November 2009
SWMBO is looking to change her car, we've been considering a few options but it always comes back to the Golf VI, she had a MK IV and changed that for a Civic which for all its merits (brilliant 2.2 CTDi engine for instance) she never warmed to.
Now logic says that the Octavia is ostensibly the same car, for the money we're prepared to spend we could get a Petrol VRS with a few options (like curtain airbags) or a Golf VI 122 SE with options so they're about the same spec, probably decided to avoid diesels due to DPFs and the fact this car will be low mileage (5K pa). The 1.8 L&K Octavia is also a contender.
The sort of questions I have are:
Is the updated Octavia more akin to the Golf V than the Golf VI ? Having driven both of the Golfs the VI is a big improvement imho - a lot less rattly / plasticy and that's our concern with the Octavia.
Is the Octavia noticeably bigger - it looks it on the road - it's a second car so not necessarily a benefit.
Is the Octavia more reliable ?
Are the dealers better - they're certainly fewer and further between ?
Any other (polite) opinions, we're probably looking to place our order in the next week or so.
P.S. Seats don't seem to be 'that cheap' compared to Golfs so have been discounted, perhaps unfairly.
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30 years ago the Japanese crept up and overtook European cars.
10 years ago Skoda became a no-joke brand.
Now, as each new model is released, we are seeing the main Korean brands become more mature. I bet the 'big boys' are having sleepless nights - private sales are being lost, even car hire firms appear to be happy to take on Kias and Hyundais where the usual VX/Ford fodder would have been no-brainer decisions.
i10, i20, i30 - not as dynamically impressive as KA, Fiesta, Focus. That's about all you can throw at them.
And HJ's review of the revised Santa Fe shows a very impressive SUV for not a lot of money.
It doesn't even have the farcical plastic-wood of the old model, and it's performance/emissions stats are really rather good.
Be afraid, Euro/Jap manufacturers. Be very afraid.
(except for sports and saloon cars - the image troops will take a lot longer to be convinced!) Read more
What would I do during the time that it's being serviced? With my present 2-miles-away
dealer I can go home and wait in comfort.
Personally I prefer the adventure. I can be stuck in my own house waiting for something to happen any time I like!
I seem to have an intermittant problem with my heating in my volkswagen polo. When I put it anything past 22 degrees and then put it back to cool it stays hot which obviously is very uncomfortable when you are on a motorway and boiling alive!
However it doesnt do it all the time, could it be to do with the dial? Or is it going to be a more complex problem? My A/C seems to be working fine! Read more
If you have A/C then the temperature flap isn't cable-controlled.
I had a similar fault on a Polo which I traced to the V68 temperature flap control motor, which is mounted on the passenger side of the blower box. The motor and/or the potentiometer were sticky, and so it would intermittently blow very hot air....
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wow so we do live in sad times
The cap guns we had looked fairly real - right size/colour of real guns. Hence my comment originally.
What I had looked a bit like this I think:
world.guns.ru/handguns/colt_python.jpg
And we ran around with them in a shoulder holster. Spud guns were a bit boring. being seen with a replica Uzi at school is another story - not mine I will add.
Hi,
This is my first experience with a diesel so I feel I may be missing something stupid!
Last week it rained buckets, and my Aux belt started to slip, and I saw the battery light more and more. Eventually, the car lost power, stopped and refused to start again.
I got a tow home, on the way I tried starting again under tow, and got it to start for a second then it died again.
Got it home and saw that the auxillary belt was not straight on the crankshaft pulley - was about one rib rubbing against the timing belt cover. I decided the aux belt may be harming the crankshaft pulley bearing by rubbing the timing belt cover and hence adding excess pressure so I cut it off. Car still didn't start - but now I guessed the battery was pretty dead.
I charged the battery overnight - but still no joy! Am I missing something - as far as I can tell, theres nothing powered from the aux belt that should stop the car starting (Alternator, Air con, power steering is all?) I checked all plugs in the vicinity and nothing looks loose. Found fuel inertia switch had popped up and reset but still no joy - car turns over really fast - see almost 500rpm on the speedo but nothing!
The other odd / ominous thing - the aux belt looked in good condition, but I can see big chunks of rubber on the crankshaft pulley that I originally thought to be from the aux belt - not sure where these have come from...
I did take the oil filler cap and gently turn it over to see the cams turning so I believe the timing belt is ok.
Any ideas - please tell me if I am being stupid if I shouldnt expect the car to start till I replace the aux belt!? Read more
your first course of action has to be remove crankshaft pulley bolt 22 mm socket
withdraw ckt pulley its the only way you can you can get the shredded bits of your
aux belt if these are not removed they will certainly snap your timing belt You could
at this stage remove front timing cover 10mm socket. Next remove rocker cover
5mm allen key and check forany broken valve rockers. If your timing marks check
out ok then the non start could be caused by other problems. Ie fuel cam sensor
wiring please post engine code
reguards Mickeybo
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Also if your relative has an O2 mobile phone they do proper boadband for just over £7/month.
But only if you're in an area that O2 Broadband covers, otherwise it's £17.13 if you're an O2 customer.
Hi, My cars central locking has been playing up recently. It started by not locking (when you pressed the button it locked then unlocked itself straight away) Now its started to not unlock the drivers door with the key fob i have to manually use the key, and today its decided no matter which way I try to lock the car the rear passanger door will not lock!!! As this car has no individual locks on each door, so I could dissconnect the central locking and have them manually individually opened, I was wondering if anyone could suggest what the problem may be, and how to fix it (or does anyone know how to get the doors to work independently?)
Any advice gratefully received, thanks :-) Read more
The heater on our Micra has been playing up recently.
We've fitted a new thermostat, flushed through the heater rad (which is getting nice and hot) and the fan motor is whirring away quite happily.
Unfortunately there is no air being blown through the vents.
Any help/advice would be much appreciated, thanks. Read more
does it work on setting 4 and not 1.2.3 if so then its the heater resistor card
Hi.
The central locking and indicators on my c-max have stopped working. I can only lock the drivers door with the key and the rest won't lock at all apart from the boot which only unlocks when i press the dedicated button on the key fob.
Also the handbrake light on the dash is on permanantly.
It would appear that my wife drove through some standing water on Friday night. :o(
I've checked the normal fuses and all seem ok.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance. Read more
My Daughters 09 CMax has just developed exactly the same problem. Were you able to sort it out please, and if so, how?
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I am sadly somewhat surprised that all you rufty tufty roustabout sorts of guys out
there seem to know so much about what is basically a girlie toy.
Joan Collins - "take it away and have it gold-plated".
Browse
Quite likely, it'll be cheap, reliable and well equipped, I doubt anything will be close for the same money.
But having bought new once, it's not something I'll be doing again for a while. I prefer to spend as much of my money as possible on the wife, kid and cat.
But there's a part of me that really wants to change my current car, so it's only a matter of time I guess.