Thinking about getting an Octy Estate

[Gromle]

Hi there.

Now as my trusty Old Mondeo is starting to feel old, Im out looking for a new car.

So far the Octavia Estate looks like the best option for me. Im planning to get a 1,8TSI 4x4 Dsg. Borrowed one from the dealership, and I really liked it.

Im quite undecided if I should get a L&K or go for an Elegance with the Bad Road option.

But Im rambling on, what I really wanted to ask about is what equipment/options is a must have this car?

Im planning to get the Columbus and perhaps the big sun roof.

Auxillary heater is a must, I live in Northern Norway after all. And that is why Im going for a petrolengine aswell. I dont think the DPF would be too happy with the short trips I have in the winter.

And are you guys satisfied with your Octys?

Im also looking for some solution to divide the trunk. Im hope to find some way to didvide it so my dog can have half of it and the rest for luggage. Any tips?

[hobbie2k]

As for options, the big sunroof really brightens the interior, but it may make the car more chilly in the winter. I got it for my car (still waiting on delivery) since we don't deal with cold in Aus, but I remember sunroofs making a big difference when I lived in Minnesota.

Most people would also recommend the Canton sound system as the base system is very flat.

The xenon lights would probably be helpful on those long winter nights.

I can't really think of any other must-haves.

[sahe69]

Gromle, have you considered the new Scout?

[Gromle]

Yeah, Ive considered the Scout. But here in Norway the Scout costs about 2000£ more than an Elegance. I really dont see how its Worth it. Scout is basicly a Bad Road with some added plastic and 15mm more groundclearance? Or is there more?

To compare the Bad Road option only costs 150£, though the 17" rims is swapped for 16" by going that route.

@hobbie2k

Xenon is standard on Elegance and L&K up here, so Im getting those. I can see how the sunroof lets cold in, but imagine how it would be driving under the midnight sun or the Aurora Borealis with a big glass roof

Edited 18 January, 2015 by Gromle

[philwoodphoto]

And are you guys satisfied with your Octys?

Im also looking for some solution to divide the trunk. Im hope to find some way to didvide it so my dog can have half of it and the rest for luggage. Any tips?

Very satisfied with mine but only had it a month. Suggest looking at a properly designed cage for the dog, probably easiest to manage. Do you get the VBF as standard over there?

Love my panoramic roof and Columbus. Canton is a nice upgrade too. Do you get front assist as standard? If so add the adaptive cruise as just having a dedicated cruise control stick is worth it IMHO. Spare wheel is highly recommended (in this country anyway). Love my memory seats as SWMBO and I both drive the car regular.

[fatzy]

Gromle, I think you are going for an excellent choice. I am a petrolhead and enjoy my 1,8TSI-DSG so much! It is a winter-RS! I share your ideas about the Scout, expensive plastic with little function. And the front teeths is just ugly.

Go for the "bad road". I didn't, and due to the bad plowing skills around here a better ground clearance is well spent money. It is advantageous on bumpy roads (telehiv) as well. The 16" alloys that follows can be used for winter tyres (205/55R16 is better in winter conditions). Then you buy yourself a nice 17" or 18" summer wheels.

Additional heater is super, it is included in a reasonable priced winter package now! I have heated rear seats for my children. The Business package is also a 'must'. And take the spare wheel! If not, you don't even get the jack. For the sake of your dog, go for the divider net between the aft seats and trunk. Strangely, this is not standard equipment on an estate.

The other extras are pure comfort. I like the electrical adjustable seat for its extra adjustment possibilities and Canton for better punch in the music. Sports steering wheel with shifting paddles are usefull (for downshifting to utilize engine brake) and fantastic good to hold. Parking assistance is nice for tight parkings (mainly because of all the sencors, not the assistance itself). Adaptive cruise control is great for coasting along with other trafic, I am not sure how it is where you live.

There are some extras I would not selected: heated windscreen. I have it, but it isn't really necessary if you have the Webasto + lights gives some glares and distortion (not much, but noticeable). Sun roof, many personal preferences for that and insane price. Colombus is also insane priced, Tomtom works for me for the travels in unknown places. I have also found the Mode selector to be more like a gimmick. Lane assistance is dependent of good stripes on the road to work. If they are missing, worn, covered in snow or if it is a typical narrow Norwegian country road without yellow middle stripe, it is useless.

Edited 18 January, 2015 by fatzy

[JPH0091]

Hi Gromle, all is depending on the size of the dog.
Initially, I expected to use the variable boot floor (Option on Elegance here) to divide the trunk as on the first picture.
But my 55kg Bernese Mountain dog does not fit in the remaining space, too close the rear glass.

Finally I gave up, I fill as much as possible under the floor, then back to the old way as illustrated on my previous car.

 

And yes, I'm very satisfied with my car. The 1.8 TSI is a pearl.

Edited 18 January, 2015 by JPH0091

[hobbie2k]

@hobbie2k

Xenon is standard on Elegance and L&K up here, so Im getting those. I can see how the sunroof lets cold in, but imagine how it would be driving under the midnight sun or the Aurora Borealis with a big glass roof

That would be spectacular. I miss the northern lights...

You can always wear a hat.

[kallekilponen]

I went through the same considerations a couple of months ago when we decided it was time to upgrade the family Volvo to something newer, and preferably something with a little more boot space than Volvos current models have to offer.

 

I test drove a 1.8 TSI Elegance and a 2.0 184 TDI Scout.

 

We opted for the Elegance because we didn't much appreciate the extra plastic on the Scout and even the Elegance seemed to have a suspension that was more than adequate to handle the route to our summer place, even without the bad road option. However the engine on the Scout seemed so much more torquey, we picked the Elegance 4x4 with 184 2.0 TDI engine.

 

As for the options, here's what I picked and why:

 

• Alarm system (the car sits in various parking lots, so I prefer the added security)

• Crew protect+side airbags (we routinely have four people on board)

• Driving Mode Selection (for the added customization possibilities)

• Spare wheel (no more dabbling with a flat repair kit)

• Alcantara seats (more comfortable and durable than the basis fabric and doesn't have the problems of leather, such as being too hot/cold)

• Adaptive Cruise Assistant (tried it on the Scout and it functioned like a dream, should make driving in congested traffic a lot less stressful)

• Bluetooth + phonebox (finally a less fiddly option to connect my iPhone to the car)

• Electric drivers seat with memory (the car has two drivers, so it saves us from manually adjusting the seat and mirrors for every drive)

• Traveller assistant with sign recognition, high beam assist, lane assist and Columbus (seemed like a good value for money, since I already wanted to get the Columbus)

• Winter pack (really good value for money in the Finnish winter conditions)

• Automatic Parkin Assistant 2.0 (mainly for the extra sensors, but if it works well, might as well use the automatic parking in some situations)

• Optical Parkin Assistant (allows me to be sure there isn't something hidden behind the  car while reversing, so should make life a little bit easier)

• Dividing net between the rear headrests and the boot (I can't believe this isn't standard on the estate!)

• SmartGate (a bit of a gamble, but I hope they'll release some useful apps to go with it)

 

On top of those we got a few little extras like a battery charger, aluminum protector for the rear bumper and of course winter tires.

 

We didn't think the sun roof was worth the added cost, especially since it can bring leakage problems down the road in our conditions. And as for the Canton sound option...we're still awaiting delivery (scheduled for April) and I'm still pondering it. I didn't see the need for so much speakers in the car, but I've read about the problems some people are having with the standard system so I'm still considering the option unless people find ways to overcome the tinny sound that appears more software related than an actual issue with the speakers.

Edited 18 January, 2015 by kallekilponen

[susi]

Heo Gromle!

 

I have the same model, in a similar climate.

 

1.  I came to the conclusion that the Scout isn't worth the extra, simply for some extra trim and a grab handle for the passenger.

 

2.  Petrol is a good choice. The world was sold a big lie on diesel (especially with a DPF, reconsider once SCR is normal on cars). Unless you're pumping out lots of km on motorways, the hassle of the regen system coupled with higher repair costs are not worth it IMO. It's also nicer that a cold petrol car warms up quicker in our type of climate.

 

3.  Options: rough road package (Northern Norwegian roads, say no more ), Canton (IMO it's really quite good sound), spare wheel (we need to be able to look after ourselves up here), folding mirrors (if you have a garage), tow hook (if you need to transport your own heating wood), Xenon lights (they are good), daytime driving LEDs (because it saves your 500€-per bulb Xenons during the light summer), Radio controls on steering wheel (so you can watch for reindeer and moose rather than the volume dial on the dashboard)

 

The only negative so far is that the brakes seem to stick to the discs, whether in cold outside or warm garage, leading to a clunk/dong when moving off (see my posts for further details and helpful replies from Briskodians.)

[susi]

Hä!  Funny how the Finnish contingent have both justified their choices in brackets What does that say ? 

[Gromle]

Thank you all for answering and for your input!

Based on your feedback it seems like about to make the right choice regarding car.

Now I'll just have to look over ekstras and finance, and hopefully order while the winter and traveller pack is on discount.

How long does it usually take from order to delivery? This is the first time Im even considering buying a new car

@JPH0091

We have a quite big dog. He is a crossbreed of Swiss Mountain Dog and Golden Retriever. But he is "only" 40kg.

Untill now he's occupied the entire boot of the Mondeo. But Im hoping to find a way to divide the boot with some kind of bars. I do remember seeing someone if this forum having bars behind the seats and a bar didviding the bootspace. Ill try to find that thread again when I have the time.

[fatzy]

Delivery time depends of equipment, just before I ordered lane assist and something else was problematic. Don't know the situation now, but assume that delivery within 1-2 months should be possible. Depends also on transport through Europe. The best divider is a dog cage suited for the dog, giving space on the side for luggage. There are many types and it should be possible to find one that suits both car and dog.....

[Gromle]

Im not too keen on getting a cage. Hes not used to it, and might have a bit of claustrophobia (according to the former owners).

And hes almost 10years old, so Ill find some other solution.

[philwoodphoto]

Something like this?

http://dogguardsrus.co.uk/Divider-for-Skoda-Octavia-Estate-2013-on

[Gromle]

Something like this?

http://dogguardsrus.co.uk/Divider-for-Skoda-Octavia-Estate-2013-on

Exactly like that. Thanks

[Ciprian857]

Kessy is very useful so you don' t have to look for the key every time you turn on and of the engine or lock/unlock the doors . Scout looks unique in my opinion and has a very good resale value as they are not so many Scouts in the market

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Gromle]

Do the Octy have a handsfree solution for opening the boot if you have kessy and the powered bootlid? Like Ford Kuga where you just wave your foot under the bumper?

I dont know how International skoda website is, but the Norwegian one is really bad at explaining what the different options do and doesnt.

Edited 19 January, 2015 by Gromle

[JPH0091]

No I don't think this is an available option.

[Dempsek]

I have power boot and it is great. To open the boot hold down the boot open button and the boot opens, or from inside the car press the button. I have ACC and I even mange to use it in free flowing town traffic. The combi is really long and parking sensors are really helpful.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kallekilponen]

I wish it was, but unfortunately not yet. The only VAG car that currently has it is the new Passat.

[Gromle]

Just as I suspected.

But an other thing, the lights at back, those are LEDs right? Anyone with experience from driving in heavy snow with LEDs? Do they get hot enough to melt the snow gathering back there?

Just look how my Mondeo is after driving in heavy snow, what would happens with LEDs?

Edited 19 January, 2015 by Gromle

[kallekilponen]

They don't produce enough heat, which is why I'd love a heated light option for LED lights in our climate.

[Gromle]

Thats kinda silly, but no deal breaker.

Just have to stop a bit more often and remove the snow.

Are you from Northern Finland?

[kallekilponen]

Are you from Northern Finland?

South, but having my cars rear end looking like your image is pretty normal in a snowstorm.