Octavia 1.4 SEL 150 DSG - it's brown!
Discussion
The car I've just handed back at the end of its lease is 2014 Golf 1.4 Match 122 DSG.
It's been reliable, comfortable enough and well enough equipped. The DSG box had a recall recently which cured the thumping through the gears it had developed.
The performance is not what it was chosen for and as an everyday car there's plenty. Sport mode and using the manual changes made it rather fun on twisty roads as there's plenty of handling unless you're being an utter tool.
Economy over the life and just under 10k miles (yes only 10k in 3 years) worked out at around 35mpg - a good run has seen upwards of 55mpg. As most of the mileage was 5 mile stints through the city at busy times to hospital and back I'm not unimpressed.
Here are a few pics of the state it was in when I gave it back this week. As you can see it's been thrashed, trashed and generally abused from day 1.
To the Skoda. I need an estate now as a mobility scooter is looming. I hate the idea but it will mean less pain, more breathing and being able to do more stuff.
I looked at a lot of things but was limited by needing auto, petrol, level boot floor, location of dealership and of course how much I could afford to put down up front once I'd added few bits. I didn't want a 4x4 either as I also have a small 84yr old mother who needs to climb in and out with limited mobility.
Other elimination factors were lack of turny knobs for air-con (sorry Peugeot but I like to twiddle knobs!), owners grumbling about engines being s
te (Vauxhall) and other various cars not hitting the mark or being vastly expensive (BMW). A 3-series estate would have been nice and probably quieter on the road but the down paymernts before extras were just way beyond my means.
The shortlist was Octavia estate and Leon ST. It was a very close call with both models having bits I preferred. To me the Octavia looked better, especially in the colour I wanted and doesn't have the mirrors stuck part way along the doors. That just irks me!
Here we are then, a 1.4 150 SEL DSG in Maple Brown with added bum warmers, heated screen and washer jets. It has a funky infotainment system with more things on it than I'll ever use - it has phone, plays my iTunes from an sd card and there's satnav. Dual zone climate, heated mirrors, electric windows, junior grade pimp glass, PDC and umpteen other things. One annoying thing, the overhead sunglasses holder doesn't take the glasses in their case.
Umbrella stowed under the front passenger seat is a nice touch, but make sure the passenger knows it's there before you reach between their legs.
Driving is very serene with the engine better insulated than the Golf, the 150 unit being somewhat more relaxed and quicker, but the tyre roar is a touch more. The door materials are hard plastic as opposed to soft fabric but it took me a while to notice so it can't be that important to me. It'll be easier to clean.
The load space is huge, with underfloor storage that has underfloor storage - cue meme dawg! Lots of tie down points, bag hooks, a torch and a tyre compressor.
I've bought a load liner and a bumper protector is on the way. Other people loading stuff for me are not as careful as I am. Means I can always take a seat with the tailgate open too.
Yertiz:
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/LRpFOVMY.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/uOjlCfOx" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/uOjlCfOx.jpg)
The VW dealership experience was very good, they're very good at the collect and deliver bit which probably costs them less than the mountain of biscuits and lake of coffee I can consume whilst on the wi-fi in their customer lounge area
Skoda so far seem very good. The original sales guy was brilliant but has left. I've dealt with two more since so there has been the odd stumble but nothing has been delayed. No collecting the car outside in the cold, it was in the showroom and I drove through the doors. Should have waited until they opened them really. We'll see how customer service fares over the next 3 years. I should only see them 3 times.
I'm not sure there'll be much to add to this thread but it's here.
It's been reliable, comfortable enough and well enough equipped. The DSG box had a recall recently which cured the thumping through the gears it had developed.
The performance is not what it was chosen for and as an everyday car there's plenty. Sport mode and using the manual changes made it rather fun on twisty roads as there's plenty of handling unless you're being an utter tool.
Economy over the life and just under 10k miles (yes only 10k in 3 years) worked out at around 35mpg - a good run has seen upwards of 55mpg. As most of the mileage was 5 mile stints through the city at busy times to hospital and back I'm not unimpressed.
Here are a few pics of the state it was in when I gave it back this week. As you can see it's been thrashed, trashed and generally abused from day 1.
To the Skoda. I need an estate now as a mobility scooter is looming. I hate the idea but it will mean less pain, more breathing and being able to do more stuff.
I looked at a lot of things but was limited by needing auto, petrol, level boot floor, location of dealership and of course how much I could afford to put down up front once I'd added few bits. I didn't want a 4x4 either as I also have a small 84yr old mother who needs to climb in and out with limited mobility.
Other elimination factors were lack of turny knobs for air-con (sorry Peugeot but I like to twiddle knobs!), owners grumbling about engines being s
te (Vauxhall) and other various cars not hitting the mark or being vastly expensive (BMW). A 3-series estate would have been nice and probably quieter on the road but the down paymernts before extras were just way beyond my means. The shortlist was Octavia estate and Leon ST. It was a very close call with both models having bits I preferred. To me the Octavia looked better, especially in the colour I wanted and doesn't have the mirrors stuck part way along the doors. That just irks me!
Here we are then, a 1.4 150 SEL DSG in Maple Brown with added bum warmers, heated screen and washer jets. It has a funky infotainment system with more things on it than I'll ever use - it has phone, plays my iTunes from an sd card and there's satnav. Dual zone climate, heated mirrors, electric windows, junior grade pimp glass, PDC and umpteen other things. One annoying thing, the overhead sunglasses holder doesn't take the glasses in their case.
Umbrella stowed under the front passenger seat is a nice touch, but make sure the passenger knows it's there before you reach between their legs.
Driving is very serene with the engine better insulated than the Golf, the 150 unit being somewhat more relaxed and quicker, but the tyre roar is a touch more. The door materials are hard plastic as opposed to soft fabric but it took me a while to notice so it can't be that important to me. It'll be easier to clean.
The load space is huge, with underfloor storage that has underfloor storage - cue meme dawg! Lots of tie down points, bag hooks, a torch and a tyre compressor.
I've bought a load liner and a bumper protector is on the way. Other people loading stuff for me are not as careful as I am. Means I can always take a seat with the tailgate open too.
Yertiz:
The VW dealership experience was very good, they're very good at the collect and deliver bit which probably costs them less than the mountain of biscuits and lake of coffee I can consume whilst on the wi-fi in their customer lounge area
Skoda so far seem very good. The original sales guy was brilliant but has left. I've dealt with two more since so there has been the odd stumble but nothing has been delayed. No collecting the car outside in the cold, it was in the showroom and I drove through the doors. Should have waited until they opened them really. We'll see how customer service fares over the next 3 years. I should only see them 3 times.
I'm not sure there'll be much to add to this thread but it's here.
Thanks chaps. I'm really pleased with the colour choice. Interioir is black leather / alcantara,
The black bit is indeed a radar sensor but for front assist rather than ACC, it has normal cruise control. Front assist is the pedestrian anti-splatter system. The Golf has ACC, was quite fun once I got used to it.
The black bit is indeed a radar sensor but for front assist rather than ACC, it has normal cruise control. Front assist is the pedestrian anti-splatter system. The Golf has ACC, was quite fun once I got used to it.
Six Fiend said:
...it was in the showroom and I drove through the doors. Should have waited until they opened them really.
The mental image of someone jumping in a brown Skoda and flooring it through the showroom doors really made me laugh. 
Car looks good and seems well specified as well.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff