RE: Skoda Octavia vRS prices announced
Discussion
ZesPak said:
Right, we can do this all day but I don't see how you want to compare a car that's almost as big as a Fabia with an Octavia. The 28k vRS we are talking about hereis the 220hp vRS.
Both cars are completely different and even if you think the trim on a 1 series is so much better, and it's less dull, you still pay 15% more to have a vastly smaller car (boot volume is HALF that of the skoda), that's a bit slower. Both are facts. "dull to drive" "not that nice inside" "badge" are all opinions. I'll counter that with "looks", in which the 1-series has a serious problem.
Back to the badge, we really want to do this? When I see someone in a vRS I think: ah, they bought that car because it's the right car for them. I'll bet you a lot of money that most of the 120 drivers bought the 120 because it's a BMW rather than it's the right car for them. In that aspect, imho, the Skoda badge is a much better one.
You'd have to really need the over-sized Octavia boot to want one - they're within a couple of grand of the Golf GTI and BMW 125i - interior space is roughly the same in all of them - it's just that the Octavia has a disproportionally large boot.Both cars are completely different and even if you think the trim on a 1 series is so much better, and it's less dull, you still pay 15% more to have a vastly smaller car (boot volume is HALF that of the skoda), that's a bit slower. Both are facts. "dull to drive" "not that nice inside" "badge" are all opinions. I'll counter that with "looks", in which the 1-series has a serious problem.
Back to the badge, we really want to do this? When I see someone in a vRS I think: ah, they bought that car because it's the right car for them. I'll bet you a lot of money that most of the 120 drivers bought the 120 because it's a BMW rather than it's the right car for them. In that aspect, imho, the Skoda badge is a much better one.
The current Octavia isn't a good car - it's an OK car, but it's not a step forward for Skoda - the price is too high and the new Seat equivalent looks much more 'premium'. The boot may be smaller - but few people buy a performance hatch based on boot size - and those who need a massive boot are probably not buying based on performance.
You say fit and finish are personal opinion - but the Elegance with alcantara and 'leather' has more vinyl in it than leather - only very small strips of real cow have been used on the seats. It's very low rent - as are the hard plastic door cards - where the competition have padded fabric or leather panels.
I'm struggling with the idea that an Octavia is now more expensive than the equivalent Focus.
JimPetrol said:
but few people buy a performance hatch based on boot size - and those who need a massive boot are probably not buying based on performance.
Yes, I too always thought the RS6 Avant, E63 AMG and M5 Touring were aimed at nobody. 
Massive assumptions there.
To be clear, I wasn't saying this Skoda seems great value for money, I was just amused by the fact that you said "makes my 120d at 32k look like a bargain".
New cars are expensive, for the practicality and performance this brings, it's not overpriced.
Like anyone with small kids who wants something sporty?
There is way more space in the back than in a Focus and as said the boot is brilliant. When I got mine it was around £10k cheaper than a Golf GTI with the same sort of trim levels. That's a lot of money.
You seem to be trying really hard to justify spending the extra on a BMW. Comparing a rental spec 1.4 to the pricing of the top of the range vRS as an example. This obsession with soft touch plastics is a bit of mystery to me though. As long as the bits I actually touch feel nice and solid and reliable and the layout is ok then it's fine. I spend all my time driving the car looking out the windows not the stitching on the dash.
There is way more space in the back than in a Focus and as said the boot is brilliant. When I got mine it was around £10k cheaper than a Golf GTI with the same sort of trim levels. That's a lot of money.
You seem to be trying really hard to justify spending the extra on a BMW. Comparing a rental spec 1.4 to the pricing of the top of the range vRS as an example. This obsession with soft touch plastics is a bit of mystery to me though. As long as the bits I actually touch feel nice and solid and reliable and the layout is ok then it's fine. I spend all my time driving the car looking out the windows not the stitching on the dash.
The Elegance isn't base spec, it's the top trim level and a lot of the touch surfaces do feel cheap in the current car. Remember, this is the new Octavia and it's a step backwards from the previous car from what I've seen.
I don't need to justify the cost of my BMW as it was specced to max out a budget set to buy me a 5 series, but I didn't need anything that big.
But I'm sure Skoda will sell loads to people who spend the next few years trying to convince everyone they got a cut price Audi.
I don't need to justify the cost of my BMW as it was specced to max out a budget set to buy me a 5 series, but I didn't need anything that big.
But I'm sure Skoda will sell loads to people who spend the next few years trying to convince everyone they got a cut price Audi.
JimPetrol said:
But I'm sure Skoda will sell loads to people who spend the next few years trying to convince everyone they got a cut price Audi.
You just can't leave it alone, can you? I've yet to meet the first Skoda owner who likes to have his car compared to an Audi.People buy an Audi because it's an Audi, BMW sells great because it's BMW.
Skoda sells because it provides good value for money, as far as new cars go.
JimPetrol said:
But I'm sure Skoda will sell loads to people who spend the next few years trying to convince everyone they got a cut price Audi.
I really think you're applying badge snobbery (and/or your own reasons to buy) to a product bought by people who may have different priorities than yours.I wouldn't spend £32k on a 120d, but if it works for you, it's the main thing.
Conversely, I think spending around £10k less (after discount) on a Octavia is a pretty smart move, considering how large/well built they are.
Each to their own.
nickfrog said:
I really think you're applying badge snobbery (and/or your own reasons to buy) to a product bought by people who may have different priorities than yours.
I wouldn't spend £32k on a 120d, but it it works for you, it's the main thing.
Conversely, I think spending around £10k less (after discount) on a Octavia is a pretty smart move, considering how large/well built they are.
Each to their own.
It's not so much badge snobbery - it's Skoda trying to sell a budget car at mainstream prices. When a vRS costs more than a Focus ST, you know something has gone very wrong with their pricing strategy - especially when the fit and finish of the new Octavia has moved downmarket.I wouldn't spend £32k on a 120d, but it it works for you, it's the main thing.
Conversely, I think spending around £10k less (after discount) on a Octavia is a pretty smart move, considering how large/well built they are.
Each to their own.
The perspective and my comparison is the hire Octavia I had (and drove for around 4-5k miles, so I actually know what a new Octavia is like to live with) - it's priced within 500 quid of the Focus Zetec S (which has 40bhp more power), and the equivalently powered A3 Sportback SE.
The Octavia is always put in the same category as the Golf and Focus, but it is a fair bit bigger.
I had a poke around at Goodwood yesterday and thought they looked smart, and I am impressed with the quality.
I don't think you can do much better for a sensible family wagon, especially as there are fewer petrol engine choices these days that either aren't gutless, or too expensive to run. Everyone chooses the diesel option in medium size cars and up. I expect everyone here will and the diesel will outnumber the petrol significantly, but at least there is the choice (new, anyway!)
I had a poke around at Goodwood yesterday and thought they looked smart, and I am impressed with the quality.
I don't think you can do much better for a sensible family wagon, especially as there are fewer petrol engine choices these days that either aren't gutless, or too expensive to run. Everyone chooses the diesel option in medium size cars and up. I expect everyone here will and the diesel will outnumber the petrol significantly, but at least there is the choice (new, anyway!)
I've had 3 Octavia hatchbacks (all Elegance spec) from 2001 and covered about 400,000 miles in them with no problems. I'm having an estate next and have driven the new car and it certainly is a step up the ladder using the most up to date kit and engine (Euro 6) as opposed to the hand me downs from Audi and VW in the past. The Co2 output from the 2.0 150bhp Diesel engine is now lower then at the equivalent Passat and with 10bhp more - I was looking at a Passat as its a company motor and the CO2 figures play a big part in teh cost to me and I assuem the engines would be older spec and therefore higher CO2, which is great as I dont really like the Passat. To add I had a Gold for 3 years before that and they are tiny in comparison - a big bag and the boot is full.
The price has gone up but then most cars in this bracket are in excess of £20k - even the Kias are on a par which is a big change from a few years back. The one I'm looking at is around £22k (estate so around £1500 premium to the hatch) as opposed to my current hatch of circa £16,500.
The recent Auto Express tests put the Octavia above the new Golf which must have hurt VW's pride, although a sale either way is a sale for VWG.
FFG
The price has gone up but then most cars in this bracket are in excess of £20k - even the Kias are on a par which is a big change from a few years back. The one I'm looking at is around £22k (estate so around £1500 premium to the hatch) as opposed to my current hatch of circa £16,500.
The recent Auto Express tests put the Octavia above the new Golf which must have hurt VW's pride, although a sale either way is a sale for VWG.
FFG
Edited by FlipFlopGriff on Friday 12th July 13:24
JimPetrol said:
It's not so much badge snobbery - it's Skoda trying to sell a budget car at mainstream prices. When a vRS costs more than a Focus ST, you know something has gone very wrong with their pricing strategy - especially when the fit and finish of the new Octavia has moved downmarket.
The perspective and my comparison is the hire Octavia I had (and drove for around 4-5k miles, so I actually know what a new Octavia is like to live with) - it's priced within 500 quid of the Focus Zetec S (which has 40bhp more power), and the equivalently powered A3 Sportback SE.
Oh but it is a budget car, see where you're still comparing it with hatchbacks, the Octavia is actually the size of a mid-size saloon. We're talking Passat, A4 territory here, at prices of much smaller cars.The perspective and my comparison is the hire Octavia I had (and drove for around 4-5k miles, so I actually know what a new Octavia is like to live with) - it's priced within 500 quid of the Focus Zetec S (which has 40bhp more power), and the equivalently powered A3 Sportback SE.
To put this in perspective: the A3 is 4.3m, as is the Focus. The Octavia is over 4.6m. It's bigger than the Focus Estate, and about 2" short of an A4.
Same applies for the Superb, sub-passat pricing for A6 size.
lufbramatt said:
Also the VRS will have independant rear suspension and different spring/damper rates as well as bigger brakes etc that will change the driving experience from a base spec one sisgnificantly I'd expect.
Most of those options are not needed IMO, only ones I'd consider are leather and the maxi-dot.
And- who ever pays full price for a new car?
I'm going to be waiting 2-3 years for these to hit the 2nd hand market though.
No need with the 20% discount offers (assuming they extend it to the new Octavia)Most of those options are not needed IMO, only ones I'd consider are leather and the maxi-dot.
And- who ever pays full price for a new car?
I'm going to be waiting 2-3 years for these to hit the 2nd hand market though.
http://www.skoda.co.uk/finance/finance-offers/no-v...
I test drove this at the Goodwood Motor Circuit on Sunday.
The engine felt very torquey, more so than my 2010 VRS (TFSI, DSG). They've improved the tech (particularly the nav/computer unit which has lots of car as well as media controls), standard rear seats aren't as good though (material felt cheaper, I would go for the leather upgrade myself).
Looks great on the outside, goes really well, whether it is good value or not depends on which options you go for, and as to whether other manufacturers have them as standard.
FWIW, they had a one-off 400BHP 4x4 Octavia VRS at the motor circuit with "Brand new suspension designed by Audi". I didn't get a go in it, there was a little competition and someone else won
The engine felt very torquey, more so than my 2010 VRS (TFSI, DSG). They've improved the tech (particularly the nav/computer unit which has lots of car as well as media controls), standard rear seats aren't as good though (material felt cheaper, I would go for the leather upgrade myself).
Looks great on the outside, goes really well, whether it is good value or not depends on which options you go for, and as to whether other manufacturers have them as standard.
FWIW, they had a one-off 400BHP 4x4 Octavia VRS at the motor circuit with "Brand new suspension designed by Audi". I didn't get a go in it, there was a little competition and someone else won
I think someone broke the 400bhp car because it had it's bonnet up after my run and no one went out from my group.
The regular one certainly went very well and actually sounded pretty good from within the car as it was virtually silent when you were watching from the sidelines. As an event it was fun but I didn't really get a feel for the car in the real world. Goodwood is bit fast flowing to get a real idea of performance (I was in 3rd/4th all the time).
It certainly didn't feel like a backwards step from the current model.
The regular one certainly went very well and actually sounded pretty good from within the car as it was virtually silent when you were watching from the sidelines. As an event it was fun but I didn't really get a feel for the car in the real world. Goodwood is bit fast flowing to get a real idea of performance (I was in 3rd/4th all the time).
It certainly didn't feel like a backwards step from the current model.
Having played around on the configurator I think the new one has more standard spec.
The 18's are standard, as are Xenons. You had to pay for both of those before.
Glad they've got rid of the stupid while seat sections too.
I'll be taking delivery of a Race Blue Estate, TDi, manual in May next year.
Can't wait.
The 18's are standard, as are Xenons. You had to pay for both of those before.
Glad they've got rid of the stupid while seat sections too.
I'll be taking delivery of a Race Blue Estate, TDi, manual in May next year.
Can't wait.
Beefmeister said:
Having played around on the configurator I think the new one has more standard spec.
The 18's are standard, as are Xenons. You had to pay for both of those before.
Glad they've got rid of the stupid while seat sections too.
I'll be taking delivery of a Race Blue Estate, TDi, manual in May next year.
Can't wait.
I can't see the VRS on the configurator? Am I being blind?The 18's are standard, as are Xenons. You had to pay for both of those before.
Glad they've got rid of the stupid while seat sections too.
I'll be taking delivery of a Race Blue Estate, TDi, manual in May next year.
Can't wait.
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