Chaps.

 

might as well share my experience of my first ever Skoda.

 

The car...

 

Octavia vRS Tdi DSG Estate

 

The spec...

 

Meteor Grey Paint

Sunset Glass

KESSY

Silver Roof Rails

Spare Wheel

Bluetooth

Matsumi

Panoramic Sunroof

Colour Maxidot

Power Boot

Canton Sound System

Adaptive Cruise Control

Intelligent Light Assist

 

Bought on PCP, 0% interest, free servicing.

 

Bought from Station Road Garage, Broadbridge Heath.  (Good guys, recommended)

 

OK, tomorrow at 12.30pm will herald three months of ownership so how has it gone?

 

Not too bad at all, very pleased. I didn't plan on having an estate, that was until my partner said she wanted a second dog and had no plans on driving a larger car, great, that meant my beloved Scirocco had to go. 

I did lots of research, looking at specs, comparing prices etc. etc. and kept coming back to Skoda but didn't really want something with less performance than my previous car, visited my local dealer who by chance was expecting a cancelled order of a vRS Diesel Auto Combi and the rest as they say is history.

 

I have only covered 2300 miles but I have to say it's been a pleasure, now she's loosened up a little, she's quick off the mark for an oiler, sure footed, handles well for a load lugger and doesn't look too bad either! The ride can be a touch choppy on some of the worst roads West Sussex has to offer and does seem to suffer a bit of understeer but she really comes into her own on fast A roads and M Ways, all things considered, a pretty good drive.

Not a huge fan of Stop Start, good job you can override it.

Have played with the various modes and Sport is fun although for me, the novelty wears off fairly quickly. Eco mode, well...

Because the other half suffers from an ongoing hip problem, it had to be an Automatic, the DSG performs as it should, very smooth shifting.

Brakes very good, only a couple of emergency stops so far, she handled both perfectly.

 

Outside, the Meteor Grey paint I know divides opinion but I rather like it especially with the sunset glass, when she's been properly cleaned, I think she looks great. The wheels are a nice style, the red calliper's showing through and I even don't mind the fake exhaust trims.

The lighting is great, the Xenons are the brightest on any car I have owned and the Intelligent Lighting seems to work in most situations but can it appears get fooled on the odd occasion, can't comment of the Adaptive Cruise yet...

 

Inside it's a nice place to be, comfortable, at times reasonably quiet and fairly well put together, not quite as good as my Rocco but not far off. its all very black inside but the Panoramic Sunroof turns it into a very light, airy environment when the mood takes you.

She has a decent level of equipment which all works well and falls readily to hand, the Bolero is fine although SatNav would have been nice, the Canton seems to be sounding better and better. The power boot turns out to be more useful than I expected and I'm finally getting used to KESSY.

the seat fabric is potentially a concern, I may be wrong but I don't think it will stand the test of time very well.

The Octy is renowned for its load carrying abilities and I have to say it has certainly lived up to expectations, the boot can comfortably hold two largish Greyhounds while there is sufficient passenger space for five decent sized humans.

 

So, plus points.

 

Very capable all rounder that's pretty quick too.

Enjoyable to drive, I still look forward to the run into work.

Panoramic Sunroof - weather improving, fantastic addition.

Power Boot - Considered it a bit of a gimmick, not any more.

Enough equipment to keep most happy.

Other half likes it!

Junior likes it.

 

Not so good points.

 

Would have liked SatNav (obviously not a fault as such)

Front tyres already showing signs of wear.

Not as economical as I hoped.

Bolero has frozen on me just once so far.

More road noise than I expected.

Fuel pump really noisy (replaced without question under warranty)

Headlamp washer jet cover doesn't close properly (cured with a squirt of WD40)

 

my only possible regret is that if I had known my mileage was going to drop off as much as it had I may well have stuck it out for a petrol one, maybe next time.

 

So, there we have it, a brief collection of my observations so far which I hope you will find in part informative.

 

And then there's the million dollar question, would I buy another Skoda based on my experience so far?

 

Definitely...

 

 

 

Thanks for review, sounds mostly positive which is great for me as I am also going to be a Skoda first timer......when I actually get the thing! Very similar spec to you part from colour.

I'm sure you'll like it. This is my first Skoda and they're good cars. I went easy on the options, just cruise, black pack and spare wheel as the price was creeping very close to premium brands.

Tyres showing wear at 2300 miles? Blimey!

Nice write up.

 

I have owned mine for 5 weeks.

 

Strong Points:-

*Brakes are superb.

*Engine (TSI) is extremely refined and flexible.

*Manual gearbox feels very very good.

*Great interior space.

*Xenon's work well

 

Weak Points

*Fuel Economy could be better. After 4 tank fulls I am averaging 26mpg.

*Build quality is good but some materials are cheap. Boot floor is awfully low quality and lower dash and door bins are hard scratchable plastic.

*Electric steering feedback is numb. You cannot feel what's going on and where the limits of adhesion are.

*Voice control lacks features and is poorly implemented. My parents base spec Fiesta is much better for telephone & audio control.

 

Overall, it is a very good car which is practical and can put a smile on my face. It does not have German-like build & trim quality but it is good enough for family use. It feels about right for the price.

Good to see a positive review

 

My thoughts after 4mths / close to 6000 miles (Spec of car is in my signature)

 

Good

- Plenty of pull in the engine

- Comfortable cruiser for what should be a harsh car

- Tons of space in the back

- An actually USABLE in-car Sat-nav! 

 

Bad

- Has had three faults so far (sticking headlight washers, sticking buttons on the steering wheel, vibration behind the dash)

- Door plastics already showing scuffing.

- Similar concerns about seat material durability

 

 

One thing though...

 

 I didn't plan on having an estate, that was until my partner said she wanted a second dog and had no plans on driving a larger car, great, that meant my beloved Scirocco had to go. 

 

 

My answer to her would've been "Good luck with the new dog on the back seat / passenger seat of your car then" 

Dog Guard or seat covers can be a solution.

 

 

 

Am curious give the O/P's VW base if it was purely financial that he switched to Skoda & didnt go with another VW, & did the comparison include test drives ?

Nice write up.

 

I have owned mine for 5 weeks.

 

Strong Points:-

*Brakes are superb.

*Engine (TSI) is extremely refined and flexible.

*Manual gearbox feels very very good.

*Great interior space.

*Xenon's work well

 

Weak Points

*Fuel Economy could be better. After 4 tank fulls I am averaging 26mpg.

*Build quality is good but some materials are cheap. Boot floor is awfully low quality and lower dash and door bins are hard scratchable plastic.

*Electric steering feedback is numb. You cannot feel what's going on and where the limits of adhesion are.

*Voice control lacks features and is poorly implemented. My parents base spec Fiesta is much better for telephone & audio control.

 

Overall, it is a very good car which is practical and can put a smile on my face. It does not have German-like build & trim quality but it is good enough for family use. It feels about right for the price.

Shouldn't worry too much about the lower dash and door bins being hard easily scratchable plastic, it'll be the same hard easily scratchable plastic fitted to the lower dash and door bins of the latest BMW 3 Series. You know, the one from the manufacturer that has no models in the top ten of the 2013 What Car owner satisfaction survey, whereas the top two cars are the Supurb and the Yeti. IMO, the BMW 3 Series, which I have the "pleasure" of driving a lot (330d Estate) is one of the most uncomfortable and overrated cars I have ever driven.

I also noted that Skoda came 14th in the 2013 What Car reliability survey. No German manufacturer higher than 21st(VW). BMW were 26th.

You will have noted that I don't hold the German manufacturers in the same high esteem as others. Still, if JC & Co (Top Gear) rate BMW and everything German so highly, who am I to question their wisdom.

Bring on the Skoda - four weeks to wait!

Shouldn't worry too much about the lower dash and door bins being hard easily scratchable plastic, it'll be the same hard easily scratchable plastic fitted to the lower dash and door bins of the latest BMW 3 Series. You know, the one from the manufacturer that has no models in the top ten of the 2013 What Car owner satisfaction survey, whereas the top two cars are the Supurb and the Yeti. IMO, the BMW 3 Series, which I have the "pleasure" of driving a lot (330d Estate) is one of the most uncomfortable and overrated cars I have ever driven.

I also noted that Skoda came 14th in the 2013 What Car reliability survey. No German manufacturer higher than 21st(VW). BMW were 26th.

You will have noted that I don't hold the German manufacturers in the same high esteem as others. Still, if JC & Co (Top Gear) rate BMW and everything German so highly, who am I to question their wisdom.

Bring on the Skoda - four weeks to wait!

My previous car was a 2010 320D which I owned from new for 3 years before obtaining the VRS. JD Power results are driven by a combination of actual reliability, living with the car, and expectations. People expect less from a Skoda than from a BMW, Porsche or VW, so the Skoda is more likely to exceed expectations.

 

My VRS is pretty well built and interior trim is of good (but variable) quality. The boot trim could have been lifted from a 1990's Lada and door bins and lower dash from a 90's Mondeo. The upper dash and switchgear are a match for recent Golf's but they are not Audi/Merc/BMW quality, and neither should they be at the Skoda's lower price point.

 

For the price you get what you pay for. Quality is not up to my former 3-Series standards, but I did not expect it to be. The VRS feels feels closer to Mondeo/Renault standards than BMW/Audi to me. It does not have the same premium feel, and some cost-cutting components are clearly visible. The first time my 12 year old daughter jumped in the boot of my VRS she buckled and split the 6mm thick chipboard boot floor. Both of my kids, my dogs, and plenty of very heavy building materials were transported within my 3-Series without any such damage.

Edited 9 April, 201412 yr by Orville

My previous car was a 2010 320D which I owned from new for 3 years before obtaining the VRS. JD Power results are driven by a combination of actual reliability, living with the car, and expectations. People expect less from a Skoda than from a BMW, Porsche or VW, so the Skoda is more likely to exceed expectations.

 

My VRS is pretty well built and interior trim is of good (but variable) quality. The boot trim could have been lifted from a 1990's Lada and door bins and lower dash from a 90's Mondeo. The upper dash and switchgear are a match for recent Golf's but they are not Audi/Merc/BMW quality, and neither should they be at the Skoda's lower price point.

 

For the price you get what you pay for. Quality is not up to my former 3-Series standards, but I did not expect it to be. The VRS feels feels closer to Mondeo/Renault standards than BMW/Audi to me. It does not have the same premium feel, and some cost-cutting components are clearly visible. The first time my 12 year old daughter jumped in the boot of my VRS she buckled and split the 6mm thick chipboard boot floor. Both of my kids, my dogs, and plenty of very heavy building materials were transported within my 3-Series without any such damage.

OMG, what have I done ordering a Skoda? Last 11 cars have been Renault with complete satisfaction. Don't think there is anything in a Renault from a Lada! Renault decided to axe the excellent Laguna (JC hates anything French) from their UK range, so had to look elsewhere. I took notice of all the glowing 5* reports for the Octavia 3. Hope I'm not disappointed, but there are several comments on this forum that give rise for concern.

vRS 2.0 TSi DSG (Bought Nov.13)

 

2049 miles OTC, 7 "recorded" fill ups mostly now with super unleaded (either BP Ultimate or Shell Nitro) and the last tank gave me 393 miles and an average of 34.16 mpg.

 

I still consider my cars engine very new and probably still a bit tight, so am quite happy with that for the last tank and that last tank lasted just 17 days, normally pootling around on mainly local trips of 7 miles, it's still averaging around the 28 mpg, which again isn't bad for a car of this size and performance.

 

Just added another 51.95l of Nitro today and the car is in Eco Mode and has been for over a week now. Performance is slightly different in that box changes slightly earlier than "Normal" mode.

 

I love the car to bits, having a little hassle with one headlight washer jet sticking every so often, but other than that very minor issue no reported problems, even the mug mark of my making seems to be fading away quite nicely now. Just can't get rid of the sticky ring on the windscreen where my car's phone holder was. Tried Isopropyl Alcohol and it still does go away completely.  :wonder:

 

The only problem I can foresee is putting my summer wheels back on, as they're in the garage and the automatic roller shutter door is resolutely jammed closed and no amount of cranking the emergency override handle (with the power off) makes the slightest difference! 

 

So HTF I can get them back out without causing major & irreparable damage to the door I've yet to work out. 

My previous car was a 2010 320D which I owned from new for 3 years before obtaining the VRS. JD Power results are driven by a combination of actual reliability, living with the car, and expectations. People expect less from a Skoda than from a BMW, Porsche or VW, so the Skoda is more likely to exceed expectations.

My VRS is pretty well built and interior trim is of good (but variable) quality. The boot trim could have been lifted from a 1990's Lada and door bins and lower dash from a 90's Mondeo. The upper dash and switchgear are a match for recent Golf's but they are not Audi/Merc/BMW quality, and neither should they be at the Skoda's lower price point.

For the price you get what you pay for. Quality is not up to my former 3-Series standards, but I did not expect it to be. The VRS feels feels closer to Mondeo/Renault standards than BMW/Audi to me. It does not have the same premium feel, and some cost-cutting components are clearly visible. The first time my 12 year old daughter jumped in the boot of my VRS she buckled and split the 6mm thick chipboard boot floor. Both of my kids, my dogs, and plenty of very heavy building materials were transported within my 3-Series without any such damage.

Question - have you compared the pressure of your 12 year old daughter jumping from a height with two kids, some dogs and plenty of building materials?

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Thanks Mence.

You have a number of expensive options, can you rattle through them and say what you would do again/not bother.

Regards.

Good to see a positive review

 

My thoughts after 4mths / close to 6000 miles (Spec of car is in my signature)

 

Good

- Plenty of pull in the engine

- Comfortable cruiser for what should be a harsh car

- Tons of space in the back

- An actually USABLE in-car Sat-nav! 

 

Bad

- Has had three faults so far (sticking headlight washers, sticking buttons on the steering wheel, vibration behind the dash)

- Door plastics already showing scuffing.

- Similar concerns about seat material durability

 

 

One thing though...

 

 

My answer to her would've been "Good luck with the new dog on the back seat / passenger seat of your car then" 

I also had the sticking headlight washers and vibration from the dash / steering wheel area. The washers were adjust as per info past out from Skoda and have been fine since and they also fixed the vibration which I was told was the drivers knee air bag.

Thanks Mence.

You have a number of expensive options, can you rattle through them and say what you would do again/not bother.

Regards.

Well B.A., as mentioned at the beginning, this was a cancelled order so in light of potential waiting lists I took what was on offer.

Given the choice, I would probably drop the silver roof rails, Colour Maxidot, KESSY and possibly the Active Cruise Control in favour of a SatNav head unit, I definitely WOULD keep the Pan Sun, Power Boot and Spare Wheel, the remainder are nice to haves.

Our vRS had a sticky nearside washer cover, adjusted by the dealer and has been fine ever since.

The left hand steering wheel button was sticky (mostly the source button) so I sat there with the ignition off and vigorously exercised the whole button assembly (childish jokes to be left in the corridor please!) for about 10 minutes and it's been fine since.

Fuel consumption is crap but SWMBO does about 4k per annum so it doesn't matter and the DPF would've been an issue with short, frequent school runs.

Amundsen sat nav is good. Electric tailgate is excellent - to the point of my 4 year old son asking "Daddy, does your car have an automatic boot like Mummy's car?"

Haven't really noticed any of the cheap plastics. The lower stuff will always be harder wearing plastic as you rarely touch it.

Other than a few niggles, great car. We'd have another one without hesitation.

Dog Guard or seat covers can be a solution.

 

 

 

Am curious give the O/P's VW base if it was purely financial that he switched to Skoda & didnt go with another VW, & did the comparison include test drives ?

Fair questions, I had the money allocated and could have decided on a number of vehicles, all of which fell within the price range I had set.

I test dove only three, A VW, the Skoda and a Focus.

I adored my Scirocco (which I purchased from a dealer quite a distance away) and was very seriously considering a Golf Estate Sportline, in fact, that was top of my list at the time. The Focus eventually fell by the wayside purely on interior layout.

The decider was the way I was treated by my local VW dealer, I went in to see them and after waiting way too long a kind lady took my number and promised someone would call me back. Following day still no call so I popped back in.

There was a sales guy available who clearly hadn't been passed a message and when I started to tell him what I was after, he butted in saying they hadn't got any and weren't expecting any either because they weren't popular.

I asked if any really late ones might be available through their approved programme (having been on the VW site and established there was) and he responded saying it was very unlikely, at that point I decided that even if he managed to produce exactly what I wanted from thin air he wasn't going to have my money, the ignorant, arrogant t**t.

The total opposite from my local Skoda dealer, I went in on half a dozen occasions before I committed to a purchase and every time I went in, I was properly greeted, listened to and all questions were responded to immediately and accurately except for one which they promised they would call me back with an answer, by the time I got home, the answer was on my voicemail.

I attach a great deal to being treated well if I am purchasing something of reasonable value whether it's my favourite brand of shirt, a new watch, car or what ever, I like to be made to feel like a valued customer, something Skoda achieved with consummate ease and something which I'm sure never crossed the VW salesman's mind!

Got mine 20/12/13 and (wait for it) just about to hit 10k since acquisition.

Vrs TDi race blue standard spec manual.

Minus points are occasionally sticking headlight washers, climate with a mind of its own now & again (had exactly the same issue with the last car), bloody gloss black B/C post trims (will get them wrapped ASAP) and that's about it.

Otherwise settled into 48-52 mpg, using minimal oil, comfy and quick enough for me.

Needs a good wash as last weekend's wet weather means it's been almost 2 weeks

Very pleased that I chose this car and still only seen a handful out & about so "rare" too lol.

Question - have you compared the pressure of your 12 year old daughter jumping from a height with two kids, some dogs and plenty of building materials?

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All you need to do is look at the standard VRS boot floor to see how inadequate it is. The carpet is very cheap and very nasty, and the flooring material is 6mm pressed wood pulp which bends inward when I lean gently on it. Nobody can argue that such a design befits a £20k+ car. My BMW boot floor was 3x as thick, and I (18st fat bloke) could climb in there and not cause any damage. My daughter weights one-third as much and busted the VRS floor when she first jumped in.

I really like the VRS but I am not blind to it's flaws. Mechanically it is very good, but it lacks quality and class within some areas. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I am providing mt honest assessment. Size and practicality are also great, but interior quality is far more akin to Mondeo than it is to Audi or BMW. I commented when test driving both the VRS and Audi A4 that the A4 felt a class above, but I went for the Skoda because it was more practical, faster, and better value. I do not regret my decision one bit, but I am not blind to it's comparative weaknesses.

The boot floor is rubbish, some plastics feel low quality, and Skoda leather is not the best. The headlight washers sometimes fail to close properly, voice control understands things when it wants to, and the boot hatch and rear doors feel a bit light weight. The stereo sound is okay but you could be forgiven for expecting better given the price. In short the car is good but some pennies have been pinched and this is noticeable if you are willing to see it.

I came from an S Max so quality wise it's not bad by comparison. Externally the paintwork is good and fit seems good all round.

Some of the interior plastics are a bit scratchy but no worse than the previous car. Boot hasn't been loaded properly to full yet but will bear the floor in mind when I do.

The equivalent S Max to my old one would have nudged £27k too and I couldn't easily find one to compete with the Scud price-wise.

Its only advantage was/is space as it attracts higher company car tax and can't get near the performance of the vrs.

Edited 9 April, 201412 yr by Andy205

All you need to do is look at the standard VRS boot floor to see how inadequate it is. The carpet is very cheap and very nasty, and the flooring material is 6mm pressed wood pulp which bends inward when I lean gently on it. Nobody can argue that such a design befits a £20k+ car. My BMW boot floor was 3x as thick, and I (18st fat bloke) could climb in there and not cause any damage. My daughter weights one-third as much and busted the VRS floor when she first jumped in.

 

 

I can't disagree there. I've got loads of tree stumps and stuff to take to the tip but am a bit worried that they may buckle or damage the floor. It does seem remarkably poor quality, especially when I brought a load lugging estate for jobs such as these.

At the end of the day we all know Skodas are built to a price....not all would share my view but if I had to be honest with myself the materials quality (not necessarily build/perceived quality) in a Mk7 Golf in some areas will better an Octavia. People do keep saying there is little or no difference but the truth is if you look hard enough there is a difference and the VW's Ive had over the past few years do generally feel more honed with better attention to detail than their Skoda equivalents.

Skoda win out for me for value for money, in the 2.0 Elwgance estate I could buy a car thats 95% a Golf 7 GT estate with a bigger boot, more legroom and in certain respects better equipped for a good 1.7k less with considerably better financing arrangements. For what i put down and pay a month im not sure I could buy more new car for the money thats for sure.

Again being honest with myself money being no object id probably rather have the golf despite its smaller boot....but then that said id probably still rathet have a 320d touring over both of them....Im just not prepared to pay 30k+ for the privilege. All that being said having bought three new Skodas over the past 3 years but by no means a brand loyal diehard.

Edited 9 April, 201412 yr by pipsyp

It was simple for me as mine's a company owned (not leased) car. My budget was £20k and a Golf GTD was well over.

I've no doubt the VW is higher quality all round but I needed more space than it offered so my rationale was practicality first.

To be fair the S Max felt pretty much as well built at 100k as when I got it - be interesting to see how the Skoda does.