....will give such fine service and last the same length of time.

 

After my beloved Audi suffered a heart attack on 31st December I am considering my options.

 

The Audi did everything for me, took me to work for 13 years, towed my trailers for the same period...all pretty much without fault or hesitation.

 

I am now 62 and want something that will last, hopefully the same length of time and maybe until I cease driving.

 

I estimate 4K to 5K miles per year, with low running and maintenance costs.

 

Will the Mk3 Octavia provide this, the 1.4Tsi in particular.

 

I really like the style (estate) for large loads if required. Plenty of room for the grand childrens bits and pieces. A towbar to haul the trailer to the dump.

 

S/H 140ps or new 150ps, not sure yet.

 

I wish they offered it in Batttleship (Meteor) Grey.

When you've answered that, can you work on predicting Saturday's lottery numbers please?  

 

Sorry couldn't resist.  In all seriousness though it's impossible to tell if any car will be reliable for 18 years, you didn't know that when you bought your Audi.  I'd say the Octy will do what you ask if it with no trouble so longevity won't be adversely affected by how you will use it, but how well it will last.... No idea.   One thing for sure, all cars now have a lot more complex electronics than 18 years ago and that may be the problem that sends many to the scrap yard.

Aaah, battleship grey! A fine choice sir!

Well, as a load Lugger, the Octy is tough to beat on capacity versus your hard earned pennies. Your mileage would suggest that a diesel is not for you.

If you're only towing as far as the tip and other people related general duties, I would have thought the 1.4 Tsi would be just fine, they are very nippy.

Have you test driven one yet as it probably won't perform like an Audi 2.4!

I don't have the engine you mentioned, but do have the estate (2.0lt DSG) - the load capacity is great, as a recent house move proved with being able to cram so much in. Also 6 trips to tip later and helping friends/family with flat-packed wardrobes has proven the estate to be the better choice for us!

 

Can get 2 adults in the back with our daughters car seat - bit of a squeeze. Have you thought about the Superb estate with the smaller diesel lump?

The 1.4tsi will be fine, even towing a small trailer

 

If you have got a trailer, might not need the estate, hatch has a big boot which should be adequate much of the time.   If you do choose estate then you will find that there is not that much difference in usable boot volume between the fabia, Octavia and superb (and before anyone shouts me down, I mean the shapes of them as the bigger cars have more of a window slope and bigger wheel arches).

 

As already mentioned, long term reliability will be affected more by the electrical gadgetry than mechanical wear and tear.  As my uncle used to say, gadgets are just another potential thing to break down.  Don't spec things you don't need.  

 

If it was me, get a new 1.4 with 150 engine, in whatever spec you need, add the towbar as an option (I think it changes some things like stability program as well), then take advantage of the offers around (wait until 15th when £500 of free fuel starts), consider buying the 5 year warranty when ordering (if you extend later, costs more and some restrictions).   If you go PCP, do a minimum deposit and put the cash in something that earns interest until you need balance in 42 months.

 

If you really want space, look at Superb, the 1.4 petrol on that is same power, but gains active cylinder technology (can disengage the valves on middle 2 cylinders to save fuel). 

 

Don't go for a diesel if you are just doing lots of local journeys, will get clogged particulate filters and turbo oil feed pipes.  They need regular long journeys to get hot enough to unclog.

Edited 11 January, 201610 yr by SurreyJohn

Aaah, battleship grey! A fine choice sir!

Well, as a load Lugger, the Octy is tough to beat on capacity versus your hard earned pennies. Your mileage would suggest that a diesel is not for you.

If you're only towing as far as the tip and other people related general duties, I would have thought the 1.4 Tsi would be just fine, they are very nippy.

Have you test driven one yet as it probably won't perform like an Audi 2.4!

No it'll probably be much better!! My friend as an A6 with the 2.4 engine with a slush box and it's woefully slow! Given the fact how light the octy is, in my opinion it would run 4 rings around it in 1.4TSi guise!

I wish they offered it in Batttleship (Meteor) Grey.

 

Only if you buy VRS I think?

Hmmm, has the golden age of reliable motoring passed? Compared to when my Dad was a youth (I can relay these stories accurately as I've heard them several times!) "nobody makes a bad car any more". He's referring to cars he owned in the late 60's/early 70's, which he was under most weekends just to keep them on the road. I don't even know what points are, let alone how to set them...

 

I would say for your mileage go petrol and it'll all be fine, but the wizardry that gives the 1.4TSi more torque than it ought to have, and keeps the smiles up and the emissions down (subject to revised data) is a load of wizardry that adds reliability risk. It's not that something might break, but the potential cost when it does that worries me. Just as some diesel owners are discovering that particulate filters and dual mass flywheels can cost as mush as a second hand car to repair, some of the complexity is creeping into petrols too. I definitely don't want the active cylinder thing, the real world fuel savings are bound to be next to nothing, but it works well in the regulatory test and will probably generate repair work for the dealer network, so it's good for VAG!

 

All that said, I love my 1.4TSi, it's a cracking motor, and right now I'd say you've got as good a chance of reliability with an Octavia as anything else in the price bracket.

 

Just let us know where you end up!

I'm getting old. I do know what points are and I remember setting them on my first car, a mk I fiesta 1L.  Electronic ignition is far more reliable.

Superb SE Business estate TSI or TDI 150 would probably be what I would choose.

Bigger and a little more substantial than the Octavia, well equipped and not much difference in cost.

Superb SE Business estate TSI or TDI 150 would probably be what I would choose.

Bigger and a little more substantial than the Octavia, well equipped and not much difference in cost.

 Says the man in a golf!!!

I'm getting old. I do know what points are and I remember setting them on my first car, a mk I fiesta 1L.  Electronic ignition is far more reliable.

My first car was a Triumph Herald with cross-ply tires on.

 

Back to post.

know one can tell how long a car will last.

 

The 1.4 is a cracking engine and should do all you want the car to be able to do, but I would also consider the 1.2 as well - then again you could go nuts and go for a 2.0TSI VRS

Says the man in a golf!!!

:-) I still have a Mk3 Octavia though.

Just opinion but if I were going to look to replace a large Audi (albeit 16 years old) with a Skoda, a Superb seems the natural fit....certainly from a quality and refinement perspective.

I went from a 2004 Saab 9-5 2.3t with 220 bhp, 125k on the clock, to my Octy 1.4 DSG a year or so ago. Same (or better) space inside, half the running costs (petrol and tax) and around 75/80 % of the Saab's performance, only truly bettered by the Saab when fully loaded - four big adults, full boot. The DSG is an acquired taste, but works well enough. I'd have preferred a VRS, but none around with petrol, DSG, and in my budget.

 

IMHO the 1.4 would prove a good replacement, and I bet the Audi's lost some of the engine performance at that age and mileage, so the difference will be lessened.

The Audi is booked for collection on Thursday (salvage co) almost 18 years to the week my Dad and I went to collect it from the dealer. Dad bought it but through poor health could not test drive it so I had that honour. 

 

I am on the trail of an Octy 1.4 manual and would like to get one of the last Elegance models or it will have to be an option spec'd SE L.

 

Ref my comment above Battleship Grey, I see they do it but only in the VRs.

 

Anyone have any experience or comments on this company.....20% savings.

Edited 12 January, 201610 yr by DonjSZ5