Octavia vRS Estate, Diesel or Petrol?

[FlyingGecko]

I've driven autos for 20 years (manuals before that) but there's also always been something with a manual box on the driveway too, so frequently switch between them.

 

Before the current DSG vRS there was a 1.4 TSi DSG, and the two are completely different. Seven gears in the 1.4, six in the vRS. The 7 speeder had two too many, IMHO, while the six is just right. Between manual and auto there doesn't seem to be any real mpg difference, unlike years back when autos were real fuel drinkers.

 

Unlike gully I've never found it jerky in traffic, but then he does have a diesel and hasn't driven the petrol. If I'm pressing on I'd sooner concentrate on the wheel in front of me and where I'm going rather than faff about with the gears. I've used the paddles and also the manual selection with the gearlever but TBH on this level of performance leaving the box in drive or sport mode is good enough. (Sport mode can be a bit choppy round town though, and holds on to lower gears far too long in town driving.)

 

Before the 1.4 I had a Saab with the same bhp and torque as the vRS, only the extra 150kg blunting the 0-60 by a second or so. The five speed box in that had paddles and used them about five times in eight years - usually to show others how they work.

 

I finally went auto because I was doing a lot of town driving - my left leg was fed up with constantlyexercising the clutch pedal. 

 

But, as gully said - test drive.

 

 

[FlyingGecko]

... IMHO the higher the BHP the better the experience with autos.

 

... 

 

Personally give me ... a manual in a performance car...

 

...

 

gully, if your opinion is that the experience is better with an auto, why prefer a manual in a performance motor?

[Auric Goldfinger]

The TDI is not quick off the line but it does seem to make progress quite nicely once on the move, the extra torque prob helps here.

 

 

 

The MKIII Tdi Vrs is very good from 50 to  xxx mph, the mid range torque is excellent

Edited 6 June, 2016 by Auric Goldfinger

[old newbie2]

63 plate MKIII  Octavia Tdi Vrs Hatch, around town I can get 42/45 to the gallon, on a spirited run I can get 56/57, according to the average miles on Maxi Dot

 

When My new 230 Petrol comes I'll be aming for Single figures once it's run in.   

I'll bet you can't get it that low, probably middle 20's with a lead boot.

 

Just too confuse matters, I filled my Superb last evg, during a 25 mile run home, it averaged 42.9 mpg & thinks (!) that it has 500 miles left in the tank!

 

The long-term average is 36.5, not too bad for 2.0 TSi barge............ 

 

DC

[gullyg]

Unlike gully I've never found it jerky in traffic, but then he does have a diesel and hasn't driven the petrol.

 

 

I have the manual diesel.  But driven both diesel dsg and petrol dsg, imho the diesel was better as it had more power.

 

gully, if your opinion is that the experience is better with an auto, why prefer a manual in a performance motor?

 

Because even if you don't want a "performance" motor it's still nice to be able to overtake etc.  My experience with both the 105bhp DSG fabia (not a light car) and slushboxes is that low power engines and autos just don't work as when you go for kick down it just makes more noise and nothing else.

 

I've never actually owned a DSG car but as I said had a couple as courtesy cars for a week or two at a time.  I have owned a Volvo 850t5 auto which is a little dimwitted but was fine as it had plenty of power, my grans 1.6i astra auto was awful (although I realise as it was a vauxhall astra it was just plain awful).

 

Next car we're getting will be another slushbox but again cause it's got plenty of power (220bhp) it's fine to drive. 

Edited 6 June, 2016 by gullyg

[old newbie2]

Others can probably answer better as I haven't driving the TSI DSG vRS especially as IMHO the higher the BHP the better the experience with autos.  But, I've driven the 170bhp passat in dsg and the 105bhp TSI Fabia 2 Monte Carlo DSG and both times I've come to the conclusion that although the DSG is a good auto for spirited driving it's not as satisfying as the manual and it's not a good auto as it's far too jerky in traffic.

 

Personally give me a slushbox in a relaxed car and a manual in a performance car...

 

But as always - test drive

My 2.0 petrol DSG Superb is a seriously relaxing car, & even more so after a remap. Ditto with my EOS & SWMBO's Octy vRS, both remapped 2.0 petrols.

 

The new Golf R is only OK, but it's early days yet. Maybe after 5K miles it will be nicer to live with?  

 

DC

[LHVRS]

I bought the TSI VRS manual as I do about 10 miles a day but I did test drive the diesel, I found the toque in the diesel was more fun and really put a smile on my face.  

 

I went for manual but sometimes wish I had DSG, again I do very few miles so it doesn't bother me but find I drive in lower gears because I cant be bothered to gear up in traffic. 

[ahar]

Took delivery of my manual Petrol VRS on Friday, and have done around 400 miles since.  It's lovely, so glad I didn't go for the oil burner....

[DAVEY_DAVE]

In a TSI DSG here, after driving manuals for the last 10 years, and having a company vehicle with a manual. It's ability to slush along, and how much better it is in traffic, made the DSG a perfect choice. Then when the mood takes you, go full nut job mode with launch control and auto blips on downshifts. Quality piece of kit.

[FlyingGecko]

Yeah gully, quite true about lower powered engines and auto boxes - and a friend's Peugeot auto 107 is a perfect example.

Edited 6 June, 2016 by FlyingGecko

[SkodaVRS1963]

I'm a diesel fan-boy but I have to say the VRS diesel I've got has put me off of them.

 

43mpg tops and the weekly regens.  Yes, the 184bhp does pull very well but the promised 61mpg extra-urban claim by Skoda was not just stretching the truth, it was downright deceitful.  I'll give the deeds to my wife's dolls house to anyone who can get that figure out of a VRS.

 

My next car will be petrol.  I quite like the look of a fully-specced Corsa VXR which can be had through a broker for less than £21k.......0-62 in 6.5s, 204bhp and top speed of 143mph.  Claimed extra-urban fuel economy is 45.6, assuming Vauxhall are over-egging the omelette by 15%, I'll still get 38mpg so the monthly fill up will cost me a fiver more, tops.

[old newbie2]

I'm a diesel fan-boy but I have to say the VRS diesel I've got has put me off of them.

 

43mpg tops and the weekly regens.  Yes, the 184bhp does pull very well but the promised 61mpg extra-urban claim by Skoda was not just stretching the truth, it was downright deceitful.  I'll give the deeds to my wife's dolls house to anyone who can get that figure out of a VRS.

 

My next car will be petrol.  I quite like the look of a fully-specced Corsa VXR which can be had through a broker for less than £21k.......0-62 in 6.5s, 204bhp and top speed of 143mph.  Claimed extra-urban fuel economy is 45.6, assuming Vauxhall are over-egging the omelette by 15%, I'll still get 38mpg so the monthly fill up will cost me a fiver more, tops.

Umm....

 

Jumping from a sensible-sized vRS to a tiny Corsa VXR doesn't quite compute for me, unless you have other vehicles at your disposal..........

 

Did you consider a vRS 230, very nice specification, & decent performance, + a lot of potential left in the engine?

 

DC 

[octavianestate]

63 plate MKIII Octavia Tdi Vrs Hatch, around town I can get 42/45 to the gallon, on a spirited run I can get 56/57, according to the average miles on Maxi Dot

When My new 230 Petrol comes I'll be aming for Single figures once it's run in.

Try and beat my 8mpg rx8 economy..its a worthy challenge

[old newbie2]

Try and beat my 8mpg rx8 economy..its a worthy challenge

SWMBO's youngest has an RX8 & he refuses to run the numbers!

 

She also ran one herself about 10 years ago & remembers filling the tank every week.

Only kept it for a year, bought a sensiblecar instead......

[SkodaVRS1963]

Umm....

 

Jumping from a sensible-sized vRS to a tiny Corsa VXR doesn't quite compute for me, unless you have other vehicles at your disposal..........

 

Did you consider a vRS 230, very nice specification, & decent performance, + a lot of potential left in the engine?

 

DC 

 

Well I think part of it is circumstances.  My wife and I (no kids) used to do regular 3 monthly trips to Calais / Adenkerke on the booze / ciggy run and so needed a car with a decent sized boot to be able to maximize the price advantage.  Some of the local off-licences around here aren't interested in buying half a dozen bottles at a time, they want six dozen or none at all

 

These days, most of the beer / wine warehouses in Calais have now closed so it's just the 3 monthly trip upto Adenkerke to stock up on cigarettes.  And they weigh nothing so no need for a saloon.

 

In fact, a small car taking me 10 miles into work through villages with 30mph limits and an 8 mile drive home on a motorway will probably work better than a huge great VRS.

 

There's nothing wrong with the VRS, I should add, it's a great car but, alas, I got suckered in with promises of 61mpg (which I took with a pinch of salt and thought "ok, so I'll get 50mpg")........couldn't get close to it.

[old newbie2]

Well I think part of it is circumstances.  My wife and I (no kids) used to do regular 3 monthly trips to Calais / Adenkerke on the booze / ciggy run and so needed a car with a decent sized boot to be able to maximize the price advantage.  Some of the local off-licences around here aren't interested in buying half a dozen bottles at a time, they want six dozen or none at all

 

These days, most of the beer / wine warehouses in Calais have now closed so it's just the 3 monthly trip upto Adenkerke to stock up on cigarettes.  And they weigh nothing so no need for a saloon.

 

In fact, a small car taking me 10 miles into work through villages with 30mph limits and an 8 mile drive home on a motorway will probably work better than a huge great VRS.

 

There's nothing wrong with the VRS, I should add, it's a great car but, alas, I got suckered in with promises of 61mpg (which I took with a pinch of salt and thought "ok, so I'll get 50mpg")........couldn't get close to it.

I have trouble thinking of an Octavia as a "huge" car, but if it's bigger than you need, then a smaller car could make sense. (Our Golf Estate seems to be a little too small, & wouldn't be the 1st choice for a European road trip.......)

 

We are retired, so we don't have any regular commutes but we do like quick cars & only cover 12/13k max in a year, so fuel consumption isn't a big priority anymore. 

 

Different strokes...........

 

Hope you find a car that you like soon.

 

DC

[FlyingGecko]

I think you're being very optimistic on the expected mpg from the Corsa. Most road tests bring it in in high 20s.

 

And Skoda claim 53.3mpg extra-urban for the 220 vRS, much better than the Corsa.

 

No fuel figures are promises. They're the result of tests carried out under conditions bearing no relation to the real world.

[SkodaVRS1963]

I think you're being very optimistic on the expected mpg from the Corsa. Most road tests bring it in in high 20s.

 

And Skoda claim 53.3mpg extra-urban for the 220 vRS, much better than the Corsa.

 

No fuel figures are promises. They're the result of tests carried out under conditions bearing no relation to the real world.

 

I know what you are saying - if I get 43mpg out of a diesel on what I'd class as "extra urban" motoring (a proper mix of country lanes, A roads and motorway makes up my daily commute), I can only laugh at Skoda's claim for a 220bhp petrol that you've quoted.

 

Not aimed just at Skoda this: how DO manufacturers get away with it?

 

I think part of the problem is that diesel cars have become a victim of their own success.  People want more and more performance out of their cars and so fuel economy has to give.

 

There used to be a distinct performance / economy line between a petrol and a diesel car of the same make and model......nowadays it's very blurred.

 

My first diesel was a 1991 Ford Orion 1.8 diesel.  No turbo, no power steering, and 59bhp!  But we could go from Bath to Penzance and back (in a day, 465 mile round trip) on 8 gallons.......in my VRS, I can do the trip a darned sight quicker but would be filling up down there before the return trip.

 

Horses for courses I guess.

[Gromle]

The problem is that cars nowadays are tuned to give good mpg in that ndec(?) test. Once that test will change, Im guessing the official figures will lokk a bit more realistic.

[decuk]

My Vrs Tsi averages around 31-33 between my normal motoring fill up's. But as our 1.4 Ibiza only does 36 between normal motoring fill up's, I can't complain. Maybe if I accelerated the same as the Seat MPG would be equal. But that's asking too much

[SkodaVRS1963]

My Vrs Tsi averages around 31-33 between my normal motoring fill up's. But as our 1.4 Ibiza only does 36 between normal motoring fill up's, I can't complain. Maybe if I accelerated the same as the Seat MPG would be equal. But that's asking too much

 

There's the rub; you don't buy a performance car and drive it like the vicar's housekeeper.

 

If you want to potter around at 28mph and never exceed 2,000 rpm, you buy a Fiat 500.

[Dean-]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, really appreciate it.

[Octavia Estate]

I currently drive a Octy Estate L&K on a 12 plate, petrol 1.8TSi.

Thinking about replacing it next year, but the configurator and brochure show only diesel for the L&K?

 

Any ideas why? Is there a new petrol engine coming out soon??

[davitc]

Yeah gully, quite true about lower powered engines and auto boxes - and a friend's Peugeot auto 107 is a perfect example.

 

I've hired quite a few Merc A classes with small diesel engines and auto boxes. They seem to guzzle fuel more than my Manaul TDI vRS when driven hard.

 

The A1 DSG AND Fabia DSG petrols were a lot better. Even reckon the C250 Petrol Auto Merc was better fuel consumption than the A class.

Edited 9 June, 2016 by davitc

[wlange]

I currently drive a Octy Estate L&K on a 12 plate, petrol 1.8TSi.

Thinking about replacing it next year, but the configurator and brochure show only diesel for the L&K?

 

Any ideas why? Is there a new petrol engine coming out soon??

 

Heh...poor guys you are in UK with your traffic orientation

With right hand version you could take it from anywhere in EU. My car came originally from Netherlands iirc, but I bought it from retailer in Germany. Slightly different spec than in Germany (extra airbags, no navi), but I saved some 8-10k€ compared to normal price level in here.