Honest Opinions On The Mkiii

[Spikeyspud]

Geeez, sounds like you got a lemon. I also have a V40 Cross Country D2 and that's just as good, but a lot slower.

Have you gone for the TDi, if so how do you feel about the power compared to your D4?

[djBarren]

Yes I've went for the VRS TDI. My D4 was 163bhp and 400nm. The VRS is 184bhp and 380nm.

On first impression I actually found it as capable as the V60. It's definitely more nimble and a lot less body roll.

I'm looking forward to January and getting it out on the roads I'm normally on.

I can't see me being disappointed.

[Spikeyspud]

Yes I've went for the VRS TDI. My D4 was 163bhp and 400nm. The VRS is 184bhp and 380nm.

On first impression I actually found it as capable as the V60. It's definitely more nimble and a lot less body roll.

I'm looking forward to January and getting it out on the roads I'm normally on.

I can't see me being disappointed.

No and I'm sure I won't be either. Not long now, and I've got a famiY trip to Cornwall over the new year. Perfect.

[HotVRs]

I suspect the vRS with its independent rear suspension, rides better than my Elegance with its Torsion Beam and as I'm also on 18" Golus with standard suspension I thought it would be no worse than my old Superb II, which was also standard suspension on 18" wheels but the Berb, like the vRS also had IRS so my conclusion is Torsion Beam coupled with the lighter MQB is the issue. As my car was very early in production run, I think I'm going to test drive a couple of demonstrators to see if the latest cars ride any better and also ask to compare Eleg vs vRS, then I'll have a better view on whether recent manufacturing tweaks have improved things and then discuss with dealer if any components have been revised since MY13 cars were produced.

My Octavia 3 Elegance with the Golus 18's rides appallingly. I knew the 18's would have an effect, but the ride is truly awful. I went from a MK2 L&K on 17's that in comparison had a magic carprt ride. Combined with the constant engine vibration through the steering wheel ( described by a colleague as like holding an electric toothbrush) it's been a pretty awful 30,000 miles. Fortunately it's a lease car and is being returned early for a different technical reason. It's replacement has standard 17's, I only hope that it rides a lot better.

[PUFPAF]

OK based on all opinions here we can conclude that:

- Torsion beam cars are better off with 16' wheels, 18's are not good at all here

- Cars with multilink rear suspension are more adequate to the O3 price tag

 

Choose RRP or bigger wheels for multilink only

[Matt Pez]

My Octavia 3 Elegance with the Golus 18's rides appallingly. I knew the 18's would have an effect, but the ride is truly awful. I went from a MK2 L&K on 17's that in comparison had a magic carprt ride. Combined with the constant engine vibration through the steering wheel ( described by a colleague as like holding an electric toothbrush) it's been a pretty awful 30,000 miles. Fortunately it's a lease car and is being returned early for a different technical reason. It's replacement has standard 17's, I only hope that it rides a lot better.

When you get your new one, it will be interesting to hear your views on whether the suspension set up has been "tuned" over the last couple of model year updates, as I don't think our MY13 cars harsh ride is all down to 18" rims.

[V6Jules]

When you get your new one, it will be interesting to hear your views on whether the suspension set up has been "tuned" over the last couple of model year updates, as I don't think our MY13 cars harsh ride is all down to 18" rims.

My vrs with its multilink was fine with 18" Gemini wheels and now it's got its 17" audi speedline winters on it feels a little less positive through the steering but its exactly the same comfort wise

[andyvee]

I'm probably in the best position of anyone to comment on these suspension issues.

 

My first O3 - one of the very first registered in the UK at the beginning of April 2013 as a launch weekend demonstrator. Elegance spec (torsion beam) hatch on 18" Golus with Dunlop tyres. The ride was harsher and stiffer than my MkII L&K on 18" Neptunes with Bilstein B12 suspension. It was very noisy on rough surfaces.

 

My second O3 - L&K spec (torsion beam) estate on 18" turbines with Bridgestone tyres AND sports suspension. It is a completely different car to drive, the noise is significantly less, the ride is firm and planted, but not crashy.

 

Some of this I am putting down to the tyres as the Dunlops were awful, but most down to the shocks and soundproofing, which are vastly improved from the very early cars.

[JungleJames]

I'm probably in the best position of anyone to comment on these suspension issues.

 

My first O3 - one of the very first registered in the UK at the beginning of April 2013 as a launch weekend demonstrator. Elegance spec (torsion beam) hatch on 18" Golus with Dunlop tyres. The ride was harsher and stiffer than my MkII L&K on 18" Neptunes with Bilstein B12 suspension. It was very noisy on rough surfaces.

 

My second O3 - L&K spec (torsion beam) estate on 18" turbines with Bridgestone tyres AND sports suspension. It is a completely different car to drive, the noise is significantly less, the ride is firm and planted, but not crashy.

 

Some of this I am putting down to the tyres as the Dunlops were awful, but most down to the shocks and soundproofing, which are vastly improved from the very early cars.

Makes sense, as shocks are supposedly what they change or so from what I gather. Fingers crossed.

[Genoa1893]

I hope for you all that the torsion beam issue shall be solved.

 

I know it's just a magazine, but along with suggestions kindly provided by some gentlemen here around, I found this review pretty helpful in my choose: www.autoexpress.co.uk/skoda/octavia/63943/skoda-octavia-estate-4x4

Edited 24 November, 2014 by Genoa1893

[AllanDJ]

Like others I would have to criticise the suspension setup on this car, the rear torsion beam suspension can be a bit crash bang whallop if you are on bumpy roads but to be fair the car drives very well, gear change is smooth, clutch is light. Don't quite understand the comments on the Volvo V60 as my father has one of those with the 2 litre TD and have to say the gear change is one of the best that I have ever experienced, much smoother than the Octavia and the clutch is good too. If you want to experience a truly terrible clutch and gear change you should have tried my old car, a 2005 Mondeo 2.2 TD Estate, terrific performance but a clutch so heavy it was actually painful to drive the car if you hit heavy traffic with a lot of stop start stuff and the gear change wasn't great in the lower gears either. Compared to that car the Octavia is a much nicer car to drive, okay with my car being a lowly 1.6TD the performance is well down on the Mondeo but you only really notice that with town driving where it is a bit flat as the gear selector light is always suggesting you change up a gear and you end up doing 30mph at a fraction more than 1000 revs and no power whatsoever but that in part is down to the awkward gear ratios with the 5 speed box. I've learnt to use third gear about town more and the car is a lot happier that way in and around 1500 revs. On the motorway the 1.6 TD engine drives extremely well, more than powerful enough for my needs and you can fill the boot up with loads of stuff and it still drives well. It gives reasonable mileage too, nothing like the claimed figures of course which are impossible for mere mortals to achieve without loads of masking tape, bits taken/ turned off and a special driver... Best I can get is around 60MPG if I take it easy around 60 to 70MPH, 53ishMPG for town/ mixed driving, not as good as I'd hoped for but better than the Mondeo which averaged nearer 43MPG and maybe 50MPG on Motorways with a nice belch of black smoke from the exhaust as you accelerated!

 

To improve the car that I have I would certainly get rid of the torsion beam suspension, a 6 speed box would get rid of the gaps that the current 5 speed box has where third gear is virtually a normal fourth gear and fifth gear is so high that it is really a normal sixth gear and some more sound proofing wouldn't hurt either but all the same I'd say that it is a pretty good car, I probably should have bought a 1.4 TSI given that I'm not doing that high a mileage just now but I'm not unhappy with the car as a whole; aspects of it yes, but it kind of works for me and I'm sure that most of the things we're criticising here will be dealt with by Skoda over the next year or so when they give the car its first facelift.

[Spikeyspud]

Like others I would have to criticise the suspension setup on this car, the rear torsion beam suspension can be a bit crash bang whallop if you are on bumpy roads but to be fair the car drives very well, gear change is smooth, clutch is light. Don't quite understand the comments on the Volvo V60 as my father has one of those with the 2 litre TD and have to say the gear change is one of the best that I have ever experienced, much smoother than the Octavia and the clutch is good too. If you want to experience a truly terrible clutch and gear change you should have tried my old car, a 2005 Mondeo 2.2 TD Estate, terrific performance but a clutch so heavy it was actually painful to drive the car if you hit heavy traffic with a lot of stop start stuff and the gear change wasn't great in the lower gears either. Compared to that car the Octavia is a much nicer car to drive, okay with my car being a lowly 1.6TD the performance is well down on the Mondeo but you only really notice that with town driving where it is a bit flat as the gear selector light is always suggesting you change up a gear and you end up doing 30mph at a fraction more than 1000 revs and no power whatsoever but that in part is down to the awkward gear ratios with the 5 speed box. I've learnt to use third gear about town more and the car is a lot happier that way in and around 1500 revs. On the motorway the 1.6 TD engine drives extremely well, more than powerful enough for my needs and you can fill the boot up with loads of stuff and it still drives well. It gives reasonable mileage too, nothing like the claimed figures of course which are impossible for mere mortals to achieve without loads of masking tape, bits taken/ turned off and a special driver... Best I can get is around 60MPG if I take it easy around 60 to 70MPH, 53ishMPG for town/ mixed driving, not as good as I'd hoped for but better than the Mondeo which averaged nearer 43MPG and maybe 50MPG on Motorways with a nice belch of black smoke from the exhaust as you accelerated!

 

To improve the car that I have I would certainly get rid of the torsion beam suspension, a 6 speed box would get rid of the gaps that the current 5 speed box has where third gear is virtually a normal fourth gear and fifth gear is so high that it is really a normal sixth gear and some more sound proofing wouldn't hurt either but all the same I'd say that it is a pretty good car, I probably should have bought a 1.4 TSI given that I'm not doing that high a mileage just now but I'm not unhappy with the car as a whole; aspects of it yes, but it kind of works for me and I'm sure that most of the things we're criticising here will be dealt with by Skoda over the next year or so when they give the car its first facelift.

 

My S60 D3 gets chopped in for my beautiful vRS TDi DSG estate on Thursday and I will be sad to see it go in a way. Never had a moments bother with it. However when you compare that I paid so much more for that than my new one you can see why I would choose a vRS. I change my cars every 3 to 4 years and Ive had some very nice ones, including a mk V Golf GTi but I have never been as excited as i am right now waiting for Thursday to come around.

[GordonH]

I've now covered 2500 miles in my TDI VRS Estate.  Had run a Superb 170 Elegance Estate prior to the VRS.  Some observations:-

 

- Quieter and smoother than the Superb - I think this is just  sign of it being a generation younger than the Superb.

- Quality feels better - upper dash far better than the Superb.

- Std radio/infotainment thingy is OK when cranked up but a bit tinny at low volumes.

- Much quicker in the mid-range and top end......but can feel a bit sluggish from a standstill (engine mapping difference?)

- Far more agile than the Superb

- Nowhere near as much kit as the Superb as std (but I knew this...).

- Lacks the rear legroom of the Superb but still better than most of its rivals.

- Stunning brakes - not yet found their limit by triggering ABS.

- Great lights.

- Getting 43mpg long term avg - about the same as  I got from Superb - I'm happy with that, given my driving style.

- Is a great car for going fast, slowly - ie easy torque, instant go, massive mid-range (4th gear 50-80 is a hoot)....without having to thrash it.

- slightly over geared in 6th - doesn't get in to its stride in top gear roll-ons until 80mph+.  Makes for good Mway cruising but you need 5th when going for a gap when doing 60ish.

 

So far I'm very happy - would have preferred the TSI engine for a bit more top end zing but company car policy doesn't allow for petrol engines.

[Genoa1893]

Glad you had no issues on traction or understeer. The VRS TDI MkII had them, or better my remapped one did have them, lol

[JosipB]

Deposit on a Mk III Ambition 2.0 TDi hatch in January. Currently drive a Mk II 2005 1.9TDi hatch.

I've taken a couple of test drives in the 1.6 TDi and 2.0 TDi.

I found the gearing very different between the old 1.9 and new 1.6.

The 2.0 was a lot more similar to my lazy diesel style of driving and was willing to pull in all the gears up to 5th.

 

Salesman said that he thought the Octavia rode better on 16" alloys than the 17"s and definitely the 18"s.

I wouldn't be able to tell really since the only "pushing on" I'm doing any more is with my age.

Plenty of back country roads, but not experiencing high Gs..

 

Coming from a Mk II on 15" steels and IRS?, will I notice any difference in handling with a Mk III on 16" alloys and torsion?

[vrskeith]

http://www.supercar.co.uk/ContentDelivery/VehicleImage.axd?OfficeId=1&VehicleId=604661916&View=1&Width=479&Height=319&DefaultImage=skoda&UC=2

 

http://www.supercar.co.uk/UsedCarImage.aspx?OfficeId=1&Id=604661916&View=3&Width=78&Height=52&DefaultImage=skoda_thumb&UC=2

 

There are some cracking low mileage demo /1 owner car at under £20k at present on the Skoda UK website.

 

The attached is one such.

My preference was MY TSI, which I PX at 11500, one years very pleasurable   and trouble free motoring.

 

Great car.

Edited 28 November, 2014 by vrskeith

[Gerrycan]

Deposit on a Mk III Ambition 2.0 TDi hatch in January. Currently drive a Mk II 2005 1.9TDi hatch.

I've taken a couple of test drives in the 1.6 TDi and 2.0 TDi.

I found the gearing very different between the old 1.9 and new 1.6.

The 2.0 was a lot more similar to my lazy diesel style of driving and was willing to pull in all the gears up to 5th.

Salesman said that he thought the Octavia rode better on 16" alloys than the 17"s and definitely the 18"s.

I wouldn't be able to tell really since the only "pushing on" I'm doing any more is with my age.

Plenty of back country roads, but not experiencing high Gs..

Coming from a Mk II on 15" steels and IRS?, will I notice any difference in handling with a Mk III on 16" alloys and torsion?

Same question I asked comingfrom 1.9d estate to 1.4tsi estate Ambition but with 17 in fitted. Short answer is there is no problem at all.

However some early models did get bad shocks fitted and you will see some complaints on this forum related to that but you should be fine .

The upgrade from steel 16 to alloy 17 as part of a package ( Australia ) was unexpected as I was only after the cruise control and reverse sensors but I was annoyed that the 17 s weighed 4 kg more per wheel.

The 16 s will probably come with a pretty average tyre fitted though. Easy to fit something better when they wear out.

Edited 28 November, 2014 by Gerrycan

[JungleJames]

Same question I asked comingfrom 1.9d estate to 1.4tsi estate Ambition but with 17 in fitted. Short answer is there is no problem at all.

However some early models did get bad shocks fitted and you will see some complaints on this forum related to that but you should be fine .

 

Well it turns out my car is normal, with the updated shocks fitted from build. Therefore even when everything is perfect, the car does have a harsh ride. Lovely and quiet on smooth roads, but it half feels the bumps, and catch a join in road surface wrong, and prepare for a nice jarring right through the vehicle.

Im guessing the torsion beam setup doesnt help.

[Gerrycan]

Well it turns out my car is normal, with the updated shocks fitted from build. Therefore even when everything is perfect, the car does have a harsh ride. Lovely and quiet on smooth roads, but it half feels the bumps, and catch a join in road surface wrong, and prepare for a nice jarring right through the vehicle.

Im guessing the torsion beam setup doesnt help.

JosipB, as you can see, some disagreement over the ride. I would endorse the fact the Torsion bar is not quite as good as Multi-link but feel the extra wheel-base of the 3 helps mitigate this. While JungleJames feels it harsh on bigger bumps, I regard it as firm but compliant. I hear fewer complaints from the back seat from my father-in-law and his bad back on the 3 with 17s than I did on the 2 with 15s.

The 16 s should make a big difference though in my opinion and I will be surprised if you are disappointed.

[JungleJames]

JosipB, as you can see, some disagreement over the ride. I would endorse the fact the Torsion bar is not quite as good as Multi-link but feel the extra wheel-base of the 3 helps mitigate this. While JungleJames feels it harsh on bigger bumps, I regard it as firm but compliant. I hear fewer complaints from the back seat from my father-in-law and his bad back on the 3 with 17s than I did on the 2 with 15s.

The 16 s should make a big difference though in my opinion and I will be surprised if you are disappointed.

Well we actually seem to agree there. Youve just called it firm. Therefore the suspension is set up on the harsh but firm side.

Plus it isnt just the bigger bumps. I can feel every dip in the road, however small. The suspension soaks up next to nothing.

[andyvee]

Have you checked the transport blocks have been removed?

[JungleJames]

Have you checked the transport blocks have been removed?

The suspension has just been checked by another dealer when they serviced it, so Im guessing they would have noticed it if they were still in place.

 

I think its pretty much down to the fact the car has such a stiff setup. Plus the torsion beam suspension.

[JungleJames]

Im surprised nobody has ever had the jarring though. Admittedlky its not often, but you certainly know it. About 3 or 4 times in our year of being together. Catch a join the wrong way.

[ednmra]

Just back from first longer drive and have to say I'm getting more and more impressed. At a bit over 500 miles on the clock the gearchange seems smoother (or maybe I've adjusted!) and I have no obvious suspension problems, but then again I'm on 16" wheels and being only a 1.4 TSi maybe it is set up a little softer than say a vRS.

 

I like the handling very much, the engine seems to have more punch than I expected after my 1.8 Mk.2 and the entire ride seems more refined than ever. Bit like I'd imagine a VW or Audi to feel.

 

I am continuing with the mode in sport for engine and normal for all else, and still turn off the stop-start.  

 

The fuel consumption seems good. Considering nearly all my driving so far has been about 2 miles each way around a slow-moving congested town, the read-out is showing a bit over 34 mpg. I think as and when I go on a long motorway run it is going to get into upper 40s if not more (I once briefly saw 49 mpg in my 1.8 TSi).

 

Another happy bunny at present!

[andyvee]

The suspension has just been checked by another dealer when they serviced it, so Im guessing they would have noticed it if they were still in place.

 

I think its pretty much down to the fact the car has such a stiff setup. Plus the torsion beam suspension.

Not necessarily, another user on here who had been complaining about his suspension since day 1 and had a 10k service discovered the transport blocks were still in place when they checked themselves.