hello 

Pls 1st post go gentle on me! 

I need some advice 

I’m thinking of buying a used Octavia 1.4 SE L 2017 think it’s mark 3 facelift with split lights. 

Other than driving cars i don’t no a great deal about what I should be looking at. 

I know that looking underneath won’t reveal much, unless I can get the car up to remove the drip tray. 

I know this because a recently unsuccessful experience with a 2009 1.8tsi Taught me so. 

 

I wonder if any one here can point me in the direction of a decent used car buyers checklist and maybe offer any other advise or things to look for before I part with my cash. 

 

Thanks 

Hello INAC

 

Brisky contains an absolute plethora of information for you, and the search function works well.

 

Not a bad place to start:

 

 

Gaz

 

 

2 hours ago, Itsnotaircooled said:

hello 

Pls 1st post go gentle on me! 

I need some advice 

I’m thinking of buying a used Octavia 1.4 SE L 2017 think it’s mark 3 facelift with split lights. 

Other than driving cars i don’t no a great deal about what I should be looking at. 

I know that looking underneath won’t reveal much, unless I can get the car up to remove the drip tray. 

I know this because a recently unsuccessful experience with a 2009 1.8tsi Taught me so. 

 

I wonder if any one here can point me in the direction of a decent used car buyers checklist and maybe offer any other advise or things to look for before I part with my cash. 

 

Thanks 

 

If buying privately, you can pay to check the vehicle hasn't been written off and rebuilt, which happens more than you'd think.

The 1.4TSI seems to be a much loved engine by Skoda owners and the motoring media, so it seems like a good choice if you like it.

Obviously check for a complete service history.

 

My own personal buying tips:

Drive as many examples of the car you're interested in as you can. Get a feel for how it's supposed to drive and sound like.

Make sure it does everything you want it to do. (Mine doesn't have a CD player, for instance. I just assumed it had a CD player. I only discovered this after I'd bought it, but it does bother me a little bit.)

Also, if you're viewing several vehicles, check you know what the spec is supposed to be. So that you don't assume an extra on one car is actually standard equipment.

I found I got cars confused if I looked at several in one day, so make decent notes if you're going to spend a day car shopping.

 

Once you find a vehicle you would consider buying, take a friend or two, and get them to look for issues you might have missed on the car you want.

Have a look at the tyres: Are they a good quality brand, or are they some cheapo brand you've never heard of? Skimping on tyres is a good indicator of skimping on repairs and servicing, IMO.

Compare the panel gaps on the car with the panel gaps on several other Octavias to check that they all match. If your car has different panel gaps, there's a fair chance that it has had some repair work done.

Does the car give you the vibe it has been looked after, or is it unduly worn, and has the odd nick & tear here and there? (I once saw a Superb at a Skoda dealer that appeared to have a stab/slash hole in the dashboard. Yeah, no thanks.)

 

Judge the car by its owner to some extent, if buying privately. Dodgy people sell dodgy cars. If there's anything that bothers you about the car or the deal, walk. Tell your partner/friend beforehand to tell you to walk if you seem unsure/doubtful about the car.

Finally, always sleep on the final decision, don't rush buying it there and then. (Leave a refundable deposit with a dealer if you have to.)

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the advise