Hi,

I'm a complete newbie here so please be gentle!

I was recommended to this site from a caravanning forum so here I am!

I was wondering if there is anyone who could offer me some advice on the Octavia diesel estate range.

I'm after a 1.9 Elegance spec (I understand they have more toys and don't have the drop into the boot.)

I want to replace my lemon of a Ford Focus estate and am seriously searching the lists to find a Skoda...but which is the better engine? The 110bhp which is relatively easier to come by, or is it worth paying the extra and hanging round a bit longer to get the 130bhp?

Is there a significant difference between the two engines?

My Ford is a 113bhp Tdci estate which I get around 44mpg around town and about 51mpg at motorway speeds if that helps.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts,

Many thanks in advance!

If you can find a 130 - snap it up - L&K spec is good too.

130 has significantly more torque and 6-speed, don't hear people complaining about the intermittant power loss you do with 110's all the time either.

I got a 130, my brother has a 110 - performance is miles apart, economy slightly worse but can't really get under 45mpg in worst case.

Prices should be falling pretty fast now. You could probably end up with a money pit though - servicing/parts are not really in line with a budget make and quality.

I think your best bet is late 2003/4 single user fleet cars with high motorway mileage (80k+) and total service history. Watch cambelt, needed every 60-80k or 3/4years, can't remember exactly of top of my head.

Good luck with the search!

Forgot: Facts & Figures - Parker's

Click on right for full spec.

The 110 does well, the pd 130 is effortless it's as simple as that ....on a long run the 130 will get close to 60mpg solo and mine with a 1 ton elddis on the back regularly did 30mpg....and joy of joys you can actually overtake ..its that good, a former towcar of the year car with loads of space, good mpg and a pleasure to drive solo or towing ...if you see a good one for sale (they are rare) snap it up as quick as you can....when I found mine two other people were in line (one in scotland) for it

.

And should you feel the need to remap it 160 to 170 bhp is available at the expense of a shorter clutch life .....but boy does it tow

I'd go for the PD 130 everytime. Totally different engine to drive and has bags more torque than the 110. Perfect for towing.

Not sure that the elegence has a flat boot. I think all the estates have a slight lip.

Thanks for your replies.

Money pit angle worries me:eek:....I heard Skodas were really reliable. And reliability is a BIG factor for me after having my Ford for just over 12 months and having two major breakdowns (six weeks off-road and counting) in that time....

Are they generally reliable or have I been told a pack of porkies?:confused:

Thanks for your replies.

Money pit angle worries me:eek:....I heard Skodas were really reliable. And reliability is a BIG factor for me after having my Ford for just over 12 months and having two major breakdowns (six weeks off-road and counting) in that time....

Are they generally reliable or have I been told a pack of porkies?:confused:

Cam belt is expensive so get that done before you buy (if it's due) but apart from that mine have been totally reliable ...but I only keep them for three maybe four years at the most.

engine should be good for 150,000 and have heard of some going further never heard of gearbox problems, clutch is good for 100,000 of normal driving (towing will shorten it a bit) the dual mass clutch can sometimes cause a problem ...... brakes pads seem to last quite well and are easy to change

Don't worry too much! You should be aware main dealer servicing and parts are not 'budget' these days. Buy carefully and you should be fine - but there do seem to be a few lemons out there. I've a high miler - no problems in 2 years (touch wood).

They used to do well in reliability surveys but not really anymore. I think the last 2003/4 cars are the best. Trim etc. is pretty cheaply made and a lot of problems seem to come up over and over again - window mechanism collapsing, suspension bushes, seat springs breaking, 110 power loss - niggles mostly. TDIs will take mega-miles. But no car is guaranteed trouble free!

It's just I read people dumping their Skodas in frustration and going to Ford!

Reliability is always a gamble and if it was my top priority I'd be looking to the Japanese and the likes of Toyota, Honda, Mazda etc because if there's one thing they do remarkably well it's reliability.

Chris

Thanks again,

I had been thinking about a Nissan X-trail as the wheelbase isn't too much bigger than your average mid-sized family car - only worry about a 'soft roader' is the mpg/tax/green credentials.

It's actually cheaper to insure for me than the 130bhp Octavia.

The other Japanese brands only seem to do really big estates - eg Avensis and Accord which are a bit long (sorry, I'm a complete girl!!) - and the soft-roaders are either out of my price range (eg diesel Cr-V), don't have a big enough boot (Rav4/Freelander) or even more thirsty.

Primary importance for me is reliability and the confidence my car will start every time. Especially as I spend a lot of time in out of the way places - in barns up (reasonably well made) farm tracks and on farmers' grassy fields (parking at dog shows) - and I'm a woman on her own. There's only so far a batting eyelid will get you when the car won't start :smrbow:

I'm willing to pay a big premium for that confidence and thought the Octavia a good compromise.

Ok, back to the drawing board

The ground clearance is pretty poor on the Octavias too - so probably not the best bet for your purpose.

Not sure that the elegence has a flat boot. I think all the estates have a slight lip.

My 2001 110 TDi has the "false" boot floor option which gives you the flat loading space..... I tend to keep the false floor in (good for hiding things under!), and remove it when the dogs go in the car.

ive got the pd130 octi elegance estate and have no regrets with buying it.

I bought mine last may with 86k on the clock for £6.5k (04plate)(ex-lease). It comes with the false floor in the boot, the only use I find for it is, the dog finds it easier to get in and out of.

I don't do any towing but bought this car as my wife and I are looking to buy a caravan or a trailer tent. I can't imagine there will be any issues with ground clearance and as such I lowered mine and I'm not worried about towing with it.

I test drove the 110 but liked the extra oompphh of the pd130. I still get around 40-45mpg on my daily commute and general running around so again have nothing to complain about.

Personally I would take a PD130 and a TDI110 for a test drive and make your own mind up, you need to test drive both to make sure you know what to look for.

Happy Hunting.

Oh, Welcome to Briskoda. :wavey:

I drove an Elegance TDI 130 for about 100,000 miles, always fully loaded with tools and always driven in a 'spirited' manner (read: thrashed) with no problems whatsoever. The clutch was getting a little tired but that's about it.

I never caught the bottom of the car on anything despite the rear load.

The boot is totally flat on that model thanks to the aforementioned false floor.

Try and get the Laurin and Klement model if possible as you get the full spec including xenon headlights which help immensely on dark country roads.

I catch mine all the time and and use the sort of roads this guy is intending.

The octavia front ground clearance IS low compared to other cars I've owned and IS easily caught. It even catches it if you drive up a slight ramp with a bit of gusto.

You other guys should get on your knees and have a look at the scrapes!

I've previously had the mk1 vrs and that used to catch all the time. Even since I lowered my elegance I still don't catch speed bumps, I do regulary scrape kerbs while parking in car parking spaces going in forwards but you soon learn how close you can park to kerbs without scraping it.

(just for info, Since lowering my elegance it is now 1.5cm lower than a standard vrs).

I spend about 50% of my time on motorways and ordinary roads with speed humps and the other 45% of the time is spent around the Peak District on appauling roads and the other 5% driving along dirt tracks to horse riding stables and driving to horse shows through fields etc (still no catching of the underneath)

ive got through 2 sets of sump covers now, and the underside peices, front of my elegance catches when ever i drive up or down my drive lol, is rather annoying, saqme as my mk4 golf i had though, the fronts are pretty low.

Welcome & a happy new year.

I have personally put 50k onto a high mileage 110 without any trouble (no power loss trouble)

A few things to consider:

the 110 (TDi) will give you about 10mpg more than a 130 (TDi) and will be more than powerful enough for normal use, (not sure about towing as i haven't towed with one) so if you do lots of miles this can make a big difference to the running costs, however when towing you will be working the 110 engine slightly harder than a 130 so they will be roughly equal on mpg.

What about a Octavia 4x4 estate? diesels are rarer than the petrol versions, you will have a bit more ground clearance and loads more traction in the wet when towing, but at the expense on mpg.

not sure there was ever a 4x4 diesel in the mk1 octavia range?

I had a screw stuck in the middle of my bumper at th front to help lift it up a bit. Generally I don't catch it on much, apart from when I park off road (I have horses). The gf managed to dislodge some of the underbody plastic when she parked on a curb and then reserved off.

that would have been the ultimate, 4x4 pd130, I wouldn't have bothered with the vrs, i'd have gone straight for that

So that must have appeared pretty much towards the end of the mk1 production run then?

not sure there was ever a 4x4 diesel in the mk1 octavia range?

I believe it was only sold in mainland Europe and not the uk with the 110bhp 1.9 TDI

Hi and thanks again,

If I were to go looking at a 130bhp is there anything I should be aware of/ sign or problems to look out for or questions to ask the dealer?

Thanks.

I think it would be the same no matter which engine you go for,

* When was the timing belt replaced

* Check to see if the clutch has been replaced, mine started slipping at about 88,000 miles.

* check all electrics work

* is it on variable servicing? Check the service book, if it's capable of variable servicing you will see QG1 on the 1st page of the service book.

If in doubt get an AA or RAC inspection

Nothing specific to the PD130 , though I have seen a few cars advertised that seemed a bit vague about which version of the engine it had.

The PD130 was only available in the Elegance from an 03 plate and later in a couple of special editions and it always had a six speed gearbox rather than the five speed in the 110bhp cars , but some cars are advertised as a PD130 when they aren't