Living with the Octavia (MK3 FL)

[damjanev]

Having driven 2476 km with it, I am ready to share my first impressions. The car is Octavia MK3 FL, 1.6TDI (115bhp), MT5, standard limo/hatch.

I will be comparing with the 2010 Kia ceed SW (1.4 petrol (90bhp), MT5, estate) I've been driving for the last 10 years.

 

• Space. Lots of space. I thought that the ceed SW was roomy, but this goes beyond. Both in cabin space and boot. Cabin space makes a world of difference to me (2 meters tall).
• The doors open wide, which is nice.
• I love those little "simply clever" perks. The ice scraper in the fuel cap, the umbrella, the bag hooks in the boot, little storage spaces around the cabin...
• Boot access. The hybrid design between a classical limo and a hatchback is a winner for me. It gives you direct access to the whole boot. Genius. I also love the fact the the shelf is divided into fixed part (1/3) and the part that opens (2/3). The only way Škoda would have made this better is If they ported the boot opening concept from the Superb 😉 
• Footwell lights. Wonderful thing. Didn't knew it was a thing until i saw this in the Octavia.
• Interior design. Practical, but nothing fancy. Not great, not terrible 🙂
• All electric windows on all trim levels.  Nice
• Those little lights on the mirrors that illuminate the surroundings. I love those
• My trim level (Ambition) is missing some buttons. Features are available, but can only be accessed through the infotainment. Features like: ESP, TPMS set, main light height, instrument panel light intensity...
• Even the low spec Swing 6.5" infotainment i quite good. I don't know whether i like or dislike the fact that there is no CD and no AUX in my package, but the 8 speaker set i nice. Having to pay extra for CarPlay/AndroidAuto is a bummer. 
• My Kia had separate cigarette lighter and separate 12v socket that is connected with the ignition (not including the one in the boot). I miss that.
• Automatic headlights (that i don't have) should be standard. There is a light sensor already in place that dims the instrument panel in low light. Why not turn on the headlights as well?
• The storage box gives me mixed emotions.
  • Height and length adjustment is nice feature. 
  • Too bad that there are only two practical positions available (fully extended and fully compacted).
  • The Kia had a nice feature. There are two levels, the top one is was shallow and ideal for a wallet, change, toll/parking receipts... I miss that
• 6th gear. Having driven some similarly sized diesels, a 6-speed gearbox would be nice
• The switch from petrol to diesel required some adjusting. Different feel.
• Fuel economy. My long-term figures are:
  • 6.1 l/100km
  • 2465 km
  • 87 hours of driving time
  • Most of it (about 3/5) are short term city trips, morning/evening rush hour with A/C on.
• The Kia has way more comfortable front seats. On the Octavia, there is no lumbar support and the passenger seat has neither height adjustment nor seat belt warning.
• The windshield gives me vertically limited visibility from my seating position, compared to the Kia (again, 2 meters tall guy here).
• A rear wiper is nice, but i'm yet to conclude the practicality and the usability of it in a limousine styled car.
• Hiding the radio antenna in the rear windshield is very elegant.
• Hill assist is cool. No more handbrake use on hilly intersections.
• Manual A/C should not be an option on a car like this, this deep in the 21st centuty 😞 . Even the start-stop system is optimized for a Climatronic.

 

 

[CFBScout]

I think you should have gone for a higher spec perhaps?

 

Agree with a lot of your points but it reinforces for me why I like my VRS, super supportive seats, Auto adaptive LED headlights are stunning, great audio setup in the facelift version, climate contol is very effective. I like these extra things, they keep me interested.

[benterrier]

How's the cabin/road noise compared to the Kia.

[damjanev]

46 minutes ago, benterrier said:

How's the cabin/road noise compared to the Kia.

 

The Octavia seems quieter. I was afraid that the TDI engine would be louder than the petrol, but that is only noticeable with the window(s) open. 

[benterrier]

This surprises me. The Octavia comes in for a lot of criticism over cabin noise including myself having a dig. Road surfaces are the biggest problem. Fresh laid tarmac and there is no problem.

Your comments about the Tdi noise I agree with and I have passengers say .... Is this petrol or diesel. The common rail diesels have significantly got quieter over the years compared to my first diesel a mk1 diesel golf now that knocked...... Loved that car.

[ChoonDoode]

1 hour ago, benterrier said:

This surprises me. The Octavia comes in for a lot of criticism over cabin noise including myself having a dig. Road surfaces are the biggest problem. Fresh laid tarmac and there is no problem.

 

Yeah I'd definitely agree with that. There's section of new tarmac at the start of the motorway I use and it's so quiet. Half a mile in and your back on the old stuff and it's noisy. 

 

There possibly could be a bit more sound insulation in the bulkhead to deaden the engine sound. I've been in a few e class mercs and you wouldn't know the engine was on.

 

@damjanev on the lower down models, there are some things you would expect to be on there, but they're the lower model for that reason.

[damjanev]

Back on the topic of cabin noise. I was surprised how loud was the ventilation. Not so much by the blower fan, but the air. 

[Elijah12]

Regarding seats - VRS has indeed great seats, I've recently done 10 days, 1600km trip in a base model of 2018 Merc E220d and was shocked to discover that Octavia's seats were more comfortable

(perhaps I'm biased... but my wife, not interested in cars at all, also complained about E class seats)

 

On cabin noise: in my experience most of the noise comes from... tyres  - I'm not counting amplified engine noise on VRS that I've already disabled. I've greatly improved it by changing tyres - replaces old ones (sorry don't remember the name of the brand) with GOODYEAR Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 - and it is HEAVEN. I'm not joking, the difference is huge. Once again, comparing cabin noise at rather modest legal speeds in Australia (up to 110km/h) with above-mentioned Merc, I really didn't see much difference in cabin noise.