Skoda Octavia - Is small engine enough for big car?

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Sun 9 Jan 2011 21:19
Skoda Octavia - Is small engine enough for big car? - vladcjelli

Due to very real possibility of my current car being dead (see my other post) I am checking out all possibilities should I be forced to scrap it.

To that end, I have been looking at affordable replacements for my 2001 1.6 Vectra.

About the cheapest new car I can see out there is the Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI. Have always liked the look of the Octavia, believe the hype around VAG build quality and now they look incredibly affordable with the VAT removed. A new SE trim hatch rolls in at a shade under £12,000. Seems to me you can't buy many small hatchbacks for that kind of cash, so a car with that sort of family friendly space seems a bargain.

But the tiny engine in a car that size is an alien concept to me after growing up with my Dads 3.0 Granada and other assorted vehicles. Can it cope? Are there any reliability issues cropping up with them I should know about? Has anyone actually bought one yet?

We don't do a lot of motorway driving (family holiday once a year, visiting relatives halfway across country once or twice a year) but we do live in a hilly-ish area. Claimed 50mpg is appealing. As is the fact that when you search for them used on the Skoda website, they are showing up as more expensive used than new!

Would be interested to get a few opinions as I like the feel of the car (sat in one today at the dealer on a whim). Can't really stretch to this model, so bigger engines are definitely out of reach!

Any thoughts?

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Sun 9 Jan 2011 21:48
Skoda Octavia - Is small engine enough for big car? - iFocus
I've not got a huge amount of experience with the 1.2TSI but I have with the 1.4TSI and that is a fine engine.

Also with it being a 1.2 and Turbo it should be ok to pull the Octavia along, although I'd be worried about how long such a highly stressed engine like that would last?
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Sun 9 Jan 2011 22:02
Skoda Octavia - Is small engine enough for big car? - RicardoB
I hope people who know/have experience reply to this, because I have had the same thought and question going through my mind re this combination!

I have to admit that good and efficient as modern engines are supposed to be, a small capacity in a largish car has always gone against the grain, in my mind too.
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Mon 10 Jan 2011 01:19
Skoda Octavia - Is small engine enough for big car? - brum

Too early to tell - you need to wait at least another year before your question can be answered.

Skoda and all VAG cars have ridiculously hyped mpg claims. They are not achievable in the real world except for a handful of lucky punters who got a particularly good build and live in toyland.

All the new VAG engines both Tsi petrol and CR diesel are packed with unproven new tech. For instance the waste gate on the turbo for the Tsi is powered by an electric motor. Could be big trouble when you hit 50,000 miles plus...but then again it might not.

You are asking people to crystal ball gaze.

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Mon 10 Jan 2011 21:41
Skoda Octavia - Is small engine enough for big car? - vladcjelli

Not asking for anything of the sort.

I asked whether anyone has bought one and whether they had encountered any problems with it. Simply trying to find out if there had been any recurring problems so far. Also wanted to know whether the car seemed to have enough power for normal everyday driving or whether it felt like it was struggling.

Since posting this I did find reports of a software problem with the engine when installed in the Yeti, but I think that's been sorted. That's the sort of replies I was hoping for.

Appreciate the technical information about the electronic wastgate, I was searching for some tech specs regarding whether they are chain or belt cam driven (because of my recent cam belt issue am a bit twitchy).

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Tue 11 Jan 2011 07:25
Skoda Octavia - Is small engine enough for big car? - Buster Cambelt

I tried a Yeti with this engine. The power is fine in that car, nothing startling but fine. I didn't buy one with this engine because I found the whistling from the turbo too intrusive and annoying.

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Tue 11 Jan 2011 13:36
Skoda Octavia - Is small engine enough for big car? - woodster

Brum, I've had 3 VAG group cars and met or exceeeded the mpg with each one. Last long trip in the 2 litre 140 Diesel fully loaded: 2000 miles, 1600 motorway at a 90 cruise and then the ususal pootling around. 46 mpg overall. If I cut the motorways to 80 then it exceeds the published 49.

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