Hi all, my company car is due for renewal and I'm torn between the new Octavia nd the Hyundai i40. Both have great spec and both have fantastic business lease deals so I can get the top spec model.

I haven't driven either yet, that should happen next week but has anyone else had a similar decision and if so, what is swaying you one way or the other?

Current car is a Renault Laguna 1.5DCi Dynamique TomTom.

Many thanks,

Kevin.

My company car is up for change in early July and the i40 estate was on an early shortlist of mine. I do like to look of it and the Premium spec is loaded. My reasons for not taking it forward aren't terribly convincing:

- It would be nice to be able to "Buy British", but buying European seems better than buying Korean

- I like to have something newly released - the i40 hasn't been touched since 2011

- The dash looks a bit shiny / plasticky in the middle

I told you they weren't that convincing!

If the test drive goes well tomorrow, I could be looking at getting an Octavia 2,0D Elegance Estate with leather, paint, spare wheel, Winter Pack, probably the Columbus Nav (to get the bigger, higher res screen), possibly keyless entry.

LED rear lights look cool, but I would never see them...

3 spoke steering wheel looks better than 4 spoke (I do find Skoda steering wheels ugly!).

Anyone know if it is thicker rimmed, better finish or anything, or is it just different spokes?

Hi all, my company car is due for renewal and I'm torn between the new Octavia nd the Hyundai i40. Both have great spec and both have fantastic business lease deals so I can get the top spec model.

I haven't driven either yet, that should happen next week but has anyone else had a similar decision and if so, what is swaying you one way or the other?

The i40 estate was top of my list when I was considering a new car last year but I decided to run the Bravo for another 12 months.

Plus points - very good spec on the Premium with leather, sunroof, Sat Nav, Reversing camera and so on. About the only thing it was missing is DAB. Some of those are options on the Octavia Elegance, but you do have room in the budget.

It also still looks great and has a longer warranty which helps residuals and lease costs even if you won't have it after three years.

The only down side is the engine. The 1.7 TDI has 136bhp and 119 carbons in bluemotion trim which was great at the time it was launched but things are moving on quite quickly. The Octy now has 150bhp, 110 carbons in estate form, 106 as a hatch and is a couple of seconds quicker to 60.

Go for a drive in both - I think you'll be happy with either choice.

Edited 15 March, 201313 yr by Dr Zoidberg

Oh and another reason why I didn't like the i40 is the trim choices - I hate black interiors and will be going for the pale trim if I go for the Octavia (though I hate the word - whisper it "beige").

The Australian market Octy vs i40 would obviously be different to the UK market comparison, especially as our Octy III prices won't be known until its release in October here (they're waiting for the RS and estate models to have a full range on launch). However, I can certainly comment on engines, styling and what not. Australian i40s are available with a 180hp 2.0 petrol or 136hp 1.7 diesel and neither are particularly good. They haven't stolen the 2.4 petrol from the i45, nor the R-series 2.2 diesel from the ix35 yet unfortunately. The petrol engine has little torque, and the diesel is good, but any competitor is more powerful and similarly efficient to the i40. I like the styling of the i40 but I know it will date quickly, just like the ix35 did. I severely doubt it's anywhere near as dynamic as the Octavia.

The main thing I like with the Octavia over the i40 is that the Octavia has been engineered properly, in true VW Group tradition. It's hard to say in words, but the Octavia (even the current one) just feels better than the i40, and to me that's something you cannot put a figure on. Obviously kevinb1967 you're fishing in the Skoda side, and you will get Skoda answers, but even with the new engines and lower emissions, the Octavia seems like a no brainer to me. Hyundai recently put the already-expensive i40 price up here (the i40 Premium 2.0 saloon here is the equivalent of 32,000 British pounds), and to me the Octavia smashes it on value.

I drove a i40 Tourer at Millbook last summer and liked the engine, gearbox and supportive seats, but disliked the overly heavy clutch action which ruined an otherwise good car.

A Octy III Estate will likely be my choice when I change my Superb II Estate in 2.5 years time.

A Octy III Estate will likely be my choice when I change my Superb II Estate in 2.5 years time.

I've just been and had a look at the new Octavia, very nice but happened to walk past a Superb hatchback.Had a look and a quick drive and now I think I prefer the Superb - good lease price too.

Why are you going to change from a Superb to an Octavia?

Edited 16 March, 201313 yr by kevinb1967

I also sat in a superb today and think I'd rather have one than an octy 3 at the mo.

I also sat in a superb today and think I'd rather have one than an octy 3 at the mo.

Dr I've come to the opposite conclusion I was all ready to buy a 170 DSG Elegance Superb twin door when I decided to hold off to see the Octy 3 now I'm glad I did. It's a good job we all don't think alike else we'd all be driving the same

The Octy 3 or Superb are a much better quality of car. I can see the reasoning with a Hyundai but they're just not quite the finished article yet

The Octy 3 or Superb are a much better quality of car. I can see the reasoning with a Hyundai but they're just not quite the finished article yet

+1

Hyundai are getting there, but are too plasticky inside and their engines are behind the times!

Just had exactly this dilemma when ordering my next lease car. I test drove a 1.7Tdi i40 Tourer in style trim. Very happy with it but:

• only had 35mpg on the readout - fair enough its a demonstrator and gets thrashed but nowhere near the 65mpg quoted. I need to get 60+ and drive very economically. Octy must be bteer than this
  
• dashboard looks like a games console, not unlike the ford focus - gave me a headache just looking at it!
  
• electric handbrake - not keen, maybe just me though
  
• tax: the CO emissions mean I pay tax on the style model - its zero on the Octy 1.6Tdi elegance that I have ordered
  
• No DAB radio!
  

Hope this helps

A new Hyundai......worlds apart from what they used to be but would I pay my own hard earned money for one or have one as a company vehicle......not all the while cars like the Octavia and MK7 Golf exist.

i40 Premium tourer would beat an Octavia anyday even for the warranty alone.

i40 Premium tourer would beat an Octavia anyday even for the warranty alone.

Based on what values out of interest? Im guessing you've driven them back to back and looked at running costs (tax, fuel, servicing etc)? I thought the i40 engine range was pretty dire but I really like the style of the car, externally.

Based on what values out of interest? Im guessing you've driven them back to back and looked at running costs (tax, fuel, servicing etc)? I thought the i40 engine range was pretty dire but I really like the style of the car, externally.

The i40 1.7 TDI Bluemotion is 136bhp , 119g CO2 and 0-60 in 10.3 seconds.

It's beaten on paper by the new CR150 in the Octavia but didn't compare too badly to the 2.0 140bhp in the Mk2.

Manufacturers are always going to be leapfrogging each other depending on which is the newest engine.