Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi

The stiff suspension set-up can feel a little too firm in some circumstances, especially over small ripples, manhole covers and expansion joints in town. The upshot of this stiff setup is that the worst of our roads is easy game for the Octavia. Large potholes, speedbreakers and bad surfaces are soaked up with minimum disruption to the cabin. Straightline stability is also impressive, the Octavia tracking dead straight even in excess of triple-digit figures, with only minor corrections required at the wheel even on broken surfaces; the happy balance between good ride and straightline stability allow you to hold higher average speeds without getting the jitters.

The Octavia’s handling is pretty benign. The steering is not very quick or responsive but offers a meaty feel. It doesn’t have the agility of a smaller car but its road manners are confidence inspiring all the same.

In town, the Octavia is pretty manoeuvrable thanks to a tight turning circle. However, rear visibility is poor thanks to the fat C-pillars and a lip inside the hatch. Despite having drums at the rear, the Octavia’s brakes gave us nothing to complain about, providing good pedal feel and short stopping distances.