I looked at a new corolla estate but missus didn't like the look of it. Too sportyI believe the current Octavia is on the "Golf Platform" (the superb shares with the Passat). We run about five or six of them at work and they rarely give trouble and if they do the dealers are good and the warranties effective. Compared to the Audis that we also run which seem to have more niggles and cost more to put right, I know which I'd choose if it was my own money. That said I spent my own money on a Toyota...
It might be essentially the same engine but it comes in various different levels of tune, the Octavia has a 108bhp version, the Ibiza has versions with 73bhp, 78bhp and 93bhp so you have to be careful assuming the performance will be the same as it won't especially as some of the Ibiza 1 litre engines aren't turbocharged.I had a 1.0L Seat Ibiza (Same VAG group engine as the Skoda) when my car was in for a service recently, i did about 50 miles on the motorway and i was surprised at how well it performed. not sure about it in a bigger car like the Octavia though.
I agree with the first bit about older engines. But why not ask the dealer to drop you a courtesy car off to test drive. But don't buy before you test drive.Turbo's make the difference... so small engines are just a problem in our heads, esp if you are old enough to remember old 1l engines - without turbos :-D Mini Metro style... Fiesta 950.. urgh...
Europecar near the Riverside / Cargo Fleet have an Octavia you can hire... very nice it is too, maybe worth getting that for a couple of days to tool around in.
Nope. My wife needs a car for work. Essential journey. Didn't even enter the showroom, everything done outdoors, paperwork was already signed and sorted on Tuesday digitally. The only thing left to do was exchange paperwork and keys which were sanitised and sealed. The dealer even said they wouldn't be moving our old car for 7 days with the windows slightly left open to promote airflow. The dealer took things really seriously, if only supermarkets had the same mindset....A quick trip to Morecambe, not to dent your enthusiasm but is that not against the law just now?