Folks,

My heart is set on buying a 2nd hand manual VRS CR TDI. Basically I am going to look at a car this evening and I am wondering what I should look out for (if anything). My only real concern is reliability and at the moment I have nor reason to doubt the reliability of these cars. My other concern is comfort as I have a dodgy back and am concerned regarding the comfort factor. Thanks in advance:thumbup:.

(PS) I have done a number of searches on the topics above and I hope people don't mind me asking these questions.

Cue Babs coming along and tell you can't buy it because it's a diesel :P

Seriously though, nope - no reason at all. It'll have quite a bit of manufacturer warranty remaining, whichever one you choose, so any issues can be sorted that way.

The CR unit is very smooth and linear in delivery by all accounts, so don't think you'll have any problems there. And I find the vRS seats to be very comfortable and supportive. But everyone's different, so make sure you give them a decent test. Are you thinking of buying privately or from a dealer? If dealer, see if you can get one on extended test drive, citing your comfort/back concerns as a possible deal breaker if you can't be sure about that aspect

Steve

My dad's nick name is Biffo!!!!!!!!!

Folks,

I am happy to buy a diesel as I have had a 110 mk1 octy elegance for the last 6yrs and 150k miles. On the comfort the car is running 17" so should be a little less harsh. It is private with approx 9months warranty left. BTW the Irish PM's nickname is also Biffo...exalted company!

Don't buy it, diesel is rubbish etc etc etc.

Happy, Wardy?

In all seriousness, a nice car, plenty of room, quick enough for most, and lazy usable power. No real reason not to buy one for most people. I just really like the people at my local Shell :rofl

Folks,

My heart is set on buying a 2nd hand manual VRS CR TDI. Basically I am going to look at a car this evening and I am wondering what I should look out for (if anything). My only real concern is reliability and at the moment I have nor reason to doubt the reliability of these cars. My other concern is comfort as I have a dodgy back and am concerned regarding the comfort factor. Thanks in advance:thumbup:.

(PS) I have done a number of searches on the topics above and I hope people don't mind me asking these questions.

Dont think you can go wrong, nice refined engine, cheaper insurance than the petrol version. More mpg and better resale price. Its a winner. Altho if you want to keep all option open maybe a Golf GT TDi??

You might want to check the lumbar adjustment on the drivers seat. It seems to be disconnected on a lot of cars and not that effective when it does work.

I think mine works but it doesn't make much of a difference. Not the the standard seats are bad at all. But maybe something worth checking if you're prone to a bad back.

Biffo you mention your back, have you seen the seats in the LE? Budget £16-17K. Brilliant support, also very nice with the CR 170!

The seats in the LE are identical underneath, just re-covered. Do you reckon the bulges in the leather makes it feel more comfy on the lower back?

The seats in the LE are identical underneath, just re-covered. Do you reckon the bulges in the leather makes it feel more comfy on the lower back?

Yep. They are a world of difference from my old VRS. Seem to have more support at sides, more padding. Just a suggestion. They are excellent seats. .

I have had back issues in the past and my wife still does, she find the only place she can sit in comfort is in my vRS. I find them super comfy.

As someone has already said though, make sure you get a really good test drive.

Hope all goes well with the viewing, dont forget to report back on you decision.

ATB, Jon.

Folks,

My heart is set on buying a 2nd hand manual VRS CR TDI. Basically I am going to look at a car this evening and I am wondering what I should look out for (if anything). My only real concern is reliability and at the moment I have nor reason to doubt the reliability of these cars. My other concern is comfort as I have a dodgy back and am concerned regarding the comfort factor. Thanks in advance:thumbup:.

(PS) I have done a number of searches on the topics above and I hope people don't mind me asking these questions.

If you do a lot of urban/city driving or short stop/start trips you may want to consider the potential drawbacks (inconvenience) of a diesel engine fitted with DPF; Skoda themselves spell-out the limitations of DPFs for such driving scenarios in the brochure. If you do a lot of dual carriageway/motorway driving or you can treat it to a regular "blast" to regenerate the DPF then I'm sure you'll be fine and won't even know it's there.

Agreed. The only downside is the DPF. Otherwise can't fault it and don't want the expense of single handedly running a Shell garage either...

Folks,

Thanks for all the replies. Most of my driving is a/b roads with a daily commute of 70 miles or so. Unfortunatley viewing is postponed until later in the weekend but I will come back ASAP.

Funny thing: I've just been around to see a friend of mine who is a proper petrolhead as he was keen to see the new car. Mike is not backward in coming forwards and can be relied upon to deliver an honest opinion borne out of years of driving all kinds of vehicles including some that could be considered "exotica". To say he was impressed would be an understatement. He loved the interior, fit and finish and practicality (laughed out loud when he saw the size of the boot) and his first comment on handling was "well it doesn't roll very much does it?". Various comments ensued about the fact that the traction control was quite unobtrusive, the spread of power was very even and that the engine was "brutal"!!

Perhaps the most telling comment regarding comfort was that the ride was "excellent and given the high level of body control was firm but comfortable". This is coming from a man who sufers from considerable back pain.

I can honestly say that from a performance, refinement and comfort perspective, I never expected to be so impressed and I'm glad I bought the CR VRS over the alternatives.

I don't think you will go far wrong buying one.

....and I'm a picky ******* too!!!

I can only second many peoples comments on here really. I too laughed out loud when I saw the cavern that they call 'the boot' and found the engine to be the smoothest and most balanced diesel I've driven.

Comfort, equipment, performance, economy, looks, space, refinement......all for less ££ than a say a BMW for example, of which I've owned 3 and can safely say do not provide the same balance of all those attributes. Yes the driving dynamics are quite nice but you pay a fortune for optional extras so most used ones are poverty spec. Plus mine went wrong ALL the time, and parts & labour are a fortune. Never ever again.

I'm extremely happy with my choice of car.

Guess there is no reason not to buy then! Thanks to all who replied and anyone else who wishes to comment!

With the economy of the new TSI I'd seriously think before getting a TDi because unless you do big mileage it isn't worth it in my opinion.

Can't think of any reason why you shouldn't.As for the DPF i just take it for a blast on some of the A roads,if i have only been doing local or town driving all week,but i mainly out in it at weekends anyhow so it's not really an issue....

Depends on the purchasing cost and how much you save when buying. Diesel is now the same price per litre as normal unleaded at all my local garages, and you really need to run the TFSI on super for it to be at its best both power and mpg wise. It's more expensive on insurance by about £30 a year for me, more expensive on tax (CR TDI is only £125 a year) and of course worse on fuel despite being better than other petrols in the same class.

The only reason now to not get a diesel is if you're really into driving and need that extra revvy-ness that the petrol offers. Also if you have to have it totally whisper quiet, or if you just hate diesels.

I only do about 12k a year now, and moving from a 1.8 140bhp BMW to my Fabia vRS I started to save money almost straight away - from 35mpg to about 45, and that was with diesel costing more back then. Plus the tax savings were an added bonus.

Update:

I viewed and drove the car mentioned above. It was in excellent condition and was an excellent, smooth, drive. Unfotunately we couldn't agree on price but the offer still stands for the moment. Two observations; A) the CR has a very different power delivery compared to the PD version I drove before. I am not sure which I prefer i.e. smooth power delivery versus 'kick in the pants' PD delivery which could be argued is more fun. There was a noise coming from the back of the car at around 30mph in all gears which disappeared above and below this speed. It sounded to me like a damaged wheel bearing type 'booming' sound. I thought first that it was tyre noise but later changed my view. Comments welcome.

I'd drop a line to the OP of this thread:

http://briskoda.net/octavia-ii/beware-cr170-engine/157141/

Update:

I viewed and drove the car mentioned above. It was in excellent condition and was an excellent, smooth, drive. Unfotunately we couldn't agree on price but the offer still stands for the moment. Two observations; A) the CR has a very different power delivery compared to the PD version I drove before. I am not sure which I prefer i.e. smooth power delivery versus 'kick in the pants' PD delivery which could be argued is more fun. There was a noise coming from the back of the car at around 30mph in all gears which disappeared above and below this speed. It sounded to me like a damaged wheel bearing type 'booming' sound. I thought first that it was tyre noise but later changed my view. Comments welcome.

Especially Interesting...considering there is 17500 miles on the car I looked at :eek:. I have to say that it didn't feel as if it was coming from the engine bay but...

The wheel bearing comment I would suggest is a wheel alignment/geometry issue. TBH I thought they'd sorted that on the later cars, certainly since the CR was introduced. You need to get the revised settings on there.

Steve