2016 Octavia vRS 230
Discussion
Story time...
For most of 2020 I pondered replacing my commuting car, a 2012 Mitsubishi Colt Juro 1.3 ClearTec, with something with a bigger boot and more driving amusement. Practicality was the main motivation for change, as we were planning to have another child who subsequently arrived in April 2021.
The Colt had been unexpectedly enjoyable to run for more than three years, and during that time the running costs were wonderfully low. Its 1.3 petrol engine was quite a revvy little thing and it was quite happy blasting along the local B roads. Eventually its time was up though, especially as my wife didn’t get on with it, so in late 2020 the search intensified.
I quite fancied a medium-sized estate next, and the shortlist included the Mazda 6 tourer (with the 2.0 Skyactiv motor), Vauxhall Astra 1.6T, Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia, plus some wildcards like the 3 Series GT.
It eventually became a two-horse race between the Astra and Octavia. The Astra was surprisingly good to drive and very generously equipped, and the 200bhp engine made for amusingly swift progress for such an ordinary looking car. From the outside it was like any other Astra, unless you spotted the extra tailpipe. And it was only just big enough to swallow the usual baby seats and clobber, so I started watching the Octavias more closely.
There was a very steady stream of cars coming up for sale at the time. I was initially looking at 1.4 and 1.8 TSIs as well as the vRS in 220 and 230 power outputs. Mostly pre-facelift as the budget was £13k but the odd facelifted car did appear every now and then.
With so much choice, I was finding it difficult to figure out what to go for. Over time it became clear I could definitely get a good vRS within budget, so then it was a question of which vRS to buy. Estate was preferable but not essential thanks to the huge boot in the hatch. Manual. Heated seats. That was about it for requirements.
It wasn’t until February 2021 that I finally found the right car—and I came very close to buying the wrong one.
Decision time
I found a very generously specced 220 in Race Blue that seemed to tick all the boxes. The dealer sent some photos to me over WhatsApp and it looked pretty good. I slept on it then the next morning I got up ready to place a deposit and get the job done, but the car was sold. Oh dear!
Two days passed then the car came up for sale again. Eh? The dealer sent a message to say the financing didn’t check out and it was back up again if I wanted it. Exciting! With the dealer’s number entered into my phone but not yet dialled, I took one last look at the photos… and felt a strange nagging feeling.
Despite its low mileage, the car looked pretty tired. Mainly paint scratches and wheel damage and the like. I noticed the car was wet in the photos, which hid some of the marks somewhat. I’m not super picky about paint condition but this was going to be my biggest ever car purchase and I wanted to start off in the best place possible.
So I had a quick look to see what was on the Skoda Approved Used site and all the usual more expensive main dealer cars were still there. Sigh.
Hang on, what’s this? There’s a car on there I’ve never noticed before, with no pictures and not much info at all really. Let’s give ‘em a call.
The dealer told me it was the more special 230 model and that he’d send a video walkaround to me by the end of the day. I didn’t know much about the 230 at this point so while I was waiting for the video I started digging around to find an old PDF brochure and road tests from when the first press demos came out in 2015, complete with questionable red ‘230’ graphic on the rear doors.
The 230 spec was right up my street, coming with the VAQ diff up front, black pack, sports exhaust, heated seats, folding mirrors and a few other nice bits. The only thing I wasn’t particularly fond of was the 19” Xtreme wheels, but I’d forgive them if the car was otherwise good. My four-year-old son looked at the brochure photo and said I should get one because it had ‘scary wheels’.
The video walkaround arrived and about half way through I was bouncing up and down with excitement. No exaggeration. I was stood in the kitchen and my legs developed a mind of their own. This is the car! It has to be this one. The only issue pointed out was the wheels, which had some of the usual corrosion/damage often seen on diamond-cut rims—but before I could even consider what to do about that, the dealer said he’d get them properly refurbed.
I placed the deposit without hesitation.
First drive
It was a good two or three weeks before the Octavia arrived at my house, which proved useful as this gave me enough time to clean up, advertise and agree a deal on the Colt. It didn’t take long to sell. It was around this time that the used car market was showing early signs of going completely bonkers, and so it proved to be.
When the Octavia was finally on my drive (driven over from Coventry) it felt like a dream. This might seem odd given it’s not a supercar, but it was a special moment for me. The car was squeaky clean and looked brill. And the wheels were perfect. I left it to self-isolate for a couple of days before having a proper poke around. The radio was set to Classic FM and 46mpg was achieved on the 100+ mile drive over. What a gent of a chap who ran it over from Coventry.
Time for the first drive. A dry, clear but chilly February night. Before setting off I went into the menu and set everything to its sportiest and most extreme option, then set off for a good bimble about. After a while everything was warmed up and I gave the throttle a firm prod to overtake a lorry. I was pretty astounded by how quickly it gathered pace.
Time passes
Reflections
I’ve had a very enjoyable year and a half with the car so far. In that time I’ve put some Eagle F1 Assy 5s on, sent it off for a thorough service including changing the oil in the VAQ diff, tried and mostly failed to keep it clean and had many enjoyable drives.
I am so happy I got the vRS over the other options I was considering. As a package it just ticks all the boxes, and I really like the way it drives. The extras in the 230 package make it even sweeter.
I’d love to try one with a DSG, but I’m enjoying the interaction of the manual ‘box. The shift action is pleasant enough, better than I expected, and it always slots in positively which is useful when you’re pressing on.
I haven’t troubled the VAQ diff a great deal so far, in the dry you have to be pretty committed to wake it up, in the wet though I’ve had some enjoyable and amusing sensations feeling it shuffle torque around through tighter bends then catapulting me out the other end.
I am also curious to know how much power the car is actually putting out. I am confident it has not been mapped, but it feels like the claimed 230 horses under the bonnet are very healthy indeed. A few owners who have done rolling road sessions have recorded power outputs around 252bhp before remapping to 300+. No one in my family has had a car as grunty as this, so it always gets an entertaining reaction when they join me for a drive somewhere.
There’s only been one issue since purchase and it’s the sodding diamond-cut wheels, which are showing some spots of corrosion/discolouration even though I’ve managed to avoid kerbing them. Grr! I’ll likely get them powder coated at Raw Wheels in York next year, but need to decide on a colour. I quite like the thought of gunmetal but need to do some experiments in Photoshop.
Happy to answer any questions if you’re considering one of these!
For most of 2020 I pondered replacing my commuting car, a 2012 Mitsubishi Colt Juro 1.3 ClearTec, with something with a bigger boot and more driving amusement. Practicality was the main motivation for change, as we were planning to have another child who subsequently arrived in April 2021.
The Colt had been unexpectedly enjoyable to run for more than three years, and during that time the running costs were wonderfully low. Its 1.3 petrol engine was quite a revvy little thing and it was quite happy blasting along the local B roads. Eventually its time was up though, especially as my wife didn’t get on with it, so in late 2020 the search intensified.
I quite fancied a medium-sized estate next, and the shortlist included the Mazda 6 tourer (with the 2.0 Skyactiv motor), Vauxhall Astra 1.6T, Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia, plus some wildcards like the 3 Series GT.
It eventually became a two-horse race between the Astra and Octavia. The Astra was surprisingly good to drive and very generously equipped, and the 200bhp engine made for amusingly swift progress for such an ordinary looking car. From the outside it was like any other Astra, unless you spotted the extra tailpipe. And it was only just big enough to swallow the usual baby seats and clobber, so I started watching the Octavias more closely.
There was a very steady stream of cars coming up for sale at the time. I was initially looking at 1.4 and 1.8 TSIs as well as the vRS in 220 and 230 power outputs. Mostly pre-facelift as the budget was £13k but the odd facelifted car did appear every now and then.
With so much choice, I was finding it difficult to figure out what to go for. Over time it became clear I could definitely get a good vRS within budget, so then it was a question of which vRS to buy. Estate was preferable but not essential thanks to the huge boot in the hatch. Manual. Heated seats. That was about it for requirements.
It wasn’t until February 2021 that I finally found the right car—and I came very close to buying the wrong one.
Decision time
I found a very generously specced 220 in Race Blue that seemed to tick all the boxes. The dealer sent some photos to me over WhatsApp and it looked pretty good. I slept on it then the next morning I got up ready to place a deposit and get the job done, but the car was sold. Oh dear!
Two days passed then the car came up for sale again. Eh? The dealer sent a message to say the financing didn’t check out and it was back up again if I wanted it. Exciting! With the dealer’s number entered into my phone but not yet dialled, I took one last look at the photos… and felt a strange nagging feeling.
Despite its low mileage, the car looked pretty tired. Mainly paint scratches and wheel damage and the like. I noticed the car was wet in the photos, which hid some of the marks somewhat. I’m not super picky about paint condition but this was going to be my biggest ever car purchase and I wanted to start off in the best place possible.
So I had a quick look to see what was on the Skoda Approved Used site and all the usual more expensive main dealer cars were still there. Sigh.
Hang on, what’s this? There’s a car on there I’ve never noticed before, with no pictures and not much info at all really. Let’s give ‘em a call.
The dealer told me it was the more special 230 model and that he’d send a video walkaround to me by the end of the day. I didn’t know much about the 230 at this point so while I was waiting for the video I started digging around to find an old PDF brochure and road tests from when the first press demos came out in 2015, complete with questionable red ‘230’ graphic on the rear doors.
The 230 spec was right up my street, coming with the VAQ diff up front, black pack, sports exhaust, heated seats, folding mirrors and a few other nice bits. The only thing I wasn’t particularly fond of was the 19” Xtreme wheels, but I’d forgive them if the car was otherwise good. My four-year-old son looked at the brochure photo and said I should get one because it had ‘scary wheels’.
The video walkaround arrived and about half way through I was bouncing up and down with excitement. No exaggeration. I was stood in the kitchen and my legs developed a mind of their own. This is the car! It has to be this one. The only issue pointed out was the wheels, which had some of the usual corrosion/damage often seen on diamond-cut rims—but before I could even consider what to do about that, the dealer said he’d get them properly refurbed.
I placed the deposit without hesitation.
First drive
It was a good two or three weeks before the Octavia arrived at my house, which proved useful as this gave me enough time to clean up, advertise and agree a deal on the Colt. It didn’t take long to sell. It was around this time that the used car market was showing early signs of going completely bonkers, and so it proved to be.
When the Octavia was finally on my drive (driven over from Coventry) it felt like a dream. This might seem odd given it’s not a supercar, but it was a special moment for me. The car was squeaky clean and looked brill. And the wheels were perfect. I left it to self-isolate for a couple of days before having a proper poke around. The radio was set to Classic FM and 46mpg was achieved on the 100+ mile drive over. What a gent of a chap who ran it over from Coventry.
Time for the first drive. A dry, clear but chilly February night. Before setting off I went into the menu and set everything to its sportiest and most extreme option, then set off for a good bimble about. After a while everything was warmed up and I gave the throttle a firm prod to overtake a lorry. I was pretty astounded by how quickly it gathered pace.
Time passes
Reflections
I’ve had a very enjoyable year and a half with the car so far. In that time I’ve put some Eagle F1 Assy 5s on, sent it off for a thorough service including changing the oil in the VAQ diff, tried and mostly failed to keep it clean and had many enjoyable drives.
I am so happy I got the vRS over the other options I was considering. As a package it just ticks all the boxes, and I really like the way it drives. The extras in the 230 package make it even sweeter.
I’d love to try one with a DSG, but I’m enjoying the interaction of the manual ‘box. The shift action is pleasant enough, better than I expected, and it always slots in positively which is useful when you’re pressing on.
I haven’t troubled the VAQ diff a great deal so far, in the dry you have to be pretty committed to wake it up, in the wet though I’ve had some enjoyable and amusing sensations feeling it shuffle torque around through tighter bends then catapulting me out the other end.
I am also curious to know how much power the car is actually putting out. I am confident it has not been mapped, but it feels like the claimed 230 horses under the bonnet are very healthy indeed. A few owners who have done rolling road sessions have recorded power outputs around 252bhp before remapping to 300+. No one in my family has had a car as grunty as this, so it always gets an entertaining reaction when they join me for a drive somewhere.
There’s only been one issue since purchase and it’s the sodding diamond-cut wheels, which are showing some spots of corrosion/discolouration even though I’ve managed to avoid kerbing them. Grr! I’ll likely get them powder coated at Raw Wheels in York next year, but need to decide on a colour. I quite like the thought of gunmetal but need to do some experiments in Photoshop.
Happy to answer any questions if you’re considering one of these!
Edited by Fuzzarr on Thursday 8th September 15:31
Mr Tidy said:
Good to know you got the right car and are really enjoying it. 
I really don't like those wheels. If I was thinking about getting them power-coated I reckon Shadow Chrome would look good.
I adore the wheels, don’t touch them! I really don't like those wheels. If I was thinking about getting them power-coated I reckon Shadow Chrome would look good.
Edit: you’d be insane not to remap it. Engine will handle it no probs
Mr Tidy said:
Good to know you got the right car and are really enjoying it.
I really don't like those wheels. If I was thinking about getting them power-coated I reckon Shadow Chrome would look good.
I'm not a huge fan either, I think they'll look a lot better with a single colour. I've been trying to figure out what that nice colour is that I keep seeing on BMW wheels and I think you've cracked it. Cheers!I really don't like those wheels. If I was thinking about getting them power-coated I reckon Shadow Chrome would look good.
fantheman80 said:
Mr Tidy said:
Good to know you got the right car and are really enjoying it.
I really don't like those wheels. If I was thinking about getting them power-coated I reckon Shadow Chrome would look good.
I adore the wheels, don’t touch them! I really don't like those wheels. If I was thinking about getting them power-coated I reckon Shadow Chrome would look good.
Edit: you’d be insane not to remap it. Engine will handle it no probs
I'm quite happy with the current power output! It's already very easy to get up to stupid speeds.
If I get bored in a few years I might reconsider...
We have a 2017 wagon version of this. We love it.
86k km in that car without a problem.
It eats up motorway miles path ease, and did >2k km last week in 2 journeys.
For the wheels, there's a reason they're back, so don't change them to grey.
You have the black trim package: grille, mirrors, exhaust tips and .... Wheels!
86k km in that car without a problem.
It eats up motorway miles path ease, and did >2k km last week in 2 journeys.
For the wheels, there's a reason they're back, so don't change them to grey.
You have the black trim package: grille, mirrors, exhaust tips and .... Wheels!
RC1807 said:
We have a 2017 wagon version of this. We love it.
86k km in that car without a problem.
It eats up motorway miles path ease, and did >2k km last week in 2 journeys.
For the wheels, there's a reason they're back, so don't change them to grey.
You have the black trim package: grille, mirrors, exhaust tips and .... Wheels!
Yeah I get that they're part of the black pack included on the 230. But if I keep them black with the diamond cut bits, I'll need to plan for a refurb every 2 years or so. I could get them powder coated all black, but reckon that'll look a bit naff and lose the detail.86k km in that car without a problem.
It eats up motorway miles path ease, and did >2k km last week in 2 journeys.
For the wheels, there's a reason they're back, so don't change them to grey.
You have the black trim package: grille, mirrors, exhaust tips and .... Wheels!
Maybe I should get them painted white!
I really rate the Octavia. I had a vRS hatch, albeit a diesel for four years on the company car scheme. I chose it because it was pretty much the fastest thing on the list and it turned out to be brilliant. I covered 80-odd thousand miles in four years, it lugged mountain bikes over to Wales with ease, swallowed all of our crap on family holidays and was like a van when we moved house. My other half also really liked it.
It was a properly easy car to live with and despite being an diesel pretty nippy and fun to drive.
Mine was on 18’s and he diamond cuts detail looked knackered when it when back. Mine had the black pack but grey wheels and it looked fine.
It was a properly easy car to live with and despite being an diesel pretty nippy and fun to drive.
Mine was on 18’s and he diamond cuts detail looked knackered when it when back. Mine had the black pack but grey wheels and it looked fine.
They’re great cars, but I’m biased as I’ve got a 2017 vRS 245, with the 7 speed dsg. Leased it from new on a cheap deal and then got offered a stupidly low price to buy it during the first lockdown, so now it’s mine.
I had the same wheels and didn’t like them. My car was black so it was too much black. Those wheels are mega popular with the VW Caddy mod scene, I put mine on Facebook Marketplace, 4 year old wheels, 3mm max tread and I got more than enough to buy some new silver Skoda wheels, dropping to 18s and 4 Michelin crossclimate tyres!!
Remapped it to over 300bhp (revo) on its 3rd birthday. Really noticeable difference,
Fed up with the ever-worsening diamond-cut finish on my wheels, I finally got them sorted at the end of May.
Shadow chrome.
To my eyes they look so much better in a lighter colour, and shadow chrome is exactly what I was after. The way it plays with the light, looks dark in some lights, lighter in others, just spot on.
Aside from this it's happy motoring now 2.5 years into ownership. I have discovered with the seats down and parcel shelf out, a lot more turbo/exhausty noises come into the cabin, which sounds obvious when I write it here but it really adds to the driving pleasure I find. It's a bit like the whooshing noise you get on third gen RS Meganes. Shame I need the seats up most of the time.
Pics!
Waiting for the refurb at Raw Wheels:
Done!
Shadow chrome.
To my eyes they look so much better in a lighter colour, and shadow chrome is exactly what I was after. The way it plays with the light, looks dark in some lights, lighter in others, just spot on.
Aside from this it's happy motoring now 2.5 years into ownership. I have discovered with the seats down and parcel shelf out, a lot more turbo/exhausty noises come into the cabin, which sounds obvious when I write it here but it really adds to the driving pleasure I find. It's a bit like the whooshing noise you get on third gen RS Meganes. Shame I need the seats up most of the time.
Pics!
Waiting for the refurb at Raw Wheels:
Done!
Fuzzarr said:
Fed up with the ever-worsening diamond-cut finish on my wheels, I finally got them sorted at the end of May.
Shadow chrome.
To my eyes they look so much better in a lighter colour, and shadow chrome is exactly what I was after. The way it plays with the light, looks dark in some lights, lighter in others, just spot on.
Aside from this it's happy motoring now 2.5 years into ownership. I have discovered with the seats down and parcel shelf out, a lot more turbo/exhausty noises come into the cabin, which sounds obvious when I write it here but it really adds to the driving pleasure I find. It's a bit like the whooshing noise you get on third gen RS Meganes. Shame I need the seats up most of the time.
Pics!
Waiting for the refurb at Raw Wheels:
Done!
They look superb; absolutely the right colour! Opens up the details of the wheel so much more Shadow chrome.
To my eyes they look so much better in a lighter colour, and shadow chrome is exactly what I was after. The way it plays with the light, looks dark in some lights, lighter in others, just spot on.
Aside from this it's happy motoring now 2.5 years into ownership. I have discovered with the seats down and parcel shelf out, a lot more turbo/exhausty noises come into the cabin, which sounds obvious when I write it here but it really adds to the driving pleasure I find. It's a bit like the whooshing noise you get on third gen RS Meganes. Shame I need the seats up most of the time.
Pics!
Waiting for the refurb at Raw Wheels:
Done!
d_a_n1979 said:
They look superb; absolutely the right colour! Opens up the details of the wheel so much more
Wrong car. 
OP: The wheels do look very good. Amazing how the single colour completely changes the appearance of the shape. I thought they were different wheels!
(Our 230 wagon, now on 98k km. No issues whatsoever.)
trails said:
Begs the question about why they horrible trend for the black/diamond cut rims when these look sooooo much better as a single colour. Great choice OP 
Presumably it's just what's in fashion at the moment. Fresh diamond-cut rims certainly 'pop' in a showroom, but look in any car park and you'll see several instances of diamond-cut cancer spreading through all manner of rims. If you're selling new cars, you don't need to worry about that sort of thing though, just need to shift units.I much prefer the design of the 18" wheel on the third generation vRS, called Gemini. They're also diamond cut. The 19" Xtremes on my car were the main mark against it, but they came as standard on the pre-facelift 230 models so I was stuck with them.
Interestingly, the Xtreme wheel was subsequently produced in bright silver, and seeing a photo of those was the start of the rabbit hole that led me to where I am now.
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