First Skoda owners how are you satisfied with your Octavia?

[Croat]

As this is my first car I own and a first Skoda. I am weary satisfied with the Octavia.

Wondering if the feeling is the same for other owners?

 

Although mine was used, first hand. Feeling lucky I own a new car as a am still im my late 20s. I am 2m high and Octavia's space is a lifesaver. No more back issues or knee. And on the back seat no more neck pain cuz of lack of headspace because of short roof.

And the booth is amazing. Picked up my cousin and his wife on airport, they had each a big standard case and standard size carry on case. All fitted in the trunk. I can imagine more can fit in caravan version!

No lack of comfort whatsoever. Really enjoying short and long rides. No cramps in the ass on long road trips. Alos the lambal support is saver for the back! Really important. Should be standard in every drivers seat, if you ask me.

 

Infotainment system is also great, but really dissatisfied Skoda didnt skip the lame MIB first generation in early models.   Mine is late 2013. Personally I would love if Skoda would offer upgrade program MIB I to MIB II, but not charging full price for MIB II only difference in cost. And offer firmware upgrades via official web page.

 

Other thing I am little disatisfied is bad sound isolation on higher speeds, but when music is playing no problem there which in my case is 90% of the ride. 130km/h or 80m/h no noise but 160km/h and more, yes wind noise is pretty bad. Those thinking 160! Oh! Think again. Autobahn no problem. In Croatia riding 160 wont catch police attention and the limit is 130 on highway. +160 it depends, your pushing it. I know the reason for saving on the isolation, but still.

 

Any way there's more thing I like and some small things that don't really matter. But in general I am very satisfied.  :sun:  :clap:

Edited 29 January, 2016 by Croat

[Gabbo]

Its also my first Skoda (coming from Focus & Mondeo before).

I have to say its the best car I have owned.

Technology is great, fuel economy is great (20% better than the last Ford I owned), comfort & space is great.

I'm happy with the level of build quality given the price.

 

Another real plus for me is the dealer service which has been absolutely amazing here in Switzerland.

 

Our 2nd car is a company BMW320d (2012) and the Octy is a much nicer car in most aspects.

So much so, I rarely get to drive the Skoda these days because my wife refuses to drive the BMW.

When I concider the list price of the BMW was 40% higher than the Octy it makes the Skoda look even more of a bargin.!

[pipsyp]

Im on my 3rd Skoda, having had a Mk2 Fabia vRS estate and Mk2 FL Octavia vRS Blackline TDI DSG estate. Now an early 2014 2.0 TDI 150 Elegance estate manual.

The Octavia is not my daily drive though now as I have a Mk7 Golf GTD company car.

The Mk3 has been pretty faultless to be honest, v happy with it.....frankly was alot of car for what it cost. Ironically its proven to be more reliable than my GTD too, which has experienced some early built quality issues and temperamental infotainment (MIB2 Amundsen equivalent).

In the UK Mk3 residual values are v v poor as used supply massively outweighs demand...in the main down to it being a current rental car favourite. I could really do with moving mine on, but cant justify the cost of parting with it...really my only complaint.

I will however say that the Golf feels more expensive and despite its relatively minor issues is the better car. Noise supression and damping is better, the latter despite the far lower/firmer setup.

The Octavia on standard suspension is competent enough but it doesnt handle brilliantly when pushed....a strange mix of too much movement in the springs (so rolls/pitches quite badly) and overly firm damping.....but its not the worst ive experienced. I am sure a vRS is alot better and whilst probably not quite as sharp is more comparable with a GTI/GTD Golf.

[bytterga]

My first skoda.

Had a lot of Toyotas in the past and was thinking of buying the New Avensis but when i compared the prices and what you get for the Money i could get a Octavia 4x4 With leather seats ,canton sound system and Winter and traveler pack for the same price as a standard Avensis without those Things....the Choice was easy.

only thing i am not happy With is the seats,they are killing by back on long trip's. looks like i am the only one who complain about the seats so it could be my back and not the seats that are crap.

Edited 29 January, 2016 by bytterga

[pdhealy]

I am on my fourth octavia (2 Mk1 Vrs, a Mk3 1.6tdi elegance, and now a Mk3 vrs tdi. I previously owned Peugeots (205, 306, 405), an Alfa 156, a Rover 416i and a Mazda MX5.

I have been very happy with the Skoda cars I have owned and the local dealership.

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[GoneToBeemer]

Same as Pipsy - now on my 3rd Skoda! Previously had Mk1 Fabia vRS, Mk2 FL Octavia vRS TSI and now on Mk3 MY15 L&K.

 

My only real gripe is the levels of refinement at motorway speeds - when sticking to 70-75, you can really hear the resonance of the engine, but given the fact I normally have music on full blast it isn't really an issue!   Hit a bump hard and you'll know about it too, otherwise the ride is pretty good I think.

 

For the price, it can't really be beaten when you think about just how much kit you get - kit a 3 series out to the levels I have in my L&K and you'd hit £40k easily, although the 3 will be a better car to drive / more refined etc. Canton system is very good, Lane Assist excellent, ACC excellent and it genuinely feels a really classy car, apart from some rogue, cheap plastics lower down.

 

It's miles better in terms of build quality than the MY14 Mazda 6 I was driving as a company car - that was literally falling to pieces after 30k miles and was riddled with small, annoying faults.

 

I've got just over 8k on mine now after 6 months, fuel economy could be better, but that's the DSG box sapping MPG. That said, the gearbox is excellent, smooth and fast with changes. Again...the 8 speed ZF's that are knocking around are still the best IMO, as they give 95% of the change speed, but give better fuel economy than the manual equivalent.

 

Will I remain brand loyal...probably not, as I'd see what else is about when my lease is up and see what deals I can get. Will I have another Skoda in the future...most definitely, and would probably be a Superb rather than Octavia I would think. They're not much more to buy and the quality of the interior is much better, and is a better looking car.

[ednmra]

I'm also on no. 4 Skoda Octavia Hatchback, all petrol -

 

Had Mk. 1 vRS, then Mk. 2 Elegance, then Mk. 2 1.8 TSi and now Mk. 3 1.4TSi.

 

I thought the 1.4 would feel a bit flat after the excellent 1.8 but even after 15 months from new I am still amazed at performance AND economy, not only in mpg but things like road tax and insurance.

 

This one is on 3 year PCP so choice of what to do in October 2017 will depend on what is around, both in terms of what models are available and what deals.

[Mikek3111]

My first Skoda but family members have owned them for years. I came from an Astra estate and the boot in my hatch is just as big as the estate was but yet still offers loads more legroom inside for myself and for the kids in the back.

I'm more than happy with the comfort of the ride and the fuel economy despite me having a lowly 1.6 petrol. My only comments really would be the lack of sound proofing inside which can be dreadful on some of the raids we have here in UK, and the fact that servicing and parts costs have gone up inline with VW and Audi. Personally although the parts maybe shared with the others in the VAG range I don't really see the difference in maintenance between any of the brands and feel that what initially make Skoda a good choice has somewhat been lost since the VAG takeover. Skoda used to be about cheap affordable motoring but with VAG pricing it's more expensive now than ford and Vauxhall.

[GoneToBeemer]

Skoda used to be about cheap affordable motoring but with VAG pricing it's more expensive now than ford and Vauxhall.

 

But a better quality product than both I would say??

[RB79]

First time owner coming from a 2005 Toyota Corolla and 80% satisfied. Echo nearly all the positive points above about space, refinement, toys, economy. Nobody's mentioned DSG, but I find this a dream (but then I would - got well and truly fed up of manual shifting in London traffic!). But its miles better than a conventional auto.

Can't really comment on servicing yet as I've not yet experienced that, only had to take car in for warranty work and was impressed with the dealer (picked a smaller one rather than franchise, so good customer service was expected!).

I haven't yet noticed issues with sound insulation, maybe because I often have music on.

The one thing I absolutely hate is the suspension as it makes London's speed bumps and potholes feel much worse than they are.

Maybe worth asking the first time owners their thoughts after 1-2 years ownership?

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Edited 29 January, 2016 by RB79

[ednmra]

The one thing I absolutely hate is the suspension as it makes London's speed bumps and potholes feel much worse than they are.

 

It is true that my suspension is also amazingly different when on good surfaces - that new rubberised stuff they use on motorways etc makes my TSi feel like a Rolls.

 

Trouble is, the average town streets around here are not even fit for tractors. (And the pavements look like they were laid 400 years ago and not maintained since!!)

So the question is should a car maker have to allow for council incompetence when the car goes so very well on good roads but is bumpy on bad ones.

[M12MKD]

Not my first octavia or Skoda. Apart from the comments above I generally like mk3.

Is it better than the mk2FL, yes but lose the toys and it's not really worth the massive jump in price (that's just my opinion others will not share this).

Will I stick with Skoda......I said I wouldn't after the mk2FL, but having sampled a few dealers and giving up on the car I really wanted, it was Skoda that I went back too.

So would I get another Skoda.....unless the pricing changes and this model suddenly becomes a better depreciating car, then no. But based on the car and the brand, yes, it's just skoda is a victim of its own success by chasing fleet/lease sales.

[RB79]

It is true that my suspension is also amazingly different when on good surfaces - that new rubberised stuff they use on motorways etc makes my TSi feel like a Rolls.

Trouble is, the average town streets around here are not even fit for tractors. (And the pavements look like they were laid 400 years ago and not maintained since!!)

So the question is should a car maker have to allow for council incompetence when the car goes so very well on good roads but is bumpy on bad ones.

Totally agree it feels like a Rolls on good/new road surfaces! It brings a lot of pleasure at that time!

But consider that lesser and smaller cars cope much better on those speed bumps and potholes, so I think it's a reasonable ask that Skoda also caters for these realities a bit better. After all you are still talking about nearly £20k worth of car.

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[pipsyp]

I do kind of wish Id kept my Blackline though....compared to the Elegance despite its age related flaws it was more fun to drive than the Elegance (well of course the suspension set up was better) and arguably even more car for the money really. It'd also be worth trade not a great deal less than my mk3 now, even though it would be a year older, with more miles and cost 3k less (taking loan interest out of the equation.

About the only two things id miss compared to the elegance are the auto lights/dip rear view mirror (wipers less bothered about) and the auto folding mirrors...and i suppose the low washer fluid warning is nice to have but its a necessity on the O3 with the amount of screenwash the headlamp washers use!

[courty]

This is now my third skoda (had a felicia and fabia within first 8mths of passing my test just on 10 years ago) and the first that i've owned from new. 

Having had a range of superminis I was excited to be venturing into a 'larger' car due to space issues and most importantly lack of power. 

 

Had always admired the VRS range from the MK1 era of Gardemeister thrashing them in the WRC, think I was only about 13 when they were released. My previous car was a Seat Ibiza, which was great, perfect for me and the wife but with a 2-year old growing at a crazy rate we needed the space in the back. Was originally in the market for a 4wd motor an A5 Quattro or XC60 to be exact, however when test driving them I wasn't overwhelmed as I would've expected in regard to the list price of both cars. 

 

My car couldn't be further away from what I originally set out for, but I am so happy with it. It has oodles of space, is super comfy, looks great and has plenty of power  :clap:

Value for money I'd say yes, most definitely. As others have mentioned, a similar spec'd A5 with quattro mind, would've set me back into the £36k mark, which I could not justify at the present moment in time. I've got all of the extras that I placed on my 'must have list', only difference is when I ordered the VRS the 4x4 version wasn't publicly in the pipeline which is a shame as I probably would've bought that. 

 

The plan is to keep the VRS for a good 70-80k miles, enjoy it and go from there. I'm sure I will as I haven't stopped staring at it since I collected it in October. 

[ednmra]

Is it better than the mk2FL, yes but lose the toys and it's not really worth the massive jump in price (that's just my opinion others will not share this).

 

I agree - my Mk 2 Elegance 1.8TSi manual hatch was about £12800, admittedly about 7 or 8 years ago and near the time of the financial collapse.

The 1.4 TSi cost me over £19K new in 2014. And it is only SE, not Elegance.

Too many "wrong" toys (e.g. I'd much sooner it had a multi disc CD player in the boot like the 1.8 had.). 

I don't want, and never use, the endless electronics provided both for driving and "entertainment". I'd sooner have been provided with mats as standard.

 

But the up side is it performs like a much bigger engine (almost, but not quite, like the 1.8 Mk. 2)  and as said before it is very economical to own.

[Activeman]

I have a 2 day old vrs combi. I have moved from an i40 tourer. I have to say so far this car has blown me away. With being a first timer to skoda, I was cautious and only got privacy glass & upgraded alloys as extra. The power & torque is unbelievable and I have to say the applecar is class. I just hope it stays trouble free. Seriously impressed skoda customer.

[Sak]

This is my first Skoda and my experience is a mixed bag. Had three warranty repairs in first year, and there is still an ongoing problem which is yet to be diagnosed. Torsion beam setup is very hard on city roads. Also, it is not agile as a multi link suspension. On the positive side, it is very stable on highways, good space, plenty of toys, better than most of the cars in its price range and 1.4 TSI is a cracker. Would I buy one again? Yes, I would (only with a proper multi link suspension). 

Edited 30 January, 2016 by Sak

[Partist]

I have just traded in my first Skoda, after 30,000 trouble-free miles for exactly the same: Octavia III 4x4 (albeit now an SEL rather than an SE), which suggests that I am was very satisfied with my first Skoda.  In fact, I think that it is the first time that I have ever replaced one car with the same model.  Previous cars include Mercs, BMWs, Freelander, SAAB, etc.

[blackbart]

My current 59 plate vRS TDi DSG hatch is my first Skoda and was bought last year as a stop gap car.

Prior to this I owned a 14 plate Focus ST3 estate but my wife hated the harsh ride, so to please her it went.

I am so impressed by the Skoda that I have ordered a new vRS TDi DSG hatch which should arrive in a few weeks.

I am a bit of a car nut and in my 49 years of driving I have owned some 50 odd cars! Some of this number being second cars such as Caterham Sevens.

I now have to be sensible (being retired) and the vRS gives the blend of comfort, performance and quality which I find impreesive

[bhoywonder]

This is my first Skoda and and so far I am loving the car. The only thing that I don't like is  I can't open the boot from inside the car.

[Rodge]

I swapped an 11 year old Mk1 Focus that I'd had for 9 years and was the only car I'd had, for an Octavia last summer. I've been very pleased with it. It's much quieter and more refined than the old Focus, but that's probably true of most modern cars. It's the first Skoda I've really liked the look of - I think the Mk III is much smarter than the previous models - and I like the layout of the dash too, it's so simple it looks much better than anything else I've seen. Recent Fords are a complete mess inside.

I paid less than £16k for a brand new SE estate with SmartLink, spare wheel, MFSW, CC, light assistant, mats, mud flaps, simply clever pack and 5 year extended warranty. Considering that also includes dual zone climate control, parking sensors, DAB and bluetooth, most of which are optional on comparable cars, I think that's amazing value for money. It also wasn't that much more than I could find Octy IIIs for second hand, which seemed to start at about 12k, despite the concerns voiced here about depreciation on higher spec models.

I have to confess I didn't test drive any other cars (the Focus and Golf were the obvious alternatives) mainly because if I'd liked them they'd have been a lot more expensive for a similar spec. To some extent this means I don't know what I might be missing, but it keeps me more satisfied. I was really disappointed with the brand new Fiesta my brother got last year, even the most recent model still feels cheap and nasty inside.

Edited 30 January, 2016 by Rodge

[daljames]

My Octavia Scout TDI DSG is my first Skoda. But owned lots of VW Group products. This is in my top 3.

[Croat]

Yes I am also very satisfied with DSG performance. Never thought I would drive automatic transmission. But tried it in USA nad was ok with it. But DSG is so good! Shifts are fast and not noticeable. Loving it! Don't think I will going back to manual. Although if I was buying a new car I would never buy one it's twice expensive in Croatia. Also Skoda got more expensive since Octavia 3 lunch back in 2013. And they are losing new customers sadly!

[Mckenzie1971]

Hi this is my first skoda octavia 1.6 tdi dsg elegance bought it Aug last year with 14000 miles on the clock now has nearly 23000 miles on faultless nothing gone wrong just service and go for me average about 53mpg for the size of the car and a dsg gearbox I'm happy