B B Burrows esq

You are quite right. Lets us then use this post to highlight the positive side of the mk3 written by the silent minority. Such as the people who are quite chuffed to see the plastic ticket holder is on the right side of the windscreen or the fact that roof grab handles are now dampened (I may be wrong with the handles, but some happy owner can let me know). :-)

I would have kept mine if the timing belt hadnt slipped an taken the engine out!

Excellent keep them coming, hows the sunroof on the hatch, is Rio Red catching on yet, what about the lights on the door handles? Remember no moaning on this post, only positive thoughts..........;-)

I am relatively new to posting on this sight, and am probably going to be slated for posting this. However here goes. I have noticed that in the past few weeks this sight has turned into a moaning forum to debate every tiny snag or annoyance, such as whats that squeek, my windscreen has glare, wipers cost money,etc etc. So whilst I now wait with dread for my vRS to arrive (dont forget it will be probably be delayed, thats another favorite moan isnt it), only to have it catch fire on the way home, I have to ask one question. HAS ANYBODY GOT SOMETHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT THE NEW OCTAVIA? Sorry if this upsets anyone but I can hear the VW Golf owners reading these posts and saying "we told you so".

Hopefully picking up my Rio Red vRS Hatch in a few weeks. I will have a go at posting some photos. But I have seen an Audi TT in virtually the same colour and I think it looks good.

If you go for the blue be prepared to join the herds of blue, white and corrida reds that will soon hit the streets. They seem to be the colours (especially white) that 90% of the posters on this sight have gone for. I have had a yellow mk 1 and a blue mk 2 FL. To be honest I did consider blue again but was disappointed it was available across the models . So I have gone for the other marmite colour Rio red* without even seeing it in real life and only on the configurator. * (yes I know that Rio Red is across the models as well but I don't think it will be a common vRS colour). Here's to every one who have chosen marmites!!!!

Yes. In fact I think they should have stuck with the handful of colours they had on the original vRS. I had a yellow Mk1 vRS , blue Mk2 FL vRS and have now gone for a Rio Red vRS mk3 without a clue of what it looks like (apart from configurator image below) just to stand out from the fleets of blue, white and corrida red that are soon to grace our streets.

I had week 47 and according to my dealers computer (witnessed myself) it is already on the train to the docks.

My vRS TSI Hatch was built yesterday. On the train today, tell the boat to wait a bit!

Thanks Mattsv . I hope I agree with your verdict.

Oh dear! I have a Rio Red hatch on order! The jury is out for now until I see it in the flesh but it looks the same colour as my Chilli Orange Corsa ltd ed which i think looks quite nice with its black roof, wheels and mirrors. I have added black pack and suroof to my vRS so I think it will be a case of deja vu on my drive. It is being built next week so I will post some pictures in a few weeks hopefully (if someone could tell me how to attach images it would be appreciated).

I have one on my Rio Red vRS hatch ordered 3rd Sept. Being built next week (47) allegedly so not long to wait now (fingers crossed). Just in time for the snow!

I've gone for Rio Red but have never seen it on a car or swatch. It will have a black sunroof panel and black pack, so goodness knows what that will look like! But if its anything like Riceys car I will be happy. Being built next week so I will find out soon....

I'm with Juancarr on this! I dropped Canton from my options as the costs were mounting up when I ordered on 3rd Sept. If i discover any of my options are missing there will be hell to pay. Esspecially as i have just tried to get Canton added this week only to be told I am too late as my build date is week 47. Interestly options inc heated sreen on Tsi vrs. Although looking at the august brochure tonight it did actually state not an option on tsi. However the factory has accepted the build as ordered according go my dealer.

I have just looked at the Skoda UK car configurator page and guess what? The heated front screen is back on the options list for vRS TSI...... Discuss.

VRS TSI hatch manual ordered 3rd Sept with a build week of 47. Sunroof Full leather Winter pack (including heated screen) Colour maxi Amundsen Spare wheel Rio Red (whatever that is!) Black pack

I'm in no position to comment as I am currently driving a Roomster diesel, kindly loaned to me by Skoda until my vRS TSI hatch arrives in Dec, and will soon be back to filling up every 5 days as opposed to every 2 weeks at the moment!

It all boils down to whether or not you wear a flat cap and have a tartan rug on the rear shelf surely? ;-)

Hi all. Just to add to this list here is my tale relating to an engine failure on my 59 plate TSI vRS. Stick with it its a bit of a drawn out yarn.... 1. Sept 3rd ordered new vRS TSI hatch with Griffin Mill Pontypridd after receiving a great deal that no one in South Wales could come anywhere close to matching. 2. Sept 15th I started my 59 plate vRS that I had just put in as part exchange, and it showed signs of a coil failure (I had experience 3 coil failures on my Mk1 vRS). Not wanting the engine management light to come on I switched off and ordered a new coil. No problem to change 5 minute job? 3. Coil arrives and after the usual chase the faulty coil game, the engine was still misfiring. 4. Thinking it could be something other than a coil, I called out a Cardiff based mobile diagnostic mechanic 'mobi tech' that I found on google. Who turned up and after clearing the fault codes on the car started the engine and checked the codes again. 5. THIS IS WHERE THE STORY STARTS..... 6. This mechanic (I use the term loosely) declared that there where no 'electrical faults' being indicated. He confidently announced that he had come across similar problem and that I had a blocked catalytic converter. 7. Thinking he knew what he was talking about I asked him to price up a new cat. This he did after much prompting over several days and informed me it was a dealer only part which would cost £690 plus vat. 8. Bearing in mind the car was 10 months out of warranty but only had 52000 miles on the clock I decided to call Skoda UK customer services to enquire if they thought it was reasonable for the cat to fail at such a low mileage. To be honest they were very receptive to my call and opened a case. However they said that before they could assist it would have to be assessed by Skoda mechanics, which is fair enough. 9 .I had the car recovered to Griffin Mill and they managed to slot it into their schedule as soon as they could. They gave me the good news that it wasn't a catalytic converter but was a timing issue, but needed to do some more strip of the engine to find exact fault. Skoda UK were in regular touch as well as the garage telling me not to worry it would be sorted out. At this point I am thinking the worse and envisaging having to cancel my new car just to pay for repairs. 10. Griffin Mill service manager Paul rang me with the final verdict on the fault and informed me that the timing chain had slipped and taken out the crankshaft, valves and most of the engine would need replacing. 11. Asking how much it would cost to repair. He stated (and I was glad I was sitting down) it was £6000.. It was at this point that I had visions of having to cancel my brand new vRS beginning to pass before my eyes. 12. However before I topped myself, Paul informed me not to worry and that he was going to approach Skoda to pay the whole cost. He was pretty confident as they could see I was a loyal customer, with two new vRS's bought and serviced by Skoda over the last 9 years and with another on order. I was amazed by this and to be honest I couldn't believe it. True to his word he submitted a warranty priced claim into the Skoda factory and to Skoda UK for £4300. 13. Skoda agreed to pay 90% of the cost leaving me just £430 to pay. 14. I also explained to Skoda UK and the dealer that I had lost faith in the car and did not want it back. They were very sympathetic to this and agreed that I could put it in as the part exchange early at the agreed price before it was repaired, which I have done. 15. But it doesn't stop there. Even though Skoda UK couldn't loan me a car, the service team at Griffin Mill once again pulled out all the stops had have given me a brand new Roomster scout to use until my new one arrives, which will probably be January (it has a build date of week 47). 16. So from going from a £700 catalytic converter to a £6000 engine change to only a £430 bill. I consider myself to have got off lightly with this catastrophic engine failure I hope you manage to stay with this story to the end. Let me leave you with a few thoughts. 1. It pays to ring Skoda UK even if the car is out of warranty, the chap handling the case (Ian) was very helpful and reassuring. 2. I cannot fault the service and sales team at Griffin Mill. I would recommend them to anyone. 3. I cant help thinking that the VW group know there is an issue with these timing chains, but rather than recall tens of thousands of cars, it is cheaper to pay once the chain fails and only if people claim. However I wonder how may people actually do claim against VW when this happens, I suspect they just pay the bill and never buy a VW car again. Roll on January!!!

This is the one I bought. I will try to add a clip but don't hold your breath. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300886059476?redirect=mobile

Hi all. I too have a TSI hatch on ordered 3rd Sept with a quoted build of week 47. There is a similar thread on this site regarding TSI not being able to have heated screen. Anyway to cut a long story short after reading that thread I contacted my dealer to check and they have confirmed it is being built with full winter pack. Proof of the pudding will be when it turns up though! I notice however that it is no longer an option on the online configurator. I think it is more to do supply problems rather than restrictions due to engine type.

I had an Octavia SE hire with the Bolero DAB radio about 5 weeks ago and that picked it up in the area between Bristol and Anglesey no problem. Then for most of the way home to Cardiff through darkest mid Wales with a few drop outs in the valleys of Powys.

I have started using a dash cam I picked up from eBay for £16 slimline with folding screen It's great for the money with good quality pictures, date stamp and easy to use. Not sure of the make although it's obviously Chinese. I use it to capture the idiots on my commute from Cardiff to Bristol along the M4. I note the comment about heated screens I will have to check when my new vrs TSI with heated screen turns up in Dec.

I have ordered a Rio Red vRS hatch due in Dec. Not sure if I like it now I see colour on actual car! Maybe it will look different with black pack, black sunroof panel and blackish wheels. Time will tell.