2003 Skoda Octavia Laurin & Klement 1.8 petrol turbo

Summary:

Serious performance and luxury at a cut price

Faults:

The rear windscreen washer pipe came adrift from the rear door spigot, meaning washer fluid in the inside of the tailgate and boot floor. Dealer fix in 20 minutes under warranty.

General Comments:

A Volkswagen Bora / Golf, Audi A3/TT, Seat Leon, for Skoda money.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd February, 2004

23rd Sep 2005, 12:11

Just updating my earlier review. I now consider the Octavia to be a (small, but super-reliable) Merc for Skoda money. I've done 45,000 miles with no problems at all. I keep looking at other cars, new models and - for the first time in my driving life of 35 years - I think, "I'm not bored, there are no problems, its still a superb car and I don't want anything else".

15th Aug 2014, 17:33

Can you please type some information about the automatic transmission?

Is it slowing the car a lot on acceleration, and how does it affect fuel consumption?

I am about to buy an L&K Octavia 1.8T and I generally want it automatic, but I am a bit scared that the transmission may affect performance and consumption too much.

Thank you in advance.

2003 Skoda Octavia PD (130) estate 1.9 TDI

Summary:

A rose by any other name! Don't be put off by the badge

Faults:

Faulty switch on tailgate causing door open warning light to come on whilst driving.

The above is just a minor new car fault. Based on the experience of several friends with Skoda's, I anticipate ultra reliable motoring.

General Comments:

Quite simply the excellent VW standard build quality and value for money stand out when you are spending your OWN money on a car.

The TDI engine happily ambles along in high gear with just a 1000 rpm on the tachometer in town. As soon as you want to go faster, block change down a few gears to kick in the turbo and the car simply surges forward with minimal effort. Whats more it is very quiet for a diesel.

Economy is 50+ plus mpg which I am reliably informed it will get even better once fully run in - Usually at least 10,000 to 15,000 for a VW diesel.

The front seats are excellent. I am tall, my wife short yet we can both get very comfortable settings. Rear seat legroom a little restricted, but acceptable.

The dual floor in the estate gives a level loading platform and space underneath to hid valuables and other belongings from general view.

The suspension gives a supple ride over speed humps and poor quality surfaces. - very comfortable - but may not suit a sporty driving style.

The car is full of clever features, but not in anyway flashy, just well thought out and functional. In other words it won't date either!

Dealer Service has been outstanding so far.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th September, 2003

2003 Skoda Octavia Elegance 1.9 TDi

Summary:

Don't be surprised if you buy one too!!

Faults:

None.

General Comments:

I have opted out of a company car scheme, so I did plenty of research before buying this car. Value for money is superb, lots of gadgets that on other makes you would need to pay EXTRA for. I am getting 54mpg which is based on my current total mileage of 6000+ miles, that covers motorway and city driving!!

Do yourself a favour, if you are in the market for a new car, have a look at Skoda, take a test drive and laugh out load when you realise how much money you saved compared to your friends more 'select' choice of car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th June, 2003

10th Jan 2004, 13:37

For your information only - Skoda Octavia Elegance is one of the most expensive Skoda cars avaliable in Skoda's home country - Czech republic.

6th Mar 2023, 17:18

They were expensive new - but as a used buy, it's hard to beat the Octavia.

2003 Skoda Octavia Elegance 1.9 TDi

Summary:

Everything you'll ever need from a car, except the badge

Faults:

Upon delivery the CD Changer in the boot was broken, awaiting new one, they said it would be here in 5 days max, all covered by the 3 year warranty of course.

Too new really to tell, but it seems very well put together and im hoping for care free motoring in the future.

General Comments:

What man in VW saw Skoda and decided to invest into it? Because he needs an enormous pat on the back! VW's involvement in the Octavia is quite visible, even from first glances of the body. The basic shape screams VW and there are dead give aways, for example the VW style door handles.

But forget all that VW influence, because it seems the designers at Skoda have also had some say in the styling of the Octavia. The grill for example is no where near anything you'll find on the Golf or Passat, in fact I've no idea where that came from! At first I didn't like it, but now its growing on me as a feature of this beautifully crafted car.

The engine is great, you can feel the torque from this 110ps oil burner, just what I need for my risky overtaking maneuvers and caravan towing. But don't think getting frisky with the fun pedals gunna require you to sign up for an account with Shell, because so far I've been getting brilliant mpg figures... £40 to fill her up, and I've done 200 miles on just over a quarter of a tank, maybe equivalent to £12-14. I know I won't know exactly what its done til I fill up next, but I know its going to be a long time until I'm at the Shell station again! The book says 64mpg on a combined run... and I can believe it. What great fuel figures for such a large and powerful car... wipes the floor with our last car.

Interior is very smart, all the gadgets a techno geek like myself could ever want on this model. I won't go into details because i'll be here all night, you can check out the spec on Skoda's website. The material looks very hard waring and easy to clean. I have the estate version and the room in the boot is enormous. You also get a false floor for hiding more crap under (I think posh people use it to hide valuables).

Very good ride. I drive for the emergency services, and driving it hard into corners was no worry for it. Although I must admit, being a brand new car, I haven't exactly had the tires screeching. Also need to get out in it on my own (You know what I mean!).

The only moan anyone can ever have about the Octavia is its lack of legroom in the back. But this is a common moan with which I have no problems because I only ever have the kids in the back anyway.

So once you've got used to the idea of buying a VW with a different badge for £££'s less, the next hurdle is the stigma with the Skoda name. It makes me laugh when you tell people your buying a new car and they ask what your getting... first line is always... "A Skoda??" followed by... "umm", then based upon the persons knowledge of all things car based "They are nice cars now" or "I hear they can overtake milkfloats now".

Q: Why do Skoda's have a heated rear screen?

A: To keep your hands warm when your pushing it.

I've scored this Skoda very highly and I hope you seriously consider one. Do what I did and take one for a test drive, your mind will be made up there and then.

Let me know how you get on...

skoda@snellweb.co.uk

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd March, 2003

24th Jan 2004, 11:14

I work for a German Oil Company, based in Moscow.

Skoda is a name that we all associate with derision, and when my company told me that my company car was going to be a Skoda, when the engineers at other companies were driving Audi's or VW's, as you can imagine I was shocked. (puttin it mildly!!!)

However, the Skoda is fantastic, it is well put together, and holds up to the abuse that it has to deal with on the Moscow Streets.

(They are not the best, and as for Moscow driving, well that's another whole story!!!)

So whichever accountant back in Germany decided to save money on the Skodas, well done!

7th Feb 2004, 05:25

UPDATE: Unfortunately due to two things:

(1) Some nice lady decided to test my cars NCAP safety rating by broad siding it with a bullbar brandishing 4x4.

And.

(2) My good lady passed her test and decided she needed a car too.

I've reluctantly had to let my lovely Skoda go. It was a hard decision to make, especially after it gave us so much pleasurable trouble free motoring. I still highly recommend them to everyone, they are grossly underrated.

5th Jan 2005, 13:58

I have been driving a Skoda Octavia 1.9TDi Elegance now for just over 18 months, I spend a lot of time on the motorways and have just passed the 54,000 mile mark. According to the on board computer I regularly get around 55 miles to gallon and I have to admit I don't hang about with speeds 70 - 80 mph. In all those miles the only problem I have had was a noisy wheel bearing at around 48,000 miles which was changed in around two hours free of charge under their warranty.

I would strongly reccomend you ignore the badge and try one for yourself and you'll be amazed how far they've come.

3rd Jan 2009, 03:19

I have just bought a 2005 Skoda Elegance 2ltr saloon. I'm not posh, I'm not easily impressed by cars as I am a truck driver; second hand cars are just second hand cars (well they used to be)

1. I am extremely impressed

2. Why don't Skoda make trucks?

3. I now want a new Skoda

4. What a CAR.

5. Why didn't I buy one before