A friend is considering buying from a small, Kent-based dealer, a 2002 Skoda Octavia Superb 4X4 1.8T hatchback with 36,000 miles on it. He isn't a car person but I haven't really got time at the moment to go and drive it with him.
Apart from what is said in the car-by-car breakdown, does anyone have any experience of this model? Is the 4X4 system liable to cause trouble or noise? And what should my friend look for or ask about, apart from recalls and so forth? The car is listed at £6.7K, and his knackered but road-legal and fairly well-maintained Peugeot 309, virtually worthless now, is available for PE if the dealer will take it.
He is going to see the car tomorrow so quick response would be helpful if anyone has anything to say.
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Sorry, made a mistake: not a Superb, the model is called Elegance... won't make any difference to the oily bits of course.
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Elegance is just a trim spec of Superb or new Octavia. So probably a superb as it has longitudinal engine for 4WD?
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octavia has 4x4 available. they use the haldex system I think.
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Do you mean it's a part-time 4wd system that cuts in when needed, m99? I believe it is something like that. But is it heavy, noisy, fragile or liable to grossly increase fuel consumption?
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If it is the haldex (and Im fairly sure it is) then yes it is the same as the 4motion on golf/passat models. And isnt the octavia just a golf with a different badge?
I think you have to make sure it gets its fluid change regularly. I heard that some audi S3 owners had problems in the early days.
Not aware that it adds much in the way of noise/major economy probs. My sis-in-law has a passat 4motion and loves it (drives like an idiot on bendy roads).
Might get better info on vwvortex or skoda owners club sites.
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Yes, the 4x4 Octavias have Haldex clutches and transverse mounted engines. What you get in these is the same engine and transmission setup as the vRS version, but with five gears and 150bhp (the vRS versions are 180 bhp). I *think* they have underbody protection and self-levelling suspension, but no noticeable increase in ride height over the standard car.
I would suspect its had less abuse than a vRS would, but check carefully for any damage done on forest tracks etc. They seemed quite popular - especially with the local police in Alpine towns - in Austria when I was there on holidays.
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Lud, for specific advice you can look on the briskoda.com forus, very helpful. Lots of info on the site.
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Oops. Forus=forums.
tinyurl.com/eu97n
is a general thread about Octavia reliability.
tinyurl.com/gu3bn
has some info about the Haldex 4x4 system.
Regards,
Barchettaman
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Thanks for that barchettaman. Useful on the 4x4 system. Thanks to others too.
What I hadn't realised is that the 1.8T is quite a gutsy turbo motor. Are VAG turbos all right if oil changed regularly and simmered when coming off the motorway?
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Ive only ever had vag diesels - which I think are OK. I know a couple of people with 1.8T though and they all like them. Reasonable economy and good performance.
Watch for the pollen filter housing and maf.
Another weak spot I know of is the ignition switch - when we needed one for the a4 (same part on audi/vw/skoda) all dealers we spoke to had a queue waiting for them Finally got what might have been the only one in the country by using etka and finding a lhd A100 switch at a dealer 2 hours away. They didnt realise it was the same thing.
check the radiator - again my experience is audi, but prob the same, the rads go along the bottom edge - saw a seat with the same problem at the weekend - and all the ones at the local gsf were faulty.
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Thanks M99. Sorry to be so ignorant, but what is a maf?
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Mass Air-Flow Meter
Vag use the bosch items and they fail all too regularly - at least they are fairly cheap on exchange (£60 or so)
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My friend liked the car and decided to buy it. He said it was refined and drove well, but the thing that swayed him was the style of the dealer, which dealt Skodas long before the VW takeover and is a respectable family business. No pressure to buy, simply the statement that the dealer wants happy customers who only come in for routine servicing and to buy new cars.The dealer offered a couple of hundred in PX for the old car and promised to sort out an exhaust rattle and replace the cambelt (34,000 miles early) before he collects the Skoda.
Thank you for useful inputs.
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