Hi,

I joined Briskoda moons ago when looking for a Fabia and what's brought me back is a friend of mine is looking at an Octavia vRS TDi, May 2007. He's smitten with the car. It's blue, half leather pack etc. He wants to know however what sort of costs it's likely to incur on him.

I've looked for buying guides but can't seem to find any anywhere. I know diesels, particularly torquey ones can munch tires and I'm sure the vRS is no exception. He also wants to know what realistic MPG owners gets as he doesn't trust the figures in the back of what car mags and the like.

So, to all your vRS TDi owners out there, your experiences please! I'd be most grateful.

All available by the miracle of the search button my friend

You'd think though, wouldn't you? A google for "Octavia VRS diesel buying" doesn't turn up much.

The search button on here

What you asked has been asked many, many times before

Ah right, sorry. Didn't twig.

I found this for MPG...

MPG

Unfortunately I've had no luck on how often the tires need changed, anyone care to enlighten me? Thanks for the replies so far Babs.

You'd think though, wouldn't you? A google for "Octavia VRS diesel buying" doesn't turn up much.

You probably need to be a bit more specific with your search terms (and searching on this forum rather than google will definitely give you some very useful info - try "economy", "consumption", "servicing", "tyres", "TDI". Otherwise just scroll through the list of threads and read the ones that look like they might be relevant.

One thing to consider is if the car is going to be driven constantly in stop-start heavy traffic without any fast highway driving then the DPF may cause trouble (search on "DPF" here)

Mind you, fuel consumption and tyre life of any vehicle vary widely depending on the attitude and driving style of the 'nut behind the wheel'

Well this guy is quite a gentle driver, I wouldn't expect him to go hooning about in it. There would be a lot of B-road and some m-way driving. I wouldn't imagine a lot of innercity start-stop action though.

Would 12,000 out of a set on average sound about right?

I changed my front tires at around 12,000 miles. I manage around 42-45mpg on my run to work (10 miles with mix of motorway, A and B roads). On a long run I will get around 50-53mpg and the best I have got is 55mpg.

Hope this helps

Precisely what I wanted to know thanks. My polo is still on the same set after 20k but I'd expect that from a petrol model. I'll let my friend know and let you know if he takes the plunge.

Thanks to all, once again.

I have a PD140 Elegance , and the front tyres were done at 25k and then another 20k after that.

The rears lasted to 45k

I do at least half the mileage on the motorway and the other half in town. I don't drive like a tit but do use the power when I can.

Around town I'll get 40ish and on my commute to work I get 50. On a longer motorway run it's about 55mpg.

A PD170 engined VRS would be a bit worse than this but not much.

My front tyres still have about 2.5mm to go until they reach the wear indicators and its done just over 12K miles, so I'd expect another 3K miles before replacement - not too bad in my opinion.

Average mpg is around 42, with highish 40's on longer runs and mid 30's when 'hoofing' around town.

Ok, ONE last question (I hope). My friend phoned his mechanic and asked his advise on the car and he said it wouldn't be the car for him because he pootles about, doesn't let the car out and the turbo will be therefore underused and need fixed from time to time. That I'm not sure about. Any of you guys ever heard that?

Thing is this mechanic is VAG specialist so his word is law with these cars which is what surprised me.

sound like nonsense to me.

How can something go wrong more frequently due to under-use?

Discuss....

Soot accumulation can lead to the demise of a turbocharger.

Ragging them from time to time can blast all of the caked up crud out of the exhaust gas turbine. Think of the black crud that builds up around the exhaust tips and eventually blocks the EGR piping

I figured that. I remember a friend telling me his Mazda 3 sport manual suggested that it be ragged now and again to give the high-lift section of the engine a workout (or something) so I would imagine it would be the same for the turbo.

My friend drives a 1.6 Audi A4. From what I've notice of his driving style, he's more of a cruiser. He'll drive along at 55-65 most places and coming off roundabouts at duel carriage ways, he'll accelerate to 4,000 rpm and then cruise again.

Would this sound like turbo underuse you think?

sound like nonsense to me.

How can something go wrong more frequently due to under-use?

Discuss....

It's not nonsense.

The variable vane mechanism on the turbos can get clogged up with soot if used too gently.

Running it at higher speeds can help to prevent this

Ah right, sorry. Didn't twig.

I found this for MPG...

MPG

Unfortunately I've had no luck on how often the tires need changed, anyone care to enlighten me? Thanks for the replies so far Babs.

Here is a current thread for tyre life http://briskoda.net/forums/octavia-ii/tyre-milage-octy-vrs-ii-petrol/107301/ which although asking for vRS petrol experiences IMHO the vRS TDI tyre use will be similar (less power but more torque).

Fuel consumption - realistically expect early 40s mpg

Driving Style/Engine Turbo - IMHO any engine (turbo or not) runs the risk of getting gummed up if you only pootle around in it. Often the worst cause is poor quality fuel, combined with short journeys where the engine does not get thoroughly warmed through. Cruising around won't really build up too much soot as you aren't using enough fuel; after all the DPF regeneration is done when cruising (1800-200rpm in 4th or 5th).

Tell your mate not to be put off by his VAG mechanic friend BUT if he buys the vRS TDI I suggest he uses 'quality fuel' and gives it a 'blast' from time to time.

Having said all the above; there is surely a fundamental question. If he is just a cruiser/pootler - why is he buying a performance car? He'd be better with an Elegance or L&K with DSG, surely.

By quality fuel I assume you mean the likes of shell and BP diesel and not supermarket fuel? Or do you mean the V Power stuff?

I'm sure a blast on the duel carriageway from time to time would be understandable.

He wants the vRS purely for the styling. He like the race blue (which I understand is vRS and Fabia vRS SE only), wants leather interior and it has to be a diesel. The subtle styling of the vRS TDi suits him down to the ground.

I dunno, he was saying about the Leon Reference Sport TDi with BTCC bodykit the other day. I doubt he'll ever make up his mind.

By quality fuel I assume you mean the likes of shell and BP diesel and not supermarket fuel? Or do you mean the V Power stuff?

That's about right. V-power diesel will be a bonus as it has the best detergents to keep an engine/injectors clean.

If he revs up to 4000rpm in the vrs as he accelerates then he will be using most of the power range anyway so should have no problems with underuse of the turbo.

I'd be wary of buying a DPF equipped car if only tootling around.

At least now I understand why I often get behind people with powerful cars who never want to overtake the slow moving car in front of them!!!!

Millers is the other option for fuel additive.

Rgs

Chris

I just thought I'd update you all on what happened. My friend was thrown off by the turbo problem and said he would probably forget to blow it out on the motorway everyweek. On top of that the tires were also a concern as the car he was looking at had the optional larger Zenith wheels and he was quotes £220 for a front set (don't know the brand, sorry). It's a shame cos he was taken with the car but he just wouldn't use it the way it was meant to be driven.

Thanks to everyone who replied, your comments were most helpful. Thanks again.

On top of that the tires were also a concern as the car he was looking at had the optional larger Zenith wheels and he was quotes £220 for a front set (don't know the brand, sorry).

That's a pretty fair price for a pair of 225/40 18s; mid range. Might have been £260 - £300 for a pair of Michelins. :eek:

Could've been anything from a pair of ditchfinders to some brand he isn't familiar with like Kumho. Like I said, he's more a cruiser than a thrasher.

Edit: I may add that this was from his own mechanic who deals in tires so there may have been some discount involved also.