Service intervals and running costs
Discussion
Hi all. I’m looking to change my current car (Hyundai i30 estate) soon and I quite fancy something along the lines of a Passat, Leon or Octavia estate.
Budget is around £19k and I do about 15-20k miles a year mainly on dual carriageways to work so I’d like to get something comfy and relatively economical.
I’ve been trying to find the service intervals for the commonly seen engines in my price range, which seems to be the 1.5 tsi or 2.0 tdi versions.
Fuel efficiency and fuel type wise I have little preference but from what I can find online both have a 10k mile service interval? Is that the case for all engine options in these cars? My current car is 20k miles so it’s putting me off a little going from one service a year to two!
And I just read the thing about the cam belt on the 1.5 tsi being quite costly! I’m not sure if I’ve just been spoilt by the very, very low running costs of the Hyundai over the last 120,000 miles I’ve done in it and have to swallow it up or stick to Hyundai...?!
Budget is around £19k and I do about 15-20k miles a year mainly on dual carriageways to work so I’d like to get something comfy and relatively economical.
I’ve been trying to find the service intervals for the commonly seen engines in my price range, which seems to be the 1.5 tsi or 2.0 tdi versions.
Fuel efficiency and fuel type wise I have little preference but from what I can find online both have a 10k mile service interval? Is that the case for all engine options in these cars? My current car is 20k miles so it’s putting me off a little going from one service a year to two!
And I just read the thing about the cam belt on the 1.5 tsi being quite costly! I’m not sure if I’ve just been spoilt by the very, very low running costs of the Hyundai over the last 120,000 miles I’ve done in it and have to swallow it up or stick to Hyundai...?!
Almost all VAG products give you the choice of fixed or longlife service intervals.
Before deciding, consider that the schedule is basically interim oil change, then full service - with added bits on top depending on engine.
Fixed intervals are firstly an oil change then full service every year / 9k miles (i.e. alternating between the two types of service). Longlife is just the full service at 18k / 2 years. So basically Longlife loses an interim oil change and is recommended if you do long distances with very little start / stop or higher load driving.
Most garages use Longlife spec oil anyway.
Your car would likely be fine in the medium term on a Longlife programme, but I’d always do that interim oil change.
Obviously the higher priority things to be doing if looking to minimise your cost is to buy carefully, look after the car properly and service with an independent specialist. Those would save you a lot more money than a couple of missed oil changes.
Before deciding, consider that the schedule is basically interim oil change, then full service - with added bits on top depending on engine.
Fixed intervals are firstly an oil change then full service every year / 9k miles (i.e. alternating between the two types of service). Longlife is just the full service at 18k / 2 years. So basically Longlife loses an interim oil change and is recommended if you do long distances with very little start / stop or higher load driving.
Most garages use Longlife spec oil anyway.
Your car would likely be fine in the medium term on a Longlife programme, but I’d always do that interim oil change.
Obviously the higher priority things to be doing if looking to minimise your cost is to buy carefully, look after the car properly and service with an independent specialist. Those would save you a lot more money than a couple of missed oil changes.
I don't know if the TSI has chain problems etc, but I've owned a Skoda TDI for a few years and one pricy item oft not mentioned is Cambelt . Frequency seems to depend on model ( for mine it started off at 120k and is now circa 60k/4years on mine, and there's also the little extras that cost nothing at cam belt time ( water pump etc), but on there own can cost as much as cambelt change.
Longer term there's things like consol bushes, where part of assembly is steel and other part is aluminum, leading to problems with bolts shearing.
on the other hand as said, oil changes . I'm lucky in that mine seems to be fixed only. But with a PD engine ,the grade is critical. What the situation is on CR engines I've not heard.
Then last, and perhaps it's just common to the MK1 Fabia. Door card leaks.
Longer term there's things like consol bushes, where part of assembly is steel and other part is aluminum, leading to problems with bolts shearing.
on the other hand as said, oil changes . I'm lucky in that mine seems to be fixed only. But with a PD engine ,the grade is critical. What the situation is on CR engines I've not heard.
Then last, and perhaps it's just common to the MK1 Fabia. Door card leaks.
There is more to running costs than mpg, you won't find a 2.0 VW cheaper to run than you already have. Budget for cambelt and pump change every 5 years, £650, if DSG i think its every 40k, budget £250, Brakes are more expensive, EGR's can be an issue - usually £800, make sure the AC works,
Personally if reliability is key stay with what you have, if you do go VW then keep the servicing to every 10k.
Personally if reliability is key stay with what you have, if you do go VW then keep the servicing to every 10k.
Hi,
I have a 2017 Skoda Superb 2.0 TDi with the EA288 diesel engine and manual gearbox.
Car is approaching 110k miles, having had it from 52k miles. I have kept to the longer intervals by having a servicing plan with the local franchise dealer. No indication yet of mechanical problems caused by the longer intervals, though my mileage till recent was getting on 30k per annum.
I recently learnt these engines like many modern ones use a belt immersed in the engine sump oil to drive the oil pump. I am not aware of these failing but Ford have had a few recent problems I think with a oil immersed wet belt. As the earliest of these engines are only now getting to 10 years old, it's not (widely) known if they will become a consumable part (even if the blurb never mentions it as). The engines are used in lots from Passat to Superb, Octavia, A4 and A3, Transporters etc.
Parts otherwise reasonable for if you're getting genuine quality components. The benefit of VAG is you can often find many parts (e.g. discs and pads) are shared across a range of cars. I found that it was cheaper buying a pair of genuine VW branded discs than ones in a Skoda box, even though they are the same part numbers and looked identical (apart from the ones off my car being worn out!).
There is a wealth of knowledge on VAG cars too. Briskoda is good for Skoda models.
Overall my Skoda has not cost a great deal to run over the past near 60k miles. Standard servicing as mentioned before (e.g. belt and pump) important. Mine also needed both electric aux water pumps (which I think are the "weakness" with this engine). Can't think of anything else!
I think generally if you do your research and buy the right model, there are very low running cost VAG cars. So do your research!
I have a 2017 Skoda Superb 2.0 TDi with the EA288 diesel engine and manual gearbox.
Car is approaching 110k miles, having had it from 52k miles. I have kept to the longer intervals by having a servicing plan with the local franchise dealer. No indication yet of mechanical problems caused by the longer intervals, though my mileage till recent was getting on 30k per annum.
I recently learnt these engines like many modern ones use a belt immersed in the engine sump oil to drive the oil pump. I am not aware of these failing but Ford have had a few recent problems I think with a oil immersed wet belt. As the earliest of these engines are only now getting to 10 years old, it's not (widely) known if they will become a consumable part (even if the blurb never mentions it as). The engines are used in lots from Passat to Superb, Octavia, A4 and A3, Transporters etc.
Parts otherwise reasonable for if you're getting genuine quality components. The benefit of VAG is you can often find many parts (e.g. discs and pads) are shared across a range of cars. I found that it was cheaper buying a pair of genuine VW branded discs than ones in a Skoda box, even though they are the same part numbers and looked identical (apart from the ones off my car being worn out!).
There is a wealth of knowledge on VAG cars too. Briskoda is good for Skoda models.
Overall my Skoda has not cost a great deal to run over the past near 60k miles. Standard servicing as mentioned before (e.g. belt and pump) important. Mine also needed both electric aux water pumps (which I think are the "weakness" with this engine). Can't think of anything else!
I think generally if you do your research and buy the right model, there are very low running cost VAG cars. So do your research!
I have the 1.5tsi in my golf and cover 20k+ miles a year.
Servicing is every 9k miles on mine, so at least two a year.
A service plan to cover the two services is around £500 and covers most things.
You are in luck with the cam belts, used to be due every 5 years at £1k cost. But just changed last week to every 180k miles so likely longer than the life of the car.
I have 45mpg average over the last 20k miles, mostly motorway. It’s less on short trips and in town.
Servicing is every 9k miles on mine, so at least two a year.
A service plan to cover the two services is around £500 and covers most things.
You are in luck with the cam belts, used to be due every 5 years at £1k cost. But just changed last week to every 180k miles so likely longer than the life of the car.
I have 45mpg average over the last 20k miles, mostly motorway. It’s less on short trips and in town.
Thanks for the replies all.
For me this car will just be a tool really, so whilst I'd like to have a choice of the VAG options I think I'd struggle to justtify the additional service costs and more importantly for me the time/practicalities of additional service trips over what I do now.
Looks like I'll be sticking to something like I have now then!
Cheers
For me this car will just be a tool really, so whilst I'd like to have a choice of the VAG options I think I'd struggle to justtify the additional service costs and more importantly for me the time/practicalities of additional service trips over what I do now.
Looks like I'll be sticking to something like I have now then!
Cheers
One thing to consider of any VW group car of that era is that the coolant bottle has a silica gel bag in it, which can deteriorate and burst and get sucked into the heater matrix
I’m waiting on my golf to go into be fixed and it’s going to be a 4 figure bill when done.
You can remove the bag but this is risky as it can then burst or you can replace the bottle with the revised part which doesn’t have a bag in it.
I’m waiting on my golf to go into be fixed and it’s going to be a 4 figure bill when done.
You can remove the bag but this is risky as it can then burst or you can replace the bottle with the revised part which doesn’t have a bag in it.
Edited by SteBrown91 on Monday 17th July 08:21
Dr G said:
I'd just like to add that I find this thread slightly ironic given Hyundai's issues with engine failures!
For smooth, longer journeys you'll probably be fine on the 19k intervals. I drive quite a few miles and do mine every 9.
This,For smooth, longer journeys you'll probably be fine on the 19k intervals. I drive quite a few miles and do mine every 9.
Also, whos paying £650 for cambelt change on an EA288 - should be £450 tops. Think I paid about £400 for mine
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