Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0 TDI Elegance: long-term test review Skoda Octavia Estate long-termer main pic Skoda Octavia Estate long-termer dealerSkoda Octavia Estate long-termer discsSkoda Octavia Estate long-termer sat navSee all 20 pictures 17 Jul, 2014 11:00am Graham HopeShare on printShare on emailShare on stumbleuponShare on twitterMore Sharing Services Splat! Our Skoda Octavia Estate is under attack from birds, but still a big hit Verdict 5 Mileage: 1,970 miles Real-world fuel economy: 36.4mpg Theres no doubt our Corrida Red Skoda Octavia stands out – but does it stand out too much? That’s what I’m beginning to wonder, following a spate of attacks by the birds who hang out in the tree that overhangs my driveway. A Halfords survey a couple of years ago suggested red cars received more bird droppings than any other car, and my – admittedly unscientific – evidence would suggest this is true. Of all the cars I’ve run at Auto Express, I’ve never had one that has come under such relentless attack. Thankfully, the paintwork seems to be surviving the bombardment, with the help of Autoglym’s clever Bird Dropping Wipes. These handy packs of 10, which come in individual sachets and sell for under a fiver, are small enough to fit in the front door side pockets and do an excellent job of effectively cleaning up when my feathered friends have done their worst. Thankfully, when the Skoda has not been in the firing line, it’s been revelling in its role as reliable, spacious and versatile transport for the Hope family. Skoda Octavia Estate long-termer boot On the road it’s proved an effortless cruiser each time I’ve ventured on to the motorway, with the 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine muscular enough to endow it with adequate performance, even when fully laden (which is most of the time). In town it’s slightly less convincing, with the firmish ride particularly noticeable over speed bumps, as is the engine’s general dislike for low revs. Overall, though, it’s a decent car to drive – estates aren’t meant to deliver the last word in agility, but there’s enough engagement here to provide some fun. Of course, key to the Octavia’s appeal is its spacious boot, and easily folding rear seats. These free up a huge 1,740-litre load capacity, which has come into its own ferrying furniture, a broken down shed and a library’s worth of old books to the tip and local charity shop respectively. Even better, the cabin is comfortable in Elegance trim – but not so lavish that you mind it getting a little grubby. The cynic in me thinks the VW Group has deliberately made this Octavia a little less posh in order to give it some distance from its Golf sister car. The last generation of Octavia certainly felt a bit closer to the VW in this respect. Skoda Octavia Estate long-termer interior There’s little you’re left wanting for in terms of equipment, with DAB, easy streaming through Bluetooth and a CD player providing a wealth of music options. The last of these, in particular, is especially welcome – while some units are now eschewing this old-school tech, this busy dad simply doesn’t have the time to create MP3s from my younger daughter’s nursery rhyme CDs. So having the ability to pop a disc into the player in the glovebox is a real bonus. One other thing I don’t really have the time for is ploughing through the manual for the Amundsen sat-nav, but I’ve had to on a couple of occasions as it really isn’t the most intuitive unit I’ve experienced – I find the ‘Autozoom’ feature especially annoying. Also, having tried the higher-spec Columbus nav on the Octavia GreenLine we tested recently, I’d say it’s worth upgrading to – even though it costs an additional £800 in Elegance trim. An eight-inch screen – as opposed to the sub-six incher in mine – plus 3D mapping make it much better to use. It’s a minor niggle, though, on a car that’s been a welcome addition to the Hope household. Skoda Octavia Estate: report 1 Award-winning estate is the latest car to join our fleet Skoda Octavia Estate long-termer dealer Mileage: 802 miles Real-world fuel economy: 36.3mpg I’ve always been a fan of estates. Why struggle to cram all your gear into a saloon or a hatch when you could have all that lovely space at the back? And if you’re going to drive an estate, you might as well drive the best – so as you can imagine, I was delighted to be handed the keys to the sparkling Corrida Red Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI Elegance that’s just joined our fleet. The Octavia, if you recall, was crowned Best Estate in our New Car Awards in 2013, and deservedly so. So it was with a genuine sense of anticipation that I went along to dealer SG Smith in Purley Way, Croydon, south London, to pick up the keys. The dealer is a great representation of the brand itself – not especially glamorous, but smart, efficient and welcoming. Little wonder Skoda’s network finished eighth in our Driver Power satisfaction survey in 2013. And, as with the brand, the dealer is preparing for a makeover as it awaits a refit to tie in with the firm’s new corporate identity. Skoda Octavia Estate long-termer dealer 2 Sales executive Mark Vousden talked me round the car’s key features, and was eager to highlight some of the standard kit on the plush Elegance trim. First up was the sat-nav, which, if truth be told, can seem a little confusing at first. Mark made it sound simple, swapping through the menus and highlighting the numerous symbols on the touchscreen, but the nav isn’t as intuitive as some systems. Nevertheless, it works well. Bluetooth pairing was instant and easy, while I am particularly pleased to have DAB, too – reception so far has been absolutely flawless. Other kit highlights are dual-zone climate control – essential for married couples who can’t agree on in-car temperatures – and Driver Fatigue Control, a device that monitors your driving style and sounds an alert when it detects you’re tired. The boot, of course, is the Skoda’s trump card, and at 610 litres it’s easily big enough to carry all my two daughters’ gear. It’s easy to expand that to 1,740 litres, too, with two levers at the back which quickly fold the rear seats. Skoda Octavia Estate long-termer front Our 148bhp 2.0-litre TDI model gives decent pace, but of more interest to many, especially company car drivers, will be the 67.3mpg economy and 110g/km CO2 emissions figure. I’m keen to see if I can get anywhere near 60mpg, given how much time I spend on city roads. Only 802 miles in it’s very early to give a verdict on ability, but the Skoda handles competently, if not thrillingly, and rides firmly, yet not excessively so. We’ll be keen to see how it fares when the engine loosens up and we hit the motorway – but so far it all looks very promising. Insurance quote (below) provided by AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old living in Banbury, Oxon, with three points. Key specs On fleet since: April 2014 Price new: £23,115 Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 148bhp CO2/tax: 110g/km/£20 Options: Space-saver spare wheel (£75) Insurance group/quote: Group: 20Quote: £375 Mileage/economy: 1,970/36.4mpg Any problems?: None so far Read more: autoexpress.co.uk/skoda/octavia/87898/skoda-octavia-estate-20-tdi-elegance-long-term-test-review#ixzz37zI2IjNX
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 04:00:01 +0000
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