I'm looking to buy a used Octavia VRS, I have a total budget of £14000, but would rather spend a bit less than that.

 

Things that are important to me...

 

Manual 

Not too old (2012 ideally, but would consider 2011) 

Hatchback 

Mileage...  As this is a big purchase for me I am on the lookout for a low mileage example...  But also anything really low would worry me as it may mean lots of short journeys, so probably between 20-35K is about right

 

Less important

 

Diesel/Petrol (I do about 11000 a year so Diesel may save a few quid, but at the expense of 1.3 odd seconds 0-60...)

Sat Nav - Would be nice 

 

 

Just looking for some advice of what I could/should be getting for my money, or anything to watch out for, like expiring warranty or upcoming belt changes and so on.

 

Or is there anything else I should be looking at other than the octavia?  

I want something fast-ish/reliable/half decent MPG/able to fit the family in/fit my fishing gear in (I go carp fishing so this take a lot of room, if this wasnt the case I would probably be getting a BMW 3 series)

 

Thanks for any advice!

 

 

I purchased myself a 2010 VRS petrol, absolutely love it.   Touch wood not had any major issues with mine,  the boot is mahoosive.   Having come from a Ford Galaxy I thought I would really miss space, but the boot is so big its not been a problem.   Last weekend I even managed to get 2 galvanised 50L water tanks in it to take to the tip!

The MkII vRS is fast becoming a rare second hand purchase, at least at sensible prices.

 

With the recent introduction of the latest MkIII Octavia vRS and its significant price increase demand for the older MkII vRS went through the roof.

 

As with any used car purchase service history is key.

 

Owners had a choice of two different service intervals, fixed (10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever is reached first) or variable (long life) servicing, ideally suited to high mileage or fleet drivers. This means cars can go up to 20,000 miles or 2 years without fresh oil.

 

Most are hatchbacks, the estate is rarer still.

 

Petrol's are very rare, diesel was the common option for most buyers.

 

Sat Nav was a rare cost option, the last 'special edition' called the Blackline (black alloy wheels) got the Amundsen navigation as standard.

 

The standard manufacturers warranty was 3 years / 60,000 miles so given the age of cars you are looking at none will have any of the original warranty left. It was possible to extend the Skoda warranty to 5 years but I'd imagine any cars with this extension are rare.

 

Good luck with the search.

Edited 9 July, 201510 yr by silver1011

At 11k a year, diesel doesnt really pay for itself. The diesel is very good.....for a diesel. 0-60 and bhp dont tell the whole story - the smoothness, noise and progressive power of the petrol make it a much more enjoyable drive. When they're throwing you into the back of the seat all the way through the rev range, rather than the lump you get with the diesel, you'll be glad you went petrol - My TFSI VRS does 43mpg on a long run anyway

 

At that age you'll be looking at the TSI engine which has known issues with the cam chain tensioner - read up on it (sticky thread on here), I'd probably plan to have the tensioner replaced for peace of mind.

I've got one on a 2010 plate and love it.

 

things I couldn't live without - auto lights and wipers, sunroof and heated seats.

 

I don't have sat nav and don't miss it really

Mileage isn't really a big issue it's condition that matters.

A looked after VRS petrol will manage the miles very well.

 

My TFSI was still driving like new after 80k and 7yr. The rest of the car was maybe starting to tire a little but not significantly.

 

I think they're very often very over priced though. I wouldn't pay Audi money for a Skoda.

My views on a few of the points made so far:

 

"Diesel/Petrol (I do about 11000 a year so Diesel may save a few quid, but at the expense of 1.3 odd seconds 0-60...)"

How often do you use fuel versus how often is 0-60 important?  Mid-range acceleration is much more important in day to day driving than a theoretical standing start 0-60 time.

 

"At 11k a year, diesel doesn't really pay for itself."

I do 11K/annum but I will keep the car for 5 years, so diesel over petrol will save me money.  Total mileage in car during ownership matters more than annual mileage.

 

"My TFSI VRS does 43mpg on a long run anyway"

My vRS CR does 53+mpg on a long run and has averaged 45.7mpg over the last 8K miles.

 

"things I couldn't live without - auto lights and wipers, sunroof and heated seats."

Very few vRSs have sunroofs.

I don't find switching lights and wipers on and off a chore.

Heated seats would be nice but only available with leather which I didn't want.

 

There is a bigger choice of cars if you go for diesel rather than petrol.

My views on a few of the points made so far:

 

"Diesel/Petrol (I do about 11000 a year so Diesel may save a few quid, but at the expense of 1.3 odd seconds 0-60...)"

How often do you use fuel versus how often is 0-60 important?  Mid-range acceleration is much more important in day to day driving than a theoretical standing start 0-60 time.

 

"At 11k a year, diesel doesn't really pay for itself."

I do 11K/annum but I will keep the car for 5 years, so diesel over petrol will save me money.  Total mileage in car during ownership matters more than annual mileage.

 

"My TFSI VRS does 43mpg on a long run anyway"

My vRS CR does 53+mpg on a long run and has averaged 45.7mpg over the last 8K miles.

 

"things I couldn't live without - auto lights and wipers, sunroof and heated seats."

Very few vRSs have sunroofs.

I don't find switching lights and wipers on and off a chore.

Heated seats would be nice but only available with leather which I didn't want.

 

There is a bigger choice of cars if you go for diesel rather than petrol.

 

 

 

No doubt you'll save money on fuel - but dont also forget that there are many more common problems with the TDI engines - an EGR failure would wipe out an entire year of fuel savings for example. It's all a balance, I do similar mileage and think that the relatively small amount extra it costs in fuel is worth it for the performance and enjoyment factor

Some good advice there, and very quickly, thanks very much!

 

There are a couple of approved used here, both around 40000 miles, diesel and the blackline version:

 

http://www.skoda.net.r66.co.uk/carview.aspx?id=605002482

http://www.skoda.net.r66.co.uk/carview.aspx?id=605127535

 

As well as the sat nav, Blackline also seems to come with leather which would suit me well seeing as my dog ruined my current car with its hair!  Its a yellow lab and moults loads, fabric and dog hair really don't mix well.

 

Any thoughts on those two?  And if 40K miles is a little high?

 

I would probably sell when at around 80K in 4 years or so...

 

How much would you expect to actually pay for a car like that from a dealer? im thinking if i like the look of it, offer 1500 less, hope to get it 1000 less and if not walk away?

Oh and yes a used Petrol VRS for sale is a rare breed it seems, I have been looking for weeks and nothing anywhere near me

No doubt you'll save money on fuel - but don't also forget that there are many more common problems with the TDI engines - an EGR failure would wipe out an entire year of fuel savings for example. It's all a balance, I do similar mileage and think that the relatively small amount extra it costs in fuel is worth it for the performance and enjoyment factor

What evidence for your statement of "many more common problems with the TDI engines"?  Not just that you read it on some internet forum, but real evidence.  Including myself I know of 6 people with 2.0CR engines in their cars and not one has suffered any engine problem.  I also read about problems with the 2.0 petrol, but don't necessarily believe it.

 

However, I do understand that many drivers just prefer to drive a car with a petrol engine rather than a diesel.  Having had both I can see advantages and disadvantages with both types.  Comparing my 170hp diesel vRS with my previous 160hp (but lighter) 2.0 petrol Civic I prefer the vRS.  Higher on the road performance and 45+mpg rather than the less than 33mpg of the Civic.

What evidence for your statement of "many more common problems with the TDI engines"?  Not just that you read it on some internet forum, but real evidence.  Including myself I know of 6 people with 2.0CR engines in their cars and not one has suffered any engine problem.  I also read about problems with the 2.0 petrol, but don't necessarily believe it.

 

However, I do understand that many drivers just prefer to drive a car with a petrol engine rather than a diesel.  Having had both I can see advantages and disadvantages with both types.  Comparing my 170hp diesel vRS with my previous 160hp (but lighter) 2.0 petrol Civic I prefer the vRS.  Higher on the road performance and 45+mpg rather than the less than 33mpg of the Civic.

 

It's been done to death on various internet forums so it's not worth repeating again - it's just worth mentioning to let the OP do his own research. Fundamentally a modern diesel is more complicated than a modern petrol so it's worth just understanding what could go wrong. Things like EGR or DMF are potential expensive faults - they're far from unreliable but they're expensive enough to wipe out a large amount of fuel savings if they do.

 

I can see why you'd prefer the diesel vRS over the petrol Civic though - the VTEC engines need to have their necks wrung to get decent performance out of them and they never feel like they has as much power as they do. The petrol vRS is a bit of a different beast entirely. My remapped petrol one pulls like a diesel in the mid range so you've still got the effortless torquey nature that you get with a diesel - but you also have the much wider rev band.

 

Both are great, reliable and practical cars - in reality the decision comes down to whether the ~£500 a year in fuel is worth the more enjoyable drive of the petrol - the OP needs to drive both in order to decide really!

Mileage is everything , i have been looking to replace mine for the last month , dealers seem to price according to mileage  11 plate < 40k   £12k>£13k   12 plate with 50k  generally around  £13k+ - 12 plate < 40k around £14000+ - , dont be put off by low mileage , i bought my last one at 4 years old with 19k and had 87k virtually trouble free miles out of it . i see you like black / white so check these out 

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/skoda/-2012-skoda-octavia-blackline-vrs-tdi-170-limited-edition-/1121643841

 

 

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/610440668/skoda-octavia-20-tdi-cr-vrs-blackline-5dr.html

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506214518159?radius=1500&sort=default&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&channel=cars&fuel-type=diesel&page=1&model=octavia&make=skoda&search-target=usedcars&keywords=vrs&maximum-mileage=up_to_25000_miles&engine-size-cars=2l_to_2-5l&postcode=ch35qy&logcode=p

 

the last one would probably cost 15k at a dealer

Some good advice there, and very quickly, thanks very much!

 

There are a couple of approved used here, both around 40000 miles, diesel and the blackline version:

 

http://www.skoda.net.r66.co.uk/carview.aspx?id=605002482

http://www.skoda.net.r66.co.uk/carview.aspx?id=605127535

 

As well as the sat nav, Blackline also seems to come with leather which would suit me well seeing as my dog ruined my current car with its hair!  Its a yellow lab and moults loads, fabric and dog hair really don't mix well.

 

Any thoughts on those two?  And if 40K miles is a little high?

 

I would probably sell when at around 80K in 4 years or so...

 

How much would you expect to actually pay for a car like that from a dealer? im thinking if i like the look of it, offer 1500 less, hope to get it 1000 less and if not walk away?

 

Don't get hung up on mileage, 40,000 miles is nothing. Pay more attention to the service intervals.

 

A car with 40,000 miles on it can have had 4x oil and filter changes.

 

An identical car with 40,000 miles on it might have had only 2x oil and filter changes.

 

I would take a car with higher miles that has has more regular servicing than a lower mileage car with fewer oil changes.

 

Remember the engine oil is the life blood of the engine. It also lubricates the turbo too.

 

The one in the second link has a private plate on it too.

 

The Blackline also gets rear parking sensors, although factory options were not possible so none have xenon headlights, a must for me.

 

Both cars look smart. I'm sure you will get £500 off a main dealer, but I think you'll struggle to get to £1,000 off. The dealer knows he can sell them at the screen price all day every day. 

I avoid really low mileage cars - low miles for the year means lots of short journeys

Edited 9 July, 201510 yr by iaind1

Mileage is everything , i have been looking to replace mine for the last month , dealers seem to price according to mileage  11 plate < 40k   £12k>£13k   12 plate with 50k  generally around  £13k+ - 12 plate < 40k around £14000+ - , dont be put off by low mileage , i bought my last one at 4 years old with 19k and had 87k virtually trouble free miles out of it . i see you like black / white so check these out 

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/skoda/-2012-skoda-octavia-blackline-vrs-tdi-170-limited-edition-/1121643841

 

 

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/610440668/skoda-octavia-20-tdi-cr-vrs-blackline-5dr.html

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506214518159?radius=1500&sort=default&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&channel=cars&fuel-type=diesel&page=1&model=octavia&make=skoda&search-target=usedcars&keywords=vrs&maximum-mileage=up_to_25000_miles&engine-size-cars=2l_to_2-5l&postcode=ch35qy&logcode=p

 

the last one would probably cost 15k at a dealer

 

Thanks for the suggestions, the first one I think i saw earlier on auto trader actually, I cant see the pictures though for some reason on gumtree, but I will take another look on auto trader.  

 

When I looked at this one earlier, the fact it was a private sale worried me at a car for this price.  I have read on forums before people saying they would only buy private up to a certain amount (about 8-10K).

The approved used I linked above fill me with a bit more confidence, and I suppose I would have some more come back if anything went pop.  Perhaps I could try and negotiate an extended warranty or something,

However if buying privately is something you guys would recommend, I would consider it.

 

That car is nearly 2 hours away so a bit of a trek, but possibly worth a look...

 

Second one is 4 hours away, so too far unfortunately.

 

Third one is a DSG, which although I potentially like the idea of, think its too much of a risk.  A test drive wouldn't tell me how I would feel about an automatic in the long run.

Don't get hung up on mileage, 40,000 miles is nothing. Pay more attention to the service intervals.

 

A car with 40,000 miles on it can have had 4x oil and filter changes.

 

An identical car with 40,000 miles on it might have had only 2x oil and filter changes.

 

I would take a car with higher miles that has has more regular servicing than a lower mileage car with fewer oil changes.

 

Remember the engine oil is the life blood of the engine. It also lubricates the turbo too.

 

The one in the second link has a private plate on it too.

 

The Blackline also gets rear parking sensors, although factory options were not possible so none have xenon headlights, a must for me.

 

Both cars look smart. I'm sure you will get £500 off a main dealer, but I think you'll struggle to get to £1,000 off. The dealer knows he can sell them at the screen price all day every day. 

 

 

Thanks, I may give the dealers a call and see about the service intervals then.  I suppose 40K on a well looked after modern diesel is not too high.  

 

They should go on for another 100K if looked after I assume.

 

Perhaps i can try and negotiate a better price and a bit of a warranty if its the one I go for. 

At least that dealer is not hours away from me.

I'd be extremely disappointed if a well looked after modern diesel only went to 140k

 

Most will see 200+ without any issues - sadly people put so much emphasis on mileage that most will lose all their value as soon as they tick over 100k

Having owned a Diesel FL vRS and put approx 25K miles on it in 3 years, & my 4 previous Skodas were Diesel & I was putting 20 -22 k miles a year I have now switched to Petrol. While it is still a shock to the system seeing the poor MPG compared to previous cars, i firmly believe that it was a wise choice.

 

Quite a few years ago ( before the dreaded DPF's )  AA/ RAC recommended that if you are doing less than 16K miles a year, then petrol is the best way to go, I personally think this is still a sensible way to look at it.  While DPF issues are a lot less now with the CR engines, you can still end up taking the car to a dealer to have forced regens, specially if you are doing lots of short journeys with the DPF not getting up to temperature to work efficiently.

 

With ref to buying, just look out for the usual, FSH, All paper work, Cambelt / water pump at around 60K miles ( this can be anywhere around £500 to pay for), and generally tidy bodywork / interior.

Extras - Well that is all down to what you MUST have as personal pref,   I fitted aftermarket bluetooth phone connection, had rear parking sensors ( because of how big the car was ), and some MFD functions along with full size spare.

 

Best advice is if you see one that looks good to you , ticks the boxes for features, as long as it has basic look outs as mentioned, then test drive ( from cold start) & if it drives well for you & price is rigght , then go for it, ANY doubts then walk away otherwise you will always have that niggle at the back of your mind - Did i get the right one  ?

Is your Fuelly image in your sig your petrol VRS? Do you drive it like your hair is on fire everywhere or am I just really lucky? My long term average is about 35mpg and I dont hang about

It may be a race between you and I when the right car comes on the market, as I have been looking for the same sort of motor. Petrol low mileage cars are like gold dust.

Road Detective, read the thread mate, its diesel you want, petrol is obviously a dud.

 

Joking of course, but, to be totally honest, I am coming from a 1.6 focus and the diesel will probably be what I end up going for.  

 

The enhanced performance (for me) would be noticeable in the diesel or petrol.  

 

As I would like to see a bit of a saving on fuel, plus I don't really want a hot hatch (i want a family car that can hold my fishing gear that is reliable but with a a bit of poke), I'm guessing I will try a diesel and love it. 

 

Basically I'm not going to spend a whole day to go and look at a Petrol car, so unless one comes up near-ish me by chance, the ones I look at will be diesel... So that is most likely what I will get.

Ranger69, Thank goodness for that. There are hardly any good late Mk2 VRS petrol cars come up anyway, so I am glad there is one less person specifically looking for one. I do at least 20k miles a year, so I should go for a diesel for the economy, but personally I much prefer petrol engines. Good luck on your search. Hope you have better luck than me so far. 

Ranger69, Thank goodness for that. There are hardly any good late Mk2 VRS petrol cars come up anyway, so I am glad there is one less person specifically looking for one. I do at least 20k miles a year, so I should go for a diesel for the economy, but personally I much prefer petrol engines. Good luck on your search. Hope you have better luck than me so far.

Probably due to a number of reasons the diesel outsold the petrol by about 4:1 IIRC so it's not surprising there's not many petrols about. Add to that the longevity of both variants and those that have a good one are keeping hold of them as the cost to change is so high that although the mk3 is no doubt a better car many with a mk2 vRS see it's not worth changing. If you can find one you'll get a lower milage newer petrol for the same money as the CR so if that's your preference you're on a winner. The CR can eat front tyres too and even swappping mine back to front will mean I'll need a complete new set at around 20k but some of that is down to the FF contis so it'll be Goodyear eagles next. Good luck with your search.

I keep being told and reading that short journeys means problems with a diesel.  However, my sister-in-law lives on Jersey and for the past 27 months has been driving a Skoda Rapid 1.6 diesel.  Her longest journey is 7 miles; if she drives much more than that she will be in the sea!  Total mileage is still less than 8K. She has not had a single problem, or even a warning light, with the car.