Hi all,

 

I currently have an Octavia Hatchback SE that I purchased secondhand back in April 2013. It currently has around 23,600 on the clock. I have decided to trade this in for something of a lower mileage.

 

On my way back from a recent weekend in Lincolnshire I took a look at, and test drove, an Octavia Hatchback at a dealership in Nottingham. The Octavia is a '63' plate with, after I had been in it, 3910 on the clock. Asking price £14,500.

 

However work yesterday (Monday) took me to Newport. After looking at the dealership where I saw a few Rapids I searched into Rapids within Bristol (where I live) and found one on '14' plates with 5000 miles on the clock, asking price £13,495.

 

At Nottingham the salesman who looked over my car passed his findings to his boss who said I could have around £8500 for it. I could be wrong on that figure and I think it may, in fact, have been £8250. Anyway I had a phonecall from Nottingham this afternoon asking me if £8750 for mine would be more likely to sway me if he could get it. I said possibly. He emailed me earlier this evening saying he had spoken to his sales and business managers and I could have £8750 for mine if I was still interested. Good.

 

I am wondering:

- what are the differences between the Octavia and the Rapid? As far as I can see there are very few, if any, differences between the two apart from appearance of the dashboard area and the shorter length of one over the other.

 

- if you were me, which would you be more likely to be interested in? I know which one I would prefer. However my Dad, when I asked him, thinks I would do better to look at the Rapid. And he has had more cars than I.

 

Advice appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Dave

Edited 12 August, 201411 yr by DaveHarries

If that's a Mk3 Octavia I'd go for that. If a late mk2,go for the rapid

hI

 

The question I'd be asking myself

 

is the cost to change ( £5750, which I'm sure could be reduced with a bit of further haggling ! ) realistic for essentially the same car possibly 18 months newer with say 20k less mileage, your mileage will be enough to show up any niggles on your car, at 3-4 k on a 63 plate I'd be asking the question, why so low miles? most importantly you are going to lose a fair amount of the purchase price as soon as you drive off the forecourt ( albeit this is normally the case in any car purchase ) and in reality your own car is still relatively low mileage.......

 

give it a few weeks ( new 64 plate ) and there will be a host of pre registered and demo Rapids that Skoda will wish to move on 

 

just my thoughts of course

It's probably an ex demo

No matter: the situation resolved itself this morning.

 

A look on the stocklists for alternative ideas conjured up a Skoda Rapid at Blade (Bristol South), Long Ashton which is a bit closer to home for me. 2013 (13) plate with about 8800 on the clock. Some assistance from a friend who knows how to haggle on these things resulted in a deal being struck. I pick up the Rapid next week.

 

The salesman in Nottingham said that there could be no movement on the price of the Octavia I had been looking at (a Mk3) but, at the same time, he couldn't give me higher than £8500 for my vehicle. Although that was upped yesterday to £8750 after about a week it still wasn't quite enough and came too late. I suspect the salesman and his sales manager in Nottingham are probably kicking themselves! 

 

Dave

Edited 13 August, 201411 yr by DaveHarries

hi Dave,

 

nice one, I will be interested in your views regarding a comparison between the octavia and your replacement rapid, I currently have an octavia estate and will, maybe, replace it with a rapid, albeit not for 3 years or so, so I follow the rapid forum with interest......

 

regards Dave

For a bit of further clarification, £8750 wasn't quite enough because I had previously seen a '63' Octavia at a dealership in Birmingham. That was more a month ago but I decided to wait for the price to come down, which it has but not by very much. I had been given a variety of offers for my Octavia by different garages I talked it over with my Dad from whom I would have had to borrow money to do the deal and it would have taken over a year to pay it off (£250 per month). Seeing as I am on a zero-hour contract (which I don't object to because of the flexibility a ZHC offers) which means that my income is dependant on what I can get from work (I mostly get paid around £900 pcm after tax and give my Dad £50 for the insurance on my Octavia - he paid it my card, I pay him back a bit each month - and put money in my savings) I would not have been left with much to last the month on until next payday.

 

Needless to say when I spoke to the bloke in Nottingham and told him i had signed for the Rapid he sounded more than a touch disappointed. I shall certainly post how I get on with the Rapid though: thanks for the reply.

 

Regards,

Dave

Edited 14 August, 201411 yr by DaveHarries

From my short lived experience owning an Octy III, I'd say you have possible made the right choice going for the Rapid.

 

Wish I'd done the same, instead of getting the Octy to find it became ever more uncomfortable to a point where I had to let it go (seat design and foot-pedal position I believe were behind my issues with the car for me anyway).

 

 

TP

Didn't realise that TP. Did you go back to a Yeti?

Didn't realise that TP. Did you go back to a Yeti?

 

No ended up in a new Spaceback TSI, more by chance than design but very happy so far with the outcome.

 

Hopefully mind come winter I won't be regretting the loss of 4x4.

 

 

Regards,

 

TP