Something went wrong so perhaps the moderators could delete the thread with a similar title.

 

On the car fora I've belonged to, members tend to post all the nightmares they have had with their vehicles, whereas the majority who are satisfied keep quiet. So I'm starting a thread to report on my experiences with our Octavia iV Estate. I hope this gives some reassurance to those who have perhaps been put off by negative comments.

The Good

Despite the tyres being fairly low profile (225/45 R18) Skoda has matched the suspension to them and the ride is limousine-like on N Yorkshire's bumpy roads and much better than either the Yeti or the Karoq. With having a wheel at each corner, the handling is excellent. The transition between e-power and engine is unnoticeable and the 6-speed auto (hopefully the robust wet-clutch version) is also smooth.There are a large number of menu options, with switches for key functions and I've found my way around the many options, which didn’t take long. Before starting, I select the most useful display (currently power flow). The speedometer is very clear: as the virtual needle sweeps clockwise tiny lit dots appear as well as the numeric speed in 20mph intervals plus a numeric digital display in the bottom of the display. A clever feature is that both the numerical and pseudo-analogue displays show kph when the units are changed. Voice control is very simple, accepting plain speech commands, so it will plan a journey using town, street and house number, as well as adjusting the aircon on either side and many other choices too. The regenerative braking is excellent: it has two levels of regeneration plus automatic but I have maximum regen, so that going downhill I hardly need to use the footbrake and light touches on the accelerator keep speeds within the appropriate limits in town. On a steep section of around 3 miles, the regen added 1/2 kWhr to the battery. At junctions the brakes are hardly needed. The lane control works well - if I move over the central white line, the steering vibrates and gently puts me back in the centre of the lane. The smart cruise control is effective, although probably more useful on dual carriageways or motorways. I’ve done a couple of trips using battery only: for example 16 miles on battery alone with an average of 21mph at a cost of £1.30. Currently, I am likely to achieve 700 miles on one tank of fuel. The MySkoda app enables me to pre-set the aircon, which will be useful for short trips in winter and once I have a Smart meter I'll be able to charge the car using Octopus Go between 00:30 and 00:40 for 5p/kWhr (ie 65p for 30 miles). I can also pre-set the charging time using the app as well as monitoring the charge state. There is a built-in SIM card, so the car links to an Android 'phone via Bluetooth. I've also set the clock to Internet time so it should always be accurate. The boot is bigger than previous cars we've owned and our greyhound is able to get in and out easily, with lots of room to get comfy. There are two large storage spaces on either side of the boot, as well as space behind the rear seats and the rear of the boot protector. The Skoda dog guard still allows the roller-blind boot cover to be used to hide boot contents. I’m running-in the car for the first 1000 miles, but with a combined horsepower of 202 the acceleration is awesome and even in e-mode, with the torque available from an electric motor, from zero mph upwards it rockets away, ideal around town. I also find that the car will creep very slowly, so on wet grass or snow I'm hoping that I'll be able to get moving.  My only slight concern is that the car has complex menus and sub-menus to navigate through, so older less techy folk (like me) might have difficulty getting to know the options immediately after a quick run-through at the dealers. It is very easy to find the basics and drive the car away, but it does need time to get the maximum benefits from all the built-in features.

The (not so) bad

There are a few software glitches, which are annoying rather than concerning. Until I set the clock to Internet time, it reset itself a couple of times; the short, medium and long-term mph/e-usage values reset themselves once; the TPM warning came on for no apparent reason (the tyres were well-warmed up) but this used to happen occasionally with the Karoq. There is no jack or spare wheel, but with such a heavy car a scissor jack would be dangerous anyway, so if the gunge doesn't work, I'll press the panic button to summon Skoda Assist. In any case, Skoda UK has recently received a software update which will be offered to several thousand owners, so I'm hoping that this will fix the minor issues, when the car is at the dealers on June 17th.

Definitely not ugly

The estate is the best looking car that Skoda currently produces. Our Yeti was a very distinctive one-off design and I can still recognise one at one hundred paces. Our Karoq was a fine car, with technology 10 years in advance of the Yeti, but it looked so bland, like all the three K's Skoda currently offer, as well as every other manufacturer's cars on the market. I can only recognise the make when I see the badge. The Skoda is a beautiful design from all angles and we love it.

Conclusion

It's definitely the best car we've ever owned and it's a credit to Skoda for continuing to update the Octavia to its present state and it's certainly far superior to my first Octavia, bought 18 years ago - and that was an excellent car for the time. If anyone is considering buying a Mark 4 Octavia, then I highly recommend it, but if you have any concerns then wait until I've reported back after the software update. I hope this information helps you.

Edited 6 June, 20215 yr by Jim2015

Well said! The car needs praising. Had my iV Estate now for three months and I'm very pleased with it. Bought my first Octavia Estate in 2002, then another in 2009 - and now this one. I, too, have belonged to other fora (Lotus 7 Club, then Morgan) and it is easy to become intimidated by the problems other people encounter. Even found myself falling into the trap of heeding "this is a common problem and you will need x to remedy it". Then I buy x and found I never used it! I've just sold a lot of Morgan-related stuff I bought and never needed  . 

But back to the iV (the dealer made a point to me that it is "iV" and not MkIV). It is refreshing to read your positive review. The car does lots of clever stuff and I'm still discovering its features. I'll concede that the Infotainment system seems to be unnecessarily complicated and definitely not to be manipulated on the move. It is best to bear in mind that it is a car first and foremost and not a rolling computer. Lady Norris and I have agreed it is best to let the car do what it is designed to do - and the result is a very smooth and comfortable ride.

Whoever knew that we needed ambient lighting and "Skoda" projected onto the floor when the front doors are opened...? .

 

Couldn't agree more. I've been an iV owner for a couple of months already and looking forward for my first long trip (+600km) this week. Car is super comfortable, lots of interior and trunk space, more than enough horsepower, lots of gadgets, I love the design and so far I've just got the no internet issue which it has been ok during the past month. The safety assists are quite useful for the time being. I've been quite impressed with the electric power and the range, I'm easily doing 45-60+ kms on pure electric which is more then enough for my specific needs.

 

On the other hand, I do agree that the infotainment is quite complex for a car and not useful at all while driving however most of the things you might wanna do you can do them through voice commands or with a couple of clicks.

 

All in all I'll buy it again.

Good write up and I do agree the Octavia MK4 estate is a good looking car. I especially like the iV wheels and feel they complement the design of the car well.

 

This may be a daft question but if you set the air con to a certain temp remotely before you get in the car, do you lose some range from it using some power to get it to that temp? Or if you have it plugged in does it not matter?

 

RE: the iv Vs mkiV, both are technically correct and Skoda have done themselves no favours here in avoiding confusion. The Octavia is in its fourth generation so MK 4 or MK IV (4 in Roman numerals) but of course the hybrid is also named iV.

10 hours ago, ahenners said:

Good write up and I do agree the Octavia MK4 estate is a good looking car. I especially like the iV wheels and feel they complement the design of the car well.

 

This may be a daft question but if you set the air con to a certain temp remotely before you get in the car, do you lose some range from it using some power to get it to that temp? Or if you have it plugged in does it not matter?

 

RE: the iv Vs mkiV, both are technically correct and Skoda have done themselves no favours here in avoiding confusion. The Octavia is in its fourth generation so MK 4 or MK IV (4 in Roman numerals) but of course the hybrid is also named iV.

I would only precondition the car when it was plugged in during wintertime when going shopping on e-power. However, I have noticed that the aircon is on as soon as I unlock the car, so you are correct in assuming it would drain some power from the battery if it wasn't plugged in if I precondition the car.

Even more good news. Owing to our driving patterns - several short journeys per week on e-power and one longer one on hybid power - I am likely to get about 800 miles on one tank of petrol. That is impressive for a 1.6tonne car with a relatively small 40 litre fuel tank. Another benefit of having a PHEV.

I filled the tank today and have covered 650 miles of mixed motoring  in five weeks and have achieved 96mpg , three times better than our Karoq on the same driving pattern. What a car! Love it.

I would love to have bought an iV but sadly there are none available in stock that have a tow bar or even tow bar preparation and current waiting times don’t fit our plans for a new one. Maybe later when there is more stock.  
 

My petrol VRS can only dream of such MPG's. I get around town 28 , motorway 42 tops. I didnt give that a thought when i ordered. I just thought ooh the spirited drive, slip diff , 0-60 etc.

 

Certainly impressive mpg figures; I’m getting 55-60 from a 1.0 e-Tec DSG and that is mostly motorway driving (cruise control set at 70 - which means I’m the slowest car on the road!).

I’m curious as to what an iV hybrid would do on a 400 mile motorway run. Not many of my journeys are short/local/urban and I guess my two miles to the motorway wouldn’t stress the iV battery.

The onboard computer predicted 410 miles on petrol alone, which equates to about 46mpg. The iV is perfect for people with our type of driving style - mainly short with some longer journeys. The only benefit for people using an iV for regular motorway journeys would be as a company car driver as the bik is much lower than for a conventional Octavia. Here's an excerpt from an article in What Car.

 

With a 2021/2022 BIK rate of just 7% for the Octavia iV, the contributions for a 20% taxpayer are just £463 per year or just under £39 a month. Even with the petrol Octavia’s lower P11D purchase price, its higher BIK rate of 28% means £1408 per year or £117 a month for a 20% taxpayer. By picking the plug-in hybrid, you save £78 a month or £2808 over three years.

 

I heard from a friend that a number of govenment-owned Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs were returned and most of the charging cables were still in their wrappings.

Thanks @Jim2015 - that’s really helpful and confirms that given my current driving pattern a hybrid is less than optimal (and I can’t get a company car so no BIK ☹️) .

 

I’m so pleased for you that you’ve got a car that is delivering on the economy, performance, appearance etc. I’m loving the Octavia Estate, currently a loan 1.0 e-Tec whilst my 1.5TSi is at the dealers (mph/kph issue)

The Octy had its software update today, which for some reason Skoda calls a campaign. The main issue was the inability to store favourites and this has been fixed. I had none of the issues other forum members have reported and am now even more pleased with the Octy than I was beforehand, as the tiny glitches did not spoil my enjoyment of the car. In fact I have rediscovered my enjoyment of motoring after the rather bland Karoq.  If this is of any interest, the software reference is 1788 and the navigation database is 21.3. I'm sorry to hear that other owners have rejected their iV's as now Skoda seem to have rectified all the problems. In my case, although there were a few early issues, most were my fault as although the handbook is written in good English,  the instructions are not very clear. It's a case of trial and error, so for example I've now been able to load all my favourite DAB radio stations. It's kind of intuitive, but I would not recommend the latest generation of Skodas to anyone who is not computer literate! Thanks to the Sales Manager at Derek Slack Motors, I've also discovered Zap Map and Pod Point today, which identify free charge points. 70% of Pod Point chargers are free and are located at supermarkets, visitor attractions and so on. Ideal for a day out as the iV has a 13.5 KWhr battery and an onboard 3.5KW charger. A few hours enjoying oneself and a free journey home! I saw an Enyaq too, but that's better for another thread - just to say I prefer the PHEV concept for now, but it's a lovely car.

Does Skoda offer “over the air” (OTA) updates, a la Tesla or do they still require you to return the vehicle to the dealer?

The update took a while at the dealers, so I assume that 'over the air' is not available, although there are options in the menu to download updates. I assume that these are minor file sizes, but perhaps someone more informed can advise?

Some small updates (like maps, some minor fixes, t&c, etc) are OTA updates. And these are all automatically downloaded and you get a notification when they are available to install. All other updates need to be carried out by the dealer.

6 hours ago, TheUltraRunner said:

Some small updates (like maps, some minor fixes, t&c, etc) are OTA updates. And these are all automatically downloaded and you get a notification when they are available to install. All other updates need to be carried out by the dealer.

Thank you. That is very helpful.

We visited family yesterday. Most of the journey was high-speed on main roads and motorways, so for much of the time the engine was doing all the work and I was very pleased to get 72mpg for a 258 mile journey. I was able to get a full charge at my brother's, which helped. As there are 75% of Pod Point chargers around the UK not requiring payment, it bodes well for a free top-up on days out. Does anyone know if there is information about some of the technical details ot the iV? For example, the regen braking works well on hills, but when I brake the amount of regen on the display increases - what is changing and what does the regeneration? Also the transition from electric to engine power is unnoticeable, so how does the engine start? Also, the oil temperature on a journey of around 30 miles never goes above 60 degrees, so does it need to have a particular oil to cope with this? My Karoq used to get up to 100 degrees on a fast journey.

 

Edited 21 June, 20214 yr by Jim2015

Back to the bad! The software update was done last Thursday 17th June and the satnav worked properly and I was able to save favourites. Yesterday all my favourites were erased and I could no longer add favourites. I've told the dealer I'm not prepared to drive another 60 miles four days after the previous visit with the possibility of further visits. I asked whether a technician could be sent to our address but was told that it's not Skoda policy to do so. So I sent an e-mail to the Skoda MD anjust over 2 1/2 hours later his PA arrived to say it's with the Customer Resolutions Team as a priority.Watch this space!

Correction 'his PA replied'. She's have needed a fast jet to get here so quickly! I sent another reply with the following comment:

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires dealers to supply goods that are fit for purpose, as described and of satisfactory quality. However, the vehicle is clearly not satisfactory. You are therefore in breach of contract. As I've owned the car for more than 30 days I am legally entitled to ask that you repair or replace the vehicle at no further cost to me.

I have not yet stated that I'll reject the car, but I'm concerned about other software issues during the three years we plan to keep the car, especially as so much is controlled by the software and if a safety critical item fails, I'd be worried about our long-term safety.

 

Hi Jim. As I understand it from your posts you are generally pleased  with the car and unless I have missed something this is the first significant issue you have encountered - the failure of your vehicle to save favourites. 

So I am intrigued by how quickly you seem to have moved to requests to repair or replace etc.

 

I also have several faults which Skoda (here in Australia) have not been able to rectify in the three weeks I have had the car and I am wondering whether to give them a similar ultimatum. So far I have preferred to keep it friendly rather than businesslike.

The details are in my topic: 

 

 

In neither your case nor mine do the faults seem to be a serious safety issue or mechanical failure, although mine encourage me to take my eyes off the road which reduces safety.

But, like you, I worry about the likelihood of further software issues down the track, including as unexpected side-effects of a normal update. Especially when I read reports on this forum of more serious issues.

 

 

Hi Dave. It's the best car I've ever driven and I would be disappointed if it had to be returned. Maybe the satnav failure four days after it was 'fixed' is a trivial item (it's only the favourites and home address which disappeared) and the satnav still works, but it's tiresome to drive a round trip of 60 miles and sit around for a couple of hours. My comment about rejecting the car is that we planned to keep it for three years (it's going once the warranty expires) but if they can't fix a simple problem, then what else could go wrong if some more critical software fails? So far I've kept things friendly, but the letter of rejection is ready and waiting!

Edited 23 June, 20214 yr by Jim2015

I have some of the same feelings. My wife's car is a 2015 VW Golf Alltrack and I think that is the best car I have ever driven. I was hoping the VRS would be very similar but better and in many ways it is but only if it is 100% reliable and fault-free.

Also my own car for the last 19 years until 3 weeks ago was a Honda S2000 that I had had since new. In many ways that was the best car I have ever owned. It was certainly the most expensive. I loved driving it on a good day on a twisty road or on a racetrack but, on reaching my 70th birthday, I decided I had had enough of its noise and discomfort and wanted to pamper myself in my old age. Also to be able to take my grandkids in my own car without having to borrow my wife's. And the Skoda offered the same power and performance, albeit with a bit more weight and less sharp handling. 

 

Now I wonder if I have made the right choice. The S2000 has NO frills like cruise control or traction control or other driving aids, electronic or mechanical. It is pure motoring at its most basic. As a result there is little to go wrong. I drove it 270,000 KMs and it never let me down, although I did replace a few things that wore out, including the engine. Now it seems that all cars are going down this software-driven route maybe the most sensible thing would have been to buy a second-hand car of the previous generation, e.g. a low KMs example of my wife's car.

 

A good reply Dave. My sister lent me her 1953 split-screen Morris Minor for a while in the sixties and it was a great little car. You could pracically fix anything with an adjustable spanner and a screwdriver (slight exagerration there!) but despite its age and a noisy diff it was so reliable. Your comment about a car being 100% reliable and fault free has applied to the other five Skodas we've owned in 18 years. None of them ever let us down and there were no warranty claims on any of them - perfect quality control from the start of ownership to selling them on. This is the first Skoda which has needed warranty work, which so far has been unsuccessful. Despite the car being wonderful in every way bar the satnav, I'm concerned about its long-term reliability. I'm due to speak to a contact at Skoda tomorrow, who works for the MD, so I'll post an update. On another tack, how is life Down Under: have the Covid-19 restrictions been lifted yet and is life back to normal? Best wishes Jim (PS 18degrees here today and for me, that's pleasantly warm, being a hardy honorary Yorksireman!)

12 hours ago, Jim2015 said:

On another tack, how is life Down Under: have the Covid-19 restrictions been lifted yet and is life back to normal? Best wishes Jim (PS 18degrees here today and for me, that's pleasantly warm, being a hardy honorary Yorkshireman!)

Restrictions over the past 15 months have varied depending on which city or state you live in but were as nothing compared to some other parts of the world. Here in Sydney we have gone from no restrictions at all since the beginning of the year to - due to a small outbreak this week - mask wearing in public and reduced numbers in houses or public venues such as restaurants or theatres. There is a threat of a "lockdown" soon if the number of unexplained cases rises but the numbers involved would look ridiculously small to people in the UK. Today saw 11 new cases in the whole of Sydney (5 million people). There has not been a Covid death in the whole of Australia for months. Only 910 since the pandemic started. We would have zero cases if it wasn't for occasional leaks from quarantine.

 

Weather in Sydney today in early winter is a balmy 20 degrees. I suppose I am an honorary Yorkshireman too since I was born here (1951) to a Yorkshireman (1893-1974) who immigrated just after WW1.