Hi all,

An out and out newbie here. I'm off to check out a 2006 Octavia vRS estate tomorrow morning, at the main dealer in Lincoln.

Anything I should be looking out for when test driving or examining it?

Any tell-tale signs that it's a "friday afternoon" car?

Thanks in advance,

Greeny

Normal things as with any car I suppose but it's pretty new so should be fairly mint depending on mileage.

Even panel gaps all round

Stone chipping on the nose

Chipped scratched allows

Damage to door locks

matching glass all round

Matching wheels

5 bolts in each wheel (don't laugh happened to me on a brand new one)

Smoke from the exhaust when accelerating hard or when you lift off the accelerator

Hesitation on throttle (taking account of a little turbo lag)

Strange noises from suspension

Knocks, stiffness or vibration though the steering wheel

Pulling to either side

Pulling under braking

White deposit under oil filler cap

Oil in water

Interior trim condition

Dirty or stained alcantara

Rips, tears or burns

Chips and scratches

Worn leather on wheel/ gearstick

Wear on spare wheel.

You might ask to see the full service log to see if it's had a lot done under warranty.

Greeny,

Firstly make sure that it has been well serviced and regular oil changes. As the car is turbocharged regular oil changes are vital to make sure that a premature failure of the turbo wont occur as this is very costly to fix. If you are talking about Dennis Horton in Lincoln they are my local and are a very proffessional outfit and will look after you and your car (if you buy it) very well. Make sure that the car has not been thrashed and bashed. Check for any signs of body filler / possible damage and listen to the engine from a cold start to ensure its not rattling its head off. Check the brakes and tyres if possible, as a vehicle technician / MOT tester myself you can tell a lot about a way a car has been driven from the component pieces like brakes and tyres. Ensure you test drive it and make sure its still quiet to drive and no strange noises. And make sure you read through its history, ask Hortons if they were the original sellers of the vehicle. I bought my Fabia from a private garage but it was originally from Hortons and they have its full history on their computers if this is the case with yours ask them if they can go through it with you to see where is been and whats been done over its life.

Steve

Just the usual obvious signs of a hard life really.

Kerbed wheels, service history up to date etc.

Nice to have things are Jumbo Pack which includes the centre armrest, dual zone aircon and rear leccy windows. Also maxidot is a nice little gadget. Many estates came with a Sunset Glass option.

That's all good advice - thanks everybody.

It is Hortons I'm going to and this is a car they originally sold, so I should have lots of paperwork to look at.

Other threads seem to indicate that the new Octavia suffers from a variety of niggles, so a look at the warranty work history will be interesting....

The last turbocar I've owned was a Lancia Integrale, so the oil point is a very good one!

Cheers,

Greeny

Whilst on the talk of oil make sure Hortons will service it for you with the right specification of oil (which they should do anyway). Most new cars in their infancy will suffer some slight niggles but I dont know of many major ones on the new Octavia. The Police use them to great effect driving around for 12 hour shifts every day so what does that say for the reliability, good me thinks. I have driven many new shape Octavias (based on the VW Golf platform by the way) and think they are a very good buy and an excellent drive. If its been looked after it should give you many years of trouble free motoring. And like VRStu says above check the wheels for kerb damage another sign of how its been looked after and the best way to avoid any bills for repair on steering / suspension.

Steve

If its the same one that i had a gander over when i took mine in for a service it looked in good condition and i think it had just over 10k on the clock. As said above, they are a very good garage, and will look after you very well, especially Nigel Cooper he is one of the salesmen there, he's a nice bloke very friendly and not one of these pushy types.

Good luck.

Check it has the TFSI engine under the bonnet. not the FSI one per thread title. :P

Well, it checked out pretty good I reckon!

Absolutely spotless bodywork, wheels were immaculate, no stone chips, inside pristine.

So I put my money down!!

I'll have lots of newbie questions once I take delivery, but for now I'm just going to enjoy the anticipation....

All being well I wouldn't imagine you'll be waiting that long.

Plenty of reading for you to do between now and then.