[blueR36]

The reason its been compared to them is the prices not the quality

[gt40]

The reason its been compared to them is the prices not the quality

 

 

I'd say it's comparable in form and function, both key elements in anyone's requirements list.

[pipsyp]

The reason its been compared to them is the prices not the quality

Im inclined to agree.

The Mk3 Octavia is leagues ahead of the Mk1 and a considerable overall improvement on a Mk2, its an excellent car and deserves to sell well.

That said when a Mk3 of any kind begins to near 30k list and gets near to the pricing of a half decent 3 series my rational mind starts to question how good value a 30k Octavia actually is....sure itd probably still usefully cheaper than its (overpriced) VW stablemate but still nor what I would call a good value vehicle.

Would seem there is a push to send Skoda more upmarket...shame really as the customer base who have frankly helped make them into the company they are today by buying their vehicles will simply begin looking elsewhere.

[classic]

You can always get a Dacia ....

[Neily03]

Would seem there is a push to send Skoda more upmarket...shame really as the customer base who have frankly helped make them into the company they are today by buying their vehicles will simply begin looking elsewhere.

 

Meanwhile they're selling more cars than they can make even with the price increase so they're probably better off with their new customer base....

[Shermo]

The way I looked at it was I was originally looking at an A3 TDI quattro, but wanted something with a bit more room and bigger boot. Octavia fit this bill and was quite a bit cheaper, both in terms of actual cost and especially with 0% finance. Octavia 150ps 4x4 is a really good blend of everything I wanted from a car, plenty of space, enough ooomph for me, great traction with the 4x4 and able to tow tons, also lots of technology and gadgetry.

 

Looked at several alternatives from BMW, VW, Jaguar, Mazda, Ford, Vauxhall... nothing quite hit all the right things and was any cheaper. At the end of the day it's all about compromising and finding the best fit. If I had oodles of cash then I would have gone a different route, but for the price the Octavia won it for me.

 

Sure the Skodas are more expensive than they were but still good value compared with other brands I think.

[blueR36]

You can always get a Dacia ....

or a base 1.6 diesel , oh you have

[Dedders]

Ultimately everyone is different and want different things from their cars. I moved from a MKii VRS petrol estate to a MKiii VRS diesel estate. Do I regret it - no. In every measurable way my new car is better than my old car, if I was ordering now the only thing I would change is going back to petrol.

In my opinion I have got an excellent car at a price I believe is fair. Yes Skoda's prices have gone up but so have every other manufacturers. Could you imagine paying over £31k for a Mondeo a few years ago without options as that's now the list price for a 2.2 TDCi Titanium X Sport estate Auto.

Skoda are no longer the bargin they once were as they have done almost the impossible and changed their whole image, they are no longer seen as the joke they once were and are now seen as the maker of excellent family cars at responsible prices.

I think the fact that people are having to wait up to 7 months says it all really, it may not please people but shows how far the brand has come over the last 10 years.

[ed209]

far too expensive when you consider my vrs estate was 18k new last march with a few options added.

[Chronicbint]

*they are still a joke though not as bad as before.

[jlwah]

Yes Skoda's prices have gone up but so have every other manufacturers. Could you imagine paying over £31k for a Mondeo a few years ago without options as that's now the list price for a 2.2 TDCi Titanium X Sport estate Auto.

 

Whilst the Ford has a higher list price, with discounts the model you mention is almost exactly the same price as an Octavia L&K CR DSG estate and both are more expensive than an Audi Ad SE Technik Ultra Avant 163 (all without options).

 

VAG are definitely pushing Skoda a bit further upmarket; I presume to fill the gap between VW and SEAT. And wasn't there something in the news last week about Skoda's prices increasing more than any other manufacturers over the past 10 years?

[Stuski]

Great thread and some emotive opinions

I'm new to Skoda and have a very different view from some of you guys who have been running them for years. Iv come from a company car vw golf 1.6 bluemotion. I decided to take the cash this time and use some savings that are not earning much and bought a 2.0 race blue elegance spec with lighting package and 5 year warranty for just under 22k. The golf was on a Eco scheme and was charged at list £20500.

It is by far the best value car I have ever owned like many it was bought for a specific reason. Dog carrier/belgium beer runs as well as your usual commuting etc.

It's been to remote parts of Scotland. Amsterdam to derby in a day fully loaded with lots of beer. Supremely comfortable and economical to boot. For me a skoda is a head purchase and a tool. If I didn't have other cars for fun. The vrs is as good a compromise it would have been far more fun in the twistys in Scotland that's for sure! Dog wouldn't like it though.

Skoda is no longer a budget brand. Infact are any of them? Kia and Hyundai are hardly cheap! Someone I know just bought a 2 year old fully loaded 1.7crdi sportage for 19k!

I see where they cut corners and save money but honestly I don't care.

Cheap plastics in less seen areas, non hydraulic bonnet, only the driver having auto up/down windows. Etc

[pipsyp]

Great thread and some emotive opinions

I'm new to Skoda and have a very different view from some of you guys who have been running them for years. Iv come from a company car vw golf 1.6 bluemotion. I decided to take the cash this time and use some savings that are not earning much and bought a 2.0 race blue elegance spec with lighting package and 5 year warranty for just under 22k. The golf was on a Eco scheme and was charged at list £20500.

It is by far the best value car I have ever owned like many it was bought for a specific reason. Dog carrier/belgium beer runs as well as your usual commuting etc.

It's been to remote parts of Scotland. Amsterdam to derby in a day fully loaded with lots of beer. Supremely comfortable and economical to boot. For me a skoda is a head purchase and a tool. If I didn't have other cars for fun. The vrs is as good a compromise it would have been far more fun in the twistys in Scotland that's for sure! Dog wouldn't like it though.

Skoda is no longer a budget brand. Infact are any of them? Kia and Hyundai are hardly cheap! Someone I know just bought a 2 year old fully loaded 1.7crdi sportage for 19k!

I see where they cut corners and save money but honestly I don't care.

Cheap plastics in less seen areas, non hydraulic bonnet, only the driver having auto up/down windows. Etc

Very fair post and I am generally of the same mind.....i think at their base list prices they are actually not too bad in terms of value comparatively speaking as in the equivalent VW will still cost a few K more.

For me Skodas (perhaps other than a vRS) are not an emotive purchase and the cars are now very much a thinking mans VW. I certainly see mine more as an effective tool than a car I genuinely love driving and owning; sounds like a negative but I bought the car with family life and long distance work travel in mind and is at the moment the perfect fit.

Thing I struggle with and probably havent made at all clear in my earlier posts is some of the obsession to whack loads of the "big car" options onto what I think for its class and price bracket is already a very well equipped car. I appreciate some people love tech/creature comforts and each to their own in that regard but you throw several k of options onto an octavia 3 you'll see none of that back at trade in time. Not such an issue for someone buying a car and looking to keep it indefinitely but I just cant see the logic in doing so if you change cars v regularly unless of course you just have money to burn. For me a base spec Elegance was already a fair bit better specified than the Mk2 vRS Blackline I came from so used my head and kept the formula simple to maximise the value of the purchase.

By the way the other elec window switches have one touch, they have two clicks, first is manual second is auto. Simply clever hey?!

[Stuski]

By the way the other elec window switches have one touch, they have two clicks, first is manual second is auto. Simply clever hey?!

Thanks for that. I almost want to go out in the rain just to try it haha. Edited 8 May, 2014 by Stuski