Skoda Octavia vRS Mk1: PH Carpool
PHer buys a car off the back of a Market Watch and couldn't be happier
Car: 2005 Mk1 Octavia vRS
Owned since: April 2016
Previously owned: Morris Ital 1.3 Estate, Renault 14 Safrane, Ford Escort XR3i, Ford Cortina Estate 1.6 Auto, Audi 80 Sport, Vauxhall Astra Van, Maestro van, Nissan Cherry Europe, Rover 213, Audi 80 Sport (part 2), Audi 90 CD, Sierra 2.0 DOH, Audi 80 Quattro 5-cyl, Sierra 2.0 xr4x4, Discovery 200 tdi, Discovery 3.5 v8, Discovery 300 tdi 94, Discovery 300 tdi 98
"My last Land Rover annoyed me too much! A catalogue of issues arose over Easter (clutch failed) leading to the decision to replace it with something a bit more comfortable, economical - and faster! It just so happens that PH had not long run a market watch on the Octavia, and that was what grabbed my attention. So, the hunt was on for a Mk1 vRS."
What I wish I'd known:
"Not a lot really. I did the usual due diligence checks, read and re-read the PH article, browsed Google (other search engines are available) and even joined Briskoda forums before buying, just to research things a bit more. I knew the 20V engine was prone to, um, issues, so I wanted a decent one with a good history, which I found. It involved a 450-mile round trip to collect it by trailer, but it was definitely worth it."
Things I love:
"How understated it is. There are loads of Octavias used round here as taxis, including a few vRS models, so it kind of blends in a bit (although I haven't seen another Mk1 vRS around here). I do love the induction noise from the 20V, reminds me of the noise my old 80 quattro used to make (that was a five-pot). The economy is fantastic too (it was LPG converted from new by the first owner) averaging 34mpg commuting on gas, and 41mpg on super unleaded - but with the power to surprise when required. The size of the boot - it's enormous, even bigger than my Disco was, so I can get everything in that I need (bit of a family and friend's a mechanic so need room for tools, jacks, axle stands etc)"
"Not a lot so far. I may invest in the cruise control upgrade with parts from a Mk4 Golf, as my right ankle can suffer a bit on a long motorway run, and personally I reckon the climatronic controls are too low so can't easily be seen without looking down from the road. The white/cream of the interior gets dirty easily, so needs almost constant attention - I am on the lookout for a decent Mk4 Golf/Audi A3 set of black leather seats and will tuck the originals in the attic."
Costs:
"Quite reasonable so far. Fuel is cheap when using the LPG (55.9p/litre) and I can get about 300 miles from that. Only other expenses so far have been a service kit, set of coil packs (common problem) and a set of wiper blades. I have purchased some new genuine shocks from my local TPS (reasonable at £37 each plus vat) as the front end is a bit soft and floaty, not surprising as it's done 150k miles.
"Insurance is reasonable at just over £350 fully comp with Swinton (helps being "just over 40" with 20 odd years of NCB)"
"So far quite a few places. The first two weeks saw a trip to Aldershot to see friends and Peterborough for truck fest. We have also been up to Stafford a few time visiting, and down to Weymouth and Lyme Regis one Bank Holiday for a day trip - adding over 2,000 miles since buying it!"
What next?
"This one's a keeper (for now) as I am still in the honeymoon period. Once the Mk2s start to drop, I may think about one, although at the moment I am quite happy to hold on to this one. I am also planning to keep it standard, not really into the modifying scene these days, although a good standard sounding stainless exhaust will replace the current original one when it falls off (previous owner had already replaced the back box). The audio system will get an upgrade to a double-DIN Android unit next year, to replace my current flip screen (I have kept the original tape deck, and the boot mounted CD changer). Only other issues are the bodywork has few areas of surface rust to sort (back of sills, stone chips on bonnet and around the LPG filler), mechanically it has had a small fortune spent on its upkeep by previous owners.
"Other than that - keep enjoying the commute to work and back (plus any excuse to go out in it!)"
Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at carpool@pistonheads.com!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff