Discussion
I'm still considering options for a new daily driver and I'm thinking I might have been a bit quick to dismiss the Octavia vRS before, so I thought I'd come and find out some more. What I'm looking for is a comfortable, reliable, reasonably economical car, mostly for long motorway trips, that'll also provide some entertainment on a decent road.
I wondered if anyone had any general thoughts on the vRS or things to look out for if I take a look at one, but also specifically:
Chris
I wondered if anyone had any general thoughts on the vRS or things to look out for if I take a look at one, but also specifically:
- What are servicing costs like?
- Are they comfortable (nice seats, low noise levels etc) for long journeys?
- What are the differences between the mk1 (01-05?) and mk2 (05 onwards?)?
- How much 'refreshing' are the older cars likely to need to get them driving well? Are new bushes, dampers etc all likely?
- Other main candidates are the Corrado VR6, 306 GTi6 and E36 325/328; does anyone also have experience of one (or more!) or these to contrast?
Chris
Good point, will take a look. I've always heard people raving about the Skoda's handling, but less so about the Leon - is this just badge snobbery or do they really drive differently?
I thought at (least some of) the Octavias were 6-speed? What are the engines; are they all 4-cylinder turbos?
ETA Are xenons standard or a factory option?
I thought at (least some of) the Octavias were 6-speed? What are the engines; are they all 4-cylinder turbos?
ETA Are xenons standard or a factory option?
Edited by Chris71 on Thursday 22 April 11:43
I've recently got a late mk1 VRs estate and I'm very pleased with it!
Its roomy, and comfy and great at motorway blasts (it just seems to sit in the prefect rev range at motorway speeds to get the best from the turbo)
Handling wise it seems suprsingly good but mine has an uprated rear ARB which I am told makes a big difference. I was pleasantly suprised to find out how well it handled actually and my previous cars were a 350z and a VX220 for comparison. It rides the bumps and potholes very well too.
Interior is a reasonably nice place to be but not to everyones taste, the light coloured seats and carpets can get grubby and the dash looks a little dated now. climate works well though and I personally find the seats really comfy.
The mk2 has a different engine (2.0tFSI) and a shade more power I believe, the interior is nicer on the mk2 but you'll pay alot more for one.
Servicing seems reasonable but I haven't had to do it yet. From the receipts services look to be in the £150-300 price range which is good and there are lots of places to get discount parts from (eurocarparts, GSF etc).
When I did my research they seem to be very reliable with the main issue being coil packs can be tempremental (£30ish each).
Lots of tuning potential too if thats your thing.
Its roomy, and comfy and great at motorway blasts (it just seems to sit in the prefect rev range at motorway speeds to get the best from the turbo)
Handling wise it seems suprsingly good but mine has an uprated rear ARB which I am told makes a big difference. I was pleasantly suprised to find out how well it handled actually and my previous cars were a 350z and a VX220 for comparison. It rides the bumps and potholes very well too.
Interior is a reasonably nice place to be but not to everyones taste, the light coloured seats and carpets can get grubby and the dash looks a little dated now. climate works well though and I personally find the seats really comfy.
The mk2 has a different engine (2.0tFSI) and a shade more power I believe, the interior is nicer on the mk2 but you'll pay alot more for one.
Servicing seems reasonable but I haven't had to do it yet. From the receipts services look to be in the £150-300 price range which is good and there are lots of places to get discount parts from (eurocarparts, GSF etc).
When I did my research they seem to be very reliable with the main issue being coil packs can be tempremental (£30ish each).
Lots of tuning potential too if thats your thing.
I have owed a mk 1 Octavia vRS for the past 2 and a half years. I commute around 50 miles per day to work and get around 35mpg, mainly on b-roads with some booting but mainly 55mph driving.
Its very comfortable and a bargain for its age and performance - very understated. I went from a 206 gti to my vRS, the vRS handle better and loads more mid-range shove mean I don't have to thrash it all the time. These can be remapped for £400 to about 212bhp.
For the first 2years I didn't spend more then £500 on the car, but in the last 6mths bills have mounted to £1.5k. I changed the lower arms, spring and now it handles so much better!
When buying my vRS I looked at 306gti, 330 bmw and CTR. vRS is a better car then the 306gti but spending the extra (at the time) £3k didn't justify the CTR or 330 IMO.
Hope that helps.
Its very comfortable and a bargain for its age and performance - very understated. I went from a 206 gti to my vRS, the vRS handle better and loads more mid-range shove mean I don't have to thrash it all the time. These can be remapped for £400 to about 212bhp.
For the first 2years I didn't spend more then £500 on the car, but in the last 6mths bills have mounted to £1.5k. I changed the lower arms, spring and now it handles so much better!
When buying my vRS I looked at 306gti, 330 bmw and CTR. vRS is a better car then the 306gti but spending the extra (at the time) £3k didn't justify the CTR or 330 IMO.
Hope that helps.
Just looking at your other options they seem a slightly strange comparison as they are all much older designs than a VRS? in fact I think they had ceased production of all the other options by the time the Vrs came out in 2001.
I used to have a 306 and in terms of build quality the skoda is in a completely different league.
Corrados have quite a cult following and decent ones are starting to get really pricey.
Don't know much about BMWs...
Edit to add: don't get me wrong the other cars are all well loved and classics (potentially?) and I could see why you would want one...
I used to have a 306 and in terms of build quality the skoda is in a completely different league.
Corrados have quite a cult following and decent ones are starting to get really pricey.
Don't know much about BMWs...
Edit to add: don't get me wrong the other cars are all well loved and classics (potentially?) and I could see why you would want one...
Edited by drgoatboy on Thursday 22 April 14:18
drgoatboy said:
Just looking at your other options they seem a slightly strange comparison as they are all much older designs than a VRS?
I'm not very fussed how old they are. By the time you're above about 40,000 miles I reckon it's maintenance and the way it's been treated that counts instead of age. I'd rather have a 50 year old Bentley with a huge folder of receipts than last year's hire car! 
You're right they are very different though. The logic was:
Octavia vRS - hugely practical, civilised cruiser, very understated and apparently very economical for a performance car
Seat Leon - as above but cheaper?? I don't know what the differences are TBH...
306 Gti6 - cheap to buy, not too bad to run, great to throw around the B-roads and acceptably practical/civilised for an old school hatch
Corrado - difficult to find a good one and expensive to maintain, but a stonking engine, great long distance cruiser and a future classic
BMW E36 325/328 - luxurious cruiser, relatively plentiful to buy, RWD hooliganism and said to be surprisingly cheap to maintain, downsides are relatively poor luggage capacity (believe it or not you can get two mountain bikes in a Corrado, but no an E36!) and the fact everyone in my area seems to drive a 3-Series already, also a tiny bit chav these days
Ive always believed the Seat has the better handling than the octavia although ive only ever been a passenger in a VRS but have driven a mk1 leon cupra and cupra TDI (150hp).
The leon benefits from the 6speed box for better acceleration in gear but the Octavia managers more MPG on a run as it has a tall 5th gear.
The critism of the Seats handling is that the suspension on cupra models is lower and stiffer than standard models and i suspect stiffer an lower than the Octavia. Some people find the seat ride is too harsh, i dont find it a problem but my daily is a mk2 golf with a 60mm drop an 195/45 tires so i feel every servere imperfection in the road.
The skoda appears to make better use of its interior and considering its only marginally longer than a leon has a MUCH bigger boot.
Id dare say id pick the leon based on its looks, especially a cupra R and id quite fancy a bright coloured one to. That said a mate of mine has a red octavia vrs with a few subtle body mods and its quite a looker - debadging it certainly helped.
dave
The leon benefits from the 6speed box for better acceleration in gear but the Octavia managers more MPG on a run as it has a tall 5th gear.
The critism of the Seats handling is that the suspension on cupra models is lower and stiffer than standard models and i suspect stiffer an lower than the Octavia. Some people find the seat ride is too harsh, i dont find it a problem but my daily is a mk2 golf with a 60mm drop an 195/45 tires so i feel every servere imperfection in the road.
The skoda appears to make better use of its interior and considering its only marginally longer than a leon has a MUCH bigger boot.
Id dare say id pick the leon based on its looks, especially a cupra R and id quite fancy a bright coloured one to. That said a mate of mine has a red octavia vrs with a few subtle body mods and its quite a looker - debadging it certainly helped.
dave
ah I see. Don't get me wrong its a good list of cars, all stuff I have had a hankering for one time or another...
However if you want a reasonably quick, pratical, mile munching, reliable everyday car I reckon the VRS will be hard to beat. Thats why I have one
My brother had one back in 2001 as a company car and it racked up over 100k and all it needed changing was a set of coils and lots of sets of tyres...
I also like the fact they are reasonably rare, and quite understated, and don't seem to have attracted the chav (I hate that word but can't think of a better one) image that some hot hatches of a similar area have managed to build...
ETA: if you want to look round one and can't find a good example near you, you are more than welcome to come and have a nose round mine in West London (as long as you come in one of your kit cars so I can have a nose round that too!)
However if you want a reasonably quick, pratical, mile munching, reliable everyday car I reckon the VRS will be hard to beat. Thats why I have one
My brother had one back in 2001 as a company car and it racked up over 100k and all it needed changing was a set of coils and lots of sets of tyres...
I also like the fact they are reasonably rare, and quite understated, and don't seem to have attracted the chav (I hate that word but can't think of a better one) image that some hot hatches of a similar area have managed to build...
ETA: if you want to look round one and can't find a good example near you, you are more than welcome to come and have a nose round mine in West London (as long as you come in one of your kit cars so I can have a nose round that too!)
Edited by drgoatboy on Thursday 22 April 16:09
Chris71 said:
I'm still considering options for a new daily driver and I'm thinking I might have been a bit quick to dismiss the Octavia vRS before, so I thought I'd come and find out some more. What I'm looking for is a comfortable, reliable, reasonably economical car, mostly for long motorway trips, that'll also provide some entertainment on a decent road.
I wondered if anyone had any general thoughts on the vRS or things to look out for if I take a look at one, but also specifically:
Having spent 5 very happy years with a re-mapped 1.8T "MK1" vRS and just over a year with my current MK2 i reckon i can give a fair opinion.I wondered if anyone had any general thoughts on the vRS or things to look out for if I take a look at one, but also specifically:
- What are servicing costs like?
- Are they comfortable (nice seats, low noise levels etc) for long journeys?
- What are the differences between the mk1 (01-05?) and mk2 (05 onwards?)?
- How much 'refreshing' are the older cars likely to need to get them driving well? Are new bushes, dampers etc all likely?
- Other main candidates are the Corrado VR6, 306 GTi6 and E36 325/328; does anyone also have experience of one (or more!) or these to contrast?
Servicing costs are roughly equal. This will vary with location but £120 for a 10K service and £200 for a 20K is what i expect from my local Dealer.
Long journeys ?...I did 2 cross Europe trips to the Czech Republic in my mk1 (Yes, i did take it "home"
. My mk2 takes me to various UK race circuits every other weekend. Neither have missed a beat and noise levels haven't been a problem, although i don't scrimp on tyres, which helps. Driver's seats need careful attention in the MK1 as the side bolsters can be weak.Differences between MK1 & 2. The MK1 is a good car, the MK2 is a hell of a lot better. If you're looking at Petrol then the 2.0TFSi is as quick as a re-mapped 1.8T, more refined and handles MUCH better. The MK2 has better rear leg-room too. It's only a few inches but it makes a hell of a difference if you carry passengers in the back. Both have excellent rear load space.
My MK1 had almost 70K on it when i sold it and had done half a dozen or so track days. In that time it needed front & rear discs & pads, a new Front ARB and was due for new front lower arm bushes + normal servicing. Considering it had a harder life than most (other than Plod & Taxis) i was more than happy. It was also completely rattle-free.
Weak points on the MK1 were coil packs up to late 2003, Hazard/Indicator relays, Brake lights switches and clutch slave/master cylinders (can't remember which exactly). All were sorted under warranty without fuss on mine.Cam belts are 4 years / 60K, if you buy one, make sure it's been done, along with the Water Pump. From late 2004 / early 05, the "run out" MK1's got a 6 speed box. MK2 Manuals are all 6 speed.
If you want an honest opinion, i'd suggest you spend the extra on a MK2. It is a much better car.
MonkeyHanger said:
If you want an honest opinion, i'd suggest you spend the extra on a MK2. It is a much better car.
Thanks. Hmm, that does raise something of a dilemma. Looking at the prices the mk2 is still quite a lot of money for a runaround I'd only use once a week. The Leon quite appeals because as far as I can see it still has all the same toys, plus you also get leather (as an option) and somewhat lower prices spec-for-spec. While extra space is always good even the Leon should be more than addequate - my current Focus is fine, for example, I'd just have problems with something like a 3-Series coupe where I'd struggle to get both bikes in the back because of the height of the boot opening.
Something like this, plus a few quid spent on refreshing the suspension perhaps? http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1615172.htm
Does anyone know if xenons are standard across either the vRS or Cupra range?
A vRS compared to a Seat Cupra is almost identical. As far as I am aware they both used the AUQ engine, same brakes and same suspension set-up. Only difference would be the bigger boot on the vRS but with a tiny weight penalty over the Leon. The gearbox is different, 6 speed on the Cupra and 5 on the vRS. As for build quality well I think Seat/Skoda are pretty much level it really would be a choice on the styling and body style.
Xenons were an option on the vRS. An expensive one though and not common.
A Cupra R is a different car in many aspects but the extra cost to get hold of one reflects this.
Xenons were an option on the vRS. An expensive one though and not common.
A Cupra R is a different car in many aspects but the extra cost to get hold of one reflects this.
Edited by Jon_VRS on Friday 23 April 17:39
Cool, thanks. And the 5th on the Octavia is longer than the 6th on the Cupra, making the Skoda a bit more relaxed?
My enduring memory of the Leon is doing a trip to the ring with a mate who has the quicker diesel version (the FR?) with a few mechanical tweaks. Boy did that thing shift (for what it was). He's a pretty handy driver and we rapidly found overselves overhauling some of the more conservatively driven 911s!
ETA: Went car shopping over the weekend. Not bought anything, but I did take a look at a Leon Cupra. The interior was pretty nasty so I didn't even bother taking it out - it reminded me of a portaloo. That was a base spec model with cloth rather than leather and acres of plastic though. Coincidentally I also drove a Clio 182 that was properly quick and really rather manic providing you revved the nuts off it, and a Focus ST170 that was every bit as underwhelming as they're made out to be - steering feedback seemed better than my 1.6, but that was probably just better tyres; it was quicker but not by anything like the margin you'd expect for the MPG and insurance penalty you suffer.
My enduring memory of the Leon is doing a trip to the ring with a mate who has the quicker diesel version (the FR?) with a few mechanical tweaks. Boy did that thing shift (for what it was). He's a pretty handy driver and we rapidly found overselves overhauling some of the more conservatively driven 911s!
ETA: Went car shopping over the weekend. Not bought anything, but I did take a look at a Leon Cupra. The interior was pretty nasty so I didn't even bother taking it out - it reminded me of a portaloo. That was a base spec model with cloth rather than leather and acres of plastic though. Coincidentally I also drove a Clio 182 that was properly quick and really rather manic providing you revved the nuts off it, and a Focus ST170 that was every bit as underwhelming as they're made out to be - steering feedback seemed better than my 1.6, but that was probably just better tyres; it was quicker but not by anything like the margin you'd expect for the MPG and insurance penalty you suffer.
Edited by Chris71 on Sunday 25th April 13:25
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