I've been toying with the idea of upgrading from my MkII vRS Blackline to a MKIII vRS.

 

I'm not a fan of the changes made to the grille and headlights on the MkIII FL and I also noticed on the Skoda configurator that, correct me if I'm wrong, it only lists 2 TDI models (DSG and 4X4 DSG) and no Petrol both points that put me off the new car.

 

At present I'm keeping an eye out for a second hand Petrol Estate in Meteor Grey which, according to my local main dealer, will be hard to come by and I would be better off buying new which brings me back to the point above (I don't really want to spend nearly £30k on a car that I'm not keen on the looks of). After having a nationwide search of Skoda approved used stock they appear to be correct however there are plenty of Diesels out there.

 

So what's with Skoda only selling Diesels as new models? Considering all the hype around Diesels dying out with the supposed tax hikes coming etc etc? That point would explain why there are more second hand Diesels vs Petrol out there. 

 

I currently fill up on BP Premium Diesel which around my way is nearly £1.43 p/ltr and average 52 mpg. I can imagine I'd lose 15-20 mpg and probably pay another £100 in road tax. A recent insurance quote came out pennies more expensive than what I'm now paying for my Blackline.

 

I'm in no rush to change so is it a case of being patient and waiting for the rite car or is all the negative Diesel hype just that? 

 

I have nothing against owning a Diesel, I just don't want to change and then get caught paying finance on a Diesel car for 3 years if I'm being taxed through the nose for fuel etc when it would be balanced out by just owning a Petrol model.

 

 

There are 2 options really. Wait for a used petrol in Meteor to come around. They do come up, there are a handful of people on here that have managed to get one, or wait until the MY19 order book is open and order a new petrol 245 in the colour you want. If you really don’t like the FL changes then the only option is to wait for a used one. If the meteor is the only colour you really want, you may struggle further if you have a specific spec in mind, stuff like the full leather, winter pack and big screen nav are nice options but hard enough to find as it is. 

Skoda 'trying to sell diesels'   the salesperson 'trying to sell a new car'.

 

They sold lots of cars to companies including themselves to lease to company drivers, fleet etc and these cars will be back as used cars soon enough.

The amount of used petrols obviously depends on how many were leased and are being handed back or ones that were bought and being traded back in.

 

It does not matter how many there were or are if you are buying only one car there will be one around someplace you just need to find it and buy it.

 

There will be some Mk3 vRS Octavia 245 hatch or estates being returned at some point into the motor trade.

Never raced or rallied or fitted with tuning boxes or remapped, well maybe never.

Buyer beware of these vehicles that someone had rented for a couple of years.

Edited 21 August, 20187 yr by Offski

1 hour ago, Offski said:

There will be some Mk3 vRS Octavia 245 hatch or estates being returned at some point into the motor trade.

Never raced or rallied or fitted with tuning boxes or remapped, well maybe never.

Buyer beware of these vehicles that someone had rented for a couple of years.

 

Apologies in advance if I offend anybody here but at the risk of stereotyping; I like to think the type of owners of these cars are (like myself) car enthusiasts, maybe with a family, who look after and don't abuse their cars and have got the boy racer mentality out of their heads a long time ago.  

 

In comparison, I wouldn't be as keen on buying a second hand Fiesta ST180. These performance cars are cheap to finance, tax and not too bad to insure and appeal to younger drivers who may not be as responsible or mature. Having previously owned one from new and been part of forums I've seen how heavily these cars can be modified and how they can be driven. Unfortunately it was a small minority that gave the rest of the community a bad name be it posting videos of erratic driving, threads about what other car they beat in a road race or asking about where they can get cheap crackle maps.
 

Unless you know the owner how can you tell if the car has been owned and looked after by an enthusiast or driven by a "boy racer" even then do you risk that any modifications/track time have not been of detriment to the longevity of the car/parts?

 

I just can't picture the same of an Octavia vRS Estate even if it has been leased for a couple of years nor can I picture many of these being thrown around a track or rally at the weekends by anybody of any age or am I just being naive? 

 

Any advise on what to look out for from someone with more experience of this model though will always be appreciated.

Edited 21 August, 20187 yr by CookieMonster87

I’ll be throwing mine around a track shortly, they are a lot of fun to drive for a car this size. Cars that are leased are the fastest cars in the world, rag them from cold and redline all the way, you aren’t keeping the car so who cares? None of this is to say I don’t look after mine, it spends the majority of the time pounding up and down the motorway at 65 mph on the cruise but it has a DTUK box on it and I enjoy the power. My other car is an altogether different animal but it’s totally standard and staying that way. That one has already been on track as well. 

 

If you are going for a DSG, make sure the 6 speed one has had the oil changed at 40k if it’s over 40k miles and watch for the error on the dash that talks about leaving the selector in Park which is indicative of a failing gear selector and it’s over £800 to get a new one. Mine is failing but it’s only the error message I’m seeing every now and then. Top mounts can creak which is annoying and there’s a TPI out to grease them which won’t work. The factory warranty as I’m sure you know is 2 years unlimited mileage but in year 3 is 60k and over that you’ll also have to pay diag charges under the approved used warranty so I would be aware of that for sure! Otherwise some desirable spec like full leather and the big screened sat nav are hard to comeback across. The Pre FL 230 is a good shout as they have the VAQ diff instead of the standard XDS. Pano roofs can creak as well. They are solid overall though. Mine has over 90k on it now and is spot on

30 minutes ago, SashaGrace said:

I’ll be throwing mine around a track shortly, they are a lot of fun to drive for a car this size. Cars that are leased are the fastest cars in the world, rag them from cold and redline all the way, you aren’t keeping the car so who cares? None of this is to say I don’t look after mine, it spends the majority of the time pounding up and down the motorway at 65 mph on the cruise but it has a DTUK box on it and I enjoy the power. My other car is an altogether different animal but it’s totally standard and staying that way. That one has already been on track as well.

 

Maybe I was being a bit naive to think otherwise as the first response is from @SashaGrace who's tracking hers  

 

I'm keen to hear how you get on, track days are always a blast regardless of what you're in. Be sure to get some GoPro footage!

 

The cars got power but I couldn't imagine it being a good track car out of the box (depending what you want to achieve from the session of course) which is why I assumed they would be less likely to be driven this way compared to say a Fiesta ST etc without shedding some weight and upgrading the brakes and suspension.

 

There are risks with buying any second hand car unless you can do some research in to its past. I guess it's just about mitigating those risks and knowing what to look for, also negotiating a decent warranty. Most main dealers offer decent warranties on approved used cars and as long as they are better than the RAC ones you get offered from that aren't worth the paper they are written on I'd be happy.

It just a laugh to chuck around really. I enjoyed taking the Mercedes out but I’d rather take the Skoda to a beginner kind of track day because it wasn’t too much fun trying to take the Merc around the track with full on racing cars flying past me so I’m not gunna enjoy it much when everyone is all over the back of me in my diesel Mum bus!! It’s always a laugh just to see what the car can do but as the underpinnings are mostly Golf GTi just with a bigger bodyshell and mine is TDi power it shouldn’t be too bad!

2 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

There are 2 options really. Wait for a used petrol in Meteor to come around. They do come up, there are a handful of people on here that have managed to get one, or wait until the MY19 order book is open and order a new petrol 245 in the colour you want. If you really don’t like the FL changes then the only option is to wait for a used one. If the meteor is the only colour you really want, you may struggle further if you have a specific spec in mind, stuff like the full leather, winter pack and big screen nav are nice options but hard enough to find as it is. 

 

2 hours ago, Offski said:

Skoda 'trying to sell diesels'   the salesperson 'trying to sell a new car'.

 

It sounds as if they haven't excluded Petrol engines from the model line up then, I was just surprised to not see that option on the configurator.

 

I'll just be patient and wait to see what second hand MkIII Pre-FL come up, maybe i'll have to be more open minded with the colour, who knows even the FL may grow on me in time!

1 minute ago, CookieMonster87 said:

maybe i'll have to be more open minded with the colour, who knows even the FL may grow on me in time!

The FL light grow on you when drive one for two reasons

 

1. You can't see them from the drivers seat

2. Those lights are LED therefore, you can see the whole Fn world on main beam, they are awesome if Fugly

Petrol was taken off sale a while back as it needs to have a GPF fitted to get it through WLTP. I really like the FL changes, the car looks very fresh. I don’t like them enough to chop my Pre FL in after only 9 months (I didn’t lease a new one because my mileage is way too high, otherwise you can bet I’d have been right there for a new one instead of a 3 year old one) but I do really like the new look personally.

Am I right in thinking that Meteor Grey was only available on the pre-FL 230s (in that they came in black, white, red, and grey)? In which case, I would think they're as common as rocking horse sht right now.

 

Definitely second the thoughts re: ex-lease cars (bearing in mind, although I'm of the (ex?) boy racer ilk, my mate's new leased Golf R is launched daily from all traffic lights) - best to chat things through on a personal level with any/all private sales if you do find one worth testing and looking at. Petrol / diesel depends on what's available, although I'd go for a 2016 as much as possible as they seem to have the least issues (all forum Octy III company excepted...)

 

Petrol / diesel, pre-FL / FL, stock / unmodded - is all personal opinion, so try and test them out. They're all a good laugh, although IMHO much more fun modded

Edited 21 August, 20187 yr by Ads230

Meteor was available across the range, plenty of diesels about in the Meteor

Cookiemonster87, 

yes there will be owners that are enthusiasts that buy, love and cherish, but then obviously they are not in the dealers for sale if they bought them as a keeper.

 

Rather different from a leased car that might be returned after 24 months or 36 months lease, maybe had new brakes fitted with the warranty, maybe had tyres fitted.

So there will be those cars that were loved and cherished and those that were driven just like Fiesta ST180 might be.

 

As the cars are back in the Dealership & in the motor trade we will get a chance to see just how some are at 2 or 3 years old.

I know many people that get a car on PCP and just trade it in in 2/3 years when a newer model comes out purely because they like the convenience, change in tech and don't need to worry about an MOT or costs of consumables. All of which are looked after and driven sensibly.

 

I'm all for a bit of spirited driving but I'm not going to assume that every car bought on PCP/HP etc has been ragged to within an inch of its life, especially an Octavia Estate.

Edited 21 August, 20187 yr by CookieMonster87

The FL headlight obsession is bizarre. I waited for the FL as I thought the Original Mk3 looked a bit plain.

I love the look of mine from all angles.

7 hours ago, CookieMonster87 said:

 

I have nothing against owning a Diesel, I just don't want to change and then get caught paying finance on a Diesel car for 3 years if I'm being taxed through the nose for fuel etc when it would be balanced out by just owning a Petrol model.

 

 

 

They are selling off MY18 cars at the moment before the new emissions regs come in and presumably have only diesels left in stock.   

 

They will be taking orders for the MY19 petrol VRS imminently (if they aren't already, as its appeared on some discounters sites)

 

The MY19 petrol will have 245PS and the VAQ diff as standard, which makes it an attractive proposition if the UK pricing is good. 

 

Unless you are doing 20K+ a year I wouldn't buy a new diesel.  

 

I think most people will get used to the Mk3 FL eventually.   

 

Edited 21 August, 20187 yr by juan27

5 hours ago, KevC_Derby said:

The FL headlight obsession is bizarre. I waited for the FL as I thought the Original Mk3 looked a bit plain.

I love the look of mine from all angles.

I totally agree with that. I think it looks great in Silver with the Black Pack.

Silver with black is a great colour combo!

 

There's one here? Not sure what spec your after.

I was also looking for same car in same colour, found one but just a Little too much. Ended up with one in blue, less mile and heated screen for less money. I spent 6 months looking for a grey one before hand!

 

A little bit of a trip mind.

 

https://www.churchsperformancecars.co.uk/fAQF71IPydXSoTuM

A tad overpriced! By at least £1500. 

 

Nice car though. Depends on how badly you want it! 

12 hours ago, CookieMonster87 said:

I have nothing against owning a Diesel, I just don't want to change and then get caught paying finance on a Diesel car for 3 years if I'm being taxed through the nose for fuel etc when it would be balanced out by just owning a Petrol model.

 

 

 

Taxation on Euro 6 diesels shouldn't change massively in the near future, it's the older dirtier stuff that will be hammered as per the current ULEZ regs for London. The hype in my opinion is purely that, if a diesel works best for you then do buy a diesel rather than avoiding because of hype and what ifs.

 

How many miles you do? I'm doing 15k and I don't regret buying the petrol. I'd need to be doing serious miles to consider taking the diesel over the petrol.

@steved83 I had come across this. Lovely looking motor. I’ve always preferred a manual but open to giving the DSG a go.

 

@ahenners Thanks for the advise and info on taxes, I wouldn’t be far off 15k miles a year myself. 

Edited 21 August, 20187 yr by CookieMonster87

6 minutes ago, CookieMonster87 said:

@ahenners Thanks for the advise and info on taxes, I wouldn’t be far off 15k miles a year myself. 

 

At that mileage I'd say drive both and see which you prefer. My commute to work sees low to mid 40s so the petrol doesn't disgrace itself. A diesel would definitely save you some money though, even if it's £10 or so a week. Tax would be the same on newer models under the new scheme.

 

I debated petrol/diesel for ages, it's a tricky mileage imo, neither option is a no brainer, nor is it a bad choice either. Would be much easier to choose if you did 10k or 20k.

I do 25-30k per year and even then, if I did 20 I’d still side petrol if I had the budget for one. I’m a bit of a spec whore so I like all the extras and my diesel DSG has pretty much everything I need and was £10,995 in December 2017. The cheapest petrol was £13,995 and had more miles, no options over standard and was a manual which was a no go for me. I really wanted an estate and auto with full leather and winter pack and I’m happy I got what I wanted. The way I see it is that I’ll be keeping the car 3 years or so and in that case I’d have to get my £3-4k back at the other end to make it worth it and a 6 year old petrol vRS with 140-150k on the clock isn’t gunna worth £3-4k more than an equivalent diesel one. I would have much preferred a petrol one from a driving standpoint, this car being my first diesel in 7 years of driving but it’s not bad now it has a DTUK box on it. There are 2 other cars in the house, a 1.0 3 pot and a 5.5 V8 so it sits nicely in the middle as a daily driver

@CookieMonster87 like wise wanted a manual ended up getting dsg and I'm liking it.

Sods law I bought mine and a dame spec manual turned up 3 weeks later.

I switched from an old 1.9pd 150. Only do about 9k a year, at the moment based on by 36mpg average and cost of petrol being lower it's about an extra £30 a month in fuel