Octavia VRS. Need advice please...

[Ashley M]

Hi all, as the proud owner of an Y10 VRS wagon, (and a 118TSI Golf) I,m extremely happy with the car since we got it about 4 months ago. There is one thing that is bugging me and hope some one can give me some advice. I live in the Southern Highlands and the roads around here can be pretty bumpy. I'm finding the ride can get very tiresome. It's great on the trip to Sydney but around here I feel like I need to wear a kidney belt ! ( I am over 50 yo !!) The Golf is fine - in fact a perfect balance. Is this due to the low profile tyres, the suspension or a combination of both ? And is there anything I can do about it without spending a fortune or stuffing up the dynamics. Or do I just live with it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[RSOK]

If ride comfort was what you were after then you bought the wrong Octavia, you should have bought the Octavia 118 instead of the RS. At the risk of sounding blunt, did you not realise the RS is the performance variant with sports suspension and low profile tyres? Or perhaps your test drive wasn't comprehensive enough to give you an idea of the ride over various road surfaces?

I own a MY10 RS wagon and the ride is on the firm side, yes, but it's not what I'd call jarring, in fact the Golf GTi's I test drove before purchase were slightly firmer. The sports suspension is definitely calibrated towards handling over ride comfort but that's what the RS is all about (which is why I bought it). I find it to be a good balance actually, although I can't say I have too many B-grade roads around me.

Your Golf 118 is of course going to provide a more comfortable ride as it's suspension and tyres are oriented towards comfort; but try and keep up with the RS through a set of switch-back bends and you'll see where the RS's handling bias comes into its own.

I'd say live with it, or if you can't you'd best trade it now for something more suitable to your needs.

[Ashley M]

Thanks, yes I did realise all those points. I'm not after a lecture, nor am I wanting Golf comfort. Somewhere between would be perfect. Is this possible. That's all I'm asking.

[RSOK]

Wasn't trying to lecture you mate, just that it's a bit too late to realise a car doesn't quite suit you after you buy it. You'd have to spend some big bikkies getting new suspension fitted, but yes, it's possible I suppose to change the car's on-road character. Hope it all works out for you coz the RS is a fantastic car.

[Ashley M]

Yes it is fantastic and I'm not about to part with ! I see on many of the threads here that some of you have done modifications to your cars to suit your particular needs. ( usually more grunt - not that there is anything wrong with that ). Am wishing to do the same - just more in an 'old fart' sort of way !

[RSOK]

Mate it did cross my mind when I read your initial post above that it was funny that while most of us would like more oomph and performance out of our cars, you're trying to soften yours up, which made me wonder why you bought an RS in the first place.... look, maybe you could get a gel-padded cushion to sit your arse on???!!?? Hang on, I know... try driving faster than most 'old farts' normally do, that way you will travel over the potholes and corrugations without the wheels having time to fall into them!! See, too easy...