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Octavia v Superb


benjie
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Long and short of it:

My old man wants a new car. He's 60+ (but acts like a bloody kid still!) and has driven many cars in his life, most of them crap! Though he liked his 1998 6N1 Polo and loved his 2000 B5 Passat, so he's going back to the VAG brand - let's face it, I'm a VAG snob, so I would've pushed him in this direction anyway. As I am 'into cars' as he puts it, he's told me to find him a nice car. He's sure he wants a diesel, and it has to be low mileage (despite my old TDI doing 175k and still going and my current on 95k!) His budget is about 9k. It also needs a little bit of poke, just enough to burn off the little Corsa Chavs - it's his only hobby (apart from walking anywhere and everywhere). It also needs space as, even though he's retired, he seems to be carting stuff around all the time.

He's not a fan of the new (B6) Passat and I'm not letting him have a B6/B7 A4 as it'll be too close to mine and I'm not having that! SEAT don't really do any cars the size he wants. So that leaves Skoda. Octavia or Superb. It's going to be 1.9 and preferably the 130TDI as I own the Audi equivalent and can advise if any probs occur (Tensioner anyone?!)

I think I'm right in saying that the Superb is literally a B5.5 Passat and the Octavia is a Bora/Jetta.

So, there you have it. I kind of know the cars a little already, but I'd like some other people's opinions, sell me (my dad) an Octavia over a Superb or vice versa.

Any recommendations greatly received!

Edited by benjie
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I think I'm right in saying that the Superb is literally a B5.5 Passat and the Octavia is a Bora/Jetta.

The new (2008+) Superb is based on the B6 Passat whilst the Octavia is based on the old but current A3 / Golf Mk V etc platform.

The new Superb will have plenty of load-carrying space for him and has plenty of kit for the price, I looked at the 170TDI a couple of weeks ago and was quite impressed but at the end of the day it was still a Skoda +++

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The new Superb will have plenty of load-carrying space for him and has plenty of kit for the price, I looked at the 170TDI a couple of weeks ago and was quite impressed but at the end of the day it was still a Skoda +++

What's that supposed to mean?? I've had the pleasure of working on one or two new Superbs and they are very very nice cars.

The old shape Superb is basically a B5 Passat yes, and the previous shape Octavia is based on the Mk4 Golf. The new Octavia is based on the Mk5 Golf.

Unfortunately the PD130 isn't available in either of the newer shape cars so you're looking at Octavia I/Superb I if you're hell bent on getting that

engine.

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The old shape superb is a lumbering barge, and saloon only, the octavia is cramped but has a huge boot, both cars are seriously compromised based on your criteria.

I'd be looking elsewhere personally, the new superb is way overpriced, but has the double boot hatch/saloon thing, which, is proving hugely troublesome on our cabs.

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The Superb is a lumbering barge, full stop. He'll also get hit harder by the depreciation on the Superb.

Tell him to get the Octavia. You get a shed load of car for the money, and they drive really well as well* +++

* no bias in any way and no, I didn't really take Shark's Octavia VRS round the Ring last year with 4 up, while he sat in the pax seat with a broken foot :uhoh:

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Right, well I think the above has decided it has to be an Octavia saloon or estate. And I think the MkI Octavia is a bit old hat, so it looks like it's going to be the CR (Am I right?) 1.9TDI (bhp?) or the PD140 - which I've been told on vwaudi is not as good as the PD130.

So now I guess the question is... Which engine.

I don't think it'll be too compromised Tipex, as long as the rear seats go down?

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Rear seats go down, the boot is huge anyway, it's just to get that huge boot, they took half the interior away, the front's not too bad, but the rear is very cramped, better than the mk1 though.

Reliability is the biggest problem we have with the mk2 Octavias unfortunately, to be fair though, the later cars are getting better.

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All sorts of stuff to be honest, and most of it is the same problems that afflicted the mk1 octavia, with the exception of the SDi gearboxes, as they don't do an SDi in the mk2.

Lots of electrical and trim problems mostly, the usual VAG cheap plastic with a thin coat of rubberised stuff so it feels better until it all peels off is the most annoying as it's all vag cars, be it Skoda, VW or Audi, they have a false air of quality.

Like I said though, the newer mk2's seem to have most of the electrical problems worked out of them now, but we aren't buying them any more, they don't represent good enough value for money from what is, and always will be, a budget brand.

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  • 1 month later...

MY old man ended up getting an 06 Octavia 105PS TDI, he's very happy with it. Nice and tidy and with 25k on it!

Just need to find out how to get the remote to unlock fully with 1 press of the remote (and not 1click= driver door, 2= all) as, in the words of my father "It's doing my bloody head in!"

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  • 3 weeks later...

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