I am looking to replace my Subaru Impreza Turbo.

Looked at many options, from Astra VXR, Mazda 3MPS, Focus ST, Focus RS, and of course Octavia.

Without doubt, the Octavia vRS Petrol Manual at £15,200 is by far the best value - for 200 BHP it's difficult to beat - on paper.

Went back to the Skoda garage - trying my best (and desperately wanting) to like the look of the vRS Octavia.

Now, maybe I'm missing something, but it looks like a Taxi Cab (to my eyes) from almost all angles .... I really want to want one!!!

I can tell you now, if it looked like a Mazda6 I would have put a deposit down in an instant ..... the Subaru Impreza is no looker, granted, but somehow it looks so much better?

Can you help convince me that I would look back with pride when I leave it somewhere? Or, maybe, the boring looks is part of its charm? A bog standard looking car which has a turn of speed?

This is what happens when a car thats intended as a reliable workhorse starts to get a good reputation, go for it man its all in the mind I had the same issues when going from Audi to Skoda, Im alright now

it will surprise everyone looking at it who thinks its just a skoda, then you put your foot down and the acceleration embarasses the boy racers in their various 1.6s with a big exhaust systems. i'm quite a fan of the cars that dont look the part but surprise with their performance,

on the vxr bit, a good friend has one from brand new, been well looked after and at 20,000 miles 1st registered june 2008 its been nothing but trouble since it reached about 12000 miles,

I'm used to boy racers trying it on .... as a Subaru Impreza driver I am game for every trophy hunter going!!

It makes for good bragging down the pub that you beat a 'Scooby' .... with all due respect, there is no street cred in beating a vRS.

I have desperately been trying to find one I can drive, as I'm sure I will love the drive ... but no-one has stock to drive.

It's the looks which I am having a real hard time with ....

I'm used to boy racers trying it on .... as a Subaru Impreza driver I am game for every trophy hunter going!!

It makes for good bragging down the pub that you beat a 'Scooby' .... with all due respect, there is no street cred in beating a vRS.

I have desperately been trying to find one I can drive, as I'm sure I will love the drive ... but no-one has stock to drive.

It's the looks which I am having a real hard time with ....

it makes even better bragging rights though that your undesirable vRS beat something much more desirable

I'm used to boy racers trying it on .... as a Subaru Impreza driver I am game for every trophy hunter going!!

It makes for good bragging down the pub that you beat a 'Scooby' .... with all due respect, there is no street cred in beating a vRS.

Tell that to all the boy racers that try it on with me... Most of the time I don't rise to the bait...

Trust me, the boy racer community know what the vRS is like and it obviously has some respect otherwise they wouldn't be pulling up along side and gunning the engine...

The majority of people on here are likely to be biased, so if you've got a thought in your mind about the looks it's going to be difficult for anyone to put forward an argument for you to like it.

I certainly don't think of mine as a taxi :no:

I personally like cars that have a bit of a sleeper/subtle look to them, and I see it as a major plus.

There's 3 main things that affect my decision on a car:

1) Price

2) Appearance / Size

3) Performance

Of course there's a lot more to the decision than that, but for me those 3 things are what starting points for what rules a car in or out. If there's a strong negative against any of these 3 things, I rule a car out without looking at the rest of what it offers.

So my advise is that it depends on just how negative you feel about the looks. If you feel strongly negative about it, then noone will change your mind on it - if you need to be persuaded on something that you have a strong opinion on then you'd probably only ever end up regretting it.

it makes even better bragging rights though that your undesirable vRS beat something much more desirable

As an Impreza Turbo owner it would be unseemly if I bragged - I let my car do the talking.

I'm too old to brag anyway, these days.

It's just the 'look' of the Octavia which concerns me .... but, now I read that VAG cars have major issues with the ABS system!! Subaru's simply don't fail ..... the ABS units would cost the poor owner £1500!!!

Do you think on the new VAG cars that a new module would have been fitted ... and will it be fitted to the VW cars first and then their poorer cousins later?

It's just the 'look' of the Octavia which concerns me .... but, now I read that VAG cars have major issues with the ABS system!! Subaru's simply don't fail ..... the ABS units would cost the poor owner £1500!!!

Tell us more

The vRS doesn't look like a taxi! If it did I would not be buying one!!!

I cannot get these pictures out of my mind ... I spent 20 minutes looking at the Octavia vRS today - it was a 10 Plate Estate waiting for its new owner to collect on 1st March.

Hyundia prove that you can build an attractive car cheaply ... do you think VAG keep it less desirable than, say, a Passat/Golf on purpose to maintain the price differential?

Edited 27 February, 201016 yr by MrRee

Just look at Prolfe's white VRS in this thread, it certainly does n't look like an Eastern European Taxi!

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/151649-vrs-in-candy-white/page__st__20

hmmthats a Mk1. what impreza do you have. if its a WRX the vRS will have no issues holding its own against it. An exhaust and intake with matching map will see a vRS keeping with an STI, stage 2+ the car and you will drive past the STI no issues. trust me i drove one the other day. as I was planning the reverse of what you are.

change of plan now tbhough. Now im looking at getting a clioi 172, and using it as a pure track tool. much cheaper option

hav a look through this picture thread of Mk2 vRS octavias.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/151725-you-are-doing-it-right-the-big-skoda-octavia-ii-picture-tread/

if you still think the look lke a taxi after that you are seriously looking at the wrong car for yourself

I did want a white one, I did think the car was too big and slab-sided for white .. but that shows it can work quite well.

But, to be honest, it still doesn't give me a buzz ..... like this does:-

But my dog cannot fit in the boot ... that's where the Octavia scores high - the boot is HUGE!

I don't have any axe to grind in favour of a Mazda 6 ... but, if the Octavia looked like this, for £15,200 I would rip Skoda's arm off!!

I would walk away ..... if it wasn't for two things ... 1. 200 BHP and 2. £15,200 OTR ...... I'm a Yorkshireman and value pulls at my heart strings very strongly indeed!!

I think the FL vRS with the right colour and trim could look almost as good as the cars you have listed, except the RS which is a different class of car/price. It does grow on you. It comes down to how many boxes does it tick, how many miles will you drive and what do you need the car for. I haven't got one (yet) and will probably get a pre-FL as I can't justify the new price, even on DtD, and the pre-FL looks are growing on me as well. Slightly lowering, tinting, and getting rid of some chrome on the grills would help though. Also is it just the looks or the badge as well. My wife can't quite get her head around getting a Skoda, but she will. She'll continue to drive our "55" plate Legacy but I think she will soon come to terms with the vRS being a Skoda...

To the poster above indicating a vRS can hold it's own against a WRX ....

I assume you mean in a straight line, if so, yes - maybe it can hang on to the Impreza's tailpipes for a good while.

But throw in a corner or two - like real world driving - and, I'm afraid the Impreza has gone ...... I know I am talking to lovers of the Octavia vRS - but, seriously, there are very few cars that can live with an Impreza in full flight on the twisty roads of the world. Evo's possibly, Octavia's? Never, sorry.

hav a look through this picture thread of Mk2 vRS octavias.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/151725-you-are-doing-it-right-the-big-skoda-octavia-ii-picture-tread/

Why a lack of red vRS's? Do people really not like them?

Now im looking at getting a clioi 172

We need to talk

Go with your head then and buy anything but an Octavia - you obviously don't like them

I have a race blue FL VRS estate. I cant understand how you think it looks inferior to a Mazda 6. I have had people complimenting me on its looks and these are drivers of top notch BMW and Audi. Go and take one out for a rattle and you will be converted.

I can say, absolutely, the Skoda badge does not put me off.

I would not buy a BMW, Audi or VW ... because of the badge, and the fact that idiots tend to drive them!

I am not a badge snob ... but I like my cars to look pleasing to me - I don't mind quirky ( I have a Impreza after all - it's as quirky looking as you can get! ).

I guess the Octavia is bland, that's a fairer word than Taxi ..... but sums it up I feel?

Edited 27 February, 201016 yr by MrRee

To the poster above indicating a vRS can hold it's own against a WRX ....

I assume you mean in a straight line, if so, yes - maybe it can hang on to the Impreza's tailpipes for a good while.

But throw in a corner or two - like real world driving - and, I'm afraid the Impreza has gone ...... I know I am talking to lovers of the Octavia vRS - but, seriously, there are very few cars that can live with an Impreza in full flight on the twisty roads of the world. Evo's possibly, Octavia's? Never, sorry.

in a straightline of course, the STI was streets ahead of my vRS and ive got a full raft of suspension mods.

sounds to me you need an impreza again. i drove the STI and dynamically was hugely impressed. prefered the engine of the vRS (@ my spec that is) though.

I have a race blue FL VRS estate. I cant understand how you think it looks inferior to a Mazda 6. I have had people complimenting me on its looks and these are drivers of top notch BMW and Audi. Go and take one out for a rattle and you will be converted.

The drive probably would convince me that it is superb value ..... but it cannot change the looks.

I am missing something, clearly .... but taste is very personal, some like some don't ..... even an Aston Martin may divide opinion on its looks!

What does FL stand for? Is it a Trim level or something? I guess not as vRS is the trim level .... I think?

I stood and sat in a Mazda 6 ... 10 minutes before I stood by a vRS 10 Plate Octavis Estate ... the Mazda got me buzzing inside on the looks (but it was inside under the spotlights).