Skoda Octavia vRS (2005 - 2013) 2.0T FSI Hatchback 5d (2006/56) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Informed. Everyone knows that Skoda are quality now

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

They like it. Traffic bobby friends of mine use them at work but they had a lift in mine before they drove the Police ones and they liked the interior (it is very nice) and the way it drives. My dad loves it too, although he also says that it isn't a car for smooth town driving...

Would you buy this car again and why?

Maybe, I don't tend to buy multiple versions of the same car, but I think a DSG variant would be a good choice so possibly I would

What are you likely to buy next?

I think I would like a biggish diesel, something like a BMW 330 or Merc 3 litre.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchise

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£10,000

When did you buy the car?

March 2009

Did you get a good deal and why?

I think I did - I got the p/x I asked for, plus a heavily discounted extended Skoda warranty and a practically new car with only 14k on the clock for £8k after the p/x was taken in.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I wanted a quick car to replace my pretty quick VW, went to test drive a Mk 1 VRS and wasn't so keen on the interior, saw the Mk2 at the same dealer, liked the look of it, asked for a test drive and basically fell for it there and then. Great interior and great performance...

What was the dealer like?

Very friendly, not pushy, basically if I asked for a test drive on something, it was just "here's the keys off you go see you in a little while!". The dealership itself was nice and tidy, all the stock looked clean and there was free coffee.

What's it like to drive?

Very nice. Loads of torque and it picks up well in every gear (except 6th at very slow speeds, obviously). It is a quick car, but its not tear your face off fast, just very sustained and certainly fast enough to get you out of trouble, it'll do 0-60 in 7ish seconds, and 150mph so you can hardly grumble. The only thing to perhaps be aware of is that it is a performance orientated car and it's not super smooth tootling in a low gear through town - it seems to want to go. DSG varient would probably not have this problem

What's it like to park?

OK. It is a big car and the high rear end and the spoiler make it trickier to judge than some but its not a massive issue. Decent turning circle

Have you had any problems with the car?

The only thing which I can point to is the Lamba sensor - this seems to be more a VAG group problem as my previous car through up a fault code when there was no problem too, but the Skoda's engine management light came on not long after I bought it, so I booked it in under warranty, took it in and on the drive to the workshop the light went off. The mechanics said that this can happen if there is excess unburnt fuel in the exhaust, which trips the sensor and is quite common if it has been cold or damp weather and the car has done a short journey. So if the light comes on, it may just be that...

What's most practical about your car?

The boot is really quite big and I can get all I need to in it.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Hmmmm, difficult, but I like having a mulit-changer in the boot and a single slot radio in the dash, its just a nice feature to have.