When I eventually get DVLA to give me a license, I will need to buy a car (and when I get some compo). It will be from a local dealer and so 've been internet browsing some places. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006160186788?price-to=8000&advertising-location=at_cars&price-from=6000&radius=15&transmission=Automatic&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&maximum-mileage=30000&sort=relevance&postcode=gl139dh&page=1 This is a local dealer who I might use and this is the max that I want to spend - I only need a runabout. In the old days, Skoda had a poor reputation, but now it seems better. Anyone got one?
In the old days Skoda were Rolls Royce's main competitor - it was only due to the lefties after the war they were fooked over by allowing Russia to rule Eastern Europe
my 28 year old son has one so they must be cool again as he hasn't got kids! seems to love it - had Hyundai before
We know a couple who have one on lease hire, their 3rd one, and still have the first one as they liked it so much they brought it from the dealer when they decided at the end of the lease that they needed two cars. I've been in all of them and was very impressed. I'd look for a 2.0TDI 4x4 Yeti myself, but that's probably not what you need. Nasher.
Just checked ad again as I thought it was a diesel! Phew- it is petrol! My criteria is petrol, automatic, £8k or less, cheap to run. Originally, I was looking at Alfa and Fiat but decided that local buy was more important to me.
a friend bought a new Fabia for his wife on the strength of his older model (bombproof) and had no end of problems with coilpack failure and lack of availability due to high demand for item. I think this is much improved now though. Easy tell-tale of impending doom in pic:-
There are some really nice Alfa Sportwagons out there within your criteria. I had one last year for a few months whilst I was between Land Rovers, and loved it. Nasher.
I had pre-VW Favorit for 13 months and it was faultless, if not a bit shit - still, only cost me 400 notes I'm sure you will get the usual modern VW/Audi problems but the initial outlay is much reduced due to badge snobbery. I think cars are bland and they don't excite me (apart from the obvious exotica like MK2 Escorts) so I'd just by a cheap Japanese car and be done with it
re: badge snobbery - so right Harry, I bought my Seat "mum-mobile" on the strength of this, i've hardly had to lift the bonnet in 5 years/half the cost of equiv VW back when I bought it, but everyone cottoned on now.
They are pretty good cars mostly and have a good range. I had a Yeti the 1.8 petrol DSG 4x4 on lease for a couple of years it was excellent!!!! practical, fast if you wanted or just as good to bimble around in. They don't do that model anymore only got rid because it's a mates company and he was selling it on so replaced it with a BMW X3 which was v-nice but in reality not much better than the Yeti. Brother-in-law has one of the bigger 4x4's and loves it and he's one moaning fooooooooooka!!!!!
We had a couple of Octavias at work, both went into very high mileage, one at 230k when I last heard of it. Minimal problems with both .
My daughter had a Skoda Fabia 1.9 tdi. Great car. Sold with around 120k on it as it needed a fair bit of work, only due to her not keeping it properly serviced. Also consider Seat, from the same parts bin. My wife had the 1.2tsi Ibiza, superb little car. Now passed on to her daughter. The vw group diesels are great, just some early2.0 tdi engine issues (oil pump I think) the tsi petrols are excellent also.
I was trying to remember the model! The early estate Octavia was an awesome piece of kit, and as you say, ultra reliable.
Also from the vw/audi group, I had an A4 s line estate on hire. 2litre, auto flappy paddle job. Went like stink, 44 mpg. Great car.
They are pretty good nowadays, it’s just the way excessive use of flimsy plastic everywhere that turns me off. Compare a Golf saloon/Passat with an Octavia (basically the same car) & you’ll see a difference
After having been rescued by VAG, Skoda is now a subsidiary in its own right like SEAT. It shares many of the VAG platforms and parts but it has its own unique models. Just bought a 62 plate Octavia vRS and you have to shoe horn Carole’s daughter out of it, she just loves it. Andy
We've had our 2nd hand Octavia since 2017 1.8 TSI 4x4, not my first choice but goes quite well, previous owner must have liked it a lot as it's full leather interior, think are the wheels are different too, only issue is oil consumption, known issue apparently, oil scavenger rings get gummed up, but give it some stick and you can't actually witness it burning any oil. If it keeps going it might be the last car I buy.
Skoda are now owned by the Volkswagen Group so you would think there is some good quality there but like @Char said my son likes them and he is 25 this year so they must be cool and he drives a Volvo turbo nutter bastard mobile( Don't know what it is but fuck me it's fast and an estate).
