Skoda Octavia [2017-2021] User Reviews

This one is very close to my heart! I did not buy the Octavia (Yet) but planning to do so in the very near future. I have been into cars for as long as I have memory of my early life and the love for cars has only grown more and more down the years. I have always hesitated to consider a Skoda as a car for myself because I'm widely aware of the poor after sales service and cost of spare parts but we will get to that a little later, for now, let's quickly go through the car! Riding experience: From the moment you unlock the car and pull the door handle to open, you get this really loud inner soul voice that tells you that this is something special and expensive. This 'inner soul' voice is probably louder than ever after my test drive in the Honda Civic which did not feel very upmarket to me. The door of the Octavia is big and heavy, almost as robust as my Compass. The front door opens wide and has 3 kinks on the channels, so it opens in steps (Common in VW cars). L&K is the highest model in the range of Octavia and it is LOADED. First thing I noticed was leather seats which are power operated (I think 12 way). The seats are very comfortable (For reference, I am 5'8' XL size person) very good under thigh and lower back support. The instrument cluster is digital, just like the newer Audis and the steering is adjustable in every possible way. What I really like about the Octavia is how well it is put together. Be it the power window switches which are used very often or the lower section of the center console. Feels rich and upmarket. The infotainment screen is 8 inches big and looks very classy with the buttons flushed around it. It is of high resolution and lag free (No issues during my 750 km drive). The speakers in the car are by 'Canton' and it sounds great! I am a music producer so I can safely say that I know what sounds good and bad. The low, mid and high is perfectly balanced and I am sure it won't leave you wanting for an aftermarket swap. The car also supports Apple Car Play and Android Auto but the map from these cannot be projected on the virtual cockpit (Digital instrument cluster). Let's talk about the virtual cockpit. It is almost same as the Audis but also offers a few extra features like different style meters and very cool light effect with the speedo. It can project the in car maps to the screen and virtually has all information that one needs from the center screen right there. This is something I feel is a very good safety point. The front passenger seat is 8 way powered too and is just like the driver seat, very comfortable. The car also gets dual zone climate control. Coming to rear seats, I spent about 80kms back here (Roughly 1 and a half hours) during a highway run in the evening. The rear seat has tons of leg space (Maybe a little less than Civic) the cabin is wide and can accommodate 3 people. What makes Octavia better than Civic is the head room, a person who is plus 6 feet will also be very comfortable back here. There are ac vents in the back. The windows don't roll down all the way (Typical VW cars) the seats are well cushioned and feel like it's well balanced to keep you comfortable during longer drives. What I feel is lacking in the Octavia in the rear seat department is the little lack of under thigh support. It's not lacking by much but enough for me to point it out. Also, the panoramic sunroof is quite big and when the shades are opened (Hand operated shades) provides adequate light in the back. Details about looks and performance: The facelift comes with separate headlight housing (Like older E-Class) which does take a little time getting used to but it does grow on you like it did on me and now I find the pre facelifted lights boring! The DRLS follow the underling of the headlights and looks really sharp and bright. Car comes with automatic LED headlights that are very effective on lighting up the poor roads in Kolkata. I feel the alloys could be better looking but some say that it goes with the understated design of the car (See it yourself) The car from the side looks like it means proper business without any fancy lines or dings! Its straight forward and I like it. The rear tail light in the facelift is something I fail to like. The 'C' shaped design of the earlier model was wayyy too good to be changed with this boring looking one. I JUST DON'T LIKE THIS ONE. The boot is a hatchback style and opens with the rear glass panel. It opens big and wide and I think has a storage space of over 500 litres!! very useful space which can be made even better with the rear seats folded. Performance: I drove the 2.0 TDI AT and in short, it is brilliant. If you drive the new Civic and then Octavia, You will never EVER consider Civic because Octavia just feels a million times better. The engine is not very refined and is audible but it packs a ton of power and punch post the turbo lag period (Under 1.7k RPM) and all this is mated to a wonderful and lighting fast DSG gear box. FUN FACT: 1. Octavia 2.0 TDI uses the same gear box as the Audi A4 (DQ250) 2. VW's DSG is known to be a pain to maintain but upon some research. I found out that only the earlier models with (DQ200) had a problem of failing. DQ200 is the one you get in Polo, Ameo, Vento and Octavia 1.8 TSI. based on online forums, DQ250 is a very reliable gearbox and does not suffer from reliability issues. The steering feels really responsive and gives good feed back. During the highway run, we were able to get a 18kmpl with AC and in the city, it dropped to 12. So it's fairly good enough. It is the best car in the segment! Things I like about the Octavia: Hands free parking Ambient lighting with a lot of different colours Engine and gear box Clip on the windshield for toll tickets General quality and fit and finish Features (Virtual cockpit, front and rear parking sensor, Canton audio system, etc) Things I don't like Rear under thigh support Poor After Sales sevice Expensive parts Parts not always available No hydraulic struts for the bonnet which is extremely heavy soft suspension makes highway drives a little uncomfortable Tail light design (Yup, GOING TO MENTION IT EVERYWHERE BECAUSE I STILL DON'T LIKE IT) Blanking switches (I counted over 10 in the interior)