SteveTheElder

Not an iV, but for reference/comparison, on my recent road trip in the mk4 1.5tsi I was filling up when convenient (and before the red warning light came on) and was doing 530 - 580 miles between fill ups. Overall, the road trip returned 59.2mpg, which was way better than my expectations. Two people and a boot full of luggage (& bottles of wine 😁). Weather ranged from wet & blustery mid-teens C to a balmy/sunny high twenties C. Roads included everything from autoroutes to county lanes to high mountain passes.

Can’t say I’ve seen it. Is that a hybrid iV thing or is it available on all?

Don't get me going or I'll be adding something to the 'What annoyed you today?' thread. Couldn't agree more! Like all those company plug-in hybrids that give big tax benefits but never see a lower socket 😡

Took my Octy4 on a road trip - here it is atop the Simplon Pass in the Swiss Alps 😄

This promises to be an interesting thread, and while I can't easily give fuel costs per mile (without digging the spends from a different application, and sifting one car from another) I can give fuel consumption figures for my last three cars - each based on brim - brim calculations... 59.33 mpg - Octavia Mk2 Estate 1.6TDi Manual over 67500 miles 48.94 mpg - Superb Mk2 Hatch 1.4 TSi Manual over 56200 miles 54.82 mpg - Octavia Mk4 Estate 1.5 TSi ACT Manual over 12500 miles The Octavia Mk4 had 2500 miles on the [virtual] clock when I got it so currently a tad over 15,000 - and the fuel economy is getting better. At [a stab at] current fuel price of £1.87/Ltr (£8.50/gallon), the Mk4 works out at 15.51 p/mile. I'm doing about 15k miles a year, a lot of which is made up of long journeys. Would be interesting to see the petrol costs for a hybrid over a 400 mile trip from Hampshire to Lanarkshire, for example.

I’m thinking they may have changed it with the Dolomite HL designation. Mine predated that, and the 1500cc versions.

I think that’s the toggle switch for the interior lights. On, Off or On when door opens. I’m away from the car at the mo so can’t check…

Interesting, my 1850 had twin SU carbs which I could never keep in balance - probably says more about my mechanical skills than the carbs 🙄

Alas not. The Sprint had a 2.0ltr version of the engine with what I believe was the first 16 valve head in ‘normal’ cars; won some design award too.

Best or favourite car - a tricky one! Favourite has to be my old 'N'-reg Triumph Dolomite (1850cc version). I no' but a lad of 18 when I got it and it felt like a rocket ship (which it wasn't really) and with the addition of overdrive on 3rd and 4th made that change down to overtake a flick of a switch - so much easier and quicker. Shame it was a bit naff in the corners though. I've had better cars since but that one gave me the biggest smile.

If the tracking is OK, then tyre wear should be ok. So, does it matter is the steering wheel is not quite centred? Technically, no. But if it feels wrong and bothers you, then yes it does matter. Personally I’d take back to the depot that did the tracking and ask them to straighten the steering wheel up (have had to do it a couple times over the years…)

I’m considering all season tyres next time, found this thread interesting. Thanks. @petebryn After changing to the Goodyear Vectors did you notice any increase in fuel consumption?

Much to my surprise, I actually like the colour - but not the hatchback shape. Much (as in VERY much) prefer the look of the estate version.

Firstly, double check which Entertainment & Communication system there is in the SE First Edition you're looking at. If (as I reckon is likely from my experience) it has an 8.25" touchscreen & Swing radio, then it'll be a different set of S/W in that infotainment unit and v1896 is irrelevant. For context, my SE L First Edition was plagued with a several of the s/w glitches you've no doubt read about. Early April '21, Škoda UK asked for it to be at the dealers for testing, diagnosis and await a fix - that took five months and I got it back in September. During that time, they loaned me a 1.0 TSI e-TEC SE First Edition in which I covered 8500 miles - all of which were without issue of any kind. That car did not have ACC, but did have the standard cruise control & speed limiter. The loan SE FE had the 8.25"/Swing system, not the 10"/Columbus/SatNav in the SEW L and my SE L FE. To add to the confusion, the early SE had a 10"/Bolero system, so why only 8.5" in the SE FE I don't know. Hope that helps... - - - - - - EDIT: In case you're interested, attached is the December 2020 brochure. SKODA OCTAVIA Brochure 21DEC20.pdf

Yeah, and all those vloggers, bloggers and ‘independent’ YouTube reviews need a level of transparency rarely seen, as should any ‘formal’ reviewer. They should (non-exhaustive list)… be specific about the date of car being reviewed the exact versions of the vehicle components they refer to (e.g. we do NOT need infotainment s/w 189x in the Octy 4 to work properly; my 1668 is fine) is it a widespread fault? Model specific? … any past experiences they’ve experienced which can lead to a bias (for example, I had a bad experience with a Ford dealer in the 1980s. Haven’t bought a Ford since. Is that fair? Probably not). etc etc Bit like any review of anything - they need to be taken with a precautionary pinch (bucket) of salt! ——— EDIT : going off topic there, sorry. What a Mk4, buy one. They’re great. Just be careful to check out the common faults, just like anything really.

@Niamh you mention holidaying more now the world is opening up a bit - it's great! I'm just back from a road-trip of 2500 miles to Tuscany over 3 1/2 weeks 😁 I was driving the 1.5TSi, if it were a 1.4TSi iV I'd probably have relied on energy recovery unless there was a low-cost/free charging facility, of which there seemed to be plenty except when out in the sticks. I guess a 130kph blast down the AutoRoute/AutoStrada would soon get through the battery range though. BTW, my 1.5TSi averaged 59.2mpg, and petrol costs worked out at 12.8p/mile (yes, I am daft enough to work it all out in a spreadsheet 🙄)

And then factor in the extra £.pp/mile of the initial purchase price or monthly lease cost. Of course, the tax benefit for company car drivers is a big plus for those lucky enough to be in that category and a complete rip off for the rest of us mere mortals (ooops, getting a bit political if I’m not careful…).

The voice control is surprisingly good when changing the air-con, I hardly use the touch screen for it.

I’ve had it from time to time. Usually ‘cos the Škoda servers are down or the car has lost connection. The other possibility is that the app needs a reset - about a year ago I had to delete the app and reinstall after an app update.

@Greezy56 makes a good point, but it’s not so clear cut. I have an early build SE L 1st Edition with a head unit with no suffix letter and system s/w of 166x - BUT the issues I had are fixed, only the odd niggle remains. Fixed are the units (see KPH/MPH thread) and ACC preventing overtaking rather than undertaking. I was lucky enough to get a fix applied back in September and ok since then (and am just back from a 2500 mile road trip to Tuscany via France, Germany & Switzerland). Guess my point is that you need to check the vehicle thoroughly for s/ware glitches on an extended test drive before committing. Make a list of things to check. More generally, the MkIV is a great to drive, a big step up from earlier models, and the 1.5TSI manual is very economical on fuel (road trip average of 59mpg). Your specifics - no SD slot, but USB-C stick works fine (in the front ports, rear charging only, as is the one by the mirror).

So good to hear! Thanks for the update. Once these cars work properly they are great! Hopefully the newer builds came/come out of the factory working ok.

Must admit I was disappointed that they didn't adjust (either manually or automatically) - but as mentioned above, it's only the Matrix lights that do. Thought about using isopropyl alcohol but wasn't sure it would be OK. I know some solvents can damage the headlight lens but not/wasn't sure which; figured out that screen wash should be OK as it gets squirted at the headlights every now and then 🙂

For anyone using the Eurolites deflectors on their mk4, it’s worth noting that the LEDs do not warm up the adhesive before removal. Mine were in situ for 25 days and on removing them found that most the adhesive remained on the headlight. Previous times I’ve used them with halogen lights it’s warmed enough to remove them cleanly. Used neat screenwash on a soft cloth to ge rid of the adhesive. Other than that, they were perfect.

Agreed, and I bet that any h/w upgrade won’t happen as a matter of course. As with most computer based systems a small h/w revision can have significant impacts on s/w compatibility & capability. Mine seems to be working pretty well so no worries. (Long may it continue…)

I’m not sure all Mk4 Octavia are equal. Not all can support s/w 18xx, as I understand it, my 1st Edition can only support 16xx, and doesn’t do things like remote lock/unlock via the My Škoda app.