Hi folks

Im new to the forum and hope you dont mind me asking a few question, i did scan through old pages first.

Basically ive had a 1.8tdci(115ps) ford focus for about 4 years now (bought as my first car... still got it) but fancy summin to put more of a smile on my face, i only cover about 3k miles per year so want summin alittle bit.... well MORE.

A car dealer local to me has a 2008 Octavia 2.0T FSI VRS which he tells me is 200bhp? and to be blunt... its loverly but other than being pulled over by one of these things....twice, i know next to noughing about them (aside from the usual details from google)

The car itself i "think" is in standard vrs trim altho i think the curtain airbags were extras??. It comes with ABS, Air conditioning, Alloy wheels, Passenger airbag, Side airbags, Radio/CD Multichanger, Sports seats, Traction control, Remote central locking, Drivers airbag, Partial leather seat trim, Front electric windows.

My main questions are its got 68k miles on it.... so what problems should or expect? if any? and what do u recomend i look out for when i test drive the thing, i havnt seen the books yet but im told its got full skoda service history and has had its cam belt replaced recently. Its black with red calipers.

Hopefully its all good, because its a toss up between this and a mazda 6 sport 2.5ltr petrol with more extras than i can remember... trouble with that is it looks too much like a car either my boss or a sales rep would drive lol.

Thank you for your time

Craig

Hi Craig,

looks a nice car! There's the obvious checks HPI, accident damage etc to do, plus is you can find out how many owners its had and mabe the last one's name and address? Perhaps ask the dealer how they came across it, e.g. direct trade in or via the trade, auction etc. The guys with petrol vRS's will no doubt help you further and they'll have a load of info to help you. You'll struggle to find a vRS owner who doesn't love their car, which sort of says it all really. We just tend to bitch which is best petrol or deisel!

Let us know how you get on

Ade

Check cambelt receipt to see if the water pump was replaced and look at the inside edge of rear tyres to see if they're even and on the road test listen to see if there's a wheel bearing-type noise from the rear. Check to see what service schedule it is on and what has been changed. Apart from that it should rev freely and pull strongly. Discs might need changing. As long as you don't boot it everywhere you'll get 36 Mpg and good performance. It may have had ABS sensor change but that's pure bad luck if it has. Mine has done 50000 miles and no problem bar a cruise control switch which took less than minutes to clean and refit.

I'll chip in here. I've had my 2006 vRS estate for just over 2 years now and in that time its wanted for nothing apart from a MAF sensor unclipping and the usual servicing (oh, and when the missus put a load more air in the tyres that was needed after mis-reading the stats inside the petrol flap which meant new tyres all round!).

From what I gather, mines a pretty basic spec with only the optional (?) 18" wheels and parking sensors front and back.

I'll be honest, the fuel economy isn't pretty, coming from a Mondeo ST TDCI which did 55mpg all day long. But we do 7/8k a year max so its bearable.

I really wouldn't go for a Mazda. They seem to be getting the same reputation Skoda had 20 years ago!

Do it!

It'll put a smile on you face thats for sure. These things really shift. Build quality is good. Not brilliant, good. Solid enough and you'll definitely notice the difference coming from a Ford - I did.

Thanks for replys, Redboy i was told the cambelt and water pump were changed but didnt mention it as i assumed the water pump was due to a problem rather than it being a service item? Littleade i know the cars got 1 owner from new and it was a direct trade in at the dealer... im told he swapped for a volvo v30R as it was abit smaller as the owner was a retired gent.

Edited 13 December, 201213 yr by Craigt191

I'll chip in here. I've had my 2006 vRS estate for just over 2 years now and in that time its wanted for nothing apart from a MAF sensor unclipping and the usual servicing (oh, and when the missus put a load more air in the tyres that was needed after mis-reading the stats inside the petrol flap which meant new tyres all round!).

From what I gather, mines a pretty basic spec with only the optional (?) 18" wheels and parking sensors front and back.

I'll be honest, the fuel economy isn't pretty, coming from a Mondeo ST TDCI which did 55mpg all day long. But we do 7/8k a year max so its bearable.

I really wouldn't go for a Mazda. They seem to be getting the same reputation Skoda had 20 years ago!

Do it!

It'll put a smile on you face thats for sure. These things really shift. Build quality is good. Not brilliant, good. Solid enough and you'll definitely notice the difference coming from a Ford - I did.

Do you mind if I ask what the symptoms of MAF failure were on the TFSI? My TFSI is having a few problems but it's too cold to get stuck in!

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

Great car! I've had mine a month and love it.

As a precaution I'd have the cam follower changed. Also, give your local Skoda dealer a call and ask them to check for the coil pack recall.

If it hasn't been done, they will do it FOC.

Of course - dead simple. The engine management light came on but it still drove fine. Took it into a local dealers that day as I was away from home and DM Keith in York did a bit of checking which resulted in a zip tied MAF sensor and my wallet being £50 lighter!

I have a 57 plate vRS which looks a lot like the one in the photo - black and gorgeous. I got mine last year after driving a Mazda 6 2.0 (previous version) for a year and there are no comparisons in my mind. The most infuriating thing about the Mazda was the seemingly torque-free engine meaning that you needed to rev it to get it going. The vRS is a different animal - it's a torquey treat which is easy to drive carefully but great to drive like you should! It's a huge step up in interior quality and is hugely practical. You may not get as many toys but the better performance will more than make up for it. Many options like sat nav and cruise control can be retrofitted at a reasonable cost. Having kept my previous cars for, on average, 2 years I cannot think what I would have instead. The only thing that had caught my eye is the new Octavia!

Go for a test drive and you wont need to make a choice. It's that good.

Thanks for replys, Redboy i was told the cambelt and water pump were changed but didnt mention it as i assumed the water pump was due to a problem rather than it being a service item? Littleade i know the cars got 1 owner from new and it was a direct trade in at the dealer... im told he swapped for a volvo v30R as it was abit smaller as the owner was a retired gent.

Job's a good un then. I'm over the moon with mine, but it's an oiler so drives a bit differently apparently (heavier lump at the front). I'm guessing you haven't had a test drive yet? 'cause once you have odds on that'll be it game over. It'll be welcome to the grin club. I'd get in there before someone else does. 1 elderly owner. not many vRS's like that!

all the best

Ade

Of course - dead simple. The engine management light came on but it still drove fine. Took it into a local dealers that day as I was away from home and DM Keith in York did a bit of checking which resulted in a zip tied MAF sensor and my wallet being £50 lighter!

Ah right thanks....I don't know what they did or charged you for but atleast the problem was solved.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

Hey,

I too nearly went for a Mazda but went for a petrol VRS 56plate - i straight away changed the cambelt and since then has been spot on - 3 months have passed and the only negative point i have is that it is pretty hopeless in the cold, car's alwasy misty and takes a while to clear in the mornings - Other people have the same issue too.

Also the fuel ecconomy isnt that great if you do short journeys and you'll only get over 30 on a long trip IMHO

Looks really tidy Craig, the vRS is a really nice car to drive, I agree with comments it's a little slow on warming up when it comes to clearing the windows, but its ok most of the time!

I can't get enough of my car, and if your only doing 3k a year that should last you forever!

My economy averages around 36 on my 25 mile journey to work, and 30-32 around town.

I think other people mention about getting the tracking done, but you should have no worries on the reliability providing everything has been followed up and serviced on time etc!

When are you going for a test drive?!

Leon

And you'll get used to being soaked when opening the boot in the rain. Design fault, I'm afraid, not specific to the vRS though. Looks a nice car. Black's great, but like mine, it'll be a pig to keep clean.

I haven't stopped smiling since I picked up my 56 plate estate. Nice to read a thread for a change where it's not 5 pages of "how do I fix this" / "I hate this pile of crap" as those kind of posts are not the majority of ownership experience. There must be plenty more owners happy with their chariots than not. I don't think 30+mpg urban is that bad, usually about 35+ on a good run (inc.some use of the loud pedal!). My previous Hondas didn't do any better and they had considerably less weight and bhp to use. It's a comfy, quick enough in stock for and well built - the fact that you're even considering a VRS would suggest you've a couple of quid to spend on motoring costs - what I mean by that is no car is 100% service proof but I've not found it any more expensive to run than some of the sheds I've had. Yes, bigger profile tyres cost a little more (I just used the internet to get a good deal), may need the occasional oil top-up, it did have the coil pack fix (which affected most of the VAG products) but overall there shouldn't really be anything to put you off what is a lot of car for the money.

If unsure of any potential purchase, why not get a professional inspection done - some sort of assurance that it won't be a lemon? But I doubt the driving experience will put you off. Oh, if you can find a decent Skoda dealership for servicing then it'll be worth its weight in gold - mine does seem to remember that customer service isn't just a hassle...

Test drive it !!!!

Just phoned the dealer and hopefully i can test drive it today. My local dealer is sparshatts at botley (i live outskirts of southampton). I havnt had any dealing with them but a few of my scooby driving friends seem to rate them.

Running cost wise i know its not going to be cheap but some times u just gotta have a bit of fun , i dont have kids at the mo so thought i would get summin nice before the wife gets broody and i have to buy a zafira lol.

Type cost etc again... meh nessasary evil im more than used to that kinda stuff due to my other toy

Set of brake pads on that thing set me back £70

Luckily i have a halfords trade card....so atleast i can get the oil and pads etc for the octavia at a reduced price

No need to end your life with a zafira. Octy is plenty big enough for 3 of us with a full boot and surfboards / bikes on the roof regularly! #2 due in 4 weeks too and we'd be changing the car if we didn't think it was big enough for 2 little uns and all the associated stuff we drag around with us. Looking forward to hearing about the test drive...

I have a 06 VRS and like the others I love it . For the performance on offer I think they are very reasonable to run 200bhp and 35mpg is great in my book . they are also very practical and the boot is huge . There are only two things that I'm not too happy with mine uses a litre of oil every 1200 miles and I find the road noise in the cabin is pretty bad , have tried changing the rear tyres didnt make much difference .

All in all though they are great cars a bit of a bargain .

Ok Just test driven it.. simply HOLY S*IT, first off i wasnt prepeared for the brakes, thought i would lightly "touch the brakes" and almost pulled my head off lol.

Secondly the grunt... i was still in diesel mode so didnt rev it above 3.5k (found myself short shifting) but from the idle to the low rpm i was changed at with not very much right foot it seemed to pull....and pull and pull.

If anything it kinda intimidated me alittle, coming from a low end focus with 115bph and ?? torque i honestly wasnt prepared for the boot up the arse u got at what i consider to be a fairly minor amounf of throttle.

The car it self seems loverly, the rear tyres are brande new and there was a slight droning from them but tbh it was no more than i already get from the focus. The droning was audable at about 40mph but didnt get any louder and if anything at 80mph i stopped noticing it.

Had the wife in the back and we had no trouble talking to each other.

The paint work is fairly good... not amazing... but not bad, a few scratches on the boot hatch and door handles in normal places.

All 4 wheels have had a brush with the curb at some point but not huge scuffs.

The car started and drove well with no obvious noise, slight judering from the front which to me at least seemed like the front wheels were'nt balanced properly. Interior is tip top, little bit of wear on the gear stick top (shiney type).

After some wrangling there asking £6790, 64000 miles on it.

was hoping there would be an mpg gauge but couldnt see one... oh well insurance quote time.

Your expert oppiniouns would be great.

Thanks

Mpg is measured by clicking the button on the end of the right stalk. You can also check longterm Mpg by clicking the button on the bottom of the right stalk. TBH if you're worried about fuel don't buy a petrol version. The price seems a bit expensive for the mileage. About £6000 would seem fairer for a 07 plate in very good condition. If you pay the asking price I would ask for the paint scratches and wheels to be tidied up. You now know how well it pulls right up to the redline, this allows you to nip past traffic without too much stress.

Ok Just test driven it.. simply HOLY S*IT, first off i wasnt prepeared for the brakes, thought i would lightly "touch the brakes" and almost pulled my head off lol.

Secondly the grunt... i was still in diesel mode so didnt rev it above 3.5k (found myself short shifting) but from the idle to the low rpm i was changed at with not very much right foot it seemed to pull....and pull and pull.

If anything it kinda intimidated me alittle, coming from a low end focus with 115bph and ?? torque i honestly wasnt prepared for the boot up the arse u got at what i consider to be a fairly minor amounf of throttle.

The car it self seems loverly, the rear tyres are brande new and there was a slight droning from them but tbh it was no more than i already get from the focus. The droning was audable at about 40mph but didnt get any louder and if anything at 80mph i stopped noticing it.

Had the wife in the back and we had no trouble talking to each other.

The paint work is fairly good... not amazing... but not bad, a few scratches on the boot hatch and door handles in normal places.

All 4 wheels have had a brush with the curb at some point but not huge scuffs.

The car started and drove well with no obvious noise, slight judering from the front which to me at least seemed like the front wheels were'nt balanced properly. Interior is tip top, little bit of wear on the gear stick top (shiney type).

After some wrangling there asking £6790, 64000 miles on it.

was hoping there would be an mpg gauge but couldnt see one... oh well insurance quote time.

Your expert oppiniouns would be great.

Thanks

Seems you've made your own mind up. Great car.

Ok thanks, i forgot to add i did check the servicing, and looked at the paper work... its been serviced on time, everytime. infact the last service done august this year cost £880 EEEK but atleast i dont need to worry about it

That'll be the cambelt, What about the water pump did that get done too?

That'll be the cambelt, What about the water pump did that get done too?

Yeah at 60k

Note that the amount of torque makes this car a nightmare to drive in a little snow. Just wants to go sideways. Maybe need to invest in some winter shoes for it.