Been on holiday abroad. I own a Tsi dsg Vrs estate. By chance my hire car was a VW golf estate diesel in bluemotion form. Must admit there does seem to be a few points that seem to be a better quality that In the Octavia. For starters the luggage cover is a more substantial affair, made of tougher material, with a 2 position opening. The dual level floor seems stronger, the dash trims are of a better quality. Got me thinking that I may go down the golf route nextime. Then I started the configuration. Biggest engine is 1.4, no lane assist, extra for Zenons, body colours are boring (I have Rallye Green) etc etc. Final conclusion Skoda IS still good value. Sticking with Skoda at next change.

You've not seen the Golf R estate 300ps.

Cracking PCH deals on this at the moment £250 per month!

VW just pulled the plug on their lease deal.

 

Quite liking their recent tactics, 2 or 3 day windows on some cracking deals, Golf R hatch last year, Passat Alltrack last month and Golf R Estate last week.

Xenons!

OK Xenon's blame jet lag. Still got 12 months on PCP and intended waiting the term.Allowing for build time. All sorts of deals may turn up by then. They seem to put deals on at back end of year usually.

You've not seen the Golf R estate 300ps.

Cracking PCH deals on this at the moment £250 per month!

The PCP's aren't too bad either, residuals / MGFV's are better than the Octavias.

 

We've been wondering if we need a medium sized estate, the Golf R (at the right price) is tempting, but a vRS wagon is bigger inside, but

slower & with a little less quality. The vRS 230 is a bargain if you want all the toys, some of which can't be had on a Golf either.

 

Choices..................

 

DC

I have a 2.0 Elegance estate as a family car, my daily drive is now a GTD 5 door hatch.

No doubting the Octavia represents alot of car for the money, but the Golf is better as much as I hate to say it.

The Golf is a company car....I dont think I could have found myself parting with (well signing up to finance on) nearly 30k for it but it is a lovely thing.

My money would still be on a vRS as a personal purchase, just because it would be that much cheaper due to lower list price, better discounts and far better Solutions finance packages (VW's APR's are higher).

I went from a MK2 Octavia hatch to a Golf GTi when it was time to change. Main reason was the MK3 had grown and my garage had not. I did like the GTi seemed better built than the Octy and a nice overall package, liked it so much I upgraded to an R after 2 years and simply love the R - its a real pocket supercar up to any reasonable speed and just sticks and goes.

 

There are some decent discounts available if you check all the discount sites - 12-14% but they do vary, when I bought mine I got 14.5% via Orangewheels

Edited 11 April, 201610 yr by octavia5

I looked seriously at the Golf over the Octavia.

1) I felt the build quality was better then the Octavia

2) Higher resale values

 

In the endi bought a VRS DSG Estate because

1) The 2 VW salesman I spoke to couldnt care less to do a deal as with the engine fiasco all sales targets have been lifted.

2) The VW APR is 6%

3) Buy the time you spec the VW GTD to any where near the VRS its 7-8K more and yes the GTD is worth maybe 5-6K more after 3 years.

4) I found the deposit and monthly payments to be alot more for the Golf again probably down to the APR

 

Now I have owned my VRS im really pleased that I went for the Octavia over the Golf however I wished I ordered the sunroof, Electric seats and possible 4x4!!!

Edited 11 April, 201610 yr by xod146

I have a year on my PCP left and I'm seriously considering moving from my VRS TSI estate to a golf R estate or a superb 280 at the end of it as I want more speeeeed. OK well really I want 4x4 without loss of speed so TDI VRS is a definite no go and I do feel the golf feels more premium and I'm guessing the superb will too.

Although really it all depends on if I can afford the extra outlay. The loss of space to a golf won't bother me that much as the performance and handling should make up for it

I looked seriously at the Golf over the Octavia.

1) I felt the build quality was better then the Octavia

2) Higher resale values

In the endi bought a VRS DSG Estate because

1) The 2 VW salesman I spoke to couldnt care less to do a deal as with the engine fiasco all sales targets have been lifted.

2) The VW APR is 6%

3) Buy the time you spec the VW GTD to any where near the VRS its 7-8K more and yes the GTD is worth maybe 5-6K more after 3 years.

4) I found the deposit and monthly payments to be alot more for the Golf again probably down to the APR

Now I have owned my VRS im really pleased that I went for the Octavia over the Golf however I wished I ordered the sunroof, Electric seats and possible 4x4!!!

UK spec not quite the case.

The GTD has the follow kit that would be optional on the vRS as standard:-

ACC/Front Assist

Front/Rear sensors

Sunset Glass

KESSY

Folding mirrors

Heated seats

heated washers

Colour computer

spare wheel

Not insignificant. The only notable thing it doesnt have is Lane Assist but most probably wouldnt spec it if it werent standard anyway.

The PCP's aren't too bad either, residuals / MGFV's are better than the Octavias.

We've been wondering if we need a medium sized estate, the Golf R (at the right price) is tempting, but a vRS wagon is bigger inside, but

slower & with a little less quality. The vRS 230 is a bargain if you want all the toys, some of which can't be had on a Golf either.

Choices..................

DC

Where are these elusive PCP / PCH deals. When pricing up Golf R Estate with very few options it was circa £5k deposit and £450 pm for 10k miles... Obviously I hadn't haggled at this time, but £250 for PCH seems very low.

Edited 11 April, 201610 yr by Black_Sheep

I've got the 1.2 DSG Octavia and the engine is fantastic. It pulls really well and although it wont win street races, it's nowhere close to as slow as you'd expect. I had no problem when I was in UK last month getting around at motorway speeds and undertaking the knobends in the middle lane. I also tested the 1.4 Golf before going with the Octavia and that thing flies, the options are very similar to the Octavia except Lane Assist which I don't have anyway and the Golf felt a much better car. I went for the Octavia because of it's size as a hatchack.

I've got the 1.2 DSG Octavia and the engine is fantastic. It pulls really well and although it wont win street races, it's nowhere close to as slow as you'd expect. I had no problem when I was in UK last month getting around at motorway speeds and undertaking the knobends in the middle lane.

A couple of  comments:

I cannot think of ANY modern car, that cannot easily manage UK motorway speeds.

 

Things must have changed in the UK in the thirty years since I lived there. Lane discipline used to be commendable and undertaking used to be a hanging offence.

 

Fully understand your liking of the 1.2tsi for its performance and economy though as it would pull more like a 2 Litre NA engine in the lower rpm with the turbo operating.

It is not available here in Australia but my 1.4tsi (103kW/250nm version) is not far behind the 2.0D on paper performance and was considerably less to buy.

 

I think the OP should at least try the latest iterations of the 1.4tsi which is a little more powerful and I think has ACT in the Golf versions(?)

 

I like estates, the Mk2 Octavia estate was much bigger than the equivalent Golf estate but the internal capacities of the Octavia Mk3 and Golf mk7 estates are more comparable.

In 2014 the choice for me was between the Golf estate with 1.4tsi (90kw/200nm), multi-link rear, climate a/c and dsg only OR the Octavia mk3 with the more powerful engine, but torsion bar rear suspension, basic a/c and the deciding factors; manual gearbox and cheaper purchase price.

The Golf did look prettier inside but I am not terribly influenced by that. I found the interior materials and switchgear in the basic Mk2 Octavia I owned for 6 years were functional and extremely durable and hope that it will be the same in my basic Mk3.

So far so good.

Edited 13 April, 201610 yr by Gerrycan

Skoda's are a nice place to sit and generally feel nice but my Golf R just has that edge.

If you can get a decent deal on a VW you will be surprised how they are not always that much more expensive than the Skoda.

For the money I paid on my R, my local Skoda dealer wanted almost the same for a decent spec vRS Octavia only a couple of grand in it.

Edited 13 April, 201610 yr by Defenderben

A comment on modern cars easily managing motorway speeds. Try it in a fiat 500, it barely manages shopping speeds easily.

A comment on modern cars easily managing motorway speeds. Try it in a fiat 500, it barely manages shopping speeds easily.

They must be rubbish then. My first car which was a 1.1 Peugeot 106 could easily have got me banned instantly on a motorway and an 850cc reliant kitten I had (don't ask lol) would nearly keep up with afriends robin that could do 90 (he was a nutter)... I have never driven a modern car that couldn't easily cope with excessive motorway speeds.

I can't imagine the OP would be that interested in a 1.4TSI if he likes the performance of his TSI VRS

Skoda's are a nice place to sit and generally feel nice but my Golf R just has that edge.

If you can get a decent deal on a VW you will be surprised how they are not always that much more expensive than the Skoda.

For the money I paid on my R, my local Skoda dealer wanted almost the same for a decent spec vRS Octavia only a couple of grand in it.

I agree...I like my Octavia but my Golf is a nicer place to sit in....more refined being the biggest factor.

They must be rubbish then. My first car which was a 1.1 Peugeot 106 could easily have got me banned instantly on a motorway and an 850cc reliant kitten I had (don't ask lol) would nearly keep up with afriends robin that could do 90 (he was a nutter)... I have never driven a modern car that couldn't easily cope with excessive motorway speeds.

I can't imagine the OP would be that interested in a 1.4TSI if he likes the performance of his TSI VRS

Couldn't see the TSI VRS in the OP's signature on my phone - fail on my part.

I don't believe that about the Fiat 500 either unless he means the original. Even a Smart car can exceed 70mph.

 

I have owned a couple of cars that did not even qualify for the 0-60mph test (BMW Isetta and Standard 8) and the sand would run out on the egg timer before the 1200cc Triumph Herald reached 60mph but it could exceed the legal limit on the flat. Then again there were no GPS available then to check the speedo.

Couldn't see the TSI VRS in the OP's signature on my phone - fail on my part.

I don't believe that about the Fiat 500 either unless he means the original. Even a Smart car can exceed 70mph.

I have owned a couple of cars that did not even qualify for the 0-60mph test (BMW Isetta and Standard 8) and the sand would run out on the egg timer before the 1200cc Triumph Herald reached 60mph but it could exceed the legal limit on the flat. Then again there were no GPS available then to check the speedo.

First line of text on his original post...

Although I didn't believe the story on wathdog about the 500s on hills until I saw Ben Collins fail at it! And yeah I've had smart cars fly past me when I'm doing 70!!

Haha can imagine an isetta is intereetig in modern traffic, but that's only just a car :-D

First line of text on his original post...

Although I didn't believe the story on wathdog about the 500s on hills until I saw Ben Collins fail at it! And yeah I've had smart cars fly past me when I'm doing 70!!

Haha can imagine an isetta is intereetig in modern traffic, but that's only just a car :-D

First line!....double fail on my part :(

When you are 16 then a three wheel BMW is definitely a 'car'.

There's a big difference between getting to 70 and 'easily' doing 70. Have any of you been in one of these things? I don't own one, a friend's girlfriend does though. Second gear gentle hills are a real thing in that car. Last time there was three of us in it (don't ever get in the back of one) it was painful on our roads.

Again, it WILL do 70. It WONT do 70 'easily'.

We have two 2012 Golf 6 in the family, one for SWMBO, the other one for our son. they are middle range trim (comfort).
My 2014 Elegance O3 build quality is as good and the Octavia is much better equipped.
A Carat Golf 7 might be better, even though a bit showy with all these chromes, but I don't think by much.

I have to admit I am more interested by what's behind the bonnet, and by the size of the boot...