Hi guys, first post on briskoda, so hopefully you can help me.

I'm looking at buying a 2009 octavia vrs tdi cr. I've done a bit of research already and they seem pretty good cars. What are they like to live with? They seem good on fuel and tax etc.

Also, since this will be my newest car to date (previous was 1998!), what are they like for servicing costs? I say this, because I used to do it myself, but after spending £10,500 on a car, I'd want to keep it's skoda service history intact rather scribbling down home service. What about things like brakes? I'n guessing these are fairly simple to change? (I've done it many times on older cars.)

Lastly, insurance. I'm 23 with 5 years experience and 3 years no claims. I can get it down to £1000 a year or £100 a month with Axa, but I want to add my less experienced girlfriend to it (she gets travel sick, driving herself helps). This takes Axas up to about £170m a month, which is silly. Can any suggest any companies I could look at that don't appear on the old comparison sites? I've tried the likes of endsleigh, direct line and adrian flux, but they're a bit silly too. Admiral will do it for £1000 too, but want £200 a month.

Sorry about the novel! Thanks for your help though, much appreciated!!

Great cars - roomy, fast, well-built. How many miles a year do you do? If not mega miles, I'd suggest a petrol. Faster, smoother, and far less likely to go wrong.

Insurance is simply a matter of shopping round and being persistent and patient.

Good luck!

At the minute, probably about 7-8000. 10 miles too and from work, plus some extra. Are the petrols a bit more reliable then? I reckon they could be heavier on insurance maybe.

Are there any known faults cropping up with either car yet? How easy are the head units to swap? Or can you get a line in to stereo easily?

At the minute, probably about 7-8000. 10 miles too and from work, plus some extra. Are the petrols a bit more reliable then? I reckon they could be heavier on insurance maybe.

Are there any known faults cropping up with either car yet? How easy are the head units to swap? Or can you get a line in to stereo easily?

With that mileage I'd definitely buy petrol - in fact I'd go nowhere near a diesel. DPF will luz up and create issues.

Petrols are much simpler under the bonnet (less gubbins added to try to keep them clean) and petrol is getting cheaper and cheaper than diesel all the time.

I get 35mpg out of mine on average.

Your other questions will be answered soon.

The petrol is faster, and all round a better car to drive - if you can afford it.

My commute is ten miles each way, largely on a bypass and my petrol VRs needed a lot of convincing to get above 30mpg on that journey. I've replaced it with a CR derv and the same driving gives low to mid 40s. I'm also enjoying not having to spend £££s on top up oil all the time

I don't think there's genuinely any difference in reliability issues - they both have a low to medium risk of a fairly huge repair bill (DPF for the derv, coked intakes for the petrol).

As for insurance there probably not that much in it but as you're already facing a steep premium you might like to get a few quotes first.

have tried skodas own insurance? that's who we used this time. much cheaper than the rest.

also the stereo is very good out of the factory and mine has an aux in the bin between the front seats .

have tried skodas own insurance? that's who we used this time. much cheaper than the rest.

also the stereo is very good out of the factory and mine has an aux in the bin between the front seats .

As with any insurance what is good for one can be riddiculous for another, skoda insurance (through zurich) was over £1700 for me so I paid £400 to 'more than' instead. They were cheapest for two or three years but then wanted £800 compared the Axa's £500

I'm sure the revolving door will swing back round at some point.

have tried skodas own insurance? that's who we used this time. much cheaper than the rest.

also the stereo is very good out of the factory and mine has an aux in the bin between the front seats .

Sorry, but I don't agree on the stereo - but then I have very fussy ears.

To be honest, the Skoda Stream MP3 I had was the worst radio I've had in a car in recent years. Even worse than the awful unit that came in my old (2003) Leon Cupra.

By comparison, the Volvo V50 I had up until a year ago (when I bought the VRS) had a very, very good stereo.

(I changed mine for a JVC double DIN unit, changed the speakers for Pioneer components and added a Harman-Cardon sub woofer where the CD boot changer used to live!)

Maybe the later factory unit is better?

Thanks guys! Think I'll stick with a cr derv now. I'd also be quite tempted to loose the dpf, are there any decent places that can remove and remap near Sheffield? And just to be certain, that wouldn't affect the mot would it?

Any other common problems or just the dpf?

Anyone?

Why buy the VRS CR when you do such low annual mileage?

the money you save on fuel you are just gonna shell out on removing the DPF doesn't make any sense

Petrol as I said earlier. Suits your plans for the car much better.

And faster.

I agree, with the above posts. You really need to be doing 15K+ to get the benefits of s diesel. It needs to get nice a hot (20m+) runs to keep the dpf clear at least once a week. The petrol is more refined, faster and a all round better car. Only benefit if the diesel comes doing high miles and if you carry 4 adults and a boot full it still pulls like a train low down, effortless!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk whilst in a taxi rank

Ps the 2.0TFSI will see 200k+ too

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Is it not more important on witch one he likes driving most, rather going down the mpg, faster, better and so on. I could have saved money when I bought mine from the dealer and got the petrol, but I preferred the way the diesel drove as other people on here will say the petrols better.

My commute is ten miles each way, largely on a bypass and my petrol VRs needed a lot of convincing to get above 30mpg on that journey. I've replaced it with a CR derv and the same driving gives low to mid 40s. I'm also enjoying not having to spend £££s on top up oil all the time

So work 10 miles x 2 = 20 miles per day

Mon-Fri average x 5. = 100 miles per week

52 weeks. = 5200 miles per year

Diesel @ £1.41/L x4.54 = £6.40/gallon

Petrol @ £1.35/L x 4.54 = £6.13/gallon

Diesel @42mpg = 123 gallons

D = £787 per year fuel

Petrol @30mpg = 173 gallons

P = £1060 per year fuel

So P minus D. = £273 Difference !!!

If those figures are correct, no way would I have a diesel Vrs ! The Tsi are more fuel efficient than the TFSi were and rarely use oil.

I don't think there's genuinely any difference in reliability issues - they both have a low to medium risk of a fairly huge repair bill (DPF for the derv, coked intakes for the petrol)

That is wrong, don't see that on this message board, the diesels are significantly more problematic and as for coked intakes never seen that mentioned ref a Tsi ?

Just to add doing 10m journeys will not see the CR Diesel engine do 42mpg. More like 36-38mpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk whilst in a taxi rank

So work 10 miles x 2 = 20 miles per day

Mon-Fri average x 5. = 100 miles per week

52 weeks. = 5200 miles per year

Diesel @ £1.41/L x4.54 = £6.40/gallon

Petrol @ £1.35/L x 4.54 = £6.13/gallon

Diesel @42mpg = 123 gallons

D = £787 per year fuel

Petrol @30mpg = 173 gallons

P = £1060 per year fuel

So P minus D. = £273 Difference !!!

If those figures are correct, no way would I have a diesel Vrs ! The Tsi are more fuel efficient than the TFSi were and rarely use oil.

Based on those figures I'd probably agree - problem is those figures are hopelessly inaccurate for several reasons, chiefly for the reason that i dont just have a car for going to work and back. based upon my mileage over the last few months (since i bought the diesel) the overall saving for me works out somewhere between £1500 to £2000 pa having chopped the petrol in for the diesel.

That is wrong, don't see that on this message board, the diesels are significantly more problematic and as for coked intakes never seen that mentioned ref a Tsi ?

Why on earth would the TSi be any different? This isn't a VAG problem - it's a direct injection problem.

As for 'significantly more problematic' based upon what?

Just to add doing 10m journeys will not see the CR Diesel engine do 42mpg. More like 36-38mpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk whilst in a taxi rank

so far spot on - my new CR Blackline is averaging about 37 MPG on a 10 mile trip to work through centre of Liverpool. Love the car, but next one will likely be a petrol version.

Just to add doing 10m journeys will not see the CR Diesel engine do 42mpg. More like 36-38mpg

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Depends on driving. That is with a fair bit if economy driving - the closest I have got to the way I had to drive the petrol in order to see 30.

I've used road trip to calculate consumption based on the way I 'actually' drive. The long term averages were:

Petrol 24mpg

Diesel 37.5 mpg

Add to that the benchmark of miles per tank - whereas I used to be generally happy if I got 300 miles per tank before, I now tend to get between 400 and 500 miles per tank.

Cost of fuel is no different - my old TFSi needed super which is the same price as diesel. In honesty I've tended to run most of my cars on super anyway. Don't bother with the diesel.

As I said many posts above, I'd prefer the petrol but I can't justify an extra £150 a month on fuel for it. And they sound pretty much the same at idle anyway

Just to add doing 10m journeys will not see the CR Diesel engine do 42mpg. More like 36-38mpg

Which, (based on the above arguable figures) means the petorl would be doing 24-26 MPG.

It's really best to use manufacturers combined MPG figures when comparing different engine consumptions.

As for 'significantly more problematic' based upon what?

Eh, just go through the board page by page and look at the diesel problems ?

But don't worry, yours will be fine

Eh, just go through the board page by page and look at the diesel problems

You don't think this could be because there are way more diesels out there than tsi's?

My TFSI (petrol) average at the moment = 34 mpg. Mostly commuting in West London and hacking through the lanes when I get closer to home...

I had an A4 2.0 TDi and that only averaged 41 mpg with the same treatment.

For me no contest.

I do love a petrol vs diesel thread once in a while!