Ladies and Gentlemen of the Octavia forum...

I return to you after a few years of absence (5? I can't remember).

Used to have a 57 plate L&K estate. Loved it. Thought the kids needed more leg room, got a Superb II Greenline. I was wrong...kids needed an intercom to talk to us in the front.

My wife started adding intergalactic mileage to the Superb (no problem, it could take it) and when she was given a company car, we decided to downsize to a Fabia as "our" car.

Now I realise the Fabia is too small and there is a chance the company car (well, her job) may go, so we need a bigger family car.

So back to Octavias. I'll need an estate.

I'm looking around £10k and seem to get this:

Low mileage S models, look plain, wheel trims, no kit etc.

A few more miles, SE models. Seem to have extra kit (obviously), but still missing a few like to have items.

A couple of Elegance models - even more kit, Bluetooth (I want), parking etc.

One lonely L&K - does this come with leather (the spec sheet doesn't say, but I thought standard).

I have also seen an 08 plate VRs...but have 2 hopes of convincing Mrs PDIBK...

My problem is if I go SE, why has nobody spec'd the multi-function steering wheel? what toys do I get that the spec sheets leave off? Bluetooth? Or is that Elegance and up? Parking sensors?

If I can find an Elegance, is it pretty much all the toys, with L&K just adding leather and bits?

Any advice, not just steers to the brochure, gladly received.

In short - £10k, Octy Estate, low miles (say up to 30k) and high spec - what would you do?

Sorry I cant be a massive help here as i own a Fabia vrs, i just wonder if Bluetooth is really important given that you can put an aftermarket radio in with Bluetooth parrot kit built in, you'd just have to run the mic leads to an appropriate place for under 100 quid.

When i was looking earlier this month i decided i could live without the Bluetooth, nice as it would be, as it wouldn't be much to add it.

In mg opinion u would be looking for a service history and the best level spec you can afford at the mileage you are looking at. Personally i would avoid the L&K if it significantly cheaper than other L&K models, if it is cheap there must be a reason for it.

Thanks Dancing Bear - I like the neatness of Bluetooth, having got used to it in my wife's Golf. now when I'm in the Fabia, the plug in hands free is bonk.

Getting aftermarket and fiddling aorund with wires and hiding bits isn't as neat, but if I get a good car without it, then could be an option.

Weirdly enough, spending £100-200 on an aftermarket stereo is a less palatable option than £10k on the car in the first place!

All cars I have looked at have been on Skoda Approved used - I am getting the Monte serviced on Friday and will "talk options" with the salesman. I will be packing my anti-sleaze jumper and sale resistant gloves to protect myself!

Elegance doesn't have bluetooth as standard or MFSW must have been added as an option by the original owner. I recently bought an elegance and was pleased at the level of kit but I'm missing MFSW as I had it on my previous car. Rear parking sensors as standard, cruise control, auto wipers, puddle lights and a decent Bolero radio/6CD/SD card audio system

I like my toys (leather seats with electric adjustment, curtain airbags, xenon headlights etc.) and would sacrifice an older / higher mileage example to get an L&K!

Love my L&K and glad I didn't go the vRS route. Afaik, they all have split leather/alcantara interiors in either black or onyx (kind of cream/off white).

The stereos I've seen in the pics on the approved used Skoda site, in elegance (possibly SE, not sure) have the "phone" button in the bottom left position - 3 buttons on each side.

Now, in the wife's Golf, this is the same looking stereo (although it's touch screen DAB) and the phone button accesses the bluetooth stuff. Is this the same in the Skodas I've seen? Or is it just a phone button if you've got a kit connected?

I understand the stereo may look the same, but the touch screen be different and it isn't DAB - none bar the L&K had MFSW...I had all that on my old L&K (not bluetooth I don't think - but in 07 it was rarer) and didn't particularly miss it, but now I've used it in the Golf, I'd like it...

They may have the phone button, but that does not mean it works. A standard stereo is ued across the range regardless of bluetooth or not.

If the car does not have bluetooth the phone button mutes the audio.

If its a Bolero stereo fitting BT to it is easy (as OEM) just a case of getting BT box, cables, mic and a small bit of coding in vcds.

why oh why would the original owner not spec MFSW and bluetooth...just to make it easier for me!!

Thanks for the responses guys. I'll let you know what develops.

Personally VRS not really a family car, more Dads toy the family have to tolerate

I would Go L&K, all the toys & a little remap sneaked in if performance really matters

Found this with a quick serarch, should haggle to sub 10K Diesel as well so better mpg & 38K its just run in http://www.autotrade...l_&_k?logcode=p

Edited 30 January, 201313 yr by Stuart_J

Pleased with my L&K too. CO(Home) wanted the leather and heated seats. I wasn't bothered about the toys, but have grown used to them, and there are some which I would look for again.

When I bought mine there were quite a few with 60,000 mile and 3 yrs old. Had a look on HPI re service history and accident reports (none), all fine. I would rather a vehicle which had racked up loads of miles on the motorway than just creeping along a few miles in traffic each day.

The model available when I needed mine was a low power TDI model, which turned out to not be the slug I expected, turns in nice economy, pretty smooth, but noisier than I would like, which I may address sometime.

In two years the car has not had any replacements other than cambelt and major servce and an oil change.

I found driving in France, its main use, horrid the first time but a few not too difficult or expensive tweeks worked wonders. The major mechanical change was upgraded brakes to 312mm, after a rather unsettling experience with the standard fit in the Alps. A rear anti roll bar, anti lift front bushes and a 4wheel alignment and HIDs completed the package.

...and HIDs completed the package.

Yours must be a very early L&K as at least here in the UK they came with xenons as standard from around 2007...

Personally VRS not really a family car, more Dads toy the family have to tolerate

yep They don't like cold leather either....

Have you considered an SE+. I had 1 and it was a well spec'd car..... if you can find one. It has blue tooth and has full function hands free on it inc pairing with your phone book, MFSW. sat nav, SD card slot for your music, rear parking sensors, decent alloys and a different trim to te S & SE. Not much more that an SE either. Personally I think you might miss the comfort and quality of the L&K, so a good long test drive will be important IMO

best of luck

Not that you're considering an S, but something to cement the notion....2 years ago having just moved back to the UK, needed a family car quick and lacked experience buying. We had the choice between a 2009 1.9PD SE and a 2010 1.6CR S. Same mileage, same price. The wife and I said "hmmm, not much difference S vs. SE, the 1.6CR is newer and lower tax and it's newer technology, surely it must be better" !

Then I found this forum and oh how I wish I picked the other!

There's nothing wrong with ours per se, but I soon realised how well regarded the 1.9PD is, coupled with the hassle of not having things like split rear folding seats or remote central locking (my 2 major regrets). In reality, I don't need anything more than I have, but it would be nice. I don't think I would trade this one in until I've had my money's worth out of it, but if buying now, I'd probably try to find an SE+ which gives you toys like MFSW, bluetooth, maxidot etc. without jacking up the cost too much. Although not sure how common at £10k

Cracks me up that I have electrically adjustable heated wing mirrors with integrated indicators......but the rest of the car isn't far off the Flintstones in terms of kit

I seen a facelift L&K down at the airport the other night, fully spec'd, stunning.

I'd go with that if the cash isn't an issue.

G

why oh why would the original owner not spec MFSW and bluetooth...just to make it easier for me!!

Yup, but even at a couple of hundred quid for an aftermarket option, bluetooth for ME would be a complete waste of money, hence the reason I wouldn't have specced it even if it WAS available as an option in 2008 without having to buy a Columbus for over £1500 just to get it, as the factory fit Audience h/u doesn't have bluetooth capability.

Edited 31 January, 201313 yr by blackspaven

L & K also tend to be privately owned so less likely to have been a fleet hack or rep mobil

Yup, could never imagine it being a repmobile: if a company wanted to have all the toys on show, they're more likely to go for a mainstream brand like BMW, and if they're budgeting they're more likely to go for anything less than top of the range.

Two sensible bits of analysis from Stuartj and Blackspaven. Indeed I suspect I'm a fairly typical new buyer of an l&K octavia. Shall we say of more mature years and trading down from audi or bmw. Can't imagine companies nor taxi drivers going for the extras as S and B say.

I also suspect Octavia L&Ks get driven round sensibly and are used in a civilised manner, (12,000 to 14,000 miles a year even on pleasure motoring which we do) , so they're not left in limbo from week to week to seize up as some of my friends admit to eg 2,000 miles driven each year on average.

The only advice i could give is to say that the L&K has lots of extras but make sure you need them i.e. the electric seats and mirrors are great for me when they automatically readjust for me after my wife has used the car (we do about 7,000 miles each per year). If you're the sole driver however they cant be a great deal of good. Also some people are irked by the hill hold and the brightness of Xenons as witnessed in other topics.

Personally I dont use the MTSW but there again I dont use the CD nor Radio!! Having said all that you wouldnt get any more facilities in a BMW 320, Audi A3 nor a RR Evoque at a much higher cost.

Pity really about our friend looking for an L&K as in about a year and a half I'll be changing my L&K for something else and I'd much rather try to reach a deal with a Briskoda colleague around the part-ex price than trade insults with an Audi or BMW salesman on their likely toffee nosed and snobbish comments!

All good advice, thanks guys. I thought there was an SE+, just not seeing any at my price point on Skoda approved. Why Skoda approved? Because I'll be trying to come to a deal in trading in my 6 month old Monte Carlo for an older Octavian worth about the same, with minimal cash outlay and some finance to factor in on the Fabia...it looks bleak!

I like the toys of the L&K, the price of the S, so will probably end up with an SE or Elegance, with mileage telling them apart...

I'd just be wary about scammers. I'm looking for a L&K Octavia and have noticed a few being listed on Autotrader at too good to be true prices, all as private sales, with pictures of different cars but identical pictures of paperwork. They all have the same contact phone number too.

How would the scamming on AT work?

I noticed one on ebay where they ask for the money 1st and say ebay hold it in a safe account untill you are happy with car. yeah right!

I am looking for an L&K too