Rapid and Octavia

[HopeImRight]

I am looking at cars because I need automatic gear change.

 My brain tells me the Octavia is "better" than a Rapid hatch (which I currently have). Size wise there is very little in it.

 

Do any of you knowledgeable persons have a view?  Is the Octavia "better" than the Rapid and if so why?

I shall be very interested in your views.    Thank you.

[CHjort]

Hi

I've driven both the Octavia elegance (sel?) 1,4 tsi 140 bhp dsg and the seat toledo 1,2 tsi 105 bhp manual quite a bit. My own car is the toledo, whereas my parents owns the octavia (which i have borrowed quite a bit). The toledo and rapid are virtually identical.

In my mind there is no doubt that the octavia is the better car: it rides better, the interior is nicer, it is more spacious and sound proofing is better.

As such, it would seem the choice is easy and straight forward. However, I have no regrets buying the toledo over the octavia as the toledo was a lot cheaper than the octy. Considering the price difference, and our annual mileage, there was no way of justifying the octy over the toledo - especially considering how good a car the toledo / rapid is for the money.

If I was doing a lot of driving, or if there was little price difference between the two, I'd get the octy. If price is an important consideration, I'd strongly consider the rapid/toledo.

You wont go wrong with either. Some (the plumber) has found the driving position of the octy uncomfortable.

The only way forward is to try both and see which you prefer and see whether the price increase of the octy is worth it to you.

Happy car hunting!

[JonBRapid]

To throw a curve ball in I saw a superb sport est the other day for £250 pm with £2000 deposit....

[The Plumber]

I like the Octy III and had one for 6 months, however I ended up swapping it for a Spaceback TSI, as personally I couldn't get on with the driving position in the Octy, particularly the off-set foot pedals; sit straight in an Octy III and your foot falls naturally on the brake pedal (as it does with cars on the same MQB platform; Golf, Leon etc.). Whereas in the Rapid its the accelerator as it should be.

 

Also find the seat comfort, particularly in our current 2015 Toledo I-Tech, is better than the 63 plate Octy SE we had but obviously this is an objective thing.

 

 

If it wasn't for the driving position I'd still have the Octy but our Toledo TDI runs it a very close second; the TDI 105 seems more suited to longer runs than the TSI 105 IMHO.

 

 

 

TP

[Guest]

I like driving both cars.  I think you need to test both and see which you prefer and which fits your needs better.  I find cars are very much a personal choice.  Some people tell me that the Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus are lovely cars to drive.  I think they are both utter garbage to drive and feel like a little wooden boat on a very rough sea when cornering.  Give me an Octavia or Rapid any day.  Not much help in choosing am I?

[ajw1100]

 

Well, we have one of each my Octy 1.4TSi and my wife's Spaceback 1.4TSi. the  Spaceback is a nice car, the pickup (Both are DSG) is quicker than on my Octy and I am contemplating getting a pedal box for the Octy which has more lag in the response.

The Octy is the Elegance model, nearest now is the SE L I think. Personally I have never given the pedal positions a thought, I get in a drive it and didn't realise the positions were different but I will have a look in daylight, maybe I have off-set feet that compensate!

 

I feel the Octy is a smoother ride even with cart suspension but the Rapid is not far behind, perhaps a little harder and the seats are def' harder and you sit 'on' rather than 'in' them. Plus, cheapskate Skoda, the passenger seat does not have height adjustment unless you pay extra. The Rapid's Amundsen is a downgraded version of Octy's does seem to do less and is far less informative. In the Octy SatNav lady says "continue for 97miles", the Rapid's lady states "continue for....... a long way" .....or ........"for a long time"! Not very helpful! Seems all functions of the Amundsen in the Rapid are less expansive than the Octy. The MFD in the Octy is far better/comprehensive than the Rapid's. Th eglovebox in the Rapid is far larger than the Octy.

 

Drive 'em both. The Rapid is a cheaper car so you obviously get less somewhere down the line, nothing major just many little area's that in time may become annoyances, as my wife mentioned today she like the Rapid for running around but of course we use my Octy for anything more 'cos it's much nicer'!!

 

Her 1.4 Rapid costs £110 :'( a year tax, my Octy costs £30 a year :happy:

 

 

[WillM82]

I was in a similar position, I wanted an automatic gearbox.

 

Was looking for Toledos or Rapids, however buying used I had to accept whatever was on the market.

A nice black edition Toledo DSG at the dealer came and went the same day, they showed me around a manual they had in stock - nice car, roomy, compact but big enough for a family car. I do like the look of these, unfussy elegant styling on both the Toledo and Rapid hatch.

However they said that DSG Toledos are as rare as rocking horse manure.

The only used Rapid DSGs were spacebacks and was hoping for a hatch/fastback. (Wasn't really in the market for an estate-shaped car).

 

Ended up with a DSG Octavia, interior is very similar to the Toledo I was in - no surprise as the components are all mostly similar - stereo, controls etc.

 

I think a Rapid/Toledo would've been easier to drive and park around town / country lanes as it is a little narrower, using some Fabia parts and being a little lighter things like suspension components might be easier and cheaper to replace.

 

From what I've read review-wise the ride seems a little better in the Octavia, though a lot of could be down to specced wheels etc. bigger wheels seem to suit the Rapid.

 

Have a look at both. Are you buying new? If so, availability of DSG models shouldn't be a concern if you spec it up.

Buying the Rapid should be a little cheaper though if buying new may suffer a lot of depreciation, buying used there was a bit of difference in price (couple of grand for a 3 year old model) so it may work out cheaper.

[camelspyyder]

On 25/10/2016 at 21:07, VRSBUZZ said:

I like driving both cars.  I think you need to test both and see which you prefer and which fits your needs better.  I find cars are very much a personal choice.  Some people tell me that the Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus are lovely cars to drive.  I think they are both utter garbage to drive and feel like a little wooden boat on a very rough sea when cornering.  Give me an Octavia or Rapid any day.  Not much help in choosing am I?

 

Personal taste to be sure.  I have driven a Toledo for 3 years and it's good value but the US built Focus 2.0 SE I had last summer steered handled and rode way better. It was just a better car all round; in fact it was everything I had been expecting (and not got) from a brand new SEAT Leon that I drove around the same time.

[RickTT]

its a tough one this... because it also comes down to Spec of the car in my opinion, ie.. if you compare a Rapid Spaceback SE to a SE Sport, these cars feel different in my opinion (SE SPort better) purely from the seats and support they offer... if you then compare a fully loaded SE Sport to a SE Octy, the Spaceback is the better looking car and spec....

 

If you compare a SE Sport to my Superb, SE Business, the superb is so much better built, heavier doors, more solid feel...

 

Lots to think about.. but i find the Rapid is a narrow car compared to most..

[gubro]

The Rapid is relatively narrow compared to cars the same size, this can either be a good or bad thing for you. Personally I do not plan to use it for 5 adults much, I went for the Rapid. Also, the price is not the same, so that can be a deciding factor.

[camelspyyder]

I believe the biggest difference is the Octy 3 is a modern design and the Rapid is a parts bin special with mixed DNA going back to the GOLF 4. The modern Golf/Leon/Octavia is a superior drive in every way. Is that enough to justify the price premium? Not for me. They are beyond my pocket.

[camelspyyder]

Currently on Autotrader

 

1 only pre-reg Rapid Sedan DSG       12500    

1 only pre-reg Rapid Spaceback DSG 11900    

10+ pre-reg Octavia DSG                 16000 up

 

 

 

Edited 18 February, 2017 by camelspyyder

[harisma23]

On 25/10/2016 at 23:07, VRSBUZZ said:

I like driving both cars.  I think you need to test both and see which you prefer and which fits your needs better.  I find cars are very much a personal choice.  Some people tell me that the Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus are lovely cars to drive.  I think they are both utter garbage to drive and feel like a little wooden boat on a very rough sea when cornering.  Give me an Octavia or Rapid any day.  Not much help in choosing am I?

 

On 15/2/2017 at 18:51, camelspyyder said:

 

Personal taste to be sure.  I have driven a Toledo for 3 years and it's good value but the US built Focus 2.0 SE I had last summer steered handled and rode way better. It was just a better car all round; in fact it was everything I had been expecting (and not got) from a brand new SEAT Leon that I drove around the same time.

 

Comparing the drive, handling and comfort of a Rapid to a Ford Focus is a joke! The Focus is a far superior car in every way. And that is not a matter of personal taste or preferences!

Edited 23 February, 2017 by harisma23

[WillM82]

I once owned a Ford, while the Rapid will still be piling on the miles 10 years later, the Ford will long be in a scrapyard.

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, harisma23 said:

 

 

Comparing the drive, handling and comfort of a Rapid to a Ford Focus is a joke! The Focus is a far superior car in every way. And that is not a matter of personal taste or preferences!

 

We will agree to disagree on that one. I worked for Ford for many years and you can give me the Rapid any day. I still drive Ford Focuses at work and I think they are shocking to drive. I'm always glad to get into the comfort and secure handling of my Rapid at the end of the day!

[RickTT]

wonder what the OP ended up getting - Posted 23 September, 2016

[WillM82]

On 18th January they do mention they got a Rapid:

The question now is, hatchback or sportback

[HopeImRight]

Well now since you ask, and you're quite right to do so, I still have not decided.  Things are getting complicated.  I've looked at cars but not had test drives, I've seen Leons Fords, Kias, Peugeots. Everywhere I went I seemed to be told that everything was about to change.  New engines coming along, versions being deleted colour choices a bit doubtful etc etc.

Then the real killer.  The orchestrated hate campaign against diesel cars --that won't help trade-in values.  And it has forced me to think about petrol for the first time for years.  I like diesel engines for their grunt and slow revving cruising.

Then I read pieces in papers and magazines about manufacturers giving up on highly tuned over turboed 1.2 litre 3 cylinder petrol engines because they were a dead end developmentally and were all heading towards 1.6 litres as the best minimum size for all round reliability and performance, cleaner running and better mpg.  Then Honest John lists the most complained-about cars and VW group really cover themselves with glory with the DSG versions. I was shocked, shocked I tell you.  More confusion for my addled brain cells to cope with.

I'm trying to read everything I can to get a hold on all this.  

To finish off my indecision my Rapid has still not been recalled to have the emission cheating software modified.  And the dealer and Skoda HQ completely ignore my requests for information.

Very many thanks for your comments and thoughts. I am grateful.

[camelspyyder]

"Things are about to change" = dealerspeak for "We'd love to sell you the new model at full price"

 

I have often bought the pre-face-lift run out models at a huge discount.  

 

In particular 33% off a Fiat where the only external change to the new model was the indicator lens colour!!