1999 Skoda Octavia SLXi review from UK and Ireland

Nothing has gone wrong with the car in the short time I have owned it. The air con works, though it needs recharging and that`s about it.

This is a well equipped car: PAS, ABS, traction control, air con, electric sunroof, electric windows front and rear, electric mirrors, alloy wheels and an excellent 8 speaker Grundig sound system.

Fuel economy is astounding, especially when considering this silky smooth 20V engine is allied to an automatic gearbox. I have regularly seen 40+ mpg. Front head room and leg room is good and the boot is truly vast. Rear leg room is very poor though.

The major Achilles heel - resulting in me exchanging this otherwise excellent vehicle for a Volvo V70 XC - is comfort. Both my wife and I have found this vehicle to be the most uncomfortable we have ever owned. The seat squabs are very short and we`ve both sat on softer park benches! The lumbar suport seems to make the problem even worse. If you are well over 6` with an extremely long inside leg (like me) you will likely find the driving position uncomfortable on long journeys. Not the fault of the vehicle, but worth bearing in mind.

To summarise: an excellent, under-rated, smooth, fuel efficient, powerful saloon available for a bargain price. If you are under 6`, like firm seats and have small or no children, this vehicle should be on your short list.