Hi,
My 17yr old mini cooper has died and we are expecting our first child in October. After seeking much advice around the internet and assessing all the options I am strongly considering a Skoda Octavia. The car will be used for driving around town [short 2/3 mile runs] through the week, with longer 50-75 mile round trips at the weekends on A + B roads. With some less frequent longer trips throughout the year. It will be our only car so want something reliable, especially after recent garage bills on the MINI. We enjoy camping, and hiking trips and also want scope for maybe a Labrador sized dog in the future. I feel like an Octavia will fulfill all of this. Budget is 11-13k.
My outstanding questions:
1] DSG or manual? There is a DSG for sale which has all of the spec features I would like [full leather, heated seats etc], but I have some question marks about the reliability of the gearbox, and this particular vehicle has 30,000 on the clock. I could compromise the spec features and get a manual with half the mileage. Am I right to be concerned about the gearbox?
2] How to purchase? Skoda approved used warranty seems conditional upon buying through PCP. If i were to do this and settle the finance within the 14 days, would i retain this warranty etc?
3] Online purchase - I have been looking at getting a car home delivered literally to the other side of the country. Would I be able to do this and then have it serviced at the nearest approved garage? As the servicing is also included alongside the warranty.
Apologies if these are silly questions, I have limited experience when it comes to car purchasing. I only spent £3k on my MINI