Probably the Best Car I Have Ever Had

[nbramwel]

I bought my Octavia SE 1.0 litre in August 2019 when it was coming up to a year old.  I had to think long and hard before part exchanging it for a Karoq SE Drive a few weeks ago.  The Karoq is also just over a year old.  I have to say that the Octavia was probably the best car I have ever owned.  I have had many Fords in the past.  My previous 4 cars have been Fabias but for all round comfort, space, performance and reliability, the Octavia was the best (even with the 1.0 litre engine).  My only problem was the rear washer kept getting bunged up but apart from that, no problems.  Once the car was out of warranty I avoided main dealer servicing.  My local independent did the oil and filter changes with me providing the genuine VW spec oil.  As part of the trade in deal, I removed the full size spare wheel and toolkit with the intention of putting it into the Karoq or selling it (I thought it might not fit which it doesn't).  I'll put it on ebay in the next few days.  I bought a skinny spare and tools which fit the Karoq perfectly.  A gunge kit is little more than useless in my opinion.

 

So far the Karoq has been fine.  Getting in and out is much easier than the Octavia but you would expect that.  The Karoq forum has answered a few queries I had, how the automatic handbrake works being the most important.  I'll keep an eye on the Octavia forum in case I am able to contribute to the discussions.  Thank you. 

[nickytheshaft]

Totally agree. 

All it needs is better sound proofing and it would just be perfect 

[Swirly182]

There's no probably about it as far as I'm concerned. It will be a genuinely sad day when I see mine go, which isn't anytime soon. 

[octaviavrs4]

Couldn’t agree more. Miles apart from anything else I’ve owned. 

[Gerrycan]

Love our current owned-from-new 2014 mk3 1.4tsi combi, and the only vehicle that was even better in some areas was our previous mk2 1.9pd combi.

That was because it had slightly better economy, bigger fuel tank, independent rear suspension, and 16 inch wheels which were better suited to Australian touring.

 

I've looked at and test driven a lot of potential replacements for our mk3 but they have all fallen short in a sufficient number of areas to not warrant the expense of transferring to a less complete vehicle.

Edited 14 February by Gerrycan

[numskull]

On 11/02/2024 at 13:45, nbramwel said:

My only problem was the rear washer kept getting bunged up but apart from that, no problems. 

Unfortunately, every Skoda, VW, Audi and Seat with the same rear ww unit, all have this feature and I’m sure that your Karoq, in time, will do the same. 

[EnterName]

I struggled for some time to find a suitable replacement for my Mk3 Mondeo, and my Mk3 Octavia has fitted the bill perfectly.

It does everything well.

The rear washer issue can be mitigated with regular use, though it's a nuisance having to do that, but that's pretty much it.

[varaderoguy]

1 hour ago, EnterName said:

I struggled for some time to find a suitable replacement for my Mk3 Mondeo, and my Mk3 Octavia has fitted the bill perfectly.

It does everything well.

The rear washer issue can be mitigated with regular use, though it's a nuisance having to do that, but that's pretty much it.

Try and use filtered water [not hardwater] or proper screenwash. You can if you are adventurous take off the jet spray part and soak it in hot water to dislodge the dirt in the jet nozzle.

Edited 19 February by varaderoguy

[Gerrycan]

Never had a blockage of the rear wiper screen washer over 17 years of Octavia ownership and to be honest they are very rarely used with our relatively dry climate.

However, picking up on @varaderoguy's point I have always used water from our reverse osmosis filter tap which is similar to distilled water, so there is no chance of algae growth or any calcium build up.

[EnterName]

34 minutes ago, varaderoguy said:

Try and use filtered water [not hardwater] or proper screenwash. You can if you are adventurous take off the jet spray part and soak it in hot water to dislodge the dirt in the jet nozzle.

I live in a soft water area, and have upped my screenwash concentrate. Not sure I can stretch to filtered water, but it's worth considering, thanks. 👍

[numskull]

The bottle is filled either filled with 100% premix or 50% topped up with 0ppm softened water and still the top nozzle gets blocked. 

[gm73]

The washer on my Mk3 blocked causing it to leak onto the motor and seize the wiper. Despite me cleaning it regularly. 
 

I loved my Mk3 1.6 TDI but this 1.5 TSI I own now is terrible. I hate it. 

[ords]

1 hour ago, varaderoguy said:

Try and use filtered water [not hardwater] or proper screenwash. You can if you are adventurous take off the jet spray part and soak it in hot water to dislodge the dirt in the jet nozzle.

Such a simple job. Mine was blocked for a few years. A few days soaking in vinegar did the trick for me.

[nickytheshaft]

Got mine new in 2014, 92000km and the nozzle never clogged....