Potential rs buyer

[MrGadget]

Hi guys, I'm considering purchasing an ex-demo Octavia RS wagon. My wife and i are expecting our first baby and the golf gti (wife's current car) is just too small, ie pram just fits in boot. So the plan is to trade my Liberty and I drive the gti.

I have noticed that some rs wagons have a silver colored surround around the touch screen and centre controls, while others have a carbon fiber look which IMO opinion looks nicer. Is this an option or is it a model year change?

For those with newborns, is the rs OK in terms of rear space for a capsule/car seat? Any other things I should consider in terms of practicality in going for the rs?

How does the TDI compare to the petrol rs? I can't seem to find any reviews that compare them.

Thanks. Now to find a blue rs wagon! I've only come across a TDI model but not sure if I want a diesel.

[davo]

If you are otherwise happy with the Golf, I would suggest you consider keeping it, at least to see whether it really is too small for your needs. That's what we did. Our Mk5 TDI is our only car and we are only just replacing it now (with a Passat Alltrack). Our son turned 2 in January. Yes, the pram only just fits in the boot, with a little bit of space to shove a few shopping bags around it, but we found it more than adequate most of the time. We got a much more compact fold-up stroller to use when we went on long road trips which required more boot space for luggage. I'm very glad we didn't rush into buying a new car before we really needed to.

[Jake02]

The carbon fibre centre console trim was part of the MY12 update that also included red stitching on the steering wheel and the option of all-black (rather than the black/grey/silver) alcantara/cloth seats and black 18-inch Neptune (same design as the normal) alloy wheels. The back seat may be a little small, but considering the Octy has one of the biggest boots in class (and is one of the most compact-sized in terms of exterior dimensions) I'd say you'd at least be able to fit all the baby stuff in the boot.

[Martin]

He is keeping the Golf, loose the liberty and get a Octavia.

I assume you have a reason for flicking the liberty, it's a pretty good family car, too large for my wife to drive/park and fuel economy is not great.

The tdi is great, heaps of torque, over 900km from a tank. Check the cost of serving or replacing the particle filter. Most tdi are manual I think, does your wife want auto?

The Octavia has great room in the rear and the boot.

If the Octavia is for the wife you could consider the 118 TSI model and save some money.

Make sure you plan to gave the car for 5+ years as resale value is questionable at best

[Martin]

You can carbon wrap the interior, looks better than factory black

[MrGadget]

The gti will become my car. The Liberty is an MY05 model (bought it brand new). The power of the gti has spoilt us so that's why we r keen on an rs or other vehicles of similar power.

Will need to test drive the TDI, never driven a diesel before. Are they noisy like other diesels I hear on the roads? I'm used the turbo petrol in the gti, still makes me happy even after 4 years of ownership.

Oh should mention that we would go for another dsg....no manual.

[candy_wagon]

The rear seat will be fine for a new born, but you may need to move the front seat forward slightly to accommodate the capsule in the back. That said, we still had to do that in my wife's Sorento until the seat became front facing.

The boot is fantastic, particularly eith the cargo net (standard), bag hooks and additional strage bins at each side.

You will obviously find the feel of the RS TSi familiar from your GTi, but there is nothing crude about the TDi diesel these days and unless you are wanting outright pace, the diesel might be a good option, even if they are just a bit more expensive.

We use my RS equally as the family car and its he first car I've ever owned that my wife actually likes to drive!

[MrGadget]

Thanks guys for the responses. If we decide to get one, we may end up with a white one. I prefer blue but can't be too fussy when looking for an ex-demo model. She is concerned about resale value in the future, so that's another thing to consider.

Part of me wants to wait for the mk3 but I know it'll cost a lot more.....

[Antiplastix]

Hang out for the mk3 model to be released and what's left of the mk2s will be even cheaper.

[Mysticality]

What kind of driving do you do?
If its all stop/start, go for Petrol. If you do some highway cruising, diesel is the way to go.

I regularly get 800-1,000km from a tank in my TDI which (thanks to an engine torque arm mount insert and BP premium diesel) is *almost* as quick as the petrol. (135kW/361Nm dyno'd)

The "black pack" (or "red stitching" as its referred to on the forums) is: Black alcantara with red stitch; red stitch on steering wheel/handbrake/gear shift; gloss black with a sort of triangle pattern, with the pattern in a matte to contrast.
IMO it doesn't look very nice in person and the brushed al look of the standard package looks a lot better... If its CF you want, get it wrapped with vinyl like Martin's.

Be careful with the TDI/DSG combination though. The DSG doesn't like diesel very much - when you floor it it will rev all the way to about 4,800rpm. Power drops off not long after 4,200. If you want to punch it, you'll have to use the paddles and shift at 3,500-4,250rpm for best results.

The DPF is no real issue, as its only after about 120,000km that it will fill up... And when it does, get a DPF delete retune and reap the benefits!!
As far as we can tell with VCDS my DPF is only about 25% full (after 83,000km) but I do do a few highway km's