Faults:

Brakes, suspension, mostly wear and tear stuff replaced, no real problems. The car has been reliable.

General Comments:

The Octavia is a dull economy car, but if you want simple reliable motoring, they are hard to pass up.

My car is a 2015 car in beige. Boring color, but something a bit different from the usual silver/grey ones you see about. 16 inch alloys look OK. Still looks very modern.

Inside is very dull and grey. Comfortable and functional. Sound system is OK. Driving position is fine, but the slidey armrest is not in the best position and hits the top of the handbrake sometimes. Silly design.

Start/stop system is annoying, I always turn it off.

1.2 TSi petrol is OK for everyday driving, and with over 40 mpg possible, it is well worth a look over the more common diesels. Power can be a bit weak if the car is fully loaded however. I think I'd prefer the 1.4 petrol. I cannot imagine what the smaller 1.0 engine must be like, probably a bit too weak for most people even if you do not drive fast. But the 1.2 TSi is a good all rounder. Try the diesels if you do more mileage, but if you do under 10,000 per year, a petrol will do you fine.

Huge boot, very practical car. SE model is mid range and has all I need. Running costs are very reasonable regards tax and insurance. Service and repairs are really dependent on which garage you use. Luckily I have found a local Skoda specialist.

In short, a fine car if you want basic modern transport. A bit pricey on the used market, but at-least it holds its value well if you take care of it.

Faults:

Oil leak.

Battery failed.

Alloys starting to corrode.

Air con not as effective as it used to be.

General Comments:

The sporty vRS Octavia is probably one of the best all round cars you can get for the money.

vRS has a very nice interior and a good turn of speed. Externally there isn't much to differentiate it from lesser Octavia's bar the dark alloy wheels, spoiler and painted calipers. Subtle vRS badges.

To drive it's pretty amazing for an otherwise run of the mill car. Feels very fast and responsive. It still does anything between 40 - 50 mpg on diesel. Insurance is actually reasonable and so are parts and servicing. Very much a budget super-car! 2.0 TDi with the manual is the one to go for, but I have heard the DSG auto box is good too.

Ride a bit overly firm, but never uncomfortable.

If you want speed and reliability and reasonable running costs, you could do a lot worse than one of these. Buy a looked after car - full history with all oil services and timing-belt change at this age is essential.

Faults:

Turbo, clutch, EGR valve.

General Comments:

Bought this used last year as a cheap ex-taxi with high mileage. General reliability has been OK, but the clutch and turbo were expensive to fix.

I like these cars, but they are perhaps overrated; as with any car at high mileage, you are going to get issues. But I got mine soo cheap due to the high miles and how rough it was.

1.6 TDi has good power and economy.

SE model has a nice interior.

Boring to drive. Ride too firm.

An OK car, just watch for abused examples, there are a tonne of these cars overpriced out there on the used market.