Hello all at BriSkoda,

 

I’m a journalist writing a used cars guide on the Gen 3 Octavia and I’m seeking an owner to offer a real world viewpoint.

 

We can’t offer fortune but we can offer fame, for someone willing to fill in a brief set of questions and supply an image of themselves: is there anyone here willing to offer their thoughts on living with an Octavia?

 

The questions are:

• Why did you choose to buy this car?
• What do you like about it?
• What don’t you like about it?
• What’s it like to live with?
• Has it been reliable?
• What are running costs like?
• Has it lived up to your expectations?
• Would you recommend it?
• What sort of car will you buy next?

Many thanks in advance! 

 

Richard Aucock

www.motoringresearch.com

I'll happily supply the information you need

Hello Richard,

I'll give you a reply if you'd like.

When I ordered my VRS TDi manual estate, I was considering 2 other cars; the Audi A3, and the Seat Leon. I decided that the A3 was too expensive, and the interior of the Leon wasn't to my liking. Both the girlfriend and I agreed the interior of the Octavia was nicer than the Leon, but not as nice as the A3. I bought it because I liked the look of it, and as I was doing about 18,000 miles a year the mpg figures looked good too. I got the estate as I much preferred it over the hatch in terms of looks although I didn't require the space. I like the engine, it is more than fast enough for me, with plenty of torque, but will return good mpg if driven carefully. It is good fun to drive too. Also, the space of the estate has come in useful more than once! I don't like the niggles that the Bolero head unit has. Mine often doesn't recognise my USB stick, and the screen can be unresponsive in cold weather. However I believe I can get this sorted under warranty. However this is pretty much the only niggle, my car hasn't suffered with any of the other major issues that some have had.

 

To live with, its great. Fun when you want it, but happy to potter about as well. It has never let me down, the only issues I have had were dealer related. The transport blocks were left in one of the shock absorbers, and the engine sump plug fell out! I've never had an issue with the DPF either. Running costs are really good I think. £30 a year VED, and I am averaging 52mpg, which is not far off the official figures. I've not had to spend any other money so far as I got free services included when I purchased.

 

It has definitely lived up to my expectations. I would recommend it to people I knew.

 

Next car? Not sure as yet. I've got 18 months left on my PCP. I'd really like a MK3 Focus RS, although I'm sure I'd miss the space and mpg. However I'm very tempted to keep the car as it is so good.

 

Regards, Matt

Hello all at BriSkoda,

I’m a journalist writing a used cars guide on the Gen 3 Octavia and I’m seeking an owner to offer a real world viewpoint.

We can’t offer fortune but we can offer fame, for someone willing to fill in a brief set of questions and supply an image of themselves: is there anyone here willing to offer their thoughts on living with an Octavia?

The questions are:

• Why did you choose to buy this car?
• What do you like about it?
• What don’t you like about it?
• What’s it like to live with?
• Has it been reliable?
• What are running costs like?
• Has it lived up to your expectations?
• Would you recommend it?
• What sort of car will you buy next?

Many thanks in advance!

Richard Aucock

www.motoringresearch.com

Hi Richard, my answers below;

The questions are:

[*]Why did you choose to buy this car? - had a mk2 and good finance deal

[*]What do you like about it? - interior space, nice drive, lots of gadgets (Elegance spec)

[*]What don’t you like about it? - auto wipers hit and miss on picking up that it's raining and they need to do some work, residual value is bad

[*]What’s it like to live with? - very easy

[*]Has it been reliable? - totally reliable

[*]What are running costs like? - good, getting better mpg since switched from supermarket fuel to esso

[*]Has it lived up to your expectations? - pretty much

[*]Would you recommend it? - yes

[*]What sort of car will you buy next? - waiting to see what Kodiaq is like otherwise probably another Octy but Scout or VRS 4wd

Hope this helps.

Steve.

Richard, thats a quick response to the questions but if you give me your email address I'll send you a more detailed reply.

Thanks.

Steve.

The questions are:

• Why did you choose to buy this car?
• What do you like about it?
• What don’t you like about it?
• What’s it like to live with?
• Has it been reliable?
• What are running costs like?
• Has it lived up to your expectations?
• Would you recommend it?
• What sort of car will you buy next?

 

(1) In September 2013 my previous car a Mondeo Estate was written off in an accident and I really needed a car to replace it quickly and the 0% finance PCP deal at the time was allegedly about to finish by the end of that month, so I chose an Elegance spec Estate model, as I needed the carrying capacity for my work as an antiques dealer.

 

(2) Car has great carrying capacity, no worse than my old Mondeo even though it is a smaller car. Seats are comfortable, gear change is quite light and smooth, unlike the Mondeo which had the clutch from hell with a spring so heavy my left leg would ache in heavy stop/start traffic. Fuel economy is quite good, although nothing like figures claimed by Skoda.

 

(3) Biggest issue with my car is the lack of a six speed gear box, the gear ratios are nonsensical, with third gear being equivalent to a normal fourth gear and fourth and fifth  being nearer fifth and sixth gears in my last car. The torsion beam suspension is pretty horrendous, the car has very poor ride quality at normal town driving speeds and sound proofing is noticeable by its absence.

 

(4) Car is easy to live with, just not very exciting.

 

(5) So far nothing serious has gone wrong with it, although the front sensor was originally a bit hyperactive and kept giving me alarming red warning lights showing a car when cars were approaching on other side of the road and one time stopped the car completely when someone in front of me suddenly indicated with their brakes a left turn in a town, there wasn't any danger in that case but I'm not convinced that the technology is really up to the mark as yet.

 

(6) Running costs seem okay so far, fuel consumption is around 53mpg in town and 60mpg or better on longer runs.

 

(7) Car has been reliable but dull compared to my last car but easier to drive overall but the biggest issue is the terrible residual values which won't help at all if I want to buy another car after this as there might well be no real equity in the car when the 3.5 year PCP deal ends next year. The car salesman at Henry's in Glasgow was adamant that there would be circa £2000 of equity in the car when the time came to change it but that looks to have been a lie and the recent issues with Volkswagen an the emissions scandal has also knocked residual values too, across the various brands, whether or not individual cars have been affected or not. The guaranteed minimum future values look to have been rather optimistic putting it mildly, based on inflated RRP whilst many online dealers have been selling cars far below these prices, which puts even more pressure on long term residual values.

 

(8) As a bargain second hand purchase these cars make a lot of financial sense given the carrying capacity and low running costs but as a new car purchase they are financial suicide.

 

(9) Not really sure what I can afford to buy next after this car. I feel badly let down by Skoda over the residual values of the car, which leaves me with some tough choices of either handing the car back if there is really no trade in value at the end of the PCP or maybe, just maybe buying the car and running it another two or three years as it has been reliable so far but I feel that I have over paid for the car given lack of original discounts and would need to think long and hard about buying another Skoda after this. Skoda has gone for working their factories flat out selling huge quantities of cars on these low finance deals which was good for them at the time but the inevitable result of this decision is that residual values were severely damaged as secondhand buyers will have enormous choice of vehicles from across the UK at very reasonable prices when these original PCP deals finish, which will be happening from now on in as the car was launched around three years ago now.

 

In an ideal world the new Skoda Superb Estate car looks like a much better car than the Octavia with claimed far better long term residual values but I can't see any easy way to trade from the Octavia into one of these and some of the current contract hire deals look far better value than the PCP deals.