I never found the Hatch lacking in Space

Mine is a company car, for Service work in Industrial Combustion. This is how my Boot would be daily, and only HALF FULL...;

Plus it looks good in Black...

Estate anyday of the week and twice on sundays.

I never found the Hatch lacking in Space

Mine is a company car, for Service work in Industrial Combustion. This is how my Boot would be daily, and only HALF FULL...;

Plus it looks good in Black...

With all that kit in the boot you don't need to bother with lower suspension springs anyway! I always think mine sits better with a load in the boot!

With all that kit in the boot you don't need to bother with lower suspension springs anyway! I always think mine sits better with a load in the boot!

I think i need to do something to the front though, once its back, that load made it uneven, although just a tad, i noticed it...

Lol I have the same "jacked up front" syndrome with my Octavia, a fully loaded boot leads to a high looking front end. (78mm low at the rear according to VAG-COM )

The boot isn't quite as loaded as usual today though.

The dealer asked me what i had done to make it sit lower at the back as well

I need the estate as you can fit 3 metre lenghts of pipe/conduit/whatever from the footwell to the top corner of the boot.

Minor point - rear visibility is a lot better in the estate (unless, of course, you fill the boot to the roof)

May also depend on whether you'll want to carry things like bikes on the roof. I'm going for an estate once my superb is paid off, as I'd rather have rack on rails than direct to roof ala hatch

Yup - I'm a combi convert too. The car looks great (and there aren't many estates that rival the standard car for looks) and they are great for a family.

The luggage compartment is well designed to lug loads, change babies, carry bikes, picnics in the rain, you name it.

one of the things I like about estates is the fact the load cover is retractable. So although the basic storage area volume is almost the same for the combi and hatch - if you need to use the extra height, it is easy to do in the estate. In the hatch you have the problem of what to do with the rear shelf. Fine if you drive yourself around near home, but as soon as you start carrying passengers around you have to make a decision whether you take the shelf or not. Obviously, without the shelf, you have a slighter greater potential security risk.

I'm definitely an estate convert - esp. the octy, which I think is a very nice shape at the back...

one of the things I like about estates is the fact the load cover is retractable. So although the basic storage area volume is almost the same for the combi and hatch - if you need to use the extra height, it is easy to do in the estate. In the hatch you have the problem of what to do with the rear shelf. Fine if you drive yourself around near home, but as soon as you start carrying passengers around you have to make a decision whether you take the shelf or not. Obviously, without the shelf, you have a slighter greater potential security risk.

There's no need to remove the parcel shelf from the Octavia hatch when it is not in use. It slides vertically into specially designed slots on the rear of the back seats.

I bet the hatch parcel shelf kills more noise than the estate tonneau cover :rubchin:

I bet the hatch parcel shelf kills more noise than the estate tonneau cover :rubchin:

I doubt it as there is no noise from the rear of my car. The wife is seated in the front

I doubt it as there is no noise from the rear of my car. The wife is seated in the front

:rofl:

I bet the hatch parcel shelf kills more noise than the estate tonneau cover :rubchin:

That was the one thing that concerned me when I first purchased my Fabia estate. There was no difference between the estate and the hatch at all, in that respect.

There's no need to remove the parcel shelf from the Octavia hatch when it is not in use. It slides vertically into specially designed slots on the rear of the back seats.

Now that's a good idea!

Thanks for all the replies folks. I'll almost certainly go for the vRS Combi, in black. Just trying to figure out some of the extras now, but I think that might be a different thread!

I bet the hatch parcel shelf kills more noise than the estate tonneau cover :rubchin:

I bet the Estates with the Variable boot (double skinned particle boards, both carpeted) are even better at suppressing the noise than the hatch's parcel shelf ;-)

I bet the Estates with the Variable boot (double skinned particle boards, both carpeted) are even better at suppressing the noise than the hatch's parcel shelf ;-)

Took the variable boot floor out on mine - no noticeable difference in noise level.

I bet the Estates with the Variable boot (double skinned particle boards, both carpeted) are even better at suppressing the noise than the hatch's parcel shelf ;-)

Mine is in the cupboard under the stairs

Besides, the tyre noise easily drowns out any noise from the boot

Estate's are for pansies anyway... :P:D

Estate's are for pansies anyway... :P:D

Really??

I'll remember that when i'm sticking the triple ladders on the roof and sticking a few 3 metre lengths of 5/8" copper pipe in the car :P

FWIW the estate is FAR more butch than the limp wristed hatch

Everyone play nicely ;-)

All said in jest.

I've got both flavours of Octavia so I can't really say much can I?

Pah... :P

Hugh,

would your local dealer be Trevor. ??? ( The Storyman as he's known in the trade )

Cathal

Btw Hugh, Welcome to the site....I missed this originally. I've sent you a PM

Thanks. I have a Black Magic Combi vRS TDI on order, hopefully arriving in January. I have a reasonable country run before getting stuck in Dublin traffic on my commute, so hopefully that will keep the DPF happy...