Probably not but that's more because I like to try something new each time. I quite like the idea of a 320D next time or if I get 4 promotions a 335D.

I can see that attitude toward Octy II significantly deteriorated since I

Hi

I'm a bit confused now - I'm new to Briskodia and am agonising over Octavia estate vs Focus estate. Few on this thread are fans of Octavias but everywhere else on site Octavia gets rave reviews - directly or indirectly.

How come Octavia is reviewed as so bad when on the direct question is asked: is it good/bad. Are all dealers poor now too?

This goes against all that I've been told/read from JD Power survey downwards.

I find Ford dealers chavvy and Ford spec descriptions simplistic - all about supposed sports styling not useful stuff like good engines and reliability.

I thought Octavia was the genuine alternative: the show it don't just say it alternative. With straight talking delaers to match.

Can someone clarify for me - do you all dislike your Octavia's deep down? Best to wait for new Ford Focus?

Chris

I think the Octy 2 is a better car let down by worse production - maybe a bit too much electronic control as against quality control!

Might be a case of what was a good buy turning into a goodbye.

Hi

I'm a bit confused now - I'm new to Briskodia and am agonising over Octavia estate vs Focus estate. Few on this thread are fans of Octavias but everywhere else on site Octavia gets rave reviews - directly or indirectly.

How come Octavia is reviewed as so bad when on the direct question is asked: is it good/bad. Are all dealers poor now too?

This goes against all that I've been told/read from JD Power survey downwards.

I find Ford dealers chavvy and Ford spec descriptions simplistic - all about supposed sports styling not useful stuff like good engines and reliability.

I thought Octavia was the genuine alternative: the show it don't just say it alternative. With straight talking delaers to match.

Can someone clarify for me - do you all dislike your Octavia's deep down? Best to wait for new Ford Focus?

Chris

Hi Chris,

It's probably best to take this thread in with some perspective. There are an awful lot of people out there that are very happy with the service they receive and the cars they have bought, and some that have had poor experiences on both fronts.

I'd say do your research on the dealer (they're normally reviewed on here) and drive both cars tgo see which you prefer.

I've just changed over to a new octy2vrs estate and love it... but I've not even hit 1000 miles yet!

K

Hi

I'm a bit confused now - I'm new to Briskodia and am agonising over Octavia estate vs Focus estate. Few on this thread are fans of Octavias but everywhere else on site Octavia gets rave reviews - directly or indirectly.

How come Octavia is reviewed as so bad when on the direct question is asked: is it good/bad. Are all dealers poor now too?

In many respects my octavia is excellent.

It's comfortable , fast , economical and was priced pretty well.

Unfortunately it's had a few annoying faults and the dealers have been quite frankly , abysmal.

The climate control occasionally goes loopy and will only blow hot air , but because there are no fault codes logged they insist there is no problem.

The worst one though is a creaking noise from the suspension that is still getting louder.

The car is about 16 months old and has creaked for 11 of them.

It's been back to dealers 10 times and I'm still no closer to getting it fixed , and I'm fed up with crappy little courtesy cars. Skoda have been no help at all and don't seem to do anything to help.

I can't make any claims for ford being any better , but after this I won't buy another skoda.

I am new to Skoda although I have been driving my wifes Fabia which we like.

Mine is only 6 weeks old and I am neutral to it, little character and several niggles that I am not happy with and I will be trading it in around 2 years old. My last car a Volvo Cross Country was a magnificent intuitive car to drive for 6 years, an extension of my arms and legs, whereas I find the Octavia is quite hard work to drive, it doesnt seem to be intuitive, I really dont like the throttle pedal linkage which seems to impose a jerkiness to the engine, and the DSG gear box is not a patch on the Volvo auto.

Our local dealer in Ashbourne was hugely loved by his customers, and we called it Skoda land because there seemed so many of them around. It is reputed, he lost his dealership because he wouldnt invest vast sums of money in new premises, but people went there because of that old fashion term, now largely unknown called, 'customer service'.

So I am neutral, it doesnt have the build quality of Volvo, it has several design faults, the paint quality is very poor, and it is without character, but so far it has done a job adequately.

dave

Our local dealer in Ashbourne was hugely loved by his customers, and we called it Skoda land because there seemed so many of them around. It is reputed, he lost his dealership because he wouldnt invest vast sums of money in new premises, but people went there because of that old fashion term, now largely unknown called, 'customer service'.

dave

My wife had a new Felicia from there. I could never quite work out what happened because the showroom was modernised then demolished and now stands under new housing. I'd assumed land values overtook the profits from running a dealership but that's purely guesswork. Longley Park in Huddersfield seemed to follow a similar path, a well liked dealership who wouldn't give into the brave new world and now deal in Kia's. Very sad.

As the OP on this thread I have to admit that I won't be buying an Octavia, though I'm open minded about a Skoda in future. The dealership trend has a lot to do with that choice. Skoda used to be quirky, characterful cars sold by people who understood them and the people who bought them. Now they're pretty much like other dealerships, the unique selling point has gone and the added complexity puts them alongside marques that have big discounts (Ford, Vauxhall, etc) or better reliability (Mazda, Honda, etc).

My BiL has an Octavia which inspired me to ask the question. Unlike other cars he's had in the last thirty years (Volvos, VWs, Fords) it's the only one he hasn't raved about or rubbished, which probably says it all. I asked him if he'd have another. He said no and for no particular reason.

It is reputed, he lost his dealership because he wouldnt invest vast sums of money in new premises, but people went there because of that old fashion term, now largely unknown called, 'customer service'.

dave

I heard exactly the same story from Clarion Cars, West Worthing, where I bought mine - now a specialist dealer for Skoda and main dealer for Diahatsu

I haven't received the octy 2 that I have ordered yet but I know that I wont buy another, not because ive got anything against octy 2 or the dealers (very good service so far by the way), but because I never buy the same model of car twice. If they were to bring out an octy 3 I would consider it.

When I buy a new car I want to buy something different not just the same car but with a newer numberplate.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on Octavia is good/bad... as advised, I'll start some research on my local dealership next: Le Car Centre, Finchley, London... unless anyone out there knows them...

Thanks again

Chris

My Mk1 Octy Vrs is coming up to 4 years old and currently has just over 130K miles on the clock.

I had it re-mapped at 10K and LPG converted at 50K and i have only had the usual coil pack problem along the way.

It has other modifications,full exhaust,FMIC,Samco TIP,Carbonio,F+R ARB.

Would i buy another one,i would love to say yes but i'm not a really very keen on the looks of the Mk2 Octy,hopefully the facelift will look a bit sharper.

So on looks alone currently no and on a cost level definately no.

I bought my Mk1 at a great price,on the interest free credit and was very pleased.

My local dealer was very good until he lost his franchise as it was taken over by one of the bigger players and they are just like the rest of them,rubbish.

I would buy one but not a new one,would wait another 18 months and pick up one well under

Up to now the only problem I have had is with the bloody awful radio which will not pick up a decent signal unless you are sitting on top of the transmitter and even in the case of long wave it still does not do that. Dealer/Skoda too slow to solve the problem, but having said that the rest of vehicle is good, especially the DSG box.

If I do replace the car in three years time, age 70, I will also look again very closely at the Accord Estate and I do like the look of the new Mondeo Estate, but only if they have good economic auto shift boxes.

40000 miles in my Octy. No problems.

I am thinking of changing, becasue i have saved for it.

BMW - smaller, small boot with difficult access. Cockpit not practical, door pockets pathetic, no nice spaces for change, no where for my sunglasses in teh roof! Cruise COntrol is an option, but it has no where for my right foot to rest.

Merc - same, but also the steering wheel is offset to teh left - could not do with that.

Mondeo - just too big for my garage.

VW GOlf - too small, but a very nive car.

VW Passat - a little on the big side, but lovely. Costs more but you can see why. The only car on the short list!

On balance, I have stayed with my Octy.

I only wish that the vRS engine came with the DSG gearbox.

After 8 months of sheer hell with my VRS TDi-NEVER!

Oh,and don't forget the generous offer of

Current car is a (don't laugh!) Rover 75 Tourer 2.0 CDT Connesiur SE.

I love it, and it has been 100% reliable, but the lease is up in December so I have to choose another.

Short list is:-

Octivia 2.0 TDI DSG L&K + front parking sensors.

Mondeo Titanium X 2.0 TDCi Auto.

Company car so looking at not giving too much away to the tax man.

I've seen the comments about dealers but as it is a lease car that doesn't really bother me (and after having two Renaults then ANY dealer can only be an improvement!).

Any comments?

If you say NO, please say WHY - it is much more help than just saying no!

The 75 Tourer is a fantastic car. If they still made them, I would have gone for the MG version as the diesel auto is so refined, the interior is business class, and the car just looks 'right'.

Good choice of car. You ever visit the MG-Rover.org site?

:thumbdwn: NO WAY!! Bought an ex demo diesel VRS in March this year with 6000 on the clock. At the start of August a fault developed with the steering and now at the start of September I'm still paying for hire cars as my Octy remains sitting on ramps at my nearest Skoda dealer with so called Skoda trained technicians scratching their heads and fitting part after part in an attempt to figure out what's wrong with it and only ever ringing me to say that they "don't think it's a warranty issue".

As soon as the car comes back it's going up for sale and I'll be staying as far away from the brand as possible. Although they did offer me some accessories to stay with them. I don't know what I'm going to do with the

Ouch , that's not good.

What's the problem with it?

Definately! Only problem other than a minor fault on the radio which was irritating more than anything else (replaced under warranty) was the o/s door window motors packing up two years ago-I have a 1.9td Classic '54 plate

To update my earlier post, yes I would still buy another. So far nothing has gone wrong with my 2.0 TDI, purchased 1 year ago with 14K on the clock and now on 37K. I have been all the way to the southern france/spain border and back, and through germany/luxembourg and its never missed a beat.

And to cap it all, I have found out that the previous keeper was in fact Alamo Car Rental, considering the abuse it must have taken before I got it, you would expect something to break, but it hasnt.

Only wish I knew! To be fair, and I realise this sounds daft, the car itself hasn't been bad apart from this problem and is as much fun to drive as the 3 series beemer I had before it. It's the lack of speed with which the whole situation has progressed combined with the lack of interest shown by at first the retailer and now Skoda. It was only after I slipped into a conversation with a Customer Services guy that my multinational company (the company I work for not literally my company!!) offers Skodas as part of their car scheme and that the contract is up for renewal soon and that I've used every opportunity to let them know why I'm currently driving a Suzuki Swift and not a VRS as usual that his little ears pricked up and now they're looking at a new steering rack under warranty!

I wouldn't buy another. I am on my 3rd fault in less than a year. Bonnet wouldn't open. Oil sensor failure, and central locking clicks off and leaves all the doors unlocked on nearly every journey. First two sorted under warranty. Last fault not constant so reluctant to take it to dealer. Apart from that pleased with space, economy etc. I might have gone for a Mazda6 if I had known I would have problems.

Is it my imagination or have most of the serious faults been connected with a/ diesels, b/ DSG boxes and c/ the vRS and its turbo.

Doesn't seem to have been much reported wrong with the "standard" 2.0 FSI or manual boxes.

A definate YES from me. I've had mine for 3 years and love it. I'd change for a new one but why should I spend loads on new when the one I've got is just perfect!