Hi All

First post and few questions if someone could help out.

Currently drive an S3 but fuel costs are killling me on my 25,000 miles a year. So I went looking at cheap new cars where I could save a bit of cash (and depreciation) on the outlay.

Having looked at the Octavia I'm seriously considering buying one before the year end to take advantage of the VAT promotion

A few questions first though please (I've tried searching some aspects but, not much joy and looking for quick and simple answers or pointers to the relevant thread)

1. Hatchback or Estate? (I have only ever had 5 door hatches and a BMW Touring.) Dealer tells me I wont recoup the £1000 extra cost of the estate on trade in/resale

2. Diesel or Petrol - I dont mind filling up as it can't be any worse than my S3. More worried about dropping power. Is the diesel the same 170bhp engine as in the Audi Q5/TT?

3. Essential options?

4. Plan to retrofit the Columbus Sat Nav - is this easy? Pointer to any step by step installs would be useful. Do I need to spec Maxi Dot?

5. Leather worth it?

Finally any ideas of what discount to aim for? Appreciate the VAT promotion is ongoing but, anyone experience of discounts available.

For interest this is my current thinking on spec.

Octavia vRS

Estate

2.0 T FSI 200bhp

Options

Race Blue Metallic

Full Size Spare

Maxi-dot trip computer

Black vRS Leather seats

Bluetooth and telephone function

Auto dimming rear view mirror etc etc

Heated Front seats

Silver Roof Rails

Not sure about

Xenons

Columbus Sat Nav factory install

MDI

Curtain Airbags

Front and Rear Parking sensors

Any help/advice appreciated :yes:

Hi All

First post and few questions if someone could help out.

Currently drive an S3 but fuel costs are killling me on my 25,000 miles a year. So I went looking at cheap new cars where I could save a bit of cash (and depreciation) on the outlay.

Having looked at the Octavia I'm seriously considering buying one before the year end to take advantage of the VAT promotion

A few questions first though please (I've tried searching some aspects but, not much joy and looking for quick and simple answers or pointers to the relevant thread)

1. Hatchback or Estate? (I have only ever had 5 door hatches and a BMW Touring.) Dealer tells me I wont recoup the £1000 extra cost of the estate on trade in/resale

Rubbish! Get the estate!!

2. Diesel or Petrol - I dont mind filling up as it can't be any worse than my S3. More worried about dropping power. Is the diesel the same 170bhp engine as in the Audi Q5/TT? Yes!

3. Essential options? Maxidot/spare wheel.....see below

4. Plan to retrofit the Columbus Sat Nav - is this easy? Pointer to any step by step installs would be useful. Do I need to spec Maxi Dot? Get maxidot anyway!

5. Leather worth it? Yep! (don't have it but I would....)

Finally any ideas of what discount to aim for? Appreciate the VAT promotion is ongoing but, anyone experience of discounts available.N/A I'm in Ireland!

For interest this is my current thinking on spec.

Octavia vRS

Estate

2.0 T FSI 200bhp Yes

Options

Race Blue Metallic

Full Size Spare

Maxi-dot trip computer

Black vRS Leather seats

Bluetooth and telephone function

Auto dimming rear view mirror etc etc

Heated Front seats

Silver Roof Rails

Yes to all except heated seats & race blue.....

Not sure about

Xenons :yes:

Columbus Sat Nav factory install :wonder:

MDI :yes:

Curtain Airbags :yes:

Front and Rear Parking sensors :yes: Rear anyway-you can see where you're going can't you?? :p

Any help/advice appreciated :yes:

Run out of emoticons.....

More will be along shortly no doubt.

Estate is only really bigger from window up and hatch space under window is cavernous! I think the estate looks better...

Diesel - bet on ~45mpg, petrol 30-35mpg. The TSI is a spanking engine, but as is the 170 bhp diesel. Not a huge amount in it, but there is in the way the power ios delivered. I'd think it would take time to change to diesel habits...

ENjoy!

Keep an eye on THIS for essential options.

I'm in the same boat, but I'm coming from a diesel already so the 170 TDI won't be a change in power.

If looking at a target price I would look at what Drive the Deal are offering. You can normally get a dealer to come close to it although very few will match or beat it.

Considering where you are coming from in terms of cars the petrol is probably the better buy and should not leave you wanting to much (if you do there is always a remap to get you to somewhere around 220-230bhp.

About a year ago I went from a Focus ST (tuned to 270hp) mainly for fuel cost reasons and also VAT off and 0% interest loan.

I've gone from 30 to 32mpg to 48 to 50mpg

Perhaps its my age but I found I do not really miss the extra hp of the ST compared to the VRS CR 170hp.

The hatch boot capacity is huge and IMO the extra cost of the estate is not worth it.

I would go for the rear parking sensors, the high boot and rear wing compromises rear visibility. It also gives a graphic display on the Bolero head unit,

With the DSG auto box I find it a very relaxing car to drive, you also get paddle shift and MFSW

I ended up paying £17400 from a local dealer for a Jan 2010 car

I know 1 thing, the VRS will be a hell of a lot cheaper to run than the S3. I chose the petrol VRS as I only do about 12k miles per year. In your case as you do 25k miles the diesel would save you a lot of money in the long run. The Vrs diesel should see about 400 -600 miles to the tank! Insurance is group 15 and the Vrs is a peach to drive. The TFSI engine is also the same one as the one in the VW Golf GTI mk5, Audi TT, Seat Leon FR (I think?) The diesel engine is also found in the VW Passat not sure what other cars though. The TFSI engine is very strong and should give you trouble free motoring for many years There is after all a reason why Skoda has won the most reliable car award 3 years in a row 4 years this year with the Yeti winning it! Now go and buy one, you know you want too!

I know 1 thing, the VRS will be a hell of a lot cheaper to run than the S3. I chose the petrol VRS as I only do about 12k miles per year. In your case as you do 25k miles the diesel would save you a lot of money in the long run. The Vrs diesel should see about 400 -600 miles to the tank! Insurance is group 15 and the Vrs is a peach to drive. The TFSI engine is also the same one as the one in the VW Golf GTI mk5, Audi TT, Seat Leon FR (I think?) The diesel engine is also found in the VW Passat not sure what other cars though. The TFSI engine is very strong and should give you trouble free motoring for many years There is after all a reason why Skoda has won the most reliable car award 3 years in a row 4 years this year with the Yeti winning it! Now go and buy one, you know you want too!

The diesel vRS was group 14 (I think it's group 28 now, will find out soon as insurance renewal is next month) and petrol was 15...

The diesel vRS was group 14 (I think it's group 28 now, will find out soon as insurance renewal is next month) and petrol was 15...

Yes, you're right. I still don't understand this new group 28 business though? Why is it 28 rather than 15? Can anyone explain how that works?

1. Hatchback or Estate? (I have only ever had 5 door hatches and a BMW Touring.) Dealer tells me I wont recoup the £1000 extra cost of the estate on trade in/resale Unless you're moving wardrobes get the Hatch...it's massive!!

2. Diesel or Petrol - I dont mind filling up as it can't be any worse than my S3. More worried about dropping power. Is the diesel the same 170bhp engine as in the Audi Q5/TT? Both great...I went for CRD...mega torque!

3. Essential options? See below

4. Plan to retrofit the Columbus Sat Nav - is this easy? Pointer to any step by step installs would be useful. Do I need to spec Maxi Dot? Don't know

5. Leather worth it?

Finally any ideas of what discount to aim for? Appreciate the VAT promotion is ongoing but, anyone experience of discounts available. Try DTD & get your dealer to match or get close

For interest this is my current thinking on spec.

Octavia vRS

Estate See Above

2.0 T FSI 200bhp Either

Options

Race Blue Metallic Yep

Full Size Spare Yep

Maxi-dot trip computer Yep

Black vRS Leather seats Yep

Bluetooth and telephone function Yep

Auto dimming rear view mirror etc etc Yep

Heated Front seats Yep

Silver Roof Rails :|

Not sure about

Xenons If you drive at night you want these lights!

Columbus Sat Nav factory install I'd go TomTom..but I'm tight!

MDI ...only if you don't go for bluetooth

Curtain Airbags

Front and Rear Parking sensors Unless you can't park :p

Mine's a petrol vrs estate. The current car have the same engine as a Mk6 GTI btw (not mk5 as stated above) so will re-map easily to 250-ish bhp so you may not feel that much difference vs. your S3 other than the fwd scrablling

Even after re-map i'm still seeing regular 32-ish mpg.

Estate looks better IMO. I quite often chuck bicycles/tricycles in the boot which are quite bulky/high so the estate works better for me than the hatch.

Columbus? Too much money as a factory option IMO, tom tom works for me (£100 quids worth!). Yes you can retro-fit - used units sometimes come up on ebay at around 500 quid but you have to ask the question regarding their provenance? Easy to fit by all accounts - lots on here have done it.

Maxi-dot is essential. You get more info plus the ability to switch on/ off certain options.

Leather - i'm not bothered but it is great VFM at only 700 -quid or whatever they charge now - try to add leather on a golf gti and it'll hurt your wallet a LOT more..

Factory bluetooth option: not sure you can get this without the dsg/mf wheel? I added a FISCON unit which works just like OE and is controlled via the bolero touch screen.

Xenons: really very good and well worth the money IMO. I have these.

Curtain airbags - not much money so just add them is my advice. What if you have an accident and a loved-one is hurt, and you didn't spec them?! Don't even consider leaving them off IMO.

MDI is so cheap is a no brainer too. Ipod sits in the glove box out of sight and charges from the car, control the song choice from the head unit. Alternative is to rely on SD cards or just use the AUX-in but with that you can't control song choice from the HU and you need to somehow charge the ipod too..

I have rear parking sensors - essential on the estate IMO. I didn't spec the front sensors and I don't miss them.

Hope that helps.

n.b I also have light and rain assistant, sunset glass. heated seats and I added Lowered Suspension Kit (EIBACH) ZGB1Z3071677 and Roof Bars LAS620002A at PDI.

Cheers

Rob

Yes, you're right. I still don't understand this new group 28 business though? Why is it 28 rather than 15? Can anyone explain how that works?

The old grouping went to 20, the new system goes to 50...

Folks.

Thanks for all the feedback so far.

I think at the moment my biggest dilemma is petrol or diesel.

I think I'm settled on the estate as the hatch looks a bit boy racerish with the spoiler on the back. I prefer stealth!

Whilst the S3 is killing me on fuel, the money I save on depreciation and costs to run for a petrol Octavia might make the proposition more palatable. The big issue I have is the local dealer doesnt have a test drive for the diesel so I may have to search for one to drive before making the final decision.

It seems as though the more options the better (I do like my toys!) but, can anyone point me to a thread which gives step-by-step on removing the audio unit to replace the sat nav? If its easy to do I may look at this as a diy upgrade in due course.

Once again thanks for all the feedback - much appreciated.

Edited 15 December, 201015 yr by pluves1