Just got back from a weekend in York and used it as a chance to give the new Octavia a good run there and back.

Really impressed with how it handled itself on the trip. Mostly motorway or A-road but very quiet and was getting an average MPG of about 35 with nearly 50 spot-reading. The outbound was marred by a 2 hour crawl on the M1 between J15A and 17 but hopefully it will improve.

The 1.8TSI gives bags of power and is very easy to get away from you if not careful.

A couple of tiny annoyances. The Maxidot shows the speed in KPH rather than MPH, but I still look at the proper speedo. Shame the mirrors cannot be set to fold automatically when locking. As IU say minor things.

Really please with it and now have the car I wanted 6 years ago.

A couple of tiny annoyances. The Maxidot shows the speed in KPH rather than MPH, but I still look at the proper speedo. Shame the mirrors cannot be set to fold automatically when locking. As IU say minor things.

:

Are you sure about the folding mirrors? Continue to press and hold the 'lock' down on the key fob and hi-presto the mirrors should fold automatically.

Edited 20 September, 200916 yr by nick348

I think that the KPH is there just in case you wander off to the continent.

There's no real point in having a digital speedo showing MPH when there's an analogue clock showing it as well, personally I'd prefer to see analogue clocks phased right out, but that's just a personal preference.

Still at least you've provided me with a useful insight to my new car!

PS. Does your Octy have manual or DSG box? Ta!

It's a manual - I'm old-school about things like that.

I did have a worry about the seats as when I got to York my right leg was aching like it never has before (even after a 700 mile drive in the US). Started doing it on the way back too, until I realised that my wallet didn't feel right. New jeans and it was sitting lower and digging into my sciatic nerve. Removed it and all was well :P

I know about the holding the lock button to fold, the auto would save me forgetting :rotz:

U can set it too imperial in the maxidot.

I've had my 1.4TSI for just over a week and I'm very impressed too.

I was also puzzled by the Maxidot display in KPH until I realized that the analogue speedo is only calibrated in MPH so presumed this must be the reason. I do find it a minor irritation that the analogue speed isn't marked at the common speed of 30mph and I have to judge where it is in the centre between 20 and 40. Not a big problem but sometimes not easy to do quickly if the road conditions demand that you're not distracted and there's a speed camera to contend with too.

Autofolding mirrors when locking the car would be a nice touch but I've not found it a problem just keeping my finger on the button until they do fold.

I haven't taken it on a long run yet but have just done a 44 mile round trip in mainly light motorway and A road traffic (and still treating it gently and not going above 60mph) and the maxidot said it averaged 46.5 mpg.

I was also puzzled by the Maxidot display in KPH until I realized that the analogue speedo is only calibrated in MPH so presumed this must be the reason. I do find it a minor irritation that the analogue speed isn't marked at the common speed of 30mph and I have to judge where it is in the centre between 20 and 40. Not a big problem but sometimes not easy to do quickly if the road conditions demand that you're not distracted and there's a speed camera to contend with too.

Totally agree!

I do find it a minor irritation that the analogue speed isn't marked at the common speed of 30mph and I have to judge where it is in the centre between 20 and 40. Not a big problem but sometimes not easy to do quickly if the road conditions demand that you're not distracted and there's a speed camera to contend with too.

Me too. I'd like 50mph to be shown too, as there are some cameras in 50 zones locally. The display isn't clear in sunlight (especially if I wear sunglasses). I think I'll be using sidelights more just to brighten up the display in those conditions.

I haven't taken it on a long run yet but have just done a 44 mile round trip in mainly light motorway and A road traffic (and still treating it gently and not going above 60mph) and the maxidot said it averaged 46.5 mpg.

I went to Ilkley today via Keighley and there's a nice bit of dual carriageway from Keighley to Skipton where you can gun it a bit. I was surprised how well it pulls in 5th gear up the hill from Ilkley toward Skipton. My previous car would only do that in 4th. OTOH engine braking doesn't work so well. Only 2nd gear seems to have any retardation effect.

Me too. I'd like 50mph to be shown too, as there are some cameras in 50 zones locally.

Yes looking at the speedo again this morning it would have been more useful to have the odd numbers marked rather than the even ones (i.e. 10, 30, 50, 70 etc instead of 20, 40, 60, 80 ..) as this would only leave the 40mph left out but would include the more commonly found speed limits in the UK.

(Maybe the best and easiest solution would be for the Government to increase all the speed limits by 10mph )

You can set the limiter for say 30mph or 40mph depending on the sort of roads or cameras in the area.

You can set the limiter for say 30mph or 40mph depending on the sort of roads or cameras in the area.

Yes I know but I keep exceeding it

Been playing some more again today long with treating the glass. Hit a snag turning on the DRL's. Followed the manual with no joy.

Going to source a bonnet soundproofing mat too.

Been playing some more again today long with treating the glass.QUOTE]

You're spoiling that glass treating it so much

Hit a snag turning on the DRL's. Followed the manual with no joy.

I think only the dealer can turn on the DRL's unless you've got VAG-COM (someone will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong though)

I got into the car this morning and when I turned the ignition on the headlights came on and I realized that I must not have turned them off last night. After a quick check it appears that if the headlights are left on and the ignition is turned off then the sidelights are turned off too and no audible warning is given (it only gives a warning if the sidelights are left on). I had a look at the online handbook a few minutes ago to confirm this but I don't think the pages on lighting is that clear (or at least it's not when you're not in the car to test the settings). I'll test it later to see if this is indeed the case.

Going to source a bonnet soundproofing mat too.

Please let us know how you got on with this.

Soundproofing ordered for about £30. I know it's not going to make a huge difference in noise. It also make the engine bay look finished.

Should have it later this week and will post photo when fitted.

Was that from a Skoda dealer Darren ?

Possibly the soundproofing may also make a difference when the weather's very cold as it might help the engine/battery etc to be a couple of degrees warmer.

Soundproofing ordered for about £30. I know it's not going to make a huge difference in noise. It also make the engine bay look finished.

Should have it later this week and will post photo when fitted.

Can you tell us the part number & where you got it from please?

Ordered from Ashmore Green Skoda

Part number is from this thread:

http://briskoda.net/octavia-ii/2008-model-naked-bonnet/89954/

Is for pre-FL but the bonnet is the same

Well if you can let me know if you had any problems fitting it, it would be appreciated.

The part arrived today and fitting took about 3 minutes with the plastic clips.

As it's quite thin you won't stand there wondering if it's running or not but there is a slight reduction in noise and the bonnet looks finished now. Total cost was £29.46.

I've taken a photo of the finished result along with some gratuitous money shots

So does this mean the as well as no spare wheel, no auto dimming rear view mirror with Elegance specification, you no longer get under bonnet insulation with the F/L model? Seems a bit mean to me.....

eh ???? Elegence does get auto dimming rear view mirror

Me too. I'd like 50mph to be shown too, as there are some cameras in 50 zones locally. The display isn't clear in sunlight (especially if I wear sunglasses). I think I'll be using sidelights more just to brighten up the display in those conditions.

I was just checking the mile/km conversions (1.6093 km/mile) roughly a little over 16kph for every 10mph, 30mph = 48kph, 40mph = 64kph and 50mph = 80kph. The 'S' doesn't seem to have an option to display mph on the digital so the 48, 64, and 80 figures are fairly easy to memorise and are more visible than the clock display in poorer light.

I see older displays did show 30 and 50 mph markers *and* kph markers inset. Reinforces my theory modern car designers don't actually drive the cars they design, true with other stylistically impractical products I've used. Maybe it's the shorter lead times, and the minor mistakes just don't get picked up until too late, and won't be subject to a recall, just the dealers get the flack for the maker's ills.