Hi Octavia wagon owners, and particularly Scout owners,

I'm currently driving a rented Octavia combi(wagon) - I think a 2019 model. Mostly, I like it. I'm thinking of ordering an Octavia combi Scout (when it becomes available later this year) to get the all-wheel drive and higher ground clearance, as we do drive on dirt roads to get to interesting hiking places at times. I'm completely unable to find an Octavia Scout of any generation or year to test drive (here in northeast Spain).

Can someone please comment on the handling and road noise of the Octavia Scout wagon vs the Octavia (normal, not-Scout) wagon?

many thanks,

I can only comment on the Scout that i got last year, a 2016.

I find it comfortable, even with back problems, easy to drive auto, quiet even when towing. Not had to use 4 wheel drive. I dont think i would call it an off road vehicle. 

I was told last year, by the Skoda dealer, that they were not making Octavia Scouts anytime soon. 

Thats my take. 😊

Edited 1 September, 20205 yr by NZ100
+

I have owned my Octavia Scout DSG from nearly new in December 2015. My previous car was a 2007 MK2 wagon (not Scout). I am very happy with the way that the Scout handles, and it is quieter and more refined than the older car. Compared to the older car the way that the Scout rides is much more composed. Occasionally I drive on rough unmade roads with holes and deep ruts, and am glad to have the extra ground clearance, though I have never needed to select offroad mode. Production of the MK3 Scout ceased some time ago. There may be a Scout version of the new MK4 at some time in the future, although there might not be enough demand for one, as more people are going for SUVs.

 

 

I had a 2016 Scout and loved it.  I used the off road mode a number of times in snow and found it to be more capable than I thought.  I particularly like the hill climb / decent feature that holds the revs and maintains speed.

Fabulous information, thank you everyone!

Now, since neither the new Scout is available here in Spain (nor, mostly, yet, anywhere in Europe), nor does it seem that many Scouts were ever sold in Spain, let's see how lucky I get with Skoda dealers and user car lots on my next trip to Germany!

I think the Scout was fairly popular in Germany, either that or look at the Passat Alltrack

I've recently bought a 2015 Scout. What's this "offroad" mode that is being mentioned?

15 hours ago, wagonist said:

 

 

In the mode button, there is an offroad mode, press this and the electronics does the rest. 

But best read manual. 

Edited 7 September, 20205 yr by NZ100
Simpler. 😉

Best read the owners manual because the 'offroad' button does not mean you then go into permanent AWD.

That is not what it is all about.

Where's the offroad button supposed to be? I want to check whether my Scout has it or not, because I haven't noticed anything that looks like it.

Just noted from another thread that the 2015 models did not have this functionality. Some started on getting it enabled, but it seems that was never finished...

2 hours ago, NZ100 said:

 

In the driving mode, you can press offroad and it will engage the haldex gearbox, which will give you rear wheel drive as well. 

It will tell you all about it in the manual. 

 

B-S!

This is from the 2015 thread:

 

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/364701-scout-off-road-mode-upgrade/

 

ŠKODA Octavia Scout receives off-road mode

As a crossover-estate released in mid-2014, the ŠKODA Octavia has excellent handling also on poor roads; the model features powerful all-wheel drive and a rugged off-road look. The individual all-rounder is now even more versatile; from June 2015, the Octavia Scout will be available with an off-road mode. ŠKODA already offers this technology today in their compact SUV – the Yeti. 

How does it work? By pressing the 'off road' button on the dashboard, the driver can activate many useful functions that make manoeuvring in difficult terrain easier. This is primarily involved in setting off/traction, braking and downhill driving. The off-road mode works at speeds up to 30 km/h. A green control light illuminates on the dashboard when in operation. The off-road function is automatically deactivated at speeds over 30 km/h and the green light goes out. 

The ASR off-road, EDS off-road and traction functions improve the acceleration and traction performance of the ŠKODA Octavia Scout. The ASR off-road traction control makes setting off easier especially on loose surfaces like gravel or pebbles. With the help of the electronic differential lock (EDL off-road), the force is distributed optimally over all four wheels even in difficult situations. The electronic traction aids uphill starts when driving in the mountains or when a trailer is attached.  This includes limiting the revs to 2500 rpm with your foot to the floor. When activated, the Hill Descent Control System makes braking downhill safer – both forward and reverse – on snowy or high-incline roads or steep slopes.

 

15 hours ago, wagonist said:

Where's the offroad button supposed to be? I want to check whether my Scout has it or not, because I haven't noticed anything that looks like it.

 

Its the mode button that sits in the bank of switches in front of gear lever.  By pressing it you get the Normal / Sport / Eco options but there is also an Offroad option.  Mine was 2015 and had it.  When pressing it you get hill decent control, it limits revs when going up hill, the ABS slows down (ie it allows the wheels to lock up a bit longer) and i thought it did do something to the AWD.  In normal mode i think the power is split 95% front an 5% rear but in off road i thought it locked it closer to 50 / 50.  Additionally  it only works up to a set speed something like 23mph. 

Edit ... What hes posted above whilst i typed my response 

Edited 7 September, 20205 yr by ScoutCJB

Seems very fortunate that I got a September 2015 registered Scout. I had been considering it for a while and could easily have got an earlier one without the offroad mode. It also benefits from being Euro 6 rather than Euro 5, so it is not affected by Dieselgate and is OK for ULEZ, and there is no adblue to be bothered with unlike some later cars.

 

In the end, somewhat miraculously (it's still a bit of a mystery why this ONE Scout existed in inventory in Spain) we were able to get the car here. (In Germany none of the available recent model used cars actually had the features that I wanted, as it happens).

So, about the hill descent assist. I don't like it. It's got a rather inconsistent foot - that is, the way it brakes to maintain speed is noticeably jerky compared to how I do it myself.

Very disappointing, and, I think, much less smooth than (What I had assumed would be exactly the same, since they're both recent model Volkswagen group cars) on a Seat Tarraco (think: VW Tiguan Allspace with less "fashionable" to me more acceptable aesthetics and a much more reasonable price tag) that I'd had rented a few months ago. *sigh*

The road noise that we'd noticed in the rented Octavia combi (not-Scout) turned out to be the model of tires on the vehicle. Even though our new Scout came with 18" rims (we'd have preferred 17" for the softer ride and reduced road noise) in fact the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance tires are just fine. (Unfortunately, they're summer-only, and we will sometimes drive in places where winter tires would be appropriate and/or required by local road rules) so the EfficientGrip Performance tires are to be replaced as soon as the order comes in with a set of Michelin CrossClimate+ tires...

I’ve only used this mode once but found it smooth while descending an unmade farm track. I’m surprised you thought it was jerky.

I was surprised too! I sent a note to the dealer. We'll see how they respond/ I might take it in to demonstrate it to them as probably being NOT what it should be ... thanks.