Can you help me please TSi vs Tdi & Hatch vs Estate

[AAddict]

Sorry for one of these inane posts, but I'm struggling to decide which will suit me best. I'm coming to the end of a PCP with a BMW M135i, which as been amazing, but these are out of my price range currently so have started looking at a replacement. I only do 5-6000 miles per year and thought a petrol VRS would have been the right option for me, but from the PCH quotes I've got the diesel comes out cheaper per month with the same deposit so it makes me think about taking the diesel. I have a dog, and would like to have a dog crate or dog guard in the boot/hatch, I also often have a wheelchair int he back of the car. I know the hatch is one of the largest boots in its class, but do you think the estate is worth £16 p/m over the hatch with the same deposit? Seems it to me, and I kind of think the estate has a better look to it. 

 

Thanks in advance for your advice

[Neily03]

Looks wise the estate is worth the £16 p/m alone.

Edited 22 August, 2016 by Neily03

[VRS_Dan]

Now I have had a hatch (MKII) and an estate (MKIII), I would always take the estate over the hatch.

 

it looks better imo, you have the space when you want it and the dog will prefer the extra head room!

 

£16 per month well spent if you ask me.......

[Gerrycan]

I've owned two Octavia estates so I'm obviously biased in favour of their looks.

The advantages of the estate:

More storage volume to roof behind rear seats (obviously) especially for a larger dog

I can put three road bikes (part dismantling) and three people in comfortably inside the estate or four of each (far less comfortably) which would not be possible in the hatch.

Rain water does not run into the boot when you open the rear hatch.

Better headroom in the back seats

Less glass area on very hot summer days (very important where I live)

I think the visibility out the rear is slightly better when reversing

Estate comes with roof bars

Disadvantage of estate:

The drag coefficient of the estate is 0.32 compared to 0.31 of hatch

Dearer

That's all I can think of.

[PetrolDave]

1) TSI vs. TDI

    a) Do you do enough miles  for the extra mpg of the TDI to be significant?

    b )Do you do enough long enough & fast enough miles to ensure you don't get DPF problems with the TDI?

 

2) Estate vs. Hatch

    a) Do you sometimes need the extra space/versatility of the estate?

 

For me the answers were:

1a) no.

1b) No.

2a) Yes.

 

So I've gone for a 1.4TSI Estate.

Edited 22 August, 2016 by PetrolDave

[WayTooTall]

Given you are talking about PCH, not PCP, If the diesel is cheaper then go with the diesel. Put the money you save into getting the estate, as it sounds it will be more suitable for what you need.

[Rodge]

Estate. The rear visibility on the hatch is terrible, its rear doors are a funny shape with a pointy bit at about the height of a child's head and the estate just looks better.

[KjetilRos]

VRS tsi estate. I would also choose DSG. Spec it with the options you like.

[gullyg]

I wouldn't advise you go for the diesel on that mileage. I've got one and any more than a few short journeys and you end up with dpf issues.

I've done about 33k miles in just under 3 years and I really wish I'd got the petrol.

Edited 22 August, 2016 by gullyg

[norsko]

Estate better looking than a hatch?

You British must be crazy

For your dogs sake, buy estate (and be sorry that you couldnt use a better looking hatch)

For every other reason, buy petrol.

[M12MKD]

Apart from going for what you actually need. Then my view is Estate and petrol. Based on that mileage it's not worth a diesel, but if it's cheaper and you don't intend keeping it past the term then diesel could work out ok for you.(no long term worry about dpf - let it be someone else's problem).

Around town the TSi will get anything from 18mpg to 32mpg.

Estate is the better looking car....but then I also like old volvo estates so I'm probably not 100% right in the head when it comes to "good looking cars"

[ahenners]

Pretty much the same dilemma I'm having about purchasing a MK3, though I'm buying used and do 15-16k miles a year. Petrol is still winning I think!

Based on your circumstances I'd say the Petrol estate would suit better, but if leasing it will cost more. If you're happy with the slightly higher cost then go petrol.

[SurreyJohn]

With a dog has to be estate, not hatch

Have you considered the Superb 220 instead of Octavia. Might avoid adding many options as SE-L spec has some as standard on Superb

Lease prices are all over place at moment, so use comparison site like contracthireandleasing as rates vary a lot between companies

[Lew0-VRS]

Estate boot is smaller length ways.

[Gerrycan]

Estate boot is smaller length ways.

There are very few circumstances where a couple of centimetres are really important, unless a double entendre is involved.

[BlueDiesel]

Estate being more versatile, and they look damn good!

[gullyg]

With the fuel, there are very different figures around on this forums but my general feeling is the diesel isn't as good as it should be and the petrol is better than some may have feared.  I seem to get very poor fuel consumption on the diesel compared to some (42mpg pretty much all the time and never any more than 45 or 46mpg) and with DPF issues I've seen as low as 13mpg.

 

Adding to the consumption issue there's the fake exhausts on the diesel which mars the experience and look a little.  On the plus side with the diesel, the Oct has (imho) a ridiculously small fuel tank for a car of it's size but with the diesel's better consumption gives you at least a vaguely acceptable range (about 400miles comfortably).

 

With regards to estate/hatch..

 

The other advantage of the estate is it's got rails, as they're the old school non-enclosed type you can use pretty standard roof bars.  I'm carrying two bikes on the roof with a combination of £20 Lidl roof bars and 2x £15 halfords bike holders with no issues at all.  I've also carried ladders etc on the roof as well.

 

SWMBO says it's easier to park than the hatch as well because you see where the car ends, although that may have been she's used to the estate and the hatch was a courtesy car for a day.

[Lew0-VRS]

There are very few circumstances where a couple of centimetres are really important, unless a double entendre is involved.

Very true just means I have to but the pram and suitcases in a different order.

[WesternDuke]

The petrol hatch DSG seems to keep all members of the family happy including the Greyhound!

[TDIum]

Can you get a Golf GTI in estate form? I don't think you can (but I could be wrong) and that's a reason the estate VRS is so popular.

 

Petrol version is definitely more fun, diesel version better if you rack up motorway mileage. 

 

DSG is the way of the future 

[SkodaVRS1963]

With the fuel, there are very different figures around on this forums but my general feeling is the diesel isn't as good as it should be and the petrol is better than some may have feared.  I seem to get very poor fuel consumption on the diesel compared to some (42mpg pretty much all the time and never any more than 45 or 46mpg) and with DPF issues I've seen as low as 13mpg.

Yep. 

 

I drove my new Focus ST 250bhp petrol back from Norwich (via a couple of detours due to the SatNav not being upto date with roundabouts being demolished) yesterday.

 

203 miles @ 41mpg.  OK, being a new vehicle, I kept the revs below 2500 but it's still 41mpg.

 

I couldn't get above 43mpg in my VRS diesel.

 

The 184bhp engine that Skoda use is very, very disappointing WRT fuel economy.

 

Unless I was, like you, apparently very unlucky.  I know there are fanboys here posting 60+mpg figures..........

Edited 23 August, 2016 by SkodaVRS1963

[KjetilRos]

Yep.

I drove my new Focus ST 250bhp petrol back from Norwich (via a couple of detours due to the SatNav not being upto date with roundabouts being demolished) yesterday.

203 miles @ 41mpg. OK, being a new vehicle, I kept the revs below 2500 but it's still 41mpg.

I couldn't get above 43mpg in my VRS diesel.

The 184bhp engine that Skoda use is very, very disappointing WRT fuel economy.

Unless I was, like you, apparently very unlucky. I know there are fanboys here posting 60+mpg figures..........

Nice. No trouble getting 40+MPG in the 230. Low revs= good fuel economy. Fun factor is down though.

Focus has a great engine. ????

[wlange]

All my previous cars were estate/combi, but now I went for hatch. Reason for that was that I have almost never really used space above the window line and "hard" cargo space is +/- same in Octy hatch / estate.

I guess it all boils down to the question if you plan to drive with a big dog or transport a washing machine in your car. Otherwise (especially if you stay below window line), cargo space in hatch is just as good.

As for the looks - it's a personal thing. In my case I find estate usually slightly uglier than hatches. Only exception I can tell is previous superb: in hatch version, the longish rear door looked like a failed transplant, while more pronounced rear of estate imo canceled the problem, giving the car better proportions.

For Octy, while estate is still nice, the hatch has much more "balanced" line and looks smoother...but again it's a personal thing.

 

Engine - unless you do extremely long distances - TSI. I drive 20-30k km a year and TSI was the choice. In my mind even paying a little extra for power, smoothness and responsiveness of petrol is a well spent money.

 

Howgh!

[Lew0-VRS]

All my previous cars were estate/combi, but now I went for hatch. Reason for that was that I have almost never really used space above the window line and "hard" cargo space is +/- same in Octy hatch / estate.

I guess it all boils down to the question if you plan to drive with a big dog or transport a washing machine in your car. Otherwise (especially if you stay below window line), cargo space in hatch is just as good.

As for the looks - it's a personal thing. In my case I find estate usually slightly uglier than hatches. Only exception I can tell is previous superb: in hatch version, the longish rear door looked like a failed transplant, while more pronounced rear of estate imo canceled the problem, giving the car better proportions.

For Octy, while estate is still nice, the hatch has much more "balanced" line and looks smoother...but again it's a personal thing.

Engine - unless you do extremely long distances - TSI. I drive 20-30k km a year and TSI was the choice. In my mind even paying a little extra for power, smoothness and responsiveness of petrol is a well spent money.

Howgh!

The petrol version is more expensive?

[PetrolDave]

The petrol version is more expensive?

I think OP means the mpg is lower so the running costs are higher.