Octavia RS in general

GavinT · 11-10-2007, 11:13

Sorry if this is in the wrong place, I'm new here and am just about finding my way around the site.

I'm looking to buy an Octavia RS (around about a Y plate - 02 reg) but there's a few things I need to find out first. I've heard from one person that they can suffer from electrical niggles and other mechanical faults, and that the build quality isn't what you would expect from VAG. I currently own a Mk3 Mondeo Zetec-S which is brilliant (except for the fact that the injectors are knackered) regarding build quality/handling etc, but is the Octavia as good or even better? What I mean is, I dont want to go from one excellent car (recent probs aside) to another only to find its problematic. I've looked on the Parker's website at the owners reviews where there seems to be nothing but praise for these cars. I also tend to be a bit lead footed too, will it take a bit of abuse or is it likely to fall to bits quite easily? I have every faith in the VAG 1.8T lump, but what this other person (and previous owner of an RS) has told me has put me off a little! Can anyone please put me straight?

Liverpool-Lad · 11-10-2007, 11:15

Id say the build is alright, a few rattles but mines approaching 6 years old. No more problems than any other VAG car as the parts used are identical in most cases really. Ive had mine for getting on for a year and apart from routine maintenance its fine, coupled with the mods makes it even better

matthewb · 11-10-2007, 23:24

Hi gav,Ive had mine 4 years now from new with 65k on the clock and I am still happy with it.It is starting to show up a few niggles hear and there,but with age every car will give small problems,apart from that probably the best car Ive owned in a long time.I live and work around London, alot of stop start driving,and it gets abused.

vrs-si · 12-10-2007, 01:44

ive had my 02 rs for 3 months now and i love it. yes it can be a boring shape to look at but and isnt as refined as my old lexus was but everytime i put my foot down i remember why i bought it and get a grin on my face.
ive done a few mods just to my own taste and have a ferw more still to do but im gonna keep her for at least a cpl of years til i get bored. having seen a mates new fsi vrs i may well get one of those next when the depreciation has taken its toll

mattbeef · 12-10-2007, 09:04

Mate there has been nothing that has really caused me problems on mine.

The only fault that ive found is that some muppet before me has but the oil filter with the hands of i dont know what.

Seriously though i literally have gotten in the car every day for the last 18months and have just driven it

Liverpool-Lad · 12-10-2007, 09:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrs-si

ive had my 02 rs for 3 months now and i love it. yes it can be a boring shape to look at but and isnt as refined as my old lexus was but everytime i put my foot down i remember why i bought it and get a grin on my face.
ive done a few mods just to my own taste and have a ferw more still to do but im gonna keep her for at least a cpl of years til i get bored. having seen a mates new fsi vrs i may well get one of those next when the depreciation has taken its toll

I disagree, I love the aesthetics, straight to the point and meaningful.

Also, get a remap and you can edge past those new vRS models

Octavia Vrs! · 12-10-2007, 09:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liverpool-Lad

I disagree, I love the aesthetics, straight to the point and meaningful.

Also, get a remap and you can edge past those new vRS models

With a bit of jabba dust you'll more than edge it past!

I love mine - nearly had her 3 years, shes been the Nurburgring twice and never let me down apart from a couple of niggly first year faults. Got no plans to leave her, think I'll hang on untill she dies!

GavinT · 12-10-2007, 12:09

Thanks for the replies, very confidence boosting! My mind was made up a couple of weeks ago that I wanted an RS, but this has just reinforced my decision.

Couple of quick questions, what's the difference between the RS and the VRS, or are they the same thing?

And is there any difference in spec between a Y reg and an 03 reg, like did they do a facelift version with updated stuff? (on my mk3 Mondeo there were 2 facelifted versions with varying spec)

Quinten · 12-10-2007, 12:36

RS is european model indication, vRS is UK. No difference in them other than one letter

There's also no difference between a Y-plate vRS and an '03 vRS, they are both Mk1 vRS's.

GavinT · 12-10-2007, 14:01

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

woodenspatulas · 12-10-2007, 14:28

ive got 2 mk1 vrs's here one a 51 plate and the other a 03 plate estate. i have to say they are still going very strong. they are great to drive, reliable and the owners who chopped them in only had praise for them. the estate is yellow and the owner just wanted something a bit less garish, and the 51 plate owner having only done 40k only wanted a newer shape as the company he was working for was paying (allright for some!)

of the ones ive seen from members on here they are excellent motors, that and the fact our police down here love them to bits means you cant go wrong! i mean whats the odd rattle when you have such a grin factor enducing car!

monkeychild · 13-10-2007, 20:25

I am looking at getting another one after being out of one for 18months

Yup they suck

Furby_Lass · 13-10-2007, 21:33

Ive had mine a week and cannot fault it, I love it.

I used to have mk2 but found it too bland and not very exciting, however I just think the mk1 has a lot more character to it.

Would recommend one to anyone

GavinT · 17-10-2007, 22:23

Sorry to be a continual pain in the rear, but there's just a couple more questions I need to ask.

What sort of mpg do you get from a VRS Mk1? According to Parker's it says 35mpg, but I was told I would be lucky to see 25mpg. I have what you might call a "spirited" driving style half of the time, and take my time and drive quite moderately the other half of the time.

And the other thing is, how much is it to tax one of these things? I always thought it was £99 for 6 months on anything over a 1600cc, but I know there's been a few changes in the law recently and someone said it was £125 for 6 months?

martziniuk · 17-10-2007, 22:31

I acheive an average of about 35mpg combined.mpg does drop when you boot it though.
£112.75 for 6 months road tax, £205 for 12 months

Quinten · 17-10-2007, 22:36

Awooga!!! DSC00004.JPG
Awooga!!! DSC00005.JPG
Awooga!!! DSC00006.JPG

My daily commute of 65 miles. Cruise set at 70mph most of the journey.

Oh, and this is not an exception either...

I think tax is £190/year, but I'm sure that's changed (again

)

rev-trev · 17-10-2007, 22:38

hello gavin, i was abit unsure like yourself but after actually buying one there truly awsome, ive had mine 4 months now, and im still not used to the power, take it from me you will be one happy pappy

martziniuk · 17-10-2007, 22:44

My trip computer is typically 2-3mpg out but i always work it out by filling the tank up each time.Sad isn't it

Motorways i can average 45mpg by computer though.

vRSLen · 17-10-2007, 23:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by martziniuk

My trip computer is typically 2-3mpg out but i always work it out by filling the tank up each time.Sad isn't it

Motorways i can average 45mpg by computer though.

You must be driving a Labia mate

GavinT · 17-10-2007, 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quinten

Awooga!!! DSC00004.JPG
Awooga!!! DSC00005.JPG
Awooga!!! DSC00006.JPG

My daily commute of 65 miles. Cruise set at 70mph most of the journey.

Oh, and this is not an exception either...

I think tax is £190/year, but I'm sure that's changed (again

)

Thats quite impressive. Do all mk1 VRS's come with cruise and trip comp or were they options? (sorry, yet more questions!)

11-10-2007, 11:13	#1
GavinT Briskodian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Warrington Cheshire Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Octavia RS in general Sorry if this is in the wrong place, I'm new here and am just about finding my way around the site. I'm looking to buy an Octavia RS (around about a Y plate - 02 reg) but there's a few things I need to find out first. I've heard from one person that they can suffer from electrical niggles and other mechanical faults, and that the build quality isn't what you would expect from VAG. I currently own a Mk3 Mondeo Zetec-S which is brilliant (except for the fact that the injectors are knackered) regarding build quality/handling etc, but is the Octavia as good or even better? What I mean is, I dont want to go from one excellent car (recent probs aside) to another only to find its problematic. I've looked on the Parker's website at the owners reviews where there seems to be nothing but praise for these cars. I also tend to be a bit lead footed too, will it take a bit of abuse or is it likely to fall to bits quite easily? I have every faith in the VAG 1.8T lump, but what this other person (and previous owner of an RS) has told me has put me off a little! Can anyone please put me straight? __________________ My current car (soon to go!) = http://www.fordmondeo.org/garage/index.php?car/37/

11-10-2007, 11:15	#2
Liverpool-Lad Briskodian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Liverpool Posts: 1,624 Thanks: 12 Thanked 44 Times in 44 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general Id say the build is alright, a few rattles but mines approaching 6 years old. No more problems than any other VAG car as the parts used are identical in most cases really. Ive had mine for getting on for a year and apart from routine maintenance its fine, coupled with the mods makes it even better __________________ 2001 Rally Red Octavia vRS...remap complete Whiteline rear ARB, Superpro dogbone bush - 225/45/17 Goodyear Eagle F1 Aysmmetrics and lots of V-Power! Smiles all 'round

11-10-2007, 23:24	#3
matthewb Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 32 Thanks: 2 Thanked 7 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general Hi gav,Ive had mine 4 years now from new with 65k on the clock and I am still happy with it.It is starting to show up a few niggles hear and there,but with age every car will give small problems,apart from that probably the best car Ive owned in a long time.I live and work around London, alot of stop start driving,and it gets abused.

12-10-2007, 01:44	#4
vrs-si Briskodian Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 566 Thanks: 7 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general ive had my 02 rs for 3 months now and i love it. yes it can be a boring shape to look at but and isnt as refined as my old lexus was but everytime i put my foot down i remember why i bought it and get a grin on my face. ive done a few mods just to my own taste and have a ferw more still to do but im gonna keep her for at least a cpl of years til i get bored. having seen a mates new fsi vrs i may well get one of those next when the depreciation has taken its toll

12-10-2007, 09:04	#5
mattbeef Briskodian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sheffield Posts: 3,353 Thanks: 38 Thanked 116 Times in 115 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general Mate there has been nothing that has really caused me problems on mine. The only fault that ive found is that some muppet before me has but the oil filter with the hands of i dont know what. Seriously though i literally have gotten in the car every day for the last 18months and have just driven it __________________ I few bits here and there but im happy to Performance Torque Go on click me you know you want to

12-10-2007, 12:09	#8
GavinT Briskodian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Warrington Cheshire Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general Thanks for the replies, very confidence boosting! My mind was made up a couple of weeks ago that I wanted an RS, but this has just reinforced my decision. Couple of quick questions, what's the difference between the RS and the VRS, or are they the same thing? And is there any difference in spec between a Y reg and an 03 reg, like did they do a facelift version with updated stuff? (on my mk3 Mondeo there were 2 facelifted versions with varying spec) __________________ My current car (soon to go!) = http://www.fordmondeo.org/garage/index.php?car/37/

12-10-2007, 12:36	#9
Quinten playing dadsie Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: fast lane Posts: 10,022 Thanks: 19 Thanked 40 Times in 37 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general RS is european model indication, vRS is UK. No difference in them other than one letter There's also no difference between a Y-plate vRS and an '03 vRS, they are both Mk1 vRS's. __________________ Awooga!!!

12-10-2007, 14:01	#10
GavinT Briskodian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Warrington Cheshire Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general Thanks for clearing that up for me. __________________ My current car (soon to go!) = http://www.fordmondeo.org/garage/index.php?car/37/

12-10-2007, 14:28	#11
woodenspatulas Briskodian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Kent Posts: 1,362 Thanks: 38 Thanked 66 Times in 55 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general ive got 2 mk1 vrs's here one a 51 plate and the other a 03 plate estate. i have to say they are still going very strong. they are great to drive, reliable and the owners who chopped them in only had praise for them. the estate is yellow and the owner just wanted something a bit less garish, and the 51 plate owner having only done 40k only wanted a newer shape as the company he was working for was paying (allright for some!) of the ones ive seen from members on here they are excellent motors, that and the fact our police down here love them to bits means you cant go wrong! i mean whats the odd rattle when you have such a grin factor enducing car! __________________ Where has my sig pic gone????

13-10-2007, 20:25	#12
monkeychild Errrrrrrrrrrrrr Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: North Yorks Posts: 3,004 Thanks: 5 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general I am looking at getting another one after being out of one for 18months Yup they suck __________________ My Brum Brums: 2002 Silver MKI Octy vRS standard apart from an APR R1 DV 2002 1.4 Tdi Polo My Pedal Pedals: 2008 Gary Fisher Hookooekoo, 2003 Kona Lavadome Single speed goodness MTB North East For all your Mountain Biking Goodness

13-10-2007, 21:33	#13
Furby_Lass Briskodian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Stamford/Peterborough/Hull Posts: 465 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general Ive had mine a week and cannot fault it, I love it. I used to have mk2 but found it too bland and not very exciting, however I just think the mk1 has a lot more character to it. Would recommend one to anyone __________________ Cara Blue Fabia vrs 001/1000

17-10-2007, 22:23	#14
GavinT Briskodian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Warrington Cheshire Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general Sorry to be a continual pain in the rear, but there's just a couple more questions I need to ask. What sort of mpg do you get from a VRS Mk1? According to Parker's it says 35mpg, but I was told I would be lucky to see 25mpg. I have what you might call a "spirited" driving style half of the time, and take my time and drive quite moderately the other half of the time. And the other thing is, how much is it to tax one of these things? I always thought it was £99 for 6 months on anything over a 1600cc, but I know there's been a few changes in the law recently and someone said it was £125 for 6 months? __________________ My current car (soon to go!) = http://www.fordmondeo.org/garage/index.php?car/37/

17-10-2007, 22:31	#15
martziniuk Need more power Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Driffield, Good old yorkshire Posts: 1,748 Thanks: 37 Thanked 127 Times in 126 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general I acheive an average of about 35mpg combined.mpg does drop when you boot it though. £112.75 for 6 months road tax, £205 for 12 months __________________ Regards Martin Turbo back blueflame exhaust ,Forge FMDV006 Dump valve, Autobahn88 TIP, CAI ,Remapped, FMIC soon..... Last edited by martziniuk; 17-10-2007 at 22:39.

17-10-2007, 22:36	#16
Quinten playing dadsie Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: fast lane Posts: 10,022 Thanks: 19 Thanked 40 Times in 37 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general Awooga!!! DSC00004.JPG Awooga!!! DSC00005.JPG Awooga!!! DSC00006.JPG My daily commute of 65 miles. Cruise set at 70mph most of the journey. Oh, and this is not an exception either... I think tax is £190/year, but I'm sure that's changed (again ) __________________ Awooga!!!

17-10-2007, 22:38	#17
rev-trev Briskodian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: norwich Posts: 22 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general hello gavin, i was abit unsure like yourself but after actually buying one there truly awsome, ive had mine 4 months now, and im still not used to the power, take it from me you will be one happy pappy

17-10-2007, 22:44	#18
martziniuk Need more power Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Driffield, Good old yorkshire Posts: 1,748 Thanks: 37 Thanked 127 Times in 126 Posts	Re: Octavia RS in general My trip computer is typically 2-3mpg out but i always work it out by filling the tank up each time.Sad isn't it Motorways i can average 45mpg by computer though. __________________ Regards Martin Turbo back blueflame exhaust ,Forge FMDV006 Dump valve, Autobahn88 TIP, CAI ,Remapped, FMIC soon.....

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