Hi there, I've owned my Octavia VRS since July 2009 and I still like it. However my circumstances have changed and my commute work work has increased by nearly 15 miles each way to about 45 miles each way.

Its a case of I can afford to run the VRS but I am living at home with my dad trying to put money to one side, and doing the sums if I went for a boring diesel that did 50+mpg I could save over 100 quid a month, maybe more, on fuel. The best I can get is about 40 or so MPG on a tank and thats being very careful.

My car is approaching 57k miles, just been MOT'd, could do with at least rear brake pads shortly, needs a new exhaust clamp on the centre section, the drivers side mirror won't turn left or right due to some bint smashing it colliding with me head on and the tailgate has a slight dent below the Skoda badge. I have a new tailgate handle to fit as there are some scuffs on the one on there now.

I am also paying for the car through a personal loan with Skoda finance which has 2 yrs left to run.

Would I be mad to part ex the Octavia for something like a Mondeo 2.0 TDCI of similar age or even a diesel Octavia?

Depends how you stand with your finance package. My finance package finishes next month after two and a half years, and although I really would have done better with a diesel (my sister bought a 1.9TDI Leon and only does 10 miles a day... we should have bought opposite cars ), I don't do quite enough miles per day to be regretting having a petrol. The car's now next to worthless as it's done over 130k miles so I'll just run it into the ground and then buy a cheap diesel. I would read the small print on your finance agreement and see where you stand, whether you have to pay the remainder as a lump sum if you want to keep the car and sell it on, if the car can be part-ex'd against a diesel Octavia on another finance agreement or what.

Edited 20 August, 201015 yr by chicken_eyebrow

It's a case of heart vs. head or wallet.. mine costs me about £60 a week to insure and that was with a deposit of £1050.. but I can't imagine myself driving a much better car. It's what you want or need to do. When the time comes sometimes you've just got to let go. My friend I used to lift share with has a mondeo and that is a lovely car to be in. Either way, still nice cars whatever you choose. but saving that sort of money would be a great help with money in the long run..

why not get a Fabia VRS? Or do you need the room?

Edited 20 August, 201015 yr by Lew_VRS

Don't think thats mad, seems perfectly sensible if your trying to save and £100 extra each month is a nice sum to tuck away.

I've got a Y reg mk3 Mondeo 2.0 TDDI (earlier engine to the TDCI) ,which when i can be bothered i'll put up for sale now i've got the Vrs, which has been a great car to own, comfortable, spacious and quite nippy with good economy too. I'm a big fan of Mondeo's.

Cheers for the replies.

I'll have to get the paperwork out from Skoda to see what the T&C's say.

Its a case of I can afford to run the car but my priority should be saving some money towards a house. I am currently saving but it would be nice to save more and 100 to 150 less on fuel a month is a lot of money.

Pitfalls I can see is that since I've had the Skoda I've put over 25k miles on it and by this point I can tell its not a lemon, whereas if I changed cars I'm venturing into the unknown so to speak.