After almost three with my Octy 2.o tdi Elegance estate I am now at the point of looking for my next car. The Octy has been an excellent car which says a lot considering my previous cars were new BMW's and Volkwagens. When ordering the Octy, one of the long list of options on the list was the 17" alloys which came along with sports suspension which without a doubt enhances the handling (at the expense of a little road noise)

On my shortlist is a new L&K 2.0 tdi Estate, which comes as standard on 17" rims.

Even after careful studying the brochures I still cannot decide if the L&K comes with standard or lowered sports suspension.

Can anyone shed any light?

Standard suspension on the L&K

Standard suspension on the L&K

And that is not a bad thing, due to the sport suspension can seem a bit harsh for some

I had the sports suspension/17" Pegasus wheel option on my previous Octavia and TBH it was a tad harsh.

It was great when throwing it round the bends but 90% of my driving is motorway stuff and the ride got tiresome after the novelty wore off. You also get the triple whammy of harder suspension, lowered ride AND reduced tyre section all adding up to a much harder ride than the standard Elegance 16" wheel setup for example.

The standard suspension is more than adequate if a tad 'jiggly' under certain conditions but it's still pretty sharp compared to the standard setup on, say the boggo Audi A4 which rolls like a yacht compared to the Octavia.

If you opt for the L&K estate I highly recommend the sunset privacy glass

To be honest, the standard Octavia suspension is so supple, the sport setup is probably unnecessary... If considering an upgrade, Koni FSD dampers offer improvements in handling AND comfort, and Eibach springs would give you a nice drop in ride height, all for about £500+ fitting.

I've found that the ride on the L&K Estate with 17" wheels is quite a lot harsher than the Elegance Estate that it replaced. It does not have sport suspension so the difference must be down to the wheels/tyres. However the road holding seems more secure and the 17" wheels look a lot better than the 16" on the Elegance.

BTW the spare on the L&K is a full sized steel 16" and not an alloy as on the Elegance. Also, I understand that Koni FSD's are not available for the estate.

The standard 17" alloy is 225/45/R17. The standard 16" is something like 205/50/R16 so there is an extra 20mm across the tyre which means improved grip, more road noise and a 205 steelie spare as the well will not accommodate the 225 17" alloy. The rolling circumference is the same with both.

Thanks for all your info. It looks like the set up on the L&K might just suit me fine. I think my next move will be a test drive around my favourite Perthshire roads.

Aftermarket suspension may be an option if it feels less "planted".

I assume that you are thinking about the 140bhp pdi L&K; if so have you considered the DSG version? There is no way I would ever go back to a conventional clutch/gearbox set up after experiencing the DSG. It complements the massive torque of the 140bhp pdi, in sport mode the acceleration and handling is amazing. If you enjoy changing gears then you still have the option.

I find the standard suspension on my L&K with the 17" Sputniks is harsher than my last car, an Avensis, but then it doesn't roll so much round the corners like the Avensis did. Overall the Octy is probably better at being more rounded rather than one way or the other.

Hadn't thought about DSG.It might blow the budget since the Columbus sat nav has already been put on the list. As much for the music storage facility as well as navigation. 2.0 TD! engine without a doubt also.

It might blow the budget since the Columbus sat nav has already been put on the list. As much for the music storage facility as well as navigation.

You won't regret that