Skoda Octavia long term review final report

What made the driving environment even nicer were the beautifully built interiors of the car. Yes, one of the buttons on the steering wheel did work itself loose, but the super fit and finish of the dash and the modern chrome-lined vents and touchscreen central console made the cabin feel quite upmarket. And then there’s the excellent cabin insulation that just shuts the world out.

The real reason this Octavia got under our skin, however, was that fabulous gen-three EA 888 direct-injection turbo-petrol engine. Developed by Audi and improved over the years, the engine’s more linear pull was a pleasant surprise. Unleash the almost 180bhp in the first three gears and I defy you not to grin. And I always loved listening to that nice smooth snarl as the speedometer needle shot up the dial. I almost never let an opportunity to accelerate hard pass, even if the tank was near empty. Traveling long distance was also nothing short of brilliant, the vast reserves of power making it easy to zip past long lines of traffic on the highway.

While the automatic was a boon in traffic, we did have some issues. To begin with, we missed having paddles on the steering wheel. And then the Octavia occasionally tended to jerk a bit at low engine speeds when the turbo lag of the engine coincided with the box executing a shift. Still, when we wanted lightening-quick upshifts or downshifts, the twin clutch automatic always obliged.