Hi,

I am looking to replace my trusty workhorse, a 1999 Peugeot 306 LD.

I do 25,000 miles a year which is a 140 mile round trip commute which is all pretty much between 60 and 80mph.

Spending the neck end of £400 / month on diesel in the Peugeot means I need something equally as efficient (50+ mpg) but something with more power, airbags, isofix and a bigger boot.

I’ve narrowed it down to a pre-facelift Octavia Elegance and a Seat Altea XL Stylance. I know opinions on here will be very much weighted towards the Skoda, with good reason, but equivalent Altea XL’s are cheaper with slightly better standard specification and I actually prefer the look of them (controversial I know!).

I have a budget of between £8K and £10K which will get me a 2-3 year old 30,000 mile example.

The wife currently drives a 2.0 TDi 140 PD Octavia Scout. The weight of the Haldex 4x4 system means it’s just not fuel efficient enough for me to use.

A couple of questions…

Is the 1.9 TDi 105 PD engine the same in both cars? I know that this engine, whilst not renowned for its smoothness, is the best engine for reliability.

Which engine would offer the best MPG for my 60-80mph commute, the more efficient 1.9 or the six speed 2.0 TDi 140 PD?

Hi, my wife and I went out to drive the altea XL then right after drove the Octavia.

Altea drives high and did not get used, at that moment, to not be able to see the front end and the winfshield soo far away.

I did notice lack of power, but did love all the extras, I mean alll the extras except leather and sunroof.

Yes it was the 1.6tdi.

The wife could not adjust the seat right and did not like the driving, could not see over the dash ( the bonnet comes a tad hich compared to the dash, it blockes the view)

Then we went to Skoda, I drove first.

Then the wife got in, adjusted everything, " now I can see forward", after a mile o soo see asked if the engine was the same as the Altea.

I said yes, why?? It felt it had twice the power, no kidding.

Soo because of this we got the Octavia, even though we could have got used too the altea(dash really plastic) because off all the options and same price as my elegange. The altea had more such as bi-xenon-front sensores-stop/start button-rear door window curtins- 17" rims-7" rear tft screen.

Here the alteaforum owners say their altea consumes 1.0-1.5L more than the octavia, average 7.0L ( mine goes 5.3L).

Given that the Altea looks like a bag of old nails I'd say it's a no brainer!

Given that the Altea looks like a bag of old nails I'd say it's a no brainer!

I was expecting this to be honest . I did try to allude to the fact that the Altea's looks are not to everyone's tastes (especially the XL).

It is worth noting I already own an Octavia, all-be-it the Scout and love the way it looks, in fact it was its jacked up and aggressive stance which attracted me in the first place.

Call me brave or stupid to say this on an Octavia forum but I just prefer the Altea to the (non-vRS) pre-FL Octy.

Do they still have to be serviced every 10K miles as that was a total pain for me doing high mileage?

SEAT garages, in my experience, cost more per hour servicing costs and we not as helpfully as Skoda garages.

Personally I like the SEAT styling and the high driving position was very comforatble the OCty2 is good too.

Fuel consumption would be slightly higher I would have thought as it is taller but have not compared the figures.

The fixed servicing interval of 10K was just such a put off.

Yes, I have read that the service intervals are 10,000 miles on the Altea

I'd be getting one outside of the Seat warranty anyway and would likely service it myself (oil & filter), apart from the major cambelt service.

That's why I'm curious to know if the 1.9 TDi engine is the same as in the Octavia, if so I'd happily run it a little further inbetween oil changes.

Due to my high mileage I change the oil, filter and air filter on the Peugeot every 10K. It costs £30 and takes me half an hour.

Luckily my local dealer is a joint Skoda / Seat franchise and they are pretty good.

Yes, I have read that the service intervals are 10,000 miles on the Altea

I'd be getting one outside of the Seat warranty anyway and would likely service it myself (oil & filter), apart from the major cambelt service.

That's why I'm curious to know if the 1.9 TDi engine is the same as in the Octavia, if so I'd happily run it a little further inbetween oil changes.

Due to my high mileage I change the oil, filter and air filter on the Peugeot every 10K. It costs £30 and takes me half an hour.

Luckily my local dealer is a joint Skoda / Seat franchise and they are pretty good.

Now they come with the 1.6tdi CR not 1.9tdi PD.

If you want to do tons of miles, do keep doing the service at 15k not 30k.

Now they come with the 1.6tdi CR not 1.9tdi PD.

If you want to do tons of miles, do keep doing the service at 15k not 30k.

Good advice thanks, the 1.6 TDi is still quite new on the Altea and therefore out of my price range.

Do you use the car for anything else?

Would a Fabia Greenline be better for your commute?

Personally - I dont think youre comparing like for like, doesnt the Altea better compare to the likes of the C Max, Roomy, Picasso ranges , due to its high seating position, & minibus like design.

Would have more likely compared the Octy with Cupra, Golf, range of cars.

Youre getting VW parts whichever one you pick, it would be down to the dimensions of that car that would make a difference with economy, provided youre comparing the same engine

Hi,

I ran an Altea Freetrack (XL based) and it was a good car, but had a lot of electrical issues that took 4 trips to the dealers to finally get sorted. Only other issue was thist (it had the 170 PD engine as standard), but good design and decent to drive. I swapped from that to a Yeti and now onto and Octavia Scout, both of which I am deeply impressed with and just seem to be better put together.

If it's a straight choice, I would stick with the Skoda.

Hope this helps.

I had a normal Altea 1.9PD. Never got over 42mpg!!!!! The finish feels and looks cheap. Seat servicing costs are high. I got rid of mine a couple of months under 3 years old and 64,000 miles. It needed a new inter cooler hose, new front shock etc and Seat would not contribute to costs as it was out of warrenty. Personally would neverf buy another Seat. :(

Seat Altea XL. Now that is a seriously ugly car! Even worse than a Megane or Mercedes B Class.

Given that the Altea looks like a bag of old nails I'd say it's a no brainer!

+1 Octavia has to be more aerodynamic just to look at it and that big bubble car can't handle any better so what wardth said

Do you use the car for anything else?

Would a Fabia Greenline be better for your commute?

Not really no, it is purely used to ferry me to work and back. Anything that involves the wife and baby daughter on a weekend means we take the Scout.

The desire for a larger car is purely selfish, driving the 90bhp Peugeot for the last four years and spending three hours a day in it makes me want to treat myself to something a little more comfortable.

I've looked at the Fabia Greenline but it just doesn't appeal. I'm also worried that with 80bhp I'll be driving it hard to maintain 70-80mph. The one major issue I have with the Peugeot is not so much the 0-60mph time but the 50-70mph acceleration. A prime example is when behind a HGV in lane two, it pulls back into lane one and it takes me an age to get ahead and out of the way of the car behind!

I think you raise a good point though, to maintain that magic 50+ MPG I'm going to have to sacrifice size/weight.

Personally - I dont think youre comparing like for like, doesnt the Altea better compare to the likes of the C Max, Roomy, Picasso ranges , due to its high seating position, & minibus like design.

Would have more likely compared the Octy with Cupra, Golf, range of cars.

Youre getting VW parts whichever one you pick, it would be down to the dimensions of that car that would make a difference with economy, provided youre comparing the same engine

I see what you are saying, but as I understand it the Altea is based on the Leon, which I believe is based on the Golf / Octavia platform. At least it seems to have the same wheel base dimensions.

Just like the C-Max is a taller Focus, the Picasso a taller C4 and the Golf Plus a taller Golf.

With this in mind I assume that the Altea is very similar under the skin to an Octavia, just with a taller / heavier body.

I agree, another attraction is the VW underpinnings and the reliability of the 1.9 TDi engine.

I'm also guessing that the 52 combined mpg isn't at 80mph so realistically I'm going to be averaging early to mid 40's. Perhaps another point for the lower, lighter Octavia.

Hi,

I ran an Altea Freetrack (XL based) and it was a good car, but had a lot of electrical issues that took 4 trips to the dealers to finally get sorted. Only other issue was thist (it had the 170 PD engine as standard), but good design and decent to drive. I swapped from that to a Yeti and now onto and Octavia Scout, both of which I am deeply impressed with and just seem to be better put together.

If it's a straight choice, I would stick with the Skoda.

Hope this helps.

I love the look of the Freetrack, but then it was the look of the Scout that first attracted me to the Octavia!

Check this thread out I started months ago. I was seriously considering buying one – albeit on impulse!

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/172444-scout-vrs-in-one-car/page__hl__freetrack

They are dirt cheap too, especially when you consider the level of standard kit. I think the only bits it doesn't have as standard is sat nav and xenon’s.

I've spent quite a bit of time on a Seat forum and was surprised at the comments on the apparent sluggishness of the 170bhp diesel; it seems to be blamed on the DPF. Strange as I assume this is the same engine used in the PD vRS Octavia? As you mention unfortunately the MPG just doesn't make it an option for me with its powerful engine, the weight of the Haldex 4x4 and increased ride height.

I actually considered adopting the Scout and buying a petrol Freetrack for the wife as she barely exceeds 10 miles a day so MPG isn't an issue. The Scout only does 45mpg tops though so that option is out for me too.

I also spend quite a bit of time on the Yeti forum, there are some impressive MPG claims from the 140bhp 2wd but they are still a good chunk above my budget. I had a 1.2 TSi as a courtesy car a few months back. Seriously impressed with the performance from the little engine!

Your vote for the OCtavia is noted, thanks for your input.

I had a normal Altea 1.9PD. Never got over 42mpg!!!!! The finish feels and looks cheap. Seat servicing costs are high. I got rid of mine a couple of months under 3 years old and 64,000 miles. It needed a new inter cooler hose, new front shock etc and Seat would not contribute to costs as it was out of warrenty. Personally would neverf buy another Seat. :(

Ouch, and that I assume is the lighter non-XL version?

The crux here is that I haven't even sat in one let alone driven one. Unfortunately I'm a sucker for falling for a car after spending only a few minutes in it, especially if I've just stepped out of the Peugeot

If I only managed 42mpg I'd be gutted. I keep my cars so I would run it into the ground. I be sick if my next car was less fuel efficient than my 12 year old 306 :(

+1 Octavia has to be more aerodynamic just to look at it and that big bubble car can't handle any better so what wardth said

I hear ya, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that

I just don't get that warm fuzzy feeling of desire when I see a pre-FL Octy. With it's black inserts in the bumpers, black rubbing strips, small alloys and lack of front fogs on all but the Elegance and L&K. It just blends in too much.

I know all of the above can be easily changed but the Altea is already fully colour coded and higher specced.

Not really no, it is purely used to ferry me to work and back. Anything that involves the wife and baby daughter on a weekend means we take the Scout.

The desire for a larger car is purely selfish, driving the 90bhp Peugeot for the last four years and spending three hours a day in it makes me want to treat myself to something a little more comfortable.

I've looked at the Fabia Greenline but it just doesn't appeal. I'm also worried that with 80bhp I'll be driving it hard to maintain 70-80mph. The one major issue I have with the Peugeot is not so much the 0-60mph time but the 50-70mph acceleration. A prime example is when behind a HGV in lane two, it pulls back into lane one and it takes me an age to get ahead and out of the way of the car behind!

I think you raise a good point though, to maintain that magic 50+ MPG I'm going to have to sacrifice size/weight.

I see, spending 3hrs a day, you would need something with a little bit of "poke"

As has already been mentioned, i would pay attention to the aerodynamics of your next car,

We had a Roomster and due to it's shape stuggled to get any decent mpg at 80mph'ish, compared to our Oct'y Sport which will just do 54mpg at 80ish due to it's better shape.

I have recently taken delivery of an Octavia 1.4Tsi Elegance and have also owned an Altea 1.9Tdi Stylance and then a 2.0Tdi XL Stylance. Both Seats were company cars so did not have to pay the service bills but will try to summarise the pros and cons of all cars.

Altea 1.9Tdi - around 48 - 50MPG average quite often in the mid 50's MPG. As mentioned by others engine is quite agricultural but had enough grunt for my needs. However it covered 100,000 miles in 2 years . Admittedly the 10K service intervals were a pain.Appalling rear visibility, useless reversing lights. Parking sensors are a must!!!

It was reliable but towards 100K it was starting to get tired.

Altea XL 2.0 Tdi - Only got about 42MPG with similar driving. The performance advantage over the 1.9 wasn't as great as I expected. Surprising to most people that despite their tall stance the handling of both Seats was far better than the Octavia and the Seat seats were very comfortable and held you in well.Huge boot space with underfloor compartments.

Octavia - Can't really compare engines as Skoda is petrol 1.4 Tsi but the general quality is far superior, softer plastics, better built etc. I would also expect to receive better service from Skoda as well.

The things that do annoy me is the fact that you have to pay extra for ESP and curtain airbags. Having said that these probably were not standard on the Altea 2 or 3 years ago.

Some have mentioned that the Altea is no beauty but neither is the Octavia , I liked the Altea when it first came out as it was different to the norm.(Incidently the Leon came after the Altea)

All are good cars, I really enjoyed the Alteas , they had a more sporty feel than the Octavia but if it was my money I would probably go for the Octavia!

Not sure if this has helped at all but ultimately it is down to personal choice.

A great help, thank you.

I'm guessing if you got 42mpg in the XL with the 2.0 engine then 50mpg should be possible with the 1.9?

As yours were company cars I'm guessing you might not have been so concious about conserving fuel, so perhaps I might squeeze another couple of mpg out of one!?

The raised seat height and huge boot are an attraction for me. Seat service doesn't concern me as I won't be having it serviced with them and it'll be out of warranty too at 3 years old.

Coming from the Peugeot any newer car is bound to have a better screwed together interior!

Interesting though how you would still go for the Octavia, especially after 100,000+ miles in an Altea. Good to hear they were reliable too.

Much appreciated

Baseon your criteria, why not try for a VRS? I'd have one over an Elegance any time and you can easily pick a 170PD up for that money. 50mpg is also achievable - ask anybody on here. The road presence is superior, ride is still excellent and its a darn site sportier than an Altea. Live a little

compared to our Oct'y Sport which will just do 54mpg at 80ish due to it's better shape.

May I be the first to dispute that consumption? I have to do a genuine 70 mph to get 50 mpg. The DERV starts to disappear alarmingly at 80 mph or so. Less than 40 mpg when pressing on in Germany and France this summer.

Given the distances involved and the cars suggested I'd have thought that the best way to save money on fuel would be to make

60-80, 60-70.

Just a thought.....