I have sampled an Octavia

Yesterday I followed in the footsteps of generations of STW’ers and found myself in the driver seat of an Octavia. It’s exactly what I’ve been looking out for and it just popped up 20 minutes from home so it would be rude not to look.

I went for a test drive but unfortunately I wasn’t allowed out of the grounds of the dealership so I went up and down the long straight a few times and did a few manouvres but I was hoping to take it to the M1 and back.

I only had time to quickly compare it to our Yeti. It’s much bigger in the front, back and the boot. It’s a vastly nicer place for me to sit, especially in the passenger seat where my knees are usually against the dashboard with the child seat behind me. The rear legroom means that Junior won’t be able to stamp on my spine when he has a strop and we’ll all live much longer as a result. The clutch pedal isn’t a mile high because their isn’t one so the cartledge in my knee will get a well earned rest.

It’s got the widescreen head unit and the digitial dashboard. The navigation didn’t work. It said it was missing a database or something so I couldn’t even open the map. Not sure if that’s an easy fix or if I have to take my own lube when I visit the main dealer. If I could mirror my Android on it somehow that would be much preferable. The air con was freezing and didn’t smell funny. Even though it’s a petrol VRS the insurance and VED is cheaper than the Yeti.

It had a full matching set of crappy off-brand tyres which is unfortunate.

Can’t think of anything else. This is the ad…

https://www.directcars.co.uk/used-cars/skoda/octavia/20-vrs-tsi-dsg/149151

These are my pictures

Now I’ll do what I always do, which is dawdle and dillywally until someone else buys it. Then I don’t have to spend any money or make any big decisions.

My Leon had a navigation database error when I test drove it.
I think they take the disc or SD card out that sits in the glovebox unit and put it in when sold to stop it being nicked.

Given it’s age, it should have Android Auto or Apple Carplay available.

The clutch pedal isn’t a mile high because their isn’t one so the cartledge in my knee will get a well earned rest.

PLUS

Now I’ll do what I always do, which is dawdle and dillywally until someone else buys it. Then I don’t have to spend any money or make any big decisions.

Are you me?

The dealer spec sheet says it’s got Android auto.

I do like the colour of that car.

” I wasn’t allowed out of the grounds of the dealership!”

Why ? I’d be a lot more comfortable buying having had it up to speed (and corners). Hope they had some believable reason why you were not allowed to drive it otherwise I’d be suspicious.

Interesting that it was MOT tested in August 2022 when it’s registered in February 2020- I didn’t know that that could be done . It did 16000 miles in 2 1/2 years and then 16000 each year afterward, also no advisories on either MOT. Presumably changed hands at about  2 1/2 years and been used much more on the motorway since? How many owners?

My Leon had a navigation database error when I test drove it.
I think they take the disc or SD card out that sits in the glovebox unit and put it in when sold to stop it being nicked.

That actually makes sense, I never thought of that.

The dealer spec sheet says it’s got Android auto.

You’re right it does, I didn’t look properly. I found it on ebay and just went to the dealer site hoping for more pictures.

Why ? I’d be a lot more comfortable buying having had it up to speed (and corners). Hope they are some believeable reason why you were not allowed to drive it otherwise I’d be suspicious.

I wasn’t suspicious, they’ve just got a massive site and had about 4 of us driving cars around it. There were more people test driving cars than there appeared to be staff available to accompany people on proper test drives so it’s probably much easier for them.

I’d insist on a proper drive out before I handed the cash over.

Interesting that it was MOT tested in August 2022 when it’s registered in February 2020- I didn’t know that that could be done . It did 16000 miles in 2 1/2 years and then 16000 each year afterward, also no advisories on either MOT. Presumably changed hands at about 2 1/2 years and been used much more on the motorway since? How many owners?

3 owners apparently. Not sure if each one is a real person and not a dealer or something. I noticed it had one more MOT than I’d expect for the age of the car.

The main hurdle is the grief of selling the Yeti. It used to be a really smart Monte Carlo and now it’s got nearly 3 years worth of child-muck ground into it.

That colour is popping, rotten primer grey.

Nice apart from that tbf.

I’d have any colour, I’m not bothered. Just concerned about the functional bits.

All it needs is a tow bar and it’s ready to go to work.

Congratulations player,you have now completed STW.
Please upload your score so that it may be added in the hall of fame 😉👍🤣

It’s called meteor grey I think.  It’s not one I like but it’s not me looking to buy it.   The windows have been AM tinted as they are far darker than the skoda tinted glass.

windows have been AM tinted as they are far darker than the skoda tinted glass

I think you could spec at additional cost a 65% tint on rear glass on Octavia estates- you still can on Golf estates, but no mention in advert?

I was wondering about the windows. I knew they were dark but I’ve never been in a standard one.

Our second Octavia is 9 years old and just over 100k miles, and we can’t see a viable alternative to getting a third later this year frankly.

What is it with test drives at the moment? We got a Fiesta last year (our mistake, should have got another Fabia) and were only allowed to do a short loop round the industrial estate. Bollocks to that again, I’ll go somewhere else.

dawdle and dillywally until someone else buys it.

Well, everyone on this forum is either buying or selling an Octavia so it might be one of us thanks to your promo! 😆

The main hurdle is the grief of selling the Yeti. It used to be a really smart Monte Carlo and now it’s got nearly 3 years worth of child-muck ground into it.

Stealth ad? Is the clutch high because it’s knackered or because they’re all like that..?

We looked at an Octavia a few years back and thought they were a bit basic / crap

You could get a Merc e class estate of similar vintage, different league of car for similar money

Stealth ad? Is the clutch high because it’s knackered or because they’re all like that..?

It hasn’t changed in 3 years so I’m sure it’s not broken yet. It’s not that bad but I’ve got knackered knees and the traffic in Sheffield is diabolical so it really triggers it. It’s fine out of town.

We looked at an Octavia a few years back and thought they were a bit basic / crap

But I’m a bit basic and crap and I’ve got cheap taste. I’d feel out of place in a Mercedes.

All it needs is a tow bar and it’s ready to go to work.

@sharkattack  Worth checking the VIN plate before you buy.

Looking at them a while back it seems there are some models and years of Octavia that needed factory prep for a tow bar.

If you don’t have that prep then you cannot tow with it and may not be able to fit a towbar at all for a bike rack (I’m not sure of the legality of the latter / whether a fitter would fit one).  I believe it shows up on the VIN plate as the second mass number being a series of dashes or a zero.

People have been caught out by this – there’s a few caravan/Skoda forum threads on this.

I think it’s the smaller engined variants that are problematic but do make sure as I think that car might be in the affected age range.

You could get a Merc e class estate of similar vintage, different league of car for similar money

Yeah, the Merc for all it’s leather and bling appearance will creak like crazy, be less reliable and a lot more to fix. But yeah, you can pop a Merc keyring into the glass bowl when needed for bragging rights.

I’m a Fabia owner, even more plasticity than an Octavia. It’s great.

I liked mine.

Navigation on an SD card isn’t uncommon, but I don’t recall mine having one.  Updates were done via USB.  You can snag this from Skoda’s website, you just need the VIN.  Different head units may be different.

I think.

FunkyDunc
We looked at an Octavia a few years back and thought they were a bit basic / crap

You could get a Merc e class estate of similar vintage, different league of car for similar money

That wasn’t my experience when I got my Leon in 2020, although I was comparing with the C class, not E. The Octavia, Leon and Ceed estates were similar prices, while the Mercedes I looked at would have been 4 years older at least with around 50-70k more miles on the clock. And at that age they didn’t come with Android Auto which was pretty high on my priority list. Nice car though.

A4 Avant was the same and definitely not worth the extra cost or same cost but extra age & mileage.

being picky you’re just missing the 2020 facelift

Missing the 2020 facelift proberbly means you miss out on the clusterf*ck that is the Infotainment system so that’s a plus. Today mine decided I had crashed, phoned the emergency services, cancelled the call, left me without sounds or satnav then said I needed to go to a Skoda garage to sort it. Problem went away next time I drove it. This sort of shit happens all the time and is very common with that generation of VAG cars.

My Octavia is an older one. The satnav requires a specific Skoda SD card to work. You can download the maps from the Skoda website onto it, just need the VIN.

So if buying from the dealer ensure it has the correct SD card and satnav is working, as they cost a few bob. Briskoda will have more details.

A4 Avant was the same and definitely not worth the extra cost or same cost but extra age & mileage.

I went out to buy an Octavia, came home with an A4. They were very similar money for equivalent (4wd) spec and the Audi is nicer inside. I wouldn’t pay thousands more, but I was actually surprised by the lack of a price difference, so do have a look around. OTOH there are a few components on the Audi that are more expensive to replace. Touchwood it’s not needed much so far. I like it. Skodas feel more wholesome though.

Using the STW standard unit of car values – how many Porsche’s does it cost?

That’s the same price we paid for our ’22 plate Focus ST Estate in February with around 16K on the clock.Ive noticed Skoda’s fetch more money maybe they are better?🤔

That wasn’t my experience when I got my Leon in 2020,

Nor mine when I got my Superb. I was looking at A4s and 3 Serieses and ended up with a Superb because for the same money I could get a newer and lower mileage one.

The main hurdle is the grief of selling the Yeti. It used to be a really smart Monte Carlo and now it’s got nearly 3 years worth of child-muck ground into it.

Looking for a yeti, child-muck not an issue. Could you let me know some more details?

Buy the vRS, great cars. Miss my petrol estate that was written off by a van a few years ago. Way more practical than the 335d I replaced it with.

Yes ‘privacy glass’ was/is an option (it wasn’t much cost, £200 or less iirc) but the factory privacy glass still isn’t that dark.  That car has had them tinted after market to be that dark. Which is fine,  I’m just pointing out.

I’m also wondering if it’s been lowered.  Only ever so slightly.   It’s not uncommon for owners to lower them about 20mm as lots felt the wheels didn’t fill the arches so for pure aesthetics they’ll spend a couple of grand on upgraded shocks and springs.  Bilstein (?) Shocks were the briskoda favourite.

I think I’m going off to look at a low mileage 66 plate one after lunch.  Only major downside Vs newer ones seems to be Xenons Vs LEDs.

Oh and why in the name of all that is fetid and disgusting did someone at Skoda give them mechanical handbrakes when the equivalent Passats had electronic parking brakes and auto hold for at least 5 years before pretty much across the board.

Oh and why in the name of all that is fetid and disgusting did someone at Skoda give them mechanical handbrakes when the equivalent Passats had electronic parking brakes and auto hold for at least 5 years before pretty much across the board.

Auto? Never need to use the handbrake 🙂

Manual handbrakes mean the calipers will be cheaper to replace when they inevitably seize around 80k miles.

VAG LED headlights are excellent.

I’d have any colour, I’m not bothered. Just concerned about the functional bits.

There seem to be plenty around for that price – a nice red one at carshop in derby for example:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405079460980

I used carshop last time I bought a car – you don’t get much except a decent price, but the trade-in for my old car was “OK” – pretty much what motorway and webuyancar offered me before they’d had a look. Mine had quite a lot of cosmetic issues (scratched up bumper and paint) so I was happy with what they offered.

Looking for a yeti, child-muck not an issue. Could you let me know some more details?

I’m going to try and dig the paperwork out today and if I can cobble together an advert I’ll link it here.

There seem to be plenty around for that price – a nice red one at carshop in derby for example:

You’re right there are loads to choose from and I’m sure that 6 months ago low mileage facelift cars were all over 20k so I think prices are coming down.

Small point but that red one is missing the fancy dashboard.  I’d like to get the sunroof as well but getting one with all the right options is hard at this price.

Good advice about the tow bar. I’ve been reading that if the VIN number doesn’t state a weight then it’s illegal to fit one. I’ll have to confirm that if we want it.

Small point but that red one is missing the fancy dashboard.

Is it a digital dash like a screen with no physical dials, like my Golf’s got? If so it does look nice but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker, it doesn’t do anything extra than the non digital version. (Unless it shows Google maps on CarPlay, but I think it’s only the Audis that do that at the age you’re looking at).

At least they remembered to paint the red one 😁

Oh and why in the name of all that is fetid and disgusting did someone at Skoda give them mechanical handbrakes when the equivalent Passats had electronic parking brakes and auto hold for at least 5 years before pretty much across the board.

My 19 Octavia has mechanical handbrake – but if I’m on the foot brake on a hill it will still auto hold.

Hill hold assist.  It closes the caliper using the abs system I believe,  releases after 3 secs,  works well

why in the name of all that is fetid and disgusting did someone at Skoda give them mechanical handbrakes when the equivalent Passats had electronic parking brakes

Look at the price of a Passat vs an Octavia.

I’d love a VRS but I’m precluded from ownership due to the high risk of carjacking / home intrusion-to-seize keys in my wonderful city.

I know two people who have experienced the latter for this vehicle. One of them wasn’t even the owner – the car was parked adjacent to his house!