RE: 2025 Skoda Octavia vRS Estate | UK Review

[Lotobear]

I had a couple of these are they were great in a dull but worthy sort of way - my last one was a VRS 230 and prior to that the VRS diesel, both with the DSG box.

The front end looks a bit of a fussy mess to my eye, but the rear has improved.

A decent daily steer but a bit generic these days. Hate the Ipad on the dash

[Bobupndown]

Diesel 4x4 would definitely have interested me more, sad times that we can't pick what we actually want.

[Zero Fuchs]

ex-devonpaul said:

Of course if you're talking company car and tax breaks subsidised from mum's lost winter fuel allowance then yes, probably chaper to run.

[Highway Star]

Lotobear said:

I had a couple of these are they were great in a dull but worthy sort of way

Exactly what I think about mine. I've had my mk3 manual diesel estate vRS for nine years now and its done 133k. Only thing I've needed to change has been the cambelt/water pump and the brakes, even the battery is still the original. £35 a year VED, 50mpg+ everywhere. It's cost me 30p a mile to run including depreciation. I like the way it looks, find the driving position to be one of the best in any car I've driven and for a medium sized car it's load space and passenger space is great. Its showing its age a little, but takes everything that's thrown at it/into it - it is now mainly used as a bike carrier for me and my son/winter car/camping/tip run/work car for site visits - its performance is reasonable and good enough for these jobs. The only down side is being a Euro5 diesel (if it were a month newer it'd be Euro6), its now not ULEZ compliant but we have other cars that are.

Is it the most exciting car I've driven? No, but its possibly been the best all round car for daily use I've ever owned and looking at cars to do a similar job, I can't justify sinking £25-£30k into a replacement when the £5k car I have sat outside does the job.

[Dingu]

GTEYE said:

Chicken Chaser said:

GTEYE said:

But in the real world, is 22mpg as tested that appealing? Yes you can get much better with restraint but the real hero of the vRS range was the TDi 4x4 - that’s the car that made most sense to most people.

The comment in the article about not being a hybrid affecting its fleet appeal - No sorry, unless it’s an EV fleet sales will be close to zero - thank the tax rules for that!

Does a 55mpg diesel cause less emissions than a 22mpg petrol?

Well, according to the official stats, yes the diesel has lower emissions.

The removal of diesel is part of the green “agenda” and Skoda are doing what they need to do to avoid the fines, but they served a pretty useful part of the market.

Doing a quick Autotrader search on the Octavia vRS of all ages suggests a pretty much 50/50 split petrol to diesel…so clearly someone was buying them.

Maybe research what diesels put out their tail pipe so you look less silly.

[fflump]

Getting 22 mpg out of a 2L 4 cylinder engine is a good effort-must have been very spirited driving.

To me its's hard to see the market for the vRS. It'll not be popular as a fleet or company car given CO2.

As a new private purchase it will be expensive on fuel and depreciation without the type of performance that a prospective vRS driver would want relative to alternatives.

On the plus side there seems to be significant discounts on new though I'm not sure if this would be a pre-facelift model.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202411256...

[Maccmike8]

If it's been caned chasing cars 22mpg is great. A stty EV (all EVs being stty) would need charging after 30mins.

[The Driving God]

bigyoungdave said:

Can't think of a better way to get something new, practical and fast enough that dips under the 40k luxury tax bracket. I can look past the tacky wheels and slightly cheap looking touchscreen, I'd get over that quite quickly. Half the price of an electric macan

Not sure what an electric macan has to do with a Skoda.
Why not compare it to a bog standard Rolls Royce Phantom because you could buy at least 10 of these Skoda's with options for less than one Phantom.

[Zedboy]

I ran a launch vRS 245 estate for 2 years. Splendid car though I always regretted not paying for the (hideously more expensive) alcantara as base cloth terribly cheap and nasty.

Manual was excellent as the 7 speed auto was always one second behind me... might be tempted back for a luminous green machine!

[Rich Boy Spanner]

GTEYE said:

Chicken Chaser said:

GTEYE said:

But in the real world, is 22mpg as tested that appealing? Yes you can get much better with restraint but the real hero of the vRS range was the TDi 4x4 - that’s the car that made most sense to most people.

The comment in the article about not being a hybrid affecting its fleet appeal - No sorry, unless it’s an EV fleet sales will be close to zero - thank the tax rules for that!

Does a 55mpg diesel cause less emissions than a 22mpg petrol?

Well, according to the official stats, yes the diesel has lower emissions.

The removal of diesel is part of the green “agenda” and Skoda are doing what they need to do to avoid the fines, but they served a pretty useful part of the market.

Doing a quick Autotrader search on the Octavia vRS of all ages suggests a pretty much 50/50 split petrol to diesel…so clearly someone was buying them.

There will be a 50% split, and probably higher of diesels in the used market. Octavia's, in the UK, were majority bought by fleets during their heyday, and for much of that the BIK was lower on the diesels. I had 2 of them, and then a 1,5 TSi petrol because the BIK swung the other way. That user chooser profile has now gone to the Enyaq and other EV's. I'm glad Skoda still make the Octavia vRS.

[wistec1]

What diesels put out of their tail pipes dear fellow is pure joy and much better MPG. It's why peeps aren't taking up the EVs imposed upon them. EVs will continue to depreciate and there will come a day when ICE will be very sought after. Oh and pricey.

Dingu said:

GTEYE said:

Chicken Chaser said:

GTEYE said:

But in the real world, is 22mpg as tested that appealing? Yes you can get much better with restraint but the real hero of the vRS range was the TDi 4x4 - that’s the car that made most sense to most people.

The comment in the article about not being a hybrid affecting its fleet appeal - No sorry, unless it’s an EV fleet sales will be close to zero - thank the tax rules for that!

Does a 55mpg diesel cause less emissions than a 22mpg petrol?

Well, according to the official stats, yes the diesel has lower emissions.

The removal of diesel is part of the green “agenda” and Skoda are doing what they need to do to avoid the fines, but they served a pretty useful part of the market.

Doing a quick Autotrader search on the Octavia vRS of all ages suggests a pretty much 50/50 split petrol to diesel…so clearly someone was buying them.

Maybe research what diesels put out their tail pipe so you look less silly.

[Twentyfourcylinders]

Zedboy said:

I ran a launch vRS 245 estate for 2 years. Splendid car though I always regretted not paying for the (hideously more expensive) alcantara as base cloth terribly cheap and nasty.

Manual was excellent as the 7 speed auto was always one second behind me... might be tempted back for a luminous green machine!

I have had a 2018 245 estate from new (well leased, extended, then bought at end of term for a song!) and it has been faultess over 40,000 miles. Think it was some kind of special 245 launch edition too. As standard it had nice electrically adjustable heated memory seats in alcantara, piano black interior trim, 19" wheels and the Skoda equivalent of a VW GTI 'Performance Pack' (VAQ LSD, bigger brakes, lowered 15mm over standard vRS, slightly fruitier exhaust etc). The cabin controls in the facelift Mk3 are excellent with proper heating control knobs and a decent 'built in' wide screen head unit with carplay/android auto. The only modification I have made is downgrading the wheels to 17s off a lesser model. This makes for less outright traction/grip but a more comfy cossetting ride and a more below the radar look which is no bad thing when you spend a lot of time driving in the London area.

I have looked into upgrading to a Mk4 a couple of times but was disappointed by the fiddly infotainment and lack of a decent options list. I don't think electric seats or alcantara are even options! I had a 2022 model as a courtesy car when my Mk3 was in for service and the interior felt a bit low rent by comparison.

[Dale487]

I’ll happily take this equally orange pre facelift estate, with a manual gearbox

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/17629781

[RSstuff]

Nearly £40k, 5 years ago that was list price for a all singing all dancing Leon Cupra R ST with awd and 350 bhp from the same engine/gearbox. And that got discounted down to mid £30's because it was too expensive.

[loskie]

2020 just before lockdown I leased an Audi Q5 40TDI Sport. I didn't but should have pcp'd it with hindsight. I could have got it for circa £32k from Drive The Deal or £33k from the local dealer. Off leased in 2023 with 33000 on I was offered it for £28k. It was for sale at a Tonbridge (?) Skoda dealer for £29k. It would probably be the same price now.

I could have got a base Landcruiser for £35k which would possibly be £43k now as a 4 yr old car.


It's hard to get one's head around the crazy prices today.

[CG2020UK]

22 mpg is quite surprising. I’d expect to average 35mpg at least.

At 10k miles a year and 150p/L that’s £3099.16 a year at 22mpg.

Bog standard EV saloon of your choice should be 4mi/kwh at a standard 28p/kwh that’s 7p a mile or £700 for the same mileage.

My opinion is if Skoda just replaced the engine with an EV this would be a massive sales success and a better car.

[Forester1965]

Oh FFS, is there no car thread that can escape the virus of EV conversation?

[James6112]

Maccmike8 said:

If it's been caned chasing cars 22mpg is great. A stty EV (all EVs being stty) would need charging after 30mins.

Do you actually believe what you typed

[MC Bodge]

What is the steering like?

[Forester1965]

MC Bodge said:

What is the steering like?

Round and steery.