Hi all
I have a ford focus as a company car at the moment but now have the option to take a cash allowance. The focus was ok but I don’t really want another 4 years in one. So that brings me on to the Skoda octavia vrs, I would be looking to buy a 1-2 year old one and would like the estate as I really like the look of it. So I am after people’s real world experiances of then. I would do about 18000 miles a year and most of that is 30mins to a hour trips each day between sites I work at, mainly motorway and A roads.
So what are they like to drive, good on fuel? It would be a desial one. What’s the dsg gear box like and any major problems with them. I would keep it for 4 years.
Any info would be a great help as I am sure there are a few driving them on here.
Thanks Beanie

I’ve got a mk2 vrs in petrol hatchback flavour and it’s fantastic. I test drove the new one and was very impressed, dsg was smooth and responsive and latest engine was very nice. Both the estate and the hatchback are cavernous so choose whichever comes up in the best condition at the best price!!

I’d say go for it.

Had a 2007 VRS hatchback and loved it. The car I have kept the longest. Now on a brand new VRS estate DSG. Superb. Coming from a high spec BMW 320d Touring and the VRS is way better to drive and also much bigger. Swallows gear without issue.

DSG is pretty good it’s my first auto so don’t really have a fixed point of reference but as yet I have not missed having a manual. I’m just 3k miles in and the car is saying its getting 45 mpg at the minute.

The Briskoda forum is the place for all Skoda knowledge well worth signing up.

I have a 2014 VRS DSG petrol estate (bought from a fellow Singletrack forum-ite just over a year ago).

I’m really happy with it and would definitely recommend one. The DSG box is great. If you’re googling Octavia + DSG you might find reports of DSG reliability issues but, while there was/is issues with the 7-spd dry clutch version, the one fitted to the VRS is the 6-spd wet clutch version which seems pretty durable.

The only thing I’d say is I’d urge you to consider the petrol version rather than the VRS-lite diesel version 🙂 I have averaged 36 mpg long-term. Compared to the mid-40’s for the diesel version it’s a no brainer for me given the advantages (principally much better performance, but also reduced modern-super-complex-diesel-engine related repair bills/stress*, cheaper servicing, the possible forthcoming taxing diesels out of existence and the ignominy of knowing one of the exhausts is completely fake).

*previous car was an 2010 Audi A3 TDi – been there, done that, on the diesel repair bills front. A colleague has just bought a diesel Octavia, I regularly get to hear it sitting in the car park with the fan going hell for leather while it does a DPF-regen after he arrives a work.

I nearly bought a new diesel 4×4 DSG one in March. Had a test in it, really liked it. However, when it came to the numbers, doing a small deposit, 4 yr PCP with 20k miles per annum, it didn’t stack up. For £40 a month less I got the same engine and gearbox in an A6 Avant quattro.

Interested in this too as I’m thinking of getting one of these. Our honda accord tourer is passed it’s best and this looks like a good option. I don’t drive much, but my wife likes a car with a bit of poke so she can ‘make progress’. 🙂 I’d be going for an estate and I’m thinking petrol too.

I’ve a petrol vRS, it’s ok. It’s fairly dull, not hugely inspiring to drive but it’s a FWD estate car at the end of the day – needs must for ferrying bikes/kids/dogs around.

Quality of the body work is poor but parts/interior is inline with the rest of the VAG group, so far has been pretty reliable.

Remapping the petrol will give an easy +50bhp and good chunk of torque so daft not to imo – also plenty of tuning/modifying potential as they share a lot with the Golf GTI – if that’s your cuppa.

Best thing I can think to say about it is if you stick a roof rack everything moves out of your way on the motorway, think people have watched too much Police Interceptors.

I didn’t like the diesel when I drove it, power band is very narrow and it sounded like a taxi. Saying that at least if you get the diesel DSG it won’t do that awful asthmatic fart when you change gear which would be a bonus!

I have a 2015 vRS diesel hatchback as my company car and it’s good. It’s not all that exciting to drive, but it’s brisk enough, economy is Ok (average 49 in just under 2 years) and it swallows loads of stuff with ease. I can get my bike, my other half’s bike and the little dude (in his car seat) and his balance bike in the back without too much faff.

The quality of the bodywork on mine is fine and it’s got less orange peel paint affect than my previous BMW.

It’s an easy car to live with as I think replacing it in two years time will be tough.

What about a Focus ST estate? They do them in diesel and petrol versions.

I had a petrol MK3 Focus estate for 4 years and I test drove a face lift ST estate.

The face lift has improved the Focus a lot and the SYNC 3 is very nice and all the buttons have gone 🙂

ST is a great drive, sharp steering and handling but ride is a bit firm but no complaints from me or my wife. Lovely Recaro leather seats as well.

Not as much volume as a VRS estate but it’s wider inside the boot and no lip. I can get a FS 29er in without taking wheels off. Could not do that in my old Octavia due to the wheel arches intruding.

My ST estate is the first car I actually look forward to driving 8)

I went from a well used high mileage Mondeo Mk3 estate that I’d owned for a decade to a Skoda mk2 VRS tdi DSG in June 2016 on lots of glowing reviews on here. One of the biggest mistakes I made. The build quality was poor and it developed more squeaks and rattles than the Mondeo had when I part ex’d it. On long trips it wasn’t very comfortable, road noise drone and wind noise around the doors made it very tiring. The MPG was worse than the heavier and much older Mondeo as it would barely go above 50mpg even at 50mph on the motorway stuck in cruise control in the average speed zones.
It would fog up inside at a hint of moisture in the air and even with the air con it would struggle to clear it. During the winter I had ice inside the windscreen and needed two 1kg dehumidifier bags in the car to keep it under control. The dealer, DM Keith wasn’t interested in the problem nor were they with oil temp sensor and rear wiper motor that failed and were reported to them before the warranty expired. They then wanted a kings ransom to repair them when it was serviced 2 days after the warranty ran out, which was the soonest they could get it serviced. I also had problems with the parking sensors that again after it rained they would sound continuously making them useless. Dealers tried saying it’s because they weren’t kept clean, the car was spotless.
I sold it at a loss in Jan 2017 as I had enough of it. All the problems I’d had were known issues on the Briskoda forum. I would never have a Skoda again not just because of the Octavia but how bad their dealers are which is another source of complaint on Briskoda.
My brother also has an Octavia VRS but an estate. He had his emmissions “fixed” and the car is now lacking on power and has gone into limp mode too often for them to dare take it anywhere. The dealers are being as awkward as possible and just giving him the runaround even though he’s had his extended warranty letter from Skoda.
The only positives for the car was the boot was huge actually bigger than the Mondeo estate up the top of the seats and the DSG gearbox was nice after driving manual but compared to the ZF8 auto I have now seems very agricultural.

I have a 2016 Vrs petrol. Goes like stink and still returns decent mpg.

I had a 2011 MK4.5 Mondeo before this and I think the Octavia is better in every aspect.

The Mk3 diesel Vrs is not affected by the vw emissions malarkey either.

I know you’re asking about the Skoda Octavia, but have you considered a Seat Leon Estate (aka ST) in either the FR or Cupra spec?

The Cupra is a proper hot hatch!

EIDT: The 1.4 EcoTSI (petrol) is a good blend of performance and economy and can be had in FR spec.

Cheers all this is why I love this place 😀 lots of ideas. I really like the look of the vrs but will take a look at other options

Skoda / VW / Audi / Seat are mechanically identical with different bodies dropped on top – certainly worthwhile comparing all the “models” in the VWAG range!

Don’t think the Leon estate is as big inside as the Octavia. Lovely motor though.

We have a 2015 2ltr petrol VRS. Love the automatic gearbox, and we’ve driven to the alps and back in plenty of comfort! Decent size boot, and in sports mode it is a lot of fun on the switchbacks!

The Skoda feels bigger inside than the Seat and the Volkswagen equivalent. The VW has the same size boot as the octavia but not as much room up front.

The Octy comes with less kit compared to the VW and Seat but I also find it comfier for long journeys.

I’ve a diesel estate (2014) and struggle to fault it for what we paid for it, and for it’s intended use. Bought it when it was around 3 months old with 5000 miles on it. It’s a manual and is pretty much bog standard apart from cruise control which was an extra when the current generation was launched (see comments above about kit levels)!
Problems – silly noise generator in sport mode and a dodgy cruise control switch replaced under warranty. Also had a faulty solenoid on one of the water pumps causing car to think it had overheated when it hadn’t, then go into limp mode. Part was on a 3 week back order, however our local VW/Audi specialist sourced it elsewhere. I don’t think it’s very comfortable in the back.
Positives – I really enjoy driving it, it handles pretty well for a car bought to carry a couple of hundred Kg’s of tools, or the family. The mpg is fine by me. It’ll be as low as high 20’s if I’m taking the mickey, over 60 on a motorway cruise at the speed limit, or a more real world trip – 200 Kg’s tools, Huddersfield to Newcastle airport – urban 30’s, motorway at 70 for a few miles then from the M62/M1 up to leaving the A1 at speeds that would get me told off, with a 15 mile ish stretch at 50 – it did 56Mpg. It’s a good size in the back, way bigger than my wifes’ Leon and it’s got a full size spare wheel (not standard).
I seem to have had the opposite experience to Craigxxl,apart from the fact that I think D M Keith are hopeless (my car came from Simpsons in Preston).

I looked at a Vrs petrol estate this spring. Decided to keep my Yeti a bit longer. I had a tuned mk1 vrs before that, The later mk3 seemed slow by comparison. The New Focus St estate was better in every way than the Vrs. There are some cracking deals on the focus from drive the deal and car wow.

Better in every way…. Apart from being smaller inside and shite on fuel.

Cheers again all. Looking to buy one not do a lease or pcp. Budget is 15k and the plan is to buy something 18 months to 2 years old then keep it for 4 years then sell it. First time I have had cash allowance so trying to make it work a bit for me. There is only me to worry about and a boot full of tools. Was going to go for a van but my boss said it’s not the right image for the team, what a dick

Not keen on the focus as that’s what I have now, good car but hasn’t worn well. Mine is at 70k and 4 years old and is falling to bits around me.

Noticed there is quite a big jump in claimed mpg for the 2014 model over the previous I was looking at. Are people getting anywhere near the claimed mpgs out of the manual and DSC versions?

The Focus with any power isn’t compatible with towbar (removable) for bike racks. Non-starter for me.

Noticed there is quite a big jump in claimed mpg for the 2014 model over the previous

I’m not sure what the official Mpg is supposed to be, but I really can get over 60 on a sensible motorway cruise, and, as mentioned, as low as high 20’s when taking the mickey. Car full of children and camping kit, full roof box and 4 bikes on tow bar mounted carrier, 130Km/h all day on a french autoroute and it did over 50 Mpg.
I had the same engine as would have been in the older (pre 2014) VRS in a Seat and the Mpg was probably 10-12 lower – it very rarely got over 50. (My Octavia is a manual – not sure if that makes any difference).

Better in every way…. Apart from being smaller inside and shite on fuel.

And looking, well a bit chavvy. I don’t think the Ford will age well, particularly the interior. I was tempted by an ST-3 but couldn’t quite bring myself to choose from be and as a company car its be a deisel, so an STD! 😆

My local Ford dealer is crap too and the short service intervals are a pain.

I looked at the Leon too (FR) and thought it felt quite a bit cheaper inside; more interesting to look at though. The black insert in the rear bumper around the number plate is nasty. Spec seemed fine at th time I ordered mine; cruise, nav, auto dimming rear mirror were standard.

The vRS is still quite bland looking but is generally inoffensive. The estate is better looking than the hatch, but my monthly lease budget wouldn’t stretch to one of those with options. Agree about the narrow power band mentioned earlier in the deisel which is a trait of pretty much every VAG deisel I’ve ever driven. I’d be tempted by the DSG. It’s very much a car you choose with your head; sensible, inoffensive, easy to live with etc.

@Beanie, you know I’m no fan of Skoda but I was taken in with all the praise on here for them. What I didn’t do at the time was look on Briskoda. I know you mainly hear of the problems on car forums but also read the threads like Who or what is the biggest threat to Skoda the general feedback is that they no longer represent value of money and the dealers are generally poor and treat the customer as cash cow.
Also look for threads where people are having to contact Skoda UK to get warranty work done which is something the dealers should be doing on your behalf rather than just refusing.
If you do go ahead and like your music then ensure you spec an upgrade as the standard ones are very dull sounding and aftermarket upgrading gets expensive as it’s not just the head unit that is budget as the speakers will need doing and that means disturbing the door cards which are known to leak anyway.

Beanie… Try and hold out for a 2015 onwards model if you can as they came with the flat bottom steering whee! And a larger better resolution screen for the stereo.

@inbred456 of course a standard model will feel slow against a tuned car. Bear in mind though a stage 1 remap on a mk3 tsi puts it over 300bhp.

I test drove a new estate. DSG Diesel. Back to back with a Scout with the same engine (but less power). I liked the scout very much in terms of being really comfortable, practical, quick enough for me and – I thought – quite refined. The vRS was quicker but I think the sportier ride would have driven me nuts on the roads round here. Mate has the hatch and he loves it.

Well I have a change for plan. My boss has now said i can have a small van so I am looking at a vw caddy so would like to hear from people that have a new to 3year old one. Not sure to go for the 1.6 or 2 litre

I took one for a test drive when they came out; it had a terribly uncomfortable boominess which made me want to get out after 20 minutes.

I still liked the car, so took a different one out, an estate this time, and that was even worse, so I ended up with a VW.

Briskoda has a thread on it, I don’t think a reliable fix was ever found (AFAIK).

My boss has now said i can have a small van

Has said you can have or you have to have? Not at all sure why you’d volutarily go from an Octavia VRS to a VW Caddy!

Has said you can have or you have to have? Not at all sure why you’d volutarily go from an Octavia VRS to a VW Caddy!

Because VW is a step up from a Skoda, or maybe two. Everybody knows that. It goes Skoda, Seat, VW, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti. Really, sometimes I despair.

Has said you can have or you have to have? Not at all sure why you’d volutarily go from an Octavia VRS to a VW Caddy!

Because this is stw, so it goes Skoda estate, any old van, VW van, some other stuff, Bugatti 🙂

Small van as I only have myself to worry about and I can then take my bikes to work for a sneaky ride on the way home. I work around Chicksands and Woburn.
I really like a small van for the bikes and have no use for a car really. My focus estate has only had more than 2 people in it 3 times in 4 years

Because VW is a step up from a Skoda, or maybe two. Everybody knows that. It goes Skoda, Seat, VW, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti. Really, sometimes I despair.

Ha ha ha ….. Oh your being serious !!!!

What a load of old tosh.