Yeti_Man

the diff will have been less aggressively configured on the Skoda compared to the other models that have it. I'd suggest that it's too tame in its action for the track for what I'm reading but I can't believe its not felt compared to a VRS without it, on the road. The Cupra one, in Cupra mode, is perfect for me, you can really feel it working, out of slow tight corners its superb in particular. Personally I wouldn't buy a standard Vrs now, especially as the 230 also appears to get a larger sports exhaust - great for stage 1/2 tuning... But that's probably just me! In fact, I wonder if they are actually running different boost settings to achieve the additional 10ps or whether or not it just comes from installing that slightly bigger oe exhaust setup!It's a shame the journo's reception to this car has been so flat but skodas biggest mistake imo was launching it at a track in the first place! The ideal launch location for this car would have been some of the Spanish mountain roads they've used with previous models - not as tight and more realistically representing what they'll be used for by the majority of us; fast road use. Quite different to fast track use!

that's all very interesting to read Lady E. It was without doubt quicker than what a manual R can do (also gauged against my car) but I have a feeling that the GLA driver really knew how to get the best from it on those roads. And from the outside, that engine/exhaust sounded totally immense!

That's quite a bundle of cash. Looked up the info on them now, didn't realise their pricing was at that level!

already posted.

Even the standard VRS already gets the Golf PP front brakes, rears remain the same as standard on the 230 from what ive read though. Btw, theres 3k - 3.5k off the 230 already being offered on the usual broker sites...

If I was in your position Rob, id certainly do the same.

And another review just posted... another one that seems to suggest the 'sports exhaust' is actually larger than the standard VRS's! http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/skoda/octavia-vrs/first-drives/2015-skoda-octavia-vrs-230-review

I'm a bit of a car nut but tbh, quick Mercedes hatchbacks/crossovers have never really been on my radar. Until last week. This thing flew along VERY nicely and he was pulling ahead on the bends. Fair enough, he was a local on his local roads and he knew how to drive (I think I saw the brake light flick on twice in over 5km of twisty Black Forest tarmac) but it was really impressive. So, just curious, has anyone on here actually driven one? If so, what were your impressions? Ideally someone that's also driven a Golf R I guess, as I was surprised between the actual on road performance between the two! It also sounded very nice, especially for a four cylinder!

imo the additional 10ps wont be noticeable. Its the diff that will make the real difference on the road, if driven in a spirited fashion.

My attitude is if you dont give something a try, how will you learn something new? I know some would consider this attitude wrong for the higher end detailing and paint correction tasks but I had never picked up anything more than a bucket of water and shampoo until 2008 which is when I bought a black car with paint defects. Have a look, may be useful to you and provide an idea of products I used... (note that Ford paint will be slightly different to work with but the principles are the same) Although this is more than you'd need to do, this is what really got me into detailing and paint correction. http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/351022-my-little-run-around-a-modified-fiesta-16-tdci/?hl=%2Bfiesta+%2Btdci#entry4285066

Very useful! Thanks.

Some early reviews (not on UK roads however)... http://www.evo.co.uk/skoda/octavia-vrs/16615/skoda-octavia-vrs-230-review-most-powerful-vrs-ever http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/skoda/octavia/92703/skoda-octavia-vrs-230-review

The bumpers are very different so cant see how its possible

yes, that's all good, as my post says above. Passed on this info and she is double chuffed. Chuffed for the confirmation and also chuffed that she was right and I was wrong!!

yes, as per my above post, she won't have an issue with over payment charges for that amount each month/per annum. She's looking to do this four/five year term with these loan overpayments and then shorten it or continue making further overpayments to minimise her interest/time period.

No, not any more! http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/volkswagen-and-suzuki-end-four-year-legal-battle

Yes, her monthly overpayments would be under the max allowable overpayment per month Thanks gents, that's great advice (and I've learnt something new!)

So if she's sure she can pay it off in the same time period as the loan (or even a little longer) then it should be done under the mortgage? She is adamant thats manageable but I just couldn't get my head around it being the cheaper way. Thanks.

Hi guys, I know the forum isn't specifically for finance advice but i've been impressed with some of the level of knowledge on here on recent threads. A friend put this to me last night and I didn't know the answer so I'm naturally curious now! She wants to borrow £15k-£20k. The money will be used for updating her house. It will be paid back over three years. Her mortgage is up for renewal next month and she can get a rate of 2.23% So... is she better off taking out a loan with an interest rate of 3.6% over the three year period or taking out the additional money via the mortgage at a rate of 2.23%. This Mortgage is a fixed rate five year one and the mortgage length in total is 20 years. If she would take it out via the mortgage route she'd pay the equivalent of the loan amount during the first three years as over payments... this is where I couldn't advise and got a little lost but my gut instinct said that as the mortgage was for five years and a total of 20 years she'd be paying more as the amount would be added for a greater length of time... She assumed as the rate was lower and she was effectively paying back the additional 'loan' in the same time period it would be cheaper! Hence, Im lost for an answer. Anyway, advice gratefully received on this if anyone has the knowledge, many thanks.

They are good burgers but wildly overpriced here imo - basically £ - $ rate with what I've paid for them out in the US and at our local one here. They still have a fair way to go in being the best though... http://www.in-n-out.com/

I recommend it. Tbh, France isn't my favourite 'local' country but I'll certainly be heading back to Strasbourg, perhaps for a Christmas market destination. We were all really impressed with it; so much to offer and affordable, good quality dining and accommodation. So many nice towns and villages within an hours drive also so makes a great base to see the Alsace area.

well this is certainly a blast from the past... It was fitted with a specialist body kit adhesive - Tiger Seal iirc. It was soft clamped and masked for 24 hours just to make sure it wasn't going anywhere!

So after the four days in Strasbourg we headed to Colmar, A very quaint little place: Another day gone and time to head across into Germany to stay with our friends. As we were running well ahead of time I took it easy for the following two hours behind the wheel. A quick fill up with more of the good stuff and the result after arrival was just over 42mpg! Ah, heading into Hohentengen, our second home! Spot the Yeti! Parked up for a well earned rest. Beti then spent the next week ferrying us around the gorgeous Black Forest with our friends in their car. We lucked out again with the weather and enjoyed five superb sunny days (temps 26-31c) And a local Yeti had joined mine by the end of the first day out and about... Our friends took us to some great picnic spots throughout the week - this one by the Rhine, five minutes away from their house. Which I'm guessing is under a commonly used flight path! And finally back on UK soil for what should have been around an hour and a half behind the wheel. It turned into over three hours! The UK's amazing motorway network strike once again! The toll booths being removed were supposed to speed things up a little, were they not? At this rate we wont be home by tomorrow midnight to make the blasted payment! But as the roads finally cleared we were welcomed back with a wonderful scene as the sun set.

Well, we are back in blighty after a thoroughly enjoyable trip. I'll let the photos do the talking but we really enjoyed our time around the Alsace region. Strasbourg was a wonderful place to explore as was Colmar in particular. This and the trek over to join our friends in the Black Forest made me realise how great this car really is. It now just feels so complete and at its best. The springs and shocks seem to have bedded in to take on just a little further feeling of comfort and fluidity and the performance is just unreal, more noticeable than ever when given the space to use it and 100 ron Shell Super unleaded! We also had some almost comedic moments with the car on this trip, most memorable was the Swiss registered RS4 driver that just couldn't work out how I was so easily keeping up over a run of a good few kilometres. I do however have to give credit to the RS4 for the amazing sound of that engine when being fully wrung out. It was spine tingling good! A nice early morning run down to Folkstone. Note the rain, wipers and a desire to leave it all behind! Onto Le Shuttle, bang on schedule: Two jobs to do once onboard - set the desired route and set the xenons into continental driving mode or 'Travel' mode: Journey took just over five hours which included a 15 minute stop for fuel and a visit to the wc. Achieved mpg was 36.8mpg for this stretch. At this point I realised that the car, since having the suspension dropped and alignment redone, is now as economical at 80mph as it was at 70mph previously. Something I really didn't expect. First proper sight of Strasbourg city centre... Lots of shops to look in... I especially liked the ones selling chocolate! Closely followed by the ones selling cakes and biscuits... First sight of the quite stunning Notre Dame Strasbourg Cathedral: And the inside: From what I've read, the best way to see Strasbourg properly is from a boat. So that's what we did: Evening time and it just gets prettier: We totally lucked out with the weather; four days of 26-29 degrees with zero rain. I'll add the remaining photos of Colmar and Germany tomorrow

That's exactly how I see it. Same effect but a different way of achieving it. All I know is, in the Cupra, it's very effective.