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I seem to recall bike tax being noticeably cheaper than car tax a few (okay 30) years ago. Can't be sure of that, though.

Huh! That's pretty clever. Thanks.

I can't disagree with you as I really don't know. It would be nice to have XDS+, assuming it's better than XDS, but whatever it is I have seems to work well.

This is exactly what came to pass.

I came off my last motorbike over 30 years ago and realised biking was just not my thing. I loved it, but everyone comes off, sooner or later, and I found the road very unforgiving. Ironically, I subsequently buggered-up my shoulder coming off a push-bike. I suppose I'm just not safe on 2 wheels.

This is one of the reasons I chose my less appealing SE L over the vRS, the reluctance to have to deal with the unwanted attention. Pardon my ignorance, but what is a "Ghost"? I've had a search on here and couldn't find a relevant reference.

I wouldn't go that far, but these days, driving at illegal speed for a sustained period of time is likely to end badly, one way or another. Presumably the death-toll on unlimited German roads must be horrific, because speed kills, amiright?

Bearing in mind WayTooTall's loss, are there any recommendations for boosting Octavia vehicle security? It seems like a tough task to prevent vehicles being stolen when the thieves are able to steal the keys and simply drive them away.

As loathe as I am to admit it, I'm probably a bit too much of an old wuss to be blatting my car down a motorway flat out these days. Not so much from fear of the physical danger of it (though I recognise that), but more from the increasing chance of getting done for it.

Let us know how you get on, I could do with a pair of switched USB ports myself, I just never found not having them quite enough of a problem to do anything about it.

As I'm in a playful mood, I'll draw your attention to the admittedly less than watertight caveat "basically" in my post. "Headlamp washers basically mean the car was fitted with bright dipped-beam headlamps which need cleaning to ensure other road users aren't dazzled."

Yes, that might well work, depending on the current capabilities of the USB socket, which I assume are 2.4 amps, and is a lot neater and less dodgy solution than my powered hub. Though you never know when a powered smart hub might come in handy. (Don't ask me what for.)

I don't know if this would work, but.... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RK3S4KF/?coliid=I6FEJMCLAWAIN This might work as a powered hub plugged into the switchable USB port and powered by the always-on 12v socket. The risks is finding out the USB ports are always powered, but are stupid, or the unit having a high load drain even when the ports are "stupid", i.e. just power outlets. A separate 12v socket to whatever socket is on the hub is needed, but doubtless could be sourced, made. But it's a bit of a "maybe this'll work" solution. But as an idea, it's a little bit of genius, even if it doesn't work. Edit: Thinking about it, a USB port that is smart when the ignition is on, allowing data comms, and dumb when the ignition is off, allowing phone charging might be useful. Might.

I use my front console USB socket to power my dash camera, and it is switchable from the ignition, though the main 12v socket is always-on. It's a nuisance, as that USB socket is the one required for Android Auto on my car I have a Ring 12v socket adaptor that gives two extra 12v sockets, 2 USB sockets and supposedly has low voltage protection, but I found it killed my (albeit elderly) car battery one year, so I always assumed the protection was junk after that. I'd like a switchable 12v socket option, so I can have the 12v socket always on or ignition controlled, as my needs dictate. So given that your USB isn't switched, I'm now wondering if my socket has been modified.

You sure it was an option? At one time, the headlamp washers came with the Elegance trim level. (From 2013 brochure, effective Aug 2013) EDIT: It looks like this was a standard fitting despite Xenons not being standard.

This is probably useful information. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:42011X1206(03) Headlamp washers basically mean the car was fitted with bright dipped-beam headlamps which need cleaning to ensure other road users aren't dazzled. I test-drove the 150BHP diesel and found it a bit dull. The 184 TDI engine is much nicer, IMO. Additionally, while I don't think it will be an issue for you given you seem to be looking at the 2.0L engines, but smaller engined cars get the torsion beam rear suspension set-up, whereas the larger engined more powerful vehicles get the fancier independent rear suspension set-up. (Not sure which set-up the 1.5 150 PS vehicles get.) The 190 TSI petrol is also a delight (which is why I bought one) and surprisingly good for economy. The DSG automatic is excellent and intuitive, once you get your head around it. The only slight grumble I have is that it can be a bit slow to downshift when going uphills, as it doesn't detect the hill early enough, so the car slows a little and then downshifts. Not an issue when using cruise, and may also be driver error not using the throttle correctly to tell the car to downshift in a timely manner. When I first test drove a DSG-equipped car, I didn't like it for exactly this reason, and decided I wanted a manual instead. However 190 TSI engine wasn't available with a manual gearbox so I ended up with the DSG and quickly grew to love it. Gearbox choice is a personal preference, but I understand how it is easy to dismiss the DSG as it doesn't behave in a way you are used to. I'm now happy with either manual or DSG, but I recall the time when I rejected DSG out of hand, which I now realise was due to lack of familiarity. (I also think the Skoda dealer sat with me during the test drive could have been more helpful. Suggesting trying approaching the same hill again and using the paddles to shift down when I felt it appropriate when approaching the hill, would have been helpful. Instead I got what seems to be the standard very neutral non-committal comments about trying a manual vehicle, instead of taking the opportunity to offer a little instruction. Maybe offering advice like that has been banned as it might raise accusations of "mansplaining".) The DSG does give a good amount of driver control and isn't simply the two-pedal switch off brain and press either "go" or "slow" option you might think it is. Selecting sport mode is quick and simple, and dramatically changes the way the car responds to the throttle and how it chooses gears. When descending a steep hill, flicking over to manual control allows you to use the engine & gearbox to stop the car accelerating downhill. The good news it, whatever you buy, I don't think there is a "bad" Octavia or Superb, (though there may be bad examples). So if you buy a good example, whatever you end up choosing with is more than likely to please you.

Back from Wales, where after a rainy Start on Sunday and a little on Monday, we've been baked. I took a thermometer down with me, and peak temperature in the tent was 42.4 degrees C, which meant we had to stay out of there until the temp dropped, and so spent plenty of time trying to dodge Cleg flies, or the "Biting B**tards" as I came to call them. The driving was great, as the weather meant the roads and tyres were warm and grip wasn't any kind of an issue. All my concerns over the way my Octavia would drive were laid to rest. It performed excellently. While it's not quite as involving to drive as my old Mondeo, (or my friend's Focus, which I also drove over the holiday), it does go round corners better (i.e. more quickly in a safe manner), with very neutral handling and far more grip than I was willing to try and test. When I say it's not quite as involving to drive, I mean I don't get the same sense of exactly what is going on between the wheels and the road surface as I do with the Fords, but the fact is it gets me round corners safely and more quickly than I am prepared to drive, and if the XDS kicked in, it did so unobtrusively and it just felt like the car was going round the corner as I would like. So that's that settled for me. Performance wise, the 190PS engine is great. My friend wondered if it has engine noise piped into the cabin. As far as I know it doesn't, but it does have a very pleasing engine note when pushed. Certainly overtaking was quick and safe. Best of all, my journey down to Wales (in the rain) returned 51.1 MPG, which I was pleasantly surprised with. Interestingly, though I drove pretty briskly back home, the car still returned just over 45mpg, which was very good as far as I'm concerned, given the circumstances. (No screen shot for the return trip, though. I was knackered and forgot.) (Edit: This might be a slight factor in economy so I'll mention it, I'm running on 97 octane fuel.) Post script. On the return home, I noticed an Audi A1 behind me approach and pass me. I followed the A1 for a while and increased speed out of curiosity to keep up with the A1 and see how fast it was going. It turned out it was belting along happily at a little over 100MPH, not a speed I am happy to be driving along even very quiet motorways at, and so I dropped back down to a sensible speed, and the A1 pulled away and disappeared. I noticed the A1 was the small-engined "30" engined variety with the 999cc engine, and at the time, I assumed it was pretty much flat out. When I checked it later, I was reminded that even small engined cars are now really very quick, and the claimed top speed for the A1 Sportback 30 TFSI is comfortably over 120MPH. I still find it mind-boggling that so small an engine can achieve such performance. (Engine longevity may be another issue, though. )

I wasted a couple of hours waiting at the garage for my car to have the work done, which limits the opportunity for them joy-riding my car. I'd be onto Poland's equivalent of Trading Standards for advice, in your case.

I wonder if this could be a surface tension issue, and opening the door breaks the surface tension, allowing the water to drain?

Thanks for that! I'll see how I get on. According to my Vin decode info, I have code 1Y3 - Differential lock: Electronic differential lock XDS, dynamic traction support. I have no idea if that is XDS or XDS+. My gut tells me that XDS+ might me a 4x4 feature, but that really is just a gut feeling. If there are any Mk3 Octavia FL vRS owners with a vin decode of their vehicle reading this, do you have the same "1Y3" XDS code, or another code? (I'm assuming the 4x4 Octavias will have a modified XDS system to give a read LSD effect.)

So steer less, and maintain throttle?

Thatnks for the heads-up on that. I'd normally expect progressive understeer, controllable by lifting off the throttle. Presumably with XDS, you just keep the throttle steady and point the steering where you want to go?

I think my use of the term "driving at the limit" was possibly misleading, and triggered a few folks. I will be perfectly content if the Octavia's ability far exceeds my own, quite modest ability. Perhaps I should have said "driving at my limit", which I think is more accurate. I'll be on very familiar roads, but in a relatively unfamiliar car and tyres, so I've got a bit of a learning curve. I'm also quite uncertain about all the electronic driving aids, but hopefully they'll just do their thing and I won't notice them working.

No insult taken, @VWD, but I do think the spirit and intent of my original post has been misinterpreted. Let me rephrase my post, but in bullet points. -1 I'm really looking forward to my holiday. -2 Many Welsh roads are great to drive on, and will let me explore the performance of my car, which I have spent the last year pottering around town in. -3 After 10 years with my old car, I knew it's handling characteristics intimately. I had no driver aids other than ABS on that car, so driving my new car at speed with a lot of electronic assistance will be a new experience, and I'm cautious about it. -4 Some of the B-roads roads in Wales are ridiculously narrow, with steep banks and passing places, meaning scratching the sides of my car on roadside bushes is a possibility. I don't like scratches on my car. -5 All those lovely roads in Wales may make me buying regret my sensible SE L and make me wish I had bought a vRS instead. -6 Even though my car is "sensible", it still has a top speed far in excess of that I will feel comfortable reaching. I remember when cars had more modest top speeds. That was all I was saying. Hope this clarification helps whoever needed it. No matter what I write, it seems there are always some people who seem determined to view my post through the least charitable lens. I do wonder where the "Won't somebody think of the children!" club are, when people are discussing getting 300 or 400+BHP out of their Octavias. Presumably nobody ever drives a tuned Octavia enthusiastically on the roads, those are all track cars? Still, if the virtue-signalling community wants to focus their opprobrium on me, if it means they're leaving someone else alone, I can put up with that.

If the tyres are run in, then I'm looking at a fitting issue. I assume you've checked the wheels are all on tight, and there are no loose wheel nuts? Somewhat out of the box thinking here, but is it conceivable that too much lubricant was used fitting the tyres and the the wheel is slipping within the tyre? Running with that idea, when tyre pressure were increased, that might make the tyre grip the rim a little better and explain the improved driving characteristics. I accept, this theory is unlikely, I'm just tossing it in here. The symptoms are pretty bizarre, and it's hard to tell in your video exactly what's going on.