Bought my VRS TSI estate because there wasn't a Golf R estate at the time

I would have waited

I didn't realise they were going to make one! Hopefully the VRS will be getting swapped for one in 6 months

 I'm closer to 60 so Skoda has not always been that well respected

 

And in fairness to VW (who bought Skoda out) this is something the younger generation won't have a clue about.

 

Skoda were the biggest laughing stock around 30 years ago (barring maybe Lada) and it's testament to VW's brand image department that they've got Skoda to a place in the market where they are desirable cars to buy and own.

 

I remember looking into the engine bay of a 1980s Skoda (it was in the boot) and seeing hoses the size of drainpipes.

 

They really were very, very backward back then.

They really were very, very backward back then.

But advanced compared to a Trabant 

Bought my first Skoda back in 2001. A 1998 Octavia 1.8-20V SLX hatch.

And I still have it!

After 320000 km it is still going strong, and its just impressive how little trouble this car has given me. (and my wife and daughter)

In 2009 I bought my second Skoda, this time an 2004 Superb 1.8T Elegance.

So why should buy something else this time?

For the first time in my life I could buy a brand new car, and of course it had to be an 1.8 petrol turbo engine this time to :-)

My Skoda (Octavia 3 VRS Estate) is my 4th car, with me having had the Ford Fiesta and Focus before my previous vehicle, the E90 BMW 318d.

 

I'd had the BMW for 2 years and I did love how she looked and she drove well, but it was the least practical of all of my previous cars. Having a dog now and needing more space meant I was always leaning towards an estate, but I wanted a fast one. The vRS stepped up to the mark after a very good test drive.

For me, my Octy MkIII VRS ticks all the boxes - power to make you smile (a lot!!), boot space like a Tardis, cool looks without being a 'everyone has one' car, heaps of room in the back for passengers, didn't cost a fortune and super comfortable seats; by far, the most comfortable seats of any car I've had. I love my VRS and can seriously see myself in another one in the future. I look at people driving low-spec Beemers or Audis and I can't figure it - they are way more expensive, ridiculously common (every man and his dog seems to drive a Beemer or an Audi these days)and most of them would struggle to out-perform my VRS - to me driving the VRS is a no-brainer.

Nephew works at Skoda main dealer... Buying process was soooooo easy. Needed an estate for a new pup!

People keep complaining that Skodas aren't as cheap as they used to be. I don't know about the VRS, but the SE I bought last year was much cheaper than equivalent models from Ford and VW. I would have preferred another Focus, but the Focus was smaller and less well equipped as well I being more expensive. I also prefer the Octavia's dashboard layout to any of the alternatives that I looked at. Ford really seemed to lose their way on interior design after the Mk1 Focus. Recent Skodas are much better looking from the outside than previous generations too.

Edited 4 September, 20169 yr by Rodge

Button free steering wheels are cheap though. Lol. Skoda should not be fitting these to any model

Bought 3 yr old 1.9 PD Elegance 4 years ago.

 

Had been convinced that the 1.9 PD was a good engine so was looking for a 1.9 PD manual - Open to Golf, A3 or Octavia. At that time not open to the idea of the Leon - had gotten over old prejudices regarding Skodas but not Seats. The Octavia happened to be the best condition/spec/price package I saw at the time. 

 

Now  thinking about a change to a 1.4 Tsi manual and would consider all four marques but this time the specs and prices are steering me towards the Seat esp. in FR trim. Extra boot space might see me in an Octavia again though.

 

With these cars being so similar I do think that the engine/gearbox combo you go for is a bigger deal than the Marque.

 

A bit annoyed mind you about the cheapskate rear suspension in all but the most expensive Octavias and Leons - How big a backward step this represents might be open to debate but it is a backward step and one which might see me in a Ford Focus yet.

I have just bought a Mk3 octavia Estate Elegance 1.6 diesel, I have never driven a Skoda but have been so impressed with the reports that I bit the bullet and then spent weeks trying to find the right model, we fly to the UK in 2 weeks collect the car, drive to Devon, then to plymouth on the ferry and back home in France. We did the same when we bought our Berlingo, never driven one, flew to Liverpool and drove back home??? are we different? I like to think so but really can't wait to get the new car ( 2013) new to us

 

Will follow on this when we are back home

If you're going from a Berlingo to an Octavia, you're not going to be disappointed.

 

Button free steering wheels are cheap though.

Agreed, the MFSW was one of the few things I was prepared to pay extra for, but fortunately it was included in an offer at the time I ordered (along with CC and auto wipers). :-)

I liked the looks, the interior, the space and the spec of my Scout. I haven't been disapointed!

Reasonable car for reasonable money. Exceeding expectations so far in quality, ride and driving experience. Smart choice very balanced.

Only I wish I had patience to wait for 1.8 TSI.

 

Agreed, the MFSW was one of the few things I was prepared to pay extra for, but fortunately it was included in an offer at the time I ordered (along with CC and auto wipers). :-)

Good deal.

When i was at the dealer last week with my car I spotted a new vrs in the showroom which had a button free steering wheel. Looked a bit out of place on the car.

Mk1 Octy - VRS for a combination of geeky-pride in it being £4k less than the inferior Bora.

Tons of space in the boot and once I discovered I could insure it at a sensible price....

Nigh faultless over 120k miles and 10 year other than coil packs ARB bushes (warranty) and a fractured wired to the starter solenoid.

Sold it for a pittance to a small dealer who probably sold it without the cambelt it needed.

Mk3 Octy Scout - Again, tons of space, lots of time fully loaded with dogs and kit in muddy fields.

Love the tonka-toy styling even more because it's not to everybodys taste.

Might have been tempted by a 4x4 VRS had it existed - but know I'm actually better off with the scout.

Few other marques appeal. Never buy french or italian with your own money. Ford, dull. Audi/VW overpriced. BMW, ****ers. SEAT, tacky. Japanese, no charisma.

Japanese, no charisma.

 

If you have driven Korean then you would think Japanese had some charisma.

Japanese can be quite good in certain areas but lack in others, Honda are space efficient but lost their mojo, Mazda have quite sporty handling, but are not space efficient,

Subaru are not bad in any area but don't excel either except for the 4WD aspect. I only like the hybrids from Toyota although recent styling is very 'power rangers' (had to watch it with the kids when they were very young).

I looked at over 40 models of cars and the only 3 cars I can fit in are the Octavia, the Superb and the S-Class. It had to have 4x4 as my parents house is in a rural area while mine is in the city center, it had to be automatic as I did not fit in any manual for the drivers exam.

The car perfectly satisfies my needs.    BTW Im 6'9 borderling 6'10 and im not on the light side .

First reason was boot space, but I wanted a fairly traditional shaped car, not a converted van! The only thing I saw that was genuinely bigger in the rear end without being a van was a Mondeo, but they are much bigger all over, heavier, less efficient and more costly to buy. Also the 1-yr old ones were in crap condition, where the Octavias were in pretty good nick, bar a blemish or two on the paint, which I don't mind (the Mondeo's looked like someone had been living in them at best, at worst like someone had died in them).

 

Once I'd chosen Octavia I went 1.4TSi for the refinement over the 2.0TDi and I chose Elegance for the cruise control, centre armrest, sat nav and a few other toys. I would have preferred 16" wheels, but 17" was the minimum on Elegance, although I believe that the SE L let's you 'downgrade' to 16" (which is an upgrade in my opinion!).

Huge boot, very well equipped for the price, good reviews, 0% APR.

Good looking car ( vrs Octavia ) good boot , quality interior , quick , fuel efficient tdi , cheap tax , can't really complain about anything , this was my first Skoda and a good deal on PCH.

I bought my VRS for a few reasons

 

1) I'm 2m tall, and with the VRS that doesn't mean it becomes a 3 seater..

2) In my mind, it is one of the better looking cars out there.

3) The amount of boot space.

4) It is a lot of car for the money I spent. Equivalent Audis / BMWs would have cost more, with more miles on them and less toys.

5) Love that TDI engine