buying advice for a 2008 Octavia

[PJDarber]

Hi all

I've been looking at buying a 2008 octavia 1.9L tdi 1Z ambiente. Its got 72000kms on the clock. It looks a little rough as it hasn't been garaged and the service history while mostly up to date (missed one) hasn't been done by a skoda dealer since the 1500km service. It needs two new tyres and wheel alignment and a drive side mirror repair. I had an racq check done on it today and thats what he came up with. Its a great price from a private seller ($9600). So opinions all. I want to know if this is still a good buy or am i being "too keen" on something that might give me a bit of trouble in the not too distant future? All my research so far says these cars are reliable and it suits every aspect i'm looking for as far as economy and space.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[brad]

I assume manual? & sedan (wagons are worth more)

They are a good car. The price sounds slightly high (I have 2007 plate / 2008 registered 1.8tsi Elegance & doubt it's worth $9000).

Where have the services been done? A specialist VW mech or just a generalist? If he's consistently gone to the same place then it might be worth scoping them out to see if they know VWs?

If you can get it with a discount for tyres ($250 for 2), alignment ($120 for all 4 wheels) & mirror (???) & the service that's due in 3,000km ($400) then it's probably worth taking a plunge.

[Antiplastix]

I wouldn't worry to much who s done the servicing, but rather that its been done. You don't need to be a specialist to change the oil and filters on a Skoda, its just another car. I d never buy a car that was cosmetically rough however, it usually points to a careless owner with no mechanical sympathy. I d beg, borrow or steal a few more $ and buy a newer better cared for one. There has been a few listed around the $15,000 mark.

[PJDarber]

Thanks for the replies. It was a manual sedan. I'm chasing a manual basically because i find it more fun. But I decided against this one. Just got a bad vibe that it had been a bit unloved.

I have also test driven a 2007 Elegance sedan/hatch manual. It was in great condition but had 135000kms on the clock. Its service history was up to date, and it had new tyres. Asking was $9900 but no real negotiation entered into yet. Any thoughts on this one?

[brad]

I have 125,000km on mine. I doubt I'll have any issues running it for another 125,000km and intend to give it to my daughter if she ever extracts a digit & gets her licence.

Issues / major expenses since new:
Fuel regulator early on done under warranty.

N75 turbo valve just before warranty ended (warranty fix approved). Dealership was an hour down the road & I was too busy so I paid my independant specialist guy near work ~$400 to fix it.

Water pump died in 2012? $1200ish

Dampers replaced with Koni Sport ~105,000km. I think they were $700 delivered but I can't remember (when things work as they should you forget the price)

Items I've done that were unnecessary but nice to have:
20% tint - ~$250
Bluefin ECU remap - ~$650
HID conversion ~$190
Eibach springs for a diesel vRS wagon (a bit stiffer & taller at the rear) ~$150

Coming soon:
Golf R / S3 intercooler

Considering:
3" downpipe

It's been a pretty cheap car to run over-all. I've averaged 6.7L/100km since new. Brake pads & rotors are still original. Whenever I need tyres I buy near new alloys & tyres off eBay or Gumtree or the forums.

The fabric on the drivers seat has gone all fuzzy to the point where I had to trim it off with the dog grooming clippers. It will be stuffed in a few years time - might look out for a vRS interior or some GTI seats & get the car re-upholstered.

Can't remember any other issues. The car is a pleasure to drive

[gldgti]

I have an 07 1.9TDI ambiente.

The 1.9 is probably the most hassle free engine option there is available, so thats a good option. Its probably also the most economical, and also the slowest On holiday traffic double demerit times, the cruise control gets us 4.6-4.7l/100km.

I have 160,000km on mine now, and its still like new.

I have bought an ECU tune and also upgraded the turbo and exhaust on mine, but it was a great car before with the stock turbo aswell (towed boat well, plenty of overtaking torque)

The only gripe I've had was the rear alignment was a long way out, but its easily enough corrected (search for alignment in this forum).

[wfdTamar]

Getting close to the km's when the timing belt has to be changed (if not already done). Can't remember when it is due but if done at a mechanic is pretty expensive. Not that hard to do yourself for minimum cost.