Hello everyone - new member here.

We are looking for a new car, which has to meet the brief of being my wife's daily car, for work and family, but with enough space for me to carry drum kit. It will replace a 9 year old Passatt.

Having had extended test drives in Mazda 6 Estate, latest Passatt and Octavia vRS CR Estate we are definitely leaning towards the vRS. They are all capable cars and the best combination might be the 6 with the vRS running gear, but we have to stick with what's possible! The vRS is winning-through because it's the one that puts a smile on our faces when getting-in and driving it.

I'm waiting for my local dealer to re-consider their pricing (Drive the Deal looks tempting at 16.8% off list) before placing an order.

Looking at this excellent site for the first time last night - you clearly love your Skodas - I was then a bit unsettled about whether I'd be buying a car just before a new one is launched? From what I can see on the site there may be a facelift and then an entirely new model?

So any information and advice you have on the car in general, with new CR engine, and the timing of a purchase, where you'll know pricing trends better than me will be most welcome.

Thanks.

Welcome to Briskoda :wavey:

Hi, are you looking at petrol or diesel? If it's a petrol you need to consider the new car tax bandings coming into effect next year. The 2.0 TDI estate is band C, whereas the petrol equivalent is Band F.

Personally I would go for the diesel, even with the difference in price my diesel is still more economical than petrol (on fuel alone). I get an average of 54 mpg and that's mainly on short journeys.

Let me rock the boat, go for the mazda 6, realiable, cheap to run & looks th dogs.

looks the dogs.

I agree, the dashboard looks like a dogs .... and who wants to sit staring at a dogs ....

Whatever Octy you buy you cannot consider paying full RRP and should look for around £2k off list.

Let me rock the boat, go for the mazda 6, realiable, cheap to run & looks th dogs.

The only dog is under the bonnet, that old Ford 2 litre diesel is one hell of a dog.

Did a quick search on the autotrader website and you can get some bargain s/h 05,06 & 07 MY with very low mileage!!!

I get an average of 54 mpg and that's mainly on short journeys.

You must have the patience of a saint to get that sort of fuel economy.

A more 'real world' figure would be low to mid 40's. I'm getting about 43 on average with mixture of some town and motorway driving.

The estate has good luggage space but I'm not sure it's big enough for a drum kit - surely a Transit would be more appropriate. I seem to remember that sometime in the eighties, Ford stuffed a Cosworth V8 DFV engine in it, presumably so that bands could get to gigs more quickly

I have a 20 mile round trip to work mainly on country A roads and the occasional bit of m/way driving. I don't bimble around nor do I cane it very much. I was taking the fuel readings from my computer but I think it's about right. V similar to my old A4 Avant TDi

You must have the patience of a saint to get that sort of fuel economy.

A more 'real world' figure would be low to mid 40's. I'm getting about 43 on average with mixture of some town and motorway driving.

I would agree, that's certainly what we see from our PD140.

Hello everyone - new member here.

We are looking for a new car, which has to meet the brief of being my wife's daily car, for work and family, but with enough space for me to carry drum kit. It will replace a 9 year old Passatt.

Having had extended test drives in Mazda 6 Estate, latest Passatt and Octavia vRS CR Estate we are definitely leaning towards the vRS. They are all capable cars and the best combination might be the 6 with the vRS running gear, but we have to stick with what's possible! The vRS is winning-through because it's the one that puts a smile on our faces when getting-in and driving it.

I'm waiting for my local dealer to re-consider their pricing (Drive the Deal looks tempting at 16.8% off list) before placing an order.

Looking at this excellent site for the first time last night - you clearly love your Skodas - I was then a bit unsettled about whether I'd be buying a car just before a new one is launched? From what I can see on the site there may be a facelift and then an entirely new model?

So any information and advice you have on the car in general, with new CR engine, and the timing of a purchase, where you'll know pricing trends better than me will be most welcome.

Thanks.

Bispers

Are you aware there is an imminent facelift for the Octavia? Date not announced but likely to be available early in the new year.

This is probably the reason there are such good discounts with brokers, but also most dealers will offer good discounts too.

To give you an idea, a dealer recently offered me a brand new unregistered 2.0 TDI Elegance DSG estate with metallic paint for under £17K ie c. £2,800 off

Sorry Bispers, I missed one of your paragraphs: you do know about the facelift! The facelift suggests there won't be a completely new model for at least 2 years, and probably longer I would think

I think we'll know what the facelift looks like soon. You might then want to decide if it's worth waiting for. Word is it won't be dramatically different. Discounts on the current model may be even keener then.

I'd develop your relationship with your dealer: I've found most Skoda dealers to be pretty frank

Thank you all for the replies so far - there's some good stuff here.

Yes it's the diesel we're looking at and the CR is certainly impressive - we've been driving a 140 CR in a Passat all week, so have experienced the power, smoothness and economy of this similar engine.

If the Mazda had a better engine it would be serious competition. By rights it SHOULD win - the car design is 3-4 years newer than the others, has lots of innovative things like the rear-seat folding mechanism, but it can't see-off the Octavia because of the engine. Gear ratios are a bit odd too - 6th really only works as a motorway gear.

I love the idea of the 'right' Transit for drum kit. From memory one of the Ford 'Supervan' transits was based on the C100 sportscar with Cosworth DFL power, so it would be great to rumble down the road in that.

But it's looking like the Octavia for the combination of fun and practicality. Working out the 'right time' to order is the tricky bit, depending on the significance of the facelift and it's effect on pricing.

Good idea to speak to the dealer again - I'll call him and see what he knows and/or can tell me.

The estate has good luggage space but I'm not sure it's big enough for a drum kit - surely a Transit would be more appropriate. I seem to remember that sometime in the eighties, Ford stuffed a Cosworth V8 DFV engine in it, presumably so that bands could get to gigs more quickly

Well there's drumkits and drumkits. If you were looking at some of Carl palmer's set-ups from the more excessive ELP days, then I doubt even a Luton would be big enough. Conversely, the Yamaha Hipgig sets break down so all the drums fit inside the bass drum, and all the hardware inside the drumstool - two containers only, and you could fit them in the boot of the saloon/hatchback. I guess the original poster's kit is somewhere in-between

A friend's father has had a diesel vRS estate for 18 months or two years, and he's very impressed with it; seems to prefer driving it to his Boxster. I guess if the original poster is happy that his drumkit can fit in the Octy estate, then now or the next few months are a good time to get one.

Let me rock the boat, go for the mazda 6, realiable, cheap to run & looks th dogs.

I Previously had a 57 plate mazda 6 TS 143ps diesel, Wouldnt go back from my Octavia to my mazda

the octavia makes the mazda feel like its been left in the dark ages

I've just got a '58 L&K estate over the vRS and personally, I think it's the better choice as long as your main objective is trying to tear your nuts off with speed and acceleration. It's plenty fast enough but a lot more refined.

Well there's drumkits and drumkits. If you were looking at some of Carl palmer's set-ups from the more excessive ELP days, then I doubt even a Luton would be big enough. Conversely, the Yamaha Hipgig sets break down so all the drums fit inside the bass drum, and all the hardware inside the drumstool - two containers only, and you could fit them in the boot of the saloon/hatchback. I guess the original poster's kit is somewhere in-between

A friend's father has had a diesel vRS estate for 18 months or two years, and he's very impressed with it; seems to prefer driving it to his Boxster. I guess if the original poster is happy that his drumkit can fit in the Octy estate, then now or the next few months are a good time to get one.

The good news is I was able to test the carrying capacity of the Octavia for my kit during an extended test drive and it was fine. In fact it made me wonder whether the standard vRS floor (ie without variable boot floor) was best as it stopped heavy hardware bags moving too far forwards.

I know what you mean about Carl Palmer - saw him at a drum clinic last year.

I've just ordered (from drivethedeal) an Oct vRS CR170 (hatch).

Apparently you have to order the car before the middle of November (build week or something) as thats when the new one will be been built.

As the guy on the phone told me, you wont get such a massive discount with the new model so its a trade off!

Octavia vRS - Metallic Race Blue, Maxidot, Reverse Sensors and Cruise Control.

£16,450!!! Closest my 2 local dealers came was £18,700!

Trouble is it'll be 10-12 weeks for delivery as it has to be made!

Bispers, I was recently in the market for a new estate; two children under two years, etc.

Stopped speccing a Ford Transit, sorry Smax when the price got silly,

Gave up on the C30 because it was too small,

Thought about the Mazda MPS, but they seem to have forgotten a boot!

I decided to move from my mk1 rs saloon to a new mk2 rs estate. I then added £600 at JKM for a chip and alls great, this one will too follow on from the saloon with a trip to the ring for the obligatory sticker, so theres nothing holding it back on performance, plus the estate is more stealthy!

Do it, listen to the voices in your head and buy the octy

I understand there should be some pricing clarifications today, sent by Skoda to dealers overnight - looks like confirmation from Skoda that cruise control is now standard (as already reported on this site).

I also wonder whether the 'free' 18" wheels and d/z aircon will become standard too.

Whether this amounts to a full 09MY spec announcement I don't know.

If you order a new Octavia you get cruise control standard if you buy a factory order car.

So I've just bought a new Octavia vRS TDI (picking up in Nov, factory order) and paid for c control when I didn't have to?

I've spoken to my dealer and apparently the c control is standard but you no longer get the £900 (or whatever it is) discount?

Cruise control, dual zone climate control, electric rear windows, and jumbo box are now all part of the standard specifacation. They have dropped the offer and made those features standard. But they haven't increased the price.

All this is fantastic info as I am also considering a change of car, currently drive a Leon Cupra 150 tdi but have 2 small people and need more space. Octy vRS Estate is high on my list especially as I would most likely take a trip to see Mike at Jabbasport for some fine fettling...(he did a cracking job on a previous Leon Cupra R up to 282 bhp) unsure whether or not to stay with the diesel or revert to petrol, depends on what increases Jabbasport could produce on the two..

I'll keep doing my homework as I am in no rush just yet but could be if I make a wise decision! excited now just thinking about a new car, or should I go for a low milleage used one?

too many decisions, nice ones though!