Morning guys,

I would like some advice from you wise guys ;o)

My current car is an 06 1.9tdi Octavia 4x4. it is mildly upgraded with a new gateway, fiscon Bluetooth, Bolero, c/h lights and a spare set of 15" Octavia Alloys with winter tyres. The car also comes with skoda detachable towbar and cruise control. The car is on 73k miles and I am the second owner.

Overall I am generally happy with it (I am thinking about getting it remapped to get a bit more oomph)

However I have been thinking about either replacing it with a scout or Superb 4x4.

I have seen a 59 plate 2.0tdi dp Scout at my local skoda dealer with 82k on the clock. They want £11k for it. Looks in good condition. What do people think? I concerned by the high mileage?

they are the same car with different suspension and a body kit on it. The scout in this case will be a facelifted version, but the mileage is why its so cheap currently. If you only do short journeys then it may work since the difference would get less over time.

The mileage itself would not concern me at all, I ran my Octy 2.0PD to 99K miles without fault before selling it to buy a Superb MK2. Just check the history is all good, which it should be. There are plenty of 2.0PD's on here with 100K+ mileages.

I have a 4x4 instead of a scout because its a stealth 4 wheel drive It also burns less fuel as its slightly lower and doesn't lug around a plastic body kit. But the reason I would suggest you stay with yours is the 1.9PD is the superior engine. The scout will have a DPF, too.

Scout prices are holding up well due to no new ones around as probably are the 4x4's but I guess less so. The scout also came with a few more bits as std over the 4x4. The mileage on the one you are looking at shouldnt be an issue, ours is on 78K in around 2.5 years & all is fine. Look though at mpg, Im not sure but I think yours will be noticably better with the 1.9

If you are happy with what you have & you have obviously added to it I would stick with it, just treat it to a remap, wait a year or 2 & when the new Scout comes out s/hand prices on the current ones will become more realistic, or buy a Dacia 4x4, they seem cracking value for money. https://www.dacia.co...duster/explore/ click the "all terrain ability" tab for piccies of the slightly better specced ones

Edited 8 January, 201313 yr by Stuart_J

Isn't the Duster just a Cashqai built out of lollypop sticks and washing up bottles?

Isn't the Duster just a Cashqai built out of lollypop sticks and washing up bottles?

Nope

Read this http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/dacia/duster Just good honest value for money

I suppose the reason I am thinking about replacing it is because I am getting really poor mpg at the moment. General commute to work 36mpg (there are a lot of hills) and when I did a 120mile journey from Bristol to the Cotswolds and back again it only returned 42mpg (I wasn't driving it hard).

I think there is a problem with the back end as I have had some problems with it. Siezed calliper an un diagnosed screeching sounding coming from the near side wheel.

So I am thinking about replacing it before it costs me any money. Although I know it will be a case of new car new problems!

I think the car is going to cost in a lot in the next 12 months. MOT, new timing belt, identifying and resolving the mpg issue. Remap.

Appreciate this is the joy of car ownership but at least a newer car should come with a warranty.

@Huskoda what sort of mpg do you get from yours? Is it the same model as mine?

I have a 2.0 and I'm getting 42mpg average (brim to brim). Your 1.9 should be getting a lot more than that. If you do have a seized caliper, that would drop it quite noticeably.

As others have said, apart from the tupperware giving it the Allroad look, wider diameter wheel/tyre combo for the xtra few mm ground clearance over the 4x4 and the few additional extras that come as standard, there isn't a world of difference.

I'd just be asking myself when do I jump ship before my current car starts to become the dripping roast that it inevitably will. Moving from a 4x4 to a Scout isn't as big a leap as the jump from Octavia to Superb 4x4. That move gives rise to more questions than simply moving from an older 4x4 to a newer Scout.

Going back to the fuel consumption, over the 35000 miles that I have had my 1.9 4x4 , the worst figure I have had is 48mpg driving at a steady indicated 80mph. Generally, I get about 50mpg and on long gentle journeys, I get about 60mpg. There must be something wrong to get a high fuel consumption. I tried a Scout before I bought my used 4x4, and I preferred the 1.9 engine and the anonymity of my car.

I'd just be asking myself when do I jump ship before my current car starts to become the dripping roast that it inevitably will. Moving from a 4x4 to a Scout isn't as big a leap as the jump from Octavia to Superb 4x4. That move gives rise to more questions than simply moving from an older 4x4 to a newer Scout.

This is the question regarding the unknown cost to get the car fixed because at the moment there is nothing apparently wrong with the car! My concern is I don't really know who to take the car to get the fault diagnosed. Do I take it to Skoda who will charge £85+ an hour and might identify the problem or then again might not. So this is why I am thinking about replacing it. I also have have a caravan and we are planning to go to the south of France in the Summer. So I'd like to get it sorted before then.

This is another reason why I am thinking about the superb 4x4 re Towing.

Going back to the fuel consumption, over the 35000 miles that I have had my 1.9 4x4 , the worst figure I have had is 48mpg driving at a steady indicated 80mph. Generally, I get about 50mpg and on long gentle journeys, I get about 60mpg. There must be something wrong to get a high fuel consumption. I tried a Scout before I bought my used 4x4, and I preferred the 1.9 engine and the anonymity of my car.

At the moment from the trip computer I am returning 36mpg on a 15m trip across country and up and down a couple of hills. The A3 2.0tdi pd 140 2006 we have returns another 10mpg on top at least.

I know it is a different car which is a lot lighter but even so the general view is the 1.9 is a more economical engine than the 2.0.

Could it be the wheel bearings? I have yet to replace them. Could this be causing the problems?

Checking the caliper is easy, put your hand near the wheel after a fast drive. If it feels hot, the brakes are stuck on. It will cause screeching like you describe, we had it on the Polo. Infact, we noticed what it was when I walked past the car after a drive on the motorway and felt strong heat on the side of my leg. I couldn't believe how hot the rear wheel was. I bet the disc was glowing while driving.

Changed the rear brakes entirely, fuel economy up about 15%, no more screeching noises and cool wheels.

Just had a look under the front wheel arches to see if I could see anything and I noticed under the passenger front wheel arch a plug socket just behind the calliper. Is this a brake wear indicator plug or should I be more concerned...

The reason I did this was because I heard a clicking noise on full lock and thought it might be the CV joint on its way out. Although the gaiter appears to be in okay condition.

I've not felt any heat although the hand brake did stick on the other day when we had a cold spell.

I have got the car booked in on Monday with Skoda to do the MOT and to investigate the issue. Hopefully wont be too expensive....

It might just be coincidence but the rear brakes on my 2008 Scout have started sticking slightly recently.

No extra heat to the touch (caliper, disc or alloy) but an occasional whiff of burning.

The handbrake now only holds the car when it's on the top few teeth so I think it's time to have the brakes stripped down and checked.

Might be the same for you? I haven't noticed any increase in fuel consumption but then I only noticed the issue last week.

Be wary of relatively new high mileage Scouts.

There are lots and lots of retired Police and Paramedic Scout's out there. I've been to look at a few and whilst they look clean (after the graphics, lights and other electrical equipment has been removed) they have been driven hard.

There was a similar thread recently with a few Paramedic Scout drivers who said they wouldn't buy a used one, not because they aren't good cars but purely down to the type of environment they work in and the many different drivers, hard acceleration from cold, fully loaded suspension etc. etc.

Replacing a high mileage 4x4 with a higher mileage Scout to avoid potential future reliability concerns doesn't make sense.

I've learnt this the hard way with a few cars, the best way to maximise the liklihood of a reliable long-term car is to buy as young and with as low mileage as possible.

This is where the Scout becomes an issue. There are plenty of Scouts out there at under £10K but they all have northwards of 80,000 miles on them and are usually the early pre-facelift model so upwards of four years old.

you can see from my signature that we have a Scout and a vRS. We'd have two Scout's if they weren't now so expensive. We bough our Scout three eyars ago at 12 months old with 8,000 miles for £14K. The same money today will get our car, the same car but three years older and with 30,000 more miles on it, hence I drive a vRS, cheap as chips by comparison.

This thread just goes to show how people by cars for different reasons, sometimes they even buy the same car but for very different reasons.

I didn't buy our Scout for it's 4x4 / off-road ability. My main attraction was it's rarerity and that fact that (in my opinion of course) it's the best looking Octavia model.

What one man sees as a plastic nappy another man sees as a rough, tough and safe kiddy carrier.

The jacked up suspension makes you feel a little safer without the "I don't care about what happens if I crash into a supermini" attitude of some 'proper' 4x4 off-roaders.

For me the suspension and ride of the Scout is the best I've experienced of any current Skoda model I've driven (excluding the Rapid which I haven't driven).

And finally its so easy to drive, the vRS requires a little more concentration to drive it smoothly, the Scout doesn't care.

Call me vain, but the polished effect of the 17" Proteus alloys, Audi all-road cladding and raised suspension looks good.

I'd replace the vRS with another Scout tomorrow but sadly Skoda's are no longer reserved for those who don't care about the badge on the bonnet. Too many people know the Skoda secret and for this reason alone Skoda will never be as good value as it used to be.

To buy another nearly new Scout today would cost me close to £20,000. £14,00 was bad enough three years ago.

And for that reason, I'm out.

Thanks everyone for your feedback and opinions relating to this topic.

Silver101 I think you are correct replacing the 4x4 with a higher milage Scout would be a false economy. I least I know what problems I have got (And the cars...) So I think I stick with the 4x4, get it remapped and the back end looked at (booked in on Monday). Maybe will also look at getting the Maxidot upgrade and Climatronic controls replaced. Will then replace it in a year or two when the belt needs replacing.

Also when I spoke to the Skoda garage they said they would only offer me between £3k - £3.5k depending on condition as a trade in for my car. I polity declined their offer.

However, I guess I will need to look at a Superb then as the Octy III 4x4/Scout probably won't have a kerb weight heavy enough to tow my caravan 1438KG MIRO safely.

Thanks everyone for your feedback and opinions relating to this topic.

Silver101 I think you are correct replacing the 4x4 with a higher milage Scout would be a false economy. I least I know what problems I have got (And the cars...) So I think I stick with the 4x4, get it remapped and the back end looked at (booked in on Monday). Maybe will also look at getting the Maxidot upgrade and Climatronic controls replaced. Will then replace it in a year or two when the belt needs replacing.

Also when I spoke to the Skoda garage they said they would only offer me between £3k - £3.5k depending on condition as a trade in for my car. I polity declined their offer.

However, I guess I will need to look at a Superb then as the Octy III 4x4/Scout probably won't have a kerb weight heavy enough to tow my caravan 1438KG MIRO safely.

New Octy is bigger than the current one say may be haevier, the increased size is the thing that will probably be a negative for me when changing, the current Scout is plenty big enough for me

Edited, just found this, answers in here somewhere http://www.briskoda....b-weighttowing/

Edited 8 January, 201313 yr by Stuart_J

I wanted a scout, prefer the looks, but wasn't prepared to pay the large difference between a 4x4 and a scout. Get it remapped, the difference is huge, drives far, far better, the mpg has improved due probably to not having to floor it everywhere.

I wanted a scout, prefer the looks, but wasn't prepared to pay the large difference between a 4x4 and a scout.

Likewise. I still suffer from a touch of the green-eyed-monster when I see a Scout, but I couldn't justify the addtional outlay. All I wanted was a non-SUV 4x4 that wouldn't cost the earth, was reliable and would cope in this stuff...

I've had my 1.9 TDI 4x4 since Aug and the Economy seems to be much further down on my old 1.9TDI Octy I than I expected.

Cruising at around 80 sees about 42mpg, General running sees an average of about 45 (55 in the octy I). I have managed to get it into the high 50's but this requires cruising at 60-65. I used to get into the mid 60s on the OBC on my old Octy I if I stuck to 60 on a long trip.

I would have loved a Scout but just wasn't prepared to pay the money they ask these days. Wish I had snaffled up the local dealers demonstrator for a little ofer 15k back in 2007. I do consider the 1.9 to be a more reliable car than the 2.0 scout in the long run though.

The low 1st gear is a pain in the arse for day to day driving but makes towing boats up and down beaches a breeze. I love how it doesn't look like a 4x4, people watch and wait for it to all go wrong when trying to do a hill start on a seaweed, mud and gravel covered slip. She just drives straight up with no drama every time.

I would personally pump some money into yours rather than blowing an extra 7k on a scout with higher mileage. If you want a remap then check your insurance 1st. The 105 remaps by a much higher % than most and my cover was looking like going up by £360 for a 40% increase. Map by 20% or less and they were quoting a much more sensible £80.