I’m looking at spending around £1500 on an estate car. The main two I’m looking at are the Skoda Octavia and the Ford Focus. Has anyone owned either or both? Anything in particular to look out for?

Thanks in advance.

This has an eerie ring of familiarity about it.

Thanks..DD, but there are no direct comparisons. Mondeo is too big(my wife wont drive it.)

I’ve got a 2000 w focus estate that is still going strong. I’ve had it from 6 months old. Well looked after now on 151K .. and I am surprised it still can be used as an everyday car.

Sorry OP, I think I might have just had a bit of deja vu, that’s all. 🙂

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fscheap-biking-car-skoda-octavia

Thanks woody, have emailed him for pics. DD, you are not wrong, most posts on here are repeats -what pedals, what shoes etc, but it’s all in the detail! 🙂

I’ve also have a 2000 W reg Forus 1.8 (blue) for a few years now, not the greatest fuel ecomomy but then I have a heavy(ish) right foot, just got a road tax bill for £215 too – which was nice 😕 .
Though clutch needs replaceing (£300 as it include the servo) but it’s done over 100K, other than that, the electric doors locks occasionally have a bit of a fit, but it’s still lockable off the key (check ALL the door locks and unlock off the button – I believe this is quite common), other than that it’s been great, very reliable, & loads of space in the rear. Mine lives with the rear seats down unless I’m picking my gran up for christmas, my bike (prophet) rolls stright in (on it’s side obviously) as the car has no rear suspension strutts butting into the load area (unlike the volvo based on the same chassis). Only annoying point with the old model is the other 2 (or 3) rear seats won’t fold flat if you try to use the 3rd rear seat for a passenger (I believe the newer ones do, as the bottom of seat splits, unlike mine) – not the worst complaint about a car though.
Still annoyed about the car tax though.

Oh and the diesels are very agricultural for this age of car, g/f 04 focus (hatch back) 1.6 diesel turbo is more economic and less tax!

Thanks zippy, pretty sure anything will be more economical than my 2.7tdi terrano!

z1ppy – Member

I’ve also have a 2000 W reg Forus 1.8 (blue) for a few years now, not the greatest fuel ecomomy but then I have a heavy(ish) right foot, just got a road tax bill for £215 too…

a what tax?

sorry, i’ve been watching these threads for a while, my volvo v40 is slowly dying, anna focus estate/hatch is on my ‘likely’ list.

interesting to hear bout the focus-rear-suspension-extra-space-thing though, i hadn’t thought of that.

either that or a fiat panda with a tow-bar + roofrack.

I think you’ll get a better condition/mileage Focus than an Octavia for the same money. The Focus has better handling and is a little more confident than the Octavia. I think the 1.9td in Octavia is more refined than the old 1.8TD in the Focus. But there ain’t that much between the two.

The spec on a low end Ford can be quite spartan and the Zetec and Ghia have much better quality suspension than the L and LX have, along with various other extras. Ford heated screen is ace and is something you’ll miss if the next car doesn’t have it.

Get yourself a Subaru Legacy. 4×4 with a low dif gearbox for those places where you probably shouldnt take a car. Got a ’97 model thats done 210k and is going strong. It does 36mpg. The best part about this car is it has never not managed to get me anywhere I have tried to go, and that includes some silly off roading and driving pretty much up the side of mountains in the snow. Love it and swear by it. There is also a twin turbo 2.5l version if you are aiming to get nearer 20mpg and 250bhp! 😈

a what tax?

Vehicle excise duty, more commonly refered to as road tax (or tax disc, as per the notification) and understood by most ppl to be VED unless your a pleb 😈

interesting to hear bout the focus-rear-suspension-extra-space-thing though

oldmtb had the volvo version of mine and commented on it, though no doubt you might get a better handling with the better suspension? Not really a issue for me and my 11 year old car.

vote #2 for the heated screen/mirrors – it’s ace!

Have to say I am tempt to try a small car (yaris look interesting) next time with a towbar mounted rack, for better economy and less Tax(!) but will continue to run my focus into the ground, till someone drive into me (usually the reason I replace cars)

Skoda will give you blessings from STW crowd, Focus will drive better. My opinion, of course, but the only one I have.
BTW For the money a 406 2.0HDi would be my choice.