Moving from a Golf to Octavia wagon - a 'big' enough change?

**RSOK** · 03-06-2011, 02:33 PM

The interior is nice huh, not overdone with funky lines and curves or annoyingly-placed switchgear, it's just has a quality look and feel to it, simply laid out and executed.

The ride in the RS is firm for sure but not uncomfortably so, unless you come across some very broken and deeply-potholed blacktop, certainly not a deal breaker put it that way. The handling trade off on smoothly-pavd mountain roads is well worth it.

If you enjoyed the turbo-petrol in your A3 then maybe the TSI engine would suit you better? I went with the TSI but test drove the TDI and to be honest I'd happily have the diesel if it came down to it.

**kamold** · 03-06-2011, 03:03 PM

Yeah I could go the TSI as its the same engine as I'm used to, but the move away from the A3 is about practicality, so I figure I should go the extra yards and get the diesel. Better on the fuel usage and hopefully will have slightly better resale I hope down the track.

Maybe I should more seriously consider the TSI...its maybe the best of both worlds in terms of practicality whilst still offering some back of the pants appeal...

**RSOK** · 03-06-2011, 03:50 PM

Personally I don't do enough kays annually to make the diesel 'payback' itself within any realistic timeframe, and keeping the car for probably 7+ years means resale ain't much of a concern... so it came down to that old seat of the pants feeling, for which I stumped for the TSI. But hey, either way, with your bum in an RS you're already way ahead of the pack!

Really it's a bit like saying 'Do I get the Banana paddle pop or the Rainbow paddle pop?'... I mean, you can't lose!

**kamold** · 03-06-2011, 07:53 PM

Sorry but have to pull you up on the analogy...banana paddlepop wins hands down!!

Will be keeping options open at this stage I think, see what sort of deal I can do without comitting to either.

**Damo105** · 03-06-2011, 07:58 PM

Don't forget the TSI engine is the newish version with the chain driven cam (from the Golf VI), and not the cambelt version from the Golf V. Hence less maintenance costs as the chain only requires replacement at something like 180,000kms.

**brad** · 04-06-2011, 10:37 AM

Damo
There's nothing in the service manual to suggest the chain needs any scheduled replacement. Plenty of other brand camchain engines out there with 300,000km that have never had a chain or tensioner replaced.
I don't regard the EA888 as a new engine anymore. VW Group cars have been using it since 2007.

I was within a beezdcik of getting a diesel & a mate kept asking me if I could live with the reduced rev-range of the diesel. I don't thrash engines very often & thought I could but when I drove the 1.8TSI I was hooked. Depending where & how you drive, I don't think there's a lot in it. I'm averaging 6.6L/100 over the 70,000km I've had the car, which I think is fantastic as my previous car, a Mk3.5 2.0L Cabrio was averaging around 8L/100 & my Gen2 Liberty 2.5L was 11L/100km (and a slug as well).

By comparison, my wife has the latest diesel Mondeo which she drives in metro traffic all the time & she is still in double figures (but heaps better than her VE Calais was).

**jbviajero** · 04-06-2011, 12:46 PM

Inner City driving is a different story in the 1.8tsi. I tend to average 11l/100k, which is still a whole lot better than the 19l/100k the magna it replaced chewed through. Out in the country I see between 6 and 7 /100k, depending on how heavy my right shoe is.

**kamold** · 04-06-2011, 02:55 PM

My long term average in my A3 has been ~8.3L/100kms over 45,000kms. Most of that has been commuting in Sydney, with some longer drives out to the country.

I've been pretty happy with that given the performance thats there when I want it. Its much better than my wife's Golf which suffers because of its (admittedly very good for what it is) traditional 6 speed auto. Hers just manages to hover below double figures, but only just.

**vwtyp2** · 04-06-2011, 10:19 PM

has anyone measures the rear seat legroom difference between an Octavia Wagon, a Passat Wagon and an A4 wagon?
After a Golf 4 with one child, then a Passat 5.5 with 2, now looking at upsizing again.
All of them have more than enough boot space for me, more interested in the gap between the front of the back seat and the back of the front seat when the front seat is at full stretch.