Fellow Skodians

Today I had a test drive of a hatchback Octavia vRS - 10 plate, white, petrol, DSG. Think it was 1st registered in May 2010 so it is around 8 months old. It was specced with the full leather when new, along with bluetooth but no MDI (which is an absolute MUST for me, although I know it can be retro-fitted) and no parking sensors which the dealer said they will retro-fit for £250. With my current car as a trade-in the price-to-change comes in at around £10,750.

Dealer said they have someone else interested in the car, and the nearest one with a similar spec is in Middlesborough, around a 4 hour drive (each way). Didn't leave a deposit after the test driive, said i would think about it overnight.

However, a spanner was thrown in the works. While at the dealer I spotted a brand-new (altthough pre-registered) 60-plate FABIA vrs - estate, red, already got the MDI fitted, it's a DSG so has maxidot, already has the rear parking sensors but doesn't have bluetooth, and dealer said it can't be retro-fitted. Smart wee car, although I haven't driven it yet. The price to change with my car as a trade-in is around £6.5K, so significantly less than the Octavia.

The other consideration is the road tax - it's due on the Fabia at the end of Feb and is £125 for a year, but the tax on the Octavia runs out at the end of May but is £300. So worthy of consideration.

So:

OCTAVIA - will cost me £10,750 to change, isn't brand new but does come with leather, road tax has 4 months to run but costs more to renew, has retro-fitted parking sensors that don't integrate with the Bolero and i'll need to retro-fit (or have it fitted for me) the MDI. Has bluetooth though.

FABIA - will cost me £6500 to change, IS brand new but doesn't have leather or bluetooth, has around 6 weeks road tax left but is only £125 to renew, has factory parking sensors and factory MDI. Haven't ever driven a Fabia though.

Help!!!

Fellow Skodians

Today I had a test drive of a hatchback Octavia vRS - 10 plate, white, petrol, DSG. Think it was 1st registered in May 2010 so it is around 8 months old. It was specced with the full leather when new, along with bluetooth but no MDI (which is an absolute MUST for me, although I know it can be retro-fitted) and no parking sensors which the dealer said they will retro-fit for £250. With my current car as a trade-in the price-to-change comes in at around £10,750.

Dealer said they have someone else interested in the car, and the nearest one with a similar spec is in Middlesborough, around a 4 hour drive (each way). Didn't leave a deposit after the test driive, said i would think about it overnight.

However, a spanner was thrown in the works. While at the dealer I spotted a brand-new (altthough pre-registered) 60-plate FABIA vrs - estate, red, already got the MDI fitted, it's a DSG so has maxidot, already has the rear parking sensors but doesn't have bluetooth, and dealer said it can't be retro-fitted. Smart wee car, although I haven't driven it yet. The price to change with my car as a trade-in is around £6.5K, so significantly less than the Octavia.

The other consideration is the road tax - it's due on the Fabia at the end of Feb and is £125 for a year, but the tax on the Octavia runs out at the end of May but is £300. So worthy of consideration.

So:

OCTAVIA - will cost me £10,750 to change, isn't brand new but does come with leather, road tax has 4 months to run but costs more to renew, has retro-fitted parking sensors that don't integrate with the Bolero and i'll need to retro-fit (or have it fitted for me) the MDI. Has bluetooth though.

FABIA - will cost me £6500 to change, IS brand new but doesn't have leather or bluetooth, has around 6 weeks road tax left but is only £125 to renew, has factory parking sensors and factory MDI. Haven't ever driven a Fabia though.

Help!!!

£300 to tax a petrol DSG vRS? I think you'll find that its £300 for the first year and £200 thereafter, my petrol vRS is a manual and was £250 for the first year and £180 thereafter......does anyone else agree?

£300 to tax a petrol DSG vRS? I think you'll find that its £300 for the first year and £200 thereafter, my petrol vRS is a manual and was £250 for the first year and £180 thereafter......does anyone else agree?

I think gatsbys is on the money .... I'm just looking at the new Octavia brochure I picked it up today (latest revision 01/11) it contains a table in regarding VED costs. So If I'm reading it right the petrol VRS with DSG is 180 on the CO2 scale, that puts it at £300 first year then £200 subsequent, although I suppose there are options for that to increase like everything else car related.

Hope that helps ....

BTW if you don't need the space I'd be tempted by the Fabia ...

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by spc

Thats a nice problem to have

I suppose for me it would boil down to size. The Octavia costs more in every way but is bigger and vice versa for the Fabia.

Take a test drive in the Fabia (why not anyway) and maybe that will make your mind up size wise

Fellow Skodians

Today I had a test drive of a hatchback Octavia vRS - 10 plate, white, petrol, DSG. Think it was 1st registered in May 2010 so it is around 8 months old. It was specced with the full leather when new, along with bluetooth but no MDI (which is an absolute MUST for me, although I know it can be retro-fitted) and no parking sensors which the dealer said they will retro-fit for £250. With my current car as a trade-in the price-to-change comes in at around £10,750.

Dealer said they have someone else interested in the car, and the nearest one with a similar spec is in Middlesborough, around a 4 hour drive (each way). Didn't leave a deposit after the test driive, said i would think about it overnight.

However, a spanner was thrown in the works. While at the dealer I spotted a brand-new (altthough pre-registered) 60-plate FABIA vrs - estate, red, already got the MDI fitted, it's a DSG so has maxidot, already has the rear parking sensors but doesn't have bluetooth, and dealer said it can't be retro-fitted. Smart wee car, although I haven't driven it yet. The price to change with my car as a trade-in is around £6.5K, so significantly less than the Octavia.

The other consideration is the road tax - it's due on the Fabia at the end of Feb and is £125 for a year, but the tax on the Octavia runs out at the end of May but is £300. So worthy of consideration.

So:

OCTAVIA - will cost me £10,750 to change, isn't brand new but does come with leather, road tax has 4 months to run but costs more to renew, has retro-fitted parking sensors that don't integrate with the Bolero and i'll need to retro-fit (or have it fitted for me) the MDI. Has bluetooth though.

FABIA - will cost me £6500 to change, IS brand new but doesn't have leather or bluetooth, has around 6 weeks road tax left but is only £125 to renew, has factory parking sensors and factory MDI. Haven't ever driven a Fabia though.

Help!!!

If you don't need the extra rear legroom and boot space go for the Fabia (I haven't test driven one though) - cheaper to buy and run - save some brass!

Have you priced up what a new Octavia will cost you with the current VAT free offer? That way you would be able to get the options you want.

While the VAT deal was still running for diesels I ordered a diesel vRS with quite a few extras. Looking at the Skoda site at used examples under a year old, they are all within £1000 of what I paid for mine, most are basic spec and I've got more than £1000 of options on mine.

Petrols might not be the same but it's worth checking out.

Drive the Deal comes in at £18473 for the octavia spec as you have seen.

Yea, I got a quote from DTD but that still leaves me with the problem of what to do with my current vehicle and that I'll probably need to wait at least 3 months for the new Octavia to arrive (and my current vehicle will be worth less by then).

Thanks for all the advice though chaps, I think i am going to organise a test drive of the Fabia and then go from there.

Well I had a test drive of the Fabia today (a green hatchback vRS) and I was reasonably impressed, although the seats were rather solid which made it feel, in my opinion, as if I was sitting ON the car rather than IN it. There wasn't a HUGE difference in performance between it and the Octavia vRS I drove on Sunday, but the engine noise inside the Fabia cabin was noticeably worse.

So - it looks like I MIGHT be the proud owner of a white petrol Octavia vRS DSG in the next couple of weeks!

If and when the keys are handed over, let the mods commence! Tints, lowered, alloys powder-coated in Anthracite, grill colour-coded, debadged on the rear and MDI retro-fitted.

Well I had a test drive of the Fabia today (a green hatchback vRS) and I was reasonably impressed, although the seats were rather solid which made it feel, in my opinion, as if I was sitting ON the car rather than IN it. There wasn't a HUGE difference in performance between it and the Octavia vRS I drove on Sunday, but the engine noise inside the Fabia cabin was noticeably worse.

So - it looks like I MIGHT be the proud owner of a white petrol Octavia vRS DSG in the next couple of weeks!

If and when the keys are handed over, let the mods commence! Tints, lowered, alloys powder-coated in Anthracite, grill colour-coded, debadged on the rear and MDI retro-fitted.

Decided not to trade down from my 4 mth old Oct vRS to a Fabia vRS despite a saving of 5k. Don't need the boot space, but the significantly less cabin space and lower comfort when cruising at 50 mph killed it for me. The Fabia is a great fast small car, but just that, a small car with all the issues that come with it.