[Closed] Boring Car question: Octavia estate Vs Golf Estate?

I’d go golf. Nicer place to be over the Skoda. I’m currently in a gtd Estate it’s a great motor.

WWSTW choose?

There are some daft closeout deals on last model Leon estate.

I'd go for DSG Golf as long as it has the adaptive cruise. Just on the final leg home of a 1200km drive back from the other side of Germany in our DSG Passat, started at 6am, and the adaptive really is a game changer. Still a brutal day but a lot more bearable

It is Adaptive.

Not bothered by the Leon TBH, is it not just a Golf in Spanish clothing?

Isn’t that the point of VAG group, so the Škoda is a Golf in Czech clothing.

I've a Leon ST, great car but the rear torsion beam is starting to annoy me. I think the Golf comes with fully independent rear suspension on more of the model range, so that would be a factor for me.

I'm guessing the above are petrols, my 2l diesel has plenty of go at 150bhp for normal use.

I hadn't considered a golf, currently have an Octavia and am off to test drive a new estate tomorrow. I might look at the golf think about it

Not the cars your asking about, but their bigger brothers, I've now got a Skoda Superb estate that replaced a VW Passat estate.

The Superb is auto where the Passat was manual. The Skoda has a more joyful right foot. The Skoda is a nicer place to be.

Skoda wins it for me and I've only ever had VW cars.

Octavia is more like a Passat in Czech clothing innit?
A little longer and wider but No Lederhosen...

Oh yes the adaptive cruise really is something 👍🏻

TBH I had hoped to go for a Non VAG car, I've had a few historically, but they seem to have more lease options about that fit our budget and needs than most others...

Are you tall? I am (6’4”) and certain combos of skoda seat and/or roof don’t fit me well. Golfs are all fine.

Boot is bigger in the skoda - if you have buggies for kids to fit, might go long ways where it won’t in a golf (which can make a lot of difference).

The Leon suspension comment above - higher end ones get nicer rear suspension.

which ever one you prefer and the cheapest to run.

I just got the 1.0 Octavia estate and was really surprised at how peppy it is at lower speeds.

Coming from a Forester 2.5t it's a lot nicer to drive below 50ish mph. The only time the lower power is noticeable is hilly areas. Just takes an extra downshift to get going, but i honestly don't miss the extra 130 or so hp.

I only use mine to load with bikes and kit too and it's nice and cheap to run 🙂

what “enough” actually is has not been fully defined

That's your problem right there. You can't provide an answer if you don't know the question.

You might struggle with lead times for those cars with petrol engines. When I got a leased Octavia last time around it was two weeks' lead for a 2.0TDCi and three or four months for a petrol. Worth checking, it might force your hand.

Is the Golf Mark 8 estate available yet, or is it a Mark 7.5?

Have you looked at the Passat hybrid estate thing? Can’t imagine it will cost anymore to lease than those two with it being lower BIK

Are you tall?

Nope, 5'10" scraping the roof with my noggin won't be a problem.

That’s your problem right there. You can’t provide an answer if you don’t know the question.

The issue is she's used to us being able to pack a car full of random shit and frankly gigantic cases for any given trip, we completely filled the boot and had to fold down the middle rear seat just for a week's trip to Devon in our current C4 picasso, before that car we did the same with our old golf estate.

I made the point that we just expand the amount of crap we pack to fill the space available, before we had kids we were fine with a corsa... She just said "Hmmmm" which indicates total agreement. Right?

Currently I am drawn towards the golf, we've lived with one before (a much older one)...

I’ve a Leon ST, great car but the rear torsion beam is starting to annoy me.

I didn’t know that was a thing on them, I thought they were all independent.

And some of the Golfs have it too??

Golf R estates have been popping up on my Facebook, I haven’t clicked the ads to check the price, but you never know they might be cheap. Or a Leon Cupra 300 🙂

Edit: What about a 5 series?

Unless you need the back seats for small people it sounds like what you need a regular hatchback with the promise of "if needed" bars and a roofbox. The boot of family hatches is tremendous, I could have got a Golf in the back of my Mondeo. My then-missus was similarly afflicted and we got a fortnight's camping in France in the back of it.

Reports of the 1.5TSi engine with DSG Suffering from Kangarooing at low speed... best avoid that combination.

@phil; I’ve got a Cupra ST 300 and can report it’s a lovely car 😎

Don’t think there is much to tell between those two TBH. I have the prev gen Octavia estate (split lights...) and my brother has the current Golf. Same engine, same DSG box, pretty much same space. Lease about the same too (Skoda was a smidge cheaper).

The Golf would edge it for me now though.

It has a switch for a ‘handbrake’ and the adaptive cruise control works better in traffic with this. It’s a bit pants with the Octavia old school handbrake as it doesn’t automatically apply the parking brake and cut out when the car comes to a standstill. It does in the Golf.

But that really is it. Go with the Skoda if you need an ice-scraper in the fuel cap or a free umbrella mind,

@phil; I’ve got a Cupra ST 300 and can report it’s a lovely car 😎

I’m sure it is 🙂

I was close to getting one a couple of years ago on a silly cheap lease, but in a moment of being sensible, the fear of having the house broken in to for keys stopped me.
I bought a 330D Touring off my mate instead. Which to be fair is also lovely.

It has a switch for a ‘handbrake’ and the

I didn’t think anyone uses the handbrake in an auto?

Sorry, just seen Mikertroids point about kangarooing. Really nothing to worry about, just put yuor foot down, or lift off, and it disappears.

And it’s rare if it happens at all. Maybe once or twice this winter, and not at all since.

@andre: I’ve read a few reports of people having nightmares pulling onto roundabouts etc... there’s no fix AFAIK. To be fair, I don’t drive one but I would steer clear of that engine and then there’s no risk of getting a duff. The 1.4 is a good unit though.

@Phil, 330D a nice choice 👌🏼

I've got an Octavia. Personally I'd have gone for the Octavia but the DSG does appeal. So probably the Golf then. Check it comes with the posh suspension though, as the torsion bar is rubbish. I "think" anything over 150bhp gets the better suspension on the golf.

I “think” anything over 150bhp gets the better suspension on the golf.

That’s OK then, I’d never consider one with less 😃

Regarding DSG, I hired an Octavia (no idea which engine, one of the lower powered diesels though) and really didn’t rate the gearbox for pulling away. It wasn’t confidence inspiring not knowing if it was going to move or not when you put your foot down.

I assumed it would be something I’d get used to after a while but only had the car for 24hrs. I’d definitely recommend a decent test drive before committing to DSG, I was glad to get back in to my old school 6 speed auto.

On that ^^

My two litre diesel Octavia had a Sport / Normal / Eco setting. In practical terms this respectively translated to Normal / Gutless / I Think This Is Actually Broken. The day I took charge of it I shoved it in Sport and never touched the setting again.

Compare and contrast to the 1-series Beemer I had as a stop-gap for a couple of months prior, where Normal was actually normal and Sport mode was "which hedge would you prefer to land into?"

Skoda, they're all the same thing so might as well go for the best value option IMO

On a practical note it's worth checking the dimensions of the opening at the back - I was looking about 2 yrs ago and the Golf estate had a much smaller tailgate opening. We carry several bikes standing up (on homebrew frames, wheels off) and the Golf just didn't work for that. Octavia was taller to start with and also had a droppable boot floor, so buckets more room.

Beware adaptive cruise control with a manual, it can catch you with your pants down if traffic slows dramatically.

@rockthreegozy - what’s annoying about the torsion beam, we were thinking of getting a Leon instead of a golf.

My two litre diesel Octavia had a Sport / Normal / Eco setting. In practical terms this respectively translated to Normal / Gutless / I Think This Is Actually Broken. The day I took charge of it I shoved it in Sport and never touched the setting again.

😀😀😀😀😀 You should have tried the auto Rover 75, it had normal and sport which translated to slow and steady away old chap and slow and steady away old chap with a bit more noise!!!

The Skoda will be fine,but the 1.5TSI manual will have the Kangarooing problem and I speak from experience, it's awful. The Golf DSG won't have the problem, and is a nicer place to be. In this instance I say Golf.

phil5556

I’ve a Leon ST, great car but the rear torsion beam is starting to annoy me.

I didn’t know that was a thing on them, I thought they were all independent.

It depends on the spec/engine choice I think.
I just bought the 150bhp 2 litre TDI which comes with the torsion beam; the 184bhp diesel has the multi-link, but are much rarer & I couldn't find one near me to bother with.

bsims

@rockthreegozy – what’s annoying about the torsion beam, we were thinking of getting a Leon instead of a golf.

Just a more basic suspension design. If you are surfmat, it might be important; otherwise probably not so much.

Beware adaptive cruise control with a manual, it can catch you with your pants down if traffic slows dramatically.

I have not had any problems with ACC in my manual Golf. Brakes come on as normal, foot on clutch if required at appropriate moment.
As for the OP’s question, I’d take the Skoda.

Yeah the car is great 98% of the time. I do think for a car that's marketed as the sporty option the front shocks are a touch soft and the torsion beam does get jittery over expansion joints. The FR is meant to be stiffer but in a good way and as above the older 184bhp had independent rear suspension.

I've had the car for 50,000miles and only started to bug me- I am quite sensitive to suspension setup on the bike and the car is due a service next month.

The front shocks have been changed so it may also be the rears are tired and exaggerating the issue.

Octavia is more like a Passat in Czech clothing innit?

No, it's not as clear cut as it used to be because pretty much every VAG car now uses the same flexible platform they able to vary models between brands a lot more, rather than having 1 platform per sector, I hope that makes any sort of sense...

That said, Octavia was always closely related to the Golf, it's just longer especially the estate. They're not even the 'cheap' option anymore. In VW speak OP is looking at Golf / Octavia / Leon, there's a new Octi a new Golf and a new Leon, they're all nice, all have virtual dash, DSG, adaptive cruise, carplay etc if you pay enough. Run out models will be less nice, but have some great PCP deals.

I'd certainly look at the old models, you can get some silly deals. We bought my Wife's car at £12k, they gave us £3k off it dealer contribution and we've just part-exed it after 3 years and 20k miles for £7500. £1500 depreciation in 3 years.

IMHO there isn't a huge different in the new models compared to the old, most of the tech is carried over, the engines are the same, they do look nicer and in some cases a bit bigger. They're of course selling them as all new and exciting, but they're not really, they're only really investing in EV tech now.

My two litre diesel Octavia had a Sport / Normal / Eco setting. In practical terms this respectively translated to Normal / Gutless / I Think This Is Actually Broken.

I've got a 190 DSG 4x4 Superb.

Mine is more Pointlessly aggy / okay, but INSISTS on pulling off in 2nd which is a pain a junctions / okay on the motorway, but hellish everywhere else.

Of course the gearbox Drive and Sport settings are in same ways linked but in others separate to the car settings.

A year in, I've left the thing in drive and nudge the gearstick back into Sport for busy roundabouts and junctions.

Go with the Skoda if you need an ice-scraper in the fuel cap or a free umbrella mind,

The little clip on the windscreen to hold parking tickets sold it for me!

a free umbrella mind,

TWO free umbrellas!

Seems a daft idea, but once I got into my head they existed, I use them all the time (well, when it's raining).

Are we talking Mk 8 Golf v new Octavia or are these stock offers on the previous models?

ACC has been updated to 'predictive' ACC, so it not only maintains distance in traffic but slows for corners too. DSG & ACC is fab, will bring the car to a complete halt in stop/start traffic. Not sure where in the range it's offered by Skoda/VW.

Regarding the 150bhp 1.5 TSI kangaroo issue, my Wife has a MY20 Skoda with that engine (built in Q1 this year). No issues like that at all. I honestly don't know if it's down to driving style and inherent characteristics of the lean burn engine on a cold-cycle or an actual fault. The definitive thread on that subject is here:

https://www.trocforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=266&start=2460

I read a lot about it before ordering the Skoda, and test drove a manual and DSG, it didn't put me off buying.

We have a 13 golf 7 1.2tsi hatch so it has the torsion beam rear suspension

Previous was golf 5 1.4 with independent rear suspension

I didn't even think about it when changing but the lower spec golf's have the torsion beam

It doesn't ride as well (choppier) and doesnt handle as well when throwing it through the bends

Definately get one with the independent rear if you can

Oh and golf over octavia for similar money, materials and kit is better

As above look for the leon

110bhp just about on the verge of a fun drive one up, can almost pull the skin off a rice pudding, in a heavier estate I'd want more power

lots of deals on the old shape octavia.
I got one over the Honda Civic simply cause of the discount.
Mines a 1.5tso manual not had any kangarooing in mine there was a software update late last year.
I researched this and it was reported more in the manual than the dsg box

quite a bit of wind and road noise in the octavia so I would test drive both.