Mk1 Octavia VRS, what's not to like?

[Garett]

I'm going to look at some Mk 1 Octavias at the weekend as I'm bored with my Volvo.

On paper the Octaiva looks great value and a really good all round package, fairly swift, enjoyable to drive, reasonable insurance, not too bad on fuel for a turbo'd petrol car and a practical sized boot.
I think it may just be the ideal car for me and what I should have bought in the first place instead of the Volvo, but I thought I needed a diesel.

Please share with me your experiences of owning and driving these cars.

[blearyeyedboy]

I've got a Mark 2 and I love it. Briskoda is a really good community where you can learn about the Mk 1 if you want:

www.briskoda.net

Enjoy!

[MC Bodge]

I had one and really enjoyed owning it. I would get around 35mpg in normal use.

Negatives:

The steering rack was a bit slow. PPC mag suggested that a TT rack might be quicker.

Rear suspension is a bit crude. Fit a rear ARB.

As standard the engine performance was reasonable, but with an APR remap it was very, very good with much improved low rpm grunt and response.

[wackojacko]

Ver interested to here about this, it is a possibility for the next motor.

They look well spec'd and tuning parts are readily available.

Spoke to a guy up the ace that has a balck VRS that had done :
Full Turbo Back Exhaust
Remap
Intercooler
Induction

and it was pulling around 250bhp with similar torque.

[rvrrob]

They are a really good car. I have owned mine for a year and a half and it has been completly reliable.

It is very practical and the boot is huge. I get early 30s mpg doing local trips and at 70mph on the motorway it does 40mpg.

There is good feedback through the controls which make it enjoyable to drive and the engine is torquey low down but also has the turbo punch to make for easy overtaking.

Mine is currently up for sale in the classifieds on here only as i have another car I use at weekends and I now have a very short commute to work so don't need such a large powerful car.

[NelsonR32]

Everything going for it expect awful steering and suspension. Like most cars based on the Golf 4 platform sadly.

Can be rectified to some degree with a TT strut brace, uprated springs and shocks and an ARB set

[varsas]

Consider the elegance, you could get those with the same 20v 1.8t engine but with haldax 4wheel drive.

[Tonberry]

Another prospective buyer here.

Apparently a bit tame standard, but once remapped they shift. Feels quicker than the figures would suggest so I've been told.

So in summary;

Quickish
Practical
Cheap

Go for it. Luckily badge snobs keep the prices low.

[ian_c_uk]

4x4turbo also has independant wishbone rear susp, rather than torsion beam.

More toys, but looks dull, depends on preference.

Ian
(had two 4x4's, driven many miles in modded vRS, Brisky namer and founder)

[VrsRox]

Had mine 5 years / 75k miles and struggle to fault it. Nothing has failed on it yet excl relay (indicator). Servicing has been cheap - most expensive being cambelt at £350 ~ IIRC.

Not mapped mine but I have rear arb and KW coilovers and it handles pretty well. Will swap it in next year though for something a bit faster and rwd.

[Speedy300]

I sold my mk1 Octavia vRS in March having owed it for 3.5 yrs covering over 50k miles.

The car was in standard form, averaged around 35mpg, getting up to 40mpg on longer runs. The car was fairly quiok, a joy to drive and cost me next to nothing for the first couple of years.

However, in the last year on ownership I spent £2k on maintenance bills which was not so cheap!!

[bmthnick1981]

Too lazy to look in the classifieds, how cheap are these now? As low as £1500-£2000?

[AlpineWhite]

bmthnick1981 said:

Too lazy to look in the classifieds, how cheap are these now? As low as £1500-£2000?

Yep. There were high mileage and/or ropey examples under £2000 when I was car buying 18 months ago!

[Garett]

I'll be hoping to get an example around £3k depending on what I can get for the Volvo.

What are they like build quality wise and the 'feel' of the interior, I'm scared the white seats will get very grubby or be difficult to clean.

I have looked at the 4WD Elegance in the ads, but the interior looks so dull. Are they essentially the same in terms of turbo/intercooler etc but just a different map? Do they have the same brakes? I guess they have a softer ride? What sort of power could the 4WD system handle, could you safely remap it?

[wackojacko]

My FWD options :
for around 4K

Clio 182- great handling not point tuning N/a and expensive to go to FAI.
Volvo C70 T5 - Great in a straight line, quiet heavy and lumbering through twisties.
or a VRS which seems to tick all the boxes so far, I like the whole "sleeper fast saloon" sort of thing. around 250bhp in a VRS would be exciting.


You can pick an ex police VRS up for around 2500 with around 100k miles on the clock with FSH etc..... I'd imagine some have been fettled ?

Edited by wackojacko on Thursday 14th July 07:45

[doolie]

Buy one. Had ours for 5 years and 70k miles. Unbeatable value

Probably only change for a mk2 vrs

[wackojacko]

All good to know, did hear something about having plastic impellers instead of brass etc in the water pump ? Sometime they fail.

Looking alot more attractive now I here some owner feedback.

Edited by wackojacko on Thursday 14th July 07:48

[Mr_annie_vxr]

These were are response cars for a few years. Bullet proof engine and most mechanicals. Clutch at first needed changing every 30,000 miles. Also early ones a bit low for speed humps or fast bumpy roads.

They were fantastic. Faster than the book times as standard. The best response car ever. Better than the t5 or anything else. Real shame they are all but gone now.

[Smike]

Mr_annie_vxr said:

These were are response cars for a few years. They were fantastic. Faster than the book times as standard.

Especially the Autocar test ones ....

[Garett]

I may go and look at a couple of ex police ones and just see what sort of state they are in, could be good value or utter dogs.