Hello everyone.

I'm an American living in Australia. Since Skoda doesn't sell in the US, I was unfamiliar with the brand, my only exposure being the two TopGear reviews of the Yeti and Roomster.

My wife and I have been looking for a new car for a while. She wanted a crossover SUV (Tiguan, CX-5) while I wanted a small hatch (Clio, Fiesta). But when I read a review of the new Octavia wagon, I showed my wife and we decided it would make the best compromise.

So we've ordered a 2015 Octavia Ambition Plus Wagon in Moon White Metallic. 103TSI with the manual gearbox. Panoramic Sunroof, Auto Tailgate, Alarm, LED Tails.

The dealer says it will take 4-5 months for delivery. That's a bit of a wait for someone who's never ordered a car before (very few Americans order cars anymore), but we wanted a manual and this was the only way to get it.

I'm looking forward to the delivery. Not just for the car, but also so I can explain to my friends and family back home who will inevitably ask, "What's a Skoda?"

Welcome

 

That wait is really going to drag out! Hope you enjoy the car when you get it though!

Welcome, fair few owners in Australia now. Almost enough for a meet! 4-5 months is a while though. I was under the impression the build delays were mostly for RHD as we're the the odd ones out numerically.

 

It's a great question, What's a Skoda?

 

The short easy answer is of course it's a VAG, VW, Audi group platform car, the marque is rich in heritage, it's a quality/value balance, costing a bit less, but getting a bit more too. 

 

The longer answer is, it's a car from one of the oldest manufacturers, over 100 years with heritage. Fell on very hard times post WII, taking investment and ultimately ownership from the VAG group in 2000. Often thought of as the cheap or value option, it's never been that to those who think about the car they are buying. Certainly over the last decade it's topped most satisfaction surveys from owners, in terms of the car but also dealer support.

 

 

TL;DR Come over to visit, I'll show you, it's like an audi, but better.

"TL;DR" ? What does that mean?

 

It wasn't just the space/value equation that led to our decision, but that is a bonus.  The car's styling, inside and out, is conservative, but that also means it should still be good looking in ten years.  Something that can't be said for many ten year old cars.  The ability to get a manual gearbox, something that can't even be ordered on most of its competitors, and the wagon body, were also big selling points.

 

I'm a big fan of wagons/estates.  Probably because I reached the age in which cars became interesting in the mid 90s, when the minivan and SUV craze was killing off the bodystyle.  Wagons were the underdog, the weird choice, the defiant option.  Despite living in northern Minnesota, where it can snow for 8 months a year, I never understood the attitude that led people to believe they needed a huge 4x4 to drive to the grocery store.  Competent driving and a set of winter tyres will get you through anything the weather will throw at you.  Sure, you may have to get out a shovel for 30 mins a couple times a year, but is a little convenience 5 days a year worth paying twice as much for fuel the other 360 days?  A wagon offers the space of an SUV, with the comfort and efficiency of a sedan.

 

There were also little tactile surprises in the Octavia that I quite liked.  Being from the snow, I love the ice-scraper in the fuel door.  Even though I might use it only every couple years in Australia.  I also love the proximity sensor in the touchscreen.  The HVAC controls are also quite nice to operate.  Too many cars have controls that feel wobbly, or they feel like they are resisiting your movements.  The Toyota Corolla is especially bad for this, and while the Toyota will probably be robust and reliable, it doesn't feel that way.  The Octavia's controls have a weight to them, but they don't feel like they are resisting your inputs.

 

About the only thing I can think of that I don't care for on the Octavia is the button pad in the centre console.  In the case of my mid-spec, optioned example only two of those buttons get used, meaning I will have 8 blanks.  I don't like blank buttons.  They are a constant reminder of all the features you didn't, or couldn't, get for your car.  And it feels cheap.  Though, I do realize that most cars have blanks of some sort.

 

Anyway.  It'll be a long 4-5 months.

"TL;DR" ? What does that mean?

 

 

It means "too long, didn't read", so Colin is saying if he his was too long, feel free to just come over he'll show you all about the Skodas!

It means "too long, didn't read", so Colin is saying if he his was too long, feel free to just come over he'll show you all about the Skodas!

 

Well, as you can see by my first reply, I'd be a massive hypocrite for refusing to read others' posts based on length...

 

I'm assuming Sheffield is in Britain?  I've always wanted to visit there.

Well, as you can see by my first reply, I'd be a massive hypocrite for refusing to read others' posts based on length...

 

I'm assuming Sheffield is in Britain?  I've always wanted to visit there.

 

 

Yes it is, never been myself actually.

 

Do you mean always wanted to visit Britain or Sheffield - what's the appeal if you mean Sheffield?

yeah the super quick version. I was speaking in your head. That is you could say to your friends back in the US, come over to AUS I'll show you.

 

Sheffield is in the UK, if you do come, let me know when. You never know, I could arrange a meet. Free drink for those who travel over sea to meets.

Hello everyone.

I'm an American living in Australia. Since Skoda doesn't sell in the US, I was unfamiliar with the brand, my only exposure being the two TopGear reviews of the Yeti and Roomster.

My wife and I have been looking for a new car for a while. She wanted a crossover SUV (Tiguan, CX-5) while I wanted a small hatch (Clio, Fiesta). But when I read a review of the new Octavia wagon, I showed my wife and we decided it would make the best compromise.

So we've ordered a 2015 Octavia Ambition Plus Wagon in Moon White Metallic. 103TSI with the manual gearbox. Panoramic Sunroof, Auto Tailgate, Alarm, LED Tails.

The dealer says it will take 4-5 months for delivery. That's a bit of a wait for someone who's never ordered a car before (very few Americans order cars anymore), but we wanted a manual and this was the only way to get it.

I'm looking forward to the delivery. Not just for the car, but also so I can explain to my friends and family back home who will inevitably ask, "What's a Skoda?"

Well Hobbie this forum is dominated by Pommies but there a few of us in Australia that love our Skodas. I have an Octavia (me for work, it is so roomy, I carry around furniture sample in my sedan) and a Yeti (wife) here on Sydney's northern beaches.

I love the brand, offers great value and excellent driving. Will be buying a new Octavia RS station wagon (that's an estate for all you Poms) later this year myself , they are great cars and the only complaints I have is the DSG gearbox shudder at low speeds and that they drink oil, at least my 1.8 TSI engine does. But you are getting a manual and a diesel so this won't affect you.

Edited 8 August, 201411 yr by afterdarker

Before I bought my Superb I was looking at a 5 series BMW estate (wagon) or a Merc E class estate. Both were excellent cars but both seemed to lack the the feel factor. A guy where my wife worked had a Superb Estate so I went for a look as my wife said it seemed to be a good car.

 

The rest is history as they say. Have had it for 2 years years now and it still puts a smile on my face when I drive it, (and I saved about ten grand compared to the Beemer and Merc).

 

Keep smiling while you wait, then smile even more when you get it.

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone.

 

Also, my car will be the 1.4L EA211 petrol engine mated to the 6-speed.  The only diesel engine on offer is too spendy and DSG only.

Boy, talk about going against the stereotype. An American who wants a manual transmission and who has chosen the smallest engine, lol.

Why not the DSG? SWMBO has a 6-speed DSG VW Eos (petrol) and I think it is brilliant.

Just tell anyone who asks a Skoda is a value for money Audi or a well made VW.

I'm new here too, also from Australia and also considering my first Skoda. But unlike you I haven't ordered yet as I'm waiting to see what the new Scout will look like in the flesh, but if there's a 4-5 month wait maybe I should get to a dealership now.

I'll be downsizing from my Ford Territory (an Aussie only orphan for those reading from elsewhere).

Cheers, Rob

Edited 11 August, 201411 yr by AUSKOUT

Boy, talk about going against the stereotype. An American who wants a manual transmission and who has chosen the smallest engine, lol.

Why not the DSG? SWMBO has a 6-speed DSG VW Eos (petrol) and I think it is brilliant.

Just tell anyone who asks a Skoda is a value for money Audi or a well made VW.

I'm new here too, also from Australia and also considering my first Skoda. But unlike you I haven't ordered yet as I'm waiting to see what the new Scout will look like in the flesh, but if there's a 4-5 month wait maybe I should get to a dealership now.

I'll be downsizing from my Ford Territory (an Aussie only orphan for those reading from elsewhere).

Cheers, Rob

Same query regarding a DSG, IMVHO they are much better than a manual, both when feeling lazy or in a hurry.

 

We have two Skodas, & a VW, all 2.0 TSi with the 6-speed DSG & we wouldn't go back to manuals by choice. Economy is quite good, on all the cars, better than expected  & they are all fun to drive, but with different characters.

Her Octavia vRS is the lightest, quickest & most economical, my Superb Twindoor has the most room & the best ride, & the EOS was a silly 67th birthday present to myself for those few & far between days when the sun shines in the UK!  

 

The EOS is geared for cruising with a different, final drive ratio compared with the Skodas, they are indicating 75/76 mph @ 3K rpm in 6th

gear, whereas the EOS shows 80 mph @ 3K rpm in 5th & 96 mph in 6th!  

 

Still, if you prefer a manual then you have made a good choice, the !.4 TSi a sweet engine & the 'box is light & easy to use.

 

Enjoy your Octy when you take delivery & let us know what you think of it .

 

 

Cheers, DC

There are a few reasons why I picked the car I did.

I will admit, I never actually tried a DSG. But I have found in the past with manual mode autos that the only time I used them was for engine braking. I know the DSG is very different from a traditional auto and much more responsive, but both my wife and I decided that a clutch helps make every drive more interesting.

The next issue was cost. For the price of the DSG I could get some extra options, like the big sunroof.

Lastly were concerns over reliability. This isn't a concern just for the DSG, but all autos. I've never had a manual fail, but have lost a few autos.

Might be a problem with parts etc, if living in Australia, or unluckily suffer minor/major faults during/ after warranty period??

Boy, talk about going against the stereotype. An American who wants a manual transmission and who has chosen the smallest engine, lol.

Why not the DSG? SWMBO has a 6-speed DSG VW Eos (petrol) and I think it is brilliant.

Just tell anyone who asks a Skoda is a value for money Audi or a well made VW.

I'm new here too, also from Australia and also considering my first Skoda. But unlike you I haven't ordered yet as I'm waiting to see what the new Scout will look like in the flesh, but if there's a 4-5 month wait maybe I should get to a dealership now.

I'll be downsizing from my Ford Territory (an Aussie only orphan for those reading from elsewhere).

Cheers, Rob

 

I think the DSG is brilliant, too, and if I HAD to buy an automatic (in a few years manuals will probably be extinct) I would like a dual-clutch system for it's sportier, more direct, response.  For instance, back when I was trying to convince my wife we didn't need the space of a crossover and could get by with a sporty hatch, I was looking at a Fiesta ST, 208 GTi, or a Clio RS200.  Despite the Clio being available only with a dual-clutch, it was my pick largely because both the Ford and Peugeot are two-door only in Aus.  In that case, my need to haul the family took precedent over my desire to shift myself.  Then I read a review of the Octavia and it became our middle-ground.

 

My whole family prefer manuals.  My wife's only car before we got married was a manual (an 80s Hyundai Excel, but still...); my brother and his wife have a MkV GTI and a MkIV Jetta/Bora VR6, both manuals; my parents drove 12 hours to Chicago because it was the nearest dealer that had the car they wanted in a manual.

 

I don't personally want to become one of those car guys who think everything went downhill in 1972, so I try to embrace new tech and trends.  To recognize the potential, even if I can't (or don't want to) adopt them.  After all, people in the early 20th century were saying the automobile is too expensive, too impractical, too slow, noisy, dirty, and breaks down constantly.  You would have to be an idiot to buy a car over the good old proven technology of a horse and cart...

 

Anyway, if this all sounds too un-American, rest assured I am overweight (only a little bit), I have owned a pickup truck (a 1972 Ford F-250 for two weeks), and I have a difficult time distinguishing between English, Scottish, and Irish accents (and don't even ask me about Welsh)...

 

As for your Scout. I would recommend going into a dealer and at least talking to someone about when pre-orders will open up and what your options are for testing before you commit.  That way you can hopefully get a jump on the line.  I think I've seen some spy shots of it, but you can bet it will basically be a jacked-up Octavia wagon.  Maybe see if they'll put an Octavia on a frame lift and pick it up an inch or two...

Edited 12 August, 201411 yr by hobbie2k

Some good news and some bad news on my order. First the bad news. The 2015 options list for Aus doesn't feature LED taillights as a standalone anymore, so my car will come with sucker lights (I had to order from the 2014 specs, but the can will actually be a 2015 model).

The good news is that the Canton system is no longer just part of a $4000 package, it is also a stand-alone option. So I've lost the LEDs, but gained some dBs...