Check out the mileage!!

[Vlad]

Last week I took in a PX....a 2005 "55" Reg Skoda Octavia 1.9TDI Estate with 610,000 miles on the clock. Owned virtually from new by its Taxi driving owner, the car is still on its original engine and still runs and drives.

The condition of it is amazing when you bear in mind the mileage...the bodywork is completely rust free and the drivers seat only has a small split in the side of the seat cushion. There isn't a single rattle, squeak or clonk from the interior or suspension when you drive along, and when you ask most people to guess the mileage, they say 70-80,000 miles.

Its had about 10 cam belt changes!!!

2 months prior to this one, I had a 2004 Octavia in with 425,000 miles on it and that was still being used to take customers up and down to Heathrow from Bournemouth and was only being replaced as the car was coming up for 10 years old and had to be replaced by law to conform with the taxi regulations for Bournemouth.

Both owners bought low mileage Octavia diesels as replacements.

In some ways I see Octavia's as the modern day equivalents of the W124....ie great build quality, very comfortable, no unnecessary electrical features and ultra reliable

 

[Charles Morgan]

That generation of diesel engines (ditto Merc, Peugeot Citroen etc) will be going long after much younger cars have packed up and they are extremely economical.

Great all round cars too.

 

[neilrr]

Just curious how you'd value a v. high mileage car like this 610K Octavia.

Is it scrap value or is there a market for them?

 

[Deleted member 37751]

That VAG 1.9 TDI engine is very, very good and made to look even better after some of the problems they had with its replacement the 2.0 TDI.

 

[ivan1983]

If you dont mind me asking what would you pay or sell something like this for as I imagine most people are scared off by mileages like that.

At least you know they havent been clocked, maybe....

 

[Charles Morgan]

I think some people might clock them the other way - "been to the moon and back 10 times on only nine litres of oil" etc etc.

 

[blue gnome123]

My occasional Taxi driver has had to sell his 54 plate e220cdi since the local council doesn't allow older cars. Same engine and one gearbox change. Still felt Ok to ride in and he got £1000 for it. My regular driver and this guy have both moved onto S211 e220's. Apparently Mercs once more have a great reputation amongst the taxi drivers!

 

[st13phil]

That VAG 1.9 TDI engine is very, very good and made to look even better after some of the problems they had with its replacement the 2.0 TDI.

One of the reasons that engine is so good is that the Pumpe Duse injection system doesn't suffer the wear-related issues that common rail setups do. That one feature gives it a massive advantage.

The longevity of the engine is even more amazing when you consider that it started out as a 1.5 litre normally aspirated diesel producing circa 50bhp and ended it's life (albeit with a host of modifications) producing 100bhp more and it remained reliable.

 

[Vlad]

Re pricing....I gave the guy £350

I was happy to pay that as I sell a lot of Skodas, so its great to have it as an example of just how good they are when customers come to look at a potential purchase. Secondly if needs be, I can pull it apart for various bits and pieces for my other Octavia's as they come and go, ie wheels, tyres, trim items, seat belt buckles etc etc

Re the 2.0 TDi engines, whilst they had a bit of grief when first introduced ie, injectors, most have had these replaced under warranty and I've seen some very high mileage examples such as the two 2007 VW Tourans that we sold last year, one with 314,000 and the other with 340,000 miles. The one with 340,000 is now upto 386,000 and still going strong.