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Need advice: Should I buy a used 2016 Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI automatic

The car has been driven 1.27 lakh kms. It has always been serviced at Skoda service centres and has an impeccable service record.

BHPian vaibhavyagnik recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello fellow forum members. I am happy to be a part of this awesome auto community and look at you for advice.

My current car is a 2011 Chevrolet spark LT. I have done 72000 Kms in the car till date and except for a ruptured power steering hose, the engine bay has never been a problem. The body has been a different story and I am entirely to blame for it. As it was my and my dad's first car, there were a fair bit of scrapings and mishaps, bird droppings which werent taken care of on time and so on. Also I live on the sea shore so rusting is a big problem. The roof of the car has started to leak from the roof rails.

I have also advanced in life both career wise and family wise. Needless to say that boot of the spark is supremely inadequate for me now. I mitigated it by getting a roof rack but after all, it is a spark and there is so much luggage that it can carry without it being bogged down.

Coming to my requirement, I am looking to upgrade to a car which meets the following requirements as far as possible:

  • Preferably 8-9 lakhs. Although I can manage a bigger budget, I want to upgrade to proper EV down the line (5 years). Currently things stopping me from directly to My employer does not allow EV into their premises and the charging infrastructure is bad in gujarat. So why spend more now only to take big depreciation hit after 5 years.
  • Should have a HUGE boot. 500 litres minimum. I do not go on long car drives a lot. But when I do, my family does not pack frugally.
  • Should seat 5 comfortably.
  • Should be atleast 4 star NCAP rating.
  • Should be sufficiently powerful for 5 members and luggage. I find myself constantly working gears in my spark when fully loaded.

The Ciaz comes closest to my requirement but it feels a bit under powered.

I realized that due to my budget and my requirements, a used car will suit me the best. More features and an affordable price. I also went through the Team BHP why a used car thread and I fully agree with the views expressed in that thread. As a homework, I did a new vs used car cost of ownership comparison and what I found was that the money on the new car goes towards the loan and the money on a used car goes towards maintenance. At the end of 5 years, the cost is almost the same.

My search lead me to a used Skoda Octavia, 2016, 2.0 TDI, Automatic. The car has been driven 1.27 lakh kms. It has always been serviced at Skoda service centres and has an impeccable service record. The car was first leased to Airbus which was then sold to the current user who now wants to sell it as he has multiple cars and now longer wants it. The car was last serviced in March 2021 at 1.15 lakh kms. During the last service the timing kit was changed along with DSG oil.

Coming to the condition of the car, the car has a few scratches all around the body, but the only big one is the dent on the passenger side floor board. The car runs great with no squeaks or rattles and O boy the performance! Driving that car, I realized how miserable i was changing gears to reach 100 kph on highways!

I got the car assessed at Skoda service and there were a few surprises which I did not realize during my first test drive. The list of repairs recommended by Skoda are:

  • Full service - 13k
  • Airbag control module - 58K (Airbag error on dashboard)
  • Air condition mode control unit - 12K
  • Insurance - 24K
  • Labour cost - 50K
  • The suspension soft parts are worn but should last for another 20K kms.

The tyres are good for another 20K and the battery was replaced in 2021.

The asking price is 9L.

My question to this community are:

  • Is it worth buying this car if I can get it down to 8 lakhs?
  • Will this car be reliable for next five years? I mean no breakdowns on the road.
  • I have assumed 50k per year for repairs and Insurance. Will that be enough?

Here's what BHPian MotoBlip had to say on the matter:

This example that you have found seems to have too high a mileage for honestly anyone to safely recommend a DSG car, the asking price too seems to be a little bit too optimistic.

With all those repairs in tow(~1.5L), I'd skip this car and look for other example no matter how well it drives. Alternatively, I think you should consider getting a Honda City CVT instead, I just did a search and found a couple in Rajkot within your budget.

If you're okay with expanding your kitty a bit, you could even find a MS XL6, which I think is a brilliant car and 5 years later when you want to sell it, will reward you with excellent resale too.

Here's what BHPian condor had to say on the matter:

Apart from the merits of the car and the iffy DSG, I think your calculations need to be relooked at: the service cost is too high.

Also not to reduce IDV in the insurance component.

If the car is good, and the price is Goood, then why not?

Here's what BHPian Gypsian had to say on the matter:

I suggest you look for a better pre worshipped car. Considering the high mileage that this car has been subjected to and the high repair cost associated with this car are a cause of concern. Look for cars that are genuinely run less than 50k Kms. If at all you decide to opt for this particular car please get it checked by an expert and then proceed.

Here's what BHPian ruhtam had to say on the matter:

Please look elsewhere, the car has quite a few repairs and the cost of maintenance is only going to go up. Quite soon you'd be hit with injector repairs, each piece costs > 23k, there's four of them. Diesel high pressure pump could also wear which is around 90k. Add to that is the infamous DSG, though it is not the DQ200, they are fragile and will likely fail.

This is a money pit, it'll look and drive luxurious but it'll drain you. I've had injector problems with their TDI engines, both with Jetta and Vento, so I'd say confidently that this is at the end of its life.

You'd have to pump another 4L~5L to revive it in the first two to three years itself. I'd be very careful of this devious deal.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

 
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