So. Just  back from my friendly neighborhood skoda man, who has offered me a very very good trade in value on my mk2 octavia against a new rs. 

 

I've been specing them for a while with the aim to own the new car for 5 years. I'm half tempted buy the 4x4 option. 

 

Is it really worth it? The car will get the odd spirited drive but it will mainly potter about on my commute. 

 

Also is there much in the mpg difference in the 4x4 and the fwd options?

 

I know neither will be as frugal as my trusty pd 105 with its average 50mpg on my commute and a record of 64mpg...i was milking it to get that though! :P

 

Thanks!

 

 

Having had a number of 4wd cars/estates (not SUV's) over the past 15 years or so I would not go back to a fwd car if I had the choice, especially one with a generous level of torque.

I am well aware of all the disadvantages, but for me, they are outweighed by superior traction and stability. And this is true when driving normally, not thrashing it about.

And before anybody says you can get the same effect in winter on proper winter tyres, it is not just a winter thing and I put winters on my 4wd.

Edited 29 March, 201610 yr by Bristolf2b

Can't comment on the mk2 or the 4x4 vRS as I've not driven either. But I've been looking a number of different cars to replace my tdi 2wd vRS and they've all been 4x4.

The vRS is a right handful to pull out at a junction or roundabout quickly where as a 4x4 even will less power is much easier and quicker in the wet especially.

Ultimately you need to drive both and see which one makes sense for you financially and driving dynamically.

Edited 29 March, 201610 yr by gullyg

The problem is driving one! finding a 4x4 vrs in a dealers in ireland is near on impossible! 

 

What are the downsides of the 4x4?

In my case the fwd is the main limiting factor in getting on the road all that the engine can offer.

There is simply no way in the world the fwd can transmit all the torque on the asphalt.

If I had an option now I would be more than happy to switch the 4x4 on

Having had a number of 4wd cars/estates (not SUV's) over the past 15 years or so I would not go back to a fwd car if I had the choice, especially one with a generous level of torque.

I am well aware of all the disadvantages, but for me, they are outweighed by superior traction and stability. And this is true when driving normally, not thrashing it about.

And before anybody says you can get the same effect in winter on proper winter tyres, it is not just a winter thing and I put winters on my 4wd.

Same here. I've had a few AWDs and not going back to FWD again. They feel much more stable to drive regardless of the conditions. I've also always put winter tyres on them. We're going to be swapping our FWD Kia for another Subaru when its due for replacement too.

 

They drink more fuel, but to me its worth it.

The potential disadvantages are, in no particular order:

Higher purchase price (usually)

Higher fuel consumption-anything up to 10% on Haldex cars due to the extra weight and mechanical drag although may be less

Higher VED if it pitches the vehicle into another tax bracket-not sure about the Octavia vRs in this context

Higher servicing costs at the Haldex service intervals -every 40000 miles or four years I think?

I am sure others may think of a few more

Pluses for me:

Traction

Stability

the extra weight in the rear improves ride quality, admittedly subjective, but it seems to be true of my Superb and is certainly the case in the non-vRs Octavias (also due to more sophisticated suspension)

Thanks lads! great info here. 

You say the car will mainly potter about on your commute? In that case I'd seriously ask whether 4x4 is needed. But it depends whether you live in a hilly area that could get quite a bit of ice and snow. I have no need for a 4x4 on everyday driving.

Of course if you want to take it to a track and start racing then perhaps.

Seriously think about it Because everyday driving should not need 4x4 unless adamant you must overtake the car in front of you on the slip road.

You could say the same about the OP's desire for a VRS Noone 'needs' a VRS but people like different things.

Seriously think about it Because everyday driving should not need 4x4 unless adamant you must overtake the car in front of you on the slip road.

I would not agree with this. It is nothing to do with overtaking, nor racing on a track. How many 4wd track based race cars are there? Not many.

Saying that you never need it- have you lived with a 4wd car for any length of time? If not, why not give it a try, you may be surprised.

However, it is all down to personal choice so if it doesn't suit, don't get a vehicle with 4wd.

Having said that, I have just thought of another potential disadvantage:

Once you have spent some time with 4wd you never want to go back so it limits your choice of the next vehicle

Edited 29 March, 201610 yr by Bristolf2b

lol

 

The car will mostly be used for commuting. However i am a religious attender of C&C meets and monthly spins on some nice twisty roads. ( not in my PD octavia mind you :P  ) The VRS will become my only car and  it will be used for  spins quite often. Given this i was thinking the 4wd would improve the drive ability of the vrs. 

 

The feedback i seem to be getting here is its worth the trade off if im going to be spending some time in bends

You could say the same about the OP's desire for a VRS Noone 'needs' a VRS but people like different things.

Hence why I said the hthink about it. He obviously doesn't have 4x4 as a must have, so I wasn't trying to persuade him against something he was definitely wanting.

Likewise, your comment could be aimed at those advertising 4x4.

I don't disagree The OP asked if it was worth it, I said it was to me.

 

If we only bought the cars we actually needed, the world would be a very boring place and most manufacturers would be out of business. If you can afford it, buy what takes your fancy.

lol

The car will mostly be used for commuting. However i am a religious attender of C&C meets and monthly spins on some nice twisty roads. ( not in my PD octavia mind you :P ) The VRS will become my only car and it will be used for spins quite often. Given this i was thinking the 4wd would improve the drive ability of the vrs.

The feedback i seem to be getting here is its worth the trade off if im going to be spending some time in bends

Well in that case then it maybe worth it.

I would not agree with this. It is nothing to do with overtaking, nor racing on a track. How many 4wd track based race cars are there? Not many.

Saying that you never need it- have you lived with a 4wd car for any length of time? If not, why not give it a try, you may be surprised.

However, it is all down to personal choice so if it doesn't suit, don't get a vehicle with 4wd.

Having said that, I have just thought of another potential disadvantage:

Once you have spent some time with 4wd you never want to go back so it limits your choice of the next vehicle

Just saying everyday driving in normal conditions doesn't require it. It doesn't. Unless wanting a slightly quicker getaway or spirited driving, or to help out in bad winters in hilly out of the way areas.

I won't be going for all wheel drive as i have never been in a situation where I needed it that wasn't caused by my stupidity.

I can accelerate quickly enough, have only once got the wheels spinning, and can drive in enough of a spirited fashion for me. My everyday driving really doesn't need it.

With that in mind I shall save my money and put it towards a Jaaaaag!!!!

I would say 99% of the time during normal driving 4x4 doesn't even come into play, I don't have a problem pulling away in the wet on any junction unless I drop the clutch and do a burnout. Yes if you wanted to pull out as fast as possible the 4x4 would be better but how many times do you need to pull out of a junction like an idiot. Even in the deep snow we had years ago with wide low profile 18" wheels on my golf I couldn't manage to get it stuck so a FWD octavia will be just as capable.

 

I did have a quattro TT a few years back and it was nice to be able to boot it in the snow and have a lot more traction and stability and I wouldn't think twice about buying another 4WD if the right one came along but would I spec it and pay the extra on a new car, probably not, I would much rather put the money towards extras that i would get more value out of.

 

Its all about preference, if you feel like its worth the extra to be able get all the power down easily in the wet 100% of the time then go for it.

Yup, entirely right, it is up to each individual to make the choice. The OP asked for opinions and now has lots for and against.

Personally, for my own reasons, I would always choose it over almost any other option, certainly before a DSG gearbox*or an improved sound system or a flash set of 19" alloys that just ruin the ride for example. I can see why others would not and make different choices.

*Skoda, along with the rest of the VAG group are making it increasingly hard to get more their powerful 4wd cars without DSG. I for one regret this choice limitation. I may have mentioned this before.

lol

The car will mostly be used for commuting. However i am a religious attender of C&C meets and monthly spins on some nice twisty roads. ( not in my PD octavia mind you :P ) The VRS will become my only car and it will be used for spins quite often. Given this i was thinking the 4wd would improve the drive ability of the vrs.

The feedback i seem to be getting here is its worth the trade off if im going to be spending some time in bends

Not able to link right now but the VW Ireland press car is for sale now on carzone. Should be able to get a test drive.

It's about 5k more for it here (although 2.5k of it is dsg) but I'd probably consider springing for it if I was buying again.

Edited 29 March, 201610 yr by EoinM

Thanks again for all the info lads! 

 

Eoin, i most certainly am going to try and get a test drive of that car! 

*Skoda, along with the rest of the VAG group are making it increasingly hard to get more their powerful 4wd cars without DSG. I for one regret this choice limitation. I may have mentioned this before.

I know I was all set on a superb 280 until I found out it doesn't come with manual :(

For me, my 2wd diesels biggest downfall is getting the power down through the wheels. I'm 99.9% loving my car, just that last little bit. If I can get a 4x4 on PCH when my current deal runs out I'll jump at it.

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I had the same issues in trying to test a vRS 4x4 as the Manchester dealer said so few had been built. Had to try the fwd vRS followed by a Scout. Didn't quite work and giving me a proper idea of what the car would be like!

 

That said, I am about to take delivery of a 4x4 vRS and I can't wait! It'll be a serious upgrade from my Ibiza!

Cheers for the reply. I ordered on Saturday, the wait begins :P

The 4x4 is worth the money every time you put the pedal to the metal. The stability is amazing and it makes the car better in the curves even when not driving like crazy.