I know what you mean though when i test drove mine (pickin it up wed) it didnt feel 'that' fast but the speedo tells you different plus the roads were empty when i went out so had no real judge against other cars doing the errrrm lower than average speed limit

Still cant wait to get it that as its much more refined and quicker than my current 1.4 clio.

Sweet. What you getting ' date='?

Trading the clio in?[/quote']

Getting a 51 red octy vRS and yea the clio was traded in and gave me

NA engine will always feel quicker...no lag/instant response...induction noise. Also you have to consider that you are comparing with you're own car which you know how to drive....i.e you how to get the best out of it and are obviously not ragging the car you are testing.

The there's other factors like refinement, seating position etc...all these add to our perception of speed and performance.

My Celica "feels" as if it has better pick up than my RS.....I assure you it hasn't. Celicia has a Powerflow exhaust, a low slung seating position..my perception tells me it's quick but I know it is only really average in everyday terms.

Oh....my Octy has a little bit more power than standard RS.

Sheaf - I test drove a VRS and felt the same (Coming from a Clio 172).

BUT

then I test drove a 4x4 - ON MY OWN - and caned it properly. It was so good I bought it.

Had it about 2 months - LOVE IT

Yeah, after thinking about ir for a few days I think is mainly down to perception, my car is loud, has a hard ride and instant response. I think the octy was just a bit of a shock in comparison. The only other turbo petrol car I've driven is a rover coupe turbo, and that was just as 'raw' as my car, with 'kick in the back' boost.

Problem is, I want a refined ride, and more torque on tap than my car, as when taking passengers you need comfort and cant really sit at 5k+ rpm all the time... but to get that you end up with a diesel-like power delivery, which just isn't as fun.

From talking to a few people, I think a lot of modern cars are going to be smooth and refined, and not 'feel' as quick.

I am considering an MG, but think the 2.5V6 will rape my wallet a bit. A S14a 200SX would be a good bet, they're ace cars by al accounts, although the rear end is Fugly and they are also quite smooth lke the octy when std.

Reckon an accord type R would be good, but they're silly rare. 2.2 should have plenty of torque, but also revs to 8k.

Not sure what I'll do tbh.

I think I'll keep looking around but I'm not worried about it til July, as it'll be easier if I wait for insurance renewal anyway.

I'm quite eager to have a go in a modded octy now, lol.

You say you're in the Gosport area? Although my Octy is not presently on the road, give me a few weeks and drop me a PM. Will certainly organise you a demonstration of a modified Octy. I live pretty much next to HMS Sultan, i.e. slap bang in the middle of Gosport.

You say you're in the Gosport area? Although my Octy is not presently on the road, give me a few weeks and drop me a PM. Will certainly organise you a demonstration of a modified Octy. I live pretty much next to HMS Sultan, i.e. slap bang in the middle of Gosport.

Ace, cheers mate. I live near privett park, so literally just down the road...

Surprisingly a standard vRS is quicker 0-100 than a Volvo S60 T5 and S40 T5.And the new 200bhp Golf GTI Mk5.

And a 118i Lotus Elise and V8 260 MG ZT

And a 1987 BMW M3.

Also posts same 0-100 time as a 4.0l Jaguar XK8.

Autocars figures though;)

Autocars figures though;)

Ah so that "standard" vRS

Chris

Ah so that "standard" vRS

Chris

'oh yes it was'

Mind you,puts re mapped ones in perspective! Bye bye big sporty Jag

Sheaf, I owned a 200sx (pre facelift) and it was one of the best cars I ever owned. It gave my mates Civic Type R a run for it's money, but felt quite slow due to how smoothly it delivered the power. It was only when there was other traffic around, or if you looked at the speedo that you realised how quickly you were moving.

I bought my Mk1 RS in March of this year (brand new) and love it to bits. However, when I drive the Type R, it feels more alive than the Octavia due to the noise. When that VTec kicks in, all hell breaks loose, whereas the Octavia merely whistles a bit and gets on with the business. The Type R is quite tiring on long journeys.

I know exactly what you mean about the Octavia not feeling fast, but I suspect that in standard form it isn't fast. I don't regret buying it at all, but I think it would definitely benefit from a bit more power, although I don't think the standard chassis setup is anywhere as good as a 200sx.

But, with a kiddie on the way and stuff to carry round, the Octavia is a great package, with the option of a remap if I want to later on. I'll finish my essay now, but just finish off with my best handling car of all time, my beloved Golf Mk1 GTI. How it danced and weaved through the lanes of North Yorkshire. It worried many a flash car, gave me months of trouble free fun and cost hardly anything to run.

Cheers,

Skinnyman.

when i first test drove my vRS i found it to be very diceptive in how it accelerated when compared to my modified R19 16v. the best test i found was to floor it in 4th or 5th from around 50mph... you can then feel the difference in the cars and thats what the vRS is all about really.

its not designed to feel balistic or shake your fillings out in standard trim, its about good pace with not alot of effort and comfortable long journeys.

my car was the only one i test drove. the brakes almost gave me whip lash (and i ran 288mm upgraded brakes on the renault). the handling could do with tightening up, yes it rolls about but if you judjge a corner well and take the right lines the car does feel well planted and with decent tyres you can reduce the understeer and feel the rear of the car following the front end nicely.

one word to describe the standard vRS is Linear... with a few tweeks to the intake, exhaust and mapping you can make it avery useful tool indeed.

mine is running the standard mapping with a few bolt on's and to be totally honest its fine for my needs.

the handling could do with tightening up' date=' yes it rolls about but if you judjge a corner well and take the right lines the car does feel well planted and with decent tyres you can reduce the understeer and feel the rear of the car following the front end nicely.

[/quote']

Well put.

When I got my car I thought the steering rack was a bit slow, but it's not really a problem.

If anything the car feels and handles better the harder it's pushed. I was pleased with it the first time I took along some good mountain roads. It's well balanced, forgiving, the grip is really good and it rides smoothly which will make it 'quicker' than a rock-hard, stiff car in many conditions.

Octy RS is good on long sweeps not "twisties". It can be modded to hustle it on twisties but then you loose quite a bit of the composed ride.

Another factor with the "feeling" of speed you get from the vRS is it's gearing. 2nd gear is good for 70mph:eek: . I found that the "fast'est feeling" I got from my standard vRS, was when having to overtake someone from about 40mph, drop her into 2nd, and floor it:eek: . Good for another 30mph:thumbup: and gave quite a kick as it did so:D

Yes, quick mountain roads rather than tight winding lanes. It's a comfy car that can be hustled rather than a Kart, although does cope better than you may expect.

2nd gear is good for 70mph:eek: . I found that the "fast'est feeling" I got from my standard vRS, was when having to overtake someone from about 40mph, drop her into 2nd, and floor it:eek:

Yup, 2nd gear is just right for overtaking slow vehicles.

I also hear that 3rd will go to around ~110 and 4th to ~125

If the speedo shows 110 or 125, what's the margin for error? Do you add or take away a certain percentage. My old Capris used to be about 10% out according to the road tests of the day. Not good enough by today's standards.

I think I need two cars, lol.

An octy for commuting, and for normal driving, and a light unrefined chuckable car for the weekends.

If only I had the space! I'd probably get an octy TDi and build a rover 200 mk3 turbo.

That's the problem with mine (as mentioned above), the ride is harsh, and although it's often worth it for chuckability, it actually slows me down on a lot of roads, it becomes so sensitive to any bumps in the road you cant put your foot down when you want.

A mate has a 3.0 V6 auto Omega, which my car can just about keep pace with to about 80, and can outcorner on a decent road.. however he can actually take rough roads quicker because he doesn't feel the bumps.

While I'm dodging pot holes and fighting the steering, he's relaxing in his silent smooth barge, lol. Not as much fun, but infinantly more comfy.

If the speedo shows 110 or 125, what's the margin for error? Do you add or take away a certain percentage. My old Capris used to be about 10% out according to the road tests of the day. Not good enough by today's standards.

According to my GPS speed on TomTom 75mph is about 71mph... i've noticed around 4mph difference at most speeds. i'd expect this to increase slightly at higher speeds but not by alot.

btw, mine does 70 in 2nd, 105 in 3rd and i havent tried flat out in 4th or 5th. All on a private test track of course and not totally to the rev limiter.

I think I need two cars' date=' lol.

An octy for commuting, and for normal driving, and a light unrefined chuckable car for the weekends....[/quote']

Why not get a vRS & a kitcar of some kind.

Why not get a vRS & a kitcar of some kind.

Alas, I just dont have the space for a project :(

I still live with the parents, and they keep their octy in the garage. My car is on the driveway, and tbh to build any kind of project I think I'd need a garage, so I can work on it when I want.

If I did have the time and space though, there's several projects I'd like to take on. Something like this for example really appeals: http://s58.photobucket.com/albums/g265/Simon_01/Car/?sc=1&multi=5&addtype=local&media=image

(btw, that is indeed a 2.0T under the bonnet).

Reckon the parents would kill me cluttering the space up with 2 cars.. and I definatley could't afford 2 toys/moneypits, I think one would have to be sensible and boring, otherwise I'd end up broke.

Still considering an octy though, although I do have a few contenders now (200SX, Accord-R, ZS180)

The 200sx is a brilliant car, it handles really well. Don't listen to all those stories of it being horrible in the wet. If you lose it in a 200, you must be driving like a complete tit. You won't get the sensation of speed in the 200 as much as the Accord due to the engine note. The Vtec is a great piece of machinery, plus it doesn't have a turbo to go wrong either. Can't comment on the Rover, I have never driven one but see them as an old man's car. I'm probably in the minority, but I couldn't bring myself to spend money on one. I was out in a Type R last night having a drive round the North York Moors, what cracking fun they are. They have come down in price and are amazing value for money. Have you considered on of those?

I only bought an Octavia RS due to having a family, it is a grown up car as far as I'm concerned. I love it to bits, but it is quite big for one person to run around in.

The 200sx is a brilliant car' date=' it handles really well. Don't listen to all those stories of it being horrible in the wet. If you lose it in a 200, you must be driving like a complete tit. You won't get the sensation of speed in the 200 as much as the Accord due to the engine note. The Vtec is a great piece of machinery, plus it doesn't have a turbo to go wrong either. Can't comment on the Rover, I have never driven one but see them as an old man's car. I'm probably in the minority, but I couldn't bring myself to spend money on one. I was out in a Type R last night having a drive round the North York Moors, what cracking fun they are. They have come down in price and are amazing value for money. Have you considered on of those?

I only bought an Octavia RS due to having a family, it is a grown up car as far as I'm concerned. I love it to bits, but it is quite big for one person to run around in.[/quote']

i have an estate with no wife and kids

I have a vrs wrc, im single with no kids. As soon as I drove the car I wanted it.

Best car ive ever driven. Left my mates dads mondeo st220 standing.

Okay, I take it back about it being too big for one person, it's just that I have mainly had smaller cars before. After a week of driving it, the car didn't feel too big.

I'm still not 100% convinced that my VRS is quick though. It certainly is quicker than a 'normal' family car, but I always thought that the ST220 was much faster than an Octavia?

Manufactures' figures:

Octavia vRS: 0-62 mph - 7.9 secs. Maximum speed - 146 mph

Mondeo ST220: 0-62 mph - 7.6 Maximum speed - 155 mph