First Skoda owners how are you satisfied with your Octavia?

[Daveinuk]

?...........I hear the XE calling!!

Me too!

[JungleJames]

Me too!

[vRSAnt]

Unlearn Ford......now buy a Skoda lol

[g60dubster]

Had my 2015 vrs tdi for about 6 months now, really enjoying it. Although my first skoda, it's about my 7th VW group car.

It would be unfair to compare to my last car, that being a supercharged mK5 R32.....

 

Good points -

equipment (esp as it came with MIBII and Amundsen nav (a major step up from the RNS510 in the golf)

space all round

decent manual gearbox (although missing dsg)

ideal for schlepping up and down the motorway every day

 

Bad points

Road / wind noise

Standard fit bridgestone s001's (god I miss my Michelin super sports)

Traction (See above)

 

Have to say that the fit and finish is no better than the mk5 golf, think VW peaked with the mk4 and b5 passat for interior quality.

I'd agree that the mk7 golf is a standard higher in both trim level and noise control, but that's part of the heirachy (skoda level with seat < vw < audi)

 

May go with the 4x4 when this one's lease is up unless there's a 4x4 petrol in which case I'd snap it up.

Edited 13 February, 2016 by g60dubster

[MTierney]

Did you ever read any reviews of the Lancer?

Virtually everyone says its a nasty cheap budget car.

Dont tar all Japanese cars with that image, Honda, Toyota, Lexus make good cars.

Anyway enjoy the Octavia.

Glosrich, you are quite right, I shouldn't say bad things about Japanese car's in general, it's just not right for me to do so.

It was just that the car we had was so bad it made me very frustrated and angry indeed, funny enough I did read some reviews regarding the Lancer and most were rather positieve ?

Makes you wonder who writes these reviews.

Next time I will be more careful in what I write.

[philbes]

I have been driving for almost 50 years and bought my first Skoda (a 2012  Octavia vRS CR DSG) in June 2013.  Very satisfied with the car except for the poor ride on the standard 225/40-18 tyres.  Ride is slightly improved on the 225/45-17 winter tyres. 

 

Poor design of the driver's seat means that outer side bolster (containing the side airbag) has collapsed inwards.  The problem was known to Skoda from 2010 yet my 2012 car was built using the same design.  Dealer insists I must pay over £300 for the repair despite it being  a known fault since 2010 and being a safety as well as a trim issue.  Rear wiper motor failed twice (replaced under warranty); a well-known problem with the Octavia hatchback.  A small niggle is that the instrument lighting can't be reduced enough at night - at lowest setting still too bright.

 

My annual mileage has recently dropped from 14K to 9K and I no longer need such a big car so my next car won't be an Octavia, particularly as the MkIII is even larger.  However, I am completely sold on the DSG (my first ever auto except for the rubbish autos in hire cars in the US).  So my next car will almost certainly be A3/Leon/Golf with DSG and with which I can also use my winter wheels/tyres.

[Greetty]

My first skoda vrs tdi dsg. Last two cars were mondeos, also had imprezas, mr2, crx.

As someone else mentioned this car is a good balance of performance, comfort, space, equipment, economy and price.

As with all cars I have had there are though quite a few areas that could be improved:

Sound insulation, mentioned many times above, but lets the car down a bit.

Radio sound quality. I like the interface and overall the infotainment system is good, but the sound quality is not top notch.

Heater control ergonomics. These look fine but arent the most practical being too small and not easy to the hand and with very small labels

Someone has mentioned the seats, I also find these dont have enough lumbar support, but I have reached the age where I have back issues, and being 6'4" it is a problem, I also had a similar issue in my last Mondeo. My solution that completely solves the issue is to use a slim feather cushion (one of those that's about half the height of a typical sofa cushion, it must be a feather cushion) this you can shape to provide just the right amount of lumbar support - no more back issues.

[JamesVRSmk3]

This was my first Skoda however it hasn't been a great experience for me. The first issues I encountered were purely dealer related issues so could have happened to any brand of car but in total my car has spent 1 month out of 18 at the dealers being repaired for a wide range of issues and is back in next week for at least a couple of days.

Issues have ranged from broken water pump mounts, faulty boost sensors leading to breakdowns at the side of the road, and further AA call outs because of a flat battery (latest issue). I've also had to get Skoda UK involved in two issues.

Do I like the car? Yes I love it when it's working and it was and still is very good value for money.

Would I buy another? Definitely not and will be changing car brands at the end of my PCP.

Edited 15 February, 2016 by JamesVRSmk3

[Whistley]

Hi

 

Been here for a couple of months but this is my first post as well as the car being my first Skoda.

 

Had my L&K 4x4 2.0TDI estate since September and done about 9k miles so far and am well pleased with it. Previous car was VW Tiguan.

 

Likes - interior (yes even the chocolate brown which is far better than in any photos), Canton sound system (Tiguan audio was poor), electric drivers seat is infinitely adjustable and comfortable and memory means I don't have to fiddle with it for ages to get back to where it was, heated seats, electric boot (bought car as demonstrator so was included, I wouldn't have spec'd it myself but now I don't know how I ever managed without it).

 

Grumbles - Road noise but I suspect it is the tyres - I replaced the tyres on the Tiguan for MOT just before I changed it but as I knew it was going so opted for budget ones which changed the Tiguan from quiet cruiser to noisy traveller in an instant. Will carefully consider tyres when they are due for change. Small fuel tank is bit of a nuisance.

 

Would I buy another one - I've never had the same car twice before but this could break the mould although early days yet. Retirement and lower mileage beckon in around 5 years so think the next one will be petrol although the way things are going diesel will be as bad as smoking by then!

[ednmra]

i agree - on my last Octavia I got a budget tyre due to an unfixable puncture (the budget tyre ended up as the spare).

I can't recall the make but it was at least twice as noisy as the originals.

[coloneldolomite]

I am 3 weeks into owning my 2014 Elegance. So far I am very pleased with it, although I do think the gearbox is a little noisy at lower speeds.

I purchased the car after my 09 TDI was written off, sadly, as that was a really good car and was serving me well.

 

The new model is nicer to drive, better looking and quieter in general... but it certainly isn't built to the same standard as the old one, which was 'tank like' in comparison. Even the doors don't open/close with the same solid feel.

 

Time will tell on how well it lasts, but there isn't anything else on the market that appeals to me like an Octavia does,

[Sheldon.Cooper]

I can't fault it. Six months in and I've not got one gripe or fault. In fact I'm worried about what I'll swap it for at the end of the lease!

 

BMW330e   -  Nothing in the VAG range comes close

[paddy wagon]

BMW330e - Nothing in the VAG range comes close

How are they for towing? Are they even type approved for it?

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[Dermoth]

Bought a 2014 Vrs Dsg in Oct 15 and have had nothing but problems.....some with the car, others mostly with the dealer.

 

Coolant leak pointed out during test drive but handed over with same, then dealer 'forgot' to order parts.

 

Dsg issues....warning flashed on screen then flashed off again, dealer didnt deal with it until i pressed. Then they gave me back the car with 'P' not working on the auto box.....they obviously didnt test it after spending the day working on it.

 

Phone calls not returned, broken promises, etc etc.......

 

Would i buy another..........nah.

Edited 17 February, 2016 by Dermoth

[Sheldon.Cooper]

How are they for towing? Are they even type approved for it?

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They'd tow a bike trailer ok.  If you're talking about a caravan then I'm sure there's a nice Toyota Avensis forum somewhere for caravanists.

[JJH]

Octavia 3 1.6D Greenline. My first Skoda to date. Can't say i am sticking with a brand, generally just picking a new one when the time is there.

 

This unit follows in the footsteps of a 2012 Megane station 1.5D which was returned at approx 175.000 km. Before this one i drove Ford Focus ( 160.000 km ), Seat Altea, Golf station ( 1.6 on LPG,  a fine combination ) and a few Opel Astra's , Toyota Landcruiser ( 4.0L streight 6-cil. petrol, 3 km/L if i was luckey ) and a few more.

 

First impressions after approx. 5 weeks and 5000 km:

Fuel economy lags behind the Megane by say 10%. Ergonomics are fine, but not up to the Megane.

Navigation Amundsen is a disaster. Maps are way out of date ( ECE 2016 ) and startup takes forever. The TomTom as fitted by Renault way outperformed the Amundsen in speed and accuracy, and the knobs and buttons near the gear shift lever are way better than the Amundsen touchscreen.

For practical purposes i now use a TomTom 5100 to navigate.

 

Other observations:

The boot size is good, slightly larger i think than the Megane. The car drives much like the Altea and Golf did which is good.

The cellphone storage with external antenna is a good idea. The additional SD slot for music is nice, although they omitted a cd player on my car. I have to rip my cd's to play them in the car.

The phone function only partially reads my phone's contacts ( Samsung S5 ).

 

Thats it for now. Thanks for reading.

[pdhealy]

Bought a 2014 Vrs Dsg in Oct 15 and have had nothing but problems.....some with the car, others mostly with the dealer.

Coolant leak pointed out during test drive but handed over with same, then dealer 'forgot' to order parts.

Dsg issues....warning flashed on screen then flashed off again, dealer didnt deal with it until i pressed. Then they gave me back the car with 'P' not working on the auto box.....they obviously didnt test it after spending the day working on it.

Phone calls not returned, broken promises, etc etc.......

Would i buy another..........nah.

Sounds familiar... my brother had exactly the same issues with his! Wait a minute....

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[paddy wagon]

They'd tow a bike trailer ok. If you're talking about a caravan then I'm sure there's a nice Toyota Avensis forum somewhere for caravanists.

What an utterly bizarre reply.

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[ednmra]

What an utterly bizarre reply.

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It would be - don't  you ever watch The Big Bang Theory !!!??    

[timbox]

Had my 1.6 SE 4x4  Combi 2 months now and done 5000 miles. I think its great, no issues whatsoever so far. I was worried that I might find it underpowered but I dont, my previous Renault was supposedly 130BHP but the Skoda feels quicker?  I work a lot around the Brecon Beacons area and we have had some snow but the car feels so planted and safe, It will lose traction but youve got to be pretty daft. Comfort is great as is road noise and ride, I kept with the 16" wheels as most tests said the car rides better with them.  Real MPG is a little down on the Renault, Im averaging around 48 but thats mostly hilly A and B roads. Only options I went with was Amundsen Sat Nav which now Im used to I really like, and the variable boot floor which is so handy for me, and the Dogs. All in all very impressed.

[coloneldolomite]

I've taken my Octavia into the main dealer today for them to investigate a noisy gearbox. They have let me borrow a new Fabia 1.4 TSI.  The ride quality and refinement is superior to the Octavia I feel and it is a real pleasure to drive. I am so surprised that the baby brother to the Octavia is so good in this department. The TSI engine is a beauty too.

[sjrainsford]

I've taken my Octavia into the main dealer today for them to investigate a noisy gearbox. They have let me borrow a new Fabia 1.4 TSI.  The ride quality and refinement is superior to the Octavia I feel and it is a real pleasure to drive. I am so surprised that the baby brother to the Octavia is so good in this department. The TSI engine is a beauty too.

Funny you should say that, I thought exactly the same.

[sjrainsford]

This is my first Skoda, and to be fair it's put me off.  With credit to Skoda though, I've driven a few of the others and I think the Yeti for instance is a great car.  Unfortunately the Octavia hasn't lived anywhere near up to my expectations though.  It is however a good tow car and very practical, but if it had better seats, better suspension and sound proofing it would be a fab car.

Edited 23 February, 2016 by sjrainsford

[davitc]

I've had my car jus for one day and I was a bit sceptical on what was said about the ride by some reviewers, it's nowhere near as bad as the A1 S-Line I drove around for a weekend.

 

I've driven quite a few car diesels (Merc's A/C/E , Vauxhalls, Volvo's, Audi's) and this 2.0 TDI engine is very free revving and pulls well.

Edited 23 February, 2016 by davitc

[jimmyg58]

This is my first Skoda, drove a Mondeo Titanium X, 2.3 Petrol auto, for 8 years, up to last Friday, so far I am impressed, nice build quality, good mpg and lots of oomph when I need it.