Good afternoon, my name is Nick & after lurking for some time have decided to join this esteemed forum! What prompted me is the miriad of useful information that can be gleaned from you petrol heads & also because I'd like to make some observations between my old & new car. I've just swapped my September 95 Octavia 1.6fsi Elegance for a brand-spanking new Octavia 1.4tsi Elegance which I've been driving for a few weeks now. It's kind of familiar but different at the same time, for sure it's so much faster through the gears due to the turbo but some of the other changes are not so much of a huge advance over my old 6.5 year model IMO. Other advantages - bigger & better lights & mirrors, while it is never going to be the most elegent shape the new model looks more refined & lower tax & emissions. Disadvantages - well a few actually; I preferred the old 6 spoke alloys over the new ones with 5, of course the old model came with a full size spare alloy & I had to pay for a steel spare in the new one. The Bolero radio is needlessly more complicated, the touch screen is OK but not so easy to manipulate when driving compared with the old one with one massive, central knob for most of the controls. Plus on the old car with the CD loader in the boot meant you could play a 7th CD in the unit, with this one you have to eject one to play another (I think, unless I'm wrong - has been known!) I also think steering wheel paddles (like on my wife's old Renault) would be a serious improvement. Plus the choice of colours is not inspiring (I chose Satin Grey Metallic, which in fact is pale blue. Dealers, well in my opinion far too smug these days, I experienced indifference & contempt from the supplying dealer & another I went to in order to get a quote, I'm sorry guys very disappointing show.

However I still think I made the best choice, £ for £ the car can't be beaten, I love the reverse cache of owning a Skoda & it really does fulfil eveything I want it to do, from lugging ageing parents to all our stuff when we go on holiday. Chuffed as nuts!

Hi and welcome aboard.

welcome aboard , keep us updated on the ownership of your new car

Hello NIck and welcome along

I'm a diesel head myself