We finally ordered the red duck - Skoda Octavia Greenline Estate

We finally paid the deposit for a new Skoda. Buying a new car really goes against the grain but we managed to get £3,500 off from the scrappage deal and a further 4% off. The dealer was pretty furious that we had managed to get such a deal. I nearly walked out to buy it somewhere else since I was so disappointed at the rudeness I was confronted with whilst paying for the 2nd most expensive thing I have ever bought. But I suppose the more unhappy the dealer the happier I should be with my bargaining.

I think the poor salesman nearly had a breakdown as we showed up for the 3rd time at the showroom, with our noise machine, and still considering which car to buy. Both the Fabia Estate and the Octavia Estate are exceptional cars. We ultimately went with the Octavia Estate. Road tax on this will be £30 a year from April because of low emissions, partly due to it making 64mpg. The way we drive we hope to exceed the stated mpg.

It was a hard decision to buy a new car. We really wanted to stay true to our values and get a very economical car - this lead us towards a recent or new car. With the scrappage deal we realised buy a recent second hand car would cost us more than buying a new one. Not only that but buying new meant we could specify extra options which seemed important, such as ESP and curtain airbags. Our unreliable salesman advised against this but a little research gave us a strong impression that ESP is well worth paying for. Just take a look at this video to understand the difference between ABS, Traction Control and ESP...



It's going to take up to 12 weeks to arrive so we hope the old Punto's head gasket will hold out a bit longer for us.