whippersnapper

I was feeling a bit tired after a Coastguard volunteer duty this weekend so I decided to drive the RS to the motorcycle meetup for lunch rather than ride the motorcycle. I took my own route but included some of the twisty roads I like riding on and boy the RS is still a very fine drivers car given how otherwise practical it is. In Sport mode with ESC sport selected it was fabulous and the combination of strong torque, VAQ diff and that revvy 4.5 engine tune made for swift entertaining progress but never at a speed that was getting ridiculous or anti social. I do think that, probably because the car is relatively light, 265hp seems about right for the road. Punchy enough to feel brisk but not so fast that you end up at license loosing speeds in seconds or with performance you can never access. The ESC sport just helps quell understeer and even allows a bit of rotation which you can settle instantly by applying throttle. Very satisfying. Put back into comfort mode on the motorway back home and turn the stereo on I was all smiles. What a great, great car.

I would assume so, you can do this in the settings on the Octavia

Weird I find the seats extremely comfortable but have the suedia ones

Yes it’s true. The facelift removed the actuator (there are no fake sounds) and added a sports exhaust which sounds quite good for a stock system (bearing in mind EA888s don’t really ever sound very good). There is a subtle pop on the overrun in sports mode

Can you clarify? 1) Is this what was once only in the RS3 and Golf R 2) If it's not now in the facelift S3, performance Cupra Formentor and Sports Tourer models what is? Because they certainly claim a torque splitting rear differential. 3) Who is "us" ?

Maybe we are talking about different things? I’m talking about the torque splitter rear diff first seen on the GolfR and RS3. In the recent facelift this is is fitted to the S3 ad various Formentors snd Leon Sport tourers

In the facelift the rs3 and golf r only diff was added to a bunch of other models

couldn't agree more. My car mostly burbles around the burbs. Only occasionally does it get used in any anger and then in Sport mode with ESC in Sport mode it is a fun, brisk sporting car. I would't want anything quicker and most things more capable on a back road would be noticeably worse as a car to drive around town in ancient fit stuff into the back of it.

Not sure what you are referring to but RS3, S3, Formentor VZ / VZ5, Leon Sporttourer and Golf R hav the same rear diff

I certainly didn’t buy it for standing starts. I’ve used the launch control once just to try it out. It is a surprisingly brisk car once rolling though. And that was the point I was making the Superb is in the low to mid 5s for the standing start but the Octavia is faster once rolling so it isn’t that bad. Helped by being relatively light for a modern car and wihout all the driveline losses. Just goes to show how little stats on a piece of paper can mean at times. The problem I have on my motorcycles is just how damn quick they are to the point where you can hardly even enjoy them in a sporting manner on the road. The Octavia you can drive hardish without being at warp speed in an instant.

We still have a Polo GTI with this engine. It has had a lot of work over the years.

True but the Superb is heavier and not anywhere as sporty. The current Superb has the same engine as the RS and apart from the 0-100km/h sprint is slower than the Octavia. In the end a different kind of vehicle.

You should drive a more modern 2WD with the VAQ diff which obviously helps. I came from a Subaru so had a direct 4WD to FWD switch. I do think the Skoda would be awesome with the GolfR power train but it’s pretty good for most things except a wet standing start.

As I’m sure you know these engines are not very good and prone to many faults, many of which can cause a rough idle. It might be carbon build up or could be PCV issues, leaky injectors, vacuum leak etc..

I wish they’d provide my preferred facelift which is 4WD with the golf R engine or preferably the RS3 engine a la the Formentor

Interesting they’d do this so soon after the 4.5. Maybe just the new front and rear look (I’d have to see it to see if it’s better than current) and switch to the new android automotive infotainment inside.

A quick google confirms your car has dmf and with that very high mileage and symptoms likely that is the issue.

Don’t know about your particular model but in general on a modern RS different modes will affect gearbox and throttle tuning, steering weight and chassis damping if you have DCC. Beyond that it also effects ACC, matrix LEDs and ability to coast when in ECO mode

The new exhaust is one of the best things about the 4 to 4.5 transition along with the top end pull when you rev it out.

100% be suspicious of the battery

I’d get a 4.5 if you are going to change. The infotainment is much better than the 4 and the 265hp engine has a top end zing the mark 4 doesn’t have. Also the wheels are nicer (with the eco covers removed) in my opinion.

Yep, gave me a hell of a fright the first time it happened. Thought I’d hit something 😂

The implications are a smaller bill

Annual oil change is important in any vehicle for obvious reasons. It’s probably overdue a DCT oil change too if I recall correctly. Not doing it is going to accelerate wear and tear. It’s also a hint about the kind of owner who had it. Since it’s not as if you can’t buy another Octavia I’d steer clear of this one for that reason alone and look at one that has been better looked after.

Most of the tech issues with the 4 don’t apply to the 4.5 you should be fine. You do have a low visibility mode built into the headlight in lieu of fog lights. Many manufacturers claim that modern LED technology removes the need for seperate fog lights. Why would you want high beam in fog?