Might be looking to change in January.

Currently driving an 06 Hatch RS and wondering what are the advantages of the combi over the hatch?

AAlso what are the downsides? Residuals?

The Combi is likely to be noiser than the Hatch (road noise).

Combi RS better looking than hatch IMO, and slightly more practical with the higher roof line.

Some on here say road noise worse in the Estate (Combi), but easily cured / reduced by a plastic boot dish which protects the boot from any dirt (muddy push chair wheels!) and just lifts out to be wiped clean. I guess the variable boot floor option would help too with reducing noise.

I have found my Estate very quiet and refined. This may be because I have come from a Mark 5 Golf GTI which was pretty noisy and had a harsher ride. Also I'm on Conti Sport Contact 2s which seem very good noise-wise thus far.........

dunc

The obvious one is you'll get a bigger car, but with the less-obvious benefit that its just about as nimble as the hatchback. Whenever I drive one, it really reminds me of that advert with the chubby bloke doing the gymnastics!

Personally though, I'm not a fan of estates - their length is beyond practical for my needs.

Another benefit is that you can carry out the Automatic Boot modification for very little cost or effort.

Edited 23 July, 201015 yr by rossm

I have found my Estate very quiet and refined. This may be because I have come from a Mark 5 Golf GTI which was pretty noisy and had a harsher ride. Also I'm on Conti Sport Contact 2s which seem very good noise-wise thus far.........

dunc

I found continental sport contact 2's to be terrible for noise. Checking reviews on the internet I'm not the only one.

I went from the hatch to estate. I think the estate does look better, especially with the facelifted front. As already mentioned it does suffer more with road noise and more wind noise (all FL's suffer) with the big mirrors (I also seem to hear more traffic noise than in my old hatch), I'd advise you try one out first. It can be improved with some sound deadening and careful tyre selection.

The obvious one is you'll get a bigger car, but with the less-obvious benefit that its just about as nimble as the hatchback. Whenever I drive one, it really reminds me of that advert with the chubby bloke doing the gymnastics!

Personally though, I'm not a fan of estates - their length is beyond practical for my needs.

Another benefit is that you can carry out the Automatic Boot modification for very little cost or effort.

Must correct you there, the hatch and combi are the same length (4569mm). I found out the hard as I was arguing with my wife at the dealers that I didn't really want the Combi as it was bigger than the hatch, and after having a VOLVO V70 I really didn't want another big estate.Only to have the salesman step in and show us the brochure with the dims

I won't to be allowed to forget that for a while

Like others I have had both and certainly found that the estate "felt bigger" , despite the identical length.

I guess it is just the view out of the rear view mirror !!

The estate looks great but I prefer driving the hatch .

Estate is definitely better looking and I would say even more so in VRS form. The length thing is really not a problem as theres less than 20mm between them.

Definitely an estate (combi)..mind you I am biased

Agree with those who think the estate looks better than the hatch (actually not sure I would even have considered an Octavia otherwise), and it's greatest advantage is the more practical carrying capacity - even though the floor area of the hatch and estate are very similar, it is the greater height through to the back that makes the estate more useful in my opinion.

Real world example - I make an annual trip to the Isle of Man with three people (including me!), our luggage and event equipment including a sizable laser scanner/copier. Last year when I had a Nissan Primera hatch (again boot floor area very similar to Octavia) we ended up with 2/3rds of the back seat folded to get everything in. This year it all went in the boot of the Octavia without having to fold the seats at all.

Estate is definitely better looking and I would say even more so in VRS form. The length thing is really not a problem as theres less than 20mm between them.

geek mode on: just checked the figures on this -

vrs estate IS BIGGER than the hatch, but only by 2mm!

RS: 4597mm long

RS combi: 4599mm long

Must correct you there, the hatch and combi are the same length (4569mm).

Thats interesting actually!

I've been driving a FL estate this week while my Pre-FL hatchback is in the garage. First impression driving it was its definately longer, and looking in the rear view mirror gave that tunnel vision impression of a long car with a small square window far, far away at the back end.

After parking it in my usual spot, I got out and looked at it side on and thought to myself it doesn't actually look any longer. The leg room in the back is so much more than the hatchback, but I got the feeling the length of the boot space wasn't as much.

Looking at the stats, the estate is only 15Kg heavier, and has an additional 20 litres of luggage space (owing to the height of the boot space).

With the 0-60 time and the top speed on the hatchback being ever so slightly quicker, it could mean the estate is a bit less aerodynamic. Doesn't seem to have much effect on fuel economy though.

Must correct you there, the hatch and combi are the same length (4569mm). I found out the hard as I was arguing with my wife at the dealers that I didn't really want the Combi as it was bigger than the hatch, and after having a VOLVO V70 I really didn't want another big estate.Only to have the salesman step in and show us the brochure with the dims

I won't to be allowed to forget that for a while

I love, looking at your sig, that you have the estate.... I take it the wife won then?

The boot on the estate is the same size as the hatch in terms of floorplan. I had a rubber boot liner (Skoda one) in my preFL hatch and this fits perfectly in my new FL combi (even the eyelets are in the same location). It is exactly the same floorpan for the entire car for the combi and hatch so leg room in both front and back is the same for the hatch and combi. The only reason the combi feels bigger is the fact the roofline does no slope down like the hatch so you get the impression of more space.

As from above I have moved from the hatch to the combi and I do not regret it at all. There is no real noticable difference in road noise etc. (if there I have not noticed and does not bother me!). There are a few extras on the combi like the power socker in the boot and two shopping hooks too over the hatch which is nice. The drive of the combi feels just like the hatch too.

geek mode on: just checked the figures on this -

vrs estate IS BIGGER than the hatch, but only by 2mm!

RS: 4597mm long

RS combi: 4599mm long

Damn my inaccurate google search information But I was correct... it is less than 20mm between them - just a lot less

I also find the Conti Sport Contact 2's on my new vRS quite noisy.

Can't wait to get Vrede's on the car to be honest.

Putting up with it, as I rarely drive without music on loud.

Can't fault my estate - had a mk1 hatch before and never really liked it. Think the mk2 is more suited to the estate than the hatch.

Another real world example - recently sold a kids plastic playhouse and brought into work to hand over to the buyer. He had an Audi A6 - couldn't fit it in. although it had a massive boot, the opening was tiny. I much prefer the flexibility of an estate.

I also find the Conti Sport Contact 2's on my new vRS quite noisy.

Can't wait to get Vrede's on the car to be honest.

Putting up with it, as I rarely drive without music on loud.

Agree with the above, and I have only done just over 6,000 miles and they are wearing down pretty fast!

Mind you, this may have something to do with Ben casting his magic over it and my lead right foot at times!

I've had both a petrol vRS hatch and estate and have just swapped the estate for a diesel hatch, which is much quieter. Not noticed any major loss of usable space. As to what looks the best that's down to personal taste; in standard octy's I prefer the estates looks but for the vRS I prefer the hatches looks.

Stokey

Agree with the above, and I have only done just over 6,000 miles and they are wearing down pretty fast!

Mind you, this may have something to do with Ben casting his magic over it and my lead right foot at times!

only done 350 miles so far (only had it a week).

I found continental sport contact 2's to be terrible for noise. Checking reviews on the internet I'm not the only one.

I went from the hatch to estate. I think the estate does look better, especially with the facelifted front. As already mentioned it does suffer more with road noise and more wind noise (all FL's suffer) with the big mirrors (I also seem to hear more traffic noise than in my old hatch), I'd advise you try one out first. It can be improved with some sound deadening and careful tyre selection.

Looks like I'm in the minority re the noise of the Contis. Guess it's relative to what you're used to! Mind you, I'm only a few hundred miles in. We'll see. Are Vredesteins universally considered to be quieter? (sorry for thread hijack!)

I love, looking at your sig, that you have the estate.... I take it the wife won then?

Well I like to think that we reached a compromise, as I didn't want the bigger car as I thought she would struggle parking it, but then didn't have a leg to stand on when it turned out to be the same size. And if I am honest I thought that the hatch is slightly better looking in VRS trim. Still some wheels spacers and Eibach springs will soon sort some of it out as the demo car we drove had these as options and in comparison the standard car looked like it's on stilts. Just need the car (only 4 more weeks) and then a quick trip to QST.

Edited 23 July, 201015 yr by bigh1_15

geek mode on: just checked the figures on this -

vrs estate IS BIGGER than the hatch, but only by 2mm!

RS: 4597mm long

RS combi: 4599mm long

Sorry can't agree with either of those 2 figs above - 4597/4599mm

I am looking at the current published sales catalog for the Octavia, dated 25th May 2010

page 23 clearly shows that the length of both hatch and estate to be 4569mm

I think that makes them both the same length. Q.E.D.

Sorry can't agree with either of those 2 figs above - 4597/4599mm

I am looking at the current published sales catalog for the Octavia, dated 25th May 2010

page 23 clearly shows that the length of both hatch and estate to be 4569mm

I think that makes them both the same length. Q.E.D.

Sorry can't agree with either of those 2 figs above - 4597/4599mm

I am looking at the current published sales catalog for the Octavia, dated 25th May 2010

page 23 clearly shows that the length of both hatch and estate to be 4569mm

I think that makes them both the same length. Q.E.D.

well according to the "skoda octavia rs liftback 2.0 tsi" brochure, it is 4597mm!!

"rob_e" was right.

check out the pics - screenshots from the brochure itself........

Seems like standard Skoda UK, who probably don't actually know how big the car is!

I think on the RS it will have something to do with the larger bumpers.