Had my new 2.0 TD Elegance Octavia for about 6 weeks and have just passed 2500 miles. I thought I would share some of my experiences and likes/dislikes.

Likes: equipment, engine flexibility, performance, space, handling, climate control

Dislikes: road noise from those horrendous Bridgestones! I was driving on the M6 yesterday and on some road surfaces the noise was almost painful. Might have to start using my 3 series for long trips until I can justify replacing the tyres with something quieter.

The Stream radio has poor reception - just driving through a built up area is enough to affect it.

I am getting a rattling/resonance from the rear area of the car sometimes, normally poor road surface sets it off and it can be quite noticeable at speeds up to about 50 mph (when the tyre noise drowns it out ).

I find the auto wipers very good, but in the recent deluges, even the fastest wipe speed seems to be barely adequate.

So do I regret my decision? Not one bit. The research I did beforehand prepared my for noisy tyres and the odd rattle, which are both (hopefully) possible to sort. The car is great to drive, even to the extent that my poor 3 series has been left forelorn at the back of the drive!

I checked the tyres for the first time last weekend and found they were up at 36 PSI instead of 32 PSI (=2.2 bar?). I let some air out of them (and hoped perhaps it would deaden the tyre noise - no such luck) but as it hasn't made any difference except it seems to increase fuel consumption, I might shove some more air in.

Any comments on any of the above ar, of course, very welcome!

Cheers

Glen

The noisy tyres are a bone of contention for most Octavia drivers. Changing them is the only way unless you have a nice pair of ear defenders..............

Have you spoken to your dealer about the road noise? it's worth seeing if there is anything they can/will do.

As for the rattling and rubbish reception, take it back to the dealer and let them have a look. They are obvious problems so let them sort it all out for you.