vrs Should I buy it more recent or with less miles on it?

[DrKrink]

I'm about to buy a petrol octavia vrs but is it better to buy for instance a 2015 with 30k miles or a 2016 with 40k miles? 

 

I don't do many miles per year - about 6 or 7k. 

At which point this car shows problems, needs costly repairs, or high maintance costs? 

Can I keep it 10 years if I buy a 40k miles car? 

 

Otherwise should I worry of its production year depreciation if I want to sell it in 5 years? 

 

Any optional or packages (like challenge) that are a deal-breaker if missing? Do I need the vRS button? 

 

Thank you for helping me choose what seems already to be a great car. 

[WesternDuke]

I wouldn't worry about the mileage between the two. Condition, price and options that you actually want are more important. I have a 2015 model with 31k on the clock and if it wasn't for company car allowance rules dictating a change at six years old i would be looking to keep it long term - great car.

[Nikonite]

A lot depends on your plans for the car, will you change it in a year or keep it for 8 years. We were looking at sels around 2017-18 for ages but none had a good enough spec. Then one came up with all the options we wanted and a few more on top. It's a 2013 car with only 50k versus the 12 to 40k we have been looking at. It was considerably cheaper and needed no finance do we went for it. With ageless plates on I think only Skoda enthusiasts would know it wasn't a later car.

We saved a considerable amount of money, avoided finance, got some very nice options on top and only added around a years worth of mileage. Hopefully the car will work for our family and we will run it into the ground.

The wife gets some extra cash to add to her new kitchen, and I get some to upgrade the car bit more.

[steved83]

Given your annual mileage I don't think you will have any issues with the length of time you wish to keep it regardless which model you buy.

 

There were specification changes in 2015. Anything built post week 22 (about June 15) will by a model year 2016. One of the main differences being the addition of smart link with the radio/infotainment. 

 

Which brings me to the point. Buy on what spec you want and condition.

 

I looked at a 15 220tsi and a 16 230. The 230 had 2 owners, 40k mixed history, folding mirrors, electric seats, the VAQ diff and smart link. The 220 had heated screen (winter pack), canton, 1 owner, FSSH, and was being sold by Originol supplier with 25k on the clock and 3k less. I went with the 15 220.

[Ootohere]

Buy on condition and servicing up to now.

Tyres, Brake Discs, Windscreen etc. 

 

No point worrying about how much a 8 or 9 year petrol car will be worth in 2024, that will be not very much as a trade in or private sale.

[SashaGrace]

Nobody can predict how a car will turn out to be irrespective of age, mileage etc. I’ve seen threads on here where people have bought newish low miles one owner fully serviced well maintained cars at top prices and suffered issues, meanwhile my car which was the cheapest vRS estate on the market when I bought it and now has 110,000 miles on the clock at 4 and a half years old has cost me £60 in essential repairs in the last 18 months and over 40,000 miles. But the car you want and you like when you see it, don’t worry so much about model year and mileage. 2016 onward cars are slightly more sought after as they have the SmartLink radio and the PFL 230 and FL 245 have a spec and performance advantage over the regular cars so they command a premium.

[Guest]

Agree with Sasha, nobody can predict the future - go with what car appears in best condition.

 

If you do go for that 2015 model then depending on when it was registered, in the not too distant future you'll be facing a potential £400 bill for a cambelt change ( or £500 if you have the waterpump changed at same time ). Could use this as a bargaining tool to have some money knocked off the asking price.

[penguin17]

2 hours ago, Skoffski said:

Buy on condition and servicing up to now.

Tyres, Brake Discs, Windscreen etc. 

 

No point worrying about how much a 8 or 9 year petrol car will be worth in 2024, that will be not very much as a trade in or private sale.

This and particularly the bold part. 

 

Don't worry about future value/depreciation etc etc.  It will likely bottom out in value well before you want to sell it.  Then at that stage anyone who wants the car will be looking at general condition, service history etc etc and an enthusiast will pay for a good one.   Some cars are exceptions in that there may be a major/expensive issue for certain MY's e.g pre-2007 Mercedes SL's have a well known issue with the folding hardtop, so buying one could be very very costly and as such most people will try to avoid <2007 cars.  

Edited 18 June, 2019 by penguin17

[ahenners]

Isn't there a possibility the 2015 could have MIB1 infotainment if early 2015, but the 2016 is almost certainly MIB2? MIB2 is a fairly decent improvement all round, so I'd be looking to the newer with more miles unless it's condition and history aren't spot on. Sounds like your low annual mileage will even it out longer term anyway.

[Tivan]

2 hours ago, Scot5 said:

 

If you do go for that 2015 model then depending on when it was registered, in the not too distant future you'll be facing a potential £400 bill for a cambelt change ( or £500 if you have the waterpump changed at same time ).

Hi Scot5, do you have more details on this? I have 2015 Skoda Octavia mk3 and i am new on this forum. I was searching to get more details about what you wrote but its hard to pull out something that specific.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Tivan said:

Hi Scot5, do you have more details on this? I have 2015 Skoda Octavia mk3 and i am new on this forum. I was searching to get more details about what you wrote but its hard to pull out something that specific.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi. If you search the forum there's plenty of information on the subject with people giving their various interpretations on Skodas recommendations but as a rule of thumb:

 

For the UK it's recommended the timing belt be changed every 5years or 100,000 miles  -  that may well be different in Croatia.

 

The cost of this using Skoda's fixed pricing is £429

 

However it makes sense to change the waterpump at the same time (as you need to take off cambelt etc do this). Skoda's fixed price for cambelt + waterpump is £529.

 

Hope that helps.

 

( Note to others - let's not start another fruitless debate on that mileage and start confusing the hell out of anyone trying to read this thread. The mileage is not set in stone and varies from dealer to dealer with even Skoda themselves having differing opinions. In any case, with most people, it'll be the time that determines when the cambelt should be changed ).

 

PPS - visited Croatia for the 1st time last year - drove from Dubrovnik up to Makarska on the coast road. What a great drive. Stunning place.

 

[dsj20v]

But the petrol vrs ea888 is chain driven not belt 

[DrKrink]

On 18/06/2019 at 09:32, steved83 said:

Given your annual mileage I don't think you will have any issues with the length of time you wish to keep it regardless which model you buy.

 

There were specification changes in 2015. Anything built post week 22 (about June 15) will by a model year 2016. One of the main differences being the addition of smart link with the radio/infotainment. 

 

Which brings me to the point. Buy on what spec you want and condition.

 

I looked at a 15 220tsi and a 16 230. The 230 had 2 owners, 40k mixed history, folding mirrors, electric seats, the VAQ diff and smart link. The 220 had heated screen (winter pack), canton, 1 owner, FSSH, and was being sold by Originol supplier with 25k on the clock and 3k less. I went with the 15 220.

 

On 18/06/2019 at 09:33, Skoffski said:

Buy on condition and servicing up to now.

Tyres, Brake Discs, Windscreen etc. 

 

No point worrying about how much a 8 or 9 year petrol car will be worth in 2024, that will be not very much as a trade in or private sale.

 

Thanks guys for heading me in the right direction. OK, specs and servicing over year and miles. I'm importing from Germany since here in Italy the petrol one is a really rare car and my dealer has a guy checking the car there but I'll ask for a copy of the servicing book and consider just 1st owner cars. 

I didn't know of the smartlink just after July 15, thank you. 

Is the eco/normal/sport mode available in all cars or do I need the vRS button? That isn't clear to me. 

 

On 18/06/2019 at 11:39, Scot5 said:

Agree with Sasha, nobody can predict the future - go with what car appears in best condition.

 

If you do go for that 2015 model then depending on when it was registered, in the not too distant future you'll be facing a potential £400 bill for a cambelt change ( or £500 if you have the waterpump changed at same time ). Could use this as a bargaining tool to have some money knocked off the asking price.

 

Thank you! I was thinking about costly servicing it may need and 5 years makes it close for a 2015 car. Older cars may have that already done to it. Something to consider. 

[Ootohere]

@DrKrink

Maybe other like me assumed you were talking cars in the UK since no mention of Italy or Germany in the OP & you said miles.

Nit that it makes much difference or does it importing to Italy to stay in Italy.

[DrKrink]

3 minutes ago, Skoffski said:

@DrKrink

Maybe other like me assumed you were talking cars in the UK since no mention of Italy or Germany in the OP & you said miles.

Nit that it makes much difference or does it importing to Italy to stay in Italy.

 

Yes I know I forgot to mention it but I thought it didn't make a difference. Unless German editions cars have particular specs..

[SashaGrace]

Can’t advise on the rest of the spec but if the car doesn’t have a mode button (regardless of whether it says vRS or not) it won’t have drive modes, you will be stuck in ‘Normal’. As you are considering 2015/2016 cars it will be a vRS button you are looking out for. My car rarely leaves Normal, in fact it is stuck in Normal right now due to an ongoing retrofit, I wouldn’t miss it if it wasn’t there.