Im going to buy a mk 2 octy vrs next week, having just sold my mk1 fabia vrs, the only thing is I dont know whether to go for the diesel or petrol. i wont be doing many miles, weekends mostly, with a 500 mile round trip up the motorway a couple of times a year. i havnt had a petrol car for several years, the last being an impreza wrx. my main questions are:

is the diesel engine much heavier, making the front end wallowy (is that a word!?)

is there a noticable lack of torque pulling away in 1st on the diesel

does the petrol sound a lot better than the diesel

and any thing else that i should know about.

sorry if i sound like a noob, but i really cant decide which is for me. in an ideal world i would test both, but the ones ive seen that are in my price range <£6500 are all up country (im in plymouth).

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Im going to buy a mk 2 octy vrs next week, having just sold my mk1 fabia vrs, the only thing is I dont know whether to go for the diesel or petrol. i wont be doing many miles, weekends mostly, with a 500 mile round trip up the motorway a couple of times a year. i havnt had a petrol car for several years, the last being an impreza wrx. my main questions are:

is the diesel engine much heavier, making the front end wallowy (is that a word!?)

is there a noticable lack of torque pulling away in 1st on the diesel

does the petrol sound a lot better than the diesel

and any thing else that i should know about.

sorry if i sound like a noob, but i really cant decide which is for me. in an ideal world i would test both, but the ones ive seen that are in my price range <£6500 are all up country (im in plymouth).

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Buy the petrol.

If you're not doing at least 15k a year diesel doesn't stack up.

Im going to buy a mk 2 octy vrs next week, having just sold my mk1 fabia vrs, the only thing is I dont know whether to go for the diesel or petrol. i wont be doing many miles, weekends mostly, with a 500 mile round trip up the motorway a couple of times a year. i havnt had a petrol car for several years, the last being an impreza wrx. my main questions are:

is the diesel engine much heavier, making the front end wallowy (is that a word!?)

is there a noticable lack of torque pulling away in 1st on the diesel

does the petrol sound a lot better than the diesel

and any thing else that i should know about.

sorry if i sound like a noob, but i really cant decide which is for me. in an ideal world i would test both, but the ones ive seen that are in my price range <£6500 are all up country (im in plymouth).

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

just go and test both even if there out of your price range, just pretend lol least youll get a drive in both. altho my dad does have the diesel so i can say abit about it, i wouldn say there is a lack of torque in any gear tbh lol spins quite easily in third so you can imagine what first and second are like. im sure you wont be racing between the lights anyway lol but the mid range on the car is quite astonishing really, esecially 90mph plus where the fabia dies off very quickly. the car doesnt slow down until it hits 140mph. (not that you wont be doing that either lol but im just saying the pulling power is astonishinng) it really is a good car, sounds like the fabia inside but outside sounds alot better, sounds pretty cool when its drving away from you. plus you have the economy for your 500 mile round trip

for youre circumatnaces, I would opt for the petrol model (not that I'm biased )

The engine is a lot smoother, and yes it is lighter. The performance is delivered progressively, rather than a huge shove at teh beginning and then nothing.

I use my TSI regularly on the motorway and easily maintain 41-42 mpg, your should see about 39-40 on the older TFSI model.

And if you want any more performance, get a remap and they turn into absolute flying machines!

It depends on lots of things, but a petrol engine sounds nicer, has a bigger rev range and is just more enjoyable. I say that as a diesel owner. If you aren't doing around 12k miles a year, then there isn't much advantage to a diesel.

If you are doing lots of miles or load the car up pretty heavily for journeys, a diesel makes sense.

As your going from the fabia I will give you a warning about the petrol Octavia, watch you speed. Its so quite and refined compaired to the 130PD you will be at silly speeds before you know it.

New or secondhand? If so what sort of years are you looking at as the CR unit is whisper quiet compaired to the fabia's block.

My usual response would be this, test drive both and see which one you like, then factor is costs etc.

Petrol would probably be the better bet

Be warned DFPs do not like short journeys - they need regular longer trips to get hot enough for long enough to burn off. DPFs are not cover by the warranty so if you block one on lots of short trips you will get a very large bill.

Best go with a petrol.

Be warned DFPs do not like short journeys - they need regular longer trips to get hot enough for long enough to burn off. DPFs are not cover by the warranty so if you block one on lots of short trips you will get a very large bill.

Best go with a petrol.

You say that, then there are members here who do loads of short journeys & yet don't have a problems with their DPF's. I'm starting to think it's luck of the draw, whether you get a good one.

You say that, then there are members here who do loads of short journeys & yet don't have a problems with their DPF's. I'm starting to think it's luck of the draw, whether you get a good one.

is it not more the PD's that have the issue than the CR's? But it does seem to be a little hit and miss, I do low mileage and mine has been fine in the just over 7k miles I've done in it.

If you search you'll find about 50000 threads on this.

There isn't that much between them, I drove both before going for the petrol.

The petrol doesn't sound that great, it's too quiet if you ask me. As other have said it's quite easy to find yourself doing 100+ without really noticing much of a difference from 80.

Overtaking can easily see you go past 120 (on a private road officer) without trying hard.

Petrol is obviously thirstier, at a steady 80 it'll do about 32mpg. If you can bear to do 70 it'll do about 35mpg (TFSI) and that's on super unleaded. Forget using cheap supermarket fuel. I find normal 95ron from Shell is fine but supermarket 95 drags the car down.

Tax is harsh.

You'll get better resale value on the diesel.

Edited 5 November, 201015 yr by Aspman

Thanks very much for your replies. I think im going to have to do a test drive and see which one seems best. from what ive read i think its going to be the petrol though.

After the last 7 years driving a Seat Leon TDi 130 PD, I have just switched to a 1.8TSI Scout. Sure, it's thirstier but as I intend working from home a couple of days a week that's around 10K miles a year less travel, so balances out on fuel costs.

Even on the daily motorway runs between home and Reading I am getting around 38mpg indicated and on a run to Norfolk and back last weekend - 220 mile round trip, much of it cruising on A roads at around 60 - it was indicating 41mpg, so not too bad.

The 1.8TSI engine is startling in it's torque output and very flexible.... and soooooooo very quiet after the 1.9 TDi PD as well. I no longer get that sudden rush of acceleration I did with the TDi PD as the output of the 1.8TSI is more linear over a broader rev range, but it sure does shift when the throttle is applied under a heavy foot.

As above do not forget the 1.8 TSI.

It is placed mid way between the petrol and diesel vrs performance wise and economy wise.

On the money I saved going for the 1.8 TSI I went for the L&K and also the 7 speed DSG.

All Octavias are quite soft but forgiving. Front tyres loss traction quite easily due to weight distribution but 7 sec 0-60 for petrol VRS, 7.5 for sec for 1,8 TSI and over 8 sec for diesel it's quick but not super quick and cannot be with its weight distribution. Look forward to 260 hp 4 wheel version one day.

Edited 5 November, 201015 yr by lol

for youre circumatnaces, I would opt for the petrol model (not that I'm biased )

The engine is a lot smoother, and yes it is lighter. The performance is delivered progressively, rather than a huge shove at teh beginning and then nothing.

I use my TSI regularly on the motorway and easily maintain 41-42 mpg, your should see about 39-40 on the older TFSI model.

And if you want any more performance, get a remap and they turn into absolute flying machines!

I think you may be out of date with your diesels. The PD engine gave a big shove n faded. The CR is a steady power surge across the range and has incredible mid reange torque.

I think you may be out of date with your diesels. The PD engine gave a big shove n faded. The CR is a steady power surge across the range and has incredible mid reange torque.

Diesel is now smoother due to better internals but added inertia of these parts makes the acceleration dull. 170 hp diesel considerable slower in accelerating than 160 hp 1.8 TSI petrol due to this fact.

If I was thinking if a diesel it would not be a Skoda as there are better diesels in other makes of car ie BMW, mazda, Toyota. VW need to pull their finger out in the diesel department but the cost is prohibitive hence their concentration of developing Direct Injection, Super and Turbo charged petrol engines.

Waiting list seem to be longer because it is not so economical for VAG to biuld them and unless you are doing 30,000 plus a year I think not worth having. I do have a fuel card mind you but 1.8 TSI DSG does 43 mpg and as I do mainly motorway I expect 45-50 mpg as I already get 42-43 mpg out of TSI VRS.

Edited 5 November, 201015 yr by lol

Diesel is now smoother due to better internals but added inertia of these parts makes the acceleration dull. 170 hp diesel considerable slower in accelerating than 160 hp 1.8 TSI petrol due to this fact.

If I was thinking if a diesel it would not be a Skoda as there are better diesels in other makes of car ie BMW, mazda, Toyota. VW need to pull their finger out in the diesel department but the cost is prohibitive hence their concentration of developing Direct Injection, Super and Turbo charged petrol engines.

Waiting list seem to be longer because it is not so economical for VAG to biuld them and unless you are doing 30,000 plus a year I think not worth having. I do have a fuel card mind you but 1.8 TSI DSG does 43 mpg and as I do mainly motorway I expect 45-50 mpg as I already get 42-43 mpg out of TSI VRS.

I dont deny there are better/faster diesels out there, but my point was that the other member had mis-described the performance of the newer CR diesel .

Edited 5 November, 201015 yr by BillyT1903

well the more I read, the more i think I'm going to go for the petrol. I'll let you know next week, god I'm impatient, lol.

My petrol sounds really good, at meets other members have commented on it being modified, it isn't but is quieter at speed. The diesels feel nose heavy<obviously > you get 100 more torque with a remap<Petrol > as above drive both

Edited 5 November, 201015 yr by bluvrs2