Hi,

 

not sure if this is the correct platform for this but here goes: Only been on here a month or two whilst waiting for my Octavia vRS 1st March but getting the gist of how things work on here. My enthusiasm for my new car has rubbed off on a friend who's now thinking of a new replacement for her Focus 1.6 diesel and heard me bang-on about mine so she's had a look at the Rapid Spaceback which the salesperson steered her towards. So, I'd value the opinions of you guys (non gender specific ) as likely to be a bit more objective than from the specific Rapid forum who are likely to be a tad more subjective methinks.

 

What cars are popular and what's not has been off my radar for many years so:

 

Which Rapid to avoid? Are they as popular as the MK3 Octavia? What sort of reputation do they have and what to avoid and what sort of deal can she expect etc. etc. She wants similar size and probably does 12k miles pa mixed driving and has a 12-year old. I will be scouring the Rapid forum as well as other sources but this is my preferred starting point and I'd value your opinions...

I have not driven a Rapid but others say they are not bad cars. I think the problem it has (certainly the normal Rapid) is fitting into the range. It is not the greatest value for money when you can buy an Octavia for not that much more moeny.

The Rapid was on our shopping list until I happened upon an advert for the SEAT Toledo which is a near identical (better looking?) car. Even specced up as we wanted it undercuts the Rapid by and there are standard options on the SEAT that cost £100 on the Skoda (boot netting one example, 16" alloys another) By the time a Rapid SE is specced up like a Toledo SE the price difference is almost £3k.

 

 Its a decent sized car, similar dimensions to the Mk1 Octavia and it feels a solid motor to be in. Some trim is a bit cheap such as the internal door release handles but the 1.2tsi isn't a bad engine (i've revised my position on this with a further test drive)

 

 Imho if she wants a car that is more realistically priced/ specced she needs to look at the Toldeo

Edited 10 March, 201412 yr by sparks03

The wife and I looked at a few cars recently to replace my (frankly knackered) daewoo lacetti.

We test drove a Rapid, a Seat Altea and a mk2 octy.

Reading reviews steered us toward skoda and we were at one point torn between a used rapid and a new spaceback but the octavia test dtive swung it, driving experience wise there wasn't much in it (though I did feel like I was stirring the 6 speed box in the rapid a bit more than the octy).

If we didn't need the extra space (and the octy hadn't been such a bargain) we would have a spaceback on the driveway now.