New Octavia ....when? How Much?

[brad]

Dumb question: Can I downgrade wheels & tyres on an Octavia Elegance?

I want a diesel, I want leather and I want Columbus, but I really don't want 18" wheels with 45 profile tyres. I live in a region with notoriously bad potholes and I'd be happier running the car with the 205/55/R16 and steel wheels that come with the Ambition. I'd keep the 18's in the garage until it was time to sell.

Alternatively, where can I buy 16" wheels with right stud pattern for Octavia?

it's the same stud pattern as a Golf or Passat - just keep an eye on forums, gumtree & ebay or your local tyre place can do something for about $120-$150 per wheel.

If you stor ethe 18"s the rubber will go off after about 3 years so you are better off trying to negotiate a downgrade with the dealer.

What size brakes does the Elegance have as 312mm is the largest you can go with 16"s.

i thought the Elegance had 17s standard?

edit: cheapest wheels you'll get will be 16x7.5 Audi A4 rims. People can't give them away. I just sold a set for $170 & thought I did well. I've seen them sell for $100. 7.5" will give you a nicer stance than the OEM 6.5"

[micric]

Woot... my car exists, on a wharf someone in Europe, awaiting a boat...

[GTR27]

What tint shade - 35%, 50%, 70%, did you choose for the windows? Did you use the same for both front and rear windows, asking because rear already has privacy glass. How is the visibility at night especially the rear. Thanks.

35% is what's legal. My last RS I got 20% and it was awesome. I'll probably wuss out and get 35% again this time, because its effectively our only car for a while (dont want to get screwed on insurance - not that I dont think they would pay out, but I dont want the hassle of fighting them)

I just checked that website, the rearguard protector is listed for USD $148.10 and shipping to Australia was estimated at USD $42.17 and handling USD $13.68. You get a 10% discount as a Facebook follower of their page. Didn't see any mention of the USD $28 shipping.

So the total with the discount comes to USD $189.13.

Hmm. Maybe if we went group buy with them, they might reduce the price down a bit. 160USD shipped I could stomach (as it's easily the best rear guard).

[Gerrycan]

I was quoted $200 from the dealers for the standard Skoda item that just sits on the top edge with no lip.