V40 Vs Octavia?
V40: I have a Volvo V40 D2. 64 plate. 1.6 auto. It's been my first 'adult' car. Bought 2nd hand at 50k miles in 2020. Its on c.120k. I do a lot of regular motorway miles, primarily for work. It's a little slow off the mark but it's steady as a rock on the motorway at any speed and I regularly get 60-70mpg from it. It's admittedly boring but enjoyable and comfortable.
Due to the amount of miles I expect wear and tear but virtually once per year since buying it it's had issues: -It's failed it's emissions on its MOT twice, and still to this day kicks out a load of dirt when I put the peddle down (despite regular long miles and using good diesel). -Power steering failure. -Wiring loom/electrics issue -Headlights going more often than I'd expect them too. -A snapped suspension coil and the others are apparently rusting and on their way out. - The undertray coming loose and tearing only to be replaced with what seems like a much weaker tray and being told the holes have expanded and the whole front bumper needs to be replaced....(Could just be Volvo dealership bullshit?)
I'm not sure if this is normal or expected or if I'm just unlucky and have bought a dud car but despite loving it I have serious paranoia about things going wrong. And these repairs aren't cheap.
Do I stick by the car? With this history, will I get anything for selling it or do I run it into the ground?
Octavia I've seen all the jokes about Octavias on here and I'm probably the middle of the road IT Manager that these jokes are made about. Ive just found out that I'm now eligible to get a company car. The cheapest option on the list is A Skoda Octavia Estate IV 1.4 hybrid.
Although it's the cheapest option it will still be a fair chunk out of my monthly salary. As you can guess from above I don't care too much about flashy cars but it'll be a smaller engine on a heavy larger car.
How do the 2 compare to drive, own and run?
Do I swap the paranoia for security and less money? Or do I stick with the old gal through thick and thin?