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Post by Roadsterstu on Nov 25, 2018 11:10:33 GMT
Big change! After the recent spend on the V60 and a constant, nagging feeling that I couldn't shake off about forthcoming big bills or unexpected breakages, I decided it really was time to change the car. Add in to this that it is an expensive beast to run at 23mpg and 47 quid a month in tax alone. Approx 300 quid a month on fuel and 50 odd quid of insurance and it all adds up. I decided early on to go down the boat fuel route and looked at various options but ultimately settled on the Octavia VRS as an ideal compromise between reasonable performance, excellent economy, family lugger and kit/price value. So, the V60 has been traded and on Thursday the white 15 plate, 47k mile VRS arrives. Full leather, heated seats, nav, bendy xenons, recent full set of Potenzas and 2 years warranty, Autoglym Paint Protection, at 12470. 50mpg plus and 30 quid a year tax (it's a manual. DSG is 110). Drives lovely. Much lighter than the V60 (because it is, by a lot), firm but comfy ride, not crashy on poor surfaces like the V60, feels taught in corners and grips well off damp roundabouts. Punchy in the mid-range. And, if I do 60 on the motorway, nobody will overtake!   |
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Post by Roadsterstu on Nov 25, 2018 11:13:08 GMT
Oh, and I apologise for not discussing this with the forum first but the V60's MOT expires next month and I needed to get on with it.
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Post by PG on Nov 25, 2018 13:41:07 GMT
Skoda were mad to not make more of the vRS badge - it has the cachet to be attractive. That looks very clean and just what you wanted. Did you get an OK trade value on the Volvo and are you leaving the Volvo on the drive till Thursday in case it goes wrong? ;-) Oh, and I apologise for not discussing this with the forum first but the V60's MOT expires next month and I needed to get on with it. No problem. You've just saved about 200 posts telling you what to do that you'd have then ignored. So this way we all save time....... |
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Post by Martin on Nov 25, 2018 14:14:52 GMT
Yes, best to save time and make your own decision, although I think most would have come up with a vRS based on your criteria. (just not a white diesel!).
Does look good though and sounds ideal for what you want/need and a lot of (warrantied) car for the money.
Was it a wrench to leave the Volvo family?
One of my site managers has a white 5 series and has just ordered a new one (530e) in the same colour. He leaves his hi-vis on and says it’s a very effective lane clearer.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2018 14:43:07 GMT
May you have many happy miles together. Pity about the Volvo, though.
Be needing a new avatar! |
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Post by Roadsterstu on Nov 25, 2018 15:10:08 GMT
I got a much better trade in price than I was expecting and altogether I am really pleased with the deal. I get a newer car which will cost me less per month than the savings I make over the V60, so quids in.
Leaving this particular Volvo isn't such a wrench. For a while I have had mixed feelings about the car. I will miss the performance, the 6 cylinder sound and the AWD, but not the constant nagging feeling something is going break in an expensive way. I will miss the looks, too, as the V60 looks ace. Overall I will be relieved when it's gone and it's been nice to have owned such a daft-quick family car. I may well return to Volvo in the future and still have a lot of like for the brand but this was far from the heyday of Volvos that feel absolutely unbreakable.
I'm really looking forward to owning what will be the third Skoda in current ownership in our family.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2018 15:46:07 GMT
Good luck with it, many enjoyable miles ahead with luck.
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Post by Blarno on Nov 25, 2018 16:44:55 GMT
Very nice. A mate has a white DSG equipped VRS estate that I covet.
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Post by Roadsterstu on Nov 25, 2018 16:55:59 GMT
Originally I wanted the estate as it has a huge boot and would be better in the summer for the dog, who wouldn't be directly under a large pane of glass. However, the boot on the hatch is still massive and we don't take the dog in the car that often. In the summer months I can just get a heavy duty rear seat cover and a transport harness.
I wouldn't mind DSG and, having had the auto, I really appreciate how easy they are in traffic, but there are times when I miss the control and interaction you get with a manual. The gear lever action is light, as is the clutch, anyway.
Wondering about remaps, too. A Revo Stage 1 at £399 increases the 181bhp to 215bhp and 345 lb ft (The T6 is 354 lb ft). Front tyres might not last too long though!
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Post by Big Blue on Nov 25, 2018 17:04:28 GMT
Good family tool that’s less dull than most. I can’t condone diesel purchases but I understand the rationale.
Looks like you’re doing better than my Ducati purchase thus far.
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Post by Roadsterstu on Nov 25, 2018 17:05:56 GMT
Good family tool that’s less dull than most. I can’t condone diesel purchases but I understand the rationale. Looks like you’re doing better than my Ducati purchase thus far. I've not checked in for a while so I have some catching up to do. |
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 25, 2018 17:33:25 GMT
There are many who say that as Volvo has pushed upmarket in pricing, Skoda is the new Volvo. Volvos have never been known for good fuel economy but it's disappointing to read that you feared more big bills. For the past 3 weeks I've been driving around in mum's V70 D5 auto to give it some exercise in preparation for elder daughter taking the car next month, and it's been a very relaxing drive but with plenty of power (and acceleration) when needed. It may be 14 years old but it's been running better than ever IMHO. Strangely enough I was looking on line yesterday at the Karoq and Kodiak which come out at a very similar price when you try to equalise specs, this being brought on my the insurance renewal for the Kuga which was just under £500.... I own't be getting a V60 as the insurance grouping on that is somewhat higher than the Kuga !
I hope that the Skoda lives up to expectations
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Post by Roadsterstu on Nov 25, 2018 17:41:20 GMT
Those V70s are extremely good at doing the "late night drive home after a long day" thing. The one I had was exceptional in that respect, aided by a brilliant audio system with ProLogic surround. The torquey D5 also helped. Plus it would hit 50mpg.
That point you raise, Chris, reminds me of another niggle I always had with this V60. I've had a few Ovlovs now and the V60 had the worst seats of all of them (the 850 and V70 seats were the best). I just could not get comfy in that V60 without an awful lot of faffing about. If Mrs R used it, it would take a fortnight to get the seat right again. I have no idea why but they just didn't work for me. That's a big failing, especially given how famously comfy Volvo seats are. Hopefully the "tombstone" seats in the VRS will be much better. 20 miles in it yesterday never highlighted any lack of comfort.
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Post by Stuntman on Nov 25, 2018 19:57:55 GMT
Well you've had lots of good experiences with the Volvo and I hope you have lots of good future ones with the Skoda  |
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Post by Boxer6 on Nov 25, 2018 20:00:50 GMT
I'm a little bit biased, obviously, but an excellent choice! I still have days where I really regret not being a teeny bit braver and going for the vRS I looked at (which did have DSG, and was very nice to use on the admittedly rather sedate test drive I had of it) but it was 2 years older than mine (and yours!) which I felt was pushing my luck a bit.
Enjoy it, much, just don't expect to see 50mpg very often if you drive it like you'll want to!
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Post by LandieMark on Nov 25, 2018 20:30:47 GMT
Tidy looking car that.
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Post by Alex on Nov 25, 2018 22:11:45 GMT
I think you’ve made a good choice Stu, the current Octavia is a nice car when in a decent spec like that. We’ve had lower range models on our fleet and I they’re so easy and comfortable to drive. The S spec we have as a pool car looks a bit low rent but the styling of the vrs really improves upon that. The performance of the 1.6d I’ve tried was nothing to write home about but that’s not a problem you’ll have to worry about, my Dads previous gen vrs diesel pulled like a train and this gen has more power and less weight so it certainly won’t feel slow.
If I have a criticism of the Octavia it’s that they didn’t give it the electric parking brake that the Golf and Leon got, which is a shame as it makes city driving a lot easier but tbh when that’s the only negative then I’m really just splitting hairs.
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Post by Boxer6 on Nov 25, 2018 22:32:13 GMT
I think you’ve made a good choice Stu, the current Octavia is a nice car when in a decent spec like that. We’ve had lower range models on our fleet and I they’re so easy and comfortable to drive. The S spec we have as a pool car looks a bit low rent but the styling of the vrs really improves upon that. The performance of the 1.6d I’ve tried was nothing to write home about but that’s not a problem you’ll have to worry about, my Dads previous gen vrs diesel pulled like a train and this gen has more power and less weight so it certainly won’t feel slow. If I have a criticism of the Octavia it’s that they didn’t give it the electric parking brake that the Golf and Leon got, which is a shame as it makes city driving a lot easier but tbh when that’s the only negative then I’m really just splitting hairs. On the other hand, my own experience of electric handbrakes has been uniformly negative; they haven't done what (I think) they're supposed to when I want them to do it, and as part of a holdover from Herself's Disco3 I'm very wary of one "letting go" at any time. Daft, I know, as a manual cable-operated one is probably more likely to fail - I've had it happen, in fact - but there we are. Or, there I am. Or something like that. |
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Post by Roadsterstu on Nov 25, 2018 23:10:14 GMT
The VRS has a hill hold function so that will be fine.
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 26, 2018 9:20:49 GMT
If I have a criticism of the Octavia it’s that they didn’t give it the electric parking brake that the Golf and Leon got, which is a shame as it makes city driving a lot easier but tbh when that’s the only negative then I’m really just splitting hairs. On Saturday I took mum's Volvo back (traditional handbrake lever) and drove home in my Kuga. which has a wretched electric handbrake, and had to negotiate a lot of stop-start jams through Guildford. I can tell you that an electric handbrake in slow-moving jams is a complete and utter joke - what's wrong with a good old-fashioned lever? It's so much easier to use and gives you confidence that it's working through the feedback directly to your fingers/palm. You don't have to apply it fully or immediately whereas an electric brake is near-instantaneous and fully applied - so long as it actually responds when you pull the switch. Short pulls sometimes make it activate, other times it doesn't so you have to check the dash every time to see if the red light has come on as that is the only way you know that it has operated. The Kuga's handbrake also releases automatically when you drive away, so long as you apply some movement to the accelerator. So in traffic when you just want to trickle forward by using the clutch, you have to manually operate the switch every time to release the brake, then pause briefly before moving forward to give it time to disengage. I shall try to avoid electric handbrakes if at all possible in the future but sadly I feel that "progress" will dictate that they become the norm :-( |
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Nov 26, 2018 9:35:59 GMT
If I have a criticism of the Octavia it’s that they didn’t give it the electric parking brake that the Golf and Leon got, which is a shame as it makes city driving a lot easier but tbh when that’s the only negative then I’m really just splitting hairs. On Saturday I took mum's Volvo back (traditional handbrake lever) and drove home in my Kuga. which has a wretched electric handbrake, and had to negotiate a lot of stop-start jams through Guildford. I can tell you that an electric handbrake in slow-moving jams is a complete and utter joke - what's wrong with a good old-fashioned lever? It's so much easier to use and gives you confidence that it's working through the feedback directly to your fingers/palm. You don't have to apply it fully or immediately whereas an electric brake is near-instantaneous and fully applied - so long as it actually responds when you pull the switch. Short pulls sometimes make it activate, other times it doesn't so you have to check the dash every time to see if the red light has come on as that is the only way you know that it has operated. The Kuga's handbrake also releases automatically when you drive away, so long as you apply some movement to the accelerator. So in traffic when you just want to trickle forward by using the clutch, you have to manually operate the switch every time to release the brake, then pause briefly before moving forward to give it time to disengage. I shall try to avoid electric handbrakes if at all possible in the future but sadly I feel that "progress" will dictate that they become the norm :-( The Qashqai's electronic handbrake works beautifully. Flick it to apply, move off and it disengages. In stop start traffic the hill hold function operates, no need for a handbrake. The Octavia is a very nice looking car, a friend has one and they make a good private purchase. Many Skoda dealerships were independents before the they were absorbed into the bigger groups and still maintain a good customer service ethos. |
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Post by Alex on Nov 26, 2018 9:44:06 GMT
I shall try to avoid electric handbrakes if at all possible in the future but sadly I feel that "progress" will dictate that they become the norm :-( The Qashqai's electronic handbrake works beautifully. Flick it to apply, move off and it disengages. In stop start traffic the hill hold function operates, no need for a handbrake. The Octavia is a very nice looking car, a friend has one and they make a good private purchase. Many Skoda dealerships were independents before the they were absorbed into the bigger groups and still maintain a good customer service ethos. K My Golf is like Bobs Qashqui, I never have to touch it, it just works using the Hill hold and then engages fully automatically when the ignition is turned off. I suspect the Kuga must have one like my Insignia which was in no way automated and even when the ignition was cut still needed to be set manually. The VAG system is so much better. Hence why I feel it’s a shame the Octavia misses out whilst the Leon and Golf get it. Come on Skoda, you don’t need to pretend to be a budget brand anymore! |
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Post by PetrolEd on Nov 26, 2018 9:44:23 GMT
Can't stand electronic handbreaks. Might be ok with Autos but they're a pain in the ass in a manual.
Nice car Stu, look forward to checking it out.
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 26, 2018 10:22:08 GMT
Can't stand electronic handbreaks. I'm so glad that I'm not alone ! |
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Post by Andy C on Nov 26, 2018 10:28:14 GMT
Looks good stu. Have to arrange a meet to see it
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Post by Martin on Nov 26, 2018 10:41:38 GMT
Auto handbrakes are brilliant. Even with a manual, as long as you have auto hold (my last Passat was a manual with auto hold).
I can see how it could be a pain on a manual without auto hold, especially on a Porsche, as the switch isn’t in the best location either.
Like a lot of things, your view will depend on the quality of execution you’ve experienced.
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Post by Boxer6 on Nov 26, 2018 10:50:52 GMT
The VRS has a hill hold function so that will be fine. Mine has that too - I always forget about it though! |
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Nov 26, 2018 11:03:20 GMT
If Ford are producing cars like the Kuga with an electronic handbrake and no auto hold then that would rule it out for me. They need to go hand in hand.
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Post by Tim on Nov 26, 2018 11:29:50 GMT
Octavia looks nice, even in white.
Just get a set of roof bars for the full lane-clearing effect.
It'll be interesting to see how this goes as I would consider one to replace the 320 next year.
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Post by Roadrunner on Nov 26, 2018 11:44:08 GMT
Looks like an excellent choice. I have always liked the VRS.
The Kuga I rented in Germany had an electric handbrake and I liked it. An easy flick of the switch to set it and then it automatically disengaged when pulling away. Easier than a manual lever required at both ends of the stop-start routine.
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