polanglo

Well, those answers seem like a good recommendation. I don't need such a big car now so would like something newer that actually handles and feels a bit alive. I remember in 1989 I owned a VW Polo Coupe S and it had a 1272cc engine and only 55 bhp, and that was enough to cruise at 75 mph. Amazing how technology has thankfully come on in leaps and bounds. I do a mixture of town and motorway. Town is ok for the Citigo, but I have driven the Octavia to England a few times, so reticent to drive something so small on 900 miles of motorways! Unless anyone knows anything different... Guess I'll fly next time:) Another reason to downsize is that I have filled up the 560 litre boot of an Octavia 3 times in 2 years. I carry my son, who is only coming up to his 5th birthday, for the last year and a half, so what's the point? I have the Octavia as a company car, but the Up! (do I really have to put the exclamation mark every time?) or Citigo is a good proposition and a nice looking car. In Poland Skoda is of course cheaper, but the top-spec Up will cost 9000 sterling. Not bad. Citigo a bit less. A Monte Carlo with satnav and 16 inch alloys would be nice.

Hello, please don't beat me with a large stick, as I have an Octavia, but I am interested in a Citigo/Up! (but no Mii) from 2015. Two questions - is it in fact true that there is no difference in torque between the two engines? (Until you get over 4500rpm?) My second question is - is it true that the 59bhp engine has slightly longer gearing? I'll be greedy and ask a third - what's the 59bhp doing RPM-wise at 75mph? Is this car too weedy for the motorway? I'm asking because my Octavia Tdi has 6 gears and only does 2000rpm at 80mph. What a difference I can look forward to. Anyone who's got a lower-powered car, I'd love some advice. Mind you, I can't help wondering if Skoda will put the turbo engine in one and then I'd definitely buy one, no question. More power, longer gearing...well, one can dream, I suppose. Thanks, and hope you've all had a lovely Christmas break so far. Steve

No, I'm a **** because I thought I had a problem with the car, but let's see....thanks for the comment about limited revs at standstill, didn't know that. TBH I don't know much about Octavias, this is my first Skoda. Hope it won't be the last.

As an afterthought, the choke is hacking me off, still 1000rpm when the engine is warm. So I revved engine at stanstill and of course the rpm dropped to 750, but do I really HAVE to do that from now on? By the way, the engine would not rev beyond 2500rpm at standstill, is that electronically limited and on purpose? I have been really easy with the car since new but even it can't be that tight after 25000 miles!

Well, I'll be damned! Drove the car today and no sound at all, nothing. So I haven't been to the dealer. I wonder what it was. I do most of my driving on the open road, so I like to use 5th and 6th as much as possible. The sound wasn't a grating sound, just a 'drrrrrr' or a brrrrrrrrrrrrrr sound, or a tickatickaticka sound, coming from the bottom of the engine. I feel a fool now. Another thing that's strange is that for the first time the automatic choke stayed on a bit too long, i.e. it's at 1000rpm even when the engine is near or at normal operating temperature. Eventually it goes down to 750rpm.I wonder if I ran over some black cats yesterday. I mean come on - the car is only 2 years' old. I don't want anything to go wrong, like all of us out there. If anything happens, I'll post again.

Yep, this is Poland. Welcome to Polish reality! Checked it, and it is 2 years. Anyway, I'll keep you posted about what the problem is after I pop into the dealer today.

Isn't the warranty just 2 years? I'll have to check in the morning..

Hello everyone. First, facts. 2012 2.0 TDI, 110bhp, manual 6-speed box. 25000 miles, had its first service after 20000 miles. Today, my first problem with this car. Perhaps I've been lucky so far. Start engine, rapid sound like a machine gun from engine. Depress clutch pedal, and sound goes away. After a few miles, sound has got louder. Will take it to a dealer in the morning. It is a leasing car, 18 months left on it. I hope it isn't something serious that cost hundreds of quid to repair, because if it is, I'll have to sell it to the dealer and pay off the leasing and end up with no car. I can't afford costly repairs at the moment. Any idea what this sound or problem could be? It's started to get cold here over the last couple of days i.e. below freezing, wonder if that has anything to do with it. No problems last winter. All theories welcome.

Hi Darren09, That's a fair point. I've had a small petrol turbo car before, a Clio 1.2 tce a few years back and I was happy with that. I know what you mean with diesel oomph but I'm not the kind of driver who needs that, I mean I drive on my own 99 percent of the time with no luggage and a just a small child in the back from time to time. I like Skoda's very much. The new Fabia is a bit small for me, and the way Skoda Polska is discounting Yeti's at the moment, it's crazy. I hope it continues until 2016. A 1.2 tsi elegance can be had for 65000zloty, that's 13000 of your English pounds. Not bad, as it's got the 17 inch Annapurna alloys and all the bells and whistles. In Poland today, diesel is 4.95zl a litre, petrol 5zl, so no difference. 1 pound is 5zl. It's the lowest pump prices for at least 5 years here.

Hello there, Some may say I'm a bit mad to buy a Yeti, considering that I'm really happy with my Octavia II FL 2.0 Tdi, but the thing is that I hardly ever use it on long trips 50 miles plus, mostly just 20 miles to the next town a few times a week. I have filled up the boot with stuff, massive though it is, only about 3 times in 2 years and yes, the economy is great, averaging sometimes nearly 70mpg. I drove to Poland from Dover (where I filled up) and did 783 miles on one tank. But that's not the be all and end all, is it. Absolutely no handling on my Octavia, lots of understeer, totally boring and underwhelming to drive. Competent, but no more. I've got 2 years left, unfortunately, on my leasing and then when the current Yeti is due to be replaced I'd like one. Don't need a diesel, I only do 10,000 miles a year. So although I can look forward to 45mpg at best the 1.2 sounds good. Looks a nice chunky car, too. I read that it handles very nicely, too, with such a light engine. True? Basically I'd like something a bit cheaper than a diesel Octavia, I will not buy an Octavia III or diesel Yeti, a bit too expensive for me, to be frank. If you have bought a facelifted Yeti 1.2 tsi please let me know your experiences with it. Oh, by the way, does this engine have 16 valves? Is the cambelt a chain or a belt? I'm not really interested in hearing lots of negatives as that is what you expect on blogs these days. Some positive comments would be nice too! Happy and safe motoring, Steve

If you look at the pictures from Autoexpress, in my opinion the car looks really nice, together with the wheels, in pictures 1 to 3. The other alloys I've seen before. I don't like those. It definitely looks more grown up, but more youthful, quite sharp lines along the side and on the bonnet. I can't find any information about the 1.4 tdi 103 bhp on the internet. Hasn't this engine been revealed yet?

On the Autoexpress website there are some smart new pictures of a Fabia with some nice alloys. Its designer explains the concept behind the new Fabia. Looks quite good to me. What do you all think? http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/skoda/fabia/64262/smart-new-skoda-fabia-2014-price-specs-and-on-sale-date Steve

Hello everyone, Next year my leasing on my Mk2 FL 2.0 Tdi ends so I may trade it in for a new Octavia Mk3. Problem is that I cannot afford a Tdi 150bhp or even a 1.6 tdi so I have to go for a petrol. I only carry my small boy in the car and hardly ever any passengers or heavy luggage. I do about 10,000 miles a year now, so not a stellar mileage. I guess I will have a manual, though I have never driven a car with the DSG. Question is - is the 1.2 tsi underpowered for such a big car, or do I really need the 1.4 140bhp model? How many rpm in 6th does the 1.2/1.4 tsi do at say, 70-80 mph and what mpg are owners getting? That's all, thanks in advance for any replies from those of you who have a 1.2 or 1.4. Steve

I was expecting, perhaps naively, a 1.4 tsi of at least 122bhp or 140bhp instead of the VRs. Pity. Tsi 110bhp fast enough for most of us? Not sure it will be.

It's nice to read such a positive thread. My Octavia is my first Skoda and I hope it won't be the last. My ex had a 1.9tdi Octavia 2 from 2007 which I drove a lot. The first time it blew me away - solid, big, comfortable and just went like a dream. To be honest that was the only good thing to come out of that relationship! So I've had my 2012 Octavia for over a year and so far, fingers crossed, nothing has gone wrong. Diesel, winter tyres, and one rear number plate bulb. That's it. And it's very economical, too. I should keep it for another 3 years and then probably a new Octavia in 2016 or early 2017. Ok, so it doesn't have the best handling in the world, but it's quiet and comfortable. I can understand if someone wants an Audi or VW, perhaps because the trim is nicer and the soundproofing is a bit better, but that doesn't bother me. I live in Poland and Skoda have been the best sellers here for donkey's years. Another boon is that the factory for the Octavia is only 150 miles away, so at least I shouldn't have to wait long for any parts.

Aha found it! Number plate light. Right-hand side. Gone. Wow, a warning light just for that. Well done Skoda. And thanks for your help. I just checked all lights and indicators for a minute and there you go.

Just a quick one - the yellow bulb warning light came on today, but when I checked all the lights, they all work fine. Only done 14000 miles since new so I was surprised to see it. My friend works in a Skoda dealer and said that it's a warning of bad things to come i.e. that one of the bulbs is on its way out. Is that right? Perhaps the connection to the sensor is loose? Anyone else had this issue? Thanks.

Hi all, and all the best for 2014 - I wish you all safe, reliable and enjoyable motoring from our beloved Skodas! I just drove back from England to Poland yesterday, what a journey, 14 hours including 2 breaks. Anyway, I filled up to the brim at Dover and put in about 52 litres, I didn't have much left in the tank beforehand. So with I guess 55 litres? (not sure what the capacity is) off I went to Wroclaw. I did 1242kms (772 miles) on a single tank, with about 30 remaining. I must say I didn't drive fast because of the weather, only 70mph all the way and when you come down to Poland from Berlin and cross the Polish border, you can tell you're in a different country because the E36 (A18) is unbelievably STILL 1930s-era Reichsautobahn for about 50 miles. It's a terrible road. Poles call it the longest staircase in Poland. I love their sense of humour. Because of this the speed limit is 50mph, really you can't go any faster because my fillings start to come loose and the constant thumping really irritates. So that helped the mpg I suppose. I'm well pleased with that. Has anyone got more than that from a tank? I'm interested to find out. I wasn't hypermiling or anything like that. I bought my Octavia in October 2012 and now it's got about 14000 miles on it. So far so good. Steve

Nice to hear all of the above comments - means things are normal and that I can rely on my car.

I've had my Octavia for exactly one year, and I haven't even used a one-litre bottle of engine oil to top it up. Is this normal? I thought that diesel engines and new engines generally were supposed to use a bit of oil in the first few thousand miles. I checked the dipstick and it's still 3/4 of the way up, so not bad. That's a pretty good effort, Skoda, I have to say. Perhaps I'm lucky or it's normal. This is my first Skoda and haven't regretted it yet, so long may it continue. By the way I'm on fixed servicing, i.e. every 20,000 miles or two years, and because of my change of job, I have only done 10,500 miles so far. I wonder if the oil will be really black and thick by the time the service is due. Does low mileage before the first service affect the oil and engine? Yes, it seems a dumb question but I'm just curious. I guess I still live in the 80s, where I had to change the oil every 5,000 miles!

Thanks for putting me right on that one. It was just a first for me, that's all.

I saw an Octavia vRS taxi today - I wondered to myself if this was a waste of a good car, given lots of stop-start journeys. I don't know if anyone in the UK has seen such a thing. Just putting my thoughts down on paper. I couldn't tell if it was a petrol or diesel but it had two tailpipes and was a facelift post 2009 model.

To answer the question by the OP, I'd buy a Leon. I'm very happy though with my Octavia, but to be honest I've only filled the car with stuff once in the year I've had it. I guess I don't need such a big boot. By all accounts, and by that I mean magazines and road tests, the Leon is a better car to drive with the ability to put a smile on the driver's face, a bit of Spanish flair, one could say. Personally I like the shape of the hatchback, and 16-inch wheels do seem to fill those arches much better than the new Octavia. Zenon lights as standard is also a temptation for me to buy one. A 1.4 TSI with 140bhp seems a good option. I don't regret buying my diesel Octavia, it's very economical but oh so boring to drive. Competent, but no more. And it's noisy, lots of tyre roar and it filters through to the cabin. Anyway I'd better stop before I think of anything else I don't like about it, so I'll keep it another two years until it's time to change.

Hello all happy owners, Could those of you who own a 1.2 Tsi and a 1.4 Tsi and also a 1.6Tdi tell me how many revs they are pulling in top gear at 70 and 80mph, please? I am scared of a 'busy' engine making a lot of cabin noise on the motorway. As for tyre roar, and wind from the mirrors, that's another issue, I suppose. I hear that the Tsi is super quiet and the Tdi 1.6 is a bit rough. That's only motoring press opinion, though. On the motorway I only cruise between 70 and 80 mph so just wondering what the best engine is for me. I only do about 10,000 a year so it looks like a Tsi, let's be honest. Any feedback much appreciated, Steve

Hello everyone - I'm prepared to put my head in the stocks and get rotten vegetables thrown at me, as I have an Octavia, but the thing is I'm not really sure where to put this topic - the new Fabia. As you know, there will be no more VRs. So I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas or 'intel' on what the range-topper could be next year. I like, rather, love my Octavia but if the new Fabia looks good and has the 2.0 150bhp diesel engine, I'd be converted like a shot. I wonder if this engine could fit in the new Fabia? Thoughts please. Best regards, Steve