Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000

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Sat 26 Apr 2014 17:27
Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000 - ALEXJZ

Hi all, I'm looking for a bit of help and advice.

I've just had a look at a petrol 2002 Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr which has full service history with Skoda. It recently had its last MOT with no advisories. I had a chance to test drive it and am happy with the way it drives. I am concerned about the mileage (130000 miles) and don't want to end up spending loads on servicing it. How much life do you think it still has? Would you buy it?


Thanks, Alex

Edited by ALEXJZ on 26/04/2014 at 17:42

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Sat 26 Apr 2014 17:54
Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000 - RobJP

The thing is, you might get 3 years of problem-free motoring, just putting fuel in it and replacing tyres when needed ......or it might die on you tomorrow.

You are buying a 12 year old car that has gone round the world 6 times, and it's costing £1000. At that age, mileage and price point, anything can go wrong with it at any point.

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Sat 26 Apr 2014 18:34
Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000 - sandford
Think...so why is the owner selling if it's such a good 12 year old car that's worth buttons ?
There again you might be lucky.
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Sat 26 Apr 2014 19:00
Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000 - gordonbennet

Judge the owner (quack waddle duck) as well as the car, then the tyres wheels and visible brakes first off, that will give you the answer as to whether to continue looking deeper.

We've just bought a 52 plate 103k Outback H6 for a similar amount.

Thing is its turned out to be such a good one that we've had it LPG converted and i'm in the middle of fully rustproofing it and full in depth servicing, so its now a keeper with an expected life of 6+ years with us with any luck.

The only thing that would concern me is the heater matrix on VW group cars, daresay its similarly constructed to a Seat Toledo of the same age ish, in that the rest of the car appears to have been built around it, very poor design, i helped my son change the matrix when it sprung a leak and believe me thats a job you do not want, so check for smell and damp under the heater and in the carpets.

If it checks out why not, a new car of that type will lose £5k+ in its first year in depreciation alone, so if it lasts 12 months you've cracked it, and you won't be panicking every time you return to it in a public parking place.

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Sat 26 Apr 2014 20:37
Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000 - jgrahampo

If not changed already bushes, wheel bearings, swinging arms and shocks all liable for change, should have had a second tming belt replacement by now.

I had an Octavia 1999 estate but in diesel went to 180000m and 10 yrs only got rid due to scrappage scheme. Instrument dial pods have a habit of failing as do door locks and the mechanisim in the door for the handle.

Prior to that I had a 92 (jplate) Golf 1.8cl bought at BCA at 5 yrs and 45000m sold for £600 at 12 yrs old and 185000.

I travel round farms and my cars work hard but are looked after do about 18-25000m per yr.

Could be a good car but dont be fooled by dealer history stamps, better a good indy than an average dealer. Ask to see invoices not just service book.

If it is a good un I would buy it. £1k is not a big gamble

Check there has been no poor quality removal of tow bar.

Not sure what the haldex diff needs but Briskoda may be a good place to find out.

Edited by jgrahampo on 26/04/2014 at 20:39

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Sun 27 Apr 2014 01:01
Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000 - Avant

Inevitable any £1000 car is a gamble. But this one has full service history - which many don't have at this age - and 130,000 miles in 12 years is only just over 10,000 a year - quite reasonable.

If the test drive didn't throw up any nasties, you could do a lot worse than this Octavia.

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Sun 27 Apr 2014 01:32
Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000 - Big John

My MK I Octavia 2001 goes on and on. No advisories on the MOT, great condition and no advisories on MOT over many years. My problem is that due to a berevemant I have too many cars but a 2001 car is technically worthless - dont have the heart to sell it as in the 13 years I've had it except for usual service items (brakes,tyres, exhaust, battery etc) nothing has really failed.

If you have got Full Service History (as mine has) then at 1k - go for it.

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Sun 27 Apr 2014 16:02
Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000 - Snakey

If its MOT'd, drives well and has history I wouldn't be phased by the mileage. I've put much higher mileages on older cars (190K on a Vauxhall Carlton, and 165k on an Omega) Its the sort of age where you might get plenty of bits from scrappys if anything does fail.

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Mon 28 Apr 2014 14:04
Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000 - Gibbo_Wirral

For me its all down to the care of the car by the previous owner.

I've personally known cars with 190,000 miles on be much less troublesome than one half its age and with only 30,000 miles.

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Thu 1 May 2014 14:49
Skoda Octavia 1.8T Elegance 4X4 5dr - Should I buy a Skoda Octavia 130k at £1000 - VR6

gordonbennet said 'Judge the owner'. I totally agree with that. I bought a 12 year old (now 14) Golf Gti 2 years ago.

The owner had looked after it well, and seemed to be the sort not to let things remain unrepaired. It cost me buttons, and apart from servicing and tyres, hasn't really gone wrong.

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