RE: Skoda Octavia vRS 230 Estate: PH Fleet
Discussion
dollyboy said:
I can't comment on the latest Cupra or GTI, but I used to have a 2008 Leon Cupra and the handling was in a different league to our vRS, but of course our diesel doesn't have the clever diff of the 230, and more weight over the front end.
We had the 225 brand new and that thing was just as good as the 340i, that's what makes me wonder about the Octavia Uncle John said:
dollyboy said:
Oh and why can't VAG make the sat nav accept Uk postcodes? Surely that's what most people want to use.
You can, when you go to address screen there is a touch button on the bottom of the screen that says postcode. Press that. My 230 is 2000 miles old and I love it. Fast, comfy and it will pootle along quite happily if you are not in a rush. The fuel economy is all over the shop 28-34mpg from a tank, the engine feels tight still but staying in a lower gear and heading into the 5-7k rev range suits the car. Super-unleaded seems to suit the car, but it at that price it should. The Vrs mode feels better especially the diff, and I like the exhaust tone even if it's a tad synthetic. The engine feels like it has more ummph than 230ps it feels much more lively than the 220 model I test drove.
The image seems very positive lots of people like it, surprisingly the teenagers at work have called it a "Sweet Whip"🙂.
I paid 24k for mine and still feel it's good value, some of the finishing and the plastics are a little cheap, but if I cared about that stuff I would have got a better finished smaller and slower Golf or Audi. The Seat Leon ST Cupra was tempting, but the deals at the time weren't as good. It wasn't as nice inside. Shopping around seems to be the key, I went through Car Wow but I couldn't find anything as good for a family and that quick for the the money I paid at the time.When my PCP is up, unless the new model is 280bhp+ and four wheel drive I will get a Revo map, but at the moment it feels like a keeper.
Unfortunately it needs a new screen after a big stone impact and a set of 18" winter wheels is going to be over a grand.
I've enjoyed James' comments and I'm really interested to see where Skoda will go (or be allowed to go) with the next model.
The image seems very positive lots of people like it, surprisingly the teenagers at work have called it a "Sweet Whip"🙂.
I paid 24k for mine and still feel it's good value, some of the finishing and the plastics are a little cheap, but if I cared about that stuff I would have got a better finished smaller and slower Golf or Audi. The Seat Leon ST Cupra was tempting, but the deals at the time weren't as good. It wasn't as nice inside. Shopping around seems to be the key, I went through Car Wow but I couldn't find anything as good for a family and that quick for the the money I paid at the time.When my PCP is up, unless the new model is 280bhp+ and four wheel drive I will get a Revo map, but at the moment it feels like a keeper.
Unfortunately it needs a new screen after a big stone impact and a set of 18" winter wheels is going to be over a grand.
I've enjoyed James' comments and I'm really interested to see where Skoda will go (or be allowed to go) with the next model.
McAndy said:
Excellent. Just the car to replace my Mk2 facelift petrol hatch in a few years time. However, without those horrible wheels!
I did exactly this today. Signed a deal to replace my Race Blue FL TSI with a Race Blue TSI DSG with most of the options list ticked and the nicer 18" Gemini wheels. Felt like a big leap forward in terms of tech and was very smooth. Monday can't come soon enough...!@James Drake - Canton was only a £500 option. Sounds lovely though and definitely worth the money, I believe having Columbus makes it sound better too as you get some more options with surround sound etc.
James Drake said:
havoc said:
...be interested to hear how your experience started and evolved in more detail, if you wouldn't mind?
Our car went from averaging about 27mpg for the first 1,500 miles to about 34 - 36mpg after our track day! Obviously MPG figures are tricky because it depends on driving style, the type of journey etc but that's my experience. We also never found excessive wind noise to be a problem on our test car. I wonder if there is inconsistency in the manufacturing process or if the door / window seals are sensitive to how they've been installed? One thing I did notice was a slight increase at higher speeds after we had a new screen fitted following a large stone chip, but again this was fairly minor (you had to listen for it)
With regards to the ride, that's also an interesting one as we found the ride was a bit brittle at low speed but as expected (for what is effectively a hot hatch) once up to speed. Out of interest is your car a hatch back or estate? Also, what brand of tyres are fitted to it? When you say the handing felt heavy were you using the vRS driving mode? I only ask as this setting makes the steering much heavier - and as such we never used our car in that mode.
JD
Wind noise - I wondered if it was the mirrors, but seals makes more sense. Odd for there to be that sort of mfg/ass'y variance on a modern car, esp. VAG.
Ride - if anything I thought it didn't really improve at high speeds - maybe just my expectation that modern (European) perf'ce cars are designed around the N'ring and Autobahns, so should seem most at home c.100mph...
My car is a hatch running 19" P-Zero's - and by "heavy" I didn't mean the steering (I did try all driving modes and individual, normal felt the most natural all-round to be honest), I meant the overall body-behaviour on the road, i.e. the combination of springs/dampers/steering/unsprung weight. The vRS is very similar in size to the FD2 - vRS a smidge longer and 100-150kg heavier, depending on the source for the kerb weight. But despite very responsive initial turn-in*, it feels a LOT heavier on the road - the FD2 despite stiff springs has a degree of 'breathing' with the road (OK, it'll never be an Elise, but that general vibe, at least until the surface becomes really uneven - it feels like it moves around underneath you, but never truly deflects from line), while the Octavia feels more like an old-school big-Audi S/RS type of ride - 'steamrollering' the road to ensure contact/security. My gut feel is that it's a combination of too-heavy alloys mullering the unsprung weight, combined with cheap dampers that don't work well in combination with the springs and the extra unsprung weight they're being asked to handle.
The FD2 also feels very old-school throttle-steerable - diff OR tail-end depending on whether the throttle's travelling down or up!
The vRS, even in ESC Sport, just felt VAG-stable (I didn't dare bung it in on the brakes in the first few hundred miles), and as you say the diff's effect is more subtle...it definitely IS there, though, which is nice.My honest view (after only 450 miles) is that the vRS-230 is a few select mods away from being a really good all-rounder:-
- Lightweight 18" alloys
- Good aftermarket dampers - Bilstein B6's might work well, as a fixed-rate example.
- A revisit of the geometry
- A remap to the engine (and the diff-mapping)
- A proper sports exhaust
* Think they've over-done the geometry to achieve this as the car felt more keen to wander from the straight ahead than anything else I've driven except a Caterham.
dollyboy said:
One silly little thing that irritates me is the throttle pedal, it seems they use the same pedal in the manual and dsg, to save money, so the manual still has a switch at the bottom of its travel which would be used for kickdown. The switch actuation is very noticeable and just feels wrong in a manual where it has no function.
Ah, that's why there's a kickdown feel at the bottom of the pedal travel! I wondered what the point was. I can't say it bothers me that much but I do feel exactly what you mean.Surprised you're only getting 40mpg. I get 40mpg in the petrol on a gentle long run.
Uncle John said:
dollyboy said:
Oh and why can't VAG make the sat nav accept Uk postcodes? Surely that's what most people want to use.
You can, when you go to address screen there is a touch button on the bottom of the screen that says postcode. Press that. blearyeyedboy said:
James Drake said:
Clearly it was more than just us convinced by the Skoda's abilities over the past six months, as several of you have told us that you have taken the plunge and bought one for yourself.
Ta muchly! 
(220 rather than 230 but happy customer!)
dollyboy said:
One silly little thing that irritates me is the throttle pedal, it seems they use the same pedal in the manual and dsg, to save money, so the manual still has a switch at the bottom of its travel which would be used for kickdown. The switch actuation is very noticeable and just feels wrong in a manual where it has no function.
It overrides the speed limiter function without having to turn it off. Just like every other manual on the planet with a speed limiter. I initially looked at the Octy 230 before my current GTI PP (same diff etc). By the time I'd factored in a very large CarWow discount (I have a referral code if anyone wants), I couldn't buy an Octavia 230 or a Leon Cupra as cheaply as the Golf!
And very happy with it I am too. Went for a DSG with the adaptive suspension and a few other bits. Lovely motor to live with, goes well and has genuinely fantastic, useful kit fitted.
And very happy with it I am too. Went for a DSG with the adaptive suspension and a few other bits. Lovely motor to live with, goes well and has genuinely fantastic, useful kit fitted.
rob.e said:
Shame Skoda UK no longer list this model - it really will be a struggle to come up with a suitable replacement when the time comes. Yes there is a superb with 280ps and haldex but it's 33k ffs!
Damn, the 230 would have been perfect. Looks like SUK have stopped listing the DSG TDI 4x4 too 
I've done 55,000 miles now in my 2014 VRS Petrol Estate (220).
It's been a great car. I've been all over the UK in it, and down to southern France a couple of times. It's never missed a beat.
Economy wise I can average 38mpg if I drive like a saint, 40+ on a long motorway run, but any spirited driving will see around 22-27mpg.
It's a fast practical affordable car. It isn't as dynamic as my previous Golf GTI's but I had other criteria in mind when I bought it and wanted a compromise.
Canton sound system is great btw.
It's been a great car. I've been all over the UK in it, and down to southern France a couple of times. It's never missed a beat.
Economy wise I can average 38mpg if I drive like a saint, 40+ on a long motorway run, but any spirited driving will see around 22-27mpg.
It's a fast practical affordable car. It isn't as dynamic as my previous Golf GTI's but I had other criteria in mind when I bought it and wanted a compromise.
Canton sound system is great btw.
cbmotorsport said:
Economy wise I can average 38mpg if I drive like a saint, 40+ on a long motorway run, but any spirited driving will see around 22-27mpg.
You see, this is what frustrates me about all the modern turbo-petrols. They LIE! And because of the bloody EU Combined Cycle rules and every mfr having to game the system, we don't have any choice anymore - it's all turbo'd I-4's.- the official economy is great, but you need to drive it like a diesel to get anywhere close, so you may as well get a diesel.
- you thrash them as you want to a performance car and they drink like Ollie Reed - actually worse than the previous generation!
Becs' old Mk5 Golf GTi - 200bhp turbo-4 which delivered mid-30s on a run / driven gently, or delivered c.30mpg if driven in a manner more fitting of a hot hatch.
My 220+bhp FD2 Civic - 28/29mpg enthusiastically, 33-35mpg on a run.
...which means with the old cars there's little penalty to enjoying them, but with the modern stuff you lose 30-40% of your 'saintly' economy.
havoc said:
cbmotorsport said:
Economy wise I can average 38mpg if I drive like a saint, 40+ on a long motorway run, but any spirited driving will see around 22-27mpg.
You see, this is what frustrates me about all the modern turbo-petrols. They LIE! And because of the bloody EU Combined Cycle rules and every mfr having to game the system, we don't have any choice anymore - it's all turbo'd I-4's.- the official economy is great, but you need to drive it like a diesel to get anywhere close, so you may as well get a diesel.
- you thrash them as you want to a performance car and they drink like Ollie Reed - actually worse than the previous generation!
Becs' old Mk5 Golf GTi - 200bhp turbo-4 which delivered mid-30s on a run / driven gently, or delivered c.30mpg if driven in a manner more fitting of a hot hatch.
My 220+bhp FD2 Civic - 28/29mpg enthusiastically, 33-35mpg on a run.
...which means with the old cars there's little penalty to enjoying them, but with the modern stuff you lose 30-40% of your 'saintly' economy.
JD
I've had a Meteor Grey 230 DSG estate since since May this year, following 12 months with a diesel DSG version. Much prefer the petrol and the small running cost deficit is a price well worth paying IMO - it really is a superb engine for a 4 pot.
Put on 7,500 miles to date and they do get better. Mileage is fine for the performance - I average low 30's and get up to 38 on a run in drive mode.
My only gripe is the DSG, it hangs on to each gear too long in sport mode even if you back off the throttle and it's too lazy in drive mode. Also I really dislike the 'fart' which is rather embarrassing. With an 8 speed, or even 7, it would be cracking.
Otherwise it's a fine, suprisingly fast, machine, very practical and excellent value. It's my third Skoda after several Audis (poor) and two Legacy's which I absolutely loved and would have continued with until Subaru lost their way.
Another gripe is no CD slot like my previous VRS - they don't tell you that!
Not much difference between the electronic diff and VAQ, but noticeable when you really pile into a corner, but not worth the extra outlay on its own IMO.
Put on 7,500 miles to date and they do get better. Mileage is fine for the performance - I average low 30's and get up to 38 on a run in drive mode.
My only gripe is the DSG, it hangs on to each gear too long in sport mode even if you back off the throttle and it's too lazy in drive mode. Also I really dislike the 'fart' which is rather embarrassing. With an 8 speed, or even 7, it would be cracking.
Otherwise it's a fine, suprisingly fast, machine, very practical and excellent value. It's my third Skoda after several Audis (poor) and two Legacy's which I absolutely loved and would have continued with until Subaru lost their way.
Another gripe is no CD slot like my previous VRS - they don't tell you that!
Not much difference between the electronic diff and VAQ, but noticeable when you really pile into a corner, but not worth the extra outlay on its own IMO.
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