RE: Happy birthday Skoda Octavia

RE: Happy birthday Skoda Octavia

Sunday 10th April 2016

Happy birthday Skoda Octavia

Skoda celebrates 20 years of the no nonsense Octavia - we'll raise our brew to that!



If you're one of those insecure brand snob types - especially one hiding behind a VW or Audi badge - best turn the other way now. Because, yes, we're going to help Skoda celebrate 20 years of its Octavia, the Czech brand's quietly rebellious 'answer to everything' car we can't help having a bit of a soft spot for.


The self congratulatory press-release (we'll give them that) Skoda has issued today reveals it has sold 5m Octavias over three generations, development for the first seemingly starting just a year after VW acquired the brand in 1991. Production then started April 3 1996. The pattern of building unpretentious, no-nonsense cars on VW group platforms and benefitting from the shared development in powertrain tech that comes from being part of a bigger entity has worked well for Skoda too. Sure, the badge doesn't have the prestige and those who haven't left the Jasper Carrott era of TV comedy may still snigger at the image. But from minicabbers on up there are many fans, the ability to drive a car with the same engine, gearbox and infotainment gadgets as much posher brands from within the group at a fraction of the price never losing its appeal.

With the vRS range PHers have long had something to get excited about too, the combination of cheap entry cost, easy tuneability and huge luggage capacity endearing the Octavia to many. Scouts meanwhile make for useful all-weather rural runabouts popular with the outdoors set and the steady improvements in quality, technology and all-round refinement mean you no longer need make excuses for driving a Skoda. Little touches like the ice scraper hidden under the fuel filler flap underline Skoda's fit for purpose image, a 'does what it says on the tin' honesty very much in keeping with the PH mindset. With the new vRS230 there's now a properly spicy one in the range too, combining Golf GTI tech and pace with wardrobe swallowing space.

Which is one of the reasons we're taking delivery of our own for the PH fleet later this week. More on that in due course. For now happy birthday Octavia!

From Shed money to brand new vRS models browse all the Octavias in the PH Classifieds here!

 

 

Author
Discussion

JMF894

Original Poster:

5,478 posts

154 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
Well I owned my MK1 Octy vRS for 5 years and it was fantastic.


AndyNetwork

1,831 posts

193 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
Had my Mk1 Diesel estate for 7 years, and had my mk 2 hatch TSI for 2 years now. Would have a mk 3 any day of the week.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
Unfortunately the lower cost compared to the VW equivalent, seems to be due to cost savings in the soundproofing department. My Vrs was blinking noisy. However the Superb is very civilised!

Konan

1,817 posts

145 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
Didn't they make one in the '60s?

20 years of mediocre crap with awful seats. Good news for chiropractors.

PistonBroker

2,406 posts

225 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
I have a soft spot for them. The VRS stacks up well as an ownership option imo.

I got 'er indoors a Mk1 1.6 estate a few years ago as a runaround. It wasn't bad at all.

MikeTFSI

4,985 posts

101 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
Konan said:
Didn't they make one in the '60s?

20 years of mediocre crap with awful seats. Good news for chiropractors.
The seats are fine and the cars are not mediocre at all, just quietly competent.

Vauxhall do make some chiropractic friendly seats though. Drove a Corsa for a couple of hours and that hurt for almost a week.

StangGT

3,925 posts

268 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
Ive had 2 as work cars.

A mark 1 (yes, awful seats) and now a mark 2 scout. The seats in the scout are great.

Incredibly capable cars, if a bit dull.

blearyeyedboy

6,252 posts

178 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
It's not flawless, but it's honest "what you see is what you get" and if you take it on its own terms- warts and all- there's fun to be had.

Jeez, it's not an Elise. For a cheap, sturdy FWD hatch with a decent boot, it's a good steer.

I wouldn't describe mine my dream car but it's combined the ability to carry people and their stuff with occasional fun very well. I don't regret buying mine at all.

Glasgowrob

3,232 posts

120 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
Put nearly 300k on a mk1 and couldn't fault it

Would love a current model superb though

Stunning motor

Tuna

19,930 posts

283 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
Pretty much family proof, seats in the Mk2 and 3 are fantastic for long hauls and it's a simple pleasure to drive.

Only downside is that second hand ones really retain their value, so finding a bargain is tough.

anothernameitist

1,500 posts

134 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
Had had our MK2 octaavia for 9 years now, will replace when it goes pop, not sure when that will be.

Faultless.

Thats why Mrs now had a Rapid

andburg

7,214 posts

168 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
Currently abusing a mk3 1.6d estate and it does everything it should. In fact I chose it over a golf for the extra space and lower BIK.

blearyeyedboy

6,252 posts

178 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
The Crack Fox said:
Glasgowrob said:
Stunning motor
I don't doubt the Octavia is a very good car, but "stunning"? Really?! That's a superlative reserved for exotica, isn't it?
I think he was referring to the current Superb. While I might use a different adjective, if I were looking for a large family estate to keep for a decade, I'd have no hesitation in getting one.

276 bhp and 4wd from a big anonymous estate? Yes please. smile

rob.e

2,861 posts

277 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
Octavia vRS just can't be beaten for the combination of fast, big, cheap.

Yes you can find faster cars, but they won't be bigger and cheaper, ditto the other measurements.

I'm on my third now.

First one, 2010 2.0Tsi vRS, bbs, weitec coilovers and stage 1 map:



Second one, 2012 2.0Tsi vRS, Neuspeed forged wheels, H&R coilovers, brembos, H&R anti roll bar:



Third one, 2016 2.0Tsi vRS "230" - ie the "performance pack" version with the special diff:







Edited by rob.e on Wednesday 6th April 15:58

blearyeyedboy

6,252 posts

178 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
rob.e, how much difference does the diff make?

rob.e

2,861 posts

277 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
blearyeyedboy said:
rob.e, how much difference does the diff make?
If you just trundle up and down motorways you won't notice its there.

On a twisty road though, especially if its a bit damp you really notice the difference - feels like it's pulling you in the apex and round the corner without any of the that normal fwd scrabble/understeery feeling.

blearyeyedboy

6,252 posts

178 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
Thanks rob.e, that's a useful point of view from a real world user (instead of from a journalist).

J4CKO

41,287 posts

199 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
Does anyone still use Carrottisms about Skodas ?

Even then, they werent that bad relative to Ladas, FSO's and the like and now I dont think you can really buy anythign quite as crap, not very exciting, a bit slow, not very nice to look at but nothign like the old days of the Lada Riva, always driven by fat old blokes as you could get a fully spammed up version with headlight washers and everything for three grand.

SuperchargedVR6

3,138 posts

219 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
20 years!

Only seems like yesterday I first saw one and thought, that looks a bit better than a Rapid 130.

CharlieAlphaMike

1,127 posts

104 months

Tuesday 12th April 2016
quotequote all
I had a MK1 Vrs from new. Had a Miltek exhaust fitted and 'proper' remap done after the first 1000 miles and performed faultlessly for the 4 years and 95000 miles I covered. It was a great car IMHO. More than enough performance but discreet enough to surprise those who weren't in the know.