No, it's not the opening line of a 1980s joke! Basically, I have a new job starting next year which requires us to get a second car. I'm very tempted by Skoda - anyone out there had experiences they'd be happy to share? Thanks! David
I've not got one, but most of my neighbours have and they swear by them, as the advert says just like a VW
Hi David, your colleague at Leuchars was in last week, how's the course going ;) Have just bought a 3 year old Mazda3, 1.6 TS, not a lot of power but I nice place to sit for town or motorway driving, did the 150+ mile round trip to Aberdeen yesterday and it was quiet & comfortable.
Hello,I've had my Skoda since August 2004.It is a Skoda Octavia 1.9TDI GLX.It was first registered in 1999 and is V registered.It has been totally reliable in all the time I have owned it apart from having to replace the turbo two years ago.Don't worry about those though cos they are only made to last upto 150000 miles.Its the best car I have owned,starts first time everytime regardless of whether it is fifteen degrees below freezing as demonstrated last winter or scorching hot.It does around 47 ish mpg round town and is a very comfortable long distance cruiser.
I plan on replacing it in the next two years with another Skoda Octavia,this being a VRS TDI estate model.Cos I may have an exhibition layout by then to lug about the country.
So,I think they are a fantastic car.Best car VW Audi Group make if you ask me.With the possible exception of the Audi R8 or Bugatti Veyron.
Pete
:Class31: :Class37: :NGaugersRule:
I have had several, 2 Octavia's (1.9 TDI & 2.0 TDI) and I have a Yeti 2.0 TDI.
The Skoda Octavia, Seat Leon, Seat Altea, VW Golf all have the same engines, gearbox, running gear and floor-pan's as each other and all built using the VW standards just different body shapes and prices.
What model you looking at?
Thanks gents - that's all most helpful. I'm currently looking at a citigo as it's got all the space we need, good fuel economy, and some attractive packages on offer.
Lawrence - course is over thanks ! It was a busy 2 months and it's good to be back home again!
I had an Octavia 1.9 TDI for seven years,no problem getting 60 plus mpg even at motorway speeds.Mine was a very early one "S" reg and had 12,000 on the clock when I bought it.
Allan
A friend of mine had a Skoda estate for years with now major problems. He loved it! I'm pretty sure it was an Octavia as well.
My brother in law (vet, so plenty of mileage) reckons his Octavia was the best car he's ever owned and he's had a few.
Sadly he's gone down the Bavarian Made Wreck road, which he can't stay on in snowy conditions :-X
I've owned a 136 Rapide and a Favorite - proper old skool skodas :thumbsup:
They were both hilarious and reliable, and they were the best £300 i ever spent (£150 each !!!).
Probably not the best buys for comfort though.... ::)
Plenty of jokes about old Skodas but the Rapide won its class in rallying (1400cc and under if I remember right?) for 14 years on the trot, no mean feat ;)
They were also the first car to have a heated rear window . . .
. . . so your hands didn't get cold when pushing it! ;D (sorry, couldn't resist it)
Paul
:doh:
That's probably opened the floodgates :smackedface:
I parked my Convertible Skoda next to a building site with the roof down one day, when I came out it had been filled with building debris, so I lifted it up by it's twin exhausts and pushed it away :)
Twin exhausts :o
You must have had the De Luxe Sports model :-X
Jokes aside (and I've heard them all :) ), I drive a 10-year old Skoda Fabia SDI that spent a good deal of its life on a farm, and is now done 130k miles. Still going strong and getting 60mpg, although at this point the brakes and clutch are quite worn, I'm going through tyres more quickly as the tracking drifts, and the electrics are being occassionally tempremental (I mean the window switch not always working, so nothing that stops me getting from A to B and back).
I'm 6'4" and fit quite comfortably, which I never can in many types of smaller car.
All in all, supremely cheap motoring (economic, cheap insurance, easily available parts), and has coped with a hard life (including the odd knock from a front loader on the tractor) immensely well. About 10 years/130k miles in though, and I'm thinking of replacing it before the repair bills start escalating. Would definitely get another Skoda though (if they were on the company car list, which will probably be where I go - might have to plump for a VW passat as we'll need an estate). Funnily enough Skodas are quite common in Yorkshire where value means something - in London they are not so much...
George
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/1501453 (http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/1501453)
I love Skoda jokes, hope they will go on for ever, as it'll help keep prices down. :bounce:
2009 2.0 common rail TDi estate. 42k from new.
Excellent car. Very rapid, economic, well screwed together and reliable.
Swallows a lot of my large RC Planes and Helicopters and all pit gear. Flying mates are amazed how much it can carry!
I bought mine, and now after experiencing it, three people I work with have bought Fabias. All very pleased with them.
I don't move a layout around currently, but it would not be a problem if I did.
My other half's uncle works for South Central Ambulance Service, and had a company Skoda Octavia...
Absolutely loved it, had it chipped with a Police spec chip by the mechanics, and it flew.
They tried to replace it with a new Mondeo, and he took the Ford back and got his old Octavia back.
My neighbour used to be an Inspector in the police force and told me that when the police switched from Peugeots to Skodas they cut their repair bill by 50%!
Having said that I drive a Skoda Octavia 1.9TDI Automatic which I bought from new. Have a had a few problems with it though, all the oil leaked out one day and ruined the cam belt! Luckily it was still under warranty. The cable inside the door snapped so I couldn't open the driver's door from the inside. Also the central locking sometimes opens all the doors except the driver's door (not very useful!)
It's a nice drive though!
We have Octavia's as company cars and no one has a bad word to say about them at all.
Very reliable, relatively inexpensive and decent equipment.
I think we have bought around ten or so in the last three years.
I Bought my Skoda Octavia elegance 1.9tdi manual new in 2001.
I am a truck driver for a living so you can imagine my car gets neglected a bit...
It has done 170,000 miles now, still going strong and no major faults. I have got no plans to replace it because it has been so good.
The faults I have had with it are:
Windscreen wiper mechanism seized-£80 repair
Indicator relay died-replaced in 1 minute with a VW one-£15
It now needs a new air flow meter-£40 this will be its third one.. if you pull the plug off, the car still runs, more economically but not as fast on acceleration.
Air con pumps shear off, £200, mine needs its third one now.
Brakes need relining about every 40k miles. you need discs on every second set of pads.
Servicing, every 20k miles or 2 years, whichever is soonest or when the oil light comes on! lol. which happens at about 40k miles! I wonder how I know that??
both front window lifters wires snapped through corrosion. £60 each
never started once, caused by a dead battery after 150k miles and 9 years.
Cambelt changes every 60k miles.
Catalytic converter failed after 10 years probably because I belted it on a kerb getting out of the way of an ambulance.
I had all suspension bushes changed at 160k miles because the back axle was helping me steer-£700 including labour-Ouch!
Overall, Humphrey as he is called is the best car I've ever owned, reliable economical (I can get 80MPG if i drive steady!) averages 60 mpg on motorway (at a steady 75-80mph), about 50 round town.
Boot is like a cave on the hatchback, I fit 2 Labradors and a German Shepherd in there with other stuff too!
It will tow a trailer at about 55MPG when we go camping. Back seats fold flat too for more space. seats 2 adults and a kid in the back but the rear legroom is a little tight, possibly because my seat is well and truly back! excellent stereo system with 6 cd changer in the boot, sounds superb. Front seats have plenty of legroom and space.
Go on! buy one! The Octavia is the best kept motoring secret out there! Even a Skoda salesman said the model I've got is bulletproof but I don't want to test that!
BTW my Mrs nearly didn't go out with me because I drive a Skoda! Lol. Happily she has now changed her mind and frequently comments on how reliable and comfortable it is...
Hope that lot helps..
Cheers
Mark
Thanks for such a detailed review Mark - and thanks to everyone who's given their views! Think we'll definitely be buying a Skoda now !