Seriously looking at a new Skoda

[zach]

thanks Brad. I'd consider 0.5L quite large for no apparent reason but could be down to using 98RON. 6L on hwy is quite good considering size and performance. A happy medium between a diesel and a V6

[aslsw]

Mazda 6 is probably the last car for me to go and look at. We did go to the Mazda dealership one weekend, but no-one came out to see us and I wasn't going to hang around in the cold Canberra weather!

I did hop in the driver's seat and absolutely hated the fussy steering wheel (do you get to a point where too many switches on the wheel becomes a distraction rather than an aid?) and the generally bland interior.

But I guess I better take one for a drive... who knows, it could be the best car ever?

[zach]

no idea as haven't test driven one yet as I feel I need a change for not apparent reason. my opinion on interior is quite the opposite where the Octavia is slightly bland in appearance. I'm thinking if RS is worth the extra $6k or not? on resale front the less I spend less I can lose.

[aslsw]

Sorry, one other question comes to mind...

What's the towing capacity of these cars like? I don't need to do anything serious (ie. no braked towing) but it's handy to be able to take the box trailer around the place (trips to Bunnings, etc).

An owner's manual I found online suggests towing is limited to 80km/h, which sounds like a pretty limited capacity. How am I going to get those Ikea bookshelves my wife has her heart set home from Sydney?

[woofy]

Towing weight itself is fine it's the ball weight on ALL VAG cars. Makes those Toureg plane towing ads look like a sad joke

[jacob_1987]

I occasionally tow my dads boat, it about 2 carlengths ( a bit less) and to be honest with you... it tows alright but the wind draft really gets the car slowing down, especially on the hills. I highly recommend any chip for the extra hp and nm. Other than that it's alright and the mirrors actually are exceptional, having towed the boat with a VY SS.

[aslsw]

Sounds like a bit of light towing should be OK then.

[IBN]

The Best Bars bar on the Scout, which appears to be for the Octavia II (funny that) is rated for 1300kg braked, 650kg unbraked and 75kg download on the tongue.
If memory serves, these towing capacities are less than quoted in the owner manual.
Cheers,
Ivars

[aslsw]

So, we took the car for another drive today - much longer this time, with two teenagers in the back and then swapped for two 6' friends. All clear from everyone.

We'll take the car home on Monday night to see what it is like to drive in the dark and park in our garage.

It looks like a done deal - we just to have to finalise the list of options. I notice that one option is to take the wheels from the RS version at $2,000. Not sure whether to take them up front or take up the salesman's suggestion to get them afterwards from VW or Audi range.

And talk price of course ...

[aslsw]

I'm now at the stage of negotiating with the two salary packaging companies offered by work. Their quotes seem to be very different.

What are some good 'real world' guides to:

- fuel consumption. I know what the combined cycle says, but the majority of our driving will be around town. I can factor in expected fuel prices, but would appreciate a guide to fuel consumption rates. Also, is 95RON fuel OK or does it need 98?

- maintenance costs. The Skoda salesman suggested around $300 per service, with the 60km service around double that and 120km service around four times.

- tyre wear.

All of these costs need to be averaged over the three years of the lease (ie. rather than just for one year).

Thanks.

[brad]

What are some good 'real world' guides to:

Which spec are you looking at?

For my 1.8TSI manual with 80% motorway it averages 6.8L/100. If I'm plodding around in lousy suburban Sydney peak hour traffic it spikes up to 10L/100 for short trips. Spirited driving in the twisties for a day will average 7.5L/100km

I use 98ron because it gives better economy & works out <$100 more over 25,000km (1 year).

Servicing? My dealer would like to rip me for $350 for a minor - haven't asked about a major service. I'm sure a phone around would reveal cheaper. I only do mine at the scheduled 15,000km. Many people appear to want to do them every 7500km. Personal preference I guess but I can't see the point in spending the extra money for the next owner to benefit.
Why would the 120km service be x4? AFAIK the pattern is minor,MAJOR,minor,MAJOR,etc

Tyres: I have the ContiSport Contact2 which are the softest of the three brands fitted to my model. I rotated them at 5,000km, 10,000km & 17,000km. I'm now up to 24,000km and the fronts are down to 5mm (from 8mm) and the rears are at 6mm. Legal limit is 1.6mm but I usually change at 2-3mm so I figure they will be good for around 40,000km? While I drive quite briskly & enjoy corners, I don't accelerate hard or brake hard. I've heard of others (Golfs,Jettas) that need tyres at 20,000km. At a guess, for a 3 year lease you should count on 1.5 sets (say $1200).

Mine is on a 2 year Novated lease, $30k financed,residual $17k, 25,000km pa, $1320/month pretax, $250/month post-tax.
My monthly breakup is:
finance $950
rego $26
maintenance $38
Fuel $408
4x tyres $17
Comp insurance renewal $72 (first year included in finance cost)
Sundries $30
management fee $38

[pinzvidz]

My old man has just signed up for a RS TFSI DSG today. He went for a test drive first and was VERY, VERY impressed by the vehicle. Delivery is next week, looking forward to it! Black magic in a liftback, btw.

edit: Oh, it's an 09 too, white LED instrumentation, DSG paddles, other bits and pieces...

[dazag]

I have my order in for the new shape RS TDI DSG in a wagon, which hits our shores in August.

http://photo.netcarshow.com/Skoda-Octavia_RS_Combi_2010_photo_01.jpg

Getting the brilliant silver colour with tinting etc. really looking forward to gettng it after test driving the older 09 model

[aslsw]

Thanks for the info - I'm looking at the 1.8TSI 7sp DSG.

Overall, I find it strange that figures are so different. The figures I've got are (from two different packaging companies):

Fuel: $3,336 / $3,037
Tyres: $584 / $166
Maintenance: $913 / $737
Insurance: $1,319 / $945

I've asked the dealer for their scheduled maintenance costs so at least that can be the ceiling. Petrol I guess I should factor in some price rises - the price of fuel seems to be heading up again. Insurance is a big variation - they seem to include 'gap' insurance over and above the standard comprehensive. Tyres also varies widely - either $280 per tyre or $125 per tyre!

I'm really keen to finalise my budget tonight, so that I can sign the paperwork and get the car ordered. I'm even dreaming about the car now.

And thanks for the photo of the RS. It reminds me what I'm missing out on for a little bit more cash! But I really love that blue colour...

[brad]

Thanks for the info - I'm looking at the 1.8TSI 7sp DSG.

Overall, I find it strange that figures are so different. The figures I've got are (from two different packaging companies):

Fuel: $3,336 / $3,037
Tyres: $584 / $166
Maintenance: $913 / $737
Insurance: $1,319 / $945

I've asked the dealer for their scheduled maintenance costs so at least that can be the ceiling. Petrol I guess I should factor in some price rises - the price of fuel seems to be heading up again. Insurance is a big variation - they seem to include 'gap' insurance over and above the standard comprehensive. Tyres also varies widely - either $280 per tyre or $125 per tyre!

I'm really keen to finalise my budget tonight, so that I can sign the paperwork and get the car ordered. I'm even dreaming about the car now.

.

Can't you just ring them up & change your pretax deductions to suit your spending? That's what I do. As my lease company told me "It's your lease". If there is money left over at the end of the year they either pay it back to you, or carry it over to the next year.

Looking at your figures I'd be asking why the insurance is so much - mine is $870 on a market value policy in Sydney - ACT would be cheaper still.

If you wish to stay with the Contisport tyres then $280/tyre probably isn't enough but you will get something equally good (or better) for <$200 a corner.

If you are doing 25,000km a year then maintenance will be about $1500 over 3 years. A bit extra won't hurt because you want to claim any cleaning materials, car washes, etc.

$3000 for fuel will be fine.