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You could not get full leather as an option on the Scout. But you could get electric and heated seats in cloth. I would have liked leather as the cloth seems to stain quite easily - especially with kids!! Good luck with the search.

I bought mine a year ago after nearly 2 years of looking as I wanted a 1.8tsi with Xenons and side airbags. (It was an ex Skoda press car and has appeared in a lot of the motoring press, including this little video clip http://www.nicarfind...a/Octavia/2327/ .) It has a very nice spec: * Xenons * Curtain airbags * Maxidot * Silver roof rails * Spare wheel * Detachable tow hook * 1.8 tsi engine Positive: * Engine is very quiet and refined and has a surprising amount of grunt with potential for more with a Shark remap. Averages around 31mpg. I have seen it as high as 37 and low as 25mpg. But it is not driven very gently on long runs and has a lot of very short journeys. But I don't have to worry about DPFs or a cam-belt chain. But is does drink a bit of oil!! * Ride is great, soaks up pot holes without a murmur. * It is a very easy car to drive. * Great vision out of the car * It grips! With winter tyres unstoppable. The Haldex 4 seems to be as good as my old A4 quattro. * Very comfortable - no aches and pains after driving the car non stop for over 3.5 hours. * It has masses amount of space - boot is huge and a great shape. * Storage everywhere. * I can sit behind the drivers seat when it is set for me (6'2") and my knees don't touch the seat in front. * Toys for days. Maxidot is great. It has puddle lights. All interior and puddle lights are now LEDs. * Everything feels light - steering, gear change, clutch. * It looks great and has a real road presence. The neighbours came over to have a look and the general conclusion was it had a passing resemblance to the A6 Allroad and that it looks an expensive car. * Xenons are great. Make quite a difference to night driving. * Everything feels nice to the touch. Not quite as solid as my old A4 but not far off the newer A3 / A4 which are not, in my opinion, as solid as my old A4. * Clip for parking tickets on the windscreen. * Aircon works way better than my A4, which never worked as I expected. The not so positive - but very minor: * The dashboard had a passenger side squeak / rattle which took sometime to hunt down - but now fixed. * It seems to have rattle or more of "loose" sound somewhere in the back * There is a bit of road noise. But this could be down to the tyres needing to be replaced soon. * The alloys were badly delaminated but have been reprinted in silver - not diamond cut this time. Can't really tell the different as the paint is a little metallic so when clean they look great. Overall: Highly recommended. It is the car that does just about everything. With the 1.8tsi it also has a little sporty side to its character and is great for a quick blast around the country lanes. A remap would make it very interesting!! I hope some of the above helps. James

Mine on. 7j 16" VAG steels, sprayed silver with Caddy centres with black and silver Skoda logos inserted. All wrapped by Goodyear UltraGrip 8s.

My winter wheels sprayed silver with Caddy trims (filled to get rid of Volkswagen written around the edge) then a dirty great big hole drilled in them and a Skoda wheel centre logo pushed in. Just had 3 layers of lacquer done - see how long they last. Now have to put them on the Scout.

My squeak was through plastic rubbing against plastic as well as plastic rubbing against the steel supports. So not matter who hard I tighten or loosened some of the Torx screws the squeak came back. So once you take the end off the passenger side of the dash you will see the silver torx screw at the top angled slightly towards you. Take this out then you need to gently leaver the plastic lug away from the steel support behind it and insert a thin bit of cardboard (cereal packet is ideal) making sure the card is wide enough to cover the area of possible friction between the plastic and steel. Then you will need to pierce a hole in the card so that you can screw the Torx back in. Before I put the Torx screw in I made a cardboard washer to go between the steel washer and the plastic just in case. Then tighten Torx. The next area of friction seems to be at the bottom of the dash near the A pillar where external end of the dash sits (not the bit you have taken off to get inside but the actual outer dash moulding) against the seperate internal plastic structure part of the dash. Here I just inserted a piece of card between the two, make sure it is fairly long and tall to again ensure that it not only separates the 2 pieces of plastic but also covers the possible friction points. There is also a Torx screw on the outside, on the underside, of the dash near the bottom that might need tightening (mine was loose) - you can see it when from inside the dash. Then go for drive with the end still off and it should be quiet - hopefully. The put the end back on and see if this might also be rubbing, mine was not. Of course I will have to see what happens when it gets really hot and things expand! But so far quiet and our roads here are rough and pot holed! Hope this helps.

Hi Wardy, Thank you for the information. I will have to make some enquiries - and see how much it might cost. Now I will see if I can find a muddy field! But then I have just polished up my twin stainless exhaust pipes - a shame to get them dirty so soon! My cardboard washers have also stopped the dash board from squeaking - peace at last!

As far as I can see the wheels would have to come off anyway as they have delaminated right up to and probably past the bead of the tyre. It would need to be done properly and stripped back to bare ally - and maybe it would last a bit longer. I would hope it could all be done in a day - its a long walk back from Coventry!

Hi Wardy, I am based just North of Worcester and about 20 miles from Birmingham. I am assuming that the wheels would have to be refurbished by someone who is capable of using the diamond cut process - with the wheels off the car. They are really quite scruffy, the lacquer has actually fallen off in places. I must admit I am really quite impressed with the 1.8tsi engine, it is quite a cracker of an engine. Smooth, quiet and once you hit around 3,000rpm it really starts to fly. It is quite strange having an engine that does do not stop revving past 4,500rpm - having mostly driven diesels for the past 20 years! I am hoping that I have stopped the dash board squeak by taking the end off the passenger side of the dash and inserting strips of thin cardboard between the plastic and steal bracket at the top of the dash where the top torx bolt goes and then at the bottom of the dash where there is plastic against plastic. But only time will let!

This was actually the second time I had seen it advertised. The first time was about a year ago, at Vindis Skoda, but I was a little slow and it went before I could see it. This time it popped up at a classic car dealer (!) on Ebay at a great price, and thanks to Ebay notification I put a deposit down within 20 minutes of it appearing. A bit of a gamble as I had not seen it - only on the video clip! But it turned out to be a lovely car with 36,000 miles, full Skoda service history (serviced in Jan, full MOT and had a LifeShine done 11 months ago) and I am now its third owner. It is quite nice to own a little bit of Skoda history - however minor it maybe. As I said previously I have been looking for a Scout for sometime, but the 1.8 tsi are not too common especially with a nice spec. I had seen a Scout two weeks previously, which was a year younger with full leather and Maxidot, but it was a shed. It had done 65,000 miles, and had actually been used as a skip (the boot floor was going rusty - it was filthy, with old wall tiles in the spare wheel well) and had attacked both a Renault Clio and a stone wall. Also a rear speaker grill had been smashed - a new leather trimmed door panel from Skoda........£470! And it required 4 new tyres, full major service, new external trim bits and valet. This was similar money to the one I have just bought! I have only been out in it for a couple of little trips today, but I really do like it. A much more rounded family car than the A4. The only thing that I will miss from the Audi is the grunt from the V6 and the incredible way it would go around corners with zero drama at some interesting speeds. I will keep you informed on the how successful I am at finding someone who can recreate the Polished Proteus look. But first I will save up a few pennies to pay for them! Regarding its off road capability this lot seem to like chucking their Scouts through a bit of water and it seems to cope quite well!

I have finally today, after nearly 2 years of looking, bought a Scout. (It seems to be an ex Skoda press car and has appeared in a lot of the motoring press, including this little video clip http://www.nicarfind...a/Octavia/2327/ .) It has a very nice spec: Xenons Curtain airbags Maxidot Silver roof rails Spare wheel Detachable tow hook 1.8 tsi engine After a 75 mile drive home from the garage here are my initial impressions compared to my just departed Audi A4 Avant 2.5 tdi quattro Sport (2003 B6). Positive: Engine is very quiet and refined and has a surprising amount of grunt (obviously not as much as the Audi but enough, with potential for more!) Ride is great, soaks up pot holes without a murmur. Its a revelation compared to the Audi which I don't think had the suspension option ticked and tried to shatter your spin at every opportunity! It is a very easy car to drive. Great vision out of the car It grips! Very comfortable - no aches and pains after nearly a 2 hour drive home on motorways, A and B roads. It has masses amount of space - boot is huge and a great shape. The A4 was very narrow and an odd shape - push chair took up the whole of the boot as it never seem to fit width ways or long ways. Storage everywhere. I can sit behind the drivers seat when it is set for me (6'2") and my knees don't touch the seat in front. The B6/B7 A4s are very cramped in the back. Toys for days. Maxidot is great. It even has puddle lights - did not know they had them on the Scout. Everything feels light - steering, gear change, clutch. The Audi everything was very firm / heavy. It looks great and has a definite presence. The neighbours came over to have a look and the general conclusion was it had a passing resemblance to the A6 Allroad and that is looks an expensive car. Xenons are great - went out for a short drive to test them out. Everything feels nice to the touch. Not quite as solid as my old A4 but not far off the newer A3 / A4 which are not, in my opinion, as solid as my old A4. Clip for parking tickets on the windscreen (I missed this, my old Xantia had one the Audi didn't). Aircon works way better than my A4, which never worked as I expected. It had been back to Audi three times as I was not happy with it. It clunked all the time resetting all the internal flaps and sounded like a fresh air vent - the faster you went the more air it pushed into the cabin! The not so positive: The dashboard has the passenger side squeak / rattle. (The A4 had a no rattles anywhere from the interior) It seems to have rattle or more of "loose" sound somewhere in the back The road noise is quite loud. It seems to be coming from the back / boot. I don't know whether this is because there is very little in the way of sound proofing in the boot or under the rear seats or whether it is just generally a "loud" car. (The tyres on it are half worn Michelin Primacy HPs (nice surprise) and there does not seem to be any wear on inner edge of the tyre. I don't believe that these are known for being too loud?). The alloys have badly delaminated. (These will need doing and I quite like the Polish Proteus look. At the moment that is all I can think of. Over all I really like the car. Love the engine. Love the look. If I can quieten down the road noise and kill some rattles I would be a very happy man. Unfortunately the girlfriend has already stated it is her car!!!! James

It looks like I might have to go and have a very close look at it. I am hoping that it has not been used as mobile skip or as target practice for shopping trollies. I not too sure how well the leather / Alcantara interior holds up to wear. Is there anything else I need to look at / keep in mind - apart from delaminating alloys - when looking at it as I wont be able to take it back and get repaired! I hope that if I get it it is as reliable as yours! And Jeeves my A4 runs on 235/45/R17 and it is quite harsh. I believe that my Sport is much firmer than your S-Line / Special Edition. I think that for the B7 they made suspension just rattle your spine rather shatter it! Thank you all for your advice!

The Special Edition is lovely and I have looked at a couple but it has the same size boot as mine. How sad is it to be buying a car based on the boot size!! Mine has the 2.5V6 diesel and sounds lovely and is so, so nice on the motorway but has a really short 1st gear and harsh ride that makes town driving quite tedious. It's is also quite cramped in the back for passengers and low down which is making it awkward for aged parents getting in and out. The Scout seems to be a good compromise with space and grace. And they do look a little bit special and have the road presence to hold its own with larger SUVs that seem to hunt in packs everywhere.

My B6 has the basic DIS with very little functionality but the best thing is that it tells me which door is left a jar (I am forever leaning against the key fob in the house and unlocking the boot). I think that it is only Maxidot that shows you the car and the which door is open. Jeeves which car do you prefer the b7 A4 or the Scout? (The boot on Avant is not great which is one of the motivations to possibly change the car plus mine is a Sport which means no suspension).

Thank you all for your advice and comments. I have looked at the Superb 4x4 and it is very nice but is a bit on the large size and my girlfriend is not too keen on the thought of parking it. Regarding the 4x4 I just prefer the looks of the Scout. I am having to think hard about this particular Scout. It is a private sale which is one of the reasons why it is more cost effective. Being a private sale there is little comeback if something goes wrong and but it is only 2 years old. I would have to see if the Skoda extended warranty would be a possibility even though it appears to be available on cars when initially ordered. We intend to keep it for 4-5 years. So I doubt whether this one with 100,000 miles would be worth £5,000 less than a 50,000 when they are both 7 years old - even a fully loaded one. I may have to go and have a good hard look at it. And see about getting Maxidot retro fitted!!

I really want a Octavia Scout FL with the 1.8tsi engine. Big boot for the all the stuff that kids bring. Girlfriend likes the looks and it feels safe without being too big. I like the engine and the 4x4 (I have an A4 quattro and it has proved its worth countless times!) Plus no potential diesel problems Possibility of a Shark re-map - more torque with 4 wheel drive mmmm..... We only do 8-9000 miles per year But there are not many about and they are quite expensive - especially if you want some extra toys - maxi dot, MFSW, xenons etc. However I have found a 2010, with leather, in a nice colour - but no maxi dot (really want that) and no other options. But with 65,000 miles. However it is £5,000 cheaper than anything else out there - which means I could spend some cash and spec it up with some possible retro fits!. Am I asking for trouble with the mileage? It would be out of warranty as it would be in its 3rd year but over the 60,000 mile limit, so if things went wrong.....deep pockets. Could it be retro fitted with maxi dot and MFSW (not too sure with it being a FL and if there is anything special about the Scout)? Columbus maybe later. Would love Xenons but that might be a retro fit too far!? Would it worth it or should I wait for a few months and see what comes up around September? Any opinions on the 1.8tsi Scout, retro fitting stuff welcome! Thank you for your time!

I am hoping it is spot the deliberate mistake competition and the prize is either a job with the marketing department - which I would love - or a fully loaded Octavia 1.8 tsi Scout!

I am sure that it has already been spotted but Skoda seem to be confused with their own model line up. In their latest advert, which features on their website, it shows all the cars in fetching white, but they seem to have mixed up the number plates. The Octavia estate it would seem is a Superb and the Superb hatch is an Octavia or is this a cheap way to give each model a facelift?

I have had a reply from Ben at Shark Performance, and unfortunately at the moment he can't retrofit a FL Octavia with Maxidot. So it looks like I will have to continue my search for the perfectly specced VRS (or possibly a Scout). Thank you all for the advice and recommendations.

Thank you for all your advice. I will drop Ben a line and see what he says. Octimark my A4 is a 2.5V6 diesel 180bhp, 6 speed manual quattro sport avant with cloth, cruise, interior light pack and rear sensors. I am looking for something with a bigger boot as we have a 13 month old baby and the boot gets filled very quickly and baby stuff seems to fill the rest of the car. The Octavia seems to be the front runner at the moment with its massive boot - without getting a physically bigger car and the impracticalities of then trying to park it.

Thank you for all your replies. I think I now feel happier about buying one without Maxidot knowing that I can get a FL retrofitted with one. I am always surprised by the lack of product knowledge that a number of "sales" people have when coming to selling cars. Surely they should be there to advise you, answer questions rather than look at you blankly when you ask whether the engine has a timing chain or belt or even the highly technical question of do the rear seats actually fold flat. So helpfully suggesting that if you have specced xenons that you might want Maxidot to adjust the beam when driving on the continent - plus it will help with resale (I am a case in point!) - should not be asking too much. Especially as you have made the effort to go to the show room, already having made the decision that that particular marque is on the shopping list and all you really need is someone to help with persuading you that your emotional purchase is in fact a practical and objective one!

Is it possible to retrofit Maxidot into a FL Octavia? I know it can be done in a pre-FL and that you can buy a FL binnacle with Maxidot from www.skodateile.cz but has anyone actually done it in the UK? The reason why I am asking is that I am thinking of changing my A4 quattro Avant for either a second hand petrol FL VRS or Scout. I have seen a couple of nicely specced VRSs - xenon, parking sensors, leather etc but no Maxidot - how they can spec such options and not Maxidot i dont know! I really want xenons and Maxidot and if Maxidot can be retrofitted it would make my my search a lot easier (especially as a quick glance of pics of the dash board it is hard to tell whether the face lift has it or not as the standard trip looks the same until it is switched on). If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated. Then the decision would be should I go for a VRS or Scout! Love the 4x4 ability of the Scout (my quattro was great in the snow and very reassuring in heavy rain) but love idea of the get and go (and look) of the VRS. But I have only briefly driven an 06 VRS which was very noisy - thanks to its badly setup rear wheels and worn rubber and I have yet to try a Scout. Hopefully they are both fairly quiet on the motorway once setup properly.