Gerrycan

Pleased to hear it is working out for you so far. The 1.4tsi can be quite economical too in my experience. No ICE car likes short runs from cold starts but driven sensibly then journeys over 5 miles should average in the 40's and better that when the temps go up and/or journeys are longer. Australians are used to torque box autos so they often burn out the DSG clutch packs because they don't adapt their driving to what is an automated manual. Typically at traffic lights they will stop and just press the footbrake enough to hold the car still. Not a real problem in a torque box but I believe DSGs only disengage if the foot brake is pressed firmly otherwise they are semi-engaged as for an expected hill start and burn out the dry clutch. Not such a problem with the wet clutch DSG fitted to more powerful engines. Enough of a problem in Aus for Skoda to release the Mk4 Octavia with the old 1.4tsi engine and an Aisin torque automatic and not the Euro 1.5tsi and DSG although it is with the Scala There are videos on the topic on the internet. The Rapid was only sold in Aus with the 1.2tsi engine but I keep a look out in case a reasonably priced/mileage version (preferably manual) comes on the market locally although sales were low here. It would be to replace my 20 year old Toyota Echo which refuses to die

In my experience the standard Octavia suspension is quite good if performing to specification. While our current mk3 with torsion bar rear suspension and 17 inch wheels is not as good as our previous mk2 with rear irs and 15 inch wheels, it still acquitted itself remarkably well on some 80km of unintended travel on a dirt road rally (Targa Tasmania) section to a remote National Park in Western Tasmania with four on board and boot full of luggage. I have driven on London roads and they really don't compare . Sure big potholes should be avoided, otherwise it will cost you. After the bang you describe I'd be considering getting the front wheel alignment checked, and while you are there get your suspension professionally checked. It is your work vehicle and so you have an obligation to maintain it and I'm sure costs are claimed in your tax returns. Speed bumps (and worse, speed dips) have to be taken at a speed commensurate with vehicle load and bump/dip size. I've seen SUVs with plenty of ground clearance and overconfident drivers nearly lose control when taken them too fast. It has nothing to do with ground clearance (except with Ferraris and Lambos etc and that is just funny to watch on the many speed bumps/dips we have locally). As a cabbie do you run your tyres at high rather than comfort pressures because you can never be certain when you will pick up a maximum load? That is what I would do and it would minimise the effects of any unintentional high speed road contact Consider also that changes to the suspension specification may adversely affect your insurance premium, especially as a commercial passenger carrier. Or if undeclared invalidate any claim in the event of an incident.

And I am proud to say I aced the baby shower's prediction competition over 50 other entrants! Got the sex (girl), birth date and height spot on, and was only 20 minutes out on birth time and 200 grams out on weight. Parents were a bit spooked out by the accuracy and the fact it was me, and my daughter thinks it is hilarious She is, of course, drop dead gorgeous but I may be a bit biased

After a pretty hectic couple of months of work and social activities things will subside enough for the next three weeks for me to catch up with things including exercise. The plan got off to a really good start with an 'early' morning 5km run last week, then went and got a whooping cough/diphtheria/tetanus vaccination (to protect my first and brand new grand-child) which made me disinclined to do anything for a few days, and then resumed running this morning followed by a relaxing paddle along the seashore. Of course I say running, but that is what I used to do before it slowed to jogging and I am not quite sure what to call it now....so 'running ' it is. Doctors appointment this afternoon for a precautionary checkup to make sure I'm ok to continue with my regimen, and since my last checkup was before Covid I have my fingers crossed for no surprises.

You might want to update your profile from year 2009 to 2015.

Seems your car is a mk2 so is it possible your shocks need replacing?

Hi @DadWagon, I might as well add my tuppence worth to this topic. I'm not sure what is actually motivating the change since you seem quite happy with the mk2 and I can understand this as my old mk2 estate (with 1.9pd) was a joy to drive, especially after a couple of Korean MPV and SUV family dictated needs vehicles. I'm guessing your mk2 has independent rear suspension, which you would lose by transferring to the mk3 with rear torsion beam on the lower power versions (irs only on 4wd and vrs models). The latter is not well regarded by some in this forum although I found that driven normally, on normal roads I cannot tell much difference between them. However on Australian dirt roads the mk2 irs and the 15 inch tyres provided a far better ride of the two but that's probably not a real issue around Maidstone . I'd personally avoid any bigger wheels than 17 inch though. There is better space for rear passenger in the mk3, Halogen headlights are slightly better, but even more so in the face lift version of the mk3 but higher spec headlights are recommended if you drive on unlit sections. The mk3 is quite a light vehicle for its size with the smaller petrol engines fitted and so are quite nimble and potentially very economical if you drive 'sensibly'. I drive more sensibly than my wife but even she averages around 6L/100 around town. Like @Rodge I only drive manuals so cannot comment on DSG versions. Good luck with your search and try to get a few test drives to see what you are getting, or losing, with a change.

In attempting to answer your oft repeated question this will sound more like psychoanalysis than anything Your 'fear of carbon build up on VAG engines' is likely due to use, or misuse, of the internet. Yes there are many references to this problem on the internet but if you actually look in more detail most originate from the US and most are pretty old. Well prior to the 1.4tsi's existence VW sold a direct injection engine in the US which had a very bad reputation for carbon build up. Strangely, similar engines sold in Europe had a much more expensive DI and multi-point injection which allowed the inlet valves to be 'washed' by the petrol from the multi-point injection system so was not regarded as an issue. Coming back to the 1.4tsi, you are probably frustrated by the lack of response to your question but this engine has been a workhorse for the group for a few years now and put in a number of vehicles and no one has responded because it is not a reported issue, certainly not in Briskoda. Trust me if it were a problem then it would be here. I'm not saying there is not build up, I am sure there is some but apparently no worse than any other vehicle on the road. The 1.4tsi is excellent in my experience (90k km, 8 years) and you could expand your search to include the 1.0tsi 3 cylinder engine which is also a very nice unit and seems to be remarkably reliable, frugal and offers reasonable performance despite the small capacity. Other options are to go with dual injection systems such as those found on the 2.0tsi gti's or more left field the recent Ford Focus 1.5Litre 3 cylinder which also had dual direct and multi injection.

Our 1.4tsi experiences the same gurgling noises from water build up when subjected to successive short journeys in cold or cold and wet weather. A longer journey with the occasional rev in the lower gears when warmed up will clear it, I have seen litres of water pour from some (non Skoda) cars exhausts when accelerating away from traffic lights in cool conditions soon after a cold start.

The plastic nut covers on an Octavia had me scratching my head the first time I took a wheel off Once the wheel is off it should be very easy to see the condition of the disks and the remaining pad thickness, will see then if the mechanic was taking his 'duty of care' a little too far or not. Surprised you did not get a video report sent to you of their investigations, I received one on our last service. I was the main driver of our first mk2 Octavia and I drive economically and as I brake minimally and lightly the rears were far more worn than the front but my wife drives our mk3 and front wear is greater but still a long way from replacement at 90k km. An independent mechanic recommended replacing disks (rears) at the same time as pads some years back on our mk2. I know Subaru dealers had no hesitation machining my son's disks when his pads were replaced so I think it is fair to say the VW's have less metal. I don't know if VW/Skoda Aus pads/disks are to a different spec but I know the alloy wheels get incredibly dirty, very quickly from all the dust they generate.

My half-marathon running great nephew from the UK arrived to visit us over Christmas and we have now done a few local runs including my first local Parkrun (yay!) A forecast 41 degree day means we diversified to water activities, but a cool change tomorrow means we are looking for another run in the morning. Quite enjoying the experience of running with someone.

I'm not sure my V8 seduction would have survived a long term relationship, as I mentioned the drive with a lesser engine made the other issues with the car were all too apparent. Being a fuel miser I would have cried everytime I filled it up.

Yeh, unfortunately I think everyone knows their reputation but still enjoyed driving the '4' though compared to the other equivalent expensive 'thoroughbreds' I drove. Same thing with the Jeep Cherokee Grande. Awful reputation for reliability but a surprisingly good drive, although that is just my opinion.

Folding umbrellas have never lasted long with me, especially when there is wind with the rain. I prefer to carry a more durable smaller golf umbrella and they last for years. I can relate to your search for the perfect car. I had a casual job at our airport for a few months where I was able to drive a lot of different, and many expensive cars over admittedly short distances (about 8km) so it was a bit like speed-dating (or what I would imagine speed-dating to be like). I developed a real dislike of X5s and Toyota Land Cruisers. I found that Porsche, Ferrari and Lambo's were largely overrated and really not good idea in an urban environment and a real pain to park. Audi A8 were raved over by my colleagues but maybe they raised my expectations too high as it did not hit my button nor did the modified AMG G-Wagon. The Tesla S was much more pleasant than I expected but even I got range anxiety driving the thing as there was only 20km range on the thing when it was left with us and I was relieved to plug it in a soon as I could. So what worked for me? Amongst the larger SUV I liked Land Rover Discovery 4's over the Range Rovers and later Land Rovers which I found to be relatively anodyne although very competent. The real surprise was a Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk (6.3 litre V8 supercharged) which had wonderful driving feedback and ride but drank like a sailor on shore leave even at a steady 60kmh. A V8 manual Mustang totally seduced me after coincidentally driving an auto Mustang the car before and being pretty unimpressed (might have been the 2.3l turbo version). An old XJ still had it despite needing a lot of TLC and some brand new Mini Clubman Cooper S were a real buzz (not as good a 'go-kart' feel as the originals though) There was one car that I would have happily driven off with and it was a humble 1.4tsi auto mk 7 Golf hatchback. I had driven a few other golf (including GTI) but for some reason this one stood out as exceptional. Couldn't hear the engine, the gear changes were non perceptible (seriously, I had just driven the Tesla S 20 minutes before) and it handled the urban bumps like a magic carpet so obviously something either wrong or very right with it. I think I must have been pre-programmed by our Octavia but it really was another level experience for some reason. The casual driving job ended when Covid arrived but it has left me with a dilemma as to what will eventually replace our current 2014 'goldilocks' Octavia estate. Probably an EV but preferably not a Musk thing, or Chinese, all of which severely limits my choices here in Australia. Might have to do my own EV conversion?

Christmas is coming when this runner's mind turns to the many sock presents I usually receive. I have a nominal UK foot size ten which means I find that the 7 to 9 size sock range are a little too small and the 10 to 13 are a little too big.....and the small ones always shrink in the wash while the larger sizes always stretch with use and washing. Does not seem to matter the price paid for them either. I do not remember it being a problem when socks were made in the UK.

What sort of driving do you do? A lot of short journeys, long commute, highway driving?

Fuel sloshing when full or near full is a frequently commented on feature of the mk3 Octavia , which from your comments was carried over to the Mk4. It does not worry me even though it is a baffling problem

If you are checking your loads the don't forget to check the spare wheel and tools are properly secured. It was an issue for me on another car especially on speed bumps. Unlikely to be the problem but a simple check and a good excuse to check the tyre pressure on the spacesaver spare, which reminds me I haven't done mine for a while. Unfortunately the water pump replacement is not cheap but it maybe worthwhile pushing the fact that the car is such low mileage and legally goods are supposed to be of merchantable quality especially just outside warranty. I'm sure I have read rare reports in the forum where this has got the complainant some sort of discount on labour and/or parts, but I am certainly no expert on British consumer laws.

The coolant loss you describe was very similar to what I experienced with my 1.4tsi which was caused by the water pump. I also think the consumption deterioration occurring at the same time is too much of a coincidence. These new engines have pretty complicated cooling configurations and a defective pump would confuse the engine management system. For such a short commute your previous 30 to 35 mpg was actually pretty good in my opinion. Is the noise from the rear coming from either or one particular side when you encounter a bump/pothole? Is it a new phenomenon? You are really unlucky to get these issues in such a low mileage car just outside warranty

I would expect the 1.5tsi to be more economical of the two and the figures are really good in the conditions you describe, but I'd be very disappointed if my 2014 1.4tsi got as bad economy returns as you related for yours. The mk3 does have a larger 50 litre tank and I'd be confident of easily completing a roundtrip of 700km, and probably showing 150+km to empty. I've never actually achieved a full 1000km on a tank with this car as I chickened out at 850km (showing 160km range left) knowing there was no fuel station for the next 120km of hilly terrain and the car was weighed down with 4 adults and luggage.

@Slick2097 I'm in awe of your ambition and enthusiasm! There has to be a lot travelling and also overnight stays to achieve your target. It would be interesting to see whether an equivalent A to Z is even possible in Australia, and if so I dread to think how many kilometres that may involve. It is a big place. I know of retired Australians who have doing the great tour around Australia in caravans and motorhomes (they are known as "grey nomads") and some include as many different parkruns in their itinerary as they can. I am far too busy (haha ok, let's be honest, lazy) to aspire to any real level of commitment. Even my nearest local course 5 km away with our 8am start time has proven to be too much of a challenge for me so far. For me Parkrun is a holiday opportunity thing, to do something different from my usual local coastal jogs, which I still enjoy very much. The Uk was great because the course was very near where we stayed and started at 9am so it was all much easier for me.

What with one thing and another I have to admit that running has been a very low priority for me over the last three months. I'm thankful that the UK Parkruns gave me an incentive to at least get out some weekends while there, but it was no surprise that today's run was yet another example to me that you either use it or lose it, and I had definitely lost it 😞 . Hey ho let's see if I can get back in the groove and improve. It is fun seeing the variety of runners who get involved in Parkruns. Those storming round determined to set a new course record but missing out by a just a few elusive seconds (better luck next week), the skinny very young boys and girls who bounce along effortlessly like antelopes, all tendon rebound and the all the others out there like me doing their best and it does create a great atmosphere. In amongst the runners there was a genuine talent who set two course age graded records on successive weeks I was there and I would have been interested to see her style but regrettably I was never going to be fast enough to see her or slow enough for her to lap me. Parkrun measure (and publish) your effort against the best theoretical speed for the distance achieved in your age group and sex and express it as a percentage of age group world record times. For instance in the male 65-70 year age group I'm currently achieving a circa 62% score but the person in question achieved a 94% rating in theirs, which is really up there as even the person who finished the course fastest is 'only' rated at ~70% for age/sex. Ok the next bit is a bit creepy; you can click on a person in the parkrun website and view their running history. What is really interesting is this runner had been doing parkruns for some years and typically quickly achieved improvements until they reached a particular time which was good age group rating. Here is the thing, over the next few years she was consistently able to maintain that time and as she entered each new age group her age rating improved to the exceptional one it is now. I find it quite a remarkable and different achievement and a demonstration of the use it or lose it mantra.

I have started a new thread my diatribe might turn out to be a bit long and not Corsa related

What you are feeling is the automatic modulation of braking force by the ABS system feeding back through the brake pedal as it avoids the wheels locking (skidding). Perfectly normal under emergency braking and when experienced then increase pressure on the brake pedal and trust the system. I have only experienced it on an advanced driving course (on purpose) and once on the road where it worked really well and avoided what I thought would be a certain collision.

Really enjoyed ourselves back in Blighty, caught up with family and friends and having not been back for 5 years it was a bit of a reminder that none of us are getting any younger. The decision to visit was taken at short notice and totally unplanned but we managed to do see and do lots of new things I had not experienced when I lived in the UK for the first thirty years of my life. Bird watching on the north Norfolk coast, day trips around the villages and stately houses and gardens of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex; six days on a narrow boat on the canals around Chester (fantastic experience) and apparently I am a natural at driving them, I think due to the fact the heavily laden trollies I push around at work have rear castors. If you are into that sort of thing then I recommend the Wedgewood museum in Stoke on Trent I'd also recommend the real "hidden" treasure of Kenwood House on the Northern edge of Hampstead Heath. It is a beautiful Robert Adams (notable 18th century Scottish Architect) designed mansion with a wonderful art collection (Rembrandt, Van Dyke, Turner, Gainsborough etc) that have to be seen in person to be really appreciated. Funnily enough while the building and collection are great in themselves it is not a good gallery. For instance going from one room to another I noticed a relatively modest portrait mounted awkwardly above the high door and I actually said out loud to myself "Oh you look familiar", the room attendant heard me and said "that's a Van Dyke". Not the best way to view it but entry was free so I could hardly complain. Back now in Adelaide with souvenirs, me with a cold (caught in the last three days the UK) and my wife with Covid caught on the flight back 😞 Lots of other views of what has changed (good and bad) I may put in another post.