even the manual recommendations for the initial running-in only apply for the first 1k km or so. However if you are still worried then you don't even have to change speed, just occasionally manually change gear. 50 years ago cars required several thousand km running-in period, you even put a sticker on the back warning the driver behind why you were driving so slowly and carefully. Thank goodness those days are over. Anyway enjoy your trip, it is a pretty impressive place to tour and I think you will be surprised how often you be required to change speeds to overtake the many caravans and 100kph restricted trucks, or stopping to let the dogs (and occupants) stretch their legs/drink /pee/poo.

I had a 1.9pd mk2 manual wagon for 7 years and it restored my love of driving after a few pragmatic family based Korean SUVs and a people mover. I often wondered why I got rid of it when I did as it was driving faultlessly and did not even have a DPF fitted to go wrong (Australian emission rules lag Europe by many years). Anyway in 2014 we bought a brand new 1.4tsi manual mk3 which has turned out to be equally enjoyable and almost as frugal (perhaps more so with current diesel prices). Personally I think you should consider including the 1.4tsi on your list. Pulls almost as hard at low revs and has a far bigger usable rev range than the 1.9pd, a lot smoother and about 4 seconds faster to 60mph, but can be surprisingly economical if driven sensibly. The 1.2tsi and later 1.0tsi engines are also surprisingly nimble and worth consideration. I don't know the UK market well enough to comment on availability of some models but I am not sure what your chances are of getting a good low mileage mk2 are. If the vehicle has to have DSG there are a couple of considerations regarding mk3 options There are two types of DSG transmission: The 7 speed 'dry' clutch DSG is generally fitted to vehicles with torque of 250Nm or less so in the mk3 the 1.0tsi, 1.2tsi, 1.4tsi and the 1.6tdi engines. The 6 speed (and later 7 speed) 'wet' clutch DSG were fitted to more powerful 2.0tsi and 2.0tdi engines and also some awd versions of the smaller engines. The dry clutch is a good unit but like a manual clutch it is capable of being abused and damaged if driven incorrectly and the cost of replacing burnt out dual clutch packs is eye-wateringly expensive. Driven as the automated manual it is then it is now quite reliable. Interestingly dry dsg's also have a patchy reliability history with other manufacturers including Ford and Hyundai. The wet clutch is far more durable and can withstand a lot more abuse since the clutches are in an oil bath. The caveat for this is that the wet clutch vehicle must have a good service history and the transmission oils changed regularly as recommended (about every 40k I think, but I have not owned one). A relatively expensive oil change but not in the grand scheme of things. The mk2 had irs suspension but in mk3 you have to go up to VRS or awd versions to get irs. Personally I'm quite happy with the torsion beam rear suspension on mine but I am far from being an aggressive driver. If it has to be a diesel and you could find a low mileage mk2 1.9pd or 2.0tdi DSG (both with wet clutch) and good service history then that would be the ideal but I am sure it would have unicorn status so personally I'd be looking for a mk3 2.0tdi as there should be a few more of those around. Unfortunately I have not followed the mk2 2.0tdi sections in Briskoda so I cannot comment on its reliability record.

The tank is unlikely to be a different size but the difference is more likely due to your fuel level sensor being much more conservatively set and indicating zero miles with more fuel remaining in your tank than his. There were a number of complaints in the Octavia mk3 section a few years back where diesel drivers were refilling at low mileage indicators and only being able to get 40 or so litres into their 50 litre tanks. Obviously their tanks would have been the same size but a batch must have been produced with the fuel level incorrectly set. The fuel tanks ARE officially five litres larger on the 4wd versions than 2wd versions on both diesel and petrol models of Octavia and Superb, probably to compensate for the extra weight and friction from the 4wd drivetrain.

By my calculations for distance and refuel quantity you actually got 64.49 mpg, which means your display is pretty accurate, possibly pessimistic, even after allowing for minor differences refuel 'click' point, and of course accuracy of the refueling point pump. Really good driving discipline over that sort of distance.

Hi @aliveandflipping89, no you are not being paranoid, 40mpg around town (as Toot confirms) is ok, but 45mpg on a motorway is way short of expectations, even in winter. I had a similar consumption experience on a UK visit about eight years back in a manual 1.0tsi Focus loaned to me by a relative. Relatively new car, low mileage, great drive and performance was fine, it averaged 40mpg but for some reason it seemed impossible to improve consumption over 45mpg no matter the conditions (hot summer). At the time extensive roadworks on the local A12 dual carriageways meant long 50mph restricted zones which in off-peak periods should have displayed figures (based on my 1.4tsi Octavia in Australia) closer to 70mpg than 40mpg . It was a major disappointment as the engine had won a couple of concurrent international 'engine of the year' awards but I had no basis for comparison to know if it was (a)typical of the breed or not. As @toot suggested some more information about the car, its maintenance and driving history is useful for others to assist you. Record a couple of refuel quantities to see how it compares to 'Since refuel' average consumption to get a feel for display accuracy. Is it a manual or dsg automatic? Should not make much difference to consumption assuming an automatic is behaving correctly. What 'mode' (Sport, Normal, Eco) do you normally drive in? Again not a big consumption factor but each mode has its own characteristics. Tyre pressures? I use about 38psi all round on 17 inch tyres, which for me (may not be for everyone though) is optimal for consumption, ride, and tyre wear Is servicing annual or on a 'needs' basis and when was it last serviced? Have you raised the consumption issue with the dealers while under warranty and have they scanned for possible sensor or other relevant faults? Dealers tend to be dismissive of consumption complaints, usually blaming the owner, but as you were getting really good consumption in your previous diesel Megane that, for me, is obviously not the case. Modern small petrol engines can be incredibly efficient but far more complex and less tolerant of any problems. The cheap and easy things are air filters and tyre pressures, I'd add spark plugs to the list but even these have to be installed to ensure a correct orientation relative to the injectors, this came from an informative Skoda Master Tech who used to frequent the Forum . Last question and a bit personal, but are you really 89? If so then , it is really quite inspirational!

Cars systems calculate consumption from distance travelled and volume of fuel fed to the engine. There are many threads remarking, or complaining, about how optimistic their particular speedometer can be. Mine is about 6% optimistic but I have owned one car that was at the maximum legal of 10% optimistic so speedos are a particular inaccurate data source. My 20 yo Toyota Echo speedo is only 2% optimistic Odometers are usually more accurate, usually between 1% and 3% variance in my experience with the worst being 6% (yeh, same car as the speedo). Of course this raises interesting questions about odometer accuracy in relation to tyre wear or fitting different wheel/tyre sizes and profiles. A simple test to see what the variance between speedo and odometer accuracy is to set cruise control to a set speed on a clear and straight road and then reset the 'current trip' on average speed display and see what it displays after a few hundred metres at the set speed. I used to do this on rentals to get an indication as to what indicated speed I could safely travel at without getting a speeding ticket due the number of cameras used in Australia. My current 1.4tsi used to display slightly pessimistic consumption values against refuel calculations when new but over 8 years and 90k km it is now slightly optimistic against refuel calculated consumption. I have just fitted brand new tyres which may make the displayed consumption even more optimistic. Not sure when I will next be able to check odometer accuracy though as it was 1% when new, maybe a couple of weeks time when we go camping?

Not sure why, but I have noted over the years that some of the best (verified with refill data) Briskoda consumption claims have come from Superb diesel drivers despite the Octavia having the same drivetrains and smaller and lighter bodies. That's mpg, not distance on a tank. Must be the superb Superb drivers that are the difference

Thanks @toot, have made suitable adjustments to my text.

'Dieselgate' was a classic example of being able to get improved consumption and performance by ignoring/cheating emissions requirements. VW are not going to get away with that again so meeting emissions requirements is a major factor in their engine mapping and it had consequences. The 1.5tsi engine took an age to resume production (trying to meet WLTP requirements) and subsequently there were many complaints on Briskoda about its driving characteristics when it was available. AND it took over a year to get software fixes released addressing most of the 1.5tsi issues. My point is that third party performance maps would have less 'incentive' to meet draconian emission requirements so I would expect there to be real, if minor consumption improvements in steady speed driving than on a standard map. Of course, as others have already said, use of the loud pedal cancels out any consumption benefits . Believe me, if I thought a performance map would pay for itself in improved consumption then I would have got one a long time ago! When you buy a 2.0tsi VW engine vehicle you are already committing to a preference for power over good fuel consumption.....however how much depends on a lot on factors, but mainly where and how you drive. Around town they are pretty heavy consumers compared to smaller (turbo) engines, on the motorway I cannot recall reading any validated consumption (refuel figures) bettering 49mpg for a standard tune regardless of how 'gently' the owner claimed they drove. I can recall only one refuel validated mapped 2.0tsi claim over 50mpg, with a full passenger load and driver not pushing at all and just going with the 'motorway flow' upto Scotland. The OP would have been driving in max 8 degree C temps when he posted so I think his 45 mpg consumption returns are pretty typical for the car, conditions and distance, assuming the displayed consumption is accurate. I would have been disappointed to get less than 55mpg in my 1.4tsi in a similar circumstances, but I might not have kept up with him.

I know that the ability to 'vent the tank' with a specific fitted lever/button was a feature on certain past VW group vehicles (Fabia?) but I'm not aware that any recent Skoda has any such facility, certainly not on the mk2 diesel or the mk3 petrol Octavia I've owned, or any reference to it in any post in the Superb section, other than your good self that is. Based on the rare occasion where a driver has near emptied their tank and posted the refill amount and I think it is fair to say that most VW group vehicle's fuel tanks have a about 5 litres more capacity than the published figure (although it could be even more). Personally I'd be disinclined to risk running the tank empty with modern high pressure fuel injection systems pumping air or running the in-tank fuel pump without it being cooled by the fuel it normally bathes in, or having to do that embarrassing jerrycan walk to the nearest petrol station.

Actually an Octavia only requires about 30 PS to maintain 70 mph on a flat road.

"I like big BUTTs and I cannot lie". Used in Shrek, but really no song for kids.

I am afraid you commited a common 'rookie' error when converting to mpg as you used the smaller US gallon. The good news is that in Imperial mpg you got about 45 mpg which is about standard for a petrol vrs on the sort of journey you describe.

Having a couple of weeks off and some relatively cool weather for us, has enabled me to get in three runs a week. It just makes so much difference, the endorphins are flowing, and the enjoyment is back. Getting back a few seconds per km also contributes to the vibe . My daughter's dog has been helping me with some additional 'sprint' training. I throw the ball away from her and she gives me a (really big) head start and then times her run in to pip me by about a metre, every... single..... time! Cracks my wife up. My motivational (and also intimidating) story for this week is about a 90 year old who can run 5km in under 30 minutes. Perth man David Carr rewriting the running record books at age 90 - ABC News

Our 2014 model has only done a quarter of the distance of yours, some cosmetic shopping car park scratches but obviously no rust issues with our temperate climate and with the demise of many manual transmission and wagon (sorry estate) options, plus huge price increases I really don't see any worthwhile replacement worth spending a lot of money on in our market. I could have been tempted with a Hybrid Corolla estate, but it was not released here 😞 and Toyota wait lists for hybrids of any kind are out past a year anyway. Fitting new tyres tomorrow and will probably spend 'big' and change all the belts next major service in June (even though I am not convinced they really need changing). Just got to make up my mind whether I use the dealership or an independent to do it, and then it is set up for another few years when we will probably be ready to get an EV.

Thanks for the update and I'm really happy the Mondeo has worked out so well for you. Odd last paragraph though You are just being perverse!

I have absolutely no idea how the winter/summer diesel formulations affect calorific value, I just thought it was to maintain a working viscosity at low temperatures and that maybe the winter 'dilution' may compromise consumption a bit. I've never owned a diesel in the UK and now live in a coastal Mediterranean type climate so would only see morning frost if I travel inland in our winter and again I have no clue whether our diesel varies to seasons in our region, Probably not but it would in Australian 'Alpine' areas @Gammyleg that is really good consumption you are getting from a small diesel engine in what is a big vehicle but your driving profile would obviously help a lot, From what you describe temperature would have to account for a lot of the difference. Like @MASKO I can get in the 60's returns with my 1.4tsi on a longer journey but that will not happen with adverse factors such headwinds, tight schedules or even very high temperatures when the aircon is working overtime and then it can drop down to the 40's. I do remember my 1.9pd Octavia was far more tolerant of adverse conditions and on one notable long journey we were heavily loaded, pushing at the speed limit through strong headwinds, 40 deg temps (max aircon), locust plague (very noisy and not fun) and even an extensive accumulation of three foot deep wind-blown seeds which totally obscured the road like snow but had the resistance of fairy floss. Still got consumption in the mid/high 50's though which our current petrol engine, good as it is, would not have been able to match.

That is an interesting graph but and while I would be the first to agree that temperature is a factor I am surprised that it is that much. There may be a couple of other factors? Different diesel formulation for winter and the peak also coincides with the summer school holidays so could there be better traffic flow without all the teachers travelling and student pickup/dropoff (it is very noticeable here)? Do you put different winter tyres on? How long was your commute as shorter journeys would be more affected by cold than longer journeys (proportionately longer time to warm up engine to operating temperature)? I used to record my consumption religiously but got to a point where I could 'feel' there were so many factors at play at any one time that there was no real point. My wife is now doing most of the driving in our Octavia anyway, so I wasn't likely to be critical of her driving (and our marriage survive?) was I. I do refuel the cars and still just check the figures that there are no major aberrations from the norm (~6L/100) to indicate any issue. When we had a 1.9pd Octavia we used to do a regular 200km round trip on a Saturday to watch our son play his sport. There would frequently be a high pressure over us so there would be no wind and a midday temperature of about 20 degrees, running on near empty roads flat roads at whatever speed limit applied. The return journey would be after dark (after the game and a clubroom meal) and the temperature would fall quite quickly (clear skies) to between 5 and 8 degrees. The return journey would always average about 5mpg less in otherwise similar conditions on the same route back. Most of that would be the effect of the temperature and a small part due to running headlights in the dark. I used the cruise control extensively.

Considering you were initially looking at another Octavia, the Model X is the last vehicle I thought you would end up choosing When you have had some time with it please post your opinion in the Briskoda review section, I'd love to read it.

Bit of a head scratcher when the car is running so well. I wonder if you, or someone else here, can get more info about those 1.0tsi with injector problems to see whether it is actually applicable to your problem (despite the dealer denying it) If it were one of the many sensors playing up then you would think there would be some sort of error message, but that is not guaranteed either. Do they do emission testing during servicing in the UK and would it be recorded on their report? Or is the first emission test the car is subjected the MOT, when it is usually out of warranty?

When was the last service? How old are the spark plugs? Has there been any recent deterioration in consumption, power delivery or starting?

If you undertake the work then what sort of environment would you be working in? Consider that it is currently cold and wet outside. Do the parts even NEED to be replaced? If not then I think you would be far better off being more attentive for potential hazards on the road when driving.

Five people in a Fabia, on the roads you describe is going to be .....uncomfortable? Where is the camping equipment going to fit?

That is quite remarkable considering the number salted winter roads they would have had to suffer. I lived in the UK for 30 years so know how bad it can be. Since there is no snow here rusting is rare in South Australia unless the vehicle has been driven through surf on vehicle accessible beaches (not my thing).