Following on from my 5.5k review of my Leon, my opinions after 5k miles with my wife?s Octavia 2.0TDi L+K estate. Thought this was a good time to post and would make interesting comparison with Mr. Freezer?s review of his 1.9 Octavia. Generally my wife (main driver ? lease car) is very happy with the car. I agree with Mr. F?s comments on the seat width ? not a problem for my wife, but I am to the edges of the seats (6?4?, 14 stone) and if my derrier was any larger it might be uncomfortable. However, this is compensated for by the overall seat comfort, which is excellent especially the electrically adjustable lumbar support. I have been in a 1.9 TDI hatch, and the refinement around town didn?t seem any different to our 2.0, but at motorway speeds, the 2.0 is better. I can?t comment on the power as I have not driven the 1.9.
Pros
Refined drive especially at speed with little wind noise
Fuel economy ? not fab but 44mpg average for a car that is used for as many short journeys as well as long, and it is a big estate (gives 48mpg on a run)
Electric memory drivers seat/mirrors linked to keyfob ? very useful when two very different sized people drive the car regularly!
Auto-dipping nearside mirror when reversing ? surprisingly useful, something you don?t miss until you?ve tried it.
Massive and practical rear loadspace, and plenty of other storage space within the car
Useful ?multipurpose? boot floor with hidden underfloor storage, or use it to divide the massive loadspace and stop things sliding around. Also creates a completely flat load deck with no lip from the rear door when in place (without it, there is a significant drop from the boot lip into the boot)
Cons
Short first gear
Lack of electrically-folding mirrors ? my Leon has these and I find them very useful, especially when parked on narrow roads.
Lack of curtain airbags as standard ? come on Skoda this is a £19k+ top-of-the-range vehicle, these should be there.
Lack of standard ESP ? ditto above, I know they have to differentiate from VW, but on the most expensive model, this should be standard.
No lights over the vanity mirrors ? even my old Toledo had these!
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Thanks very much for that, Nomag - very useful and interesting about something that'll be on my shortlist next time, although as it's my own money it'll be the Elegance rather than Laurin & Klement.
From what others are saying and from road tests I've seen, it sounds as if the 2.0 TDI 140 bhp (either manual or with DSG) may be the best compromise, for all the VAG marques. I've a feeling that the benefit of the 170 bhp version, as with the new 180 bhp Toyota diesel, may be at the top end of the rev range (if that's what you want, then maybe better to go for the high-performance petrol engine), whereas what I personally appreciate is lots of low-end torque.
That said, I'm ready to be proved wrong by anyone who has driven them more extensively.
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I'm now looking for something just a tad bigger (pref. longer) in the boot than my A4 Avant. I want a diesel and a non-economy sapping automatic.
It'll be my money I'm spending too and I may well give this one (2.0) with the DSG gearbox a go. My A4 Avant 1.9TDi multitronic will be 3 years old in September (36k miles now) and although I've never actually driven one I can't see the Skoda being too different. The quietness at speed sounds promising. I don't think I'll bother dropping one rung to the Passat - I'll do it all in one. The local Skoda dealer keeps pestering me for a test drive and I think I'll take him up on it.
Alternatively the new, new Ford Mondeo estate due in the Spring, looks a tasty machine.
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