Got a skoda delivered to me as a hire car today, it was an estate with a 1.6 diesel engine.

Ok, I am used to my tfsi octavia vrs but this diesel model was just plain dangerous!

Checked the mirror to overtake on the motorway, accelerated to pull out and had no power and before I knew it the car in the middle lane was right on my ass flashing his lights. He may have been speeding but I would expect better acceleration from 70 to 80?

Due to the lack of power as I had a lot of kit it had to go back, got a superb with dsg now.

Why would someone buy a big estate like an octavia with a 1.6 diesel engine in it?

Fuel conscious, economy minded, planet friendly, wallet friendly.

Hmm half the power of your car and filled with a heavy load, never mind the fact its a completely differnt lump under the bonnet and your surprised

I wouldn't want one as I like a bit of go go but bear in mind that some people might be perfectly happy with that car. I agree to an extent that it can be dangerous to overtake in cars with such little oomph but in all honest by the time you got the thing to that speed you should have been well aware of the lack of grunt.

I am happy with my current VRS and was happy with my old one, but using your logic my old workmates with his V8 vantage might look at us and wonder why we put up with our 'slow' cars.....

It's horses for courses. I know quite a few people who are very happy with the 1.6TDi.

Obviously it's going to feel and drive different from what you're used to.

Ok, I am used to my tfsi octavia vrs but this diesel model was just plain dangerous!

There are no cars that are dangerously slow......just drivers that may make dangerous errors of judgement when driving a car they are not used to.

Besides, with a 0-60 time of 11.5 seconds the 1.6 TDI could hardly be described as slow.

Why would someone buy a big estate like an octavia with a 1.6 diesel engine in it?

62 MPG combined (amazing in a car that size), £30 a year road tax, low insurance. low depreciation.

Why do you want to overtake? Just relax and sit in the inside lane at 50, you will still get where you're going and use a lot less fuel on the way.

I flew into Belfast last week and I had a Kia venga as a hire car for a few days. Coming from my 2.0 tsi vrs, I took the time to learn the venga's capabilities rather than make a move that could leave me in a dangerous situation. Alot of people just jump into a different car and expect it to behave like their day to day car.

As for the venga, was quite surprised by it. performed well around countryside and really good in town. Base model. 1.4 petrol, 89 bhp. Well specced and only 10k brand new. Overall fuel consumption was around 44mpg

We have a couple at work... totally gutless but good general workhorses...

I've driven other cars with 1.6 diesels in them and they fly even with a good load. It wasn't lack of misreading traffic and making dangerous errors of judgement when driving a car I'm not used to, if you are driving on the motorway you would expect to feel a little fight from a car. Maybe it's because the engine was knackered with it being a hire car I dunno but my overall "Personal" opinion is I would not go for an engine that size.

I would hate to see how bad the new Mondeo 1.0 is going to perform... I know everyone has to be seen as going green but realistically how long is that engine going to last?

Better than the last hire car I had a Vauxhall Corsa SE 1.4 Auto, never driven such a horrid Gearbox/Engine combination.

Poor thing was screaming it's nuts off trying to maintain 70 on cruise control on the hilly section of the A34.

Yep, I had those experiences with a hire Corsa and that same setup - Manchester to Cambridge and back!

Small engine, small car - about 20% less economical than my Octy is at 80 on cruise, while keeping the Corsa between 70-75 :wonder:

My wife's uncle has an Octavia with a 1.6TDI engine and is most chuffed with it because he can get 70+mpg out of it.

He drives for economy and boy can he get good economy.

He previously had a Citroen Xsara Picasso with a diesel engine in it and claimed similar MPG figures.

To get any sort of performance out of the 1.6TDI you have to use the gears, if you would have slipped it into 3rd. - but that does bugger the economy.

I agree - I recently had a test drive in a 1.6CR. On the motorway at 70mph 2k revs in 5th going up hill, put foot on floor and no acceleration at all.

I won't be buying one I immediately told the salesman. Another 2.0 for me. In my 2.0 I would have been at 80mph (indicated) within a couple of seconds.

I commute a lot on hilly motorways and need the ability to overtake those that have to slow on the hills. I don't drive fast but I need to get where I'm going so over take and pull back in.

Another £200 in fuel, £100 in tax, few quid in insurance a year and or course the initial purchase difference so perhaps £ 600 a year difference, I'll save the £50 a month elsewhere.