Only me and my wife my wife drive the Octavia.

We're both happy to drive it the same way, with the same radio presets and listen to the same radio station, and have the dash set up the same way.

Every time we start the car we get the "Welcome Nigel" message and buttons for OK or Change User. There is no other user. After maybe 5 or 10seconds, the message clears itself.

So what's the benefit of having user profiles?

Can I set it up in some way that its just a single user car so it doesn't present the "change user" option on the Welcome screen?

Or even not display the Welcome screen at all?

Every time we get in the car we have to set the driving mode to Eco, turn auto stop/start off, turn the irritating lane-asist off.

So what is the user profile even saving?

Different car, but I always put mine in sport mode .......

I found the car behaves better and found no real difference in fuel consumption either.

This action also automatically switches the 'stop-start' feature off ..... saving me having to do that every time.

Lane assist was turned off separately in mine iirc.

But yes, some will use the user profile settings for electric seat settings etc but I would guess for most people, unnecessary. I could be wrong on that last thought of course.

The Welcome "user" message is baked in. If you don't set up a 2nd user on the 2nd key then both keys will result in the Welcome "user" screen. Same on all VAG products.

When you exit you'll also get the goodbye screen and a reminder to take your phone with you.

On 07/11/2025 at 17:22, Tilt said:

Different car, but I always put mine in sport mode .......

I found the car behaves better and found no real difference in fuel consumption either.

This action also automatically switches the 'stop-start' feature off ..... saving me having to do that every time.

Ah, I'll try that. I usually select Eco based on wanting to get the best fuel consumption - I assumed it might accelerate less aggressively or activate some kind of 'lean burn' engine map when I'm not accelerating. But I then always have to go and turn off the stop-start. I'll try Sport mode and see what the difference is.
Just out of interest, are the different mode settings documented anywhere - like an explanation of what each setting does?

It'd be good if it remembered my selection though - its kind of a pain having to do to every time i get in the car. What's the point in user profiles if it doesn't remember your settings?

On the Superb, it saves radio stations, climate settings, drive modes, mirrors, seats, and any changes made in the infotainment system, driving assistance, and more, including how the headlights perform. Each of us has a key, so when she enters with hers, all her preferred seats and settings are already configured.

If you do configure the keys for different users then what is saved depends to a large extent on vehicle spec.

E.g. - seat position only saved if you have electric seats.

Some models do seem to save driving mode preference, some don't.

2 hours ago, Aldfort said:

E.g. - seat position only saved if you have electric seats.

It'd be difficult to remember if they weren't electrically adjustable, Lol.

6 hours ago, Davva said:

It'd be good if it remembered my selection though - its kind of a pain having to do to every time i get in the car. What's the point in user profiles if it doesn't remember your settings?

As said, different car mine ........ (118i)

I cannot set my preferences for driving mode because I do not have the app installed on my phone so I have to press the 'Sport' button every time...

Although ... I wouldn't be surprised if I couldn't set it that way anyway.

I think manufacturers are edging more and more towards a driver having LESS control of their own car's behaviour ........

ie, not being able to turn off, or even adjust certain settings, even if you want to.

My car will not even let me turn the lights off manually.

Luckily I was able to reduce the 'Anti Collision Auto Braking' to a minimum setting.

IME it was likely to cause someone rear-ending me as it had overreacted on a few occasions.

I've got an Octavia Mk4 Estate SE-L spec. All the profiles seem able to store are radio presets and which datapoints I've chosen to display in the centre of the dials on the virtual dash (MPG-since-start in the Rev Counter, and Range-to-empty in the Speedo dial).
Other than that it reverts to a bunch of defaults every time I turn the car on that I have to re-select - such as driving mode, auto start-stop, lane-assist.

Edited 10 November, 202510 Nov by Davva

Stop Start and Lane assist are "mandated" to be on. Been that way for a while. Thank your lucky stars we can still turn them off and the setting persists until you turn the ignition off.

Edited 10 November, 202510 Nov by Aldfort