Bugginbob

If it helps I have a VRS Challenge special edition. Had it since new, Nov 2019, 37k absolutely no issues. Well apart from frequently bursting the low pro tyres.

I have a challenge estate and live at the top of a steep hill that over the last week has been covered in snow. My car was parked at the bottom of it for three days as it couldn't get up 🙂 My other car (rear wheel drive bmw) got up as I have a set of inexpensive snow socks which give you traction at low speeds on snow and ice. They are really just for emergencies though. Over the years I've had FWD, RWD and 4x4's as well as summer and winter tyres on both - there is no substitute for winter/all season tyres when it's snowing really. Apart from ground clearance a decent set of winters will get you most places on snow in a Octavia. I haven't bothered with my Octy this winter as it's a lease car and due to go back in a couple of months. I've just accepted that I might have to walk a mile up and down a snowy hill for the next two months.

Fair point as the backroads where I live in Devon are shocking but i've never burst any before the Octy in the last ten years.

I have a VRS Challenge estate with adaptive suspension and the 19 inch wheels. I've burst 5 front tyres in 31000 miles. Just an FYI as they look good but they have a terrible ride.

Leaseco specifies variable servicing. Unfortunately there is only an internal part number for the oil they used which hasn't returned any info on google so I have no way of knowing what they used. Tried speaking to them again but just got nowhere. They maintain it's always been on fixed servicing (despite the times and mileage of previous services not backing this up) and will not swap it back to variable unless at a service (i.e. I pay for one). I explained that it (and any subsequent) Skoda I may own will never come there again and they literally couldn't have given a monkeys.

Funnily enough Exeter is who I have the issue with. Thinks it's Helton garages now though.

Cheers all. If I am feeling like and argument I might go in next week and ask to speak to the boss. Paperwork details a VAG part no. for the oil used but no spec so they could have used cooking oil for all I know. The dates and mileages of the previous services are clearly linked to "variable" oil and "inspection" services so don't think they have a leg to stand on but the very polite service lady basically told me I was wrong and to bugger off unless I wanted to pay for another oil change. At least the new car i'm waiting on has 10k/12 months services so I know exactly when it needs to be done.

Not VRS specific (my car is a VRS) but figured i'd ask the question anyway. Mine has always been on variable servicing. It's a PCH car so came on variable from the supplying dealer and anticipated annual mileage was around 15k pr annum (pre covid). At it's second service ( Additional scope - 26k and 31 months old) my local dealer had put it on fixed servicing without telling me and it's now due an unexpected oil service after three months and 9k (now back to travelling a lot more after Covid). I've spoken to the dealer today who denied changing it and stated that it would always have been on fixed servicing (although they couldn't explain why it had managed 15k and 18 months before it needed it's first oil change). They have told me they can change it back but I'd need to pay for an oild change now and they'd do it. I argued that if it had been left on variable it wouldn't be due one for approx another 6-9k (around 15-18k after last service) and that the car would be returned to the lease company in six weeks without costing me another £180 for a pointless oil change. The conversation with my dealer didnt go well. Needless to say the car wont be going back to that dealer which is a shame as up until now they've serviced my last few Skoda's. I guess this is a long winded way of asking if anyone else has experienced Skoda changing their Octy's to fixed servicing when they were previously on variable? I cant help thinking it's a way of making sure customers now come back every year rather than possibly every two years.

I've been playing this game a bit more recently as a new job whith a twice a week 135 mile round trip means i'm using more fuel (I already do approx 800 personal miles a month). Trip is 4 miles single track lanes, 60 miles on the M5 and 1 mile 50mph road, then reverse for the way home. For the first few months I was making it in exactly an hour each way (when no traffic), hooning about everywhere to make progress and lucky if I could scrape 33MPG round trip. Fine when I was doing 800 miles a month and wfh, not so much fun now i'm averaging 1800 miles a month. Then did a month at exactly 70mph on the motorway in eco mode and on cruise control which brought it up to about 40mpg return. Now I've ditched cruise control and sitting somewhere between 68-75MPH on the motorway, planning ahead for maximum economy, coasting, minimising acceleration uphill etc and best i've managed is 45MPG return. Suspect if I drop down to 60-65mph average it'll go up but I am am rapidly finding my brain saying sod it and lets spend the extra couple of quid and overtake everyone. Swapping cars with my wife shortly though so will be doing the same trip in her 1.4tsi Leon. Will see if I can get it anywhere near 55MPG which would be easier on my wallet.

My drivers mat wore through in a little over 8k/6 months on my Vrs challenge. I’ve had an old mat under it for a while but want to replace it now properly but can only find complete sets. Anyone seen single mats for sale (that won’t wear through in 8k)

I spec’d it on my 69 plate challenge estate. Probably cost me about 10 per mile so far because of lockdown 😂

Still happy I have a pch, I can afford the car and assume my mileage will go back up at some point although not to the levels that’ll see me hit the max on my contract. Obviously it’s a Skoda so not going to hang on to it’s value as well as some cars but because of the huge upfront discount the pch was good value anyway. A bit over £350 a month for a fully kitted out VRS challenge with towbar and virtual cockpit was still a couple of hundred less than the a6’s and 3 series I looked at when I got it. Just surprised they think it’ll go down by so much but as you say I guess lots of people are trying to hand them back. will be interested to see what my wife’s Leon is worth when her pch ends in a few months.

Agreed but as mine is a VRS Challenge which was effectively a run out special edition model I assumed they’d factored in a mkiv arriving a few months later in its price. I think it’s sealed the fate of my wife’s car which I was going to buy in a few months when it’s pch ends. She can have my VRS instead as she is in the nhs so travelling all over for work anyway. think I’ll just use my motorbike for the once a week I leave the house now!

Due to covid I have barely been using my car since March last year and am now about 9k under my contract mileage after 15 months of a 36 month term (37500 miles predicted over three years). I wrote to the lease company last week to see if I could reduce the mileage over the rest of the term to reduce the price each month. This morning they kindly wrote back to me and said that to reduce the mileage by 10000 (down to 27500 in total) over the remaining 21 months my PCH price would increase by £75 per month..... I was slightly surprised by this to say the least so gave them a call. Apparently they re-estimate the predicted value of my VRS at the end of the term with the reduced mileage and they are now forecasting it will be worth £1575 less, even with 10k less on the clock than when I took out the deal. That suggests to me that they are predicting used car costs to drop significantly over the next year. Maybe I should write back to them and offer them peanuts to take the car off their hands now rather than them take a bath on it's resale in the future.....

I have the 245 challenge estate dsg. I’ve only done just under 10k in it as covid has slowed my miles but long term average is 30mpg. Slightly better in the summer than winter. Most trips are either 18 miles motorway commute or longer family trips. Even with my wife using it around town over the last 6 months it sits at similar mpg. on a couple of trips I’ve sat at 65mph to see what it would do and it nears 40mpg but I soon get bored of that. I have never got more than 300 miles before the fuel light comes on.