Octavia RS in lieu of GTI

[Arnold]

I am wondering if anyone here considered an RS instead of a GTI and/or if anyone has any views about what the trade-offs might be, apart from the Skoda badge.

I am not very gruntled by VW shortening the boot in the Golf7 so that luggage that fits in my Mark V boot does not fit in the Golf7 boot. In that regard, the Octavia has a boot of 568 litres as against the 7's 380.

I gather the Octavia is a hatch and not a true sedan so has that practical feature covered.

Where does the Octavia fall down compared to the Golf, apart from say greater LOA (and so not quite as practical a city car for parking)?

Has anyone driven an Octavia RS and done the comparo with the GTI?

[Dutch77]

Per my post elsewhere you know my thoughts: I'd be buying the RS wagon every time over a GTI.

The sedan/hatch combo doesn't do much for me looks wise whereas the wagon is just right and more practical again.

There isn't much between the two performance and handling wise, especially when the GTI is ultimately a bit of a compromise vehicle (which is exactly why I chose it originally over the Ford, Renault etc), so unless the last 5% matters (and if it does buy an R anyway) make the smart choice.

I'm sure if AdamD has time he will be able to post a quick summation that will back this up given his recent test drives.

Poster's caveat: each to their own.

[Martin]

If performance matters to you, and you enjoy track days, the Octavia is 2+ seconds slower and has a lot of weight at the rear

For day to day practical living and usefulness I would have the Octavia any day

The things I've carted around in the back of my wagon:
Eight 18*8 wheels with 245/40 tyres
A 7 litre Fisher & Paykel washing machine
A large barbeque kit
A Nissan 350Z gearbox
A Nissan Pulsar Gearbox

If you put a tune on the Octavia it gives it a decent performance boost

Parking the Octavia is not a problem

[Arnold]

Parking the Octavia is not a problem

But in a 4500mm parking space?

The parking issue to which I refer is the lower number of unmarked parking spaces into which an Octavia will fit vs a Golf.

The Octavia is 4585 whereas a Golf7 is just 4255, 330m less. The Octavia is 369mm longer than the 4216mm Mark V.

[sillyboy]

deleted*Double posted for some reason

[sillyboy]

But in a 4500mm parking space?

The parking issue to which I refer is the lower number of unmarked parking spaces into which an Octavia will fit vs a Golf.

The Octavia is 4585 whereas a Golf7 is just 4255, 330m less. The Octavia is 369mm longer than the 4216mm Mark V.

I think the AU standard for parking space length limit is from 4.8m to 5.4m(I can be wrong about this one), but if the 2015 Camry is at 4815mm long, I don't think you can call it a parking space if you can't park a Camry there, which is probably the most popular mainstream mid-size car.

Edit* I think the best thing for you to do is go for a test drive in both(a long test drive perhaps), our opinions might be different to yours, but I think you have already decided on Golf GTI, both cars are good, just go with the one you like most.

[Martin]

But in a 4500mm parking space?

The parking issue to which I refer is the lower number of unmarked parking spaces into which an Octavia will fit vs a Golf.

You must be kidding - the Golf is a small car yes - but public parking caters for a wide range of car sizes
The Octavia is not a big car by any means
The Camry is a good common example

[Arnold]

The parking issue to which I refer is the lower number of unmarked parking spaces into which an Octavia will fit vs a Golf.

I'll say it one more (a third) time:

A longer car (eg Octavia) will fit in fewer unmarked, typically on-street, parking spaces than a shorter car (eg Golf).

Minimum standards for parking spaces or the length of Camrys are beside the point; if there is only 4500mm between the two cars, you cannot park an Octavia and this is an issue in a city where parking spaces are often unmarked and at a premium. By definition there will be more such parking options the shorter the car.

I drove the RS on Friday and it was okay. Roared like a GTI and drove fine. The standard seats did not offer the bolstering or support of the GTI's I did not think and I felt the interior must not have been of the same standard as the GTI either. Hard to say but I presume there has to have been some cost cutting.

While the Octavia's boot was cavernous, the car was too long for my needs.

Once Walter de Silva restores the Golf8's boot to its expected length, order will be restored and I will acquire another Golf. The only compact current model cars I have looked at so far that have the boot length of the Mark V / VI Golf are:

B200 (more)
GLA (similar)
Q3 (more)
Tiguan (more)
308 (similar)

SUVs, including those above, gain too much length and for that and/or weight reasons I am not really interested in a Wagon or an SUV if I can avoid it so not looking at CRV / X-Trail / Golf Wagon etc which means the 308 is the only hatch that comes close to offering the space efficiency of the Mark V and Mark VI Golfs...until the Golf8 is released with any luck as I'd be reluctant to buy a Peugeot, good cars though they may be (enjoyed a 307 wagon in Europe for a month some years back).

But for now, In Golf we trust.

[Dutch77]

If performance matters to you, and you enjoy track days, the Octavia is 2+ seconds slower and has a lot of weight at the rear

For day to day practical living and usefulness I would have the Octavia any day

That was the point I was wanting to make - you can make a track car out of anything ultimately but if you really care about those last seconds I don't think the GTI is the car for you anyway - go take an R.

The practicality of the RS is brilliant.

The things I've carted around in the back of my wagon:
Eight 18*8 wheels with 245/40 tyres

I find myself nodding with a Jeremy Clarkson 'yesssss' when reading this.

[sillyboy]

I have not driven the MK7 GTI, so I cannot comment on the comparison, but for the Octavia RS wagon(current model) I own, I found it easy to park. One thing you might need to consider is the standard equipment in the RS and the GTI, I think the GTI has less goodies as standard(BI-Xenon for one, I think it's not even an option for 2015, if you want this you need to get GTI PP or R). But the GTI does get to opt for the ACC, and the RS doesn't.