Someone made an offer on my current car, so on the lookout for something new. Always had my eye on the vRS, but unsure whether to go for petrol or diesel. Also unsure whether to buy a 2010/2011 one (facelift with the DRLs) for approx £10k, or do I lease a brand new one for around £250ish a month.

 

Any tips for someone new to the Skoda world? Anything I should avoid/look for if I do opt to buy one? If I do buy one, regardless of fuel type, i'll definitely want a remap at some point...

There are loads of threads on this subject if you search. In a nutshell the answers from the members will reflect their personal preference, annual mileage and economic needs. If you have a Clio Cup you may want to stick with a petrol VRS. The MkII is solid and goes really well. The mkIII petrol is more torquey and feels effortless hence not as much soul IMHO. You need to drive each version yourself as there will be a mixed bag of faults depending on the engine or model. They are all good cars.

If you are certain about needing a remap before driving one perhaps you should seek something quicker to start with

Yeah possibly... I guess the Octavia fits all my requirements - good size, family car, looks good, well built, decent power and economical, especially the diesel version...

Always difficult to offer advise.

My criteria will differ from yours.

both of us driving the same car will have differing opinions re' ride, handling, performance and so on.

I can only suggest you test drive the various options and make your informed decision.

Having owned only petrol vehicles I am biased to that form of propulsion.

Are there any known issues I should be aware of or look for if i'm buying used?