I'm on the lookout for a diesel Octavia VRS Estate to replace my Touran and just was looking for a bit of advice.

My budget is around £4000-4500 so I'm obviously not looking for something brand new. The things I wondered are what kind of mileage would you say is too much, assuming I'll be looking around the 2012-2015ish mark are there any specific problems these suffered from that I should look out for when I go to look at one?

Do they all have DPF's as well as EGR?

Anything else I need to know or avoid?

Thanks in advance, if I don't find an Octavia my second choice is a Yeti but after years of sensible I need to get back to something at least a tiny bit sporty!

Before about 2015, there was a lot less emissions equipment, and were made to lower euro5 spec, consequently can't be used free in some cities with low emissions zones.

Euro6 emissions were gradually upgraded over time, and more and more equipment was added, this adds to complexity and is of course means more that could potentially go wrong. Latest diesel cars have very complicated emissions equipment whose long term reliability is not yet known.

Realistically for a 10+ year old car, how well it was cared for and serviced, is going to determine its condition. You need to choose wisely as condition varies widely. In my opinion the version that seems to be cherished and kept going for years by some owners is the 1.4tsi

You might be lucky, but your age range may cost a fair bit more. There is a 2016 (66 plate) 2.0 tdi 4x4, 85000 miles, on sale for £11995, not too far away, at Tibshelf, Derbyshire. This is a small used car dealership, so never will be a Skoda Approved car. For your budget, you will either buy a well used (or abused) 2015, or have to go for a much earlier model. Good luck, all the same.

15 hours ago, Choclab said:

You might be lucky, but your age range may cost a fair bit more. There is a 2016 (66 plate) 2.0 tdi 4x4, 85000 miles, on sale for £11995, not too far away, at Tibshelf, Derbyshire. This is a small used car dealership, so never will be a Skoda Approved car. For your budget, you will either buy a well used (or abused) 2015, or have to go for a much earlier model. Good luck, all the same.

I've seen quite a few online so far between 95k-140k hence me questioning what kind of mileage is getting too high, just a case of knowing what jobs they should have had done by this time.

Had a bad history with cars the last few years so want to make sure I get something that's been looked after even if it has covered a lot of miles

Having bought cars, back in my youth, with the oil pressure switch wire pulled off, and found them empty of engine oil, having got them home, I can sympathise with you - but luckily, my dad was an old school mechanic for an Austin dealership, and could fix anything.