Worth paying more for an Audi over a Skoda?

[radderfire]

Do they not share most of the mechanical components with the Octavia? Why would they be less reliable if they have the same engine and gearbox etc?

I don't know. Maybe they are built in different factories. My opinion is based mostly on anecdotal evidence over the years, and I just get the impression the Passat tends not to be so reliable. My brother-in-law had a diesel one which blew up on holiday in France (injectors I think). Also, the Octavia is used more as a taxi which is a good sign. See also:

Used Volkswagen Passat Saloon (2015 - 2021) Review

Volkswagen Passat Saloon (2015 - 2021) in-depth review. Read our experts' views on the engine, practicality, running costs, overall performance and more.

www.parkers.co.uk

Used Skoda Octavia Hatchback (2013 - 2020) Review

Skoda Octavia Hatchback (2013 - 2020) in-depth review. Read our experts' views on the engine, practicality, running costs, overall performance and more.

www.parkers.co.uk

 

[[TW]Fox]

My brother-in-law had a diesel one which blew up on holiday in France

Was it a different engine to the one found in the Octavia?

 

[radderfire]

Was it a different engine to the one found in the Octavia?

Sorry I don't know it was quite a while ago now. I think it was a 2.0l diesel. They share engines do they?

 

[rodders]

Hurry up and make him buy a car, I've been trying to get him to do it for so long.....

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

If reliability is the objective, I did think that the answer was Japanese?

 

[jpaul]

but the japanese are short on estates ? mazda 6 perhaps but biggish car for 165bhp

I don't think the 1.4 Octavia uses a torsion bar setup on the rear that I can see.

mk4 https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/477903-irs-or-torsion-bar/

I believe it's confirmed that 1.5l and below gets torsion beam and over 1.5l gets IRS. It's a big shame IMO, and might be a deal breaker for me. I was hoping to get the 1.5l eTSI with IRS, but doesn't even look like eTSI will be available for a while.

so if the 1.5 is a bad egg => thirstier 2L, probably vrs

e: quite nice A4/41K/2L https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304106142407
but, hadn't realised the newer ones are doomed MHEV
e2: but, nomark tyres .... saw my first 'goodride' tyre the other day.

 

[Gixer]

but the japanese are short on estates ? mazda 6 perhaps but biggish car for 165bhp




mk4 https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/477903-irs-or-torsion-bar/

so if the 1.5 is a bad egg => thirstier 2L, probably vrs

e: quite nice A4/41K/2L https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304106142407
but, hadn't realised the newer ones are doomed MHEV
e2: but, nomark tyres .... saw my first 'goodride' tyre the other day.

I've looked at the Jap stuff. Honda civic looks a bit too small. Toyota would be good alas the 1.8vvt engine will need to be revved hard to get it going anywhere. Being an NA engine though there is no turbo faff to go wrong. I did look at Mazdas too a while back but didn't think they were as reliable as either the Honda or Toyota.

I find the newer Audis a bit odd. Many use the same 2.0l block and they just detune the engine for the slower models, like the 35. Granted a remap sees massive gains on these. I appreciate from a manufacturing perspective it may save costs but I can't help but think a smaller capacity engine of the same power would be more efficient overall.

 

[jpaul]

v60 estate is a bit big for me, and probably pay with fuel, but nice cabins / best seats / design (pity v50 was discontinued,)
I don't know anything about their engines though and seems very few manuals
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404188809972 £18k/ 54k/20

 

[cuke2u]

I don't know. Maybe they are built in different factories. My opinion is based mostly on anecdotal evidence over the years, and I just get the impression the Passat tends not to be so reliable. My brother-in-law had a diesel one which blew up on holiday in France (injectors I think). Also, the Octavia is used more as a taxi which is a good sign. See also:

Used Volkswagen Passat Saloon (2015 - 2021) Review

Volkswagen Passat Saloon (2015 - 2021) in-depth review. Read our experts' views on the engine, practicality, running costs, overall performance and more.

www.parkers.co.uk

Used Skoda Octavia Hatchback (2013 - 2020) Review

Skoda Octavia Hatchback (2013 - 2020) in-depth review. Read our experts' views on the engine, practicality, running costs, overall performance and more.

www.parkers.co.uk

Whilst they might share components the interior of the Octavia isn't as nice a place to sit in. Whereas the A4 B9 is vastly more premium. I'd get the 2.0tfsi version as it is far better than a 1.4/1.5 versions.

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For example..

 

[Mr Jack]

Just drive both and see which you like? Audi's are usually nicer inside and better to drive; Skoda's are usually cheaper to buy and run, and have more practical features and overall design. You can likely get a newer Skoda, and possibly one higher up their tree of models which can counteract some of that difference in plushness.

 

[Nasher]

I've looked at the Jap stuff. Honda civic looks a bit too small. Toyota would be good alas the 1.8vvt engine will need to be revved hard to get it going anywhere. Being an NA engine though there is no turbo faff to go wrong. I did look at Mazdas too a while back but didn't think they were as reliable as either the Honda or Toyota.

I find the newer Audis a bit odd. Many use the same 2.0l block and they just detune the engine for the slower models, like the 35. Granted a remap sees massive gains on these. I appreciate from a manufacturing perspective it may save costs but I can't help but think a smaller capacity engine of the same power would be more efficient overall.

And they are still belt instead of chain driven for some reason. So there is still going to be an expensive service every so often.

 

[cuke2u]

With the b9 the 2.0l ea888 gen 3 engine has some differences between the outputs, the 190ps has the 'B' cycle with dual injectors per cylinder. The 252ps version as far as I understand doesn't have these. Both have a chain driven camshaft.

VW/Audi EA888 Gen 3 (MQB/MLB) Engines Explained - Alex's Autohaus - European Auto Repair in Midvale, Utah

So the new VW/Audi EA888 Gen 3 motor has been out for quite some time, but I still get questions on what is new with this engine. I will try and address as many of these as possible. However, a good starting point is understanding the evolution of the 2.0T engines and where we are […]

www.alexsautohaus.com

The 35 2.0l version came later on after a facelift, b9.5 I believe..

 

[jpaul]

And they are still belt instead of chain driven for some reason. So there is still going to be an expensive service every so often.

Honda were the pioneers and they got the implementation right quieter/low-friction yada-yada ...
still a bit unclear whether for many of the vag/ford failures it's down to people cheaping out on the oil services, side effects from the ubiquitous remaps, ford ecofail is gunk in oil pump/sieve, no.

above link is interesting to show vag geneology, to select a good chain one

 

[Gixer]

The 1.8T in my car has a strange setup. A dry cambelt drives one camshaft. Then inside the engine at the other end of the camshafts a wet chain links the two camshafts together. So there are two places timing can jump potentially in my engine. I got lucky that I requested a seal below the cam chain tensioner be changed due to a small oil leak last year as it was discovered that one of the cam chain tensioner feet had broken but luckily not disintegrated. That would have been a dead engine had the cam chain tensioner given up totally.

 

[jpaul]

any decision ?
what mpg had you been getting from the 1.8T .. that's part of my dilema updating, with increased car weights and emissions requirements,
I think that mpg has stood still for 15 years, maybe if you are stuck in traffic jams everyday the moder (high maintenance) mhev/stop-start helps.

 

[Gixer]

The 1.8T was great before the last cambelt change. I assume the timing must have been altered a bit when the cam chain tensioner and cambelt were changed. Prior to the last cambelt change I'd see up to 48mpg on a long run. Only seeing around 42mpg at the moment. Around town in very slow moving traffic it's around 28mpg. City roads with little hold up due to traffic I see about 37mpg.

Not decided yet. I've started looking at Volvo V90's but I'd have to spend 20k - 25k for one of those and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with spending that much on a depreciating asset. If I start looking at V90s I should probably also consider a BMW 5 series. It's all up in the air, just like the rest of my life at the moment

 

[jpaul]

Tried out a reasonably priced s-line avant A4 manual, some dolled up exterior, but like BMW M , both have crashy suspensions , unless you get adaptive/dynamic suspension
(with maintenance risk) in comfort mode, so sticking to 'sport'/se trims - if you live on a motorway they are probably fine, or, for european roads.

reminded why I like estates so much, yesterdy, 60miles with a 13ft double ladder in the back with boot tied down yesterday,
additional light in the back for passengers, always a bonus too.

 

[coupe69]

Both 1.9tdi, the passat had electrical problems mainly but also speed sensor issue (whole hub needs to be replaced) and snapped spring. Also didn't like the cabin, biggest issue what the door card was so high up the door it wasn't comfortable to rest the elbow on either the top of the door card or the rest in the middle (sounds silly but really noticed it after a while if you do long journeys)

I'm not sure you can compare the later B8 or even B8.5 Passat to the cars you're talking about. The 1.9 litre diesel engine hasn't been used for many years now.

 

[jellybeard999]

Just drive both and see which you like? Audi's are usually nicer inside and better to drive; Skoda's are usually cheaper to buy and run, and have more practical features and overall design. You can likely get a newer Skoda, and possibly one higher up their tree of models which can counteract some of that difference in plushness.

This really. Also Audi are more expensive like for like. Also, check which car is a newer design,/generation. E.g. if you're looking at the A4 and Octavia, one may originate from 2016 and be due for replacement, while one may be a 2022 design. This will impact the tech etc the car comes with.

I went for an Octavia SEL estate and it would have been significantly more expensive to buy the Audi with equivalent features.

 

[jpaul]

Another reason to get the manual (manuals generally too) 1.4 tfsi audi vs 2l , both with 150bhp ,
the weight difference at 75kgs between 1.4 and 2.0 autos while the 1.4 manual is 120kgs lighter than the 2.0 auto.
190bhp / 40 tfsi seem a bit rare.