BLZeebub

I already run a diesel and it's got 190,000 on the clock so i'm fully aware of their benefits - i've been running diesels for many years. My cynical side sees the new MOT regs, alongside dieselgate and all the doomsayers jumping on the bandwagon of bashing the evil oilburners, on top of the Low Emission Zones popping up and being planned seem to indicate a trend to reduce the number on the road. MOT's already have a number of areas left to the inspector's eye and i know of a number of commercial and private users that have had failures due to the inspector's interpretational eye. I have no issue with a fail for something that should fail but when it is down to something such as visible smoke then, as you rightly mentioned, why is it only a diesel and not any vehicle. Why do the emission regulations on the test need to be stricter? If i have a Euro* compliant motor then that has an emission limit that it should adhere to and that is what it should be tested to. Also, there is only one way any further changes will go and that is even stricter. The ULEZ in London is Euro 6 before you pay so with Euro 7 due in the next few years it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect the UULEZ in force a few years after that and once people accept the idea it's easier to implement elsewhere. As for getting a discount, my current experience with Skoda dealers has me wondering if they need to sell anything as they haven't been very willing! Of course, as i'm not interested in finance of any sort and can actually afford to buy a car i'm not regarded as a good sell...Maybe the new MOT regs will change that... B->

I did read the full story, hence saying it was taken from the article, and i agree that there is a lot of hype. However, i think that particular snippet highlights two things: Firstly, that emission tests will become stricter and i suspect it is the first stage in tightening up even more in the future. Secondly, can you guarantee that a fully functional DPF won't still emit any 'smoke' at all? If the 'smoke' test is visual then at the very least i can see some enterprising MOT stations finding some DPF work to do. If it was purely on the actual emissions then it wouldn't bring out my cynical side so much. I was looking at a diesel vRS as at around 12000 miles a year it still seems to work out cheaper than petrol for me and as i a cash buyer i was planning to keep the car for some time. Now i am seriously wondering if that is going to end up a mistake if in 5-10yrs the car is effectively legislated off the road or made next-to-worthless. Personally i think it's ridiculous but i'm not in charge of making up stupid rules! B-)

Taken from the Autoexpress article: Emissions testing will also get tougher, with changes that will, according to a Government blog on the subject: “lower the limits for diesel cars”. The draft MoT inspection manual for May’s changes explains that if the “exhaust on a vehicle fitted with a diesel particulate filter emits visible smoke of any colour” the car should be marked as having a Major defect, and fail its test.

I was quoted £500 by Broadspeed on a vRS 4x4 hatchback.

I live near Ashford so ill probably get a Scottish dealer! Apparently they deliver the car but as it's a cash price it's not the normal Broadspeed deal so they act as the buyer and seller although i'm the registered and first keeper they state. It requires a £1500 deposit and the balance 2 days before delivery so i'm trying to see if anyone else has had the same process through them. As it's about £1800 cheaper than the best offer elsewhere (Carwow), it's a fair chunk of change to save. It's a bit of a con that all the best deals are finance but i can see why. Unfortunately, i'm recently self employed so they wont touch me despite the fact i have the cash! Cheers Nat B->

Morning All, Has anyone used Broadspeed for their new car recently? I have been looking for a vRS 4x4x Htachback with a few extras and new seems to be the only option. Broadspeed appear to be a good £1500 cheaper than Carwow and i tried my two local delaers to beat them down with the cheapest Carwow price and they weren't interested! Cheers Nat

Morning All, I'm looking at getting a nearly new vRS 4x4 and DCC is on the option list. How useful do people find it? Anything to be wary of? Cheers Nat

Morning All, SWMBO has a Kia Rio and that has 2 ciggy sockets plus a USB in the front which is very useful when we both need to charge phones! Does the Octy just have the 1 ciggy socket at the front and the one in the boot? Also does the UK spec have the mains socket? Cheers Nat B->

Interesting suggestion on the ST penguin. I had discounted the ST as i not an estate fan and do like the look of the Octy - plus the 4x4 is only on the vRS i believe. I suspect i'll end up making some compromises somewhere as i'll be going down the used route and whilst i have a spec list in mind, it's doubtful i'll get all i'm looking for. There's a lot of used vRS' on the Skoda site but none seem to be 4x4's. Also, i'm quite surprised at how well they seem to be holding their value. Any Kent area owners with advice on sales & service from main dealers and independents? B-)

Morning All, I'm looking at replacing my ageing 406 2.2Hdi and a vRS oil burner keeps calling to me. The last time i went looking for a car i managed to find sites for both Ford and Peugeot that listed the spec for individual models based on the reg number or VIN. Is there anything like that for the vRS, as the base spec seems to vary with the MY and the packs plus the optional extras and i'm not so sure the listing on Autotrader etc are always correct. I do about a 15 mile commute on mostly A/B roads with light traffic that takes around 25m each way so im guessing the DPF shouldn't struggle too much (it curiously went missing on the 406...). At a push, i could let SWMBO take it on a 120 mile round trip commute to Heathrow once in a while! On a related note, is there anything (apart from the potential rear end noise, that i should look out for on the 4x4 version? I had originally discounted the DSG as i've always been wary of auto boxes but reading up seems to suggest they have moved on a hell of a lot and then the current weather got me thinking of the 4x4. Finally, what are the extras you really wish you had or make the most use of? Many thanks in advance! Cheers Nat

Morning All, I'm looking the mk3 vRS and have a few queries. I currently own an old '53 Peugeot 406 2.2HDi which has misplaced it's DPF and had a modest ECU flash. It's fast heading towards 190,000 miles and a bit rough around the edges. My daily commute is 16 miles each way on mostly national A/B roads with a bit of town either end but i tend to do early starts to avoid sitting in traffic. The pug gets a average 47mpg and has been bloody brilliant. Now, i know the early DPF's we're a nightmare with all sorts of horror stories - especially on Mazda 6's that had a habit of being unable to turn off until the engine self detonated IIRC! Has anything changed or a DPF's still a PITA unless you do regular long runs? I've looked at real mpg figures on Honest John and i can't find any petrol's that will get in the ball park of running costs and have that extra bit of performance that the 180 diesel does. I did originally look at the Seat Leon's with the same engine as they offer more model choice with the 180 diesel engine but the extra boot space has the practical side of my brain saying 'Octy'. Cheers in advance for any advice. Nat B->

Morning, Just a quick hello as i've just joined. Now to ask the questions! Cheers Nat B->