You missed the point !

It was discussed that the Fabia isn't as well built as the Octavia , which in part is true the point I'm making is that the Octavia isn't particularly well built compared to many other makes of cars so its not a high standard "for the Fabia" aspire to .

We all like these cars but lets not pretend they are something they aren't .

Fair enough Richf. Be interested to hear your opinions on what cars you think are better built than the Octavia of its direct peers and at its new car price point because frankly I cant think of any.

It's either well built or its cheap , you can't have it both ways !

I just got rid of my Leon fr 2010 and I had an octi before hand and the quality of the octi was miles above the Leon and was way more fun as well. There is something about throwing the big boat into a corner and then getting that "O S*** to fast" feeling. Just got my new fabia Vrs and it def sits below the octi and the Leon

It's either well built or its cheap , you can't have it both ways !

Sorry Richf but I disagree entirely. A Skoda is both well built and cheap. If they werent Id suggest you'd own something other than a Superb and Fabia

Octavia...Better built than the Fabia vRS???

It is....very much so!

We should know...and in our experience, the Octavia is much more reliable too!!

A far better car than the Fabia in ALL departments...and we've had a new engine in the Fabia

I would assume the octavia is supposed to better than the fabia as it is higher up the family tree and command a higher price after all!

All cars get built to a price point,

sometime looks and image things get priority over reliability and practicality of parts.

Reading the Octavia Section you see where corners are often cut on the supply of cheaper parts, which can cost the owner money, that is the possibly image that maybe suit many,

be less necessary for the real world/pocket, and better if good parts rather than bling was fitted.

eg

'Reliability' is often a term used where you jump just anytime into a car and it will start every time

& get you to where you want to go,

then get back in and return home.

All manufacturers can get this like Batteries wrong, but it is really penny pinching to not give a strong enough battery to run all those bits and pieces and do some short journeys, good alternator etc..

Why VAG/SKODA warranties are not yet longer in years.

To many cheap and poor parts fitted to to many models.

They never learn from the one model before turning out the same one with the same faults or even more.

Customers too prepared to accept their poor reliability, overlooking the bargain basement parts often fitted and go on looks of the cars

http://www.briskoda....t-up-to-the-job

george

I've owned lots of car that werent well

Sorry Richf but I disagree entirely. A Skoda is both well built and cheap. If they werent Id suggest you'd own something other than a Superb and Fabia

I do own both but I dont own rose tinted glasses!!

The leather in the Superb is cheap the seats not as comfy as other cars in the class, the dash is plasticky (Like the whole Skoda range) the trim not a patch on Golf and Audi range which we all know share a great deal of components , go and sit in the Audi and then sit in the Superb and tell me they feel the same , feel the quality of the leather etc etc , feel the quality of the mats , listen to the road noise but yes you pay for that

Build quality is rarely the reason for anyone buying a car and was certainly not mine, I had a Mercedes E class before the Superb , fantastically built car and more reliable than the Superb and a much nicer drive but the cost was harder to justify and the dealers were simply lousy

I bought my Skodas mainly due to the excellent dealers , i'm happy to accept the trim isnt great and the ride not all that but they are a good all round package you get a lot for your money but there are built to a price, they are cheap for a reason and they compromise of materials like trim quality.

From going from a Octy VRS to the Fabia the fact they werent built as well didnt bother me I was attracted because the Fabia its simply more fun to drive than the Octy, thats not a reflection on the Octy at all.

I dont dispute anything you say above other than the fact you dont buy a car without build quality in mind; sure alot of people dont but they are on the most part unwise and just setting themselves up for a fall.

The number of Renaults ive been in that are frankly rattly bags of junk and falling apart even at just a year or two old is a joke; something you'll rarely find with any VAG group product.

Sure VAG have a product heirarchy, VW is more premium than Skoda and of course Audi is more premium than VW (though that could be debated if you look at some of the VW pricing) a MK7 Golf is almost certainly going to be more refined and complex than an Octavia 2 or 3 but is that worth several thousand more for the equivalent car.....no and on that we almost certainly agree Im sure.

That however doesnt make an Octavia any less well built or reliable than a Golf, they are built using the majority of the same build processes and standards; maybe some of those are not so complex or clever but id suggest on the most part they are probably more proven in the Skodas.....I bet someone buying a new MK7 Golf or Octavia 3 first off the line will be way more likely to be going into their dealers for warranty repairs and recalls than anyone rolling around in a last off line Octavia. My old early MK6 Golf went wrong quite a bit and was quite rattly, I later had a 1 year newer example and they were like chalk and cheese the newer car feeling alot more solid and drove better despite having more miles on the clock and at no point had been serviced by a main dealer.

Of course with everything you can always end up with a "Friday afternoon" car but im more confident in VAG groups ability to put together a car decently than most of their more mainstream peers. Most manufacturers offering 7 year warranties do so in order to sell their cars; very few people who are passionate about cars would buy a Kia or Hyundai and admit theyve done so because they love the car....in fact they are typically only bought by people who have little or no love for four wheels. They are no more reliable either Id wager.

You do have some odd ideas on who buys what and why.

Had my reliable Peter Picanto for 6 years now and love cars.

VW/Skoda/Audi/Seat, VAG are maybe on a 4 day end of the week build programme, that will put out lots of Friday cars.

If they are on a 7 week they need to up some of their parts, their reliability and customer care.

george

George id happily swap you my Blackline DSG estate for one of your puckle, a Jimny is most definitely on my bucket list ;-)