One real annoyance is the two interior front door handles permanently reflect in the side windows across the rear view mirrors... crazy design.  Might be my height / seat settings but i doubt it.[/size]

This issue has been aired a lot & you will find instances of reflections in most makes,but believe me you just don't notice it after a while. If you do you must be looking for the reflection.When it's sunny ahead of me I can see the blower vents reflecting in the windscreen if I look for them, but just look through them.

On mine it's very noticable. And you are correct, it's the chrome around the vents and not the door handles which cause this. Maybe thin strips of black tape over the chrome to get rid of it.

As edmra and others have said, you stop noticing it.

The biggest Octavia drawback is huge throttle lag when taking off - you could floor the throttle, but sometimes nothing happens before half a second! 1.8 TSI has some kW-s, but they are not ready, when needed. This is really annoying. Old school Chrysler 300M (3,5L V6, with  automatic gearbox) Chrysler spins wheels instantly, no lag at all, really quite a different feeling and more fun than modern TSI + DSG :(

The joys of turbo lag.

The joys of turbo lag.

Doesn't happen with the manual gearbox (but I do switch off stop-start)

The black 'finish' on the outside of the doors which seems to scratch incredibly easily. I hope people here know what I'm on about. Normally it's matte or matched paint on cars but Skoda put on a metallic finish that looks great but scratches when you just look at it.

They are just polycarbonate plastic covers...you only have to breathe on them to scratch them. A shame but believe the Mk7 Golf is no different.

The biggest Octavia drawback is huge throttle lag when taking off - you could floor the throttle, but sometimes nothing happens before half a second! 1.8 TSI has some kW-s, but they are not ready, when needed. This is really annoying. Old school Chrysler 300M (3,5L V6, with automatic gearbox) Chrysler spins wheels instantly, no lag at all, really quite a different feeling and more fun than modern TSI + DSG :(

That'll be DSG box lag more than turbo lag no doubt.

To try and mimic the smoothness of a regular auto the DSG box builds in some clutch slip to smooth out take offs.....does it with only limited success in my humble opinion. The DSG6 is worse for it but is smoother than the DSG7....DSG6 and TDI dont go well together as it just further heightens the low end turbo lag that exists on the TDI motors...you can get around it on the most part with a manual box.

I sold my Mk2 Blackline 170 CR TDI DSG in the end because other than when I was pottering about in stop start traffic or on a long journey I felt like the DSG box hampered the enjoyment of driving it. Ive no doubt the boxes in the Mk3's are better (newer hardware in some cases and undoubtedly better software) but ive sworn never to buy another TDI DSG again. They do tend to work exceptionally well with TSI motors though, i loved the DSG7 in the Fabia vRS as it worked so well with the little twincharged motor.

Edited 29 May, 201511 yr by pipsyp

Wipers not returning to start position when turning off...

The biggest Octavia drawback is huge throttle lag when taking off - you could floor the throttle, but sometimes nothing happens before half a second! 1.8 TSI has some kW-s, but they are not ready, when needed. This is really annoying. Old school Chrysler 300M (3,5L V6, with  automatic gearbox) Chrysler spins wheels instantly, no lag at all, really quite a different feeling and more fun than modern TSI + DSG :(

The Chrysler didn't have a turbo...?

I filled 48,5 liters today. The warning light had just come on. And it was about halfway on red marking on the fuelgauge.

Considering the estimatet range left, it should have atleast 5 liter left in the tank.

 

I thought the 4x4 had a 55 litre tank. Once the light comes on I usually get about 48-49 litres in.

 

I thought the 4x4 had a 55 litre tank. Once the light comes on I usually get about 48-49 litres in.

Good point. That's what the UK brochure claims anyway, and I'd not spotted that Gromle was driving a 4x4.

I thought the 4x4 had a 55 litre tank. Once the light comes on I usually get about 48-49 litres in.

The manual say 50l doesnt it?

And my dealer said just under 50l....

But it seems to take a bit more than 50l.

Edited 31 May, 201511 yr by Gromle

The manual say 50l doesnt it?

And my dealer said just under 50l....

But it seems to take a bit more than 50l.

The Mk2 official fuel tank was 55l and was over 60l, the Mk3 is officially 50l and is at least 55l.

So as Skoda quote the Scout mk3 at 55l there is as good chance it is actually 60l, or thereabouts.

The 4x4 is just a standard Octavia mk3 tank.

Edited 31 May, 201511 yr by Gerrycan

The manual say 50l doesnt it?

And my dealer said just under 50l....

But it seems to take a bit more than 50l.

 

Second page (no language skills required):

 

http://web.skoda.fi/lataukset/octavia/octavia/skoda-octavia-tekniset.pdf?time=1433085310

The Mk2 official fuel tank was 55l and was over 60l, the Mk3 is officially 50l and is at least 55l.

So as Skoda quote the Scout mk3 at 55l there is as good chance it is actually 60l, or thereabouts.

The 4x4 is just a standard Octavia mk3 tank.

The Scout has a bigger tank than the rest?

I thought the 4x4 had a 55 litre tank. Once the light comes on I usually get about 48-49 litres in.

The UK manual doesn't seem to bother listing fuel capacities for different variants*, but it does say there should be about six litres left when the warning light comes on, which adds up.

*In fact it doesn't list it properly in in the specification at all, it just says "about 50 litres" in a side note next to the refuelling instructions.

The Scout has a bigger tank than the rest?

According to the brochures.

Second page (no language skills required):

 

http://web.skoda.fi/lataukset/octavia/octavia/skoda-octavia-tekniset.pdf?time=1433085310

I stand corrected, so the 4x4 is also 55 litres. We don't get the 4x4 versions in Australia just the FWD and Scout versions.

You do not really want to run out of fuel but it is reasonable to assume that based on Skoda conservative figures for fuel tank volume that there is still some fuel left in the tank for the 4x4 after 55 litres has been consumed.

One little thing that hit me today.

I've had the car a month now and only just realised there is no lockable glove box.

My old Volvo had a lockable glovebox.

I never noticed it didn't have one until I came to lock it and couldn't find the key hole!!

Had the car a few weeks now and have a list! (but still love it)

- controls for cruise control are rubbish and a bit fiddly

- vrs seats are great but there seems to be a curious gap behind your neck where there is no support.

- cup holders between seats are very small and can't fit much.

- cup holders (again!) for the back seats door pockets are very small! Don't fit my kids water bottles! (I was spoiled before by my Honda Civic!

A silly little thing but it still catches me out when I am in a hurry

I have the combi/estate/wagon base version and I occasionally do not close the 5th door firmly enough for it to secure properly.

So naturally I press the electric release button and lift it up and push it down more firmly, but if I do it too quickly without waiting for the electric lock to reset then it will not catch and I have to do it again but this time deliberately wait a second until I hear the electric lock reset.

 

Most other cars have a manual lever mechanism that resets immediately you release and I also don't remember it being a problem on my mk2

This probably is my biggest bugbear: unless I am doing it wrong the Bolero unit doesn't scroll through the stored radio stations logically using the left-right buttons (it sort of gets stuck on one page/group of four stations). Also if you use the right hand knob to scroll through the stored stations it thinks you want to manually tune the thing.

Had the car a few weeks now and have a list! (but still love it)

- controls for cruise control are rubbish and a bit fiddly

....

 

Ergonomic perfection compared to Mercedes!

A year and 10,000 miles in, and quite possibly due to the Michelin low energy tyres, but the wilingness of the front wheels to spin and trigger the traction control is really getting to be a pain in the proverbial.

 

Even in the dry, grand prix starts are embarrassing.

 

 

The drivers seat doesn't seem to adjust quite low enough for me to feel completely comfortable. Also with the steering wheel in its highest position I catch my knees on the underside of the steering column. Never had this issue in any other car.

Ride quality is also rather poor on rougher surfaces, imperfections being felt quite easily.