what do you like and dislike about your Octavia?

[ExSEAT]

On 02/12/2021 at 22:35, mccririck said:

Has anyone compared road and engine noise with a Golf or an A3?

One of my biggest gripes with my VRS was the road noise (didn't stop me buying two though!!). My mate had a 1.5 golf something or other that was probably a bit cheaper than my octavia but even though it was fairly base model it was quieter and better finished.

 

Im not an owner any more but other than the noise and waiting for something to go wrong I didnt have a lot of complaints. Biggest overall was the rising cost of the cars, the feeling you were always compromising and the issues with the mk4. The last of those made me jump off the roundabout of PCP and go to older cars instead while the going was good 👍 

[mccririck]

Sometimes I wonder if the head of the VW group tells Skoda and Seat that their cars cant be as refined as VWs and Audis.

[Baxlin]

Love my 18reg SE L which I’ve owned since March this year, but have noted the road noise.  I must do a search on here for adding extra soundproofing.  Anyone post a link?

 

The only other concern I have is when doing say a 3 point turn, the DSG box is slow to ‘catch up’ with the change from D to R, especially if on a hill or deep camber.

 

But otherwise, I can’t think of a better all-round vehicle - huge boot (hatchback), lovely beige interior, lots of toys, etc etc

[PetrolDave]

8 hours ago, mccririck said:

Sometimes I wonder if the head of the VW group tells Skoda and Seat that their cars cant be as refined as VWs and Audis.

I think that's a given - VAG have to have an obvious differentiation between their different marques.

 

Compared to my previous Audi A4 Avant (actually and RS4) the Octavia Combi had much more rear passenger space and boot space but much louder road noise.

Edited 4 December, 2021 by PetrolDave

[Gerrycan]

We have the base level 1.4tsi estate mk3 released in Australia in 2014 with a low priced option addition for some necessary bits.

It has a great engine, flexible, quiet, smooth, economical and more power than I am prepared to use to the full on public roads.

The interior capacity is very efficient which gives it great flexibility for carrying people and/or lots other things.

 

The car is currently quite noisy to drive because the tyres are worn with saw-toothing and nearly due for replacement, or it could be a bearing, but we will see which when the tyres are eventually replaced.

It was interesting driving a hire Toyota Corolla sedan hybrid in our Northern Territories this September as it was incredibly noisy at speed (130 kph speed limit) on the very course tarmac their highways are coated with, we actually gave up trying to listen to music. It was far worse than our Octavia is on similar roads even with its worn tyres (or bearing).

The Corolla experienced smooth tarmac it was quiet so it was purely road surface noise. The hybrid was surprisingly efficient, even at speed on the NT's relatively flat open roads where the EV could not contribute much, we averaged 4.25 L/100 (calculated from fuel used) over 2500km (66mpg). I would have expected to get about 50 mpg with the Octavia at similar speeds.

 

I have looked at replacing the car but the base mk4 is sold here with the 1.4tsi and an 8 speed Aisin torque converter which does not appeal. Was very tempted with the local base Scala offering with the 1.5tsi and manual box at a competitive price, but it is smaller so I think we will just stick with our current low mileage vehicle until EV pricing becomes more attractive.

 

There is a significant price increase moving up to the vRS (just RS here) and you do get better suspension, performance and brakes etc for the money so I guess the interior noise will be compared to far more expensive cars than what I compared with which may account for some of the dissatisfaction expressed on that aspect.

[Guest]

68 2.0 tdi se-l dsg

 

dislikes:

 

complete lack of soundproofing - noisy diesel, noisy road

poor sound system - again lack of soundproofing, horrible tweeters, no low punch. not looking for "loudness" just better quality

auto changing down from 2 to 1 when slowing requires adjustment in brake pressure or the car lurches forward (to fix i just knock to N when 6 mph or so then back to D when stopped)

auto start/stop is just downright dangerous in an auto car

seats are arse numbing after 2 hours, which is really bad

no visible cue/reminder that the heated mirrors are on, often forget i've done it and they stay on

no auto dimming side mirrors? rear mirror is done so why not sides? seems silly

 

likes:

 

mpg

boot space

boot side pockets and hangers, velcro thingys

good motorway performance

[Swirly182]

12 hours ago, freddd said:

no auto dimming side mirrors? rear mirror is done so why not sides? seems silly

Well, they exist! My vRS has them 😏

[Cakemonster]

Like 

Space, economy, LED headlights, heated seats and steering wheel, comfort. Cruise and speed limiter, knobs and dials as well as touch screen 

 

Dislike 

Rain sensing wipers - they are a law unto themselves, satnav search function, voice control ffs don't get me started...

[SC03OTT]

@CakemonsterYou can change the rain sensing wipers to just a variable intermittent sweep instead, if that’s a better option for you?

Edited 10 December, 2021 by SC03OTT

[Cakemonster]

38 minutes ago, SC03OTT said:

@CakemonsterYou can change the rain sensing wipers to just a variable intermittent sweep instead, if that’s a better option for you?

I know, but it's now got to the point were it's hilarious guessing when they're going to come on and at what speed - sloooow, one wipe a second, or full on "greasy chicken speed" 😆

[ChoonDoode]

15 hours ago, freddd said:

no visible cue/reminder that the heated mirrors are on, often forget i've done it and they stay on

 

that one is a pain as well. I feel it should have been a separate button and/or included with the rear screen demister

 

I realise I've left it in that position when I'm scratching my head as to why the left mirror isn't dipping

[paulski]

6 hours ago, tunedude said:

 

that one is a pain as well. I feel it should have been a separate button and/or included with the rear screen demister

 

I realise I've left it in that position when I'm scratching my head as to why the left mirror isn't dipping

And in winter,  I'm sure I've noticed (when left on)  the idle been increased due to the additional electrical demand. 

 

 

Edited 10 December, 2021 by paulski

[HeavyMetalRich]

I had a 15 plate vRS 220 hatch. I loved that car and in particular the performance, the amount of space, the comfort of the seats, the headlights and the look. I thought that car was so smart in the Black Magic with the silver Gemini wheels.

 

What I didn't like was that water splashed all over the back seat when I opened the boot lid on rainy days, the road noise and watching it go.

[OldBoyScout]

On 30/11/2021 at 15:12, Warrior193 said:

I have found very little to dislike with my Octavia - apart from the air-pressure drumming with rear windows open. 

To be fair this is an issue with probably any car that has rear windows that roll down and is not unique to the Octavia.

 

22 hours ago, freddd said:

no visible cue/reminder that the heated mirrors are on, often forget i've done it and they stay on

This was a gripe with the previous model and should not have been carried forward to the Mark 3. Luckily it's not something that I often need to use.

 

9 hours ago, Cakemonster said:

Rain sensing wipers - they are a law unto themselves

Sometimes they are too much of a bother, and on those occasions I prefer to do single wipes manually.

 

Reversing camera: I have never had one before, and have been surprised at how useful it has been. An option that really ought to be standard, considering the low cost of cameras these days, which are included on pretty much every mobile phone for example. Annoyingly my reversing camera has failed to operate on a small number of occasions when I have really needed it, but has been reactivated on switching the ignition off and on again.

 

Stop-Start: the usual gripes as reported on other threads - not unique to Octavia of course, and easy to activate or de-activate as required while driving.

 

Satnav - most of the time works well enough for me, but sometimes the touch screen does not respond to my touch when setting out in cold weather.

 

Regens: After being out driving for a few hours I sometimes arrive home to find a regen in progress when I switch off the engine. Seems to happen more often than I feel it should. On the plus side I have never had a DPF warning, although my pattern of use is not supposedly the best for a diesel engine.

 

Very occasionally I get the spurious warning message "Leave vehicle only when selector lever is in position P". This issue is discussed at length on other threads. Seems it can be a major problem on some vehicles, but in my case it just flashes up briefly and goes away again.

 

Lack of spare wheel: have managed to get by without one so far, but have now got to the point where my can of gunk is time expired, and am thinking it might make sense to get a spare wheel rather than replacing the can.

 

Occasional false alarms from the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, but an advance on previous cars that didn't have TPMS.

 

Some posters have mentioned diesel engine noise. I find my current car much quieter than the previous one, a 2007 2.0 TDI  140. Recently I had a petrol Karoq loan car. The engine was so quiet I couldn't hear it at all when it was just ticking over. To me the noise level of my diesel car is perfectly acceptable.

 

I consider all the issues above to be occasional minor irritations, and on the whole I very much like my Octavia Scout 184 DSG. It is very well equipped with top of the range standard equipment plus optional reversing camera and winter pack. I have owned this car for 6 years now and have no plans to replace it any time soon. So far I would say it is the best car I have ever owned. I had the previous Octavia from new in 2007 as my company car and bought it from the company when I retired. That car was the most reliable that I had owned until then, and the current car has been equally reliable. 

 

The Scout has received criticism for costing a lot more than the base Octavia. I was fortunate in picking up a nearly new ex demo car at a massive discount. It was just 3 months old and had less than 2,000 miles on the clock. I really like the moon white metallic paintwork which was not a colour I would have chosen myself. It contrasts well with the black plastic body mouldings. I would not have opted for the reversing camera, but am very glad to have it. Also I like the original styling better than the facelift.

 

I like the big boot which is more than ample for our German Shepherd. I like the brisk acceleration of the 184 PS engine which is significantly faster than the 140 PS of the previous car. I like being able to easily switch between the current driving mode and Sport simply by pulling back on the gear selector lever. This makes Eco mode much easier to live with. 

 

[mccririck]

I find the electric window switches poorly placed. Too often I end up winding the back window down when I want to wind the driver window down. They're too close together and the back one is in a more accessible place.

[SC03OTT]

53 minutes ago, mccririck said:

I find the electric window switches poorly placed. Too often I end up winding the back window down when I want to wind the driver window down. They're too close together and the back one is in a more accessible place.

Haha, I do that as well. The switches for the rears certainly fall to hand by default. The whole switch set needed shoved back a bit. 

[DC04R]

GRIPES:

 

Why no folding mirrors!?

 

OEM suspension was awful - neither comfortable or sporty, just stuck in the middle

 

Options list makes VAGs a bit of a pain to find/buy used in the perfect spec you'd like vs cost/availability

 

POSITIVES:

 

Easily fast enough (TSi cars)

 

Loads of modifications/tuning options

 

Masses of space

 

(Relatively) Cheap running costs for a car of this performance

 

Less common than the Golfs and (touch wood) less appealing to TWOCers - got a bit of a Q car appeal

[Warrior193]

On 04/12/2021 at 14:38, Gerrycan said:

We have the base level 1.4tsi estate mk3 released in Australia in 2014 with a low priced option addition for some necessary bits.

It has a great engine, flexible, quiet, smooth, economical and more power than I am prepared to use to the full on public roads.

The interior capacity is very efficient which gives it great flexibility for carrying people and/or lots other things.

 

The car is currently quite noisy to drive because the tyres are worn with saw-toothing and nearly due for replacement, or it could be a bearing, but we will see which when the tyres are eventually replaced.

It was interesting driving a hire Toyota Corolla sedan hybrid in our Northern Territories this September as it was incredibly noisy at speed (130 kph speed limit) on the very course tarmac their highways are coated with, we actually gave up trying to listen to music. It was far worse than our Octavia is on similar roads even with its worn tyres (or bearing).

The Corolla experienced smooth tarmac it was quiet so it was purely road surface noise. The hybrid was surprisingly efficient, even at speed on the NT's relatively flat open roads where the EV could not contribute much, we averaged 4.25 L/100 (calculated from fuel used) over 2500km (66mpg). I would have expected to get about 50 mpg with the Octavia at similar speeds.

 

I have looked at replacing the car but the base mk4 is sold here with the 1.4tsi and an 8 speed Aisin torque converter which does not appeal. Was very tempted with the local base Scala offering with the 1.5tsi and manual box at a competitive price, but it is smaller so I think we will just stick with our current low mileage vehicle until EV pricing becomes more attractive.

 

There is a significant price increase moving up to the vRS (just RS here) and you do get better suspension, performance and brakes etc for the money so I guess the interior noise will be compared to far more expensive cars than what I compared with which may account for some of the dissatisfaction expressed on that aspect.

Hi Gerrycan, have you tried a test of the Aisin TQ box? I drove a Canadian version belonging to a friend in Ontario - and I quite liked it, although I'm a pretty much a die-hard shift it yourself driver.

[Gerrycan]

4 hours ago, Warrior193 said:

Hi Gerrycan, have you tried a test of the Aisin TQ box? I drove a Canadian version belonging to a friend in Ontario - and I quite liked it, although I'm a pretty much a die-hard shift it yourself driver.

It gets good driving reviews here too. Australians were brought up on and love torque converters.

My problem is that they are noticeably less efficient than a DSG and manuals

Edited 14 December, 2021 by Gerrycan

[ExSEAT]

8 hours ago, mccririck said:

I find the electric window switches poorly placed. Too often I end up winding the back window down when I want to wind the driver window down. They're too close together and the back one is in a more accessible place.

You've just reminded me. 2 window quirks that annoyed me:

 

1. Closing the door with the window half open made it sound like the glass was going to fall out, like it wasn't secure

2. Both my VRS developed this thing were the drivers window would creep down a tiny bit over time until it made a noise and I would put it back up with the switch 

[Warrior193]

17 hours ago, Gerrycan said:

It gets good driving reviews here too. Australians were brought up on and love torque converters.

My problem is that they are noticeably less efficient than a DSG and manuals

Although the difference in efficiency was pretty pronounced in the past - I believe that the latest generations of TQ boxes are now much closer.

I have driven TQs pretty often with hire cars in the States and Canada - and I particularly liked the CV box on a hired Legacy (with paddles) a few years back, but I have always preferred the engine-braking of a manual when setting up for a corner - although I have noticed that this effect appears to be less noticeable in my Octavia - even with energy recuperation.     

[Swirly182]

What's a TQ box?

[AGFalco]

On 14/12/2021 at 20:38, Gerrycan said:

torque converters

 

3 hours ago, Swirly182 said:

What's a TQ box?

 

A type of gearbox.

 

Thanks, AG Falco

[Tonythesmoke]

Likes - love the look of my vrs, just enough subtle edge about it, the 230 tsi engine can be a peach, the space is unrivalled, nice short gearbox, ambient lighting, the bang for buck too I guess

 

Dislikes - the road noise, having come from a mk7 golf it’s truly atrocious in comparison!!! Just the general build quality isn’t there compared to my old golf, the sound from the stereo is so poor, the rattles are really quite annoying. As mentioned the electric window buttons are way too far forward, the USB port area is a little messy as a design in my opinion as you can’t fully hide the wires (why not just put it in the armrest?) 

 

oh dear my dislikes list seems to be longer…

Edited 15 December, 2021 by Tonythesmoke

[Jip]

Road noise doesn't bother me too much, maybe cause I use my time driving to listen to my music, loudly. Plus I've a 1.4TSi, I don't miss my old diesel engine.

 

The one annoying thing is the creaky rear suspension on my estate. I'd have brought it to a mechanic before now to get it checked out had it not been passing its tests with no issues identified around the suspension/imbalances etc, plus I'm sure I've read about it before on this forum as it not being too unusual. Seems to quiet after things warm up anyway.

 

Love the car though, was only thinking this week after I saw a crash about how ****ed off I'd be had I needed to source an identical replacement if that was me.