Wont bore you with the details but have decided to hand the Octavia over to my wife in the coming weeks (selling her ageing Vauxhall Astra) and order myself a company car.

I've more or less narrowed it down to a choice of two as outlined above. Both would be manuals, bog standard apart from metallic paint.

Both have their pros and cons....

Golf (Probably in Carbon or Limestone Grey)

Pros

Quicker

Sportier looking

Will undoubtedly be more fun to drive

Standard Bi-xenons

Cons

No nav

No heated seats

Not particularly practical compared to the passat (but the reality is that it probably doesnt need to be)

Older model than the Passat and in some respects less well equipped

Likely not as refined as the Passat

Passat (probably Pearl Black with Black/Moonrock Alcantara)

Pros

Nice looking, but not sporty

Standard nav

Standard Winter Pack

Possibly better seats (with heating and pneumatic lumbar)

V practical

V refined

Cons

Not fun

No Bi-xenons

Fair chunk slower than the GTD

Same sort of taxation as the Golf despite performance deficit

I am kind of torn as Ive rather fancied a GTD for a while....but the Passat looks a lovely car and whilst its not particularly quick or exciting, it'll look smart and probably have the better, more comfortable interior and better ride to while the miles away in.

My head is saying Passat, my heart I'll regret it and should get a GTD.

Be interested in your thoughts...am rather expecting an influx of support for the GTD :-)

If you are considering a Passat, why not the new Superb?

 

I personally like the look of the new Passat, but i'd want to wait for the CC version.

If you are considering a Passat, why not the new Superb?

I personally like the look of the new Passat, but i'd want to wait for the CC version.

Not free choice Im afraid, we have a list of cars and choice of a dozen or so per band. No Skodas on our list.

In my band (where I dont have to contribute towards it) I can have either of the above cars. If I wanted to contribute £50/month I could trade up and get a DSG equipped GTD or a Passat GT estate but I dont really see the point. Dont much like DSG with diesel engines and I dont need an estate.

There are a few BMWs on there, notably the 320ED Business saloon auto, 320ED Business touring manual and a 120d M Sport 5 door manual but really and truthfully I dont want to give up £50/month for the priviledge.

I could trade down with some money in the pocket and get a 116d ED business or 2.0 TDI Golf Match but I think both would bore me senseless.

Why not try and get a test drive of a few of them?

 

Me, i'd probably plump for one of the beemers, and have one less take away every other week.

Id really like a 120d but its not a £50/month better car than the GTD I dont think.

Its not a great deal quicker and the standard spec isnt fantastic. The facelift M Sport model now has LED headlights as standard but its missing some real basics such as dipping rear mirror, cruise and rear sensors. It would come with business nav though (I believe) if I ordered one.

The 320d ED is a v good car but its a trifle dull with its 16" paint pot wheels. I can have a 318d Sport saloon also but without the optional 18's they dont look remotely sporty and again I think its a case od having to cough up £600/year just for the sake of driving a BM.

I would take the Golf. As long as the heart decision is practical enough, you will be happier with it.

I would take the Golf. As long as the heart decision is practical enough, you will be happier with it.

I have to say thats my thinking.

The Octavia is a great car but its never been grin inducing...this is an oportunity to get a 28k warm hatch and pay v little for the priviledge which I like the sound of. The Golf can fit two kids in the back and has a near 400 litre boot so am sure it will do.

The new Passat does look a great car though and so makes the decision a bit more tricky.

 

The Octavia is a great car but its never been grin inducing...this is an oportunity to get a 28k warm hatch and pay v little for the priviledge which I like the sound of. The Golf can fit two kids in the back and has a near 400 litre boot so am sure it will do.

 

What is so different between your current Oct and a GTD?

 

My understanding is the chassis is mostly the same, the weight isn't much different. You'll get 30bhp, sports suspension, and multi-link at the rear. Hardly a massive change.

What is so different between your current Oct and a GTD?

My understanding is the chassis is mostly the same, the weight isn't much different. You'll get 30bhp, sports suspension, and multi-link at the rear. Hardly a massive change.

There is a fair difference.....

34ps and 44 lb/ft torque in a car barely weighing any different. Yes not leagues quicker but it will be quicker.

Chassis on GTD is tuned v differently to the standard Octavia set-up and as you say has a multi-link rear axle....I have torsion beam and regular height suspension on mine....its safe but not at all inspiring to drive.

XDS-Plus and Anti-tramp

312mm front brakes

Progressive steering

A vRS probably runs a GTI/GTD close but again being a larger car with slightly different chassis tuning its still not probably quite as sharp as a GTD. An Elegance on standard suspension isnt sharp at all.

In any case there are othet reasons for getting the CC....Ive gone from doing about 11k miles a year to upwards to 25/30k due to a change in living and working circumstances.....so I therefore started pounding the ass out of the Octavia for work and have it on a 10k/annum PCP.

I could continue to run it but at 3.5 years old I'll likely have 30-40k of excess mileage to fund...or a finance shortfall if I sell it and getting the company car means I'll have to do neither. Im stuck with the £300/month car which isnt ideal but at least the wife will be driving herself and our kids around in something much newer, otherwise cheaper to run and more reliable than what she has currently.

Part of this is a compromise anyway.....I want the company car to be interesting but cost me as little as possible....really I should be looking to downtrade and get something lower end and cheaper to tax bit if Im potentially stuck with it for 3 years I want to like it.

Edited 13 May, 201511 yr by pipsyp

Shame you can not get the Golf GTE (5% BIK) or Audi A3 e-tron..... 

Shame you can not get the Golf GTE (5% BIK) or Audi A3 e-tron.....

It is rather, no Audi's at the moment at all.

I suppose there is always a possibility the GTE might replace the GTD as an option on the list but only if its whole life cost is similar or less to the GTD. Id imagine at the moment being that its so new and relatively speaking expensive that it'd prove quite costly to lease.

Talking plug-in hybrids I could get a BMW i3, fast accelerating and well equipped but I cant get my head around the look of the thing. BMW would have been better off adapting a 1 series with the same engine tech...I reckon it would have had a better reception

320d might be boring to look at but the ride is fantastic. 

320d might be boring to look at but the ride is fantastic.

Agreed but then its more tax and £50/month for what will equate to a slower and less well equipped car.

The auto is also without paddles which as good as the box is Im not sure id be overly happy with.

Had a 320d M Sport been on offer id be v tempted.

Pipsyp I believe you have said you regretted not going for the VRS with your Skoda, do not make the same mistake again, the GTD will be the better drive.

Thanks chaps.....of the options the GTD in terms of bang per buck seems the most alluring option.

Carbon Grey methinks!

Can you get the Car-Net App-Connect option on the Golf for £100 if ordering? This will mirror smart phone on infotainment screen via USB so no need for Nav on GTD.

Info according to brochure.

Go GTD Pisyp, you went with your head last time and stillhaven't stopped regretting it.  On the BMW's, don't they all have offset pedals ? and with your back matey thats a big Fn no no

 

IMHO, nothing brings on lower back pains faster than offset pedals, lazy ****** car designers.

Can you get the Car-Net App-Connect option on the Golf for £100 if ordering? This will mirror smart phone on infotainment screen via USB so no need for Nav on GTD.

Info according to brochure.

No options on the car Im afraid Black_Sheep...only metallic. A bit annoying as Id probably stick the winter pack and Dynaudio sound system on otherwise.

Car if it all goes to plan will of course be a MY16 so will have the new MIB2 Composition Media infotainment (same as Bolero). I gather smartlink is probably going to be offered as a dealer accessory....you basically buy a pack with a licence code in it and activate it that way. I might do this but as its not my car i'd probably live with my old TomTom initially or perhaps get an app on my smartphone with a screen mount or upgrade to a better garmin/tomtom dedicated unit in time.

Go GTD Pisyp, you went with your head last time and stillhaven't stopped regretting it. On the BMW's, don't they all have offset pedals ? and with your back matey thats a big Fn no no

IMHO, nothing brings on lower back pains faster than offset pedals, lazy ****** car designers.

Quite right noaim, if I dont get a car this time that I dont half enjoy driving whats the point right.

Again hear you RE the back issue...I sware the Elegance seats and their lack of decent lateral support and lumbar have aggrevated my condition.

One big draw to the Passat was that it has the sports ergo seats with pneumatic 4 way lumbar and thigh support.....also they are heated as standard.....but it wont be as fun of course.

Go with the GTD, I have the estate DSG Octy - a company car. Had a similar dilemma on choosing with the 3 series touring 8-speed auto, the GTD (manual),  Mazda 6 (manual) and the Octy (auto) short-listed. Never drove either the Mazda or the Golf and wish I had every time I see one on the road. The Beemer was nice, but never tried the auto version - the manual was awful with a really heavy clutch and 'firm' gear shift - terrible on long journeys in traffic. As themanwithnoaim says offset pedals, not good!

 

The Octy is fine as you know, but a little dull. The GTD should be quite a good drive.....wish I was choosing again; only 18 months until its up for change!

I'd avoid the 320D, based on the back/leg ache experience it induced to me. The 184ps wasn't leagues quicker than my previuos PD170. The handling was good but seriously impaired by awful and mandatory runflats tyres (at least on my M suspension setup).

 

Heavy clutch, heavy truck-like gearstick and NO ROOM inside.

 

The latest Passat would be a good car but it shall have some issues related to the new model. The Golf would be a good, fast and reliable compromise.

 

My 0.02

Indeed part od my thought process is as well that the Mk7 GTD has been around for nearly a couple of years now so build quality should be about there now, without some or all of the earlier problems. Also that it will be an MY16 car will mean better infotainment anyway....and loss of factory nav isnt a big deal really as i'll be gaining Bi-xenons and ACC which will be a boon on late nights on the motorway.

As others have said had the GTE been an option it'd been considered for sure but I actually prefer the look of the GTD (the GTE's styling IMHO is a little tame by comparison and the use of LED lighting a little overdone as per the e-Golf) and realistically it probably does drive better being significantly lighter and still having more combined torque output.

Passat if you are doing large motorway mileage every month.

 

Golf if more local driving on mixed road types.

I'd boil it down to the Passat has more rear legroom & more boot space, ...or order a GTD Estate?.....................seriously have a look at the boot in the Hatch as it is smaller than the figures leave you to believe & many people have commented on this.............

If a feasible option, GTE is a must-go. I saw a video reporting 0-100 in 6.3 and - on the other side, the city driving or cruising one - outrageously low average fuel comsumptions.

 

IMHO; at least.

Edited 13 May, 201511 yr by Genoa1893