I'm giving serious consideration to updating my Octavia. The head says that I should replace it with a Octavia 1.6 Tdi estate, but my heart says that the Superb is a much nicer place to be.

I'd like an estate again, but would settle for a hatch, I want cruise and I like the alcantara, so the spec's got to be an SE. I'd prefer if I could to get decent economy and keep my emissions down, which suggests that a CR engine is the way to go.

However, I don't really want to spend more than 15k, and as far as I can see the only cars that are about that fit my budget are '08 1.9 PD 105 hatches. Fair enough. My dilemma is though that at that money I can pick up a <1yr old Passat 2.0 CR Highline estate at my local VW main agent.

Sure, the Superb is certainly a nice place to be, but so is the Passat in that spec, and unless I've missed something, they're pretty much the same under the covers.

It appears that to have a Superb on my budget, I have to make some serious compromises; fuel consumption, road tax band, engine generation, power (a bit), age, body shape.

I really like the Superb, and I would like one parked on my drive, but my brain is telling me that a VW would be the sensible option. So what have I missed? What aspects of the Superb make it worth more than the Passat?

I've just gone for a new 2.0CR Highline Passat estate on a lease deal but mainly because the VW's are hugely discounted and worked out way cheaper then either an Octavia or Superb. Would I buy one to keep with my own money? - probably not. I think a Skoda would work out significantly cheaper to own and run in the long run.

If it were me, I'd probably get in quick and do a deal on a new Octavia estate before the VAT offer ends rather than go for a 1-2 year old Superb or Passat.

Get the Passat, Highline has leather,CC,heated seats and steering wheel controls, you will also get the CR engine and the depreciation will be good, you try buying a decent 3 yr old one for less than 10k.

As for the Superb, if money wasn't an issue it's the one to choose without a doubt.

Why is the Sup more money S/H that a Passat?

Supply, not many available, were the Passat is due to badge snobs, all will change in about 18 mths time, the Passat is being lifted at the end of the year, and there will be more Sups around and the new car novelty will drop off.

Thanks both, it's reasurring that i didn't miss something obvious.

I was toying with doing the 4 hour round trip to look at an 08 Superb 1.9 105 SE that Swansea have in at £11,500 (with 45k miles). But I don't really want the 1.9 motor if I'm honest and I could get a lot more Passat for the money.

However, as the Passat's just aren't getting me excited, I think I'll turn my attention back to Octavias, and I might just start negotiations for a 1.6CR estate

Thanks both, it's reasurring that i didn't miss something obvious.

I was toying with doing the 4 hour round trip to look at an 08 Superb 1.9 105 SE that Swansea have in at £11,500 (with 45k miles). But I don't really want the 1.9 motor if I'm honest and I could get a lot more Passat for the money.

However, as the Passat's just aren't getting me excited, I think I'll turn my attention back to Octavias, and I might just start negotiations for a 1.6CR estate

You need to find a Sport/Sport SEL or an SEL variant tbh, these have the climate controls rather than the simple turn dials, and the sport seat blows everything out of the water, plus you get nicer alloys and front fogs on the Sport models, but whatever you do don't miss out on the DSG, it's just awesome, I know it's childish but you get some knob at the lights pulls alongside, the light drops and you just GO!!!! and then look in the mirror to see them fighting the stick to try to catch up, and the real clincher is the economy, there is hardly anything in it between a DSG and a manual, probably 2-3mpg at most.

I don't really want the 1.9 motor if I'm honest and I could get a lot more Passat for the money.

Double check whast spec you get on the Passat though, when i tried to spec one up to the Superb's Elegance spec there was very little in the price between the two.

Don't wright of the 1.9 105PD either, i have driven a Superb Estate with that engine fitted and it went surprisingly well - so much so i would say there was nothing in it between the 105PD and the 140CR that i drove yesterday (fitted in a Yeti).

I now know i 'need' the 170CR to get simular low down torque to the 130PD my Superb has.

You need to find a Sport/Sport SEL or an SEL variant tbh, these have the climate controls rather than the , but whatever you do don't miss out on the DSG, it's just awesome,

I would strongly recommend test driving the DSG - i was left underwhelmed with the one i test drove yesterday (fitted in a 170CR Superb Estate).

I now know i am making the right descision for ME by going for a manual box.

I would strongly recommend test driving the DSG - i was left underwhelmed with the one i test drove yesterday (fitted in a 170CR Superb Estate).

I now know i am making the right descision for ME by going for a manual box.

What didn't you gig Giz?

Mines in a passthat and is a 140 without a DPF, mine shifts on very well, but mind you I am an auto man, manual, that's like cooking your own meal in a diner isn't it

I think after most on here have raved about how great it is i was expecting something better than it was, all it wanted to do was change gears very frequently (that has probably more to do with the power band the engine produces) the gear changes themselves were not rough, (apart from when it was initially put into D, when there was a jerk) but were not silky smooth either.

For someone who is an auto driver like yourself, i can see why you like it as it is a good auto box, but it needs to be MUCH better than it currently is before i move away from a manual box.

Don't think i am anti auto for a minute, the good auto trucks i drive (Volvo i-Shift & Ren##lt opti-drive) are absolutely great, however they are not all as good, (Scania Opti-cruise & MAN TipMatic are a bit hit and miss, some very good some not as good) then there is the truly awful (DAF AS-Tronic).

Out of all of all of them though it is only the Volvo i-Shift that has yet to crunch a gear on me (but i have only driven them for a few thousand km's) i can grind gears all by myself, i don't need an auto to do it for me

What didn't you gig Giz?

Mines in a passthat and is a 140 without a DPF

Is that the 140PD or 140CR?

Is that the 140PD or 140CR?

Mines a PD, the CR is supposed to feed the power in better and smoother, obviously doesn't from what you say, cos you describe it 100% as it is, it does jerk 1st, then there's a slight lag before hitting 2nd, 3rd goes in much more polite, and you hardly feel the other 3 gears, which change as VW likes to say the whole box does, smoothly, I find the whole thing works smoothest when you belt it, then it's like your Jacobs delivering the pearly stuff to the old womans crotch tank.

Yes the CR is very petrol like in it's power delivery, is this better? well for me no, i love the torque the PD gives which can only be matched by a big V petrol engine, i actually think the 170CR wilkl be a step down from my current 130PD in power delivery, but at least it will be quieter - i suppose time will tell if i grow to love the CR as i have done with the PD?

Is the Passat fitted with the same 140PD that suffers from premature oil pump faliure?

Yes the CR is very petrol like in it's power delivery, is this better? well for me no, i love the torque the PD gives which can only be matched by a big V petrol engine, i actually think the 170CR wilkl be a step down from my current 130PD in power delivery, but at least it will be quieter - i suppose time will tell if i grow to love the CR as i have done with the PD?

I'm the same - the PD engines just put a huge grin on my face when you floor it and the power kicks in. I'm switching to a 2.0CR in a Passat, and when I test drove it I was waiting for it to kick in but of course it never did... but then you notice you're doing 60+ anyway. I don't think the CR engine is any slower - it just feels less dramatic because the power delivery is now smooth.

Is the Passat fitted with the same 140PD that suffers from premature oil pump faliure?

Yup, it's a BKP engine and it effects the 05-56 plate cars, 07 onwards I believe has a modded pump drive, there is an chassis code to check, iirc if the Passat code is lower than 60000 in this number it will be an effected engine, above it and it's a newer one.

I'm the same - the PD engines just put a huge grin on my face when you floor it and the power kicks in. I'm switching to a 2.0CR in a Passat, and when I test drove it I was waiting for it to kick in but of course it never did... but then you notice you're doing 60+ anyway. I don't think the CR engine is any slower - it just feels less dramatic because the power delivery is now smooth.

My 140PD has been mapped and is supposed to be about 180BHP now, The torque is up to about 360, It's a different car now accelerates clean as well! best £300 I've ever spent!

Well, the 140, 170 and mapped PDs may be splendid engines, but having test driven a Superb 1.9 TDi PD SE (105 bhp) today, I have to say that it was most disappointing.

I'd popped (OK, 200 mile round trip) to the Skoda dealer in Cardiff to look at a pre-loved 1.6 CR TDi Octavia which turned out to have a poor repair to one of the doors (shame as other than that it was pretty good), but noticed that they had a grand off the 8,000 mile old Superb sat out front. So I thought I'd take it out for a spin.

And was thoroughly underwhelmed. Yes the car was big and comfy and a nice place to be, but the engine was far louder and intrusive than the 100k mile 1.9 TDi 110 in my Octavia. As it warmed up it improved a bit, but not much.

I might have forgiven it the roughness if it had been frugal or powerful, but it was neither; the trip computed showed that it had averaged 38mpg over the last 2,600 miles and there were definitely no rice puddings nearby at risk of being deskinned.

Ah well.

My PD140 Superb engine is dead quiet, and sitting inside with the windows shut you would be hard pressed to tell the engine was even running. The 1.9 engine as used in the Superb is a very different beast to the one in the octy and quiet underpowered for a car of the superbs size.

Even around town and on the motorway the engine is almost inaudible.

Hi,well I went for the 1.9tdi 105 bhp and its fine ok its not quick but its comfy and frugale,I recently checked out the passat bmw and audi , and the skoda wins hands down all the cars I tried were mid-spec and man are they badly put together,the audi came a close second to the superb but they all wanted 12k on top off my 09 supa , saw me coming and then going asap,when the kids have all gone I will purchase the fabia vrs, 180 bhp 1.4 engine