Hello all,

First post here so i'll say hi to break the ice.

I currently drive a VW Caddy and I'm looking at swapping it for a 1.8T Octy 4x4. I have about £4000 to spend.

Can anyone give me some pointers as what to look out for - any problem areas?

What 'real world' MPG are people getting out of these beasts?

Go for it there is a good "sticky" on here about what to look for. I get around 35mpg from my VRS the same as I was getting from a 1.6 focus.

Since getting a new job recently I've used my hatchback 1.8T 4x4 for travelling to work. 25 miles each way - mainly B roads, a few hills and villages - I average 32-33 mpg on a brim to brim tank (the trip computer is optimistic and claims a bit more!). It's not a bad figure really and I find it a really pleasant car for the journey, steers well, rides nicely and has enough 'go' when needed.

Only problem I've had is with the ignition coil pack, a known weak point on the engine, causing it to misfire. It's cheap enough to fix if it does give you any problems - the AA charged me under £40 to fit a new one when mine went.

If I knew when I bought it I'd be doing 50 miles a day I'd have got a more economical car but I still think it is a decent motor.

Welcome Alex

Cheers all,

33ish MPG is ok. I only do about 7,000 miles a year so I'm thinking its either a nice petrol motor with the added advantage of 4wd or a distinctly average derv one for the same wonga. I live in the country and work there too. I do a lot of mountain biking so the practicality of the estate 4x4 is ace.

Trouble is they are rare down this neck of the woods.

Search for a good one

On a slightly different note - what is the most reliable lump in the mk1 octy?

Do it Prain!

1.8T 4x4 estate or MK1 VRS Estate. For the amount of mileage you do the derv aint worth the extra pay out, you'll have far more fun in a 1.8t (just drive a litle slowe on t'motorway)

Johnson!

You're a bad influence. Shame the nearest 4x4 (that I can find) to me is Manchester! That's more than 200 miles away!

My remapped hatch does about 24 - 30 mpg on the daily 10 mile mixed commute but it didn't do much more before the map, can get up to 40 on a run or down to 17 if playing about It eats tyres pretty rapidly (may be me ). I only do about 9k a year and thats how long NCT5's lasted, the current Bridgestones are doing better. Both rear springs have broken - not sure if that applies to estates - and various breather hoses have given up. It needed a new clutch but that was because of the remap. It uses no oil at all. Very good in the snow. Wouldn't have thought you would need to spend 4k, should get a good one for much less, but I would recommend the remap as long as you allow for the clutch

Cheers for that Musky - where and what remap did you get? Does the 1.8T use a DMF and is that an issue?

I paid £2200 for a 51 plate 4x4 hatch as I couldn't find an estate at the time. The hatch is huge though and I get all my tools and crap that used to take up the whole of the passat estate load space up to the luggage cover. I also had mine converted to LPG and have since changed some bits like 17" alloys, remap, silicone hoses when they break etc. On a motorway run I am averaging 35MPG but as I pay 49p for a litre of LPG it works out at 70+ around town it can drop to low 20's but again that works out as 40+MPG so is still way better than most diesels, and loads more fun to drive as well. (4 wheel drifting in the snow is highly recommended - just make sure you have plenty of room to play :D )

With a budget of £4k you should no problems getting a good one and get it LPG converted with some left for little improvements

Interesting that you could fit more in the hatch than a Passat est.

PEJ has been trying to convince me that the Hatchback is not much smaller at all than the Estate - Are there any (practical) advantages to owning the Hatch over the Estate? Styling-wise I just prefer the look of the estate.

Cheers for that Musky - where and what remap did you get? Does the 1.8T use a DMF and is that an issue?

Just a bog standard Revo. The clutch just slipped pretty much straight away and cost me an extra 650 all in - maybe you will be lucky but its worth knowing just in case. The car has covered another 35k since it had a diesel Valeo (I think) clutch recommended by Jabba - 65k total and I've had it from new. I would say it is very reliable but NOT particularily cheap to run - but what is?

Sorry missed out the "not" - sort of important - too much wine last night

Edited 23 December, 200916 yr by musky

Are there any (practical) advantages to owning the Hatch over the Estate? Styling-wise I just prefer the look of the estate.

Yes there are a few.

If you open the hatch when it is wet, water runs inside. This doesn't seem to happen with the estate.

The rear roofline appears to curve down earlier in the hatch so your tall mates won't want a lift in the back, meaning better fuel economy. The hatch is also lighter that the estate.

I think there's something about rear anti-roll bars .. are or can be fitted to the hatchback?

Are there any (practical) advantages to owning the Hatch over the Estate? Styling-wise I just prefer the look of the estate.

The hatch has some strenghtening bars that fit in behind the back seats. Thus when you lower the rear seats they can get in the way of the load area and prevent you carrying large objects about.

The estate has a fabric grab handle for closing it, which if your not careful gets trapped over the rubber boot seal, and then wicks up the road spray/rain from the rear bumper if you drive in the wet, I also ensure I tuck mine in when closing the boot.

The estate comes with side roof bars, do you can just drop a couple of cross bars on (or even tie on some wood!).

My estate has a raised floor, so good for loading in large, heavy items as the floos leve is then flush with the bumper/boot lip. Also gives you somewhere to hide stuff, like a laptop. I tend to keep my socket set, torque wrench, etc under the floor.

Are there any (practical) advantages to owning the Hatch over the Estate? Styling-wise I just prefer the look of the estate.

I have to agree, I think the estate looks much nicer than the hatch although they do tend demand slightly more money than the hatchback. Having owned both a Hatch and an Estate I found the Estate feels narrower in the boot that the hatch (between the wheel arches). If I remember right the 4x4 has a raised boot floor over the non 4x4 which does reduce the amount of load space in the boot, my hatch also didn't have a cigarette lighter in the boot (different model to the Estate) which is very handy to have with day trips and taking a cool box. Again not sure about the 4x4 model but my hatchback also had the CD Changer in the boot so if the parcel shelf wasn't in it was in full view however the estate its mounted behind the panelling and is out of sight.The only other thing that has been mentioned is if its raining the inside of the boot does get wet in the hatch (open the boot slowely and its not so bad).

On that note if anyone has a clean example of a 4x4 estate and wants to sell or swap the Caddy for (55 plate Tdi), please let me know!

My 2002 4X4 Estate is one of the best cars I have owned! Mine is remapped and has averaged 31.75mpg (on 4 star) over 30000 miles. And no, it is not for sale. If you can find a good one, go for it.

The hatch has some strenghtening bars that fit in behind the back seats. Thus when you lower the rear seats they can get in the way of the load area and prevent you carrying large objects about.

Mine doesn't have these

The hatch has some strenghtening bars that fit in behind the back seats. Thus when you lower the rear seats they can get in the way of the load area and prevent you carrying large objects about.

Mine doesn't have these

I think the bars are only on the VRS not the 4x4?

Interesting that you could fit more in the hatch than a Passat est.

PEJ has been trying to convince me that the Hatchback is not much smaller at all than the Estate - Are there any (practical) advantages to owning the Hatch over the Estate? Styling-wise I just prefer the look of the estate.

I have to be honest, I was really surprised at how much **** I get in it, I have 2 poly boxes of cables and bits, toolbox, three drills, socket set, trolley jack (not keen on the standard jack and I had some problems with hoses blowing off, the RAC were getting ****ed off all sorted now though so I should take it back out) Spare wheel (the gas tank is in the wheel well) and even with the boot floor being higher + the tank being just a bit higher again, I can still get a weeks shopping in under the parcel shelf