I've recently ordered a 1.6CR Elegance as my next lease car (September), but have been working through the relative costs in comparison with the 2.0CR. Excluding potential (based on quoted) mpg differences, the cost differential is approx £14 per month, or about £700 over the 4 yr lease (including tax liability). Assuming I get 5-6mpg better in the 1.6, then I would save a further £13 pm, or nearly £1400 over the total life of the lease. Part of my reason ordering the Octavia is the need to reduce costs from my current Nissan Qashqai+2 1.5dCi Teckna - the 1.6CR is a very nice car (comparable to the Nissan) but is approx £10K cheaper over the 4 years (lease + tax + fuel). I do 25K motorway miles pa on cruise at 70mph, but am tempted by the 2.0CR, and can probably amend the order in the next couple of weeks. Hence I would be grateful for thoughts on two questions: would the 1.6 really be 5-6mpg better given the same driving style / conditions, and is there much difference in cruising ability / feel (I'm not especially a speed merchant and tend to stick to speed limits)?

many thanks

David

David,

For £27 a month, I'd go for the 2.0CR.

IMO, it will be a vastly superior drive, particularly for overtaking on the motorway; it will get up to cruise more easily and (in all probability) using less fuel to do so than the 1.6, as it will be less strained. Also, at 70mph, I doubt there will be much difference between the two in mpg terms, so your 5-6mpg difference probably won't be the reality.

The 2.0CR will also drive better under load, so if you have a full boot a fair amount of the time, it will be the much better purchase IMO.

There are quite a few stories on here of people with 1.6CR's that struggle to get close to the advertised mpg; however, my 2.0CR is pretty much bang on and I know a lot of others are too (the published EC test figure sham notwithstanding!).

However, if the power really isn't that important, then save the money.

H

PS: I suspect you will get some 1.6CR owners adding their two-penneth from their experience, so I should add that I haven't driven a 1.6, just a 170PS CR in my vRS.

Go for the 2.0CR. My 1.6CR is doing about 53mpg according to fuelly, and this is 40% motorway at 60-65mph, 45% duel carriage way at 50-55mph and 5% and pottering about. This is generally driving carefully.

The 1.6CR has not got the low down torque I like, especially on hills where a changedown is usually necessary and pulling away from roundabouts, where a big engine will nudge you without any effort.

I am definately thinking about DSG as well next time.

If you do a lot of motorway miles then the 2.0 diesel without question. I'm going to an Octavia from (believe it or not) a Toyota Yaris diesel which is slightly quicker than the 1.6 Octavia, and it does struggle on the motorway, particularly for lane change manoeuvres.

Hi David,

I have the 1.6CR, and haven't been particularly happy with it. I'm by no means a boy racer, but it always seems underpowered - you have to change down constantly, especially when keeping to a 30mph speed limit, and overtaking can be a bit frightening when nothing happens as you put your foot down. Before this I had the 1.9 diesel Octavia, which went like a rocket by comparison. It was also considerably more efficient, as the 1.6 does little more than 50mpg overall.

I'll be changing cars in the not too distant future, and would certainly choose the 2.0 over the 1.6; however, as has been discussed elsewhere on this forum, the price is now somewhat off putting. You can get the same 2.0 engine in a Bluemotion Passat for the same money, as discounts seem quite good on the VW. So unless Skoda discounts start to get realistic....

can't see the need for a 2 litre to be honest, especially if you are cruising on motorways. I have driven the new octavia get but have done a lot of miles in various VAG 1.6CR's - motorways, town and rural roads - and have never once been short of sufficient power. These cars constantly return a true 60+mpg (i'm in a mew Cee'd D thios week and its only doing 50).

2.0CR all the way, no brainer. Had no problems with the Superb 170CR achieving more than advertised mpg on daily commute from Sheff to Notts and can get nearer to 60mpg on run to Newcastle via M18/A1 pottering at 60-70mph so 2.0CR Octy III should beat that easily???.

Only issue I have had in the Berb over 85K is a failed EGR sensor at 70K and then blow me the turbo packed in on the way back from Newcastle today!!!! Thank god its a VAG lease car!! they will be gutted as it is going back at the end of May and they just shelled out for a new Columbus just before xmas!!! :giggle: Going to take extended warranty on Octy III if I keep it over 4 years as buying this time, not leasing!

Edited 9 April, 201313 yr by Matt Pez

I have to say, on the motorway, the 1.6CR is quite responsive, but I don't feel its happy after 70mph (and we shouldnt be doing more should we!), not engine wise but handling. It feels a little bouncy over this speed, whereas my last car, a 2.0TDCi Mondeo would hold the road like glue.

Read the Autocar Road Test out today on the 1.6 TDI SE. It just confirms that the 2.0 is the way to go. 1.6 is sluggish, not particularly economical, and badly needs a close ratio 6 speed gearbox.

Edited 10 April, 201313 yr by Timoctav

Many thanks for the replies, really confirming what I have been suspecting. I got the revised quote for the 2.0CR yesterday and it was £10 per month less than the last one i.e just £8 more than the quote for the 1.6. The BIK is a bit higher so will have to pay a little more tax than the 1.6 (£5-£10pm) but I get 15p per business mile for the 2.0 (as opposed to 12p for the 1.6). Hence its really a no brainer to go with the 2.0, and I suspect it will actually be at least (if not more) as economical than the 1.6 for my type of driving. Good news was the 1.6 had not actually been ordered yet, so no cancellations fees either. So...2.0CR Elegance in candy white with beige alcantara is ordered for mid Sept delivery.

Well chuffed!

..2.0CR Elegance in candy white with beige alcantara is ordered for mid Sept delivery.

Well chuffed!

Congratulations! I'm sure you have made the right choice. Looking forward to getting mine in just a few weeks time, hopefully!

+1 on the above from Tinoctav and I agree with those recommending the 2.0 the extra torque will pay dividends which you'll appreciate doing the highishmiles you do as you'll arrive alot fresher and more relaxed at the end of your journey.

Hope you enjoy it once you get the keys

Good move

:thumbup:

Ditto!! :rock:

is ordered for mid Sept delivery.

Is that the soonest you can get it?!

Yes, I'm locked into my existing lease until then, but advised to secure next deal in good time. Apparantly Audi/Golf can take 7 months to deliver from order going in. Suspect Skoda is much faster to deliver, but once the Octy 3 came out I had made my mind up and couldn't wait to get it ordered.

Does anyone know how this will affect things like Front Assist, which is not available until June - is this the order or delivery date?

Apparantly Audi/Golf can take 7 months to deliver from order going in. Suspect Skoda is much faster to deliver

Don't bank on it. Plenty of stories of a Skoda order black hole around

Yes, I'm locked into my existing lease until then, but advised to secure next deal in good time. Apparantly Audi/Golf can take 7 months to deliver from order going in. Suspect Skoda is much faster to deliver, but once the Octy 3 came out I had made my mind up and couldn't wait to get it ordered.

Does anyone know how this will affect things like Front Assist, which is not available until June - is this the order or delivery date?

I understand it is the build dates from June for Front Assist so you should be ok with a Sept delivery as typical lead time is 10-12 weeks, but that assumes the supplying dealer does not order too early as they will not normally want to store it any more than 4 weeks :think:

Edited 11 April, 201313 yr by Matt Pez

I wonder if the price of the Elegance will rise when the front assist becomes standard?

I've been told that ACC will only be about €150/£100-ish extra when it becomes available. That won't be too much of a hike on the elegance at least.

I've been told that ACC will only be about €150/£100-ish extra when it becomes available. That won't be too much of a hike on the elegance at least.

Thanks - if that figure is anywhere near accurate then it is a small price to pay! Sadly my car I don't think will have that fitted, too early production.

Only reason I say that is because I saw it in the dealer's training manual for specs on the Irish model. ACC was down for something peculiar like €153 as opposed to a rounded off figure. But it will be available in Ireland at least, from June onwards.

Only reason I say that is because I saw it in the dealer's training manual for specs on the Irish model. ACC was down for something peculiar like €153 as opposed to a rounded off figure. But it will be available in Ireland at least, from June onwards.

If that is correct it's a bargain. Ford charge about £800 for acc on Mondeo and SMax!

Having run a 1.6Tdi CR Superb Combi for 52k miles I confirm they do get better with more miles.

Whilst overtaking is often a third gear affair, for general driving one-up, 105Ps is just enough. The average 65.2mpg is the main attraction, together with low BIK taxation.

That said, if I was choosing an Octy III, I'd almost definitely select a 2.0Tdi, especially as the emissions are lower than the outgoing 140CR, with an additional 10Ps.

My experience of 1.6CR so far in the 2012 Roomster is : high fuel consumption in town, gutless low end torque compared to old 1.9TDI110, though much hapiier to rev high like a petrol, DPF exhaust temp sensor already replaced under warranty, and now diesel fuel accumulating in engine oil, over 1l of diesel in oil (20%+) over 9300miles.

1.6CR is not an engine I want to own again. Test drove 2.0CR Octy a while ago and it was much better, plus fuel consumption seems to be much more consistent affair, and recent 2.0CRs have few if any faults reported on the forums.

So where there is an engine choice like on Octy 3, 2.0CR is a no brainer. I hope they will stick a 2.0CR in the Rapid at some point, I'll then rapidly run to the dealership to order it.