Skoda are now main stream prices,even edging towards premium Vw Audi prices,but to a lot of the buying public the brand is still, shall we say Aldi/Lidl to marks +Spencer's, so asking nearly level prices with shall we call them established snob brands is tesco thinking and look what's happened to them. If they keep there prices as they have been there market share will continue to grow if not it won't simples.I could understand the prices closing up if skoda were getting the latest engines etc but there not. An example of that is the new fabia stuck with a 1.2 tsi as the flagship, what? Why not the 1800 cc motor from the new polo. That won't happen even if they introduce a new vrs fabia, might knock the vw sales. I would say in general the skoda cars are just as well screwed together if not better than some off the other vag range,it's just the badge that's the problem for a lot of the public.

Ps I am not a badge snob as I have had three new skodas,I bought them because they were the best package for the price out there,I'm not sure about that now?

Having gone from a mk2 to mk3, i dont think its so much the build quality, rather some of the materials used and in some places lack of them.....lesser build integrity perhaps? For example the interior on the mk3 is a nicer place to sit (a much fresher design) but the harder you look the more evidence there is of cost cutting. For example the lower dash/door/glovebox plastic you'd only need breathe on and it scratches permanently. Also cant quite put my finger on it but it just somehow feels a bit "tinny" by comparison....to be fair the car I have now weighs about 140kg less than the Mk2 vRS TDi i had previously so that weight loss has probably in part come from use of thinner/less robust materials both metal and plastic. The standard sound system is crap too.

Its a v good car though....mistake I made TBH was not buying another vRS but to be able to say a standard model is probably just about a slightly better all round car than a Mk2 vRS says alot for the standard Mk3....its just not particularly fun in any way.

Biggest disappointment is the residuals, i've possibly been a bit naive but my dealer said the Mk3 would be a better bet than the Mk2 as it should be that bit more in demand/desirable but mine has done a packet. I think in part that countless numbers of 1.6/2.0 SE and Elegance cars are being run by hire companies and have led to lots of nearly new cars flooding the used market.

If I'd had my time again Id have 100% held onto my Blackline for another 12 months or so and bought a mk3 vRS TDi Estate manual as its replacement. The regular car whilst v good is sterile....I never get in it for the sake of going for a drive put it that way.

I have kept my Petrol Vrs past it's "fully paid off" date only the second car I ever have. It's manual race Blue and only done 21K and also in immaculate condition. I test drove and was so looking forward to the MK3 that when I drove it eventually I was mightily let down, didn't feel faster or handle any differently and I decided that it simply wasn't worth the change, it genuinely just felt like a facelift again.

Skoda need to up the performance of the Mk3, so far I have considered both the SEAT Cupra but couldn't get decent discount and the new shape Focus ST3 (5K off) which is a relative bargain against the Vrs MK3. Skoda are in dangerous ground, too high prices, normal residuals and better value competition.

The MKIII is an evolution. It won't feel that much quicker than your MkII.... but it is. Watch a YouTube video hitting 100Kph in around 6.6 secs. It is cheaper to tax and supposedly more economical. It is bigger and has more standard equipment. It is also more expensive and that's why MkII owners can't come to terms with it. On a test drive I'd be surprised if the dealer allows you to really extend it and therefore it feels a bit of a let down. Cupra and Focus are smaller hatchbacks and are aimed at a slightly different customer .

Where Skoda are pretty canny is around their finance packages.

Their cars at list price now seem not particularly great value for money but on finance can be had with 0 or v low rate finance; equating to a circa 15/20% discount by means of interest savings over a more traditional PCP contract.

The finance deals with VW's are rubbish by comparison....Seat offer 0% on some of their cars but then its HP only and you need a 50% deposit. Their low rate PCP is 4.9 v 2.9 of the vRS.

So take a 26.5k vRS, Leon FR and Golf GTD....on a solutions PCP I'd expect you'd be paying something in the region of £60/80 per month less for the Octavia.

As a cash buyer theres undoubtedly a bit more to it.

Edited 22 December, 201411 yr by pipsyp

The MKIII is an awesome car in its own right, the infotainment, cabin spec, and general quality to drive do put it a fair ammount ahead of the MKII, but I think the target and ambition was to attract new people to the brand, not so much repeat buyers staying loyal. I love my MKII and am in no rush to sell it, because for what it's actually worth, there isn't many cars out there that do everything as well as the octavia.

As many others have said, particularly the Blackline, was an absolute bargain towards the end of the MKII's life. So that does make the gap seem wider than the RRP for both cars was.

I will point out however, my MKII will probably be the last vRS I own, as I genuinely couldn't justify what would be a near £30000 investment in a new one to the spec I would inevitably order.

I would sooner a second hand V8 R8.....

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A friend of mine is looking for a yellow Octy vRS, model year 2009 - 2010 but can't find anything.  The only vRS he found that came close had been messed around so much he had to walk away.

Edited 23 December, 201411 yr by SkodaKitteh

So which is quicker mk2 vrs with all the toys Blackline dsg with shark remap 210 bhp I think, or the bigger lighter 184bhp mk3 vrs ?

As I have stated money payed for bhp and outright power.I know which one my money would be on.

I've been looking to change my race blue dsg, 2010. 61k and have been surprised to get well over £8k px offers. I paid less than £17k brand new with several options added i.e. half price in 4.5 years. Not many brands offer such low depreciation. I always sell privately to minimise cost to change but part of me says why bother. New Skodas offer lower road tax, better standard specs and fuel consumption but I doubt the residuals will stack up as well and the vrs is just such great fun. If others feel the same then supply will be low.

Due to the sudden demise of my mk2 tuned vrs petrol... I have had a day driving the diseasal mk3 hatch... Skeptical before stepping in, fully converted after about 400 metres... Ill still order the estate as I believe the rear especially of the hatch is unresolved - understated in a bland rather than a good way...

 

I had a day hooning around the Gloucestershire countryside and only burned £10 of diseasal!!! the mk3 is a beast as standard, bloody good value imho and a cracking car in any context. That noise effect thing, funny as hell, sounds like a flat plane v8 on the inside!!! Ill still be tuning it and getting a dump valve...

 

Anyway, I crashed my Mk2, so that's one less...

 

Nick