Skoda Octavia reviews

I bought my Approved Used Octavia about 2 months ago so it's early days, however I have not been disappointed so far. I was looking a car with a larger boot than my previous car (Ford Focus) and an automatic as I spend a lot of time in traffic on the M25! The Octavia fits that small brief perfectly, the boot is huge. I was initially thinking of the Estate but the Hatchback was more than enough for me. The fit an finish of the Skoda is excellent especially in the higher spec Elegance model. It's clear to see the influence of VW as many parts seem to be lifted straight from either the Golf or Passat. However Skoda have added in lot's of really simple storage solutions throughout the car which really add benefit to the day to day experience. The DSG box works really well plus you have different driving modes to choose from, all work well however I tend to stick to ECO mode to save fuel. It's a very comfortable drive especially on the motorway, if you're looking for something to hustle along A-roads then this is probably not the car for you but in real world every day driving it is excellent. 60+ MPG is easily achievable without driving like at a snails pace (I suspect the manual version is even better on fuel economy). I had an issue with a faulty water pump two weeks into ownership which was disappointing however Skoda fixed under warranty. It appears to be a known fault so something to watch out for. Skoda service has been excellent so far, the service intervals are 2 years or 20000 miles and Skoda servicing costs look reasonable. The only thing holding this car back is the badge on the bonnet, if you need a so called "Premium" badge then you probably aren't reading this. If you have an open mind and an eye for a bargain then the Octavia is well worth a serious look.

one of the most comfortable and easy to drive cars on the road, fuel consumption is excellent aprox' 25mpg around town and 40+ on the motorway, steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake drivers seat can be lowered or taken higher, most dashboard controls are within easy reach and are intuitively placed. Acceleration is smooth and torque is ample for most drivers. There is plenty of space within the cabin to store nic-nacks but the only way to describe the boot is HUGE it is more than ample for virtually anyone and is bigger than some estate cars I can think of. Steering is light but communicative and is direct without the vagueness that besets some more modern cars, gear change's is slick and accurate and the brakes are excellent with plenty of bite but without throwing you into the windscreen. The air-con' is a' must have' and is very efficient, but this brings me to my main complaint, the sighting of the heater/air-con controls is ridiculous, the driver has to take his/her eyes off the road in order to make any adjustments that are required, to site it at the bottom of the centre console where it is least visible is dangerous and impracticable, now my second complaint, visibility from the car is great until you get to rear visibility, this is atrocious and parking censores are an absolute must. Other than my two main complaints the car offers generous family room, a cavernous boot, plenty of safety kit, good economy and a comfortable ride. I have driven many cars over the last 40 yrs but the Octavia ranks right up there with the best of them, I just wish I had not let 'badge premium' stop me buying one earlier.

Have been pleased with the car which I bought second-hand in 2008 as it has lots of "extras" like cruise control , parking sensors etc - being an Elegance model. Fuel consumption has averaged 48 mpg over the five years (and when towing a 14ft Sprite caravan it does 30 mpg.) Engine power (105 BHP) is more than adequate and the 5-speed gearbox is the best I have used in over 50 years motoring. The boot is huge and swallows up pushchairs, lawnmowers, suitcases etc with room to spare and passenger space is quite generous too. Seats are very comfortable with good range of adjustments to suit everyone. Controls and instruments are well laid out and there is a feeling of quality about the car. As for Skoda's legendary reliability - I have been a bit disappointed as I had to replace a faulty alternator last year six months after fitting new battery and the electronic door-lock on rear door failed last year too. Brakes are about average - replaced front discs and pads at 42,00 miles, rear calipers (seized) at 45,00 miles and now ABS warning is showing faulty speed sensor at 50,000 miles. Other minor gripes include problems with rear screen washer choking , failing aircon and uneven distribution of light from headlamps when dipped beam is adjusted downwards to compensate for nose-up attitude caused by carrying heavy stuff in the boot. But to sum up - I will have Skoda at the top of the list when I come to replace the car in a few year's time.

My wife bought a new Octavia 1.6TDi to replace a Volvo C30, in February 2013, as more space and access was needed for our grandchildren. The car has proved to be brilliant. Comfortable, spacious, economical and reliable. It rides superbly and feels 'planted' on the road. So, on this basis , I decided to buy a nearly new Mk3 Octavia Elegance. On the 18inch wheels, the ride was what only could be described as harsh! So, oddly, some might say, I had the 'standard' 16 inch put on instead. This has improved the ride a little, but on our rutted and pot-holed roads, it still crashes and bangs (especially the rear end). Skoda may have improved the handling, but at the expense of the ride. Another issue is the 'leather' seating. Which bits are actually cow? They are awful in hot weather, especially the seat-back. I have had proper leather seats before and they were not like this! Come on Skoda.....if you want to be seen as more upmarket, sort out the 'leather' on the seats! On the positive side, the 1.4 TSi engine is a gem! It's quick, responds instantly and is returning up to 65mpg on longer runs! The boot's huge and passenger space excellent! Sorry this has been a bit of a rant, but it's the details that make a good product into a great one!

I've had my dear old 2001 Skud since 2007 and can't really fault it at all. I bought it with 100,000 miles on the clock and it now has 256,000 miles on the clock. No major work needed, just regular servicing and the odd cambelt and a few sets of tyres. Because this is the Classic SDi, there's very little to go wrong, no turbo (68bhp) so cheap tax in Spain and the aircon never lets me down or needs recharging - simply open or close the windows a bit more. Economy is terrific at 62 mpg (if I get less than 60, there's something wrong). (Then again, I used to get 45+mpg from my Volvo 850GLT petrol auto.) Yes, it rattles and bangs a bit but after more than 256,000 miles on the clock that's only to be expected. My local Skoda dealer wanted to charge me over €600 to change a cambelt that didn't need changing and they missed things required for the ITV (Spanish MOT) and they charge a small fortune. Always have problems with dealers not doing the jobs I want them to do or to my standard. All servicing now done my my local friendly garage and done properly. We've had 5 Skodas between us since 1993 and find them great value for money if you buy second hand from a decent specialist.

I had the a fortnight with 12800 miles on the clock, I went to start it, battery flat.I called skoda breakdown who got me started.The technician advised me to have the car checked at my dealership to find the problem. No problem was found.I got a lecture on battery drainage and that perhaps I was not doing enough miles. Demisting problems - the car is always misted up, I have had to top the coolant up twice lately. The carpets are dry. I was told I was not doing long enough journeys to take the moisture out of the air. I have oil on the drive where the car is parked, no other car is parked there. Workshop could not find an oil leak. I don,t think they had the engine shield off. Still got an oil leak - won,t have another skoda, I will go back to a passat. Don,t trust Trust Group. I have still got the problems, so much for the skoda three year warranty. R Henderson.

This an excellent car that functions perfectly even after 8 years and 85000 miles. Being the L & K version it has every extra you could wish, air con, auto transmission with normal and sports transmission, automatic lights and wipers, heated wing mirrors, dipping rear mirror, etc. It still does over 45 mpg solo and 30 towing a caravan. It has towed a caravan all over Europe and I have yet to find a 'normal' road that has affected speed. The leather seats are still supple and show no wear. Access through all doors is very good and there is ample room in the boot for a golf clubs and trolley with the rear seat up and good, secure storage under the boot floor. The RF licence is £175 and I currently pay £185 for fully comp. insurance. This has proved itself to be an consistently excellent car and I would seriously consider a replacement Octavia when the time comes.

I drive over 140 miles a day on the motorway plus shorter trips at weekends. I find the Skoda a very smooth ride, albeit a little noisy. It is easy to drive and steady, almost feeling like it is sat on rails. The build quality is excellent and all the interior trim feels solid and robust yet easy to operate. Fuel economy is good and it's easy to get 64mpg plus on the M25 every day without being a snail or an idiot. Also around town I routinely get 45mpg. There is a good throttle response and excellent brakes. Inside the seats are comfy with good support and even the rear seat passengers get looked after well. The heating/lights/radio etc all work well and are straightforwards to operate. Boot space is more than enough to transport a student to/from University every 8 weeks with space to spare. I will definitely buy another Skoda for my next car.

This car was bought new, and has never let me down. It eats up the miles & at the legal speed limit returns 60.5 mpg. One little niggle: the reversing sensors have a cable that runs under the rear screen wash tube, which drips on to the cable and shorts out the sensors. This design fault needs to be rectified. We do a lot of town driving; and in 81,000 miles, I have only had to replace the tyres once! My local dealer is very expensive for servicing, so take it to a former Skoda dealer, who lost the franchise, and there I can talk to the man with oil under his nails, rather than a young lady who has no idea what she is talking about! (They are also a lot cheaper too!) Cannot recommend this car highly enough. I hope shortly they will bring out a decent hybrid one, and am hanging on to this one until they do.

SatNavs were around in 2005, yet Skoda decided to place the cigar lighter socket in the centre console, behind the gear lever. If you have a SatNav mounted at the bottom of the windscreen, which is usual, and need it to be on charge, which is common, the charging cable has to run across the side of the gear lever. Very stupid. Also, mobile 'phones have been around for decades and hands-free kits (portable or installed) for nearly as long, yet most car manufacturers omit to design into their interior layouts a generic 'phone cradle, so we're left trying to rest it in the ashtray or in a door pocket or some other less than ideal place. Come on, car manufacturers, especially Skoda who have become so good at so much - drag your designers into the 21st Century or sack them and get some with up to date ideas!

Practical and comfortable, it is like a pair of comfortable slippers that can turn in to a pair of low end training shoes if you want a blast on an entertaining road. I have done a few 500 mile trips with ease and comfort. Although petrol engined economy is okay and the 500 mile trips were done on one tank. Urban, as can be expected, is nowhere near as good. One trip was done in the terrible January 2013 snow with a detour through the Perthshire lanes. Even though all weather tyres were fitted to the front only the car did amazingly well. The traction control is excellent. High end 4x4s with road tyres were going nowhere! I'm old fasioned so don't need many toys - it has a decent radio/CD, aircon, electic mirrors. I will likely buy another Skoda when I need to replace this one.

I have driven a few cars in my time, but because I am a tall guy, finding a car that will provide a comfortable ride is somewhat challenging. I am of a generation where the Skoda has a bad stigma attached to it, and this made me a little hesitant of getting one. However, I am so glad that I did! It's an absolutely fantastic ride, which handles the road fantastically and provides a smooth ride. It also has plenty of space at the drivers seat for my 6' 7'' frame. If you have a family the back seats are spacious, and if your partner likes to do a bit of shopping you'll find a boot that's so big, I'm sure you will find Narnia at the end of it! Overall I can't express how highly I recommend this car, but any stigma or hesitation about Skoda's have been blown out of the water!

I bought this car new to replace a ten year old Rover. I particularly like the amount of space there is in the car. There is plenty of room for driver and four passengers. The boot is big enough to take all our luggage on driving holidays to the continent and any rubbish for my occasional visits to the tip. During my commute and for any 'touring' journeys I usually get 40+ mpg. The downside of the car is probably the size. It is quite a heavy car, although I only really noticed it when I had to drive up a hill on snow last winter. Also it took a while to get used to parking in marked bays as it completely fills most bays in car parks. Overall I am pleased with the car.

This is a great car. It is reliable, comfortable and spacious and the MPG is very good, varying between 56-62mph depending on the type of driving (motorway or local). Moreover, this model has a computer which makes it easy to check the MPG. The interior design is well thought out with maximum use made of the space for storage. I particularly like the way the floor of the boot compartment lifts up to reveal a space for keeping items that one would not want to leave on view or items that would other wise clutter up the boot space and possibly roll around when driving - e.g. jump leads, torch tool box etc. Overall, I would say that this is the best car I have ever owned.

This is a proven vehicle with excellent levels of economy and reliability. You get VW/Audi quality at around 85-90% of Audi/VW price. My current model (VRS) is fine but not as good as the previous standard format Elegance. The ride is hard and the low profile sports wheels do not mix well with our poorly maintained roads. I will revert to a standard format for my next Skoda. Having said that the car has all the power you would need and with sensible driving in urban/extra urban conditions can easiy obtain around 48mpg in summer and 45 mpg in winter. It is a spacious carrier for a small/medium car (its based on a Golf frame)and is reasonably cheap to service.

I sold my X-type Jaguar and bought the Octavia. I am very pleased with it. Fuel consumption is one of the differences(the jag was a 2l petrol giving me about 25mpg) enabling me to get over 50mpg. The car runs very smoothly. the gear change is very smooth. Wind noise is slightly higher than the jag. The car is very roomy inside with plenty of room in the back (the Jag was very bad for room in the back).Handling and response are very good, The boot is large and there is lot of storage space in the car. As an older driver the biggest prblem I have is the electronics. Getting to find out what you can do and controlis, to me, quite complicated.

To date the the car has lived up to my expectations based upon the literature I read and the reviews I both read and viewed prior to buying the car. Two exceptions - the poor wear quality of the seating. To date the drivers front seat has already been renewed under warranty - (Registered March 2012). However the replacement seat is already starting to deteriorate and the passenger seat is also beginning to show wear. Also the car performed extremely poorly in snow condition to the point where this year I have bought winter tyres in the hope that this measure will improve the drive of the car in adverse conditions.

Bought it quite old and after 6 months, have started replacing wheel bearings, brake components, starter motor and some minor electrical items, converted to lpg months ago and cheaper than most diesels to run, lovely to drive. The 1.8 engine dates way back into VW history (Golf GTi I think )and we had this before in a Passat, which was still going strong at 221000 miles! It is an engine with lots of torque and great economy. The Octavia is a solid and practical build, equal to VW and Audis, the were always good engineers, which is why they were invaded, now they have a more peaceful neighbour and owners of Skoda!

Impossible to adjust the height of the beams manually for continental motoring as controlled by sensors back and front. The black patches sold by the AA to convert dip lights from left to right don't work on xenons. So the car is automatically illegal in France. If there's a way to convert the beams left to right it is only possible when connected to the vehicle diagnostic system - so TOTALLY impractical. The VAG group should be told to get their act together and make sure all cars sold, at least in the UK and Ireland, can be converted without the intervention of a dealer. This is BAD DESIGN.

The car I bought new in Oct 2012 was the "previous" model and thus quite cheap. It has been excellent in all areas although we would prefer a more "upright" car. The performance is good and the economy excellent, 52mpg overall at 15,000 miles. I keep a check on all diesel put in and the mileage etc. on a spreadsheet. The only problem has been a blown light bulb and a "funny" patch on the back rest of the driver's seat yet to be discussed with the local dealer. The only negative comments are that the ride can be slightly unsettled and the road noise can be rather intrusive.