For those who like me are not interested in the football!

So I just came back from a roadtrip through Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Italy in the Octavia Diesel.  I'd done 1000 miles in the 3 months I've owned it, but added another 2600 in the last 14 days so have given it a fair test now!

 

A few random comments

 

-45.2mpg average (48 according to the car).  Not too bad I thought, with a car 4 up and boot packed of luggage and wine, mostly either doing 80 in the autobahns or up mountain roads in sports mode.

 

-Keyless Entry works really well when it's just me but is just a pain in the ass when travelling with others

 

-Lane assist while clever and sort of useful eventually had to be switched off, so annoying when it beeps even when you are actually holding the wheel.

 

-Car tells you when low on washer fluid - quite clever I thought, until it kept beeping all the way home so it just turned into annoying

 

-Bit disappointed with grip at the front, a bit too easy to lose traction I think, albeit while fully loaded and on wet roads

 

-Ride on Italian motorways is harsh. I was spoilt before with my squidgy Renault. No problem on the German roads, of course!

 

-Sat Nav is great once you get used to it, except for the huge delay on zoom - does everyone have this?

 

-Otherwise car is fantastic and I absolutely love it.  I was really surprised how many heads it turned.  Also I found out what's causing the crazy delay on new orders.  New shape Octavias are literally EVERYWHERE especially in Slovenia, but I STILL haven't seen another vrs, outside of a dealer, at all ever since I bought one!

 

 

Sounds like great fun. A great way to get your Octy running in too. I'm tempted to try a similar run next spring, assuming my GL3 is built by then :-P

Just about to complete a similar distance journey myself (Diesel vRS but hatch) going through Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, France and home.

Lane assist - mine has never once beeped unless I've deliberately left my hands off for 5-10 seconds (whatever the limit is) ie no false alarms. Maybe a fault.

Not looking forward to the Italian roads!

Does sound like your lane assist is faulty, never had mine beep while I'm holding the wheel.

Just about to complete a similar distance journey myself (Diesel vRS but hatch) going through Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, France and home.

Sounds great. You'll love it. I did Monaco and the south of France last year ("Route Des Grand Alps")

Lane assist - mine has never once beeped unless I've deliberately left my hands off for 5-10 seconds (whatever the limit is) ie no false alarms. Maybe a fault.

To be fair I think it works ok, it's just that on a dead straight road with no traffic - the kind of thing you never ever see in the UK - a few times I was holding the wheel loosely enough to make it think that I wasn't holding it.

I'm taking mine back to Czech in a few weeks (if we get our passports back!). Can't wait.

The washer fluid alarm is the most annoying thing ever. On two occasions now, I've stopped at a 24 hr motorway services and bought their hideously overpriced screen wash just to shut it up!

I'm taking mine back to Czech in a few weeks (if we get our passports back!). Can't wait.

The washer fluid alarm is the most annoying thing ever. On two occasions now, I've stopped at a 24 hr motorway services and bought their hideously overpriced screen wash just to shut it up!

Why not just fill it with water?

So mine has done derby to amsterdam/holland twice now. 50mpg fully loaded. Really comfortable sat nav is super in Europe. Really pleased with it

Why not just fill it with water?

A pet hate of mine. Water is rubbish at actually cleaning the screen so you're just wasting your time.

 

 

-Car tells you when low on washer fluid - quite clever I thought, until it kept beeping all the way home so it just turned into annoying

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

totally agree with you on this this it's like a nagging wife that keeps on reminding you to do something   I thought the flashing reminder was bad on the mk2 but a constant beeping must drive you mad

totally agree with you on this this it's like a nagging wife that keeps on reminding you to do something   I thought the flashing reminder was bad on the mk2 but a constant beeping must drive you mad

Mine only beeps the once when the warning light comes on....no more beeping just the light stays illuminated??? Are you saying that it beeps repeatedly during the journey...?

It only beeps every time you switch the engine on, but still its a bit annoying over a 1000 mile journey with lots of stops. I knew I wouldn't bother to top it up till I got home especially since it didn't actually run out despite using it a few more times.

The orange exclamation mark light stays on permanately though which you would think would be reserved for something a little more important that low washer fluid level!

I have had it the once where the fluid level is just teetering on the low level sensor causing it to bleep and bring up the warning only to disappear and reappear a few moments later. It being triggered as the car turns corners etc altering the level in the wash bottle.

A good squeeze of the washer set the alarm on permanently.

It doesnt annoy me at all, Ive had several VAG cars without it and its way more annoying to find yourself without fluid all of a sudden rather than have an indication it'll run out soon.

My only pet hate is that the headlamp washers activate on first pull for every headlight activation....i.e if they go off then come on again next time you wash the screen they blast away again. Doesnt half waste fluid, better if it just did it every 10 pulls and not on first pull upon headlight activation.

One thing that is quite nice though as soon as the warning comes on it deactivates the headlamp washers (no doubt to conserve fluid and prevent the high power pumps being damaged trying to spray fresh air)...generally speaking there is still about a litre of fluid left at that point so can be made to last some while if youre willing to out up with the warning.

The orange exclamation mark light stays on permanately though which you would think would be reserved for something a little more important that low washer fluid level!

 

Not having any fluid in your washer bottle is an MOT failure... so it is actually quite important.  Besides, orange warning lights are there to be ignored.  It's when you get red flashing lights all over the dashboard that you need to be worried 

The orange exclamation mark light stays on permanately though which you would think would be reserved for something a little more important that low washer fluid level!

 

The worse thing about the orange exclamation is that it doesn't dim at night with the rest of the instruments so it's pretty distracting...

No big deal coming from years of BMW's, they have had this feature for as long back as I can remember. Beeps every time you start up and then the light just stays on in the background. It is a good reminder to fill up, which obviously gets rids of the warning altogether.

I'm still a couple of weeks from getting mine so I'm working on the basis it is the same, sounds like it.

No no, it beeps every 10 minutes or so. Hence, the most annoying thing ever! 

No no, it beeps every 10 minutes or so. Hence, the most annoying thing ever!

Low washer warning came on today on mine (s spec); orange triangle, beep, message saying "low washer fluid please top up", and a little washer graphic appeared. It only beeps again after starting up and doesn't beep every 10 mins.

A pet hate of mine. Water is rubbish at actually cleaning the screen so you're just wasting your time.

Warning goes off, pull in at services and top up with water, leaving room for screen wash, that gets added once I'm back home.

Well yes, I guess you could do that. I'd still rather not have to stop just to top up screen wash because the car thinks I'm too inept to remember after it has told me once!

I've managed perfectly fine with all my other cars to actually check the screenwash tank level...

Let's face it, it's another car tech that is there because it can be. Can we live without it and many other of the gizmo's? We most certainly can and did, and survived for years! List of unessesary tech IMO:

Keyless start/entry

Auto headlights

Auto wipers

Lane assist

Loads of others I'm sure but there are some good ones as well:

Tyre pressure monitor

Remote boot opening

Re-lock if doors unopened

Bluetooth etc, the list would go on.

It's clever stuff but it just makes us more lazy, I'm the first to admit it has changed my car habits.

Definitely wouldn't list auto headlights as useless. The number of drivers driving with no lights on in darkness, however much it's their own stupidity, are also a major hazard to other road users.

I have kessy myself and will allow you that one. It's just a laziness thing but I like it.

Edited 19 July, 201411 yr by JamesVRSmk3