Faults:

Recently done the cam-belt and found the water pump leaking, no big deal, new pump as part of kit and was all replaced at the same time. Well worth doing if keeping these cars long term.

Glow plugs replaced last year after it had difficulty starting, seems good now.

Air con feels weaker, maybe just needs re gassed.

Brake grind, replaced discs and pads all round, expensive but that should be the brakes done for a while.

General Comments:

Looking for a car to match my old 2010 VW Passat in economy, this Skoda Octavia has been a fine choice.

Initially I thought it was too small - compared to my old Passat, the Octavia looks and feels smaller, but the interior has almost as much space, and the boot is massive, plus passengers never complain about comfort, this SE model has plenty of kit and nice seats.

Very nice if a little dull to drive. The 1.6 diesel has good power and long motorway drives are where it shines - I see a genuine 62 mpg or more on average. About town and on shorter drives in winter expect this to drop to around 48 - 51 mpg or less, but this is still good economy. Insurance, tax and all other running costs are very reasonable also.

In short, for the money, you cannot get a better used buy, if all you need is a spacious family car that is good to drive and wont cost the earth to run everyday.

Faults:

Front suspension, both springs snapped, changed at MOT.

Rear wiper failed.

The engine does like a top up of oil. No leaks however. 2.0 diesel "CUNA" engine is famous for it.

DSG auto box requires servicing - bear this in mind. It is not too expensive however.

Noticed the water pump was leaking when the cambelt was changed, but is part of the kit and replaced anyway.

General Comments:

VRS Octavia - a near perfect car.

Bright red, black alloys, window tints. Very smart appearance.

2.0 TDi with the DSG auto box flies and does not effect performance or economy in anyway from the manual transmission. The car will do well over 140 mph and still manage 45 - 50 mpg on diesel if you cruise slow.

Lovely interior, comfortable if a bit firm ride.

Running costs, servicing and insurance are all pretty reasonable considering the performance (0-60 mph in 7 secs).

In short, I like it. Buy nothing less than a car with full history, get the cam belt done and you are laughing! Avoid thrashed, abused or accident damaged cars, a lot of boy racers like these cars. Plenty of nice ones on the used market if you look carefully, no need to buy a rough one.

Faults:

Nothing beyond wear and tear. When I got it last year, it needed new brakes; that's about it. A/C not as good as it used to be, but that's to be expected on a seven year old car.

General Comments:

Black 2018 Octavia. Stunning looking car in SE spec. Gorgeous alloy wheels. Split headlights updated model. If I'm being really picky - I preferred the looks of the old pre-face-lift model, but there is little in it.

Nice car, very easy to own. Interior fitted with all I need, very comfortable. Regards comfort and ride quality, it's not up on the level of my old 2010 Volvo S60, but it's a comfortable enough car in any spec.

Huge boot space. Reasonable tax and insurance. Practical car.

Most Octavia's are diesel, this 1.4 petrol engine still easily manages 40 + miles per gallon and feels strong when overtaking. I like driving this car.

My car has over 100K on it, but looks and feels as good as new. Buy a looked after Octavia and they are good for high mileage, unlike most cars which are falling to bits at this mileage!

If you want simplicity and reliability, this is the car to look at. On the used market, there is no better all round car for the money.

Faults:

Nothing other than servicing. Did replace the battery, and at its first MOT it required new brake discs and pads.

General Comments:

Octavia vRS. The faster version of the famous taxi from Skoda. This is a fast and economical car. Best of both worlds.

I have the lowest horse power version as well - 180 bhp Turbo Diesel and an automatic! This does nothing to blunt performance. 0-60 mph still comes up in a shade under 8 seconds and the car will do more than 140 mph. Semi-auto mode I never use. Just put it in drive and enjoy relaxed cruising and urgent kick-down if you need it.

But drive sensibly and you can still get 50 mpg + on diesel.

Really good looking car, mine is a unique green with black/grey alloy wheels.

Interior is gorgeous and well designed.

Difficult to fault really, comfortable, spacious, fast and economical. Not that expensive to run either, insurance for me as an older guy is OK, servicing/repairs are OK as well so long as you know a good garage that does not over-charge. Highly recommended.