Page 1 of Skoda?

Not exactly seasonal but I`ll have to look at changing the car very shortly.
Anyone on here drive an Octavia or even the estate version care to offer any opinions or even suggest alternatives.
Although it`s looking favourite at the moment it`ll largely be down to best deals available and what`s cheapest to run.

Snaps

Every Third Car

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I used to be with it, but then they changed what `it` was.
Now, what I`m with isn`t it, and what`s `it` seems weird and scary

We have Skoda Scouts which are the 4 wheel drive estate cars as Rapid Reponse Vehicles, and are just getting the newer version with the flappy paddle gear change. They are awesome to drive, reliable, comfy but a little pricey now.

Quote:
Skoda Rapid Reponse Vehicles
Yey, four gears in reverse

For me and my work mates Skoda`s name has always been a joke, ever since one of our guys had the brassneck to turn up in the staff carpark with one, he was the butt of jokes for a year.

MORALE ........Stick to decent makes of cars that are not made fun of.

EDIT..Wife saw this and told me it is to negative being so close to Xmas and all, so here goes.....

Forgive me, Bah Humbug !  

This item was edited on Sunday, 18th December 2011, 12:27

I think you need to check your history Bandicoot.
Skoda are now essentially re-badged Volkswagen and a long way from the `just lacking the handles` wheelbarrow jokes.

Snaps

Every Third Car

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I used to be with it, but then they changed what `it` was.
Now, what I`m with isn`t it, and what`s `it` seems weird and scary

As you well know, the Octavia is pretty much the PH of choice but tbh, I wouldn`t.
Couple of mates have them and non stop issues, one of whom seems to get a new problem every time something else is done.
(example: Last night he rings to ask me how to get the heater blower going again, turns out his fan is dying rapidly.... his timing belt was just done last week and now this....)

They`re rated as being cheap to run but apart from their MPG they are very far from it.
Volume parts sales helps but a steering rack on an older model (the rounded back end one) is about £150, the newer one (squared, more linear back end) jumps to nearly £300, both basically Golf steering racks rebadged.

If you get a good one then you get a good one but most of the guys I know have had reasonably major repairs done cos they`re not as bullet-proof as made out.

Very hard to say what to go for these days PH but I always fancied getting one of those 8 seater VW mini-bus style things.
That new Hyundai (the big rounded 8 seater) is fair grabbing a name for itself.
The Sharan/Alahmbra as usual gets good reports, the newer version that looks like the Galaxy too.

Another well used one up here is those wee Transit Tourneo/Connect things.
The ones that have the small front cabin and the square back end, most of the Airport ones are those and they run as Hacks out of Renfrewshire.

Dunno if that helps or confuses but really hope you get something good reasonably cheap soon mate, and have a good one over the period.

Jimbo : oÞ

"There`s that word again... is there a problem with the Earth`s gravitational pull in the future?"

I can only speak about the diesel.

My one was an SDI saloon for cabbing and it was bomb proof. Ran it on 80% bio-diesel (EN 14214) from the local chemical company and it marched on like a trooper, passed every MOT and the emissions were hardly recordable (technically it should have been in the £0 per year road tax band, 0.09 1/m) as I remember. The only reason it went was because some twonk smashed it 

It went to the big scrapyard in the sky with just over 355k on the original lump!

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"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."
- Christopher Reeve (1953-2004)

i can vouch for the Octavia Scout, easily capable of double the speed limit, standard they are 140bhp, but capable of 190bhp!

I`ve got no problem with Skoda in terms of build/reliability.
My problem is that every single car in their range is pot ugly (IMO of course)
Many people wonder why buyers plump for a more expensive VW, when it`s essentially the same car.
IMO, it`s just down to the fact a VW has more pleasant styling.

This item was edited on Monday, 19th December 2011, 14:26

A word of caution, though, stay away from the 3 cylinder VW engine, I know of two people local to me who have had disastrous failures of these engines, in one case (in a Skoda) the timing chain tensioner broke, the chain jumped several teeth, and the pistons clouted the valves and wrecked the cylinder head (£2000 repair bill), and the other (in a Seat) had a sheared oil pump drive, which totaled the big ends and main bearings (£1550 for this job).  Regards, Iain.

Thanks for the input guys.
Surprised at yourmates experiences Jimbo I thought they had a good rep. Maybe new with all the warranties would be the way to go with expense like that on the horizon.
Don`t want an 8 seater bus, wouldn`t pay the way my company works.
Although I don`t mind the look of the Skoda compared to the VW I do draw the line at one of those biscuit tin Connect thingys.

I`ll post up when I do eventually change.

Snaps

Every Third Car

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I used to be with it, but then they changed what `it` was.
Now, what I`m with isn`t it, and what`s `it` seems weird and scary