Hi all, after several months of 'thinking it over' ive finally decided to take the plunge and buy a new 4x4 octy. Trouble is i can't decide between the 1.8tsi and the 1.9tdi pd.

I only do about 6-8k miles a year, and am not planning on towing, so my first thought was to go for the 1.8tsi ( probably more fun too ) but i would lose about 10mpg and plan to keep the car at least 5-6 years.

On the skoda website the 1.9tdi 4x4 is said to have a 6 speed box, is this correct? also is it fitted with a dpf? ( i do mostly short journies and that may not suit a dpf very well. )

With the ex vat deal there is only £15 in purchase price, and after speaking to a few dealers it seems both cars have quite a long 'build' time ( 12-16 weeks )

I hate to beg but any advice would be greatly appreciated, mrs handy is starting to lose her patience with me.....

On that milage it would be Petrol for me everytime..........no rattling, smoother ride and quicker more pokey engine.

8K miles a year - no contest - petrol. End of.

About same annual mileage here, ordered 1.8TSi but Scout.

That sort of mileage wont suit the DPF so its petrol no contest, have you considered the Scout? permanent 4x4 might be OTT unless ytou are doing a lot on muddy fields etc.

Thanks for your prompt replies, the 1.8 does seem the better choice i admit, its just my sensible side has trouble 'losing' the 10mpg.

That sort of mileage wont suit the DPF so its petrol no contest, have you considered the Scout? permanent 4x4 might be OTT unless ytou are doing a lot on muddy fields etc.

isnt the 4x4 system on the estate the same as the Scout?

isnt the 4x4 system on the estate the same as the Scout?

I could be wrong but I thought the Scout had the Haldex, and the 4x4 was permanant?

They both have same system -Haldex clutch which means 90% of time you are using 2 wheel drive and only go into 4 wheel drive when there is wheel spin.

Why petrol? A diesel has more torque which suits 4X4's and is more economical. Resale of diesel is better.Tax band and insurance probably lower. Diesel more suited to off road as it will run when engine is wet unlike some petrols. Work out how long it will take to get your money back-not very long if difference is £15!! Which do Skoda sell more of in 4X4 form? Diesel.

You might get one quicker as they build more.

Have just taken delivery of 2.0 tdi 4X4-very smooth, economical ,fast and holds road like glue. Looked at petrol-price lower but intend to keep car for few years. I like the effortless driving of the diesel.

Edited 7 March, 201016 yr by morganic

They both have same system -Haldex clutch which means 90% of time you are using 2 wheel drive and only go into 4 wheel drive when there is wheel spin.

Why petrol? A diesel has more torque which suits 4X4's and is more economical. Resale of diesel is better.Tax band and insurance probably lower. Diesel more suited to off road as it will run when engine is wet unlike some petrols. Work out how long it will take to get your money back-not very long if difference is £15!! Which do Skoda sell more of in 4X4 form? Diesel.

You might get one quicker as they build more.

Have just taken delivery of 2.0 tdi 4X4-very smooth, economical ,fast and holds road like glue. Looked at petrol-price lower but intend to keep car for few years. I like the effortless driving of the diesel.

thanks for clearing up the 4x4 system question morganic, i wasn't sure myself.

i currently drive a diesel and do enjoy the 'pull' it has.

i guess i will have to give it a bit more thought......

Thanks for your prompt replies, the 1.8 does seem the better choice i admit, its just my sensible side has trouble 'losing' the 10mpg.

You should do the sums.

I don't know what the relative cost of the two Skodas is or the price of fuel in the UK but here in Australia it takes 50,000km (30k miles) worth of fuel savings to pay off the extra cost of the diesel engine before you actually start saving any money overall.

If the figures are similar in the UK then that means at least 4 years worth of driving the diesel before you actually start saving any money.

Edited 8 March, 201016 yr by K1W1

You should do the sums.

I don't know what the relative cost of the two Skodas is or the price of fuel in the UK but here in Australia it takes 50,000km (30k miles) worth of fuel savings to pay off the extra cost of the diesel engine before you actually start saving any money overall.

If the figures are similar in the UK then that means at least 4 years worth of driving the diesel before you actually start saving any money.

For most countries this very true. It's the same here in Finland as well.

BUT

There might be other reasons to get a diesel. Maybe it's a personal preference and the person just happens to like diesels enough to warrant the higher tco? I don't know, but I've heard some ppl buy their cars with their hearts and not their heads

I'm not trying to swing the OP either way. In any case I don't think he'll be dissapointed. What I do suggest is that he should do a +/- list of both engines in his own use and then relate that to what his heart is saying. And then make up his mind. After all, he's the only person who can answer his own guestion of "which?".

//Juha

Well I learnt something there, just goes to show that a cars description can be decieving, you would have thought that Octavia 4x4 meant just that and not part time, so why isnt the Scout called the Scout 4x4?

Many thanks for all your replies.

Ive crunched a few numbers and the diesel would be about £300 a year cheaper to run, so from a cost perspective would be the right choice.

However i do have concerns about running a diesel at low milage, ie dpf and dmf problems, so im going to go for the 1.8tsi.

plus although i only do low mileage i do really enjoy driving, and i know the 1.8 will be more fun!

now to find a nice dealer......

Many thanks for all your replies.

Ive crunched a few numbers and the diesel would be about £300 a year cheaper to run, so from a cost perspective would be the right choice.

However i do have concerns about running a diesel at low milage, ie dpf and dmf problems, so im going to go for the 1.8tsi.

plus although i only do low mileage i do really enjoy driving, and i know the 1.8 will be more fun!

now to find a nice dealer......

Look up the car you want on http://www.drivethedeal.com/ then start ringing dealers to see what they can do, some can get very very close when pushed Also have a good look at the spec on the Scout. We started looking for a 4x4 a few weeks ago & ended up going for the scout, just seemed a lot more car for a little more money & I believe resale will be better if the present demand for new is anything to go buy. Its also qualifies for the 50/50 interest free finance. We didnt need the finance but my monies better in my account getting a bit of interest .

I wouldnt leave ordering too long as Skoda are selling cars to the point where the factory is struggling to keep up so some of the deals like vat free etc may end shortly, also be prepared for the wait

Scout and 4x4 are 99% the same car, Scout just has a number of cosmetic tweaks, a few extra gadgets as standard and "hill hold control". Under the skin, they are 99% the same car.

I'm pretty sure that the 1.9TDi doesn't have the DPF fitted. Mileage isn't really an issue for DPF, it's how you do those miles. If you do lots of short trips, DPF = bad! Fewer longer trips then I wouldn't worry about it.

If you're getting a 4x4 Estate, I think you'll be glad you went for the diesel option when you come to sell it. It'll be in much higher demand IMHO.

Also have a good look at the spec on the Scout. We started looking for a 4x4 a few weeks ago & ended up going for the scout, just seemed a lot more car for a little more money & I believe resale will be better if the present demand for new is anything to go buy.

I think when you look at the cost difference between the 4x4 and the Scout, and what you get for your money, I think the Scout does indeed give you quite a lot for the extra money, it's a great package.

I went for the 4x4 because I prefered the understated "stealth SUV" appearance (as one review described it), but that's quite a personal thing, I do really like both "versions"

As for resale, hard one to call, both seem to be doing very well from the little bit of Auto Trader watching I've done... I'd give the nod here to the Scout, but I don't think the difference will be great.

We also went for the 4x4 1.9td pd so called "stealth " version, really because it was the only one that was available at short notice. It was a unwanted order because of finance problems we understand, so we decided it suited our purpose for the long motorway trips we had in mind. We did 40,000km first year,and having the 4x4 was useful and fun but not obvious, considering it was used for business most of the time. I also agree that with the diesel+ 4x4, the resale value will be better. Good luck !!

Look up the car you want on http://www.drivethedeal.com/ then start ringing dealers to see what they can do, some can get very very close when pushed Also have a good look at the spec on the Scout. We started looking for a 4x4 a few weeks ago & ended up going for the scout, just seemed a lot more car for a little more money & I believe resale will be better if the present demand for new is anything to go buy. Its also qualifies for the 50/50 interest free finance. We didnt need the finance but my monies better in my account getting a bit of interest .

I wouldnt leave ordering too long as Skoda are selling cars to the point where the factory is struggling to keep up so some of the deals like vat free etc may end shortly, also be prepared for the wait

I tried several dealers within 100 mile radius. Eventually purchased from SMC Exeter. Excellent deal -P/E £1250 more than local dealer to me. Ask for Liam. Honest guy-no pressure.Was looking for new stock.

Forgot to add also have used Drivethedeal for two cars, VW Touran and SEAT Ibiza. Good if you can sell your car privately-sometimes you cannot link this in with delivery of new one. Dont rely on their savings though because they include VAT offer-still you could save a few quid.

Edited 8 March, 201016 yr by morganic

any news of when the common rail diesel will be introduced to the 4x4. I intend to change before next winter but would find it hard to go back to a PD TDi after having driven an ultra quiet CR for the last 2 years.

P.S. I'm not bumming up the baby beemer - it has beutiful engine and gear change and brilliant handling but it has no space, eats tyres and is enternally useless in snow

My Scout came from CarQuake. They didn’t get the part exchange deal, maybe because they were nervous about the mileage (112,000) and the distance meant they couldn’t get to see the old car. But their price was very good indeed, and as I don’t intend to sell the car for a very long time, the fact that I’ll be number two in the log book (on a car which had 6 miles on the clock when it was wheeled off the delivery transporter onto my driveway) does not matter to me. John Gee was good to deal with and all went as well as I could wish.

Petrol or diesel?

Well, I did the sums, and over a looong time (8years ish) and a lot of miles (+8000 per annum) you might find that a diesel engine will make up the cost increase (around £1500) over petrol. Chop-in/ resale value differential over that period is buttons. The financing cost of the higher-priced diesel engine, coupled to a suspicion that the UK Treas/Usury might hike even further (Remember when diesel cost less than petrol?!) the relative tax-take on the better mpg diesel, sent me down the petrol route. Time alone will tell if I got it right.

My new 1.8 TSI Octy Scout has now done 300 miles and I'm very happy. The ride is much smoother than the old faithful Octy I 1.8 turbo 4x4 it replaced. This is probably to do with the increased ride height. My concern about the increased height affecting road holding and body-sway has, so far, proved groundless. Jeremy Clarkson was right.

The standard 225 Pirellis on the Scout are doing their job rather better than the 205 tyres on the previous model, so the Scout seems happy enough around corners. I don’t know what size tyres come with the standard Octy II 4x4.

The Scout comes with kit that would cost money to ‘accessorize’ on a standard 4x4. I wanted park assist at the rear and was instructed by She Who Must Be Obeyed that a centre rear arm-rest was REQUIRED. The Scout has both as standard.

As far as performance is concerned, I come from the ‘Old School’ of ‘Runners-In’, so the car hasn’t revved above 3,000 RPM yet. We haven’t tested the cornering to the point of excitement and the brakes are being ‘gentled’ until they acquire their run-in glaze. However, when the turbo kicks in there is a noticeable get-up- and- go feeling. And the brakes are actually quite sharp, even ‘sudden’ at times.

So far, so good..... and it does look good!

any news of when the common rail diesel will be introduced to the 4x4. I intend to change before next winter but would find it hard to go back to a PD TDi after having driven an ultra quiet CR for the last 2 years.

P.S. I'm not bumming up the baby beemer - it has beutiful engine and gear change and brilliant handling but it has no space, eats tyres and is enternally useless in snow

I tried to get the answer & finally went for the PD. I got 2 main lines of thought, July or November, also several people were very negative about the Cr so I decided to go with a known engine. If its November lets hope the snows not early

At the end of the day you buy a car which is right for you . Forget about what they could be worth see how they drive. Drove a friends Diesel VRS was ok but preferred mine . ,and 6years is a long time to drive a car which you are not happy with. Horses for courses!

Edited 9 March, 201016 yr by bluvrs2

I don’t know what size tyres come with the standard Octy II 4x4.

The Scout comes with kit that would cost money to ‘accessorize’ on a standard 4x4. I wanted park assist at the rear and was instructed by She Who Must Be Obeyed that a centre rear arm-rest was REQUIRED. The Scout has both as standard.

Mine are 205/60/R15, I doubt it's different for the FL version?

If you want the extra toys that come with the Scout then it's definately a better buy than the 4x4 (you'd spend much more upgrading the 4x4 to the same level). I only wanted some of them (CC, rear parking sensors) so it wasn't a clear call for me at the time.

For me, it came down to a styling choice (no point discussing which looks better, it's such a personal thing), plus I felt slightly guilty about buying a 4x4 so wanted the one with the better fuel economy (tiny difference, but it's still there, and more significant at motorway speed if my memory is correct). I also prefered the higher profile tyres of the 4x4.

But there are definately benefits to the Scout, such as the protective cladding and I think it has slightly stronger sump protection?

From my experience, I think most people would be delighted with either