Skoda Octavia

I've now owned my Octavia 118tsi with the notorious 7 speed DSG transmission for 14 years. It is now our second car and has only covered 80000km but I can honestly say that it has never let me down in these past 14 years. Sure at such low mileage it would be surprising to have had a catastrophic breakdown but I've never had it serviced at a… Read more

stealership only my local garage. Just a service each year at under $400, no problems, one new battery and two sets of tyres, only replaced due to age rather than wear. Could have updated it years ago but as I say it has never let me down so why bother, it still drives like new and I would have no hesitation in driving it across the country tomorrow if need be.

An already enthusiastic owner over the moon with the update – About five years ago I reviewed our newly acquired Skoda Octavia 1.8tsi Wagon. It was four years old and appeared reasonably well kept with good logs. At the time it was quite a surprise, not the Skoda of old, the butt of endless jokes. Indeed, it was much better than I anticipated with only oil burning the outstanding drawback. This was due to… Read more

the previous owner having abused the car with low quality petrol and oil. The logs were not quite accurate but with care and maintenance the car recovered and served us well for five years, well enough to decide on another. This is a four-year-old Octavia 1.4 Turbo Wagon with full luxury and tech packs, moonroof and automatic tailgate. The only negative was some mediocre tyres and these have been replaced with Continental Contact 7s, transforming the car. The vehicle is pure delight. No glitches, supremely confident on the road and extremely economical. Any irritations are too minor to go into here. The improvement over the older car is considerable. This machine eats up the kilometres, long journeys are not tiring, the seats are much better and the display screen is excellent with an outstanding GPS. I can only praise the designers at Skoda, it is hard to believe this is Golf at the core. Huge boot space and a feeling of space when driving. Highly recommended. Do yourself a favour and get a test drive. I will take this over an SUV any day.

Skoda Short life – This is a video of what happened to my Skoda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGEX5ht-ymQ&t=8s Purchased a Skoda Octavia RS 162 Wagon brand new in February 2017. It was the best bang for buck and an absolute gem of a vehicle. Until the issues started occurring. The vehicle is part of VW MQB platform, meaning all their parts, components, drive… Read more

train etc are shared across multiple vehicles from VW & Audi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Group_MQB_platform)

Issues - Waterpump/Thermostat Housing This is such a widespread issue across the MQB Range (Golf GTi, Audi A4, A6, Skoda Superb, Octavia etc) Mine began leaking at 66k km, others at 27k km from brand new. Owners were usually welcomed to a pool of coolant under the front of the engine. This was such a widespread issue that a class action occurred and was settled (https://mycarvoice.com/news/volkswagen-water-pump-settlement-announced/)

G13 Coolant Silicon bag "Mit Silikate" Inside the Coolant reservoir bottle was a mesh bag of silicon balls. This bags were prone to break down overtime due to heat or improper glue used for the bag. The silicon balls will then travel within the coolant system and block the heater core. This required a complete flush, replacement of the heater core and Engine oil cooler and DSG cooler if fitted. Owners would be come aware when there was no heat coming from the vents at full fan speed. (https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&sca_esv=362aaeb0f060fccd&sxsrf=ADLYWIKl1a3wtrxoDEYGp595WCiWvvYfag:1732840537590&q=G13+Coolant+Silicone+bag+%22Mit+Silikat%22&spell=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi86seFpoCKAxVLSmwGHdjMCTcQBSgAegQIDxAB&biw=2560&bih=1279&dpr=1)

Coolant Migration This has been a specialty of Volkswagen Group vehicles (VW, Audi, Skoda, Porsche) (Only vehicle manufacture to have this issue). Coolant would leak internally within the terminals of the Coolant Shut off Valve, Coolant Temp Sensor or Coolant Reservoir Bottle plug. These plugs are watertight sealed plugs, so no external liquids can enter. The internal fault/design flaw of the terminals, will leak internally, If you're are lucky, the leak will cause a check engine light according to the sensor it affects, if you are not, it will go undetected. From there, the coolant will migrate into the engine wiring and travel to all connection points. This is caused by two forces, capillary action and from expansion/contraction of the cooling system. The coolant then corrodes the terminal pins, wiring and connectors. Some instances, the engine will unexpectedly loss power completely as it loses Ignition power. The repair bill for this is usually around $16,000+ depending on the severity of the corrosion.

Technical Service Bulletin addressing this issue, which you can view here: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10155655-9999.pdf

Repair Guide from Ross Tech here: http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/P1888

Google search of "Coolant Migration" results: https://shorturl.at/ymghX

Other VAG owners on forums suffering from the same issue - VWvortex: https://www.vwvortex.com/search/2816935/?q=Coolant+shut+off&o=relevance Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/GolfGTI/comments/aitqg2/coolant_shutoff_valve_failure_p1889_n82_valve/ VWROC: https://www.google.com/search?q=VW+P1888+site.vwroc.com BriSkoda: https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/517227-2017-skoda-kodiaq-coolant-leak-through-wiring-harness-to-ecu/ Audiworld - https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-c7-platform-discussion-194/coolant-mechatronic-tsc-connectors-2969953/ Audiworld - https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a8-s8-d4-platform-discussion-190/coolant-leak-through-wiring-harness-2862459/page5/

Its a great car, until its not. My vehicle only had a shelf life of 7 years from brand new. Customer service is great when its good, but when things go bad, Skoda dont want to know you, which is sad, cause I vouched for Skoda despite the negative connotation with VAG cars, convincing several members of family and friends to purchase their Skoda (All of which have ultimately had these issues).

A Decent Sedan But I Wouldn't Buy One Again – I purchased my Skoda Octavia 169RS sedan in late 2018 and I've just clocked over 5 years of usage on it (however only 50,000km due to 2 years of limited usage with COVID lockdowns). I use it mostly for city driving, commuting to and from work, and the occasional regional trip away. When I was test driving I tested the base model, the SportsLine… Read more

model, and then the RS version. I immediately noticed the difference driving the RS in that it was way more sporty, quick off the mark, and had a much nicer interior, so I just had to go with that model.

THE GOOD: The Skoda RS' handling is amazing, the best of any car I have driven in almost 30 years of driving. I particularly noticed this driving down the Great Ocean Road where it would just lean into the corners and grip so well that you barely had to take your foot off the accelerator. Cars in front of me were pulling over to let me pass as they could see how well the Skoda was handling all of the corners. The Touch screen is nice and large and in a good location. I love the interior led lights and how you can change their colours. Mechanically nothing has really gone wrong in the 5 years I have had the car, I think there was only 1 recall issue that had to be addressed but apart from that everything has worked ok (except for 1 potential big problem which I have listed in the bad section). The different driving modes are great. When putting it onto sport mode you can have a lot of fun and the car gives a decent throaty exhaust sound. It's quick off the line. A number of drivers have pulled up next to me on the left hand side at lights (knowing that their lane runs out just after the lights, you know those drivers!). In every instance I have left them in my dust, unless it's been a car out of the Skoda's league of course. The boot space is really decent and the back seats all fold down to make it even bigger.

THE AVERAGE: With the sales experience I hate how you have to buy packages to upgrade various features of the car (like luxury & tech packs). My previous car was a Chrysler 300 and that had every optional extra already included in the price. It really pushes up the price of the car! No DAB digital radio which is annoying, my wife's Toyota Camry company car base model from 2018 had this included so it's crazy to think that Skoda did not include this back then (they probably have it now though). When putting the car into sport mode it chews through the petrol pretty fast. Servicing can be expensive. The service team always tried to talk me into shelling out thousands of dollars up front to pay for so many years servicing but I always refused. Most of the time servicing was around the $600 mark but it was not unusual for a service to go over $1k if they found something. Now that I am out of warranty I definitely won't be servicing through the dealer. The stop/start petrol saving feature can be good but also annoying as on the odd occasion where you don't want it to kick in as you're only stopping for a second, when you try to take off again, it can bunny hop itself. It's more of a sports car so the ride can be pretty bumpy, you get used to it if you are the driver but with the state of the Victorian roads these days you feel every bump you go over. Cabin noise is pretty average. The car can be quite loud when getting up to 100 and above. I noticed a big difference compared to my previous car, the Chrysler 300 which was nice and quiet in the cabin. The car has also developed some rattles when driving which is annoying, I just have to turn my music up to drown them out.

THE BAD: I found the sports seats the worst aspect of this car. Now they may actually be good for you as I have read that some people find them comfortable, however I'm 6ft 1, weigh 85kg and I find the seats are too narrow in that the supports on each side dig into my legs and put my hips and back out of alignment. I have read on a couple of sites that this might be due to the alignment of the pedals, steering wheel and seat with these cars been switched from left hand drive to right hand drive, but whatever it is I'm not the only person who has experienced this problem. I actually have to drive with a seat cushion to boost me up above the left and right supports. Due to this issue alone I will not buy another Skoda vehicle as I noticed with all of their new vehicle models, they all have similar seats to what I have in the Octavia RS. I have experienced 1 potentially dangerous problem 3 times in 5 years and I have reported it to my Skoda dealership but they have always brushed it off and refused to investigate. The car's emergency crash assist braking system has randomly kicked in for no apparent reason and with no warning. Each time that it has happened it has scared the living **** out of me as the car slams on the brakes by itself as if it's going to come to a complete stop. What's really dangerous is that it has done it at 60km and even once at 80km p/h and if someone was close behind me they could slam into the back of me. Thankfully no one has been close behind when it has occurred and the car has let up after one second so I didn't lose too much speed. From what I have read other people have also experienced this problem and it is an ECU camera fault but you have to fight with the dealer to get it changed over. While being quick off the line is good, if you accelerate too much the wheels skid a little when trying to gain traction (and sometimes a traction control warning appears). If you do this too much then you end up running down the tread and having to replace the tyres after a short amount of time - the service Centre wanted me top to replace my rear tryes in only the second year of having the car and not having driven many kms. I managed to go another year before replacing them, but I think there is an inherent weight issue in the car and I have read online that other Skoda Octavia users have experienced this same problem. I had a two door sports car as one of my previous cars in the early 2000s and I never had this wheel spin problem.

Overall it's a fun car and you might really enjoy it, but for me my next car won't be a Skoda as I can't deal with those seats ever again and combined with the other 2 bad issues I've listed above these are enough reasons for me to steer me away from them!

Best car I’ve ever owned – I purchased my MK3 facelift Octavia RS245 wagon in August 2020 and it’s been my own business car for nearly 2 years now. I’ve had a few new company cars in my time but this has to be the best and it’s mine. It’s quick, being a GTI engine and running gear it provides enough power I require to do the job and handy hint, run it on sport mode in town… Read more

and normal on the highway you can also put it into individual mode and you can adjust your suspension, handling and others , the boot size is fantastic for its class certainly bigger than an outback or even a Golf and has all the bells and whistles I could ask for with the panoramic sunroof, luxury and tech packs. Yeah, you do get lemons, I’ve even seen a few top German marks have them and hey, it happens but this one for me is spot on. Be sure to purchase the service package though as with Any Euro brand it can be a bit costly but in saying that, my wife’s 1.0 ltr Kia Rio GT line is over the $400 mark by its second service and that’s how they make their money. Road noise is ok for what it is the Pirelli tyres being $385 each are not the best especially for the price, the Canton sound system is ok and the infotainment system is brilliant. I’m certainly very happy with my purchase, I’ve got 2 years left and will definitely buy another.

Best value for money – Honestly, second best car I've ever owned, best one was a Japanese sedan that I fitted springs, shocks and tyres to, but that's another story. This RS wagon is so practical and comfortable, a real sleeper as very few people know what it's capable of. Traction on acceleration was on issue with original tyres, but fitting some Michelin sport 4s… Read more

tyres sorted that out. It's an all rounder, my wife's shopping trolley on week days and my tourer to visit relatives 100 k's from home, this car showed 5.5 litres per hundred on a trip back from Qld to Gosford one time. Usual fuel consumption around the Central Coast is 8.5 litre/100. My brother in law (a committed German luxury sedan owner) commented on the heated rear seats as his car doesn't have them. Dual sided cargo area mat, love it! Yes I'de buy another Skoda in a heart beat. This car has been mostly reliable, leaky water pump, common problem with that (Volkswagen) motor that was fixed under warranty has been the only issue. Car now done about 60,000km and we still enjoy every drive. Just be careful driving it, the speed gets away from you as the low road noise can fool you very easily into thinking your driving slow.

Skoda Octavia station wagon – Used to go to medical appointments; collect medications, shopping and general everyday transport. Rare long trips beyond 150 kilometres ew. Serviced according to log book. Recorded in that. Driven almost daily on short trips. Is essential transport for me. Show details

Good Competant Wagon – Purchased 08 build about a year ago and I have only travelled 10,000 Km to date. Needed a download to correct minor fault which was done at Skoda dealer in Wodonga Vic. Good economy approx 5.7L/100Km but on last trip with cruise set to 105kph I got 5.1L/100Km which is about 55 mpg. No DSG but proper manual transmission and only repair to come is replacement grille where a galah hit it on last trip apart from service. Show details

very happy simply clever is right – Used metro and some regional. has averaged 5.3Lt per 100 over 6 years and 48,000 Klms No warranty issues, has been serviced yearly by Skoda Dealer at a total cost of $1902 =317 average Show details

Skoda, simply avoiding warranty repairs – Years trying to get a delaminating roof panel fixed ( while still in warranty), messed around, sent for quotes, kept in a rotating delay sequence by Skoda Australia, only to be told " we won't be fixing it" What an absolutely criminal car company with equally shocking dealerships. Well done to ESSENDON SKODA for being utterly useless. Buy something else folks! Show details

Below average – The car isn't too bad but it's not good enough for at least the following reasons: Although it's purportedly 160HP, it is too slow at startup/acceleration, the engine on/off system makes this particularly bad when you need to drive into a main road. The GPS system (and generally all electronics) are reminiscent of 1980 computers with a lot of… Read more

missing options or non-obvious detours to be able to perform basic operations. The suspensions aren't great either. The only good thing I find in this car is the boot size, the space inside, that's a plus.

Expensive Lemon – Have had nothing but problems with my 2020 RS 245. Beware of random Skoda software updates that cause major electrical malfunction. I live with a $50k car that constantly flashes all warning signals on the dash. It started with basic issues like being unable to open the hatch or the hatch popping open while driving and not being able to lock the… Read more

hatch. The car is constantly beep beeping when I put the car in park telling me to put the car in park! A heap of expensive crap. Have had to call Skoda roadside assistance no less than 8 times and the car is not even a year old. Have also found Skoda to be a nightmare to deal with. Availability of experienced, qualified mechanics is just not there. Avoid this car like the plague. You've been warned.

Never to buy one again – I have bought my car just 2 months and had to go to the service centre 3 times and when I went the second time they could not fix my car so imagine taking off from work and going to the service centre again and again. I call it the pappadam car,only looking good very sluggish take off and the automatic system if it’s the wipers or anything else… Read more

its not good will be trading it in for something else at least a bag of peanuts.service centre is fat more irritating than the sales people.

GTI but better – Great fun to drive, reminds me much of the VW Golf GTI on which it’s based, but more practical. Still just as quick as the GTI (or at least it feels it) even though is a small/Medium wagon, it still has a larger boot then a Subaru Outback which is classified as a large wagon/suv. Rear leg room is better than all its competitors with loads of… Read more

space, 2 USB ports and heated front and rear seats which are great on a bad back on a cold winters morning. Reliability has also Ben faultless and it’s proving to be the reliable Volkswagen. DSG is sharp and you don’t need as much adapting to get used to it compared to older models.

My only criticism is it still has a manual handbrake compared to the other Skoda’s which have an electric one

75000 Klms with no problems – I purchased this car in September 2016 and as my job requires me to be on the road each day I can speak with some confidence about how this car has performed. I can genuinely say that there has been no issues except I needed a new battery after 50000 Kim’s but no charge to me. The DSG has never given me a problem so I really don’t know why some… Read more

people complain about it. My car was optioned with the Tech pack which amongst other things included a great sound system and radar cruise control. The 1.4 motor has enough power for me and the torque has a wide band from about 1700 rpm. I find it a lovely highway cruise and at times get fuel consumption of 4.9 litres per 100 kms It has been fully serviced by Skoda and although a little more expensive than the Japanese and Korean rivals it isn’t over the top. One down side is that the depreciation on Skoda is fairly steep so it’s better not to sell or trade in in the first three years or so Overall I’m very glad to have purchased this car and even though I am on the road each day for work there has been no issues at all.

Awesome car – Goes fast Use it to commute to work No dramas in 7 years except for the window Bad thing is pricey maintenance as the components are quite expensive Driven about 170000km already and the cars still going strong Awesome Show details

The hidden gem of the motoring world – I love the Octavia RS245 because it is a brilliant compromise of sportiness and practicality. It's based on the Golf GTI Performance so it's quick and handles beautifully. However it's got a longer wheelbase so it has more room, a huge boot and is more comfortable. It's also much cheaper, just as well equipped and built and very reliable as well.… Read more

So far I've done 80000km, a lot of that with performance modifications on the car and the only problem I've had is a leaky water pump which was replaced under warranty without any problems. It's also reasonably economical, I can get down to 6l/100km on a highway trip, although it's generally between 8 and 9 on a mixed journey. Other things I like are the big clear infotainment screen, the excellent lane assistance, the sporty but very comfortable front bucket seats, the fantastic LED headlights, the multi-mode adaptive dampers and the silky smooth 7 speed gearbox. Things I don't like? Road noise is quite bad, there are a few rattles from the sunroof, the stock Pirelli tyres were just atrocious and the black colour is very difficult to keep clean. Overall, very happy.

The engines have too many manufacturing defects and no support from the company – bought two pre owned skodas, both of them driven around 110000 ks , both of them broke down in the next 10000 ks. one because of gear box and the other one due to engine knocking. when researched online found more then 100 people in the same state with the exact same problem , when spoke to skoda about it they brushed it off saying its… Read more

maintenance issue. Even the mechanics have acknowledged that these cars have manufacturing defect with their engines and start crumbling after hundred thousand ks. In short not a long term car and not worth buying a pre owned one regardless of the deal.

Much improved and loving it – This is my second octavia. Skoda has fixed the DSG without the 0.3 second delay to get off the mark. It is so smooth, working extremely well with the 110kw 1.4T engine. Fuel consumption around 6.8lt per 100km around town with climate control operating. Android Auto make life so easy. Up to date Google map, voice control texting. Google read out… Read more

your messages. Turning cycle is unbelievable good for car of this size. Emergency breaking have safe many lives in city driving. Strongly recommend

Still drives like new with no issues – Have had my 2008 performance RS petrol Octavia since 2011 with hassle free driving. Always done servicing on time. Only repairs were the electric coils being replaced as I noticed the engine was unhappy. Other than that I just fuel it up and have it serviced cheaply at Ultra Tune. Goes like the clappers, handles like a dream, cheap to own, easy on… Read more

fuel and excellent long term paint job with no marks. Would be silly to sell it as its not worth much but is essentially the same car and in the same condition I bought 8 yrs ago. With all cars you can get a dud, but you are less likely with these.

Great value – Fantastic value for what you get, with massive huge cargo capacity, despite being a medium sized station wagon. I've got the base model, and even the base model has a good level of accessories, such as adaptive cruise control; wired Android Auto/Apple Carplay; and dual-zone climate conrol. Fuel consumption is good, and performance is more than adequate. The only drawback is that it uses premium unleaded. Show details

no problems – we bought the 118tsi dsg new in 2014 as the last 1z on the lot (Octavia 3 already for sale). Have done 60000km with the only problem being the battery was a stop/start one which our car does not have( they charge differently to normal batteries). the car is used every day in Wagga Wagga, also as the main travelling car. the car is serviced ahead… Read more

of scheduled km as it was months came first. It is now being serviced by a European car specialist as the dealer stopped selling Skodas and wanted the car in more often due to extended warrenty

Update to Love my car BUT – Update: My 2008 car is now over 220,000 km and still going well. It is a manual and I would recommend avoiding the auto's as they have had a lot of issues. One lady in town had a auto and told me it can suddenly go out of gear, which is very scary if you were crossing a busy road! Skoda has told her repeatedly that there is no problem! Please note… Read more

that these model Skoda's do not have the dangerous Takata air bags. The Octavia III (2014-2018) do though.

Excellent so far (1000km) – Traded my 2013 Octavia TSI 90 for an Octavia VRS my18 169 tsi6 with the upgrade packs. Excellent so far but have only done 1100kms. Was told my new Android 7.1 phone would accept Android Auto but it doesn't. Very disappointed I can't monitor traffic conditions on the impressive 9.2" Columbus screen. The owner's English language manual, like the… Read more ·  1

previous one includes every version of Octavia for that year which makes it very hard to navigate the 271 pages of small print. Reference photos are not good. It's well prepared but too convoluted in my opinion. I believe the impressive list of driving and safety features in the up grade packs are all there and working, but can't be sure. A steep learning curve trying to understand maybe. Driving the car is a delight. Basically a sports car which I've toned down to the eco mode which is all I need as a retiree. Fuel consumption in this break in period is impressive. On ron 98 averaging around 6.5l/100 combined and down to about 5.4l/100 on the freeway. Maybe less than one litre per 100 worse than my old 90tsi all over which is very good. Should improve after a few thousand kms.

Great car – Additional to my older review.....still have the 1Z 2013 special edition tsi 1.4l 7speed dsg at 62,000 kms. Little has changed. Still original tires exhaust and brakes. Still looks and drives as new. Two extended warranty jobs in the fifth year...a failing water pump and delaminating rear window heater element. Always used ron98. Fuel consumption… Read more

is around 5litres/100 or under on freeway, and around 6.2 or less combined. At a constant 80km/hr I've measured about 4.4 and in Brisbane city traffic 7.5. Into it's 6th year I test drove an Eclipse Cross and ASX, both new 2018 models, but on reflection found no good reason to change. I may consider a change when the warranty expires, possibly a new Octavia. Now in my 9th decade I've had some driving experience and the Octavia is the best vehicle I ever owned. Touch wood.

Octavia - Great drive – Octavia is used for a mix of suburban & highway driving. This car is used most days of the week. Servicing is yearly. We usually cover approximately 12000Km per year. The only issue has been the original 12V battery. 3 calls to Skoda Assist over 3 years -car in garage at home each time- battery replaced at 3 years. Otherwise absolutely… Read more

no issues. The engine DSG combination is brilliant. A very sweet drive with brisk acceleration.

Ignore the motoring writers who complain about DSG Transmissions. Occasionally you do get a minor edging backwards after backing out of garage & then engaging forward (Drive) -less than most drivers would experience with a manual car.

Fuel economy is amazing- especially on the highway.

Great load space even in sedan/hatch. It will take 2 pushbikes one on top of other- blanket between & one pedal off each bike.

Fantastic economy and great value – We have an MY17 Octavia sedan, petrol, fitted with the sports pack. Overall, I would say this is a great car. It’s best feature would have to be the fuel economy – we average 7 or less litres /100km. On a recent trip involving both motorway and city driving, we managed 5.6 l/100. For a petrol car running on 95 fuel, that’s outstanding! It has… Read more

a 1.4 litre turbo and a seven speed DSG gearbox. There’s plenty of get up and go, and the car feels quite sporty to drive for what it is. It corners well and sits on the road nicely. The DSG takes a bit of getting used to, and can either hesitate when you first move off, or suddenly jerk a little, depending how much throttle you give it. Not a big issue but you do notice it compared to a traditional auto. With the sports pack the car feels a bit low for my liking, and the low-profile tyres give a firm ride and a bit of tyre roar (with the original fitted tyres). The cruise is the radar type, and the lever takes a bit of learning. It also has autonomous braking, which is pretty impressive for the price. Plenty of room inside and a large boot too. It has a quality feel. I would certainly recommend one to another buyer, although I would forgo the sports pack to gain a more compliant ride and a bit more clearance for dished driveways. But, for a car with this level of economy, it’s the go-to-choice for a trip for us!

Great Car – I am a new owner of Skoda Octavia VRS (bought second hand) and I must say that this is one of the best car I have driven. I love every moment I drive my car. Amazed with its performance, agility and comfort. It is really an under rated car in Australia. The punchline 'Simply clever' is what I would say about this car.  Show details

Wipers dont work and skoda does not know how to fix them – My wipers jump and the dealer has tried to fix them and cant Sloda australia told me am on my own. The journey so far..... Cleaned glass Replced wiper blades Replaced wiper arms Changed motors from a new car Wanted pictures of where it is parked No answer from skoda Is this normal from a new car  Show details

Not happy with the vw engine – Skoda has a good body but a bad engine with multiple manufacturing defects and faults for which they don’t oun upto, be cautious of buying one and keeping it for longtime. I would not recommend skoda or vw only due to massive engine issues for longtime especially if it is a manufacturing issues which come up after the warranty period which might end up costing as much as the cars present value.  Show details

Excellent vehicles – I currently have a 2008 Skoda Octavia ‘Scout’ AWD diesel wagon, bought second hand with 100,000km. This is my second Octavia and by far my favourite. I’ve had two Toyotas between and while they were fine, neither had the comfort & reliability of the Skoda. The Scout (even the older models) has several great features, including heated front… Read more

seats, cruise control, foot rests on the left and right sides of the footwell, fog lights, reverse sensors, auto windscreen wipers, huge boot with custom rubber boot liner, electric windows, dual zone climate control air con etc etc.

The fuel consumption is excellent - averaging 6L per 100km, even when fully loaded with four adults, gear on the boot and a load on the roof racks. On open highway driving fuel consumption regularly drops to between 5.6 and 5.9L per 100km, giving me over 1,000km per tank - and that’s for a 10 year old car.

I travel around 80km daily to work and it’s a very comfortable drive in the Skoda - I have had no major issues whatsoever despite clocking up around 80,000km in the last 2 & 1/2 years.

The boot is huge, very deep and with the rest sears folded flat there’s not much you can’t fit inside - Great for transporting furniture, sports equipment, plants, camping gear and hardware.

The seats are very comfortable - especially on longer drives, with the drivers fully adjustable seat offering excellent seating position and the large windows in the wagon giving you great all round vision. Rear seat passengers have also complimented the comfort and leg room available.

The ride is quiet other than when accelerating hard, most times you wouldn’t know you’re driving a diesel. The Skoda is well made, good quality components with thoughtful placement. The cabin is quiet and refined, and the controls are easy to access / use.

In my first (2WD Octavia TDI) Skoda - I drove Canberra to Melbourne and return weekly, loving the comfort and low cabin noise on the highway, and the rediculously low fuel consumption.

The AWD wagon is nimble and far from sluggish (though it’s not a sports car either - being a diesel), and gives a bit of added capability on steep / unsealed roads.

Servicing can be a little more pricey than other major brands, but not significantly more - the last few services have been under $400. Some parts can be expensive, but again - not unacceptably high compared to other brands.

Smaller mechanics seem comfortable with Servicing Skoda Octavias too - being basically the same platform as the Golf - so plenty of mechanics are familiar with the CW group engines & drive trains, also promoting a good market for spares. I’ve had basic serving such as brake replacement, oil changes and road worthiness checks carried out by non-Skoda mechanics with no issues.

They’re just really reliable cars. If you’re considering a diesel Octavia, I can only encourage you. It’s definitely worth confirming it’s had a full service history as I understand regular (scheduled) oil replacement is important in VW group Diesel engines.

Apart from the RS models, these vehicles don’t seem to attract ‘boy racers’, so they’re unlikely to have been driven into the ground.

Both my Octavias were purchased second hand and I’ll definitely be buying another one.

ds problems – The car has a lot of issues , starting with the transmission the car has a faulty transmission DSG no matter what km the car traveled you will end up changing the transmission. the car looks alright from the inside & outside , fuel efficiency is OK . thanks d  Show details

RS 169 TSI – This is our first Skoda. Good build quality, super comfortable seats, very sophisticated electronics, best touch screen GPS I've used, great sound system. This is a seriously fast car but refined and nice to drive moderately too. Very comfortable for four occupants with plenty of leg room in the back. An enormous boot. This is a Golf GTi… Read more

equivalent but with a character all its own. Ours has the 'Tech Pack', the 'Luxury pack' and the electric sunroof, as well as three years of pre-paid servicing -- really good value for just under $45K. After three weeks of ownership, I'm very impressed.

2010 RS petrol wagon (DSG) - 100,000kms, hasn't missed a beat, grin factor is high – Just passed the 8 year anniversary since buying it new in April 2010, had an APR Stage I then Stage II retune done (2012 and 2015 respectively) and it runs as well as it ever has. Only just had the original battery replaced after almost 8 years! Love driving it. I get an oil change done every 6 months not 12 but that's just me, knowing I'd be… Read more

keeping it long term. Always used 98 octane fuel but why wouldn't you anyway, these engines are hi-tech. Comfortable and fuel efficient when you want it to be, great fun to punt hard when you find a road with a great series of bends and corners. Takes my family and all our gear (2 adults, 2 kids) in the huge boot. Highly recommended the Octavia RS. Would definitely consider another one if and when the times comes.