Yeti_man asked what experience I had driving - assumed he meant Skoda - so I merely answered him. No one has yet driven many miles in the Octavia 3!

No, I was referring to the model of discussion here; the mk 3 Octavia. You are correct also in that no one has done too many miles in one yet hence my interest in just how long you had spend in one and in what varied conditions you'd driven it in to come to such a strong conclusion of it being basic and unsophisticated in the suspension department?

No, I was referring to the model of discussion here; the mk 3 Octavia. You are correct also in that no one has done too many miles in one yet hence my interest in just how long you had spend in one and in what varied conditions you'd driven it in to come to such a strong conclusion of it being basic and unsophisticated in the suspension department?

I suggest you read the various road tests that have been reported on the Octavia - simply that the torsion beam suspension is not as sophisticated or as good as the multi link suspension fitted to the Audi A3 and Golf models of 150 bhp and above, the ride and handling is inferior. The Octavia 3 I drove I was very impressed with - and I ordered one on the basis of the 2 hour / 70 mile test drive I had on various roads, motorway and some challenging A and B roads that I am very familiar with. And yes, that one, and the one I have ordered has the torsion beam suspension. I am not criticising the torsion beam just saying horses for courses, nothing more, nothing less. It has it's limitations, and if a sporty handling car - as much as any Octavia can be - is what is desired then one with the torsion beam is probably not the one to have., even if it has been tweaked with stiffer springs and a lower ride height.

Edited 4 May, 201313 yr by Timoctav

I suggest you read the various road tests that have been reported on the Octavia - simply that the torsion beam suspension is not as sophisticated or as good as the multi link suspension fitted to the Audi A3 and Golf models of 150 bhp and above, the ride and handling is inferior. The Octavia 3 I drove I was very impressed with - and I ordered one on the basis of the 2 hour / 70 mile test drive I had on various roads, motorway and some challenging A and B roads that I am very familiar with. And yes, that one, and the one I have ordered has the torsion beam suspension. I am not criticising the torsion beam just saying horses for courses, nothing more, nothing less. It has it's limitations, and if a sporty handling car is what is desired then one with the torsion beam is probably not the one to have., even if it has been tweaked with stiffer springs and a lower ride height.

ive read the reports but personally prefer to come to my own conclusions having taken three octavia mk3's on extended drives so far. I've based my opinion on these and the previous mk1 and mk2 Octavias I've owned (inc 4x4's and VRS's). Which is mainly what i base my differing opinion on. I don't happen to think the ride of the new models is "basic and unsophisticated" and I do happen to think the sports suspension looks better and does exactly what its intended to do; give improvements to the handling.

ive read the reports but personally prefer to come to my own conclusions having taken three octavia mk3's on extended drives so far. I've based my opinion on these and the previous mk1 and mk2 Octavias I've owned (inc 4x4's and VRS's). Which is mainly what i base my differing opinion on. I don't happen to think the ride of the new models is "basic and unsophisticated" and I do happen to think the sports suspension looks better and does exactly what its intended to do; give improvements to the handling.

You have your opinion and I have mine. You have the sports suspension and I'm sure you will be very happy with it, I'll pass. To each his or her own.

The limitations of a torsion beam are mainly around tuning it. The sway-bar effect (roll stiffness) is built in and can't be easily tweaked like it can with independent. This is zero concern to virtually all car owners.

The other limitations are not being able to fit a rear diff through it. So anyone wanting IRS can look at the upcoming 4x4.

How often do you guys hit under-steer on the way to work in the morning? Would over-steer make you feel better?

I'm on my second vRS estate and the original Continental tyres (225/40/18)gave a firmish but acceptable ride - but were useless in snow - the first time this has happened in 40 years of driving FWD cars.

I got some Skoda 6" steel wheels and Kleber Quadraxer all-weather tyres (205/55/16) which were fine in snow and also give a better ride with negligible difference in handling. For some reason also they seem to result in better economy by about 2 mpg. And if I get an unrepairable puncture a tyre costs £80 to replace instead of £180.

I'm not bothered about looks, although black steel wheels on a white car don't look too bad, and I'm keeping the Klebers on all year.

How often do you guys hit under-steer on the way to work in the morning? Would over-steer make you feel better?

yes - oversteer every time for me so for pure handling a rear drive BMW 1 or 3 series would be far more satisfying. Not overly keen on front drive performance cars but great for cars such as the Octavia. But of course a BMW equivalent to the Octavia Elegance I'm buying would cost another £10k! And I won't have to put up with the horrible arrogance of my nearest BMW dealer.

Edited 5 May, 201313 yr by Timoctav