Hi everyone,

 

This is my first post having just registered and i'd appreciate any advice provided. I am looking to buy my first Octavia (first Skoda in fact). I'm a self-confessed research-addict and procrastinator but I do need to make a decision within the next week or so. Situation is my Focus is now 14 yrs old and still going strong but we've just had a new baby and need a lot more boot space now. So, criteria are:

 

• Large boot
• Practical
• Ultra-reliable
• 2-3 yrs old so it has depreciated but still plenty of driving years left
• We keep cars for the lifetime so not interested in re-sale price, just getting best value in the long term
• Strong enough to pull a load efficiently but i'm not bothered about speeding away from traffic lights so not VRS
• I'm driving around 13k miles p/a, quite a few of these are motorway miles
• Modern safety

Having spent about 6 months driving my wife crazy with endless research, I have now narrowed down to the following two options, both from authorised Skoda dealers with the usual checks and 12 month warranty:

 

1. Silver Estate, 1.6 DSG, Elegance, March 2013 (latter Mk2 model), 28k miles, looks to be in very good condition and FSH showing no problems, full tank of diesel thrown in, £9,600
2. Grey Hatch, 1.6 DSG, Elegance, Dec 2013 (new shape Mk3 model), 40k miles, looks fine and has FSH which shows the fuel pump was faulty and has now been replaced, just reduced to £10k

I'm really struggling to make a decision bearing in mind the prices are so close. The Hatch looks particularly good value at that price but has a higher mileage, although I am not worried about resale value so long as the engine will last well. But, the small amount of addition space and the shape of the Estate are appealing, and of course the mileage is lower and service history clean. How much of a difference is there between the Mk2 and Mk3? I know the Mk3 is lighter, so presumably the 1.6 is a bit quicker to accelerate, but would I really notice the difference going with the older model?

 

The Mk3 has more toys which are of course appealing but i'm not sure DAB radio and sat nav is a deal breaker for me. Is fuel economy much different in the real world tests between the two? Safety is a genuine concern and both options will be a lot safer than my Focus with more airbags, traction control etc. I am aware the Mk3 has improved safety features but I don't know how much these count as luxuries compared to essential modern safety technology?

 

Decisions decisions. Any advice from people who have driven either or both appreciated!

 

Dan

I am a happy Mk2 estate owner - but sorry I dont have much experience of the Mk3 

If you are looking purely for space overall however I would look to the Mk3
- the mk2 is golf based and although it seems a lot bigger than the golf - the Mk3 is a 'segment' bigger. 

- ie it is more Mondeo/Passat sized - if you park a mk2 next to a mondeo you will notice it is  slightly shorter in length

Only you can decide if the estate or hatch format is what you want ? but I take it the newer estate will be (too) bigger outlay?

1.6 diesels can get EGR problems, as mine is an 11 plate and well out of both manufacturers warranty and the 6 months we bought it with. I decided to get the EGR blanked and remapped- this does however mean I wont be able to take it for the emissions recall. I'm hoping to get a good few yrs out of the car - however if you are someone who likes to change cars regularly it'd make sense to go with the newer model I think for resale value? 

Probably not much help, but my 2-penneth anyways