2006 Skoda Octavia Elegance from UK and Ireland - Comments

Faulty brake light switch flattened the battery twice before the fault was found and corrected.

Door seals caused squeaking and rasping noises. First fix was to lubricate seals with silicon spray, this only worked for 3 weeks then the noises returned. Seals now replaced.

Engine hesitation at low revs, 1,400 to 2,000 when the engine is not under load. Still awaiting the induction part which is supposed to fix the fault.

This car is now 2.5 months old and has been in the garage more times than my Civic in the 7 years I owned it.

The car is generally good. Ride and comfort were the reason I bought the car - having test-drove a total of 7 comparable cars, this one stood out. Also good value for money as the standard spec is very good.

Engine is rather noisy from the outside, but OK inside.

The DSG gearbox is a perfect compromise offering quick and undetectable changes in Auto mode, but offering a Sport Mode and Manual/Tiptronic changes when you want to exploit the power of the engine. The only downside is the inability to build the revs for a fast getaway or to pull into moving traffic.

The speedo and trip computer are rather optimistic. 70 mph on SatNav reads as 75 on the speedo, and the trip mpg tells me 45mpg whilst Fill to Fill shows only 37mpg.

At the end of the Day, it is a Skoda so build Quality is never gonna be outstanding. They are really a good value for what they are. It is the kind of Car to buy cheap then throw away in a couple of Years. They do have a very low Class image also. A Colleague of mine has a 2003 Octavia and he is constantly Sniggered at and of course he gets to hear all the latest Skoda Jokes.

You mention Sat Nav within your report. Do you have the factory Sat Nav or is it an aftermarket one?

I refuse to believe the build quality of the rest of the VAG range or any other manufacturer is any better. All cars have faults and Skoda are no worse than others. Its luck of the draw with cars. I don't agree with the comment "It is the kind of car to buy cheap then throw away in a couple of years" if that was true then there wouldn't be so many cars this age and older around on the roads today. Unfortunately there will always be those who snigger at the badge before even giving the car a try. I own a Fabia VRS and have had it for nearly two years, its had a few minor niggles fixed under warannty that I wouldn't expect, but nothing drastic and I'll be keeping it for a while yet. I agree the Skoda range is good value for money, but that's not what appealed to me. I saw the car, didn't really know much about it at the time, but I took it for a test drive and liked it which is all that matters. If anybody is considering buying a Skoda you could do a lot worse, ignore the comments on sniggering and jokes because the majority of sensible people can see past that!

I have recently bought a 2000 Octavia 1.9TDI SLX with 98000 miles on the clock. The car is almost perfect which shows it can stand a bit of wear and tear. It is extremely economical, comfortable and easy to drive (except for poor leg-room in the back - a well known minus of this marque.) And the badge? Well all I can say is that I remember Jeremy Clarkson driving the first one he came across; "I just can't believe I'm driving a Skoda!" (repeat many times!). I was well aware of the quality of the Octavia before I bought this one. There are hundreds of them around. And as for the sneers/jibes/jokes etc., well I'm no motoring snob, but I thought Lada had captured that particular market.

The build quality of a skoda is not quite as good as an Audi, but beats VW (from my experience with our almost exclusivly VW/Audi/Skoda fleet) Compare this to say a Peugeot/Citreon/Renault/Vauxhall and you won't believe the difference. Everything feels so much more solid and screwed together. French cars everything just clips together and they feel like they are going to break when you slam a door.

Regarding the Sat Nav comment. This is exactly the same with every car I have ever driven. My current car says 75mph on the speedo when the satnav (which is much more accurate) says I am doing 70mph. The reason is that the manufacturer does not want to ever end up in court when someone gets a speeding ticket and blames it on the car, saying the speedo was not accurate, so they under read by 5-10% on purpose, so when you pass a speed camera at 70mph, you are in fact doing about 66mph and there is no way you are going to get a ticket.

My 1.9 TDi PD Octavia is now coming up to two years years old and so far has had problems with climate air con. creaking suspension, numerous creaks and rattles from trim that have had to be fixed by removal of the dashboard and have created more creaks and rattles than before! A water leak from the door seal that made the footwell fill with water, and now a faulty windscreen that has become delaminated and needs to be replaced. The car is a great design and very good value for money, but spoilt by build quality issues, I am not sure how I should keep it as it is driving me mad!!!

I have a Octavia 1.6 FSI combo. The only problem I had until now is a noise from the air coming inside from the drivers door. I visit the garage and they said that it is a well known problem. I don't have time to repair it (they want to leave it for a half day) but it is not some-think important for me. I am very glad with my car.

24/1/07 I've got a fabia 1.9tdi vrs it's a lovely car its just as good as my old car a vw passat tdi. I've had no big problems yet, but theres water in the rear foot welts both sides. Is it right that it's a common fault on the skodas that the door seals go on them.

I am about to own my 3rd Skoda Octavia. Maybe I've been lucky, but I cannot fault them. Great value for money, superb performance and great build quality. The minor faults mentioned by other buyers are common to all makes not just Skodas!.We can all quote a friend or relative who has owned any make you care to mention, which has had faults.

Just look around at how many Taxi Drivers are using Skoda's these days. SAY NO MORE!! I use one myself for the job. I totally agree that it is the luck of the draw with cars, no matter what make or model. One thing I will say about buying a Skoda and that is if anything goes wrong, you won't find a more accommodating dealer network willing to oblige. That for me is just as important. No good buying what you think is a good car only to be treated badly when something needs sorting!! Try Ford dealers. Got to be the worst on the planet. And yes I am talking from experience!!