Is a greenline model worth it?

[Stubod]

Hi there,

thinking of changing my55 plate Octavia Elegance 2ltr Diesel for a newer model, (2010 'ish).

Is it worth gowing for the greenline variant for the economy? I am aware it has les power than the 2 ltr, but I gave up speed for economy a while ago. My current Octavia fuel computer tells me I am getting 60 mpg, but I know this overreads by about 10-15 mpg. Actual tank to tank figure suggests about 45 - 50 mpg.

I tow a small caravan, (very occaional), and at the mo probably only do about 10k miles per year?

Any comments appreciated.

Thanks

[PC1212]

Well to save a few quid a week you need to spend a few thousand on a better car

If that's the only reason then it does not make financial sense

However you fancy a change of car then why the hell not... life's too short, !

[Stubod]

i and thanks for the reply. Howeve I do not think I explained myself very well...I am planning to change the car anyway...I was just wondering if the greenline model is worth it over the "standard" 1.6 model...

Thanks

[silver1011]

At 10,000 miles per year have you considered a petrol?

You may not get the same economy as a diesel but you aren't really doing the mileage to recoup the extra outlay to buy a diesel over a petrol engined Octavia.

[stevetdci]

Probably not. I spec the blue motion tech on our works golfs but that's more to do with emissions. On a private car I wouldn't bother. I would also go for the 2.0 over the 1.6, don't get me wrong the 1.6 is fine but if you are going to tow a caravan the added torque of the 2.0 will come in handy. It will probably be better on fuel too. Go for the elegance or se plus trim.

[Stubod]

Hi all,

many thanks for your replies...I will start searching and pricing!!

[Sarge]

We have some green lines at work and they're ok on a longish run on open roads where you can keep a fairly constant speed. But once you start to drive them in more normal conditions the mpg benefits seem to decrease.

Sarge.

[Jaytip]

I agree with the above post.I have a greenline for my taxi,and i'm coming up to 2000 miles in it now,and frankly i'm really disappointed with it.I think the only way to get near Skoda's claim of 61MPG around town is to have it towed !!!

The MPG seems to be all over the place as well.Over two different days i saw 51MPG (with a 35 mile A road run) and then the following day only managed 44MPG.

I know taxi drivers usually have a lead right foot,but i am not one of those.In my last Skoda (09 Superb 105bhp) i got 40MPG all day long.Had i had an extended test drive prior to buying,i probably wouldnt have bought it for the fuel savings aspect.

Regards,

Ivor.

[alberg]

I agree with the above post.I have a greenline for my taxi,and i'm coming up to 2000 miles in it now,and frankly i'm really disappointed with it.I think the only way to get near Skoda's claim of 61MPG around town is to have it towed !!!

The MPG seems to be all over the place as well.Over two different days i saw 51MPG (with a 35 mile A road run) and then the following day only managed 44MPG.

I know taxi drivers usually have a lead right foot,but i am not one of those.In my last Skoda (09 Superb 105bhp) i got 40MPG all day long.Had i had an extended test drive prior to buying,i probably wouldnt have bought it for the fuel savings aspect.

Regards,

Ivor.

I had the same issue, after 10000miles the engine consumed less diesel.

Altough not a taxi but anything around 6.0l/100km is fine

[littleade]

Personally I'd make sure the test drive was a long one. My mate has a superb greenline which he likes, but if your used to a torquey deisel then make sure what ever engine you get your happy with- I had a 1.4TSI which was a nice car but after living with it for 12 months I wanted something with more 40-70 acceleration without having to wring it's neck and as you tow a caravan now and again, midrange performance could be crucial so I'd suggest you don't undersell yourself on power and torque just to 'save' a few mpg, otherwise you may ultimately regret it. you can get good MPG from a powerful deisel buy driving steadily and still have the extra there if you want it, but it doesn't work the other way round with a car with less performance. Perhaps I'm just biased going from 1.4l petrol 122 ps and 200nm to 2.0l deisel 170 ps and 350nm but the change just reinforrced that I'd made the wrong choice last time for me.

[stevetdci]

To compare the 1.4 against the vrs is a bit unfair, I'd you compare it to the 110 2.0 tdi then while the 2.0 will feel quicker I bet you would find that ringing the 1.4's neck would prove it is quicker. Although for towing derv would be the better option.

[Aspman]

Might hold it's value a little better, that'll offset the initial higher purchase price a bit.

[greenline 11]

Hi there,

thinking of changing my55 plate Octavia Elegance 2ltr Diesel for a newer model, (2010 'ish).

Is it worth gowing for the greenline variant for the economy? I am aware it has les power than the 2 ltr, but I gave up speed for economy a while ago. My current Octavia fuel computer tells me I am getting 60 mpg, but I know this overreads by about 10-15 mpg. Actual tank to tank figure suggests about 45 - 50 mpg.

I tow a small caravan, (very occaional), and at the mo probably only do about 10k miles per year?

Any comments appreciated.

Thanks

Hope you don't mind a Fabia owner giving you an answer to your question. In a word Greenline is an almighty CON!. I bought mine from new, fourteen months ago and have never had more than 60 mpg in the whole time I have owned the car and that is driving it like a vicars wife. If I 'drive' it say on a motorway at reasonable speed then down to 50/55 mpg. Skodas' claims for 80/90 odd mpg are figures straight out of the air. I see Seat have been now been ordered to amend their claims for MPG on all of their cars so expect very soon Skoda to get a kick up the bum very shortly as they use all the same engines. It's a disgrace that Skoda conned thousands of us into Greenline simply lying through their teeth about MPG. Yes, a beautiful car to look at and drive but a huge big fat NO to economy!

[io1901]

My Greenline estate does have quite good economy (see below) but I wouldn't think it would make a better tow car as it is longer geared than the standard car.

[io1901]

. In a word Greenline is an almighty CON!. If I 'drive' it say on a motorway at reasonable speed then down to 50/55 mpg. Skodas' claims for 80/90 odd mpg are figures straight out of the air. I see Seat have been now been ordered to amend their claims for MPG on all of their cars so expect very soon Skoda to get a kick up the bum very shortly as they use all the same engines. It's a disgrace that Skoda conned thousands of us into Greenline simply lying through their teeth about MPG. Yes, a beautiful car to look at and drive but a huge big fat NO to economy!

I think there is either something not quite right with the car, or dare I say it how and where you drive it, The test that determines the mpg in the EU bares no relation to actual use:

How is the fuel consumption test conducted?

• 
  The test is outlined in Directive 93/116/EC as amended by Regulation (EC) 692/2008, and provides results that are more than representative of actual average on-road fuel consumption than previous tests. There are two parts: an urban and an extra-urban cycle. The cars tested have to be run-in and must have been driven for at least 1,800 miles (3,000 kilometres) before testing.
  
• 
  Urban Cycle
  The urban test cycle is carried out in a laboratory at an ambient temperature of 20^oC to 30^oC on a rolling road from a cold start, i.e. the engine has not run for several hours. The cycle consists of a series of accelerations, steady speeds, decelerating and idling. Maximum speed is 31mph (50km/h), average speed 12mph (19km/h) and the distance covered is 2.5 miles (4km).
  
• 
  Extra-Urban Cycle
  This cycle is conducted immediately following the urban cycle and consists of roughly half steady-speed driving and the remainder accelerations, decelerations, and some idling. Maximum speed is 75mph (120km/h), average speed is 39mph (63 km/h) and the distance covered is 4.3miles (7km).
  
• 
  Combined Fuel Consumption Figure
  The combined figure presented is for the urban and extra-urban cycle together. It is therefore an average of the two parts of the test, weighted by the distances covered in each part.
  

I can get those figures easily in my Octavia Greenline II Estate - I had a slow crawl home in the rain along back roads last night and still I got over 60mpg. I regularly get 70mpg on the way to work but the average is about 66mpg and have on one occasion done 84mpg. So I can't say that it has been an almighty con for me.

[greenline 11]

I think there is either something not quite right with the car, or dare I say it how and where you drive it, The test that determines the mpg in the EU bares no relation to actual use:

I can get those figures easily in my Octavia Greenline II Estate - I had a slow crawl home in the rain along back roads last night and still I got over 60mpg. I regularly get 70mpg on the way to work but the average is about 66mpg and have on one occasion done 84mpg. So I can't say that it has been an almighty con for me.

This is a very interesting post IO. Since new I have had my car in twice to the dealers and they categorically endorsed there was nothing wrong with the car after what they claimed were extensive tests. About three weeks ago I had Skoda Assist out to my car when the engine management light suddenly appeared on the dash. They diagnosed a faulty EGR valve which was replaced by the same dealer a few days later. I was told this faulty valve may well have been responsible for my shortfall in MPG and with the new valve things should improve now, quite dramatically. I was elated as I thought could this have been the problem all along. Not to be, the new valve has made no difference whatsoever.

To give you some idea of my driving habits/skills, I've owned probably 30 cars in my lifetime and NOT one single car I had, did I ever get less than the manufacturers claims for MPG. In fact I was always able to manage considerably more MPG than claimed. I must emphasise, that is EVERY car I'have ever owned. Until along came the Greenline Fabia I now drive. Skoda claim for my car

Urban 68.9

Extra Urban 94.2

Combined 83.1

Disregarding the on-board computer and measuring from tank fill to tank fill and averaging over many tanks I barely get 60mpg and as said earlier, if I actually drive the car on say a motorway I would expect no more than 50/55. It would not give me any credence that I'm an economical driver but telling you I'm an advanced motorist ought to give you some idea I can at least drive. But let us take Skodas combined figure as an average then my car has a shortfall of 23 miles for each gallon of fuel. That is hellishly uneconomical! Your average in your estate is certainly doing better than mine and you seem happy with the returns. I shudder to think what my emissions are if 23 miles is just being tossed out into the atmosphere.

I'm happy to hear your tale but must from my experience stand by what I've already said, Greenline Is an almighty CON!! I'm hoping whatever authority forced Seat to reassess their figures will in turn now force Skoda to do likewise so then might have some backing if we need to involve Skoda with some litigation of the compensation variety.

The tests you have kindly posted should be noted that they are SELF ASSESSED and no outside policing is ever involved. Skoda have lied through their teeth and fooled thousands of us to buy cars we all thought might push 90 plus to the gallon if we were to drive them 'nice' once in while.

It's an irony when the Fiat Punto I had before this Skoda tank, was claimed to get 72mph on the Combined, I regularly had returns of low eighties! In fact I could never get it down to 72mph whether winter summer, rain come shine!

To answer the original poster. Greenline look and drive well but if you are looking for economy then look elsewhere and whatever you do give no regard to whatever Skoda CLAIM these cars will give, in return fuel wise.

You've certainly sparked one or two of us up but good luck in your searches for your new car.

cheers

[Tinkicker]

Driving style has a huge effect on any car though. My 12 year old 1.9 turned in 63 mpg on my 155 mile A road regular route, took 3:10 to do... on the way back, late and "making progress" same distance 2hrs 35, I got under 50 mpg (I rescued the fuelly figures slightly by some more saintly driving. ). Over a year that's about a £1000 worth of fuel for me!

I like the idea of a Greenline, but I don't want one unless I can drive it first, and they are pretty rare on the second hand market at the moment.

[booke23]

Hope you don't mind a Fabia owner giving you an answer to your question. In a word Greenline is an almighty CON!. I bought mine from new, fourteen months ago and have never had more than 60 mpg in the whole time I have owned the car and that is driving it like a vicars wife. If I 'drive' it say on a motorway at reasonable speed then down to 50/55 mpg. Skodas' claims for 80/90 odd mpg are figures straight out of the air. I see Seat have been now been ordered to amend their claims for MPG on all of their cars so expect very soon Skoda to get a kick up the bum very shortly as they use all the same engines. It's a disgrace that Skoda conned thousands of us into Greenline simply lying through their teeth about MPG. Yes, a beautiful car to look at and drive but a huge big fat NO to economy!

That's pretty shocking.

I just managed 77 mpg on my Fabia 1.9TDI PD100 on the way home from work. (50 mph cruise...hit all lights on green and hardly touched the brakes). I monitor my consumption closely and drive carefully for economy.

77 mpg is certainly the exception rather than the rule......even so, I easily manage 65 mpg on my (very) early morning commute, and my brim to brim average at the moment is 63 mpg.

I would be very disappointed if I couldn't achieve the manufacturers combined figure.......so only getting 60 mpg out of a fabia greenline would seriously annoy me.

Does anyone get the claimed combined figure from their greenlines?

Edited 23 November, 2012 by booke23

[Anddenton]

Not a Greenline but in my experience Skoda are spot on with their economy figures.

Scout TDI PD claimed urban 35.3 extra urban 52.3 combined 44.1

My fuelly figures over 2.5 years and 47.5k miles - minimum 36.1 maximum 53 average 45.6

All with half a percent

[silver1011]

I had a slow crawl home in the rain along back roads last night and still I got over 60mpg.

The rain and wind last night dropped my MPG from it's usual indicated 42mpg to 38mpg.

[booke23]

The rain and wind last night dropped my MPG from it's usual indicated 42mpg to 38mpg.

Maybe the greenline is worth it then.

[g0bgb]

If you live or work in that there london wow save £12 a day and no road tax, and be sure fuel costs WILL increase, road tax for others will go up

go figure

[Tinkicker]

If you live or work in that there london wow save £12 a day and no road tax, and be sure fuel costs WILL increase, road tax for others will go up

go figure

Don't celebrate the London bit too soon, they are revising the allowed co2 figures down again so as to catch more cars. doesnt look like any of the greenlines will qualify.

[greenline 11]

If you live or work in that there london wow save £12 a day and no road tax, and be sure fuel costs WILL increase, road tax for others will go up

go figure

Go figure? Heh?

My previous car, Fiat Punto, Road Tax .. £35 .. 12 months .. 80 plus to the gallon whatever speed, condition, time of year I drove it.

Lying bugga Skoda Greenline Diesel Fabia, Road Tax £0 . always just less than 60 to the gallon whatever, however, whenever, I drive this bloody tank

Usual mileage for me about 20K per annum though never near London

I'm bewildered even more by your post now

Good night though.

[littleade]

To compare the 1.4 against the vrs is a bit unfair, I'd you compare it to the 110 2.0 tdi then while the 2.0 will feel quicker I bet you would find that ringing the 1.4's neck would prove it is quicker. Although for towing derv would be the better option.

I'm with you mate on this...sort of...! My point comparing my 1.4 TSI to my Blackline was that for me the extra flexibility offered by a more powerful engine is my preferred choice and that if I'd had a longer test drive in the 1.4 I'd probably have gone for the 1.8 instead so it probably a good job I didn't otherwise I'd not have stumbled in to the dealer in September and got a Blackline

O.K so it's rather an extreme example but the general principle of getting an engine to match your driving style is a wise move which works the opposite way round too. I just had an engine that didn't suit my driving style and this made for a more tense drive on occasions

When I bought my 1.4 last year there wasn't the VAT back offer on the diesels otherwise I'd probably had a deisel last time, even though I do less that 10K a year- I just prefer the grunt of a deisel over the top end rush of a petrol, but now with the VAT back across the Octy range for as long as there's any left at least there's the option to save a good wedge on a new deisel too, which will far outweigh the difference between the petrol and deisel engines and the higher the Octy spec you go for the more you save on the VAT

Simples