Im going to be replacing my beemer estate with something bigger pretty soon. 

Looked at all the alternatives and was pretty much certain on a FL Mk2 estate as it was around the same value as the beemer and they seemed to have had thier highest depreciation. 

 

However the look and overall spec/toys of the Mk3 is preferred as its very close to my current car but we are speaking about another £10k over my car to buy.

 

My car is all bought and paid for so my question is is the Mk3 worth that extra over the Mk2 FL?  It will be a manual Tdi (maybe Tsi) Im going for as we do about 12-13k a year.  Ive not yet looked at a Mk2 FL in person but what is the interior build quality like for wear and tear as I should be keeping this for a few years if it fits the bill. 

 

Also what are people seeing with regards to thier cars value (Mk2's FL), is it starting to go down with the new model introduction or are they fairly levelling out?  This is primarily a space, safety and financial decision as I have other cars for blasts but I still want this to be a little fun to drive.

IMHO the Mk3 is overpriced at the moment but dealers are also pushing their luck on Mk2 prices due to the lack of cars for sale.

+1 on the above. I'm pleased overall with the interior build quality on mine, but wasn't overly impressed with the mk3 when I sat in 1 at the dealers-for the extra money I was expecting better TBH, but I've not driven one so my view may be a bit off the mark.

As an alternative have you considered a Superb as they have decent offers on them at the moment and for space/ride quality/safety its a hard package to beat. As always some decent test drives will help you make up your mind

Yeah Ive noticed when looking that some of the lower mileage few year old cars that they are going for or at least asking for good money hence why I thought may as well look at Mk3 to see what deals there are.

Im not overly keen on the looks tbh MK2 fl much better looking but i must say the seats are nicer in the MK3

As all of the above really.

 

You won't be disapointed with a Mk2 FL. I recently moved over from a BM to a vRS tdi. It's very hard not to compare the two but I can hand on heart say the vRS isn't a BM and cannot match the BM for drivability and build quality but there's not much in it. That said, the skoda is a damned site cheaper.

r

Kit wise the skoda comes very well kitted out and has all the knobs and dials that the BM has minus a few things i wish the car had. I miss the auto wipers, auto dimming rear view mirror and auto lights that the BM had as standard. There is the odd rattle here and there with the vRS but these seem to be common accros the whole MK2 FL range. Handling wise, the vRS is so much easier to drive quickly but it does lack the punch that the BM had (again, it will do as it's a whole 1000cc smaller).

 

I certainly don't regret buying the MK2 vRS, I test drove a MK3 at the same time and opted for the former.

 

I love these questions!

 

Whatever is posted here in the MkII forum will be exactly opposite to what would be posted to the same question over in the MkIII forum!

 

All that is missing is:

 

Manual or DSG?

What colour is best?

 

I know but then its good to get both side.  Most Mk3 owners have praised there Mk2's they have had, I was just looking for expereince if it was a missive jump.  Ive pretty much decided it will be a Mk2 FL.  Funnily enough the auto wipers annoy me in the BM as they never seem to work exactly when I want.  The other options like built in NAV, phone system, leather etc are going to be missed for sure but I need to comprimise. 

 

Funnily enough Im still undecided about Tdi or Tsi.  I know both engines as Ive had a few more VAG's in the past.  Heart says petrol, head says diesel.

I HATE the auto wipers in the wife's 116i.

 

Ok put in an auto option but why take away the intermittent wipe?

Damn thing never agrees with what I want it to do.

 

Petrol VRS can be more economical than you think if you can restrain yourself. I regularly saw 40mpg out of my TFSI and the TSI should beat that easily.

Edited 18 June, 201412 yr by Aspman

Yeah Ive had a Scirocco with that engine so know what its like.  Going to have a look at one tomorrow albeit a diesel and hatch just to get a look.

I'm currently on holiday in Cornwall with Wife, kids, Dog and boot full of luggage and my bike. FL vrs tdi hatch. The car is blowing me away, averaging 48mpg with spirited driving, handles a dream and the climate control is a god send!

Could do with a little more punch tbh after my 888 mapped cdti vectra... But it doesn't half shift and maintain pace on the A roads.. Better than the Vec ever did. Great great cars IMO!

Mike

Oh.. And I have 3 people comment on it at services etc.. Bit special these cars!

Edited 18 June, 201412 yr by MCD

the mk3 is almost 2 years old now [not vrs ], so secondhand cars will start to appear and prices will come down to around the same prices that dealers are asking for there overpriced mk2's.

this in turn will mean that mk2 prices will fall, as the mk3 will always be more costly.

if your gonna buy a mk2, hold off if you can, otherwise you'll end up paying over the odds.

dealers are chancing there luck at the moment with mk2 prices imo

I've found the various MK3 Octavias I've driven while mine has been in the garage to be pretty good.

 

I don't like the wider body which makes it hard to lean your arm on the door (but I am exceptionally skinny).

I hate the fact it's lost the footrest to the right of the accelerator pedal.

I found the MQB chassis a bit wide and boat-like.

 

The build quality felt better to me, but part of that could be that the MK3s I drove were all virtually new.

There was better spec (gadgets) as standard and the dashboard was better - the new maxidot is easier to read and has more info.

 

If the cars were the same price (and the same age) I'd have to think about which I preferred, so the fact that the MK3 is more expensive anyway pushes me towards the MK2.

the mk3 is almost 2 years old now [not vrs ], so secondhand cars will start to appear and prices will come down to around the same prices that dealers are asking for there overpriced mk2's.

this in turn will mean that mk2 prices will fall, as the mk3 will always be more costly.

if your gonna buy a mk2, hold off if you can, otherwise you'll end up paying over the odds.

dealers are chancing there luck at the moment with mk2 prices imo

This is what I was thinking, no major hurry for us so might wait until later in the year or even next year. Saying that my car will also loose value so it may be the same to change. Chance you take I suppose.

Firstly yes I'm a Mk2FL owner and I rate the car very highly. If I had the money would I go for the mk3?

 

Yes I would like to if I had the money to waste, but IMHO for the extra £10k at the moment I dont see the extra worth in the car. Yes its cheaper to tax, better on fuel and quicker. But the out lay with my mileage is not worth it.

 

Yes it has some nice new fancy bit of techno kit, but again worth the extra money? Not so sure.

 

Fact is to get in the same spec as my current mk2FL I'd be looking at a change of £20k which is what I paid the the Mk2FL new in the first place.

 

Yes its nice, yes its better but no its not at the moment worth the extra, maybe when they start to flood the secondhand market maybe they might be worth a shot.

Well i looked at a Mk2 FL VRS last night and tried a Mk3 Elegance 150tdi.

 

Mk2 - nice car but feels a lot cheaper than my BMW inside, boot is impressive but again main cabin room is not really any bigger. Wasnt overly keen on the white seats.  I wasnt sold on it to be honest.  I think if I hadnt had the beemer then I would have been more up for one.  The fact I would probably have to put money down on top of what my BMW is worth at trade made my mind up that a Mk2 FL is not going to replace my current car.  Its still not a no as I'll explain below.

 

Mk3 - Much nicer car inside IMO and just felt nicer all round. It drove really nice as well, (4x4 version so had the mutlilink rear suspension) and 150tdi engine has plenty of go.  Cabin is definitely bigger than Mk2.  Boot again was impressive but false rear floor took away from that.  Would need to try a VRS Tsi as I dont think Id be happy with the Tdi. 

 

Overall I came to the conclusion that Mk2 is not as good as my BMW so Im not changing for it and the Mk3 is no where near £10k better than my BMW.  My BMW is more petrol like to drive as well and feels quicker.

I still really like the Octavia estates as they are very good value for money in relative terms so what we have decided instead is to sell our Golf V6 4mo put some money towards a cheapish Mk1 VRS estate to replace the Golf.  You havent got rid of me that easily.