Skoda Octavia [2001-2010] User Reviews

So people and my fellow skoda fans, i purchased a used octavia in 2006,the car however is a 2002 19tdi ambiente.The odo was 51k at the time of purchase,the current reading is 74k.To be very frank with u guys not once have i given the vehicle for a service at the authorised service center,its no point getting your pockets burnt out there as i know what really happens at these workshops,as i have worked for 1 of these authorised service centers in dubai.all i do is get the oil and filter replaced every 7500kms with mobil (cost 3200rs), replace the fuel filter every 15000kms(cost 1800rs) and get the air filter cleaned every 5000kms(cost free).Replace timimng belt every 50k for which i paid 4000rs with the tensioner bearing.i have taken the car around 10 times from bombay to goa with no hassels,the car after 6 years and 73k is absolutely rattle free(lets see any japanese car which can give you this).so thats it my advice to all just enjoy the car,stop cribbing about the cost thats what u have to pay for german technology  

Fuel economy,built like a vault,excellent road holding,excellent fit and finishGround clearance to low,front doors power window winder keep breaking

Heres a review after 12 years The car was bought in 2008 its the silver rather a metallic silver colour It has been 10years since we bought it and i m still proud to have an amazing car like the skoda octavia Beyond the car being manufactured in czech Republic the home of skoda, its perfectly adaptive on thE indian roads. IN these 10years out car has never broken down. Here a question comes to many of their minds that the roads might have been good or he just have had beem lucky. Nope we have driven the car on the konkan roads infact our first trip was to tarkarli Malvan, Sindhudurg that also in the monsoons The car outperformed amazingly with those bilstein suspensions giving us a cushion ride With the stock tires and a full tank. EVERYONE in our family loves travelling and so have been explored the entire konkan, Goa by road all the ghats, Kolhapur, Mahabaleshwar The car has never been a disappointment. I m proud to say in 10years the car is driven 97000kms completely intact with stock original. Parts No Modifications Just changed the tyres at 53000kms Yeh and also the car has standard interiors U can wrap that better half of the dashboard to look premium. There are lot new cars at the moment in the market but this beast still is a tough competition to the new generation cars. Its speed, Torque, House power is still appreciating till date, and the superior Build quality. I wont say the car is just unbreakable But depends on the driver as well Yeah the authorised service centers charge u hefty lot more but the problem persists. So try an aftermarket service station the saves alot on your pocket with the genieune parts.

Exterior Simply amazing design. You see this car from beauti prospective while designers has looked from engineering prospective. If you don't belive me, simply stand at any side of car and look at that area and try to justify with aerodynamics you will understand the reason of that curve or flat body section. I couldn't find any exterior body section that is made for beauty its just engineering beauty is accidental :)

Ok. I think you still don't believe me. I know, lets see in detail this car was desinged in late 2000 and the same bodyline were till 2005 I believe. So old isn't it ok now lets compair with cars from 2014/15 a car model from 2014 that is just inspired by Skoda Octi 1.9 that is Maruti Ciaz :) what I told Ciaz yes its Ciaz. My close review of Ciaz bodyline and its fitment are very identical to Octy and that is just well justify. If something is simply amazing, why to rework. That is what Maruti engineers have done. Octi bodyline is piece of engineering.

And guss, maruti couldn't give body metel that Octi is build of. Yes the steel engineering known as german steel. Ok you again feel I am mad for Octi take a fact. I had a hexablade in my rear trunk below carpet. Once I was cleaning the car and found completly junked & melted hexablad on trunk surface. I was hurt becuase I knew its not only hexablade but that must have melted by my car body below it. So I thought lets clearn and go for fix. I cleaned and to my surprise! there were no single rust on car body. Hexablade were looking like my car body had eaten it :)

Second fact I had rear spoiler, previous owner of car had fitted it. It was loose so I went to denter to fix it. When the mechanic open the spiler he found its one of tightening nut was rusted and broken and there was mud stuck in between spoiler and body. I crossed my fingers due to rust expected there :) wow only mud no rust.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Ok, interior. To be honest, best quality meterial is used across inside. Sun is bad for car interiors, but not true for Octi. It simply doesn't care about sun. Ok, lets fact. I had mobile holder and its base was stick on dash. One summer day melted it, dash was spotless. :0

But, dash design is simply not Indian test. its different and I wish to have it different. Back sheat is not well designed. Seems like this car is made for just driver and its copassanger, definitly not for regular back seat copassanger.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox What to talk about this engine, we all know people from Europe has used this car for 7 to 9 lacks KM, I dont know how they drove this KM but yes car took it easy. I can't show confidence in this simply because no car in India(whether its Indian or International)is found to be have this mileage. So I just count max 3 lacks KM is what I would be able to drive this with all my effort.

Wait I have fact in this also. Due to some reason (my experiments :0) I broke injector and half part was stuck in head unit. I and my machanic both tried all way to take out the broken part but was failed, we decided to open head ( we hadn't anyother way :0) so we open the head hell suprises when opening this simple engine(sorry so simple engine) but again the nuts holding the head were like magic steel stretchable nut any steel would have been broken with the force we used while opening those nuts but guess they were like new after opening ( I read a lot before opening head and while whole repair process, many suggested to replace the nuts but we decided to reuse it and we were correct).

My machenic with his long experience said now we have to take head on leathe but wait he said what the heck it this, after 1 lacks KM its head doesn't have hearline spot to clean on leath :) no need to leath. WOW, we asked to bring cold drinks and just set for sometime with happy and suprise talks of how other cars get these cut in head cylinder after even 50K KM.

I asked him to check bearings by opening oil tub from below engine, again happy talk. Crank bearing were intect, like new. Turbo was smooth and no big finding except carbon buildup and very minor bearing cut. we know this will be compensated by engine oil once it will go into turbo. Now we have facts to support 7 to 9 lacks KM life though I still can't digest this. Yes. 

Ride Quality & Handling Stable, steady and ready to take high speed, but be careful while you take 100+, car will feel easy but mind it its just very high speed and anything coming your way will be catastrophic with its 3 start safety rating thoguh I feel its 5 start on safety but I wont challege ancap data.

Final Words As Final word, I want to only talk about what others are really bothered its maintainance cost.

I would say its cheapest to maintain than tata sedan. What !   I said cheaper than tata. YES.

What all you need is very 1- Reasonable part price and 2 - Road side mechanic.

1 - Reasonable part price - First try to check with Chedda Motors in Opera house, Mumbai. They are geniune on price dont ever ask original as word just ask imported part will work. Generally parts are from Vika which is Chinese but with good quality, Volio from France, Bosch or theres migh be there If you can reach to Opera house just try with different shops. Try bargain, since its old model car shopkippers just take on right price and infact they take bargain also. As a fact, once my alternator broke and I got quoted 12000 but managed to 6000/- only.

2 - Road side mechanic - Anyone can repair this car, its so simple to repair but wait dont waste time reparing bad parts I was never successful reparing any gone part so just replace it and save time and frustration. And great if you can see you tube video on that raparing you will get one video on your work for sure repair video on Skoda Octi or VW golf are same both very similar.

Go to machanic with your knowledge of youtube video and be open in talk while he repairs but let him take lead. But wait, I am always open to go to Skoda service station in case of mess :) They will fix my mess. Though I never been to them, I just took all on me and my mechanic.

Again, its super simple to repair and repairing skill of common car works so let your mechanic feel comfortable while reparing your car Just instruct him, not to fix broken part or gone part Give him new part from step 1 above or else he will do what they are famous to do CHEAT :)

Areas of improvement Skoda should have supplied original parts in market open sell and not have discoutinued this model.

My experience with Skoda service station is that parts are not expensive but labor is anyway I dont go they anymore. 10K or their charge for lower arm bushing is 2K when I do it outside that is cheaper than Tata Sendan that is 2.5K outside. :)

Happy owning Skoda Octi 1.9 TDI.

Bobby.

EverythingAll features those came after this car was designed and build