Disappointed

[The Plumber]

The days of cheap Skoda's are all but over.

The reason? They don't need to be cheap anymore.

Yes my dad went to look at the Octavia a couple of days back, he along with with a couple of others in the showroom also looking, were not impressed with the asking price against specification. He's currently thinking of changing his 09 Superb 170 DSG Elegance; had since almost new (ex demo). Doesn't think he will be staying with Skoda based on his initial impressions and pricing of the new models, particularly as he felt his old Superb was a far better car than the Octy III and may return to Kia.

TP

[silver1011]

Agreed, Kia and Hyundai have filled Skoda's old 'cheap but reliable' spot.

[Dr Zoidberg]

Nope, that was the last generation of Korean cars.

Look at how the i30, i40 or Optima are priced and they aren't far off Skoda's pricing.

Still a bit cheaper than Ford or Vauxhall at list price, but not necessarily the real price you'll pay.

[MattyD]

I went and had my first look at a new Octavia today. It was a nice enough car but as people have said I wasn't blown away by it. Things like the soft touch on the door cards would put me off. I'd like to see a vRS spec before I made up my full mind but for the price they now are, I have to say it would have to be something mega special. For me it was a nice car but it's up against hard competition at the price it's at, it's almost the same price as an Avensis now, and that's a lovely car.

[BA Baracus]

I went and had my first look at a new Octavia today. It was a nice enough car but as people have said I wasn't blown away by it. Things like the soft touch on the door cards would put me off. I'd like to see a vRS spec before I made up my full mind but for the price they now are, I have to say it would have to be something mega special. For me it was a nice car but it's up against hard competition at the price it's at, it's almost the same price as an Avensis now, and that's a lovely car.

And therein lies the problem.

Briskoda is full of Skoda enthusiasts who are potentially the ultimate unpaid sales force. If the majority of members are feeling that it is overpriced and nothing mega special then Skoda UK have a problem.

Situation *could* be rectified by running the VAT off campaign again.

[JohnMcL7]

I would say that was the case for MkI vRS but MkII FL vRS has most if not all of the standard Elegance spec plus the vRS bits so imo sits above the Eleg but if you want pure luxury the L&K is still the range topper! :think:

It was definitely the case for the Mk II pre-FL VRS as the Skoda brochure shows it as an offshoot of the 'S' spec (or whatever the bottom one was at the time) rather than using one of the higher specs as its basis. I have one of the 'poverty spec' MY2007 VRS's which didn't get much as standard, it has the Stream MP3 with CD changer (think that was standard), half leather seats, sports suspension, 17in alloys and VRS bodykit but not a lot else - no climate control, front electric windows only, no maxidot, no cruise control, no xenon lights, no aux-in and no sat-nav. Mine does have cruise control and PDC but I believe both were options.

John

[Chunkstar]

We have just ordered the combi in elegance 2tdi dsg,we looked at kia and hyundai ,Mazda 6 ,golf mk7 , old golf estate good offers now !new one looks bland so octavia combi won ,!oh and 2nd hand 320 d tourers but to own the skoda came out very well,overall mpg on our test route not some mpg claim on a manufactorers bench test !!! ,road tax ,pcp offers but it's all choices

Skoda didn't feel cheap to us,so didn't worry us to compare directly with VW,bmw,Mazda ,kia,hyundai it's a like for like product no cheaper or expensive ,but we didn't experience the last octavia and its price difference.

Kia and Hyundai and mazda are good cars but cost you more overall on pcp deals as depriciation is more !

[Timoctav]

Great car though the new Octavia is (I've ordered one) but my dealer told me on Friday that they've not taken as many orders as they had anticipated....

[stokey]

That's probably because some dealers have been greedy.... Those that have been sensible with discounts have sold cars

[Matt Pez]

Skoda not offering the vat off campaign does not mean that offers are not out there! I don't understand why some are getting hung up over the list price, who ever pays list price? Sure, the no vat offer was great at making the deal straight forward but if you do your homework, I did, and with a little help from fellow Briskodians, I bagged myself £3k off a decent spec Octy III on launch weekend, and that was with no trade in to water the deal down! As Stokey says, some dealers are being greedy, my order went to dealer No 3, so shop around!

[Chunkstar]

I wish I got 3k off lol

I did get some but more like 1.7 k off but I'm happy

Really think skoda have a great product in the octi combi,personal tastes but think the hatch looks bland !

[Matt Pez]

I wish I got 3k off lol

I did get some but more like 1.7 k off but I'm happy

Really think skoda have a great product in the octi combi,personal tastes but think the hatch looks bland !

Perhaps discounts on the hatch are bigger due to it being 'bland'!! lol. Personally, I don't like estate cars but if they add the vRS rear spoiler to the dealer fit option list I'll be first in the que cos think it would look nice with the 18" alloys and the fake vRS Race Blue I spec'd !!

[mark4]

Hello,

I share the consensus on this one. Read my blog:

http://newoctavia2013review.blogspot.fi/

[Chunkstar]

Timoctav it could also be "general downturn "

[allan1888]

Hello,

I share the consensus on this one. Read my blog:

http://newoctavia201...ew.blogspot.fi/

I read through it and are you sure it was an Elegance spec car ? as the interior is cloth like the S & SE the Elegance model gets Alcantara Which looks different from your pics.

[cookdn]

I read through it and are you sure it was an Elegance spec car ? as the interior is cloth like the S & SE the Elegance model gets Alcantara Which looks different from your pics.

Specifications (and the names of specification levels) differ from country to country. The OP is Finnish so I assume we are looking a Finnish Elegance spec Octavia.

Best regards

[RapidRonnie]

A few points I'd like to add:

- Skoda themselves don't claim to be 'cheap'. They claim to offer more car for the money which I still think they do. The Octavia is cheaper than a Golf but practically Passat sized.

- List price is irrelevant. It's what you pay that matters

- The so-called opposition from Korea really aren't cheap either anymore, and some of their models are still using old-tech engines

- I had a look at the Octy myself when I collected my Rapid and liked it but also wasn't blown away.. the demo car was silver which I think suits the slightly sharper styling of the Rapid better and would like to have seen it on the chunky (Golus?) wheels instead of the over-spokey things it had on. A combi with nicer wheels in a better colour should be a pretty attractive and imposing car though.

[Herschel]

RR,

I don't disagree with you to be honest, it's just that (list) prices have risen so much it's no longer the option that many used to take..........I know Skoda have said they've added thousands of options to each model, but to be honest, it's not leaving the consumer with the choice anymore, i.e. I can get a cheap well-made car with just a few options, or I can load it myself. You only get the loaded version now so you are forced to pay for it.

But anyway, I think when the vRS comes out, once again if we start comparing with the competition there will be no contest, despite the price hike...............for the power, performance, handling, practicality, etc, etc. the Octavia will still score very very highly indeed.

H

Edit: I should add that I suspect the comparison with the currently released models comes up with similar results as well

Edited 9 April, 2013 by Herschel

[allan1888]

Specifications (and the names of specification levels) differ from country to country. The OP is Finnish so I assume we are looking a Finnish Elegance spec Octavia.

Best regards

Thanks for that

[mark4]

Specifications (and the names of specification levels) differ from country to country. The OP is Finnish so I assume we are looking a Finnish Elegance spec Octavia.

Best regards

The local dealer had the car badged Elegance. It seems to be the the Finnish Elegance. In Finland we have Active, Ambition and Elegance (and maybe L&K in a few years for the new 2013 model, i hope.) Finland having a relatively high tax rate on new cars, so the local distributor may have chopped off a thing or two. I remember that the 2.0TDI DSG Elegance cost in excess of 34k€ with delivery surchage.

The Finnish price list you can find here:

http://www.skoda.fi/files/pdf/Uusi_Skoda_Octavia-hinnasto.pdf?timestamp=942013_175619

However, Skoda badges the car I was mildly dissapointed with the upholstery, comparing to Octavia I with elegance spec and Octavia 2 FL in L&K with Alcantara + leather seats.

[stever750]

The days of cheap Skoda's are all but over.

The reason? They don't need to be cheap anymore.

Pretty much it. Simple sales strategy; buy the brand back, then slowly increase prices until demand slows then you know you've got it about right.

[zacherynuk]

I think Skoda are a brand that grow on you. initially I wasn't impressed at all by my Furby - grew to adore it. My LE Octy was the talk of the showroom and people would stop me in supermarket carparks and ask me about it, whilst I had nothing but positives to say; it really never blew me a way. 1 Year later I loved it - 2 years I adored it. Now, 4 years in it (still?) looks the *******s, goes quick(er than many things on the road) and has never, ever let me down - indeed it has surpassed it self when I have let IT down.

The styling is not a fashion, it's irrelevant, really, until you realise that it is still not out of place many years on. Like Levi 501

I wasn't impressed with my MKIII visit either, especially the hard top doors, the needlessly slow animated radio (I mean FFS! That be be able to be turned OFF) but there were hooks in the right places, the instruments were viewable, a 12v supply in the boot! Audio inputs in the passenger compartment - seats were supportive and the left hand dangled over the gear knob. It seemed larger than the extra external dimensions would have you think it would, but it did feel safe.

Looking forward to the Vrs, which really, is the only Skoda I would ever buy anyway, after my Furby made such an impression.

I am after understated good looks. And understated performance.

[grapo]

...and I am not disappointed, the look is now better kinda "audi" look and they did finally proper thing with the badge what skoda should have done long time ago.

New octavia presents itself more expensive then it is and edgy.

In what way is the new Octavia edgy??

[markmi]

1.6cr eleg with metallic and same level of discount as mine would be £19k and that comes with £5k of extras over MkII eleg so in my book thats £1k less than your last one! :think:

[markmi]

Do you work for skoda, that's sounds like a salesman talking. Only thing it really has that's mine doesn't is sat nav and don't really want that anyway