My next car?

[Shaun]

of course its worth it

[Crowella]

Bumping this thread, think it's worth an update for anyone that might look for a new medium sized car.

Been pretty much a year now since having "Octi" and it's now approaching the 30,000km mark. Even with the kilometres piling on it's been amazingly reliable and I'm still enjoying the drive. May have taken it on a few "spirited" drives since owning it around some country roads and that 90kW engine has a little bit more go than I expect, especially when it comes to overtaking, that turbo does nicely. Firm ride, a nice weighted feel in the steering, comfortable commute too and the manual still feels as good as it did new. I wouldn't mind a few more kW but it doesn't labour even with a full load.

If I were to critisise it, the rear vision isn't good. I'm so happy I bothered to get the rear sensors as an extra which are super sensitive but I feel that they're absolutely neccessary with this car. I still get a fright when I put the car in reverse and a person walks right behind my car and sets the sensors off . Another negative I can think of is that you get a bit of road noise from the tyres. I notice it comes from the back tyres and it's a bit louder when I have the passenger seats down and the parcel shelf off. I may have a look into putting some sound insulation in the boot. It's nowhere near as loud as my old car or a lot of older cars I've driven but considering how quiet the engine is and comparing it to my mother's i30, that road noise becomes a bit of a grind when the road surface is terrible.

The main reason I bumped though is that I've only got one issue with this car that I'm concerned about that may be a warranty related issue. Pretty early on, I noticed the drivers seat on the right hand side (read, airbag side) had started to bend in a bit. It doesn't bother me too much comfort wise but now it's looking like it's getting a little bit worse I have some concern about the airbag incase of an accident. I'll put up pictures when I get a chance to take them but should I try and ask the dealership when it goes in for it's next service in a few weeks if it's worth taking a look at? It's a shame because everything else has held up and I think there may have been a fault with my driver's seat to begin with.

With the exception of rear vision, tyre noise (which isn't awful) and what may be a defect with my seat, it' been brilliant. No knocks, no rattles, just a very solid built car.

Oh, and the main reason I bought a car this size, that boot is pretty useful.

[Exar Kun]

Thanks for the update dude. I'd definitely see the dealer about the seat. A number of Renault guys have been able to claim high wear on the bolster through warranty so yours definitely sounds like a warranty issue.

The Octavias are seriously good value at the moment with the run-out special edition. Not too many left in dealers but $23k or so drive away with navigation and lots of other stuff is awesome. A wagon with leather is still under $30k I believe.

We're actually starting to seriously look at a Superb wagon. A 2 year old V6 can be had for a pretty good price and space and equipment levels are awesome.

[Crowella]

Just another quick update. Took the car in for the service, only things to note after 30,000km is that the wiper blades will need replacing soon and that they've ordered a new bolster for my seat under warranty . Have to give kudos to Audi at Newcastle for their reasonably priced ($400) and good service.

[Exar Kun]

Good news!

We've actually just placed our order for our new car - a Skoda Superb V6. And it's an ex-demo from Newcastle Skoda. Have you dealt with Mitchell Wilcox? We're looking at flying up to pick the new car up in the next week or two.

[Crowella]

Mitchell sold me mine. Made it a breeze and was able to get the car delivered from Melbourne for a quicker sale.

[Exar Kun]

Cool. He's been pretty good with us so far. Looking forward to the car. Made sure we got one with flappy paddles since I'm being denied a manual gearbox.