Volkswagen Passat, Octavia, Astra - Advice buying SH ~8000E (2011+)

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Sat 1 Dec 2018 16:17
Volkswagen Passat, Octavia, Astra - Advice buying SH ~8000E (2011+) - Metax

Hi guys, i want some advice to buy a petrol car, at least from 2011.

Budget: 8000-8500E

Engine: Petrol (Gasoline)

Needs:

- Mostly short city trips, occasional mini-trips outside.

- Comfort on long journeys (3-4 people)

- Comfort & Safety

Models: Passat, Octavia, Astra

I would also want to know which are the best (petrol) engines for these cars.

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Mon 3 Dec 2018 05:37
Volkswagen Passat, Octavia, Astra - Advice buying SH ~8000E (2011+) - Oli rag

The 1.4 turbo is supposed to be good and reliable in the astra. There is an excellent 1.4 tsi which is fitted to post 2013 octavia and passat. This needs to be the version with a timing belt as the earlier version had a timing chain and could be very problematic.

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Mon 3 Dec 2018 12:28
Volkswagen Passat, Octavia, Astra - Advice buying SH ~8000E (2011+) - SLO76
Weakness on the VAG models you’ve shortlisted is the fear of landing one of the earlier chain driven motors. You want a post 2014 to get the much more reliable belt driven engine but you need to check that you are getting the later engine. I’d get the reg no and engine no and call the local main dealer service dept to verify before buying. Don’t let anyone tell you they’re fine, they’re not. Chain failure it highly likely and the engine is scrap if it does. That said the Octavia is an excellent big family hatch but you’ll probably need more money to get a good belt drive TSi.

I’d personally be looking at a Mazda 6 2.0 Skyactiv which is an excellent drive and should prove utterly reliable. You’ll need at least £9k to get a decent 63 plate with sensible miles.


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A Ford Mondeo 1.6 Ecoboost is another worthy. Excellent to drive and loads of space plus the Yamaha designed motor rarely goes wrong. It’ll lose value quickly though.

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The Toyota Avensis 1.8 is pretty bulletproof too but it’s not as entertaining to drive as any of the above and a bit slow compared to the turbocharged options here. It’ll run forever with regular servicing though but I’d go for the estate which is much more practical and far easier to sell on. I have a 60 plate one of these and it’s an excellent big family workhorse and surprisingly economical.

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Edited by SLO76 on 03/12/2018 at 12:32

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