vRS 2.0 TDI CR Estate

Audi quality and performance for £6,000 less.

Skoda's success is down to their exceeding expectations. You buy one to do a job of work and what you get is certainly one that will do that job, but also a car that's as good to drive as something costing thousands more.

My vRS estate has lots of room for people and luggage, and (thoughtfully) plenty of places for gubbins inside the cabin. A good drinking man designed the door pockets, which have room each side for a bottle of wine to take to a party.

The only major criticism is that the ride on the vRS, with its 18" wheels, is firmer than I'd ideally like. For some reason known only to VAG, at the time of writing (May 2010) VAG won't supply Skoda with enough common-rail 2.0 170 bhp diesel engines to go in Octavias other than the vRS. I'd have had an Elegance with this engine if I could.

After a year and 13,000 miles, so far nothing has gone wrong or fallen off. The supplying dealer, Jewsons of Oxford, have been excellent.

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