MadPete

Further to my last post, my local dealer updated my SW to 1941 this morning and I will now test. I waited while it was done, it took about 45mins from walking in to walking out. Hoping this is the end of this... 🙂

I have a good relationship with my local dealer, I asked them and they said they are aware the update is coming and should be available (barring any issues found) by the end of the month.... but we'll see.

What are you on about? Nobody said anything about lying? I said wrong, don't put words in my mouth please. The guy in here was saying his dealer told him 1803 wasn't available, he has issues, obviously isn't right because I have it so it can be done. That's all I was saying.

1803 is the latest version, my dealer updated to it a couple of weeks back for me... the system has been much improved since (it was super buggy before). If they are telling you it doesn't exist, they are wrong... I've have it on my car for two weeks now ;-)

So I thought I'd give a bit of a update, and mini review of my new VRS after a few weeks of getting to know it. Over all, it's a good car. It does have some strong points and some niggles... which I will list below. Positives: Mechanically it feels very robust, the car has a very "solid" feel to it that inspires confidence. It handles very well, has loads of grip, and the 4x4 system means that torque is handled without any dramas. It's quite a deceptive car, in that it's faster than it feels. Again, I think this is down the the 4x4 because acceleration is pretty refined. The suspension strikes a good balance between sporty, but without being overly hard. The engine is great IF you want an engine that balances a "bit a poke, with good efficiency". It's pretty much as quick the the 2 wheel drive petrol in the dry, and I'd wager quicker off the line in the wet... but I got 50.8 mpg returned on a 25 min drive the other day (mix of motorway and A Roads) and I'm averaging 44.5 mpg with mostly pootling around town. It's extremely comfortable, practical, and the boot is huge...the usual Skoda things. The next point is personal opinion, but I think it's probably the best looking VRS so far... it gets lots of attention. Negatives: The sound actuator is on in Normal mode, and it's loud. It cannot be turned off in Normal mode and it sounds particularly stupid on a Diesel VRS! Following on from this point, the car does not remember driving profiles and so resets to Normal mode after every restart. The infotainment system is slow to boot up, it's still laggy and still a bit flaky. Gremlins: These may or may not be issues just with my car... So any feedback from fellow owners very welcome! Keyless entry - Randomly does not detect the key. It detects at the door, lets you in, but then will not start the car. With the message "Key not detected, hold key against surface" Lane Assist - Randomly tells me to "Drive in the middle of the lane" and bongs at me. Sometimes just for a few seconds, sometimes for 30-45 seconds... I am of course perfectly in my lane. Overall I like the car, if it didn't have these issues it would be a brilliant car. As it is, I feel like the previous VRS I had (which never put a foot wrong) gained my trust more... I feel like I don't trust this car at the moment, because of it's glitchy nature. It makes me think, if these things are glitchy after a few weeks... what else will go wrong 🤷‍♂️🤔 Maybe software fixes going forward can iron some of these things out, but I'm not feeling particularly confident about it at the moment. Just some honest thoughts guys, feedback from other owners very welcome.

Skodev, in general I'm really pleased. I've had a VRS petrol in the past (MK3) , and it has way more grip than that, it also has this sort of really solid feel to it. A feeling of real confidence. The diesel engine is punchy, don't expect it ia rev like the petrol obviously... anf you have to stay on the turbo... But when you do, it was a huge wall of torque that pushes you into the seat. That and you get the economy of the Diesel, it was a perfect balance between a bit of fun and a practical car for me personally. If that's what you want, it hits the nail on the head. I just need to get rid of the stupid V8 sounds, and I'm a happy camper 👍

Top man, many thanks Wes! 👍

Many thanks for the info VagProf, any downsides or other side effects to removing the fuse? If not, I will do that! 👍👌

Well I really wish it didn't ItalianJob, but unfortunately it does. My car is MY21, it's a week old. One of the options I picked was the winter pack, so I have the heated wheel as part of that.... though why that would make a difference. It just seems like a REALLY daft decision from Skoda, when I would think that most people don't like it. Have the option for those that do sure, but don't force it on all of us. Thanks for all the feedback guys, if anyone finds a way to turn this nonsense off going forward please let me know, it would be appreciated. In the meantime, I will put a call into my dealer to see what they say about it. Cheers, Pete.

Hi folks, new here and I've just picked up my new Octavia VRS TDI 4X4 Estate. I really like the car in most ways, but I'd love to know who's idea it was to force the ridiculous sound actuator on in normal mode! In sport mode yes fine, but normal mode is crazy... which is what it's driving me... Crazy! No problem though , I'm just switch to individual mode... having owned a few Skoda's before, it will remember my setup and all will be fine ... Oh it doesn't do that any more, it switches to normal every time! 🤦 I have to say it's ruining a very good car for me, and I think it's a ridiculous decision to do this and very un skoda like... It sounds even worse for a diesel car. Is there a way out of this insanity? Or do we think it may be fixed with a software update? Etc 🤔 Anyone had any joy disabling it? Any help gratefully received. Thanks folks, Pete.