9 Things I’ve Learned After A Month Of Skoda Octavia vRS Ownership

It’s just over a month since I bought Dave, my second-generation Skoda Octavia vRS estate. Here’s what I’ve learned so far!
9 Things I’ve Learned After A Month Of Skoda Octavia vRS Ownership

I bought this bargain Octavia to find a better balance of all the things I wanted in a car. It has more boot space than my old ride, almost as much passenger space and a much, much nicer engine. But, after paying about £3000 less than market value and being saddled with a cambelt that was four years overdue a change, what has the first month of ownership taught me… and how much has it cost?

Boost is awesome

9 Things I’ve Learned After A Month Of Skoda Octavia vRS Ownership

Come on, I don’t really need to argue this point, do I? We all know it: as surely as the sun will rise in the east tomorrow morning, boost is awesome. It’s not like I didn’t know it already, but the reminder has been brilliant.

My old diesel car had 148bhp and 229lb ft versus Dave the Octavia’s 197bhp and 207lb ft. Dave revs so much more eagerly, though, spinning his turbo for longer and with a definite smile on his newly re-number-plated face. Fundamentally, despite the torque deficit it feels loads quicker. A K04 turbo from the Audi S3 might somehow find its way in at some point, for greater boost at higher revs.

Petrol is just better

Super unleaded: that's why dads go to Tesco
Super unleaded: that's why dads go to Tesco

When I bought Dave I switched out of a very pleasant and very solid Toyota Avensis diesel estate. It was comfy, smooth (for a diesel) and well-equipped. I don’t need to tell you, though, that I’d swap all that for a decent petrol engine… because I did.

The instant and massive improvements in smoothness, warm-up times and sound have instantly made my world a better place. The EA113 engine in this early MkII has a decent slice more character than the later, chain-driven and generally smoother EA888, which, without special tuning, always seems to sound a bit boring. The EA113 is a really lovely motor, and more charismatic than I was expecting.

You always miss something at the viewing

CD autochanger: broken
CD autochanger: broken

Even though I took a spanner-handy friend and spent plenty of time around the car, there were things I missed. I didn’t clock the duff engine thermostat until the drive home, and thanks to a general parts shortage I haven’t been able to get it changed yet.

Then there’s the 6CD autochanger in the boot. It’s not getting any power (or it’s just totally buggered). We never thought to actually try it at the viewing, and the CD player in the dashboard works, so it’s a low-priority problem to fix.

It’s, erm, not built brilliantly

What a stupid design...
What a stupid design...

When the interior door handle comes off in your hand (twice) as you try to close the door, you know your car isn’t quite at Rolls-Royce levels of build quality. It’s a poor piece of design; the selection of small clips just aren’t up to the task of jerking a heavy door closed, but I’ve learned to pull it progressively rather than yanking.

There are one or two small creaks and rattles that I want to track down and kill, but they’re no biggie. Overall it has nothing like the sense of solidity that the old Toyota had, but that’s a sacrifice I was, and still am, willing to make.

It has less standard kit than a Turkish prison cell

Blank switches: always a shame
Blank switches: always a shame

It’s hard to believe, as we sit here in 2018, that a mildly sporty, mid-sized, flagship estate car could have had so little equipment just 12 years ago. Its kit list was emptier than a supermarket bread aisle after a heavy snowfall. Semi-automatic air conditioning and the CD multi-changer were the extent of the highlights.

As I understand it, even the rear electric windows were optional, but those have at least been added to this car. By modern standards it’s a pathetic lack of equipment. The current Octavia vRS is just about drowning in relative luxuries by comparison.

Integrating modern tech is tricky but doable

Parrot Bluetooth: much better than you might think
Parrot Bluetooth: much better than you might think

Back in 2013 the kind soul who owned the car paid out to have two really useful pieces of kit retro-fitted. A row of parking sensors was put into the rear bumper, and the fitter has done such a stellar job that you’d never know they weren’t original. In operation the stereo volume drops so that you can hear the beeps, so it’s as good as a factory installation.

Secondly, a proper Parrott Bluetooth kit has been hard-wired in. Again, the integration is seamless with great call quality both ways, automatic stereo override functionality and, if you like, you can even programme it to say the name of the person who’s calling. It’s superb.

Not so good is the mobile-charging solution. I’m using one of the windscreen-mounted magnetic mounts you can buy in the CT shop (and yes, I paid for it myself). While the mount itself is super solid, having never fallen off once and having never even allowed the phone to slip, let alone drop, it does wobble a bit more than I’d like on rough roads. The cable routing is a tricky one, too, because nothing short of glues wants to stick to the dashboard trim to hold the cable in place. More thought needed.

Servicing isn’t as cheap as I’d like

Yes, I know it's the alternator belt, but it's a lot easier to photograph than the cambelt...
Yes, I know it's the alternator belt, but it's a lot easier to photograph…

Given the popularity of EA113-engined cars I thought servicing would be chips-cheap. Err, no. The bill for the new cambelt, water pump and a full service, including spark plugs and wholly genuine Skoda parts throughout, was £595 at the excellent Total Quattro Care, a VAG specialist in Stoke-on-Trent. Luckily I sold my old car for more than I expected.

The old belt, if you’re wondering, did have me clenching when I had a look at it. At eight years old it had doubled the recommended change interval, and it was about to snap. When folded and squeezed between my fingers, I could see the material cracking. Gulp. The Audi-trained mechanic at TQC bluntly said: “It was ready to go, mate.” I don’t think he meant it was dressed for its dinner date, and I might just have dodged a bullet, there.

Insurance is way cheaper than I expected

Magnetic mount good, cable routing options bad
Magnetic mount good, cable routing options bad

This was the bit I was dreading. I’d already decided I wanted the car at this point so I was just braced for the hit, giving my credit card the pep-talk I thought it would need. I called Direct Line expecting to have them laugh at me down the phone, before counting how many zeroes the premium had.

In truth I was actually just swapping the policy from the Avensis, so I knew it wouldn’t be that bad, but I was expecting a big hike. Nope: £12 was all it cost to swap from the old man’s Avensis to the hot-hatch-engined Octavia. I’ll take that, thanks!

I already care about it way more than my last car

9 Things I’ve Learned After A Month Of Skoda Octavia vRS Ownership

If you asked me to be honest, I’d happily tell you that the Avensis was comfier, more solid both in its materials and its ride, had a better driving position, was more economical, cheaper to tax, and had vastly more equipment. Cruise control, climate control, sat-nav, full leather and electric seats, for starters, plus automatic headlights and wipers, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and more.

Have I missed it? Once; the first time I hit the motorway and regretted not having cruise control (which I’ll try to retro-fit myself this summer). After that, though, no, I haven’t missed the Avensis at all. Dave the Octavia gives me more of what I really want, and I couldn’t be surer that I did the right thing. Life’s too short not to own cars that make you smile.

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Comments

Anonymous

I am Turkish and I got offended.

04/01/2018 - 16:23 |
2 | 2
My Name is Joel

For the CD changer, did you check the fuses (in the car and the changer itself). I had a problem with my deck and it turned out to be the fuse on the deck itself and was a quick fix ( after i drove around without a radio for about 9 months).

04/01/2018 - 16:33 |
4 | 0

It’s the first thing I’ll check, when I get around to it.

04/01/2018 - 19:13 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

My company car is a 2007 TDI vRS (170 hp @ 350nm) but it’s a sedan. The engine is a piece of crap, meanwhile it only has 155K on it. (Yes! You read that right! 155k km and I’m the 2nd driver. (my boss used it on business trips.) Dual mass flywheel got replaced, the 4 pd injector got replaced from siemens to bosch (there was a mass recall) the DPF clogged up so they removed it.

04/01/2018 - 16:35 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Cough mondeo st estate cough

04/01/2018 - 19:39 |
0 | 2
MR-2

How do you know the equipment Turkish prison cells have?

04/02/2018 - 05:44 |
10 | 2
John811

Your Octavia looks great ! ^^ I’m hesitating between an Octavio VRS hatchback manual like yours or facelift with the EA113 or a Golf GTI Edition 35 manual 5 doors. I don’t know how to choose (the stats doesn’t matter, the octavia, even if slower than the golf, is quick enough for me). The fun factor, the cost, the aftermarket parts availability are important to me.

04/02/2018 - 12:14 |
0 | 0

Go Edition 30 Mk5 Golf, you’ll thank me later

04/03/2018 - 18:26 |
4 | 0
Anonymous

K04?
This is getting very interesting indeed! Looking forward to the next post. :D

04/03/2018 - 08:45 |
0 | 0
Williard

Your drives door trim is about £13 from the dealership, and as for the spec aspect look at the mk5 golf you’ll see how easy this generation were to work on, with a massive enthusiast base for the EA113 engine or TFSI as it’s more commonly known by.

04/03/2018 - 18:28 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Matt Kimberley I had the same issue regarding cabling with my car. I used black electrical tape to hide the cable but no matter what I did, it simply fell off and dangled in front of my passengers.

There has been a very successful solution which has never faulted me since being done last June, it’s tidy and clean, always stays straight and I’ve forgotten it’s there!

The Dash cam is at the top of the windscreen, so firstly I wound a big roll of tape at one point of the cable to wedge it in the trim above, this worked and if doesn’t, just add more. Then, I had my fiancé stitch the cable to the A pillar, all the way down to the mats on the floor. This may sound impossible (and is if plastic) but my fabric A pillar is simply a thin line, just enough to get a needle through and there’s no weight to the cable so it’s never come loose.

Might be worth looking it!

04/04/2018 - 11:22 |
2 | 0
Matt Kimberley

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Thanks! I’ll look into that.

04/04/2018 - 13:36 |
0 | 0
Edvin Lars

Matt Kimberley i’ve owned a VRS for about 4 years now. The same pre facelift (which is more beautiful) model with only the differences that its a hatchback and its the diesel version (i’m just a diesel fan).

A couple of suggestions first:

the door handle - changed the whole plastic part of mine (both upper and lower) cause the lower part had broken off where the bolt keeps it connected to the door and the upper parts clips werent holding very good anymore (+ it was all scratched from the previous owner having a ring on a finger). The new parts cost me about 50€ at the dealership and honestly in my opinion it isnt a high price for a more carefree life.
Secondly the silver plastic around the stereo and aircon - also bought a new one in black. it was around 18€ at the dealer and the whole center console looks ways better now.

I was actually planning on selling my car once winter is over but sadly it seems that either the injectors need replacement or the DMF. And after a long chat with a friend who works as a mechanic at Škoda i’ve decided to just do all the work needed for it to run properly and then…this car begins a new life as a project car.

04/05/2018 - 16:42 |
2 | 0

Thanks for sharing! I’ll have to contact the dealer and see how much they charge for those bits. I’m aware there should be a bolt holding the door handle on (but there isn’t) and as you can see in the pics my handle is a bit scratched up too. I want to replace the whole part including the window switches, which are worn and chipped. All part of the plan to get it looking its best.

04/06/2018 - 07:00 |
2 | 0