Well, where to start.

I've placed an order via Lex Lease (company car) for a Vrs Octavia. We all know the situation with lead times, so I've looked around at comparable alternatives from pretty much every manufacturer. I have a certain monthly budget I have to hit and an Octavia Vrs with extra toys comes in on budget. BMW 3 series, Audi A4 etc are just out of reach with the trim/performance levels I'm after. I want something sporty(ish) and a bit of fun for the daily commute.

The only other real alternative is the Octavia's cousin, the Leon FR. Looks like its a bit quicker (marginal) and I can match trim levels, leather and other equipment easily. Have other people considered this car, what did you find we're the pros and cons, why did you choose the Vrs over the FR. I want to make sure I've made the right choice in waiting god know how many months....

As a former Leon FR owner I could not complain about the car in the slightest. I like to change my car pretty regularly so I had her from new to 3 year old. To be honest I found in comparison the Vrs to be a smoother and tighter driving experience. I had the New FR and Vrs both out for a very long test drive and still found the Vrs a be a more comfortable and (dare I say it) a more grown up sports car lol. I also found personally speaking the spec, for the things I wanted, to be superior in the Octavia. The interior of the octavia I thought was richer looking and a lot more comfortable and roomy. In fairness in the end what really swung it for me was the 0% finance on the Octavia Vrs.

I had an FR before my current vRS mk2 FL on a budget basis. I got £800 of upgrade wheels and I loved it. It went like a rocket and the handling was great. The interior was a bit plasticy and the ride was harsh but the real problem was space in terms of boot and rear passenger. My family grew in the time I had it and I saw the vRS as the solution in terms of blend of performance and practicality. Somehow I don't see the FR in the same league and personally would rather have a vRS on my drive. All based on previous FR spec of course but I don't believe space has increased on latest model.

Came across this thread....hope it helps you decide

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/292888-does-the-new-seat-leon-offer-superior-value-for-money-now/

Very useful. Thanks.

Any Leon FR owners on here?

Thanks Karen99 - was trying to find the link to the same thread last night.

6 months in my opinion is the broadly the same - both are very good cars.

Whilst the standard kit is good, FR is now available with even more options including DCC and a body kit including a twin exit exhaust not previously available. The LED headlights are nicer to drive with at night than the xenons. On twisty A roads the car is in its element, even though it doesn't have multi-link rear suspension (150 ps tdi).

As for the Skoda it is the car I prefer driving, especially on a commute. A far more quiet and smoother drive - engine, gearbox and clutch operation (184 ps vs 150 ps although Seat performs better when not in Sport mode around town). Skoda is better screwed together in my opinion and does not have any rattles, unlike the Seat (although hopefully this will be resolved under warranty soon). That said the carbon trim around the gear stick gaitor scratches easily. I would have liked cruise as standard and folding mirrors as an option.

Both are very good cars, I have to agree though that the octy is better screwed together and just feels more premium.

No contest re space and practicality though as the octy is just brilliant, has more legroom and boot space than an Audi a6 I've driven!!

I've made a few posts previously regarding my back to back test drives but overall I preferred the Leon FR. I thought it was better in the areas that mattered to me - mainly the drive itself (the rear torsion beam setup seemed stiffer and I thought the damper and spring combo better suited my local roads) and I liked the standard kit and decent options that could be specced. The interior trim differences were so minimal they made no difference to me and I preferred the external looks by quite a degree. I also came to the conclusion that it offered better value for money with the realistic discounts available at the respective dealers. The octy won on longer distance comfort and rear compartment and boot space

With the loss of the 0% deals on the vRS the Leon is an even tastier option than it used to be, the cupra versions get access to some of the golf GTI toys the vRS misses out on. Definitely on my list when I want to replace my MK2.

Whats the lead time like for FR's?

I tried the Golf Mk 7 GT and Leon FR back to back and found that the Leon handled really well, the rear end felt as good as the GT Golf (which is noticeably better than an elegance Octavia) but inside the cabin was a real let down. The leather seats were rock hard and the dash layout just didn't look as nice as a Golf or Octavia.

 

It drove well, was significantly cheaper than a Golf, a bit cheaper than an Octavia but out of the 3 cars it would be my third choice.

I did indeed consider both, the interior of the Octavia is much nicer than the Leon, I also find the extra space is very useful. However I preferred the look of the Leon FR externally, just looks sharper and more interesting. I chose the Octavia in the end as I got what I considered to be a good deal at the time from my local dealer, and I only had a fortnight to wait as the car was already built.

Not a bad comparison of all the MQB contenders on Topgear:

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/mqb-platform-explained-2014-3-21?imageNo=1

Niall

Very interesting!

"We all share an assumption about the VW group price ladder, don’t we? But we’re all wrong. The cheapest here isn’t the Skoda but, by a useful amount, the Seat. And right now, the Seat comes with the navigation and LED headlights package. And the Skoda emits 119g/km CO2 versus 109 by the Seat, meaning you pay another 2 per cent BIK if it’s a company car. Given that the Seat drives with so much more sophistication, this is a ridiculously easy choice unless you carry mountains of stuff with you, or you feel the need to wear Skoda’s austere and chaste image."

Wow.

If you don't need the space, the Leon wins on almost every level, particularly as there's no 0% on PCP any more for the vRS.

 

Personally I didn't think the difference in the Golf, Leon and Octavia's interiors added up to very much. Only the A3 stood out as having a genuinely classy interior (as the article states), but having to delve into the options list (and it is very tempting) can make them very expensive on PCP despite strong residuals.

 

At present, I'm waiting for Seat to offer the adaptive damping on the Leon hatchback (something Seat keep telling me is about to be launched!) before placing an order.

I couldn't disagree more with the previous post.

 

There's a lot more to the VRS than just space mate,...I did drive the Leon FR and Cupra and still decided on the VRS so Skoda must be do something right.

 

It is down to personal preference too though and happy you are happy to go for the Leon over the Octavia, something I wouldn't do.

Price wise, everything has been ordered very clearly in terms of motor / equipment you get like so:

 

Leon -> Octavia -> Golf -> A3

 

and you can see where the money has gone when you sit in the cabin of each of them, there is no getting away from that.

 

I dont even look at the A3 (too expensive for me, in some luxury engine trim)

 

I like the Leon and you do get more motor / equipment than Octavia, but Octavia wins on space of course, and if you need space you will have to choose Octavia among all of them.

 

I like the golf as well very much, but its even more expensive than Octavia and space wise, the same as the Leon.

 

Back to Leon FR, I must say the trim inside is lacking some luxury to feel more 'premium' like the Ocativa and Golf in top specifications, but it doesnt bother me too much, I only wish you can get some better electric adjustable seats with memory.

 

Still in the end, its the cheapest way to get 2.0 tdi 135kw engine :P

I couldn't disagree more with the previous post.

 

There's a lot more to the VRS than just space mate,...I did drive the Leon FR and Cupra and still decided on the VRS so Skoda must be do something right.

 

It is down to personal preference too though and happy you are happy to go for the Leon over the Octavia, something I wouldn't do.

I've had two Octavia vRS estates and having driven the Mk3 I decided it didn't quite offer the value for money over the competition that the MK2's had done.

 

There's nothing wrong with Octavia and I'm sure I would have been happy with one, but as I don't need the space any more I've decided I'd rather save a few quid and have the Leon. Spec for spec it's about £2.5K cheaper and even adding DCC it'll still be just under £2K cheaper.

 

For me, the Mk3 Leon is such a huge improvement over the Mk2 that it is now very, very close to the Octavia, plus the technology pack and the option (whenever they decide to do it for the UK market) of adaptive damping swung me in favour of the Leon. I also did back to back test drives and came away with the feeling that the Leon FR drove just that little bit better (slightly better ride, slightly less pitching and slightly quieter).

 

Oh, and factory deliveries for the Leon seem to be in the order of 12 weeks against 30 or 40 weeks (or whatever the latest is) for a vRS.

 

I wouldn't knock anyone for choosing the vRS, but whereas for the Mk2's there was no choice (the vRS was much, much better), now there's little to choose between them and the Leon suits my needs and budget better than the Octavia.

 

As I said, if you need the space, then you have to go for the Octavia, but if it's not as important then the extra value the Leon provides is hard to ignore (and that seems to be Top Gears conclusion too).

I'll be honest, the price isn't the deal braker. I suppose the extra space does come into it a bit.

But I'm eyeing up the difference between a like for like cost comparison - by which I mean the Vrs I've ordered vs the Leon with extra toys to compensate. It's a business car lease, I'm driving round in a rubbish V50 at the moment that I can't stand (hand me down). I don't really want to wait forever for the Vrs to be built

I couldn't disagree more with the previous post.

 

There's a lot more to the VRS than just space mate,...I did drive the Leon FR and Cupra and still decided on the VRS so Skoda must be do something right.

 

It is down to personal preference too though and happy you are happy to go for the Leon over the Octavia, something I wouldn't do.

Just realised that you're driving the TSi, in which case the choice is quite a bit harder as you get the 220 TSi engine in the vRS, whereas the choice in the Leon is either 180 TSi or 265/280 in the Cupra's. I don't know whether Seat are planning on filling that gap with a 220 of their own or not.

 

If it's the diesels your looking at, then the Leon FR definitely comes out on top (except for space!).

Just realised that you're driving the TSi, in which case the choice is quite a bit harder as you get the 220 TSi engine in the vRS, whereas the choice in the Leon is either 180 TSi or 265/280 in the Cupra's. I don't know whether Seat are planning on filling that gap with a 220 of their own or not.

 

If it's the diesels your looking at, then the Leon FR definitely comes out on top (except for space!).

Yep, 220 TSI and it is defo pulling more power than Skoda claim.

 

I've had a lot of mapped cars, one of which was a MK5 GTI ED30 running over 330bhp and my Octy doesn't feel that much slower!

 

I did have a go in the Cupra 280 DSG 5 door although that is heavier than the VRS and has the same torque so in real world the difference wasn't as big as I thought it'd be.

 

Have to agree the adaptive dampers on the Leon are nice on the Cupra though.

 

The Leon is a great car don't get me wrong, however it didn't feel that special and once I climbed back in the Octy, it did feel more premium and didn't handle any worse, of course I'm talking real world and not on the track where the differences of course would be more noticeable.

 

The stuff I didn't like about the Leon was the door handles are mainly plastic, felt cheap and I got the horrible window whistle on the drivers door, where the doors weren't lined up properly, I had this on my MK5 and I thought VAG would've sorted this out by now!

I'll copy my post into this thread

 

 

I would look at it from the opposite viewpoint - I was literally about to order a white Leon (5dr hatch, not the ST) FR 184BHP and had gone through the entire procedure of haggling via a bunch of dealers, using DriveTheDeal as a guidepoint and fighting with myself over what options I could justify.

 

I had pretty much specced her out with the tech pack (free), spare, 17" Rims above standard, convenience and winter packs. Using the (then) 4.9% APR and £1000 deposit contribution deals.

 

I literally just "checked out" the skoda dealership whilst bored on a sunday. What changed it was the 0% PCP deal, as all of a sudden the vRS was achievable in the monthly budget I had set, and the GMFV was very similar to the FR I had specced (within £200). In fact, it wouldve been even more competitive if I didnt have to replace the extras taken off (No cruise, seriously???? And you are telling me a flagship model gets a base stereo??? )

 

The interior of the Leon has improved *massively*.... Stick an FR next to an Golf SE (which I did   ) and you will be suprised - Golf has more cubbys and an electric handbrake (not a fan), but they are scarily similar even for a platform shared car. Ride was very good too.

 

Being a nerd, it broke down for me in this list: (Leon FR 184 vs Octy vRS)

 

Octy

- Servicing thrown in for the three year term

- 18" Alloys as standard

- Acres more space (Leon doesnt have fold flat seats)

- ACC was an option then (oh the irony!)

 

FR

- Easier to park

- Nicer interior

- Rear AND Front parking assist as standard

- Better ride (probably due to the 17's)

- About 25-30 cheaper per month

- LED front lights

 

Ive not included looks, as they are subjective   Insurance groups were the same, as were the MPG claims (same engines, obv)

 

 

Basically, if I was buying today - I would be getting the Leon FR 184 Diesel (The version with same engine and same suspension as the vRS).

 

The increase of the vRS PCP to 6.9%, plus the loss of the 3yr servicing deal means that even with the extra space, the Leon wins out. Shame really, as I do prefer the vRS

In my unbiased perspective, the Octavia vRS is the thinking man's Audi RS6.

 

The Seat Leon is the fool's Lada Riva.

the Octavia vRS is the thinking man's Audi RS6.

 

Audi A6 S-Line maybe, but you're dreaming if you think an Octavia vRS is anywhere near an RS6.

You're right - A6 is a different platform.

 

The vRS is a thinking man's Bentley Continental GT.