hello please help

we are on the look out for a 2nd car for my girlfriend to use

our main car is octavia VRS (no booing please) as needed a larger car to do school run and holidays runs etc .. but we looking for 2nd car for my girlfriend to use (back and fro to work 20miles a day, school run now and again and a weekly run out with the girls ...) orginally had look at Polo GTi but to expensive, which led us to Fabia VRS which is nice but have heard value for Money Monte Carlo with 1.2 engine is a good toy ....

any comments on either please

Monte Carlo 1.6CR 105. I've got one and have to say it's bloody brilliant. I can understand people going for the 105Tsi if they are doing low mileage, personally I would say though as Skoda are doing 20% off deals everywhere there is little difference in cost to go for the diesel. The diesel engine is super frugal (unlike the Tsi) and has bags of torque, residuals are always very strong on the diesel too!

For that mileage, the 1.2 TSI will be fine, or spend the extra on the vRS

Monte Carlo 1.6CR 105. I've got one and have to say it's bloody brilliant. I can understand people going for the 105Tsi if they are doing low mileage, personally I would say though as Skoda are doing 20% off deals everywhere there is little difference in cost to go for the diesel. The diesel engine is super frugal (unlike the Tsi) and has bags of torque, residuals are always very strong on the diesel too!

daft question , has this diesel got DPF , as i know with some diesels low mileage causes issues with the DPF system ... ??

If she is considering a Monte or VRS then I take it she want's an entertaining drive, so here's my thoughts.

Our last Fabia was a 1.9TDi and we were all set to get it's direct replacement a 105 1.6TDi. We drove one and yes it was a more refined and smoother torque delivery and drove very similar to our old one but a little more sluggish in high gears.

Then we drove the 1.2TSi 105, what a difference, the engine has plenty of low down pull but it spins sweetly upto 6000rpm with a sweet sounding snarl. It's not hampered by the extra long gearing of the 1.6TDi our 1.9tdi 5th was 30mph/1000rpm, the 1.6TDi was 35mph/1000rpm there's a noticable drop in performance in 3rd, 4th and 5th over the 1.9TDi.

Another difference I wasn't expecting was the handling, the 1.2TSi feels light and agile while the diesel just doesn't have that edge. I think it's partly down to the extra 100kg the diesel has in the engine bay and the responsiveness of the TSi.

If you do big miles then the diesel will be the better buy, it's still a good drive but if ultra economy isn't a worry then the TSi is the more entertaining drive, I actually couldn't believe how different they are to drive the TSi feels faster than the figurs suggest.

Cheers

Lee

Never driven the diesel but I can highly recommend the 1.2 TSI (105)in the Monte. It revs very sweetly and is surprisingly torquey low down. Little if any noticeable Turbo lag. I agree that if you're into higher milages the diesel would be the one to go for. Our Monte is averaging around 43mpg and that's primarily short runs, so not that bad. The Monte looks great too and gets plenty of admiring comments when out and about. Diesel or petrol I'm sure you'll love it.

daft question , has this diesel got DPF , as i know with some diesels low mileage causes issues with the DPF system ... ??

All the diesels have a DPF fiter on them. Even with most of my runs in the autumn & winter being less the 10 miles (famous last words) I have not had a DPF issue - even when injector 2 went and a load of crap came out of the back of the car the DPF was OK after a quick fast run.

You can use the Which petrol or diesel checker to help you decide here

If its mainly for her - get a Monte Carlo.

If its mainly for you - get a vRS.

If a vrs is going to be too much for her then I'd definately recommend the monte Carlo 1.2 tsi. Drove my mates last week! Fantastic punchy engine decent gear box too and fun on country lanes! Surprisingly quick too!

Depends on your budget of course, you won't regret the vRS, although the monte (at the right price) offers a good value package. I would suggest if the mileage is low 1.2 TSI should serve your needs, high mileage then go for the diesel.

Keep us posted.

daft question , has this diesel got DPF , as i know with some diesels low mileage causes issues with the DPF system ... ??

It's got a DPF, unsurprisingly I haven't had a regen on mine yet as it's only done 286 miles now. I'm averaging around 58mpg so far and that's on the tight new engine. I drove both the diesel and petrol engines and opted for diesel as I love the torque from the engines. I guess it's up to your driving style. I have an Audi TT Tdi, a VW T4 and the Monte Carlo, all three are diesels so you can guess which side of the argument I go for. The diesel will be heavier than the petrol due to it's engine weight. I wouldn't let this put you off though, she's no slouch and handles well IMHO. The other thing to consider is they cost £20 per year for road tax!

So, if you prefer torque and low running costs then the Monte diesel may be for you. If you can put up with higher running costs then the petrol would be a great option. It's horses for courses, I drove both and opted straight away for the diesel. The dealer really pushed me towards the petrol and mentioned the fact I could have a Tsi within weeks. He said most people are opting for the Tsi and tried to steer me away from the diesel. I stuck to my guns though and waited 5 months for the top of the range diesel. I'm pleased I did as it is everything I wanted from a car, it's the spec I want and it goes way way better than I thought it would. There are less Monte diesels around so hopefully will retain their value better.

Drive both, weigh up the options and make your choice based on what you prefer. I would say whatever one you opt for (if it is the Monte) then get electric windows in the rear and go for the best spec you can. They are producing quite a few of these now and thinking about future resale is an important factor too.

vRS...

end of thread

My dealer has a red Monte Carlo for £16k and a vRS for £17k... I know what i'd have...

My dealer has a red Monte Carlo for £16k and a vRS for £17k... I know what i'd have...

Bloody hell. What's the Monte got on it, Gold inlay? I only paid £12,500 for mine

Must be well spec'd and diesel to be £16k - the vRS just has black wheels.

I got a well specced vRS for £14k

If its mainly for her - get a Monte Carlo.

If its mainly for you - get a vRS.

more like the other way round she wanted a Polo GTi , then when we visited the dealership she fell in love with the R32 and then a TTRS ...

but then she became sensible ... and agreed if the GTi was to much what about the quote "small VRS" .....

lol

Depends on budget really, if she wanted an R32 or TTRS then maybe go for the vRS as the speed will still be there. Not saying the Monte is slow, but in comparison to the other cars mentioned you'll be left wanting more.

I got a well specced vRS for £14k

I too got mine for that sort of price, sadly no mad deals on the vRS or Monte like that to be had any more, only the usual deals.

The monte Carlo is zero-VAT at the moment.

Christ! I got my Monte for £12800 fully loaded.