Which Vrs

[Devonshiredave]

I'm very tempted to down size the Superb to an Octy Vrs. I've been a diesel driver for best part of twenty years but am now considering a change back to petrol. The diesel would be be more frugal and give good performance but I don't do starship miles per annum anymore so economy isn't as important as it once was.

If you drive a Vrs, what fuel derivative did you go for, and would you buy differently if you had the chance to change again?

Thanks in advance.

[Redboy]

Went from diesel Mondeo 140Bhp to petrol Octavia MKII and then petrol Octavia MKIII. approx 10,000 miles per year and rural environment mean decent mpg for available performance. My avg Mpg through the summer sat at 38-39 over 3500 miles. You can fit 5 medium size adults in it and a huge boot ( not as huge as a Suoerb but reasonable). I had the misfortune to sit in the back of a 14 reg 318d estate jammed in with 2 other slimmish blokes and we were like sardines. Currently I wouldn't go to diesel. No DPF to worry about.

[JaminWales]

Went from mk2 vrs diesel to petrol vrs mk3 and glad I did so far, love the refinement and power. Not so fussed on the economy but there you go.....

Your best bet is to test drive them both as very subjective

I do think the government will hit diesel cars soon as they not as clean as we're made out to be, we'll see

[Gadget007]

I opted for the diesel as I was after economy and I wanted the toys that came with the VRS.  I had mine off the road for about 4 weeks and in that time I had the same spec car as a loan vehicle but in petrol and whilst the extra power was nice the economy took a beating compared to the diesel, approx 200km per tank and the premium fuel is more expensive than diesel here.

However if I wasn't doing as many highway miles I would have gotten the petrol.

 

We don't get hit with different taxes due to emissions, vehicle registration (read as road tax and compulsory third party bodily injury insurance) is determined by the number of cylinders the car has.

[ahenners]

Went for petrol dsg and loving this combination. It's smooth, powerful and refined. I get around 40mpg on my commute, and 30ish on shorter trips round town, so I'm averaging about 36mpg per tank. I do about 16k a year but for me the diesel was too much of a compromise. I usually do some business mileage which does offset some of the fuel cost each month. Oddly, the diesel was more to insure than the petrol too, by about 10%.

[Mence]

Got a diesel DSG which I'm very happy with.

If I had known my mileage was going to reduce as much as it has, I would have gone for petrol.

[WesternDuke]

On my second petrol with DSG and loving it!

[VRS230]

I went from a manual diesel VW Scirocco to a petrol 230 with DSG.

 

Love the DSG and should have gone for it sooner.

[Isocrem]

Coming from a Mkii Diesel Estate (2.0l) I was nailed on for a vRS Diesel Estate. I'd got used to diesel driving and having test driven a Mkiii diesel vRS, I was impressed with the engine, which was a bit more linear in its power progression that my old diesel lump. I ended up buying a Petrol Hatch, simply because a Diesel I had planned to test drive didn't turn up at the dealers, so, with a bit of time to kill I had a drive in what turned out to be my new car (it's a hatch too,so my original plans went right out the window)

 

I'm down on average 12-16 mpg on fill ups, but the Petrol engine is so nice and refined. It's also really easy to pootle along using the torque to pull you along, very similar to laid back Diesel driving. 

 

Whatever decision you make, enjoy your choice!

[bilhound]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38170794

 

Not sure how much truth there is in this but it does worry me having just bought a 2.0 tdi vRS. Personally I don't drive in any of these cities, if I go there I'll use the train. However I am certain that if this does come into effect then it'll devalue the diesel engine second hand market rapidly.

 

So - for me there's two ways of looking at it;

 

Option 1 - wait until the bans, then if I still don't drive in the cities I stand a good chance of getting a bargain diesel on the used market

Option 2 - when my 3 year term is up, I'll get a petrol and it'll hold its value far better

[PetrolDave]

Some cities in the UK have to also reduce their pollution levels, including Southampton where I live.

 

Their consultation document says that they will fine polluting goods vehicles but NOT cars from 2019 onwards

 

http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYxMjA3LjY3Mjg0NzYxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MTIwNy42NzI4NDc2MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3Nzk3MDM2JmVtYWlsaWQ9ZGF2ZWNwZXJyeUBob3RtYWlsLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9ZGF2ZWNwZXJyeUBob3RtYWlsLmNvbSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&103&&&http://www.southampton.gov.uk/modernGov/documents/s31110/Appendix%201.pdf

[neiln]

I drive the tsi and am very happy with it.

 

Your options would be:

1. If economy matters AND you do the driving suited to good economy from a DPF equipped diesel (motorway type runs), buy the diesel and either accept its not quite as quick as the petrol, or get it mapped and accept the hit on warranty and insurance.

2. If you do less miles or lots of town miles, buy the petrol

 

The petrol can be frugal once run in.  I've had high 40s from it on a Chester to South london run, sticking to the speed limits at all times, driving smoothly and with some long stretches of roadworks and 50 limits on the M1.  IIRC maxidot was reading 48 point something as i got to staples corner, and 45 or 46 point something once I'd crawled through the centre of town.  Same run and cruising at about 80 I'll get 38 ish mpg.  Around town, once its warmed up I'd usully get low 30s, maybe mid 30s if the traffic is lighter.  So its not too bad, the diesel will of course be better on the motorway runs though

[Gerrycan]

If I were the OP then I'd have a try of other Octavia options including 1.8tsi and 1.4tsi.

 

The 1.4tsi is not something I would have suggested before in this sort of context but the enthusiasm displayed by a recent convert from a vRS diesel to a 1.4tsi seems to make it at least worth consideration.

 

Most of the average mpg's for diesel posted in this forum are disappointing unless driven regularly in the right environment to avoid the negative effects of the DPF.

[Devonshiredave]

Guys this is all really helpful stuff. Many thanks for taking the time to reply with your thoughts. I'm going to see if I can test drive both fuel types. I took a Golf GTD and GTi out last weekend and was impressed by both. The GTi was a 230 and that was very quick and a lot of fun but my wife has a Mk7 Golf GT TDi and I know how much more you get on the Skodas compared to VW. The larger boot would be really welcome. 

Are the Vrs Octavias good in the twisty bits???

Edited 9 December, 2016 by Devonshiredave

[jbyrnes82]

Guys this is all really helpful stuff. Many thanks for taking the time to reply with your thoughts. I'm going to see if I can test drive both fuel types. I took a Golf GTD and GTi out last weekend and was impressed by both. The GTi was a 230 and that was very quick and a lot of fun but my wife has a Mk7 Golf GT TDi and I know how much more you get on the Skodas compared to VW. The larger boot would be really welcome. 

Are the Vrs Octavias good in the twisty bits???

 

I have an estate and have never felt uncomfortable or out of control in the twisty bits.

 

I guess the answer is down to manor factors and what you perceive as 'good' if you have had a Caterham then perhaps not if you've come from something softer and larger like the superb you may think it 'good' ultimately jump in one and take a few back roads if you can others perception is always subjective.

[JaminWales]

Guys this is all really helpful stuff. Many thanks for taking the time to reply with your thoughts. I'm going to see if I can test drive both fuel types. I took a Golf GTD and GTi out last weekend and was impressed by both. The GTi was a 230 and that was very quick and a lot of fun but my wife has a Mk7 Golf GT TDi and I know how much more you get on the Skodas compared to VW. The larger boot would be really welcome.

Are the Vrs Octavias good in the twisty bits???

I also have estate and must say it feels pretty good, I'm sure it's lighter and nimbler than the mk2

One thing I'm looking to cure is the wheel hop you get on hard acceleration on uneven roads, gives a real horrible thud.... need anti lift kit me thinks

Edited 9 December, 2016 by JaminWales

[SkodaVRS1963]

I'm a diesel man through and through but my experience with my VRS sent me back to petrol; something I never thought I'd do in a million years.

 

Don't get me wrong, the VRS pulled like a train but fuel economy was the first trigger; 43mpg is feeble on a morning commute through villages with no stop starting and an evening commute home on the M4.  The fact that I do the exact same commutes in a 250bhp petrol Focus ST and get 39mpg just convinces me that my VRS was a wrong 'un.  Although, low 40s mpg from the diesel VRS seems to be the norm if Honest John and other posters here are to be believed.

 

The every-other-day regens were, to me, a ticking timebomb.  I'm probably being over-cautious but there you go.....

 

And, as someone else has said, I think diesels will get hammered by the Government sometime very soon.......all under the guise of being eco-friendly, of course.  If diesels are that bad, ban them; there you go, problem solved.

Edited 9 December, 2016 by SkodaVRS1963

[Redboy]

Guys this is all really helpful stuff. Many thanks for taking the time to reply with your thoughts. ...Are the Vrs Octavias good in the twisty bits???

They're not bad in standard fit and that's all, it feels like a relatively big car. If you're exoecting it to mirror the Golfs you drove recently you'll be disappointed. My 2004 Zetec S Mondeo gave loads of confidence on the same 18" wheels with decent 225/40 tyres. It would murder my Mk II on twisting roads and was probably just as good if not a bit better than my MkIII. The 230 petrol might be marginally better at putting the power down but it's still the same chassis. I wonder if the TDI is a bit more nose heavy in comparison with the pertol.

[Gaz]

Went from a diesel Superb to a Petrol vRS estate. Happy I made the change (I've done 10k miles in 16 months), it handles very well and the economy would be much better (see Fuelly below), if I could only be more sensible more of the time.

 

Gaz

[neiln]

it grips well in the twists but like most big cars it rolls a bit.  suspension isn't super hard, which is good for comfort and normal driving.

[Ant-Vrs]

I've come from a mk2 fabia vrs dsg running about 220bhp to a mk3 octavia vrs estate 220bhp dsg and love it. Getting the same mpg from both. I only do 50 miles a week for work and plus I didn't want a diesel with the horror stories about the dpf and some not making the mpg on short trips. Round town about 30mpg and long runs I've had it upto 54.1mpg on the motorway

[Devonshiredave]

Many thanks for all the feed back. Popped in to my local Skoda dealer today who was really helpful. They have a Race Blue Estate Black Design Plus 220 petrol available. Sweet looking car. Have booked a test drive in their demonstrator on Monday. I have to say I was floored at how much I'll have lost on the Superb. Feeling pretty gutted about that tbh. I'd basically be coming out of the car with nothing in it and starting again on a PCP. I'd be paying about a fiver a month less than I am on the Superb.

Then I hear that you can't order a new build Vrs as they've stopped taking orders on them due to the FL coming in 2017. I'm now wondering if I should wait till the new car appears. From what I've seen on the net, it's a great looking car.

Decisions decisions.

[ahenners]

Many thanks for all the feed back. Popped in to my local Skoda dealer today who was really helpful. They have a Race Blue Estate Black Design Plus 220 petrol available. Sweet looking car. Have booked a test drive in their demonstrator on Monday. I have to say I was floored at how much I'll have lost on the Superb. Feeling pretty gutted about that tbh. I'd basically be coming out of the car with nothing in it and starting again on a PCP. I'd be paying about a fiver a month less than I am on the Superb.

Then I hear that you can't order a new build Vrs as they've stopped taking orders on them due to the FL coming in 2017. I'm now wondering if I should wait till the new car appears. From what I've seen on the net, it's a great looking car.

Decisions decisions.

 

Don't expect the Octavia VRS to be any better when it comes to residuals. I'm not being bitter here, I just plan to keep mine a long time so not really bothered about residuals in 2/3 years etc. and I'm not on a PCP. But if residuals do matter then it is something you should bear in mind.

[Devonshiredave]

Don't expect the Octavia VRS to be any better when it comes to residuals. I'm not being bitter here, I just plan to keep mine a long time so not really bothered about residuals in 2/3 years etc. and I'm not on a PCP. But if residuals do matter then it is something you should bear in mind.

I always knew it would depreciate but not how much and how quick. That has come as a bit of an unpalatable surprise but then I didn't contemplate on down sizing so quick when I bought it.

A few calculations based on what I was offered against what I paid, plus an approximation on fuel costs and insurance divided by the miles covered, the Superb has cost me in the region of £1.15 per mile. So I guess the choices are these. Either suck it up, swap the car and get on with it, keep the car and get my money's worth out of it or sell it and buy a run around.

[Toad82]

Guys this is all really helpful stuff. Many thanks for taking the time to reply with your thoughts. I'm going to see if I can test drive both fuel types. I took a Golf GTD and GTi out last weekend and was impressed by both. The GTi was a 230 and that was very quick and a lot of fun but my wife has a Mk7 Golf GT TDi and I know how much more you get on the Skodas compared to VW. The larger boot would be really welcome. 

Are the Vrs Octavias good in the twisty bits???

I came from a Mk5 Golf GTI to my Octavia vRS Estate, you can have a bit of fun in the Octavia but i personally find (probably due to the long wheel base on the Skoda) that the Golf was far better in terms of pressing on around twisty roads.

Edited 12 December, 2016 by Toad82