Having read a few reviews of the above and seen a few for sale i have yet to see one with the all important Canton sound system upgrade......  am i after something i will never find ? Also what other options are essential to find on a used example. Thanks.

 

N.B I am only after the estate.

Edited 28 August, 20187 yr by Hudson1

53 minutes ago, Hudson1 said:

Having read a few reviews of the above and seen a few for sale i have yet to see one with the all important Canton sound system upgrade......  am i after something i will never find ? Also what other options are essential to find on a used example. Thanks.

 

N.B I am only after the estate.

The panoramic foof is a nice option to have particularly on the estate plus heated seats and heated windscreen are useful in winter.

How is the reliability of the DSG on this model a review i read mentions this as something to be aware of.

3 minutes ago, Hudson1 said:

How is the reliability of the DSG on this model a review i read mentions this as something to be aware of.

Main concern having run a DSG VRS diesel is that the gearbox oil is changed at 4 years or 40,000 miles. If this hasn't been done it can lead to problems but proper maintenance should make it as reliable as the manual.

Thanks for that, i intend to get one below that period of time so it would be me who gets it changed.

@Hudson1 presumably you are after a diesel because you do big miles, or 4x4 because you need extra traction?

 

You may may find more choice, especially including Canton, if you stick with front wheel drive....  

 

 

I don't do massive miles but would like the four wheel drive as i live in a place that should ice/snow come it can be a real pain so the diesel side of it is not a problem as i would  get the engine re-mapped anyway (i have a Fabia TDI and went from 75bhp to 145bhp), its the 4x4 side of it i want the most and the diesel bit simply comes along with it, i agree if i went for a fwd I would have more options.

8 hours ago, Hudson1 said:

I don't do massive miles but would like the four wheel drive as i live in a place that should ice/snow come it can be a real pain so the diesel side of it is not a problem as i would  get the engine re-mapped anyway (i have a Fabia TDI and went from 75bhp to 145bhp), its the 4x4 side of it i want the most and the diesel bit simply comes along with it, i agree if i went for a fwd I would have more options.

 

Fair enough. I live on a very steep hill in a small village, so I get the 4WD thing. I had a Scout for 2 years and winter tyres for my Mk2 vRS for 5 years and it didn’t snow once! 

 

Now I have two 2WD cars (and no winters - got fed up with changing them over twice a year!) and the Beast from the East arrived.... Luckily my Citigo performed admirably and allowed me to leave the Mk3 vRS at home. 

 

If you see what you want, move fast to ensure you get it!!  Good luck. 

I have L&K 184 dsg+4x4, debore i had 150 dsg only, both fully loaded.

would consider a must couple of options:

Canton

keyless - quite convenient. bonus is that you can leave the car running and locked

glass roof - sometimes has issues with closing on both cars...

power tailgate - great and convenient perk

Columbus - for me is a must, the other dont look that nice

ACC - if you do highway and you are not a sporty driver is great

LED headlights (if you are looking for the preFL - XENON) - also a must!

All VRS have Xenon or LED so that's a none issue, but these would be essential if looking at other trim levels.

 

Other than that, I'd say Canton and Winter pack are the main ones for me. Colour Maxidot (comes with Columbus but can be optioned separately) also massively improves the display between the dials and makes it look more modern. Columbus on earlier MIB1 models is essential but I think all 4x4 VRS are MIB2 as they came later in the MK3 lifecycle so the Amundsen is fine.

Edited 29 August, 20187 yr by ahenners

The DSG Oil change is at 40,000 miles, but it does not need done by time, so not at 4 years if 40,000 has not been covered.

(Audi say 38,000 miles on a s-tronic which is just a DSG.)

 

The Haldex is at 30,000 miles and some say at 3 years, (some say 40,000 / 4 years) and i would agree with the 30,000 / 3 years, so the Haldex Service when the Brake Fluid is getting changed, 

which is best done the month before the first MOT which is just before the Manufacturers Warranty Expires.

So there you go, if 4 X 4 is a must its Scout, L&K or vRS choose the flavour you prefer but, FYI the Canton system is standard on all L&K's.

 

If you could find an L&K with DCC you could still get the sports suspension without, needing the vRS with Canton a hard to find combo.

 

Personally, I couldn't live with the colour of the L&K's interior but, some people love diarrhea so much they just have to have a chocolate false leather trim.

 

I'd keep searching, have a bit of patience,  what you want will come along. Not your spec but, @SashaGrace searched hard & waited for exactly what she wanted & might be able to give you some pointers, she's very helpful

If you can't find exactly what you want in 4x4, then it might be worth considering 2wd and a set of decent winter tyres.

 

In harsh winter conditions, 2wd and winter rubber > 4x4 and summer rubber.

I have to agree with Czechers. We took our 2wd vRS TDI on a 900 mile trip to the Krkonose mountains in the Cezch Republic in January of this year.

We had a set of the excellent Michelin Cross climates fitted and they coped very well with the conditions. 4wd would have given me more confidence but it certainly wasn't essential.

 

Our black vRS in the hotel carpark in Spindleruv Mlyn, Cz, January 2018 - 

Edited 29 August, 20187 yr by Chimble

The standard audio system is not bad on the MIB2 cars, when I converted my MIB1 to a MIB2 the audio quality improved massively. The spec that you are after isn’t overly common, but if you really want CANTON, it is, as mentioned, standard on the L&K trim. Mine has the winter pack which is essential in my book and includes heated screen, washer jets and front seats. I am thinking about treating myself to a new Octy next year as I like mine but I’m hoping to lower my annual mileage and get out of diesel as I’m not a fan already, but with all the kit mine has it’s adding up to be an expensive Octy!!

22 minutes ago, SashaGrace said:

I am thinking about treating myself to a new Octy next year as I like mine but I’m hoping to lower my annual mileage and get out of diesel as I’m not a fan already, but with all the kit mine has it’s adding up to be an expensive Octy!!

Get a 245 Sasha, its the mutts nutts

I was going for 4x4 summer rubber above 5c and then putting some winter rubber on so we get the full monty for when the mercury dips. I do not mind the L and K interior but exterior wise you have to get the colour right or it will look naff, the cappuchino beige is about the best combo i can see. The scout is not a bad idea but i do like the VRS general look over the others and of course getting one with all the ' bits ' i want is the crucial factor.

Edited 29 August, 20187 yr by Hudson1

2 hours ago, themanwithnoaim said:

Get a 245 Sasha, its the mutts nutts

That’s what I’m after, but I can see adding the DSG, black pack plus, leather, winter pack and various other bits and bobs that it’s gunna be spendy!!!

I'm no hifi expert but according to one who is, you have to be careful with the newer Canton (overload protection was removed in later versions?) that the woofer has not been blown by an over zealous user.

From new they need about a 100 hours to 'run in' and since the woofer  is only a 6 inch speaker it is easy to blow by maxing settings.

There is a thread by @1loud1 who upgraded his and covers the topic well. He is an experienced professional based in Australia.

 

In other words make sure you listen to a good Canton set up for comparison before your purchase.

 

I would disagree with going 2WD ...

On the Octavia 3 2.0 150 which i had and was not 4x4 i was getting wheel spin even on 2nd and sometimes 3rd gears.... The difference in how you feel acceleration is quite visible.

 

If you have snow where you live then the 4wd brings you huge smile during those days

 

P.S. DCC is actually a pretty nice option, BUT i would consider price of the adjustable shock absorbers if you plan to keep it longer (it will be scary).

9 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

That’s what I’m after, but I can see adding the DSG, black pack plus, leather, winter pack and various other bits and bobs that it’s gunna be spendy!!!

With all the stage 2 bits I've just ordered plus the recent 8.5J rims my spending has just gone over £5,000 in a year, that's on top of the £28,100 basic price including spare wheel, Black Magic pearl, reversing camera and electric sunroof! BIG GULP! Should be even more fun late September/early October when the work is finally done!