I prefer the surveys done in mags like Auto Express which are more likley to attract car fans rather than Which magazine which I think appeals to the grey haired middle classes. I think Honda has done well before on their surveys !

At the end of the day, it's all about personal opinions. I mean, the new Fabia has had some good reviews in the press, but as an owner of the older model, I think the new one looks like a disabled car or a car that would attract older people. It is dull, it is very conservative and if the pictures of the new estate are anything to go buy, the back looks like an old Kia.

I have had no issues with my 06 Octy II apart from the keys, but then I only have a 1.6 FSI.

As for Honda, Honda does well in most surveys when it comes to reliability.

i think you should cancel your order as in my opinion anyone who reads which? magazine should be banned from a: driving b: this site c: reproducing.

it is the scourge of the planet talking total ****** across all subjects.

I don't like surveys which include all models of a particular car as if they were all the same. It sounds as though a lot of the problems here concerned the diesels, while most people with FSIs have little or no trouble. So they should survey, say, 500 owners of 140TDIs, another 500 who have 2.0FSIs etc etc.

i think you should cancel your order as in my opinion anyone who reads which? magazine should be banned from a: driving b: this site c: reproducing.

it is the scourge of the planet talking total ****** across all subjects.

Talking total ****** you say?

Does seem to be at complete odds to the JD Power surveys. Sample size is too small for them to base any conclusions on really.

If I remember correctly Which? used to send questionnaires to selected members but now they send questionnaires to all members.

The reliability rating is based on 50% breakdowns, 25% for faults which don't result in breakdown and 25% for "niggles".

The "very poor" 82% rating for the Octavia would have got it into the "best" rating a year or two ago. The Fabia Mk 1 gets an "excellent" 94%. The Superb gets a "poor" 85%. Skodas as a whole have gone up from 76% to 77% in the last year.

Personally I am more concerned with being stranded at the roadside or having to carry a box of tools like I used to back in the 70s. I don't get particularly annoyed with rattles unless it sounds like a serious engine/ transmission fault.

Based on last year's rating of the Octavia which was "good", the car being "worth considering" the implication is that the quality of the most recently built diesel versions is poor. We shall see, starting tomorrow!

It's not the opinion given here -

New Skoda Octavia Reviews | 2007 Skoda Octavia Rating | Latest Skoda Octavia Cars

This is probably a load of old compost but someone told me the other day that there are 8000 Octavias in Madrid working as Taxis. In fact it seems to me that most Octavias are working as Taxis.

Do taxi drivers pick crap cars?:confused:

Most taxis in greece are Octavias as well. If I was to pull a number out of my a*se I'd say they comprise well over 60% of the fleet. Just fly to athens and get out of the airport. You'll be greeted by a long line of yellow skodas.

It's worth mentinoning that in Greece all Taxis are privately owned so the drivers themselves choose and buy their car. Having spoken with a few since I got my Octavia 5 years ago, it seems that most were initially tempted by the lower price, even before they had any indication of their reliability. Nowadays its mostly a no brainer, as they cost significantly less than the Toyotas (Carina, Avensis) or Mercedes (mostly C-class) they used to buy a few years ago. They're mostly buying Superbs and Octavia Mk II's now, although the Mercedes C-class is often seen, mostly in smaller cities were they can't justify a seperate car for working and personal use, so they take advantage of the lower tax for taxis and get themselves a nice C-class for both uses.

My dealer also mentioned that they have special prices for servicing and components for Taxi drivers over here, probably elsewere too. They pay much less for their brake pads/disks and clutches, which adds up considering they'd do over 80k km (~50k miles) a year.

It's not the opinion given here -

New Skoda Octavia Reviews | 2007 Skoda Octavia Rating | Latest Skoda Octavia Cars

So, like most things, the answer you get depends on who you ask the question.

As a subscriber to "which" it has annoyed me how they have chosen to overlook the Octy2 for more than 2 years!! The motoring suppliment last year and the year before still quoted the Octy1, yet the new "C" CLASS Merc which has only been out a few months gets a mention. I for one will be prepared to fill a questionnaire in a moment if they bother to get round to asking its readers about a car that has been in the topten of the motoring press reviews for over 2 years. Yes, I am pleased with my Octy2 Tdi 2.0. and if there are these troublespots surfacing then surely VW and Audi should have exactly the same negative press. (The VW Golf gets a rosey review!!!)

I have always found 'which' to be utterly useless, esp. for consumer electronics. As soon as a review is published, the product has been superseded....

I wouldn't take any notice of it!

I heard before if someone is happy with something product/service etc.. they will tell on average 3 - 4 people about this. If they are unhappy with a product/service they tell on average 15 people!!

In Ireland a lot of taxis now are also Octavias. Couldn't tell you what % or amount but there is a lot.

I don't like surveys which include all models of a particular car as if they were all the same. It sounds as though a lot of the problems here concerned the diesels, while most people with FSIs have little or no trouble. So they should survey, say, 500 owners of 140TDIs, another 500 who have 2.0FSIs etc etc.

How did the Golf or Leon diesel rate?

They are pretty much the same package. Same problems, same stuff.

Edit: And my pd140 is problem free.

Have had my company lease L&K Octavia 2 1.9TDI 105 for three months and 11000 miles - no problems yet but the engine seems noisier and more agricultural than my previous L&K 1.9 110 estate which I ran for over 4 years and 120000 trouble free miles - the new car is slightly less economical but then it is bigger and heavier with a less powerful engine

I have always found 'which' to be utterly useless, esp. for consumer electronics. As soon as a review is published, the product has been superseded....

I wouldn't take any notice of it!

I tend to agree with that and as the old saying goes 'as soon as you get a new computer, it's already old'.

A mate of mine runs a hifi shop in Peterborough and he is always telling me that What Hi Fi and the like ar erubbish. They recycle the same reviews over and over again all because the same makers spend a fortune on adverts. He is adamant that a magazine is not going to go to task on a manufacturer that keeps the magazine afloat.

With Which?, they don't have that hanging round their neck. Surely, that can only be a good thing, even if people don't agree with their views. I mean, I think Sharp Aquos LCD tvs are the dogs dangly bits, yet you never see that many reviews on them in the 'expert' mags.

Do taxi drivers pick crap cars?:confused:

Yep, we buy cars on the same basis as everyone else, when a new model is released we take the same risks as everyone else. as the owner of a cab fleet of over 130 cars I can quite happily say the MK2 Octavia is no where near as reliable as the MK1, infact there are very few of them compared to the MK1.

The MK1 was a cheap car, it came with 3 years unlimited mileage warranty, the MK2 is not a cheap car and does not come with a decent warranty.

When my local Saltdean (Citygates) group was in business they had very special deals for cabbies. Perhaps that's why they went broke!

Nope, they went broke because of the total and utter sh*te service they provided, like anyone else, if you treat a cabbie poorly they will go elsewhere.

All dealers give us discounts on purchase price, servicing etc, so thats rarely a factor in deciding which model to go for.

Yes, taxi drivers love them although the Mk 1 is not ideal with lack of legroom in the back, presumably because of the lower purchase price, reliability and low running costs. Though a lot of taxis had to have replacement gearboxes at 100K under warranty. The taxi drivers have moved on to Mk 2 Octy's and Superbs.

Sadly not, most cabbies are ditching Skoda because of poor service from the dealers and poor reliability on the new models, the Superb is a bit of a lemon, the only one that doesn't give problems with the engine or gearbox is the pd130, although the rest of it still falls apart!

Skoda aren't alone in this though, the whole of the VAG group have gone seriously downhill, the only exception being Audi, the A6 still has all the problems of the VW/Skoda but the service you recieve from the dealers is second to none, not to mention we run the A6 for less than the cost of an A4, which is quite an incentive.

the only exception being Audi, the A6 still has all the problems of the VW/Skoda but the service you recieve from the dealers is second to none

Depends where you are I suppose. My father-in-law has had some truly appalling service from Audi. He loves the cars but is considering dumping the brand just because of the dealers.

I think its worth remembering that Which put Equitable Lifes products at the top of their "Best Buy" lists all the time whilst everyone in the know knew there was something 'orribly wrong. "Consumers Association" my ****. Is it a government body?? No its just a business trying to flog magazines.

1. 37900 miles in Mk II Octavia 2.0TDi DSG. No problems.

2. Once bought an electrical item following recommendaton in Which? (I read it in the library - no way am i getting on their mailing list!). The item did not live up to its review. I'm sorry I cannot remember what it was, as it was 25 years ago.

No doubt how you drive the car has some bearing on reliability? Also how many different drivers it has. I asked the salesman I bought the Scout from, who seemed to know his stuff (he has one of the last VRS Fabias as his own car), about the DMF problem and he said "the way you drive you won't have any problems". Meaning that I drive sympathetically and don't give cars a hard time. This would explain how I always found Citroens to be very reliable - my last was a ZX 1.9 diesel that had done 95K when I changed to a Mk 1 Octy.

If 86% of owners would recommend the car to a friend then they are either vindictive or very satisfied with the vehicle.

"Which" can be useful, but it is not the true solution to making your purchases. Which is a bit like Saga going to far down the commercial route rather than follow their initial simple business plan.

So far I find my Skoda acceptable apart from one ongoing problem, get that fixed and will be a happy bunny.