Hi all,

New to the forum currently have a 1 year old Mini Cooper S but wanted something more practical...

I looked at all sorts; Ford Focus/Alfa Giulietta/Seat Leon/VW Golf etc...

I almost ordered an Alfa but then was impressed by the Leon, however I'd have had to wait until February for the 1.4 Tsi and I didn't want to wait that long so had to go back to the drawing board...

Decided to check out the Octavia as the spec was mightily impressive and for far less than a relatively basic golf...Had a look and continued to be impressed, really nice interior, and think they look pretty decent from the outside too. Was so impressed that I ordered there and then. Can't believe how much car it is for the money...

Ordered in black pearlescent and added the 17s to make it look a little sportier (plus they were a free upgrade so made sense...).

Dealer reckoned 8-10 weeks and said I should get it early January. Can't wait, even though the mini is a great car...unfortunately most of my driving is in London or on motorways so the mini seemed a bit pointless really...

Any idea how long the octavia's are taking to build/deliver at the moment?

Cheers, Ryan

Welcome 

 

What spec/optional extras have you gone for? Although I've never driven one myself, people have always said the 1.4tsi is very nice to drive indeed . 

I have recently ordered a SEL but 1.6 CRDi

I wanted heated seats which is a £250 option, however for £425 more you can have full leather with the heated seats which is what I ordered.

Like you I also specced the 17" Teron wheels.

I am getting it on a lease so the full leather will only add c£5 per month

Thanks for replies.

Went for the SE L so comes pretty generously specced. Leather/alcantara, nav, parking sensors etc.

Only thing I changed was swapping the 16s for the 17s.

Mine is leased through motability so had to pay up front for all extras and I am paralysed from the chest down so heated seats aren't much use to me, though I have had cars with them before ha.

I was really happy with the SE L standard spec and couldn't think of anything I needed to add, perhaps the uprated sound system.

I went mad on the extras on the mini (harmon kardon etc.) so was reluctant to sink a load of money on a car I had to give back and get nothing back for...

Cheers,

Ryan

Just a couple of questions regarding your particular circumstances:

Does the SE L model come with a motorised opening/closing boot? Useful I would have thought.

The Octavia seats are set well into the car with a deep and high sill, how does accessibility for you compare with other cars?

How long do Motability take to add the additional controls you need once the car is available?

 

As you see from my signature I have had a low spec 1.4tsi estate for over a year and still think it is the best value and most versatile car (on the Australian car market) for my needs.

I do notice that my elderly in-laws struggle with those sills though when getting in and out. On the other hand you obviously coped with the Mini which I would have thought was more challenging.

 

I would think you will find the Octavia a step down in performance and 'puntability' compared to the Mini but in terms of fun I think compares well with its more direct rivals.

Thanks for the reply.

Not sure on the motorised boot...but I have pretty long arms so am able to reach to close it.

Found getting in and out pretty easy. I had a mk1 Audi TT for a while (much to my gf at the time's disgust) so after that anything is pretty straightforward...

They normally book it in before the car arrives so it only generally adds a day or two. A previous Audi A3 I turned up to collect and they had forgotten to book it in (it's the dealer's job to get it booked) so that added a week. They were extremely apologetic though and gave me a full tank and a bottle of decent champagne so wasn't too displeased...

Yeah, I understand it'll be nowhere near as fun as the mini, but I live in London so about 90% of my

Time spent driving is crawling through traffic, and the other 10% is motorway driving with cruise control on so I don't really get to exploit that anyway. The mini is surprisingly good on fuel (40/45mpg from a 2.0 turbo) but I needed something a lot more practical and as a bonus the mini cost me 10x the upfront payment on the octavia so I'll get a chunk of that back too since I am giving it back early.

Cheers,

Ryan

A close relative in the UK is currently in rehab after an op that has left her a paraplegic. I had not considered her driving again but we will see how things go.

Back on theme you should get similar mpg from the octavia maybe better depending on how much motorway work you do.

Lot longer than the mini for London traffic but maybe a bit narrower?

Ahh crap, sorry to hear that...

I was in a specialist spinal unit for 6 months after my accident, they should get her driving again depending on how high her injury is but if she can use her hands she'll certainly be able to drive an auto with hand controls.

Tell her to check out http://www.backuptrust.org.uk/home

I had the 1.4 140PS Elegance last year (effectively the same as your 150PS SE-L now) and didn't find it wanting although it was only a slight come-down from a Fabia vRS previously which is probably similar to the Mini in performance (peak torque is virtually identical on the Fabia and Octavia although one had 40PS more than the other, it was the mid-range pull I appreciated).  I've decided to bite the bullet on the waiting time and my Leon (1.4/150PS) is actually due in just under 4 weeks - will take just over 4 months all told if it goes to plan.  Hopefully it will be at least as good as the Octavia which I actually found a bit too big - but coming from a Fabia, that probably explains why!

I went for the Golf estate in GT spec with the 140ps 1.4 engine................It pulls really well, much faster than the figures..................also I leave mine in sport mode as the throttle is more instant/natural....otherwise it is dead..............

 

17" on 225 tyre will make a difference to the grip...........I had mine in for service & got a K7 Hatch SE spec so twist beam rear, 16" 205 tyres & standard suspension..............It felt really floaty & wanted to go wide at corners...& the rear end did not want to help out............felt worse than my old modified MK1 Fabia.

 

Mind you my car has multi-link rear & sports suspension so same as GTI/R in Golf..............

Motorised boot is a £400 option, even on the L&K!

Wow, yeah I'm fine with opening it myself ha.

Not sure on the spec of the VRS but more than likely similar.

Have been really impressed with the mini, it's just too small (and pricey to buy). 190bhp, 221lb/ft torque, 0-62 in about 6.5 secs, sounds great in sport mode and would still do close to 50mpg on a run...There was talk of them being remappable to 250bhp too...

Looking forward to the Octavia, it's quite a sensible choice for me but I need to grow up one day :-D Just awaiting an email from the dealer with build date...

Cheers,

Ryan

Is it a Cooper S or SD you have Ryan?

The new SD looks great....170hp 265lb/ft engine in a Mini and seemingly v quick and not a great deal slower than the S.

Theyve just put the 5 door version on my company car list and it would have appealed...though Ive literally just got a GTD. Boot at sub-300 litres is still a bit pox though hey?

Enjoy the SE-L when it turns up, Ive had a 2.0 TDI Elegance estate since Feb 14....was my daily drive up until recently (getting the GTD).....I wont lie to you its not particularly fun to drive but v competent and the TDI motor and lack of any issues with it (other than a faulty boot light bulb) really have impressed.

If i could have my time again id probably go 1.4 TSI myself and spec sports suspension.

Do just beware of residuals.....v poor from my own experience. Less than 2 years in my 23k car is barely worth 12k trade and its left me in a wedge of negative equity on the PCP...so bad im likely now forced to keep running it until the end of its term. Dont want to frighten you off but forewarned is forearmed and all that.

Edited 22 October, 201510 yr by pipsypreturns

Cheers for the reply.

Mine is the S, and the boot is so useless I pretty much permanently have the seats down...

Yeah, residual isn't an issue for me as it just goes back after 3 years and auctioned off by motability.