Just had a look on the skoda web site for the octy3, If im reading this right, you cant spec heated windscreen or washer jets on there own. you have to take it as a pack costing about £430. So for that you get heated windscreen, heated washer jets and heated front seats, thats ok if you want all 3, but i don't i would only really want the heated winscreen and possibly the jets, I dont want heated seats in my car. Its an extra i never use or want.

Regardless if you want to use heated seats or not, heated windscreen is the worst of 3 defrost options offered by Skoda outside of UK. I own Mk1 Superb, currently on its 3rd heated windscreen, already chipped in several places. Heated windscreens are very delicate compared to normal ones, I would not buy another one unless I have to.

The 2 other Skoda options that work much better than the heated windscreen are:

• auxiliary electric air heater (option code 7E6) that works at least as well as heated windscreen, and is lower priced or at worst similarly priced where available,
  
• parking heater, much more expensive but also much more versatile option as you can run it independent from the engine, warm the engine up before starting, etc..
  

Frankly, why SUK does not allow the electric aux air heater option is a complete mystery to me. The car needs better alternator for either option, a similar length of heavy duty wiring, so why do SUK customers have to put up with the inferior option?

Edited 25 January, 201313 yr by dieselV6

Not being funny, don't turn the seats on them. Simples

G

I didn't think I'd use the heated seats on my Yeti, however currently using them daily! Wouldn't have spec'd them as an extra but wouldn't be without them now.

IF I go back to an Octavia vRS then I would happily spec that pack.

Not being funny, don't turn the seats on them. Simples

G

the point I'm making is I don't want heated seats, so why should I have to pay for something I don't wont or need. As for the aux heater, my dads first ford galaxy had one in the rear it was amazing I would love something like that in my car.

Skoda UK marketing have a habit of making odd desicions. The Aussie MK2 VRS came with heated seats as standard yet in the UK where we have the need for heated seats much more than Australia they are an option.

And dont get me started on the MFSW and Bluetooth on only UK DSG VRS and not the manual ! Lets hope common sense prevails for the MK3.

Skoda UK marketing have a habit of making odd desicions. The Aussie MK2 VRS came with heated seats as standard yet in the UK where we have the need for heated seats much more than Australia they are an option.

And dont get me started on the MFSW and Bluetooth on only UK DSG VRS and not the manual ! Lets hope common sense prevails for the MK3.

Can I just point out that the Australian market RS TSI retails for around $42,000 on-road (including taxes, dealer charges, etc) which equals almost £28,000, plus of course more for diesel, DSG and estates. You guys might get them with less equipment, but boy are they a lot cheaper. We also get a lack of MFSW on the manual too - everywhere does.

Forget what i posted, told the wife about it. her relpy, i would tick that box, oh well that was a wasted rant lol.

My heated seat is on every day in the winter. My wife's is on every day of the year. Leather without heating...no no no.

My heated seat is on every day in the winter. My wife's is on every day of the year. Leather without heating...no no no.

Agreed.

I love mine and use it almost every morning from about September through to April/May.

My heated seat is on every day in the winter. My wife's is on every day of the year. Leather without heating...no no no.

Wouldn't be without mine - leather seats on a -4C morning - brrrrrrr!!!! Just 5-10 minutes on No2 or 3 - luvvverlleeee!!

But SWMBO doesn't like heated seats, she has never used them , never tried them but she HATES them and will never turn hers on. OK freeze your a$$ off then!!

I build up alot of heat when im sitting in a car seat, thats why i dont use them, theres nothing worse when your back starts to sweat when your driving due to heated seats. the heated screen and washers should be one option and the heated seats another.

I build up alot of heat when im sitting in a car seat, thats why i dont use them, theres nothing worse when your back starts to sweat when your driving due to heated seats. the heated screen and washers should be one option and the heated seats another.

you can turn them off once you are warm, you know....................

I build up alot of heat when im sitting in a car seat, thats why i dont use them, theres nothing worse when your back starts to sweat when your driving due to heated seats. the heated screen and washers should be one option and the heated seats another.

THat is why there is an off switch - I only use mine to get rid of the icey feel of the leather - 5-10 minutes is more than enough - sometimes just while the engine is ticking over while I clear the windows then switch it off when I get in. Never felt the need for it with cloth seats but pretty essential with leather!

I agree on the separation of heated screen, washers and seats - just a way of screwing more money out of the customer. The Rapid has a "Safety Pack" - if you want a 3rd headrest for the back seat you have to get tyre pressure monitor and hill-hold (or some equally ridiculous money sucking combination!!)

Our 1998 Galaxy had heated seats, the wife had them on winter and summer.

I did find the velour seats with heat wonderful on my achey sciatica pain (bad back) on a winters morning.

Surprisingly comforting.

So it an option I might specify.

PS the Ford "QuickClear" electric windscreen in our Galaxy gave zero trouble over 12 years and 250,000 miles, it still worked 100%.

I liked it too.

So for me that option pack permutation is a "no brainer"

Obviously our friends at SUK believe that in such an weather erractic place like the UK, the option of a winter pack comprising heated jets, windscreen and heated seats would be both useful and popular. I tend to agree.

The SE spec comes with leather and alcantara seats, probably the same as my current Superb - whilst the alcantara part isn't that cold in the morning it has been on the odd occasion, plus we all know that leather seats are particularly cold hence I suspect the option will be quite popular.

How is heated windscreen better for us Skoda car owners than auxiliary electric air heater?

Aux heater is less expensive, does the heated windscreen job at least as well, does a good job of preheating the cabin, and allows for more durable windscreen.

Frankly, I fail to see how a heated windscreen is better for anyone other than SUK and auto glass repairers (profit, profit and more profit).

I would not mind that winter pack, but with aux air heater in lieu of heated windscreen.

For all those man that plan in future to have babies, heated seats reduce the motility and sperm count, so watch it boys, or use it a few minutes till the blower heats the air and turn seat heating off.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2632984/Heated-car-seats-could-reduce-male-fertility-say-scientists.html

Edited 7 February, 201313 yr by CEPi

For all those man that plan in future to have babies, heated seats reduce the motility and sperm count, so watch it boys, or use it a few minutes till the blower heats the air and turn seat heating off.

http://www.telegraph...scientists.html

What about all those people with electric blankets in their bed.

Even worse I'd say...

I'm puzzled by this as well. Skoda Ireland have offered the Heated windscreen but no Electric Aux or Parking Heater. The MkVII Golf has the Electric Aux as standard so it's disappointing to see it's not even an option for the Octavia.

I still wonder why car companies even restrict options given that the parts are in the factory anyway. Can someone shed some light on this?

Edit: Would just like to add that I know there are aftermarket options available but would rather not have someone dismantling my new car - if I buy one that is! I still need to save up for a house!

Edited 7 February, 201313 yr by foregonereality

you can turn them off once you are warm, you know....................

thanks for telling me i can switch them off, i would never have known that on my own. Why would i even switch them on after saying a build up alot of heat when sitting in the seat, so lets get the seat warm/hot even faster that i normally would.

I'm puzzled by this as well. Skoda Ireland have offered the Heated windscreen but no Electric Aux or Parking Heater. The MkVII Golf has the Electric Aux as standard so it's disappointing to see it's not even an option for the Octavia.

I still wonder why car companies even restrict options given that the parts are in the factory anyway. Can someone shed some light on this?

Edit: Would just like to add that I know there are aftermarket options available but would rather not have someone dismantling my new car - if I buy one that is! I still need to save up for a house!

Surely looking for logic in the choice of options in a country with Skoda is a lost cause? There certainly seemed to be some bizarre choices with the mk II with Bluetooth and steering wheel controls. An aux heater sounds pretty good, I'm not sure why more cars don't offer them in the UK.

With regards to the topic I admit I'd also be annoyed if I had to pay for heated seats as well, it's perhaps just the type of trouser I wear but I can't remember feeling cold in that area when sitting in a car and never have heated seats switched on when they're available as I think it's a horrible feeling when they're on.

John

I would not buy another car WITHOUT heated seats, not for warming my bum up, but they are a godsend for anyone who suffers with a bad back.

Heated windscreen is an excellent thing to have. And the glass is still solid, as good as new. I`ve had it for 3 years and here, the winter is cold. -30 celsius is no surprise.....so I would say that I recommend it. No idea what those other options are....

Auxiliary heaters are explained for you here

Re damage to windscreen, it depends how much and how fast you drive in winter. UK motorway (A1) alone this year was good for 2 more chips/cracks. Chips alone would not bother me, it's the fact that every time a chip appears, there is at least 5mm crack going through it, Auto glass companies do not want to fix these, they want to replace the lot every time. I resorted to filling the chips/crack with UV hardening resin, works wery well but does not look as good. Still, every couple years there's enough damage to have the whole windscreen replaced.

My Octavia's windscreen had 1 large chip after nearly 10 years and 130k miles. My Superb has had 2 windscreens replaced due to cracks going all the way through, and currently has 2 large chips+cracks, and 3-4 minor ones. This is over 7 years and 110k miles.

I would take aux electric air heater option over the heated windscreen option any day, just to get the standard windscreen and still be able to demist it quickly.