Hi all,

Planning to change my '05 2ltr diesel Octy sometime soon.....I have more or less decided to buy another Skoda, (although have considered a Focus?)....but finding the various engine options a bit confusing, and would therefore welcome any input / advise.

Initially I fancied a Greenline, but have now been put off by the various comments ref unrealistic mpg quoted by Skoda.

My main priority would be economy, and my initial preference would be for a 1.6. Occasionally tow a very small caravan, (used to use an 80 hp 1700cc Astra, which sort of managed OK, apart from the od cliff face).

Probably do about 10k miles per annum total....

Would be looking to spend around 10k - 12k....any other suggestions and best spec welcome...

thanks in advance for any feedback offered.

Should be able to get a nice 2010 1.9TDi for that, good blend of economy, reliability and power/torque when required

Hi and thanks for the reply...is the 1.9 "better / newer" than the 1.6, I thought that the 1.6 engine had replaced the 1.9?

thanks

the 1.9 is old but very reliable engine and gives good mpg but sounds like a tractor compared to the 1.6 CR

due to your mileage may be you should try a petrol 1.8Tsi instead?

My car (facelifted, if that's your flavour).

the 1.9 is old but very reliable engine and gives good mpg but sounds like a tractor compared to the 1.6 CR

due to your mileage may be you should try a petrol 1.8Tsi instead?

I don't get this Fuel costs will only go up , if your used to diesel , petrol will seem very expensive mpg wise ,may as well pay up front for diesel engine and watch fuel costs go though the roof + greenline no road tax, that quite a bit over petrol engine before you start, however if your only going to keep it for a year or 2 diesel may not be so good who knows

But remember diesel fuel is more expensive than petrol, new diesels normally have a premium price because of the engine's complexity and does your driving style suit petrol or diesel. You may hate the idea of turbo lag in a diesel.

Most motoring writers seem to agree on less than 12,000 a year get a petrol and over get a diesel.

My view is that you should mostly consider your attitude to driving - some people love diesels others hate them.

Initially I fancied a Greenline, but have now been put off by the various comments ref unrealistic mpg quoted by Skoda.

Yep. I agree. I had a 1.2tsi on loan. When driven in the real world it only gave low 30's. A lot of these smaller engines need to be driven with such a light foot it would become tedious - smooth as butter though and a really nice sound to it.

I bought a 2.0 vrs TDI 3 yrs back - a few niggles here and there but loads of smiles for miles. These are great motors providing you regularly do longer journeys and not just tick to town driving. This is because the diesel particulate filter can get clogged (unless you remove it!). So you need to do a few longer trips regularly to keep it running smooth.

The VRS tdi gives me 42+ mpg regardless of driving style and 50+ on motorways which is unbelievable economy for a reasonably quick car..

My old 1.9tdi gave me 4 years 100k of trouble free motoring, about 45mpg and when it got going it was similar to 2.0litre petrol in performance. There was a Massey Fergussen engine under the bonnet though.

The New Focus is a great car too. If you like your toys it has a lovely twin screen dash, voice control, keyless start, lots of Gizmos and is a very solid car.

1.9 pd tdi 105 bhp - the best! Of the pd's anyway. Overall mines the best ha.

plenty people seeing 40+ mpg from the 1.8TSI so it's not a totally straightforward choice between petrol and diesel.

The 1.9Tdi (105bhp) has a nice blend of power & economy and (for most people) has more usable power than a lot of smaller petrol engines due the diesels low down torque. A lot of petrols need to be revved to get the power and again, for towing you need torque.

We have run loads of the 1.9's at work and in the main they are capable to taking an immense amount of punishment (yes they are a bit agricultural to listen to but this dies down on the open road) as well as being economical.

Hi all, and many thanks for all your helpfull replies.

Ref some of the comments above, over the years my driving style now more suits a diesel.....I do not think I would feel "comfortable" with some of the newer smaller engines...may be just old fashioned, but I would imagine the engines are under some sort of stress, and would need to be driven quite hard.

I normally keep cars for a good while, had the last one 7 years....I am also concerned that some modern cars are "too complex" in the area of electro mechanicals......fine when the car is new, but I would imagine more problems as they get older.

I think I am being more tempted by the 1.6, (simply as it is a newer engine), but may now also consider a 1.9. I would dealry love the DSG (my brother has one), but again put off by longer term reliability issues, of which I have heard of a few....)

Again, thanks for all the responses...

Stu

Edited 1 December, 201213 yr by Stubod

if its reliability pd 105 is the one for you. mid 60's mpg, reasonable poke, bullet proof.

next on the pd list IMO is pd 130, but mpg goes down a bit

Edited 1 December, 201213 yr by Lofty79

10-12k a year, do you really want your car to sound like a taxi in the morning and at traffic lights? or the noise to accelerate? yes it does more to a gallon but 35 vs 45mpg average? 25% better average fuel comsumption, factor in that diesel is 5%more to buy and the extra cost to buy in the first place ,

just drive a tsi for a few days then a diesel and you would really pay a bit more for the refinement, i do 16000miles a year and would really pay more for the refinement of a petrol

I normally keep cars for a good while, had the last one 7 years....I am also concerned that some modern cars are "too complex" in the area of electro mechanicals......fine when the car is new, but I would imagine more problems as they get older.

It is for this reason attitudes towards diesel engines are changing.

Back when the bullet proof 1.9 PD105 TDi was in it's prime diesel engines gained their reputation for being tough, durable and economical.

Since then tough EU legislation has taken it's toll and as a result we've seen lots of technological advances added to the simple and basic principles of a diesel engine. Some of them are for the better, some not.

I'm not against advances in technology. If I was I'd be doing without ABS, ESP, seatbelts, airbags etc.

All I'm saying is the attraction to the diesel engine might not now be as it was.

A lot of investment has been given towards a new generation of petrol engines by the manufacturers, again adopting new and complex technology - all in effort to reduce emissions and improve economy.

Please don't dismiss the 1.8 TSi.

10,000 miles a year really isn't enough to recoup the extra outlay required to buy a diesel and to put fuel in it. Even at 7 years you may barely break even.

I've had a love affair with diesels for years (partly down to their perception of lasting longer than a petrol engine), if it wasn't for the fact that I do 30,000 miles a year I'd be driving a petrol Octavia now.

Edited 1 December, 201213 yr by silver1011

I totally agree with the comments regarding the 1.9 (105) engine. I took a bit of a leap of faith when I bought my 56 plate pre FL Octavia as I had previously owned Hondas.

The forums were full of horror stories of problems with turbo's, DPF's & DMF's. However, the Honda diesel wasn't an option as it too wasn't without its problems.

Sixteen months and 22k miles later I couldn't be happier. It hasn't put a foot wrong and regularly returns mid to high 50's mpg, hardly uses any oil in between services and feels a lot more powerful than the 105 bhp available.

I've also driven the 1.6 diesel and was impressed by how quiet and smooth it was. But for now, I'll be sticking with the 1.9 lump as it suits my needs.

Hope this helps and good luck with your search.

Oh, and not forgetting the second part of your question.

I too keep my cars for a good few years.

When I've skimped on spec I've regretted it.

For this reason for me it would have to be a minimum of Elegance, but ideally I'd be aiming high with an L&K.

Leather, Maxidot, MFSW, xenon headlights, curtain airbags - all proven and reliable technology.

Hi all, and many thanks for all your helpfull replies.

Ref some of the comments above, over the years my driving style now more suits a diesel.....I do not think I would feel "comfortable" with some of the newer smaller engines...may be just old fashioned, but I would imagine the engines are under some sort of stress, and would need to be driven quite hard.

I normally keep cars for a good while, had the last one 7 years....I am also concerned that some modern cars are "too complex" in the area of electro mechanicals......fine when the car is new, but I would imagine more problems as they get older.

I think I am being more tempted by the 1.6, (simply as it is a newer engine), but may now also consider a 1.9. I would dealry love the DSG (my brother has one), but again put off by longer term reliability issues, of which I have heard of a few....)

Again, thanks for all the responses...

Stu

Hi Stu,

Hope the following helps..... I've changed from a 1.4tsi for the very reasons you quote above. It would go but needed a certain amount of abuse to do so. it pulled well low down, but was lacking in the 40-80mph range when I needed to be able to overtake. it was ok most of the time but was always flawed (IMO) because of this. 44MPG for the 12 months I owned it, though I tended to drive economicaly, much to the wife's annoyance. The 1.8TSI has extra torque and PS (similar torque to both the 1.6CR and 1.9PD) and the TSI engines are smooth and quiet, though is rarer (so not so much choice 2nd hand). The 1.9PD is a good engine- wife abuses hers every day on a 15 mile commute into Birmingham and gets 42-45mpg from the Altea which is taller than an Octy so uses more fuel anyway, though as above it is rather noisy by modern standards, though it does have good low down punch. The common rail TDI's are alot quieter and more refined. Have you also considered the 2.0L CR deisel too? Bottom line is I would suggest you drive all 3 deisels and see which engine you prefer, then see what spec you can get for your budget. As far as the focus is concened one thing I do know about them is the boot is small in comparison- in actual fact the Octy has a biger boot than the Mondeo! the focus is renowned for it's handling though. One other thing you may wish to consider in your hunt for a car is ESP- not many Octys have it as standard (only the 4x4s, L&K and vRs's do) though it can be an FF option on elegance down and as you'll be pulling a van now and again it could be worth considering to help if you ever got into bother with the van snaking all over the place due to cross winds/HGVs etc-could be the difference between having/avoiding an accident. Seems you're already decided on deisel which I can understand- as you'll be buying 2nd hand the difference between petrol & deisel may not be so big anyway, plus the road tax will be less and generally the insurance groups are lower too P vs D so it's not all about the difference in initial cost!

Cheers

Ade

hi Littleade,

great comments ...many thanks for your input...I will do as you suggest, but maynow also try a 1.8 petrol...all great advise, thanks again

Glad to help. I'm terrible when it comes to testing cars- I'm like a kid in a sweet shop. I didn't even test drive a vRS, just put down the deposit! very happy with it though....loadsatorque... Make sure you get a decent test drive in all of them too as I only drove the 1.4 for about 5 miles so never got to try it out in a good variety of situations to see how it drove in the real world, though I put some of that down to driving a honda civil 1.4 just before at another dealers which I thought was pants. worst thing you can do is buy a car you don't try properly only to find out things you don't like about it later, and to me how it goes and how it drives are important.

I was up for a 1.8TSI, but they've stopped making them new-apparently they didn't sell many as the 1.4 proved popular (probably due to the changeover to making the mkIIItoo), so my next option was a blackline- shame that, I was absolutely gutted!

Let us know how you get on, what you picked and why please

all the best

Ade

Well I wont be advocating the 1.8 Tsi at all

You don't need 40+ mpg from a petrol car?

You don't need a smooth refined engine

You don't need 0-60 in under 8 seconds

You don't need NO DMF and No DPF problems

You don`t need water cooled turbo that warms the cabin quickly in winter :-)

Whatever you do... Do not get a 1.8 Tsi

Unless of course you want to be pleasantly surprised

I am not sure if the 5 reasons above not to have a 1.8 tsi are irony or sarcasm - perhaps they're both!

Anyway they are certainly accurate.

I take issue with the contributor who implies the 1.8 tsi engine did not prove popular. Who told you that?

The reason they were discontinued is that they are also needed for VW's and Audis. Even more likely, Skoda has a big market in Asia and Far East and the engines were probably reserved for there since demand could not be satisfied across all VW group markets.

IMHO the reason it has not proved popular is because its too damn good

Who needs the 2 litre?

The 1.4 tsi, sure its peppy enough but the 1.8 from 30-70 in 3rd gear is pretty devastating!

I am not sure if the 5 reasons above not to have a 1.8 tsi are irony or sarcasm - perhaps they're both!

Anyway they are certainly accurate.

I take issue with the contributor who implies the 1.8 tsi engine did not prove popular. Who told you that?

The reason they were discontinued is that they are also needed for VW's and Audis. Even more likely, Skoda has a big market in Asia and Far East and the engines were probably reserved for there since demand could not be satisfied across all VW group markets.

Hi Tom, I am the contributor who made the comments about the popularity of the 1.8TSI. I think the 5 comment made by PC1212 were intended to be ironic.....

As I previously said I was actualy up for a 1.8TSI, to replace what for me was a poor choice in the 1.4, though that may well be others 'cup of tea' for which I have no problems at all. When I contacted my dealer in Sepember with a view to upgrade from the 1.4TSI the Skoda salesman told me they had been discontinued in the Octy because they were not popular, so I mearly relayed his comment in my post. If this was inaccurate I appologise, but as it came from the dealers staff (perhaps mistakenly) I thought it would be accurate!

As I've already said the TSI engines are quiet and refined and the 25% increase in torque and 30 odd% increase in power the 1.8 has over the 1.4 would in my opinion make it a better all round performer than it's smaller petrol brother, though as none were available new I had to look elsewhere. As I have no experience of driving a 1.8 I chose to share my experience of the engines I have driven with Stu to provide him with some background information to help him with his choice so he had an idea what to expect, but at the end of the day that choice will be his and I think the information I have given on their pros and cons is both accurate and balanced, something that is often lacking in other threads! It all boils down to choice, you prefer your petrol L&K, I prefer my deisel Blackline and neither of us are 'wrong' for doing so. The L&K is aimed at a different driver to the Blackline and it's the same with petrol and deisel engines.

As you can see from the posts Stu now has recieved he's in a much stronger position to make an informed choice and after test driving his 'short list' to get a skoda that suits his needs and budget, which is what this thread is all about after all and I wish him well, whichever option he finally chooses.

All the best

Ade

Maybe the 1.8 is not so popular in UK because of the higher road tax £170 per year as opposed to £135 for the 1.4 ?

and of course Insurance group 22 as opposed to Group 16

Edited 2 December, 201213 yr by g0bgb