BMW 3 series touring to Octavia estate - anybody done this swap?

[coullstar]

Hi folks, Ive got a 08 plate 320d Touring Edition M-Sport that I love however with impending new arrival and new dog Im looking for something with a bigger boot. Im just wondering if anyone has done this switch and noticed a maissve improvement in space?     

 

Budget wise I would like to stay around the same and always liked the VRS estates so started looking into them. 

 

The boot seems very big on paper even compared to 5 series, Audi A6 but in reality is it as big as it seems?

 

Is rear seat room good with regards to rear facing child seats?   

 

Ive been looking and naturally Im wary of the light coloured parts on the seats getting dirty so would prefer full leather but it seems very rare. Are the seats hard to keep clean?

 

Need to find one to try out but there are very few up my way, most seem to be hatches.  Also any colour specifci issues I should look out for?  Dont want a black car or white or yellow. 

 

Anyway Im sure I'll come back with more questions.  If anyone is interested in a swap with the Beemer let me know as well. 

 

 

 

[Aspman]

I've a hatch so more general comments

 

The white of the seats would be hard to keep clean if you have dogs but you can get covers. The alcantara cleans up ok if it does get dirty.

plenty of room for rear facing car seats as long as you or your partner are not very tall. If the front seats were far back you might find it tight. For an average person it should be fine. I used the Recaro baby carrier since it was well regarded and matched the seats too

 

You might even want to look at the cheaper hatch. The hatch boot is very large, the estate only being taller not longer. If you've a cage for dogs or carry bikes then the estate with the roof bars would be more practical.

 

Race blue is the poster colour for the car but is common because of that. IT looks decent in most of the available colours

[mikejay]

I have an estate, with a dog and child. Seats are pritty easy to keep clean and plenty of room for kids dogs etc. This is mine.

[pmdc199]

I have estate. If you don't have the false floor it is enormous and very deep. It is bigger than the a6. Have a look at one at a dealer even if not the vrs as for me with 2 young children it's fantastic. Swallows bikes, scooters Phil and teds dual buggy the lot and very good value for the VRS.

[fairlight5]

We looked at A4 quattro estate before the 4x4 octavia estate. Small boot and cramped rear leg room in the A4.

A6 gave comparable space but was way out of our price range.

We have a 1 month old daughter and a 6 year old 46kg rottie. Plenty of space for both. I have a Thule roof box and bars for the odd time we need to really load up.

There is a lot of clever storage space in the cabin. I echo the comments re false floor. I don't have one in mine and have no desire to get one.

We looked at a scout that had the false floor - it struck me as a waste of space. True it gives a level load floor but I am fit enough to lift stuff over the sill :-)

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Edited 12 May, 2014 by fairlight5

[fairlight5]

Just to add.

We have the graco cabrio child seat and isofix base in the N/S/R seat. Plenty of leg room in the front passenger seat with this.

We also got the graco evo pushchair and carry cot. Mainly as it was one of the few that easily fitted the boot of our other car - a Ford puma.

If we are out with the dog the pushcair chassis goes in the boot with the dog and while baby is still needing her carry cot that fits well on the rear sear next to the isofix base.

Pushchairs, car seats and bases are a minefield. I'm happy with what we have. Maxi cosy stuff would have been nice, but they are not in it long enough to justify the cost for me.

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[booke23]

I've got the Estate with the false floor and the boot is still massive compared to the BMW 3 series tourer. The false floor removes quickly if you want extra volume. 

 

With having 2 young children and a big dog myself, I find the Octavia estate to be an ideal size. Space in the rear seats is very good for bulky child seats.....much better than my Fabia estate which is actually not far off a 3 series for space. The BMW estates all suffer from smaller boot space than you think due to rear wheel drive making the boot shallower than rivals.......that's why the Octavia's boot compares well to a 5 series. 

 

All in all you shouldn't have any issues with space in an Octavia estate.

Edited 12 May, 2014 by booke23

[coullstar]

I have an estate, with a dog and child. Seats are pritty easy to keep clean and plenty of room for kids dogs etc. This is mine.

Spooky, we are looking at a lab as well.  Thanks for the replies, pretty much confirming what I thought.  My brother had a newish A4 and had to get an A6 for more room but then he has two wee ones and two dogs. 

 

im an estate man so it has to be one of them, bikes we are already sorted for with roofbars etc.  Yeah the whole pushchair thing is a minefield. 

 

I'll keep an eye out for one, any big difference between the pre and post facelifts with regards to room or was it just cosemtic differences?

[booke23]

any big difference between the pre and post facelifts with regards to room or was it just cosemtic differences?

 

Nope. Exactly the same car just with some cosmetic tweaks. 

[coullstar]

Cool.  What about the non VRS Tdi 4x4 versions?  Do they have boot intrusion due to the rear diff etc?

[booke23]

What about the non VRS Tdi 4x4 versions?  Do they have boot intrusion due to the rear diff etc?

 

I've never owned one, but I don't believe they do. 

 

The Haldex system used in the 4x4 version transmits 95% power to the front wheels unless slippage is detected, then it transmits 50% power to the rear wheels..........as it's a part time system I think the rear diff and drive shafts are much less bulky than a full time RWD car. 

Edited 12 May, 2014 by booke23

[splat]

No boot intrusion on MkII Octavia 4x4, unlike MkI Octavia or VW Passat 4x4 of similar age, which both had smaller boots.

[Machpoint005]

I've an Octy II estate with false floor, previously had an Octy I estate without. The boot is enormous (and usable) either way, and the false floor does come out.

The Memsahib has an Octy I hatch and there's really no difference in boot capacity compared with the estate, unkess you want to carry something big and boxy like a washing machine.

 

For what it's worth, I had a Saab 9-5 estate between my two Skodas. It had a decent boot, slightly longer but not as big as the Octy's. I did look at 3-series Touring (and C class estate) alternatives when someone wrote off my Saab for me, but frankly in terms of boot capacity they are both a joke.

[coullstar]

I have a 4motion Golf as well which has a higher boot floor hence the question.  All sounds very promising. Im a VW man at heart and had many a VW, Seat and Audi so I suppose a skoda is required to complete the set.   

 

I'll be honest the beemer has been useful and is not as small as it seems but wont accomodate us with whats coming.  If the dog wasnt coming along it would be fine. 

[Huskoda]

I've never owned one, but I don't believe they do. 

 

The Haldex system used in the 4x4 version transmits 95% power to the front wheels unless slippage is detected, then it transmits 50% power to the rear wheels..........as it's a part time system I think the rear diff and drive shafts are much less bulky than a full time RWD car. 

The Haldex unit is bulkier than just a rear diff as the multiplate coupling and hydraulics are in the same box too. It is full time AWD, with heavy forward bias.

 

However, it does not intrude into the boot, amazingly.

 

And the boot is massive, every car I looked at to replace my Octy 4x4 had a smaller boot.

[booke23]

The Haldex unit is bulkier than just a rear diff as the multiplate coupling and hydraulics are in the same box too..

Ahh ok, I thought it had a separate transfer box.

It is full time AWD

4x4 purists might disagree!

[Huskoda]

Ahh ok, I thought it had a separate transfer box.

4x4 purists might disagree!

It has a box on the back of the gearbox that splits the drive from the output that the prop shaft connects to. That is always live and directly connected. The Haldex coupling then regulates the power transfer at the rear diff input.

 

I had this argument earlier. If the AWD system is always active and distributing torque amongst both axles, at what standard bias ratio does it become 'full time AWD'? A Suzuki Jimny isn't full time AWD as there is a driver controlled switch that changes between modes. The only control in the Octavia is the throttle. My Subaru is a 60/40 split with a hydraulic multiplate clutch, damn guess I don't have a full time AWD like I would if I got one with a 50:50 centre LSD!  (Though I do have a button to lock it 50:50).

[ed209]

Plenty of room in the back of an octvia estate for labs.

 

windows print screen

 

Try and find one with leather or the alcantara pack which makes the white/cream bits of the seats dark grey and adds some red sticking, looks much better than std interior in my opinion.

 

print screen windows 7

[pmdc199]

 

Plenty of room in the back of an octvia estate for labs.

 

windows print screen

 

Try and find one with leather or the alcantara pack which makes the white/cream bits of the seats dark grey and adds some red sticking, looks much better than std interior in my opinion.

 

print screen windows 7

 

 

That is classy.Very nice

[coullstar]

I do like those seats!!

[rob_e]

I've had 3 series touring and i'm on my second vrs estate now.  The skoda is significantly bigger - as you're already worked out its A6 sized rather than A4 which is a surprise to many.

 

I've got two small kids, legroom is fine for them.  I also have a roof box but tbh it hardly ever gets used - it's rare to ever fill the skoda. 

 

As above, the later facelift cars had an option of black alcantara with red stitch instead of the lighter silver panels - i have that on my current car and its great.

[coullstar]

Cool, thanks.  Im getting tempted by Mk3's as well.  Suppose it depends on what Id get for the Beemer. 

[Kerans]

We have a (huge) BeSafe rear facing car seat, and people other than my 5' wife can still sit in the front seat in the Octavia, which was not the case in the Golf we had before.

[penttithefinn]

I can manage to get a 90x70x60cm dog crate into the back of my mk2 VRS, not a hope in hell with an A4 or BMW 3. Have also managed to get 3 sets of golf clubs in trolley bags and 2 Clik gear trolleys, shoes etc all under the cover. The boot is big and a good shape.

[stever750]

I can get a large road bike in my estate without having to remove either wheel. I'd need a V70 to do the same in.

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