Hi. First post. :noob:

Right, decision time. Fully loaded Subaru Legacy diesel estate or fully loaded Octavia Scout 140PD? Heart says Legacy - lovely to drive, but I'm slightly suspicious of the new diesel. ECU problems reported.

And I have just divested myself of a Nissan Primera 2.2.Dci, bought new in '04, which has been the most unreliable crock of **** I have ever owned. Turbo blew twice in 73k miles, and as for the electrics...

So I don't want to be a development guinea-pig for Subaru.

Scout: a bit more primitive, old PD engine instead of CR, but presumably a known quantity. Browsing the forums here creates a good impression.

Annual mileage - 16k. Need something to tow a motorcycle trailer (I restore old bikes) plus handle the occasional ski trip. And chase hot air balloons across country.

What goes wrong with the Scout? Anything? Any niggles? Plus points? Input genuinely needed as I've got to make my mind up pronto....

TIA

Well mines been fine. I would change the tyres if you plan to take it onto mud and across fields, seems the best option is to get a second set of 16" steel wheels with winter / AT tyres.

Everything else is just well specced Octavia, maybe a bit dull but from a driving point of view great. The sensible option is probably a 4x4, but after hankering for an Allroad for years I couldn't resist the Scout! Question is would you go for the tinted glass and cruise control anyway?

Advice?

As Nike said:

Just Do It........

Niall

("probably":O biased - I think it's a great piece of kit!)

I've got the chance of a fully loaded one (satnav, heated seats, towbar, multifunction wheel, sunroof, zenons, Alcantara) for £21k otr, new, with the 140PD engine.

Somebody say: "buy, buy!" and I will. Now. Seriously, though, that sounds like a good deal? Correct?

EDIT: Well, it had better be, because I've just put down a deposit on it.

Full spec: Alcantara, zenons, sunroof, active head restraints, satnav, heated seats, multifunction wheel, cruise, parking sensors and a towbar.

Edited 2 February, 200917 yr by SIameseDuke
Update

Ahhhhh the good old P12 Primera

I had one of those, an '02 2.2 SVE estate, TOTALLY UNRELIABLE The only good bits were the Sat Nav and the reversing camera.

As for the Scout - great car as is the Subaru despite the engine issues which is sadly to be expected with a totally new design.

The PD isn't the most modern engine and is a noisy bugger compared to the latest crop of CR units but most of the problems have been ironed out and its very easy and fairy cheap to wring another 30-40BHP out of it if required.

It sounds like an excellent spec and the price sounds pretty good too

Seeing as its new I would assume it has the 'Columbus' navigation fitted which is fantastic and better than the Subaru offering.

I've got a regular 4x4 (not Scout, but very very similar), I absolutely love it. It's still early days, but so far so good.

If all else is equal, I'd say get the Scout because it's a European company

As for the Scout - great car as is the Subaru despite the engine issues which is sadly to be expected with a totally new design.

The PD isn't the most modern engine and is a noisy bugger compared to the latest crop of CR units but most of the problems have been ironed out and its very easy and fairy cheap to wring another 30-40BHP out of it if required.

Yup, no company would get a brand new engine 100% right first time, it's just too complicated.

As for engine noise, maybe I'm alone here, but I actually don't like very quiet engines. I like to hear what my engine is doing!!

Good choice... Pricewise sounds OK with all the options (although hard to comment with all the discounts around at the moment).

I went out today to have little play in the snow, great fun! Switched off the ESP and let the four wheel drive do its thing and had a great time...

Enjoy it!

Yup, no company would get a brand new engine 100% right first time, it's just too complicated.

As for engine noise, maybe I'm alone here, but I actually don't like very quiet engines. I like to hear what my engine is doing!!

You aren't alone chap, I like the reassuring noise of the derv up front, most people aren't too keen though.

As for the price, speccing up a similar Scout on the Skoda website comes to over £25,300.........................

Ahhhhh the good old P12 Primera

I had one of those, an '02 2.2 SVE estate, TOTALLY UNRELIABLE The only good bits were the Sat Nav and the reversing camera.

As for the Scout - great car as is the Subaru despite the engine issues which is sadly to be expected with a totally new design.

The PD isn't the most modern engine and is a noisy bugger compared to the latest crop of CR units but most of the problems have been ironed out and its very easy and fairy cheap to wring another 30-40BHP out of it if required.

It sounds like an excellent spec and the price sounds pretty good too

Seeing as its new I would assume it has the 'Columbus' navigation fitted which is fantastic and better than the Subaru offering.

Mine was the SE, but as a pre-reg demo car had the satnav. And yeah, the colour reversing camera was great.

The electrics were a nightmare - I discovered they were Renault, shoved into the cars as a cost-cutting exercise. I had ECU problems (many), the faulty earth in the steering wheel loom which turned the radio up and down according to which way you twirled the wheel (or cycled through the computer functions), the rear seat back collapsed (I mean, how?), the rear screen leaked and let water into the electric release, fritzing it and sending the alarm and central locking haywire, random power loss, and then the turbo blew at 47k miles, with one month left on the warranty.

It behaved itself for a while after that was fixed, but still ate discs like they were cream crackers, and then the electrics started playing up again (dodgy earth in the rear right-hand tail light cluster: when you indicate, it cuts the power because the ECU thinks you're braking) and then the replacement turbo blew two weeks ago at 73k miles.

I've punted it out on eBay, with the blow turbo, as a spares or repairs car,and got £1300 for it. Absolute money pit. Disastrous car.

I thought I was buying a French diesel engine and Japanese electrics. I got a Jap diesel engine (trust me, it really isn't a Renault lump, although the gearbox is Renault, I believe) with French electrics. How crap is that? And they're showing Renault bits into all the new Nissans: the Cash Cow is basically a Megane, and the current Micra is a Clio.

I wouldn't touch a modern Nissan with a ten-foot pole.

(Deep breath)

Right, rant over.

(Looks left and right and sucks teeth)

Seems a decent helpful crowd here. I might stick around

I agree the P12 was a disaster, you are spot on, it was a ropey old Nissan 2.2 diesel (contrary to popluar belief it had the same 150PS 2.2dCi as the Laguna II) The P12 was initially supposed to get a self levelling chassis but was dropped due to cost.

I lost a flywheel, clutch, half the gearbox, both outer CVs, both wheel bearings, entire dash pod died, vacuum pump, engine ECU, access control module and the infamous seat back collapse in addtion to loads of other niggles. Cheers Renault!

On reflection, SWMBO had a K12 Micra dCi82 for 3 years from new and it never put a foot wrong

Nissan rant over and back OT :P

I've had 3 Octavias - A Mk1 and 2 Mk2s and they have been fine apart from the odd minor hiccup here and there. SWMBO also has a Mk2 vRS and she wants an L&K next time round. You can't really go wrong with them to be honest.

Almost forgot - Welcome to Briskoda :wave:

I agree the P12 was a disaster, you are spot on, it was a ropey old Nissan 2.2 diesel (contrary to popluar belief it had the same 150PS 2.2dCi as the Laguna II) The P12 was initially supposed to get a self levelling chassis but was dropped due to cost.

I lost a flywheel, clutch, half the gearbox, both outer CVs, both wheel bearings, entire dash pod died, vacuum pump, engine ECU, access control module and the infamous seat back collapse in addtion to loads of other niggles. Cheers Renault!

On reflection, SWMBO had a K12 Micra dCi82 for 3 years from new and it never put a foot wrong

Nissan rant over and back OT :P

I've had 3 Octavias - A Mk1 and 2 Mk2s and they have been fine apart from the odd minor hiccup here and there. SWMBO also has a Mk2 vRS and she wants an L&K next time round. You can't really go wrong with them to be honest.

Almost forgot - Welcome to Briskoda :wave:

Ta! Steering back to Nissan for a moment, my wife has one of the old model Micras: a 2000W model, and it's supernaturally reliable. The last proper Nissan before Renault destroyed the brand. The P12 was, as you say, a horror of a car.

Well, I'm looking forward to getting the Scout now. I wonder if the snow will last another 7-10 days (anticipated delivery time)? :P

Ta! Steering back to Nissan for a moment, my wife has one of the old model Micras: a 2000W model, and it's supernaturally reliable. The last proper Nissan before Renault destroyed the brand. The P12 was, as you say, a horror of a car.

Well, I'm looking forward to getting the Scout now. I wonder if the snow will last another 7-10 days (anticipated delivery time)? :P

Hopefully you will have some decent snow to play about in. Either way you'll love it.

Primera P11-144 (facelfited model) was and still is bomb proof. My bother has a Y plate SE+ tuned to the nines and its still going strong other than an 02 sensor replacement. SR20DE motor = bullet proof

The Scout seems a good price for new but you'd pay a lot less for something a few months old if you can find a similar spec!

I think you'll be hard pushed to find one nearly new with that spec list.

There might be the odd ex demo with Columbus fitted but I reckon that would be it.

Guess what I found......http://www.skoda.net.r66.co.uk/carview.aspx?id=600344902#

But at 10 months old and 6k on the clock I don't think its good VFM at almost 19k.

I think you'll be hard pushed to find one nearly new with that spec list.

There might be the odd ex demo with Columbus fitted but I reckon that would be it.

Guess what I found......http://www.skoda.net.r66.co.uk/carview.aspx?id=600344902#

But at 10 months old and 6k on the clock I don't think its good VFM at almost 19k.

Old MFD2, not columbus and no towbar... You can add £2k for those 2 options alone! (not to mention alcantara seats etc...)

I think you'll be hard pushed to find one nearly new with that spec list.

There might be the odd ex demo with Columbus fitted but I reckon that would be it.

Guess what I found......Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI PD Scout 5-Dr Estate

But at 10 months old and 6k on the clock I don't think its good VFM at almost 19k.

Yep I would agree it's not that good value...

I'm thinking I got over £5k off a three month old high spec 4x4 (metallic, 16" wheel upgrade, multifunction steering wheel and Maxidot, active headrests, rear centre armrest, heated seats, detachable towbar electrics and adapter, parrott bluetooth, mats, flaps and netting system) in mid-07 so I'd be expecting a higher saving now given the current economic situation.

The Scout seems a good price for new but you'd pay a lot less for something a few months old if you can find a similar spec!

Yes. I tried, and it really wasn't possible. I'd have considered a used car with delivery mileage, pre-reg, or something similar, but wanted the decent spec. I think that's a good price, really.

When I was last looking at Skodas, when I bought the P12 (I nearly bought a top-spec Fabia estate - should have done, with hindsight), they weren't really in any mood to talk discounts. Times have changed now.

Old MFD2, not columbus and no towbar... You can add £2k for those 2 options alone! (not to mention alcantara seats etc...)

Exactly, thats the nearest used Scout thats even remotely close to the spec

Didn't look at the interior shot, no Columbus = even worse VFM

I think at 21k brand new I would bite the salesman's arm off

Oh dear. And now I read Dr Zoidberg's tale of woe with the PD140 turbo.

Right, what's the longest anyone's known a PD140 lump to last?

Mine is up to 75,000 miles and the turbo is still going. I am sure there are laods with higher mileage than that.

Again, with all internet forums you have to compensate for the fact a high percentage of people sign up when they have a problem. This will obviously skew the realistic precentage of problematic cars.

The scout has a DPF (lots of new cars do with more to come) but if driven correctly (ie quite spirritted on occasion) and not sitting on idle in traffic too much you shouldnt have any trouble with it.

I almost chopped my vRS in for a scout a few months back but backed out and kept the vRS but got a freelander for work/off road use. They are nice cars and handy in this sort of weather.

Steve

The scout has a DPF (lots of new cars do with more to come) but if driven correctly (ie quite spirritted on occasion) and not sitting on idle in traffic too much you shouldnt have any trouble with it.

As long as you do a reasonable mileage at reasonable speed, e.g. an average motorway commute, I don't think there's any requirement to drive "spirited"?

That's my understanding anyway, having read the leaflets etc and driven a few thousand miles without the DPF light coming on!

I think only people who do short daily trips where the regeneration process can't activate, have issues.

Was the PD140 DPF subject to the recall or was that just the PD170?

I thought the regen was initiated by constant driving at such and such rpm/speed :confused:

I thought the regen was initiated by constant driving at such and such rpm/speed :confused:

I've not actually bother to check, but I think all that matters for passive regen is that the exhaust system reaches a particular temp, driving harder helps but I think you'll reach it fine at motorway speed if your journey is long enough.