Elegance 1.4 TSI DSG 5dr Auto Hatchback

A great combination of comfort, practicality, performance and economy.

Have only owned this car for 5 months so can't comment on reliability accept that it has been faultless so far. It's a 2010 plate with 21,000 miles when I paid £10,000. Fuel consumption is around 44mpg on a mix of short and medium length urban and extra urban journeys. I think this is good for a petrol car of this size with a surprisingly good turn of speed. Compared to my previous car, a Rover 75 1.8T, which is of a similar size, I would say it feels livelier though not quite as strong at motorway speed. The DSG gearbox is a blessing, providing the relaxed drive of an automatic with good economy. However I do find that I'm often scrabbling for grip when pulling away in the wet despite my generally light right foot. Not sure whether this is anything to do with the gearbox putting too much torque down or my tyres which are new Goodyear "Efficient Grip Performance".
My wife is not a keen driver but has admitted that she actually enjoys driving this car. It gives her the confidence to overtake and she finds it easy to manoeuvre and park. We both find it very comfortable despite the firm seats. One reason that we chose the Skoda is the height adjustable passenger seat on this elegance model which is difficult to find on cars of this class. This should be standard in all cars in my opinion. Other things we where looking for included space and practicality, good economy, decent performance and a good reputation. It ticks all these boxes. My local garage recommended the Octavia with no reservations and I've noticed that the police and taxi companies often use them which bodes well for it's durability. It's full of practical little touches which probably cost next to nothing for the manufacturer to include but make such a difference when using day to day.
The car looks classy from the front though not quite so successful from side and rear. However, for me the interior is more important and this feels quite upmarket apart from the steering wheel that looks like something from a class below. All the instrumentation looks and feels good to use and the touch screen entertainment system adds to the feeling that that you could be driving something more expensive. It's easy to get comfortable with the fully adjustable steering wheel and seats. This spec also includes automatic wipers and dimming mirror, cruise control, dual zone climate, all electric windows and door mirrors.
If I had to gripe about anything it would be the ride quality which is a little too firm for my taste. It's the main letdown after my Rover. Road noise is sometimes higher than I would like though this was improved when I fitted the Goodyears mentioned above. The speed sensitive steering is fine though not very involving. It has a slightly ridiculous speedometer which registers up to 160 mph and so compresses the usable scale to half of the dial and is about 4 or 5 percent optimistic like most cars.
To sum up, apart from my main reservation regarding ride quality, I would recommend this car to anyone but a badge snob.

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