My youngest son sat in a vRS Estate on Saturday. He was impressed by the seats, carbon fibre-look dash, and the wheels and suggested that I retrofit them to the family 4x4 Estate! He asked for a brochure for the vRS Estate for me and was given the latest Skoda Octavia UK brochure.

For those of you interested in the vRS Estate spec, this is the information about it in the brochure where it differs from that for the vRS Hatch:

• Page 28. (16" alloy wheels on estate)
  
• Page 28. vRS available in Hatch and Estate
  
• Page 36. Drag coefficient cw 0.31 vRS Estate
  
• Page 37. Kerb weight 3064lbs/1390kg
  
• Page 37. Total weight 4023lbs/1825kg
  
• Page 37. Payload 1069lbs/485kg
  
• Page 37. Max speed 143mph/231kph
  
• Page 37. Acceleration 0-62mph 8.0 seconds
  
• Page 37. Wheels/tyres Alloy rim SPIDER 6.5Jx16" 205/55 R16
  

That's about it unless I get out a magnifying glass and have another look. I wonder what Skoda's marketing strategy is for the vRS Estate? To keep it quiet?

:wave:

Spotted my first vRS van...er, estate this morning in Horner's

showroom.

I didn't really click at first as to what it was, as I wasn't really

concentrating - if you look at the front, it's very vRS, but

look at the rest of it and it doesn't look that different from a

normal estate.

Was going to have a closer look but I was in a hurry... :drive:

Have to agree with Denis on this one - Skoda have done a

really bad job of publicising it!

Rob.

DGW

I certainly havent seen any press or car mag advert campaign for the estate , in the mould of the 'A Fiver says it is!' ads that helped sell the RS hatch when it first came out. In fact , I wouldnt know it exsisted if i didnt surf Skoda sites on the net or read car mags! Surely Skoda arent THAT embarrased about its 16 inch wheels?!?....lol:p

'A Fiver says it is!' ads that helped sell the RS hatch when it first came out.

Was there an add for the RS? Never seen one. Can it be found on the net somewhere?

Delcac

It was a press ad , i first saw it in evo , basically it was a 2 page pic of a silver RS hatch in a dark , wet street with its headlights on, very evocative pic , and underneath it said in white letters " A fiver says it is" alongside a Skoda badge , and then underneath in smaller white type it says " The 180 BHP 146 MPH Octavia RS ,

Originally posted by Dmac1969vRS

(note not a 'v' to be seen , pre Ford strop this ad , you see!)

Another quote from the latest Octavia brochure - Octavia VIRS is a registered trade mark of SkodaAuto.

:wave:

PS for myself - must try and remember not to use the browser back button or it logs me out like Barclays IBank...

Originally posted by DGW

Another quote from the latest Octavia brochure - Octavia VIRS is a registered trade mark of SkodaAuto.

:wave:

PS for myself - must try and remember not to use the browser back button or it logs me out like Barclays IBank...

Another motor manufacturer copying the vRS badge:rofl: :rofl:.......A Skoda badge at that.

Thanks for the info Dmac, now where are those old EVO mags.

That issue of Evo is one that I brought to Nashville with me (it features that RS :drive: ).

Pity my scanner is nowhere near here.

It was a very cool advert.

Not seen any ads for it, but there was a test write up in the Evening Standard last week which gave it the thumbs up (although it said it looked a litlle dated and "slab sided":rolleyes: There is also a write up on it in What Car this month which gives it a four star rating - basically refers to how good the vRS is (said it was runner-up in their hot hatch section for 2003) and that the estate carries this on with only minimal differences (i.e. 8.0 sec 0-60 and 3 mph diff on top speed - they didn'y spot the wheels ).

Think its s shame Skoda haven't pushed it more as this is the sort of car that would appeal to a lot of people who wouldn't normally have looked at Skoda. :think:

Got my new vRS Estate on Saturday

So far so good. It looks fantastic (went for black), drives great (very nippy, holds the road really well) and feels a lot more expensive than it is (the interior is very, very nice - lots of leather with that 'new car' smell).

Had some inquisitive looks (mostly from a couple of Octavia-driving taxi drivers!) - I'm sure people are aware of the Octavia saloon but as mentioned by other people I can't remember seeing any ads for the estate car.

The only reason I knew about it was that Skoda had a stand in the service park at last November's Network Q Rally in Swansea and they had a silver one on show there.

I will post some photos soon while it is still nice and clean I'll keep you posted on how I get on - really looking forward to driving it again - baby likes it (well, she's slept solidly on each trip so far - wife loves driving it but still is embarassed by the 'Skoda' thing - I'm sure she'll be changing her mind!

Rob.

Rob

Your purchase puts the hardline vRS (Hatch) owners on this forum in a total quandary. Do they ignore the 'Estate' bit and acknowledge your car as a vRS, or do they get all huffy and 'lump' it in with 4x4 Estate which most secretly wanted but couldn't quite afford? Meanwhile let me welcome you to the Octavia Estate owners group which embraces owners of all versions of the Estate....

:wave:

Congrats Rob on your new vRS estate.

Having had an Octy estate previously, purchased funnily enough for the impedding birth of my son, you'll marvel at the amount of baby related stuff you can cram into the boot.

As for Dennis he loves to cultivate the vRS/4X4 divide and now that there is a vRS estate he's going to have a field day.

Enjoy and welcome to the fold.

Cheers.

Adrian.

p.s have you booked an appointment for your cassock fitting. If not "see" Brother FunkyJutel about this.

When you're driving it the only time you realise that you're in an estate is when you look in the rear-view mirror - the window seems a long way back!

If I had a blindfold on I would never know I was in an estate - mind you I would crash as I couldn't see anything!

I think I might pass on the cassock - I'll be sending off for my sticker soon though!

Rob.

P.S. I saw that somebody else mistook cassock for a Russian cossack. That makes sense 'cos the dancer's name is obviously Stan i.e. Cassock Stan! :p

Congrats Rob on the birth of your new baby.

The vRS estate what a machine, the looks, the wheels, the leather, the speed. Unfortunately people do stop and stare in wonderment at it's outstanding beauty something your common all garden estate driver will never experience.

Must admit I would have gone for the 4X4 estate but don't tell anyone, mums the word:rolleyes: :wave:

Happy motoring:thumbup:

:wave:

Hi Delcac,

I did consider the 4x4 but, as it is only 150bhp, I thought that the extra 30bhp in the vRS would be more fun when the rest of the family are not in the car! I also believe that you lose some boot space with the 4x4 compared to the two-wheel drive estates, which is no good when you are transporting a 5 month old baby around with all her attachments/toys/cleaning products, etc.

(I also had a bad experience with my Calibra 4x4 some years ago - one of the first things to go wrong with it (just after the warranty ran out, of course) was the 4x4 transfer box which fell to bits - Vauxhall quoted

fair comment, didn't realize the back was smaller in the 4X4 to standard. Do you get any more rear leg room in the RS estate over the hatch?

:wave:

Originally posted by DGW

Your purchase puts the hardline vRS (Hatch) owners on this forum in a total quandary. Do they ignore the 'Estate' bit and acknowledge your car as a vRS, or do they get all huffy and 'lump' it in with 4x4 Estate which most secretly wanted but couldn't quite afford?

Denis,

They were already put in completely the opposite quandary, with my acquisition of an RS-lookalike 4x4 hatch :p

So far either "camp" failed to win me over for their "side"...

And I'm not even starting on the colour debate

Oh well, it's good to see the boundaries become blurry...

Rob,

If you are planning to chip your engine, the choice between the RS's 180hp vs. the 4x4's "mere" 150hp becomes a non-issue. Both engines are the same, with the 4x4 standard engine actually downtuned by 30hp. You will "get them back" once you upgrade to any kind of power output above 180. Here at least, you pay virtually the same price for 60hp on the 4x4 or 30hp on the RS - you get the same 210hp chip for the same basic engine. Can't be all that different in the UK, can it?

Originally posted by delcac

Do you get any more rear leg room in the RS estate over the hatch?

If I go by the technical specs you get more rear legroom - albeit fractionally - in the 4x4 as opposed to the FWD Octavia.

It's all to do with the 4WD rear suspension lay-out, of course, which will cost you precisely 100kgs of luggage space - 528 vs 428 in the hatch, 548 vs 448 in the estate, IIRC. I have 455 in the Legacy now, so I don't really mind too much.

Depends how you rate boot space. The non-4x4 Elegance has a variable height boot floor which means less useable space above it than the 4x4 - unless you remove the variable gizmo in which case there is more. So it all depends on what sort of boot space you need, if you see what I mean. And what does the non-4x4's boot floor look like with the variable height boot floor removed? Is it flat with the rear seats folded? It isn't in the 4x4 (and I'm keeping mum about the 4x4's boot being 22mm shorter). Questions, questions, questions.

But in the end we all love our Estates, don't we, and we wouldn't swap them for the vRS Hatch, would we? :mw:

:wave:

Sorry Dennis....I did ......

......chopped in my TDI SLX estate for the vRS h/b.

That said if the 4x4 estate cost the same as the vRS h/b I probably would have got that instead.

Was gutted after I took delivery and found out that there would be an RS estate but.......after seeing the tiny wheels I'm glad I got the h/b.

Cheers.

Adrian.

Originally posted by DGW . And what does the non-4x4's boot floor look like with the variable height boot floor removed? Is it flat with the rear seats folded?

:mw:

The floor's flat with the variable bit removed. you can also take out the side bits which support it - gives you a big, flat area.

HTH,

Phil

Originally posted by SkodiRS

Sorry Dennis....I did ......

......chopped in my TDI SLX estate for the vRS h/b.

Cheers.

Adrian.

Van with rear windows, dazzling vRS

Van with rear windows, spectacular vRS

Van with rear windows, outstanding vRS

I can see why you opted for the vRS, the obvious choice for the more discerning motorist. You will notice on this forum there are some/one member/s who will deny their extreme jealously of the vRS. I for one can only feel sorrow such members, for they cannot own the vRS the car of their dreams.:(

:rofl: :wave:

Originally posted by SkodiRS

That said if the 4x4 estate cost the same as the vRS h/b I probably would have got that instead.

Over here it does the same. What did I say? It's half a grand (euro-style) cheaper than the RS! :cheers:

Having said that, I must here confess that it was actually my wife - yes, that's one of the usually very practical, estate-demanding, looks-do-not-matter-if-it's-man's-toy female gender - that urged me, no begged me to go for the "sporty hatch", using the amazing argument that she didn't want to be seen looking like your typical mum and dad carrying a bunch of loud kids in the back, on their way to some overcrowded holiday resort :lol:

Not that I ever doubted my decision myself.

Originally posted by Dutch4x4

If you are planning to chip your engine, the choice between the RS's 180hp vs. the 4x4's "mere" 150hp becomes a non-issue. Both engines are the same, with the 4x4 standard engine actually downtuned by 30hp. You will "get them back" once you upgrade to any kind of power output above 180. Here at least, you pay virtually the same price for 60hp on the 4x4 or 30hp on the RS - you get the same 210hp chip for the same basic engine. Can't be all that different in the UK, can it?

Hi Dutch4x4,

That's a fair comment - I could have gone for a 4x4 and chipped it but all I wanted was a car that did everything I needed which was 'off the shelf' as it were. The vRS Estate looks good, is fast, has plenty of room for the whole family, and the all ESP stuff should keep it on the road - I certainly wont be driving it in fields where I would need 4x4!

Rob.

Hi Dutch,

my wife also "pushed" me to get the vRS.....sometime there's no arguing with women.

Disclaimer: no insult intended to our Sister Briskodians.

Cheers.

Adrian.