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Is 1,4 TSI Skoda Octavia too weak for a family car?

S

superb

Vieras
Hi,

Firstly, sorry about using English here since my Finnish is not enough for the discussion and I couldn't find any forum in English. So, I'm thinking about buying a Skoda Octavia 1.4TSI car for family usage. However, some of my friends said that the car engine size is too small and in the long term will not provide enough power for the car carrying the whole 4, 5 people in the family. Can anybody here with the same car share some experiences about this? Thank you!
 
Hearty welcome to AutoStadium! I am sure you will find most polite and helpful people here. Unfortunately, I do not have personal experiences with 1.4 TSI Octavia, but I am quite sure it will be enough for your purpose. But I do hope someone having more knowledge will help you.
 
If you think about NA engines back in the days in 90's or early 2000's, they were 1.6 or 2.0 engines. They had maximum power of about 100-150hp and torque 160-200Nm. They had almost similar weight also than new Octavia has.

New Octavia  has 140hp@4500-6000rpm and 250Nm@1500-3500rpm, so it really should be "by far" better than earlier NA engines in terms of daily usage needs.

Long-term durability is a different topic... Turbo-systems are always someway less-durable than "oldschool" NA engines (think about Nissan's or Toyota's engines), but they offer that "power" you don't get from NA engines.

So what do you prefer? High high-rev-range power output, or low-end diesel-like torque, available in everyday usage? Go and test-drive that 1.4TSI Octavia and do your own decisions. I had one 1.2TSI VW Jetta, and it was ok as a daily driver...
 
Thank you all for the replies and the welcome!

The car I'm talking about is not a new one (sorry I forgot to mention that) and the power is a bit lower (if I'm correct then the new Octavia is using twin-charge which provides more hp). The figures mentioned in the car specs is 90kw/122hp, not 103kw/138hp as on new Octavia.
 
Hi superb,

Is it too weak or not? Well, that depends a lot on what you're comparing against or what you expect. It's by no means a sporty car, and if that's what you're looking for, you need to start looking for the RS-version.

The 1.4 TSI is a "normal" family car in todays standards. Twenty ears ago, it would have been pretty powerful. You just have to try it yourself, that's only way can find out.
 
HAL9000 sanoi:
Hi superb,

Is it too weak or not? Well, that depends a lot on what you're comparing against or what you expect. It's by no means a sporty car, and if that's what you're looking for, you need to start looking for the RS-version.

The 1.4 TSI is a "normal" family car in todays standards. Twenty ears ago, it would have been pretty powerful. You just have to try it yourself, that's only way can find out.

Thank you HAL9000! I have never had a car before and this is gonna be my first one. So, sorry if I don't understand even the basic things. You're right about considering a car weak or not. What I mean in "weak" is whether the car can normally and easily carry the whole family members of 4 or 5 people (parents and the kids) during our summer holiday out to the cottage in the forest without any feeling of being dragged back.
 
superb sanoi:
Thank you all for the replies and the welcome!

The car I'm talking about is not a new one (sorry I forgot to mention that) and the power is a bit lower (if I'm correct then the new Octavia is using twin-charge which provides more hp). The figures mentioned in the car specs is 90kw/122hp, not 103kw/138hp as on new Octavia.
I've driven a 2010 Golf with 90kW 1.4 TSI (and test driven Octavia with the same engine) and would say that it's powerful enough for a family car. The torque is so good that you'll forget it's a 1.4 :)
 
Hi Superb,
I had a Passat with the same engine. The engine was powerful enough for my use. We took it  to Germany on our holiday and it did reach easily 200km/h. In the city the 122 hv gives you power enough. The torque is the key. And turbo gives that in relatively low RPM.
 
I had that same 1.4 TSI (CAXA) in my Scirocco and had no trouble at all driving with a full car (driver, three passengers plus a boot loaded with gear). Sure, it was no rocket, but that was the case also when I was driving alone... The Octavia has room for more gear and an extra passenger, as well as possibly being slightly heavier, but I see no reason you wouldn't get by with the 1.4 TSI. As was already pointed out, the engine has as much torque as a good 2-liter naturally aspirated engine and it's available at a wider rev range, which means that for anything else than going flat out the engine should be enough. The only thing I would worry about is the reliability, which was already mentioned. There have been some issues with the turbo waste gate actuator rod sticking, which is solved by fitting a new turbo. Timing chains have not been that reliable either in the TSI engines, although some engines have better reputations than others. Personally, I'd try to find a car that has been serviced every 15 000 kms instead of the LL-interval (30 000 kms).
 
superb sanoi:
Thank you all for the replies and the welcome!

The car I'm talking about is not a new one (sorry I forgot to mention that) and the power is a bit lower (if I'm correct then the new Octavia is using twin-charge which provides more hp). The figures mentioned in the car specs is 90kw/122hp, not 103kw/138hp as on new Octavia.
Ok, that was good point. :)

Brand new 1.4tsi is not twincharged anymore. In fact, if i remember right, Octavia never had twincharged engines as VW's had in almost every model. 122hp Octavia has around 200Nm of torque, and that beats quite many NA cars under 2.0l dispacement...

My father has 1.4tsi Octavia with 122hp engine. In fact, it's his second similar car. First one he had was '09 and my parents drove ~90k km without problems. 2 years ago He changed that to one of the last second generation Octavia's resellers had availble and so far my parents have been driven 30k km with it, no problems whatsoever.

I've driven both these cars and they are basic and well performing cars as daily drivers. Both are equipped with 7-gear DSG-transmissions which in these cases have been fuctioning well. They also make driving a lot easier than manual trannys, but in other hand, the "lighter" 7-speed DSG is something i would not personally choose. I went for diesel and more reliable 6-speed DSG. :)

If you don't think of beginning to be caravan/trailer freak, the car is in good condition and it's serviced in schedule (or with fixed 15k km interval), go for it. If possible, try to take some friend with you who understands more about cars as a backup for test drive.

Btw, where are you from, and where is the car you've been looking for?
 
ConD sanoi:
Ok, that was good point. :)

Brand new 1.4tsi is not twincharged anymore. In fact, if i remember right, Octavia never had twincharged engines as VW's had in almost every model. 122hp Octavia has around 200Nm of torque, and that beats quite many NA cars under 2.0l dispacement...

My father has 1.4tsi Octavia with 122hp engine. In fact, it's his second similar car. First one he had was '09 and my parents drove ~90k km without problems. 2 years ago He changed that to one of the last second generation Octavia's resellers had availble and so far my parents have been driven 30k km with it, no problems whatsoever.

I've driven both these cars and they are basic and well performing cars as daily drivers. Both are equipped with 7-gear DSG-transmissions which in these cases have been fuctioning well. They also make driving a lot easier than manual trannys, but in other hand, the "lighter" 7-speed DSG is something i would not personally choose. I went for diesel and more reliable 6-speed DSG. :)

If you don't think of beginning to be caravan/trailer freak, the car is in good condition and it's serviced in schedule (or with fixed 15k km interval), go for it. If possible, try to take some friend with you who understands more about cars as a backup for test drive.

Btw, where are you from, and where is the car you've been looking for?

I am from Asia and have been living here for several years. I have been looking for a car for a couple of weeks and still havent decided what car to buy yet. Basically this is gonna be my first car so I want to drive it for a long time (about 5 years) while at the same time the car should be good to fit my family need when we have more kids. I am also in doubts about whether to go with an automatic or manual since there are lots of discussions about DSG gearbox problems. I can afford maximum 16000eur for the car. Any advices would be more than appreciated. And btw I have checked cars in several dealers such as Metroauto, Arita, Veho and Autokeskus. Metroauto seems to have very good offer for the interest rate (0.9%) but I havent found any suitable cars yet.
 
So, I've been thinking about these 2 cars: http://www.nettiauto.com/en/skoda/octavia/6839055 and http://www.nettiauto.com/en/skoda/superb/6997039 which both have 1.4 TSI engine. The later is Superb, not Octavia and has manual transmission. Which one do you recommend for long term usage, lets say 5 years? What's the usual mileage limit for an old car that you're willing to buy? I'm also considering diesel cars but probably it's not worth as I don't think I'll be driving more than 10,000km/pear. Thank you for sharing your opinions!
 
superb sanoi:
So, I've been thinking about these 2 cars: http://www.nettiauto.com/en/skoda/octavia/6839055 and http://www.nettiauto.com/en/skoda/superb/6997039 which both have 1.4 TSI engine. The later is Superb, not Octavia and has manual transmission. Which one do you recommend for long term usage, lets say 5 years?

I'd definitely take the Superb with a manual transmission. Yes, it's a bit more expensive and has a higher mileage but the reputation of the DSG7 is something that you really should consider if you're planning to keep this used car up to five years.

DSG6 is a different story and with much less problems. But if you want to have that one, then you have to go for a 2.0 TDI.

And Superb is a much bigger car than Octavia. I've had both and at least for me, the Superb is clearly a upper class car compared to the Octavia. But I have an Elegance with leather upholstery, so it makes a big difference.

But what you should do, is to take both cars for a test drive. But start with an Octavia, then you'll easily see if there's a big difference between these two cars. And you'll find out if the 1.4 TSI is a powerful enough option for your needs ;)
 
Vempula sanoi:
I'd definitely take the Superb with a manual transmission. Yes, it's a bit more expensive and has a higher mileage but the reputation of the DSG7 is something that you really should consider if you're planning to keep this used car up to five years.

DSG6 is a different story and with much less problems. But if you want to have that one, then you have to go for a 2.0 TDI.

And Superb is a much bigger car than Octavia. I've had both and at least for me, the Superb is clearly a upper class car compared to the Octavia. But I have an Elegance with leather upholstery, so it makes a big difference.

But what you should do, is to take both cars for a test drive. But start with an Octavia, then you'll easily see if there's a big difference between these two cars. And you'll find out if the 1.4 TSI is a powerful enough option for your needs ;)

Thank you Vempula! How can I know if the car has DSG6 or DSG7 as it doesn't seem to be mentioned on the site (nettiauto)?. Do I have to check the car technical specs, e.g, using Foneta and other similar services?
 
1.4 TSI (90kW) is always with a DSG7 if you go for an automatic. The maximum torque for a (dry) DSG7 is 250Nm, so that defines what engines can be fitted with this gearbox.

1.9 & 2.0 TDIs have a DSG6 because the max torque of the engine is higher than 250Nm. 1.8 TSI has a DSG7 too.
 
superb sanoi:
Thank you Vempula! How can I know if the car has DSG6 or DSG7 as it doesn't seem to be mentioned on the site (nettiauto)?. Do I have to check the car technical specs, e.g, using Foneta and other similar services?
Couple of simple rules:

All 2009 and newer with torque less than 250Nm means DSG7. Bigger gasoline and diesel engines with more than 250Nm means DSG6. If you want to be sure, 2.0TDI, 2.0TSI/TFSI and 3.6FSI are the best options to look for DSG6. Almost every else is Skoda lineup are DSG7 cars, when talking about 2009and newer cars.
 
Vempula sanoi:
1.4 TSI (90kW) is always with a DSG7 if you go for an automatic. The maximum torque for a (dry) DSG7 is 250Nm, so that defines what engines can be fitted with this gearbox.

1.9 & 2.0 TDIs have a DSG6 because the max torque of the engine is higher than 250Nm. 1.8 TSI has a DSG7 too.
One exception, newer 1.9TDI's may be fitted with DSG7...
 
Are there any special notices that I should take into account when test driving a Skoda car and how much does it usually cost for a regular maintenance (changing the oil, filter etc) of DSG gearbox?
 
ConD sanoi:
One exception, newer 1.9TDI's may be fitted with DSG7...

I was thinking about this when writing my previous comment :) But then I decided to press then enter anyway because someone would correct my possible mistake quite quickly :rolleyes:

superb sanoi:
how much does it usually cost for a regular maintenance (changing the oil, filter etc) of DSG gearbox?

Here are some examples:

http://www.rsh.fi/huolto/huoltohinnasto2/huolto_suberb.html
http://www.rsh.fi/huolto/huoltohinnasto2/huolto_octavia.html
 
So I went to the car dealer to test drive one of the cars I posted above: the Skoda Superb. My feeling is that 1.4 TSI engine is quite powerful as the car accelerated & responded well, pretty smoothly and quietly. I checked the car history and it seems to me that it's a company car because the first owner is Metos Oy Ab. I quite like the car and now I would need your advices about whether it's worth spending 17,000EUR for it.

1. Is it ok to buy a company car?
2. Here are some images to the service book of the car in Finnish. I don't understand everything but it seems the car is serviced properly and there has been no major problem with it so far. I would be very grateful if any of you can have a look and share your thoughts?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181550.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181604.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181612.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181632.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181639.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181654.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181708.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181718.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181729.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181829.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181840.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181849.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9637521/superb/20150325_181854.jpg

3. I opened the lid and noticed that it's a bit dusty and some parts are rusted. Should I be worried about that?
20150325_175629.jpg


Please forgive me if I ask too much. I would really appreciate your help to buy the first car of my life. Thank you!
 
There is also a tiny crack on the front winshield as you can see in the picture below. Does it have to be fixed?
20150325_175411.jpg
 
That small crack/chip in windshield is inevitable in Finland as roads and parking areas has to be sanded/salted to prevent cars and pedestrians for slipping in winter. Small stones then end up in tire grooves, and they then get loose and fly away when driving. Sometimes it is the hood that gets those stones, sometimes windshield.

Small chips can be fixed. Repair costs about 30-50€, but it seems like that damage has been there for some time... it makes repairing more difficult. It costs about 300-400€ to renew the complete windshield, but if you take windshield insurance and you get another chip, it only takes 150€ from you to get new in that case. So no need to worry about it too much as log as it doesn't block the view to road. There is also one "tick" on the latest service paper about that windshield. Everything else shoud be ok.

Some dust is also inevitable here in Finland. Engine bays cannot be dust- or waterproof, so they get dirty when you are driving. Some rust in the pipes near turbo is in my opinion not a big dealbreaker.
You should be more concerned about possible rust in car underside. Ok, it is not easy to inspect those, but many inspection centers provide "buyers checkups" as their service. They inspect the car as they would in normal annual inspection, and you get report and some good tips also. I costs something around 50-100€ and you get "professional" opinion about the car you're interested in.

Company car is not always bad thing. There can be many kinds of users in those cars, but i guess that in this case, Superb has been someones personal car in the company. Usually company cars are serviced well, and this case it seems to be taken care of. My Golf is also former company car, i cannot think that it would be any better if it would have been owned by someone personally.

How about the cars tires? There should be two sets of tires, others should be winter tires (this time of year...) and others summer tires. Are they in good condition and with suitable groove-depth? Tires are 500-700€ per set to renew.
 
I just quickly scrolled the pictures but it seems that the car still has original brake fluids. So if this is the case, you should tell the dealer to change the fluids before you'll finish the deal. It's a quick job to do and not that expensive, so the dealer is probably willing to do it.

Otherwise the service history looks very good and the previous owners have always used an official Skoda Service, which is a good thing.

And one small detail that you should check is the AC. Try to find a heated indoor parking and turn the AC to the lowest setting. And check with your hand that the air is really cold after few minutes. Sometimes there are big problems with the ACs in Finland because people don't use it and all the sealants will dry after few winters => the system fails.
 
ConD sanoi:
How about the cars tires? There should be two sets of tires, others should be winter tires (this time of year...) and others summer tires. Are they in good condition and with suitable groove-depth? Tires are 500-700€ per set to renew.

The winter tires still look good as you can see in the picture. I also checked the summer tires and they seem ok too.

20150325_175431.jpg


ConD sanoi:
They inspect the car as they would in normal annual inspection, and you get report and some good tips also. I costs something around 50-100€ and you get "professional" opinion about the car you're interested in.

Do you know where I get such service or hire a car mechanic/car professional alike to help me checking out the condition of the car?