MattJames

That's a shame to hear as Pano roof is not essential to me, but would be a nice bonus! Out of interest, was it purchased from a Skoda dealer? Would be interesting to hear what the outcome is from your visit - hopefully properly repaired for your sake! @Fudgeasorus i can well imagine the Extremes are like a magnet for kerbs! Funnily enough i test drove a focus with that engine a couple of years ago - agree that it's surprisingly swift. I've promised myself that whatever i get next is having PPF applied to the painted boot lip! is the guard you have a stick on one or does it fold out?

Thanks both for the input. @dunc69 Would definitely try and hammer down the price, another similarly spec'd one without Canton & extra 5k miles on it popped up for £1700 less. With current circumstances, annual mileage will be approx 23-25K. However, we have mulled over the option of moving in the second half of 2018, in which instance my annual mileage would drop by between 10-15K. At that point, petrol becomes very tempting, especially considering potential penalties for non EU6 diesels. @BigEjit pleased to hear about the space! being a very similar height to you means there's only a few people that can slot into the passenger seat behind me at present! I'm feeling more and more convinced by DSG, the things you mention about the box trying to select higher gears i guess would become second nature after time spent with the car?

@SashaGrace it's easily the highest spec I've seen yet for the money without looking at nearly new or over15/16K. Would prefer lower mileage on it, but need to tell myself that i'm not going to find one that's got every option and 10 miles on the clock within budget I remember reading somewhere about the rear suspension, one of the big reasons i wouldn't consider any other spec. I always use Spotify in the car, so SD card isn't really much benefit unfortunately.

@ahenners I assume Sunset glass is different to Privacy/tinted glass? Probably answering my own question, but is its primary function to reduce sun glare? Park assist isn't something i'm fussed about. In my experience of it, it's much more of a gimmick rather than a genuinely time saving bit of tech - although it's a cool party trick, and surprised me once with the size of space a LWB Jag XJ managed to parallel park itself into! @MeteorOcty I'll be coming from 18" 40 profile tyres on the focus, so hopefully it won't be too much of an issue compared to coming from 16". I do love that Meteor colour! Appears very hard to come by on the age cars I've been looking at.

Massive thanks to all that have taken the time to reply Illness means i haven't been able to get out and look at one local this week, but have clocked a couple more online. From what everyone's said, I think the winter pack/heated front screen is a must, especially with the warm up times of diesels. Leather is looking like the way to go, too. Especially with how the cloth seats in the focus have already ended up! Whilst the KESSY system isn't something my car benefits from, working on Jags means i'm very familiar with keyless entry & start systems. It's not something i consider essential, but it would be a very nice bonus to have i think. Colour wise the Candy white, Grey & Black (Unsure of the Skoda naming for the last 2!) are the ones that appeal most, I've been told i'm not allowed the lairy green one! What do people on here running the 19" wheels find the ride is like? 35 profile tyre suggests it may be a tad on the harsh side. Do all available audio systems support bluetooth streaming? Whilst mirrorlink sounds like it would be cool to have, it looks like budget wouldn't quite stretch that far. This one's the main contender at the moment, though i'm not 100% on the colour in combination with the wheels - for whatever reason it just doesn't quite look right in the photos!

Thanks for the replies - appreciate it's a lot of questions (and thanks for going through them!) but obviously want to be able to make the right choice with regards to running another car for 5+ years. Might have to re-think Pano roof - being 6'5" means I might be getting a bit too up close and personal with it! Wasn't aware Nav was an option, that's something to keep an eye out for, thanks. I think i'll be taking a trip out this week to look at a vRS that's listed locally, even if it's just to start building a picture of what i'd want in it, and maybe to get a drive of it. Wouldn't go so far as to say it's a must, sounds like an expensive option if it includes heated rears, imagine it's also quite a rare option too if so. Overall opinion of what i've read online so far is, as you've said, that the Octavia is a very well built & spec'd car for the money. Interesting to hear your experience against a 2017 Focus!

Hi, Looking at getting the following as a new (used) car - 2014/2015 Octavia vRS Estate, 2.0D, DSG. Here go the questions! This would be my first automatic - My background means i've spent a lot of time with Jag 6 & 8 speed ZF boxes with torque converters. They are incredibly reliable boxes, and give a good drive. Any opinions as to how I would find the DSG? I have been advised that having the clutch adaptions on them makes a world of difference. My daily is a 1.6 petrol manual Focus, by the way. Again regarding DSG - how is reliability with the boxes fitted in this model? I'll be doing approx 23K a year, with a 70 mile daily commute of 65% Motorway, 30% single carriageway A-roads. Intention is to run the car for at least 5 years, however mileage may drop drastically in the time as we may make the decision to move closer to my work. What's the 2.0D like in terms of response, esp. mated to DSG? I've driven some low capacity diesels that have a very noticeable lag from stationary/low speed. Engine reliability of the 2.0D that would be fitted to a 2014/2015 Octavia? Assuming servicing is all up to scratch, anything to watch out for? Are there any particular options to be wary of? Likewise, any that you'd thoroughly recommend? Coming from a Ford, heated front screen is something I'd sorely miss! Pano Roofs - any drain/leak issues? There's a particular vRS that's caught my eye with a panoramic roof - dry as a bone or leaks like a sieve? Practicality wise, how do people find them? At present, it'll be used to lug around an 18month old and her associated bits and pieces, but intention is to have a second in a few years. Folded pram fits perfectly horizontal across Focus boot, are Octavia dimensions well thought out? How is it interior wise regarding stowage, and USB/Aux ports? How well have you guys found both cloth and leather seats to wear? Specifically the drivers seat, and any that may have a car seat fitted, as these will be the two getting the most abuse. Feel free to mention anything else you think is worth knowing, or if there's a particular aspect of the car you'd like to sing the praises of. Massive thanks in advance to anyone taking the time to even offer an input on one question - hopefully it'll all be helpful eventually! Matt

Whilst not familiar with the Skoda Approved specifics, in my experience unless a service is due within 3/6 months of the vehicle being inspected or sold, it's generally not carried out. Though with such a vital & costly service component, it's certainly worthy discussing options with the dealer - may be easier said than done though if they've already said it's a chain!

Hi all! To very briefly summarise - i'm sort of in the market for a new (used) car, with an Octavia being one of the top contenders. Current spec I'm looking at is a VRS estate, 2014/2015MY, 2.0D with DSG. Still trying to work out what options would be nice/required/irrelevant. Other top contenders are Focus ST D estate and an older (2012ish) A4. Currently driving around in a 2009 Focus 1.6 Zetec S, 5 years, 83K miles and 1 gearbox worth of ownership means i've become rather fond of it. Granted, it can be a little slower than I'd like, but with summer wheels and tyres on it's tremendous fun to throw around. Family requirements however, combined with a new commute of 70 miles (60-70% Motorway, though i did average 52.3MPG for a couple of days sitting behind lorrys!) means it's time to start having a look elsewhere. I'm a Jaguar diag tech by trade, nearly 8 years worth with a brief 3 month stint at a Bentley/supercar service centre. That does mean this will be my first proper look into VAG cars, assuming there aren't too many parts shared between Octavia & a W12 Continental GT!