Octavia DSG or Superb Manual.

Time to enter the used market for something a little reliable than my usual old sheds. With prices being low, and a small family loan being available I have a budget of between £3k and £4k.

I can't decide between an Octavia in Elegance spec with DSG, or a Superb comfort or maybe at a stretch Elegance manual both 1.9 TDi.

I'm after black paint, alloys, dark interior, leather would be nice but essential. I love toys aplenty and legalities aside I'm not averse to shoving in a HID kit if they weren't available as an option. I like toys.

I have an ebay diag cable(from my old Octavia and the missu's old Fabia) and a shareware copy of VAG-com for fault reading etc, so I would prefer a car that can use that cable.

My old Octavia was a 2.0 8v. Utterly reliable, but light rolling death sucking the life out of me. I'm looking for something that can still give me a buzz, but be comfortable and economical.

To give you a clue where I'm at car wise I've had in the last 8 years.

a Skoda 120L

a Skoda Favorit

a Saab 900 T16S

a Celica GT4 ST185

a Saab 900 T16S convertible

an Octavia 2.0 GLXi

a Range Rover 3.5 auto (what a shed).

a Toyota Celsior (Lexus LS400 import)

a Saab 9000 Aero manual.

I'm at the point where I'm looking to economise on fuel, and thanks to the new bands save on tax, so a Superb Auto is out as the tax band is so much higher.

The best the Aero can manage is low 30s mpg on a long run thanks to in the past having a secondhand boxes fitted and it being the lower geared fuel injection rather than aero box. Accelerates well though.

And add to that since I've had it I've to fix.

Headgasket, rear disks and pads (£600)

Alarm Replacement (£150)

Clutch hydraulic hose (£200).

Add into that a couple of services and it is getting a bit silly and hasn't even reached MOT time.

If it was a mint condition one it wouldn't be an issue but it is a bit shabby, only cost £900 and bought purely to bring down the insurance and fuel spends because the Celsior was using £60 of fuel a week to do 250 miles.

So, TDi Octavia DSG or TDi Superb manual, which do reckon?

I think the Superb would be a better buy at the pricepoint. Don't rule out a nice Passat TDI either though.

That's what I'm thinking.

It might be hard to get past the missus, she wants me to get smaller, She would compromise on an Octavia, but I guess I would need to take her out for a spin.

I'm more of a Skoda than VW person I think.

The MK 2 Octavia will handle much better though and a newer design so I think I'd be tempted to go for that Over the MK I superb.

Esp since the Suberb has all the blocked drain holes and ensuing leak issues that were never addressed following on from the passat. :(

It really depends on what you want out of the car.

If you require good rear legroom then it has to be a Superb, but you do loose a bit of practicality:

no folding rear seats (even the ones that do fold, you can't lift the rear seat base so they don't fold flat, so are pretty useless)

They are a big car - they are longer than most parking bays

They don't handle as well as the Octavia.

There will be little difference in the spec of an Octavia Elegance compared to the Superb Comfort (i went from a MKI Octavia Elegance to my Superb Comfort but the Superb has a higher spec).

For ME it was the right choice as for 99% of the time the Octavia boot is too big - at the price of rear legroom.

The blocked drain holes and pollen filter housing seal is a real issue for the Superb, but providing you buy one that has not yet leaked it will cost you a couple of quid and 1 -2 hrs of your time to remedy.

You'll get a better Superb for your money than an Octavia II.

I can comfortably drive an Octavia 1. Seat was about 98% right, but not quite there.

I'm 6foot2, so quite often rear seat passengers are cramped behind me.

Big cars wise, I've owned 2 Saab 900's (longer than a Volvo 240 estate), currently a Saab 900, and a Lexus LS400 sized Toyota. Parking wasn't a problem most of the time.

I would love an auto boxed Superb, but I can't justify the extra car tax that tiptronic auto would cost over a manual, or if available the DSG box. Shame you can't get a DSG Superb 1.

A 1.9TDi Comfort in a nice colour would do you proud!

I'd go with a Superb too I'm yet to experience the water ingress issue though....

I currently own a 2006 Octavia II 2.0tdi with dsg in L&K trim level, and am considering a move to a 1.9tdi auto Superb 2006+ in the elegance trim level. I have been looking for a while and the elegance spec on the Superb is better than my L&K spec Octavia. I would also like the Superb in 100 edition spec.

I'm more of a Skoda than VW person I think.

Superb wipes the floor with the Passat tbh, you get more kit, longer interior and colour coded exterior, why not go for an auto, if you are a m-way user you'll hardly notice the difference in the tank.

Just as a matter of interest, what stereo options where there for the Superb? Any 2 din options like in the Octavia? or the better shaped options in the Octavia 2?

I've been following the MFD2 alternative thread about the ebay sellers. I've gotten used to having a combined headunit and bluetooth in my old Saab (cheap Lidl Silvercrest unit that works bloody well). I like the way the chinese ones mentioned in that thread appear to be canbus and support the wheel controls in the Octavia 2.

I think you would be happy with either, I would

I know I would, but with me spending about 3x what I normally spend on an old snotter, and having to keep this for at least 3 years, I don't just want to be happy, I want to be ecstatic.

It's all the missus fault. A failed clutch hose on the Saab after a headgasket and a failed alarm and a failed handbrake cable has pushed her too far to continue to put up with my love of old bangers.

She wants me to get something small like a Yaris. I could manage a large economical new car, but I couldn't face driving a little car.

Superb wipes the floor with the Passat tbh, you get more kit, longer interior and colour coded exterior,

Eh?? I'm not sure the Superb "wipes the floor" with the Passat at all.

Can you get a Superb Estate?

The Passat has a nicer looking interior too, better radios, has the more prestigious badge and is available with sportier suspension and nicer wheels if thats what you want.

My old "SE" Estate had heated seats, cruise control, 6cd in dash, velour upholstery, arm rests front and rear, ESP, alloys and colour coded exterior, all for less money than you could get a Superb for at the time.

The Superb is a great car, but don't rule out the Passat