Octy 1 vs Octy 2

[stu4rtparker]

The octy 1 was hi jacked by taxi drivers up & down the country, a real testerment to its reliablility, but not so with the octy 2, does anyone feel that standards have slipped between the 2 cars.

[Makefish]

No

[johnjohnhealy]

Yep, been saying it for ages, I run a cab fleet of 130 cars and we ditched the MK2 Octys as they were too unreliable, too expensive, and the dealers are all crap (at least where i am anyway)

The MK1 was cheap enough that it's reliability didn't really matter (they are actually quite reliable), and it came with a good warranty, the MK2 does not.

[Babs]

I don't believe the standards have slipped...

Remember, what you'll find on here are a pile of people who are very vocal about the problems they've had. And no disrespect meant to them, but in the grand scheme of things, the apparent "majority" on here complaining about things are in fact a very small minority.

[GAFF]

I but in the grand scheme of things, the apparent "majority" on here complaining about things are in fact a very small minority.

true, but maybe the problems to the majority aren't an issue to the minority, if you get me, so bascially the same problems seem to come up again and again and again, some people will try have it resolved and if it doesn't fix it won't be too bothered, great says Mr Skoda Dealer another one fobbed off but for me personally I spent enough money to have the car right.

For the likes of johnjohnhealy with a massive fleet then this is a major problem as its the difference between having a car on the road or not.

Don't get me wrong, touch wood I've had no major mechanical reliability problems .....apart from spongy brakes (that no one in Skoda seem to notice ) but the niggling things are the annoying things and are bascially whats pi$$ing me off and in turn has resulted in a list as long as your arm of dealer vists (mainly for the same fob offs over and over and over and over and over and over again ), which in turn pi$$es the dealer off, my personal opinion is that this attitude is coming from above the dealerships, bascially cutting the ar$e out of NON Essential warranty jobs. Its a sad state of affairs when ya have to go debugging and finding fixes to a problem with a car STILL under warranty and they still won't act.

[johnjohnhealy]

I don't believe the standards have slipped...

Remember, what you'll find on here are a pile of people who are very vocal about the problems they've had. And no disrespect meant to them, but in the grand scheme of things, the apparent "majority" on here complaining about things are in fact a very small minority.

My opinion is based on fact, from owning a significant number of each car.

I could show you the full life costs from each car, and how much time each car has spent off the road, suffice to say, we dont have many mk2 Octys any more, and once the warranty's have run out, we wont have any.

They simply are not a reliable car.

[Johnwg]

Nope ..... I test drove a MkII VRS and then jumped into a MKI, thinking I may be able to save myself a few grand on my recent car purchase.

I was back at the dealers within 3 mins of getting behind the wheel of the MKI.... the MKII was leagues ahead, there was no way the savings would have been worth it!

[Babs]

People who run large fleets are likely to see more problems, yes. It's just statistics basically

It does seem like you've had a bad time at the dealers aswell.

I'm lucky in that my dealer has been absolutely fault-less through out everything - test-drives, buying cars, warranty work (just a bit of internal trim replaced that didn't fit properly, replaced without a single quibble), test drives on new cars ("here you go, sign this, here are the keys and the trade plates, see you in a bit!"), and after-sales and servicing.

It's a shame they all can't be like that! :(

[Spence2]

Had my Vrs estate 11 months and done 13,500 miles. Recently had first service and I haven't had a single problem. There I've tempted fate!!

[JohnMorr]

The octy 1 was hi jacked by taxi drivers up & down the country, a real testerment to its reliablility, but not so with the octy 2, does anyone feel that standards have slipped between the 2 cars.

Plenty of Octy 2 taxis in Canterbury!

[Delcac]

No

Yep!!

[Delcac]

Plenty of Octy 2 taxis in Canterbury!

Were they still running?

[Lowflyer]

Other than services my Octy1 only went to the dealer twice for repairs in 50K miles. My Octy2 has been in about 8 times over the same mileage. No breakdowns as such just several niggly things. To me the Octy2 isn't as reliable but other than that it is a better car.

[Dr Zoidberg]

I don't believe the standards have slipped...

Remember, what you'll find on here are a pile of people who are very vocal about the problems they've had. And no disrespect meant to them, but in the grand scheme of things, the apparent "majority" on here complaining about things are in fact a very small minority.

Having owned a Mk1 and Mk2 , I know that the Mk2 has had more problems than it's predecessor iin half the mileage, and the dealers have been far worse in sorting them.

As for "everyone comes here because of problems" , that's far from the truth as well.

There's no end of people posting about how they have bought a new car and joined up. I certainly did the same nearly 5 years ago

[Babs]

Yes, obviously, but as has been said by many others in many other threads, a lot of people come to these forums and complain about their car or customer service etc.

No one posts a thread saying "had a really good week, no problems", do they?

But I can appriciate the problems that people are having, but maybe the problems are exaserbated bad dealer customer service?

[th4neuk]

They have all seen the light and are buying Superbs.

2nd hand they are probably cheaper then a Mk 2 anyway.

And more room for the passengers.

just my 2p

cheers

[Babs]

Probably true lol!

[Dr Zoidberg]

Yep , as a cheap but reliable taxi a year or two old superb is going to be an excellent choice.

Acres of legroom for passengers and nice and comfy for the driver.

I was always a bit puzzled by the Mk1 octavia's popularity as the rear legroom was pretty poor and not good for a tax.

[GAFF]

Yes, obviously, but as has been said by many others in many other threads, a lot of people come to these forums and complain about their car or customer service etc.

No one posts a thread saying "had a really good week, no problems", do they?

Now that ain't fair, I go out of my way to get potential customers in contact with a dealership.....when the dealers WON'T even return a persons calls. I'd also go out of my way to try get people to go to there local dealership for repair work, but deep deep down how can you recommend a person go to a dealer if week after week you get fobbed off with problems ?

OR IF you feel you have a problem with your brakes since the car was new.....mention it at 10k service and the issue is still there at its 20k service, and worse still they seem to find nothing wrong.

OR if your being told by your local Skoda rep that the rubber peeling off around the window its due to your cleaning fluids....BULLSH1T

OR that your rear windows should indeed make a functional noise like "they all do", wow thats funny like has been posted 86% of the people that voted said theres DOESN'T make the same noise and those that did had it repaired....... so who's codding who?

OR the windscreens thats been delaminating on every Octy (one I seen was 1999), so in 8yrs they haven't rectified it and becasue they all do it Skoda can't be @rsed finding a proper fix that.

As you can probably tell I'm ****ing sick of the bullsh1t excuses, and I think thats why people are so unhappy with the Mk2. I have held back so much within the last year or so, as I don't want to put down anyone....but the patience wears thin after a while.

You even have people try and get a 2nd fog lamp enabled and either the dealers can't be @rsed or haven't a clue (and if its the latter thats bad not knowing how to use there own software....I even was able to do it).

If we didn't have sites like this people would be none the wiser if there told they all do that by dealers. I'd go out of my way to try promote a Mk2 vRS, but the Promoting is wearing a bit thin now as how the hell could you put someone through that.

Just do a search and the same issues show up again and again and again, Suspension creaking, Dashboard Creaking, Climate Noises, Rear Seat Rattles.

[johnjohnhealy]

People who run large fleets are likely to see more problems, yes. It's just statistics basically

You can prove anything with statistics, 78% of people know that.

But seriously, Overall yes I will see more problems due to the fact I'm running 130 cars, but I'm not silly enough to think that each car having 1 problem equals an unreliable car.

I'm talking individual cars having multiple problems, I dont get the same trouble with any of the Mondeo's / Vectra's / Avensis' / Accord's / Jags / Mercs etc, the MK2 Octy is the single most unreliable model of car we've ever had on our fleet - period, The Superb comes 2nd, however they seem hit or miss, they either never go wrong, or they are always wrong (next time you take a cab and it's a Superb, look and see if the engine management light is on, £10 says it is.), I'm convinced they were built in 2 factory's - one full of hard working conciensious people, and one full of t*ssers who dont care!

I was always a bit puzzled by the Mk1 octavia's popularity as the rear legroom was pretty poor and not good for a tax.

Cheap - reliable (except for gearbox/indicator relay & stalk/battery terminal) - Large boot and a good warranty (3 years unlimited mileage) and lets face it, the driver doesn't sit in the back does he!!

[Taxi 219]

Has to be MK1 every time with Taxis.

I got my MK 1 last year from the Taxi Centre in Glasgow for £10,400 the sales manager told me they are flying out the door in sales on MK 1,s but the MK 2,s are not selling.

Shame they will cease production in 2010.

[billybskoda]

Having loved my old Octy mk1 vrs, I recently traded up to (another new) mk2 octy rs.

IMHO, the build quality is a step on from the mk1, its a more 'mature' car, looks a lot more refined and has more to offer. I don't do nostalgia, apart from the good old days under Maggie T!!!

Stick with your old mk1 s, but they don't make them anymore.

I had plenty of problems with my mk1, but the dealers sorted it, including a gearbox bearing failing 4 days before the warranty ran out, the gearbox shot through the casing!

We have plenty of mk2 taxis down here in West Sussex, most of the mk1s have now been phased out, plus Hantspol use the mk2 octy as traffic cars.

Billy

[ednmra]

Mark 2 to me gives better steering/handling, better gear change [though not brilliant at high revs] much more room in back, better performance than I expected for a 2.0 non turbo. Terrific boot space.

Downsides - slightly worse build quality, if only in terms of those pesky door seals, a little noisy around the dashboard A/C equipment [are all those clicks and rumbles really necessary?]

Clutch can be difficult at start off - bit sharp and rough [only sometimes.]

Too much of electronic toys that are not easy to dispense with other than through VAG presumably - things like the wiper control.

Radio a bit hit and miss, though on mine it seems to depend where you are in the country. It is fine locally.

Overall I find the Mk 2, or at least my version of it, an improvement on my mk 1 vRS, which I was very fond of as well.

[CelticLhad]

I was in my local Skoda dealer last week getting a bit of work sorted on warranty and they had a poster up selling the BRAND NEW Oct 1 TDi's to taxi drivers..... I had noticed a lot of 57 plate taxi's in my area..... but where are they sourcing teh old shape from - they cant have been that many!?

[GAFF]

[are all those clicks and rumbles really necessary?]

.

Mine is silent now after initially having the Eprom software changed then the solenoids changed the other day. Its a massive difference, I had a listen to the audio I put up a while back and the difference is night and day.