Greybeard

Silky smooooth 2 litre petrol engine Wide band of torque Cabin & Loadspace Excellent stealth car +1 on all round package

+1 but as you say nothing against the Steel Grey, purely matter for personal preference.

At the risk of thread deviation, reminds me of the opposite situation few years back. Often had hire cars delivered to home and left early evening after work to do long journeys (miss traffic). Normally check ,oil, tyres, other fluids etc as no one should trust any hire company. This particular time very late home from work, so having wanted to reach destination before midnight didn't check! After about 150 miles oil light comes on, pull over, strong smell hot oil, lift bonnet to find several litres liberally sprayed over engine compartment - filler cap entirely missing . Could get oil from services but not a temporary filler cap that would hold. Called hire company, got towed to nearest depot and given new car. Arrived destination about 1.30am! So better a tight filler cap than none at all Needless to say that was the one and only time I didn't take the 10 minutes or so to check the state of a home delivered rental. You shouldn't have to I know, because in a dark airport rental lot you can't do it anyway, but hey ho another of life's little gems. Apologies for going off at a tangent

The 61 reg looks like to me like Anthracite, same colour as mine, believed it was no longer offered as a standard/option colour. The 13 reg looks indeed like Steel Grey as is one of our company 1.4 TSI's. I don't think that the Steel Grey is promoted as the 'same' in substitute for the discontinued Anthracite, but I guess it could be argued as an 'alternative'.

I try to keep the buckle slid to the top as far as it'll go, seems to tuck under the belt as it passes into the pillar. Doesn't always stay there if the road surface is a bit uneven, but seems to hang there most times. Just a pain asking people to reposition it when they get out. I understand Audi have some kind of protection/retainer/securing point on the pillar that stops it knocking.

Likewise. Thought I'd check mine at weekend for condensation/emulsion as its been cold and plenty short trips last couple months. Took some persuading but came off in the end, all OK inside. Hadn't expected it to be that tight. I guess with use over time it'll loosen up a little as the seal flattens.

Anthracite I like.......

Click gallery (above), then click Octavia MkII at the right hand side and there's plenty there to choose from.

Being 'of a certain age' my dear old Dad grew up in the 1930's/40's, when HIS Dad ran a number of commercial vehicles so he was schooled from a very early age in the finer points of handling what for that time were heavy goods vehicles. Always taught to use gears for slowing down and for holding when parked on slopes. Never rely on a handbrake. The brakes were usually too small, poorly designed and made from even poorer materials anyway, the cables often broke and the mechanisms used to regularly freeze solid in those days. I guess he taught me the same caution and in the 70's when I took my test the same was reiterated in the driving lessons leading up to it. My lads now follow the same 'traditional' family logic. Despite that I suspect that these days new drivers may not be taught so much to use engine braking, and probably the same for in gear parking. Progress.......... As above though, a cracking save by the OP, I can imagine the relief! There'll be many of us that could recount a few more of those 'what if' moments I'm sure.

My delivery miles pre-reg 12 plate came with them on, although they were a cost option. PRO's:- Excellent lighting performance in my opinion ( however the different pattern and type of light produced doesn't suit everyone) Self levelling feature (hope it keeps working!). Built in high pressure headlight washers to keep the lens covers clean & shiny..... see cons Entertainment value / talking point of the self levelling mechanism when it dances the beams around during calibration. CON's:- Headlight washers can startle until you get used to them being there, explode into life every 5th screen washer activation when headlights lights on (you can turn onto side lights if street lighting good, assuming you remember how many times the wipers have been operated!) Headlight washers consume vast quantities of washer fluid, from which much of the overspray ends up covering the front wings and bonnet, unless its raining heavily at the time Cost a fortune to fix if they fail out of warranty Would I have paid hundreds of pounds for them as a cost option if they weren't already fitted??.................not really sure yet, will live with them a bit longer before enthusing too much to others but on light performance alone they are much better than the halogens on my 05 Fabia vRS.

+1 again on what booke23 and others above say. I can get as much as 34-35mpg on the trip computer (probably 10% less in real terms) by keeping a light foot even on the semi urban commute. Sit in a lot of traffic or get too enthusiastic and that'll plummet to the mid 20's. Remember too that whereas a diesel will be economical at lowest rpm with a light load, a petrol is more economical spinning just above the start of peak torque. In town my 2.0TSI is often using less fuel at about 2200rpm in 3rd/4th than say at 1800rpm. The principle must be same for the1.8TSI even if the engine outputs and gearing are different. That said, driving a TSI especially the 2.0/1.8's is never going to be 'economical' in comparison to the diesels or smaller TSI's. I guess the OP didn't buy it for outright economy.

The current 2.0 TSI (EA888 series) engines whilst similar in power output (200PS or 197bhp) to the older TFSI (EA113 series) is slightly more efficient with consequent lower fuel consumption and hence less of the all important CO2 emissions. 175g/km (£195/year) puts the TSI powered Octavia's one band lower than the older TFSI versions which are 188g/km, a bummer for the older models, but that's progress as they say. This link gives a potted history if anyones interested enough:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Volkswagen_Group_petrol_engines

Have noticed mine has started to do this in recent weeks, will see what its like when the weather warms up.

My guess is CO2 emissions - no spare wheel, smaller fuel tank, less sound proofing, slightly thinner body panels, more plastic etc etc. Few grams here and there adds up. All about meeting emission regs, saleability, more mpg and lowering tax bands I suspect. Lugging less weight helps all that.

Had my TSI from new since early Nov 12, usually does around 20/30 minute 11 mile commute each way x5 days/week. About 2 miles heavy crawling traffic, 5 miles straight urban A road, then last 4 miles on 50mph + dual carriageway although after the traffic bit I can take a winding B road sometimes which is slower but does keep the fuel consumption down. Have so far done about 1400 miles in the wet and now cold weather, including some very short stop starts - less than 2 mile trips. No sign of any mayo to date, but maybe crawling in traffic for the first part each day gets the engine warmed up and oil circulated well, even if it kills the fuel consumption :( !! HTH

Spot on, I got mine last November. Invoice details them as:- 1Z0601011A listed as 'WHEEL&TYRE L&KVRSSCT' at RRP £84.17+ VAT 1Z0071108A listed as 'SPARE WHEEL KIT' at RRP £25.00+VAT Managed to get a little discount on the prices but even at RRP the wheel & tyre is startlingly good price. The 205/55/16 Conti Sportcontact 2 tyre fitted to it must cost more than £84 - and the 3's may be only ones available these days anyway. Drops straight in, excellent value. Fills the wheel well properly, supporting the boot floor better than the compressor/goo kit variant. Think I got the part numbers originally from the Skodaparts website, or an E bay ad can't remember.

High pressure fuel pump probably? Plenty of feedback elsewhere. Mine did it from new.

Down here in student night club land (or what used to pass for a tranquil family seaside resort when oi were a lad) we languish in one of those parts that rarely, if ever, see true severe winter weather. Having travelled a lot both in the frozen northern lands of our own that exist north of the M4, and also in Scandinavia and Germany/Austria I was always impressed at how confidently everyone moves around in Europe each winter without the mayhem that ensues here. 'Winter tyres' they always quoted as the secret, and I almost tried them in 2011 but given the combined cost of tyres & steels for the Fabia vRS decided not to bother. Last Autumn Mrs GB's old Punto 8v (yes, I know its hardly a roadburning dragster) needed a new set of 165/70/14 tyres and thanks to those nice people at Camskill I got her Some Michelin Alpin A4's at just over £40 a corner plus fitting etc. Same speed rating, size & profile as the worn out 'summer' tyres and went straight on the standard steels. Very much softer / stickier compound than the Conti 'summers' on the Octavia or the PS3's I had on the Fabia vRS and new tread depth nearing 9mm plus the hundreds of transverse sypes (large & small) so very different indeed. Have already been impressed with them through the albeit relatively warm & wet weather in Nov/Dec so it was interesting to try them on some cold wet stuff this morning. Hugely impressed. Still have to drive sensibly but car goes where you point it and stops when you want, all without the occasionally buttock clenching trepidation that 'normal' tyres can sometimes produce. We might get no more snow again this year, but as the Punto only does about 2k a year the Alpins can stay on if they prove adequate in the summer and even if they need replacing in 5 years time it'll be value for money in my view. Now sold on the idea for sure, but will probably use the Fiat when we get our random winter blasts rather than go to the expense of kitting the Octy up. Fortunately the Mrs can stay indoors if things get too dodgy outside, but appreciate not everyone has that luxury. Tried them, like them and its certainly not just hype from the manufacturers.

Mine on the Fabia vRS threw up a CEL at about 35k. Cleaned it (the tar deposits stick to everything, forever! Wear old clothes/overalls.) but to no avail. Got new one at some discount but was still close on £160 as the usual pattern sources GSF etc didn't have the right version for an ASZ PD130 that was 5 years ago. A new Skoda genuine replacement solved it straight away, did another 30k and had given no problem by time I traded the Fabia vRS. The plague of modern diesel emission controls I'm afraid, at least the planet should still be here for whoever's left around in 50 years or so. Edit: Drive faster for longer works but the fines will end up more than the cost of a new EGR.

High pressure fuel pump probably, as above plenty of feedback elsewhere. Mine did it from new.

You know it makes sense, just go for it! :yes: Looks like good VFM, keeping the Black clean probably a challenge, much more refined than the Fabia PD, but I still miss the hoot that it was to drive. Made the jump myself last November, just couldn't convince on the MkII Fabia vRS. Went seeking new car for Mrs GB so quite how I ended up with the petrol Octy am still not sure, she's a gem though (the both of them that is!! ). Petrol is silky smooth as long as you can live with subsidising the oil multi-nationals. Your example has 2 years warranty left on it (at least) so if you're doing the miles should provide enough time to flush out any specific issues on that actual car. Skoda main dealer, so back up should be about as good as you'll get from anywhere. If previous owner/keeper hasn't retro fitted a spare & jack/tools kit you might want to think about negotiating one into the deal, got my spare through the trade but worth having in my view.

Got mine (Anthracite) early November last year - Skoda pre-reg 40 'delivery' miles - glad/lucky I went for it whilst still available. Well pleased I did hope yours works out good too.

Must be something about wastegate design on VAG TSI engines. Text below is from one of the US VW Golf forums ref the similar 2.0 TSI CBFA/CCTA engines but comes from a VW America TSB (I have PDF copy with photo's but haven't yet worked out how to attach stuff here). The same afflicts the CCZA 2.0 TSI's on the European models sold in the UK (mine does it), but not sure if the twin charger 1.4TSI uses the same basic turbo setup / design, so may be a diffeent problem altogether. If you search online you may come across the TSB "....................... Condition 21 10 01 August 25, 2010 2024061 Rattling Noises From Engine Compartment Area or Exhaust System Customer may complain of a rattling noise from engine or exhaust are while accelerating from 1800-3000 RPM. In order to complete proper diagnosis and ensure that the noise is coming from the turbocharger, use the following procedure: 1. Ensure that there is no physical damage internal or external to the turbocharger. If damage is observed, continue diagnosis and repair as necessary. If no damage is observed, proceed to Step 2. 2. Test drive the vehicle to duplicate and familiarise yourself with the noise. Noise can typically be duplicated by driving up a moderate incline, beginning at 35 mph in 4th gear(manual or auto trans) and accelerating through the RPM range of 1800-3000 RPM under moderate to heavy throttle. Obey all local traffic laws. 3. Once you have confirmed and familiarized yourself with the noise, attach a 2 ounce wheel weight to the wastegate actuator rod (figure 1) and take the vehicle for another test drive. If after attaching the weight to the actuator rod the noise is quieter or has changed pitch, DO NOT replace the turbocharger. Remove the weight, create a VTA ticket in ElsaWeb and contact the Volkswagen Techincal Heplline at 800-678-2389. If after attaching the weight to the actuator rod the noise has not changed, remove the weight and continue diagnosis and repair as necessary. Note: Use caution when diagnosing the origin of the noise. Although the noise may be originating from the turbocharger, it can be amplified through resonance to the catalytic converter and be misdiagnosed as a loud converter. Technical background Because of exhaust gas pulsations the wastegate flap and actuator rod vibrate at the introduction of boost pressure..................." The UK TPI no. (for 2.0TSI) is 2028098/1 to fit clip to turbo rod, there's a thread on here about it in the Octy MkII section.

I used the genuine VAG stuff in my Fabia vRS for 5 years until I discovered the Lidl stuff. Used that ever since and now in the Octavia. Clears the screen, doesn't block the fan nozzles & smells OK. All for £4.99. As above the Lidl variety can be diluted and here in the south we rarely face temps low enough to warrant using it neat, also works well for me at 1:2. I've noticed too that it does foam well on the Octy headlight washers, until I got used to it the great burst of atomised mist that swirled up the side of the wings was a bit alarming.

Recently bought from Camskill - never purchased tyres online before, but am now a complete convert. Local outlets couldn't provide quality branded tyres in the size I wanted, and even with delivery plus local fitting still very competitive price for what I was after. Delivered next working day. Were actually for Mrs GB's Punto not my Octy, but nonetheless excellent service and I value her life and mine far too much to compromise on tyres for the sake of a few quid. Am also fortunate enough that even in these straightened times cost can be secondary consideration.