Octavia RS gets 3.5/5 in "The Age"

[K1W1]

This review appeared to today's Age newspaper in Melbourne and presumably also in the SMH.

"VERDICT

The Skoda is quick, composed and capable but the lazy steering and lack of aural drama mean there are more exciting alternatives.

If you like your performance cars well-rounded, though, it looks good, goes well,

is practical, well appointed and a bargain."

[Jake02]

I saw that same review in the Herald today. I found it to be mostly untrue. I don't get the steering 'issue', no mention of the RS' fantastic handling and the competitors were all wrong (Lancer Ralliart/3MPS/GTI are wrong. It should be Mondeo XR5, Jetta 2.0TSI and S40 T5)! Geeze they really won't give Skoda any credit. Idiots...

[KWICKS]

On size perhaps Jake, but not on price - and most often we shop for the best car we can get for our available funds. I liked the review.

What would you honestly have given the RS - if it gets 3.5 stars that leaves room for more impressive metal up the scale does it not? It is ultimately a car that ticks a lot of boxes and does them well, just falls short of being brilliant due to compromises for doing a lot of things well, and being built to a price. Seems fairy nuff to me.

Road noise comments make me think the reviewer drives a luxo barge as a daily - maybe a Merc.

[Jake02]

On size perhaps Jake, but not on price - and most often we shop for the best car we can get for our available funds. I liked the review.

What would you honestly have given the RS - if it gets 3.5 stars that leaves room for more impressive metal up the scale does it not? It is ultimately a car that ticks a lot of boxes and does them well, just falls short of being brilliant due to compromises for doing a lot of things well, and being built to a price. Seems fairy nuff to me.

Road noise comments make me think the reviewer drives a luxo barge as a daily - maybe a Merc.

OK so maybe my previous comment was abit brief and abit toolish. Yes I understand the price part, but this is where the RS offers an advantage over it's rivals. It also outpoints a silly argument by the author, as he said that the RS offers something like less agile handling compared to Hot Hatch rivals, but it has a bigger, more practical body so duh...

I'd have given it 4 stars. If they give the new Liberty 4 stars (and it looks like THAT...) then how could the Octavia not receive the same score? Kwicks, you own a Golf GT and know just how well-rounded the platform is. Surely you understand? 3 1/2 stars doesn't give the reader an impression of just how good the RS is.

And yes I agree on the road noise comment. If the same guy said the same thing about the new Golf GTI then something must be wrong...

[Antiplastix]

He averaged 8.3 l/100 ? He obviously doesn t test drive cars to their full potential. He may as well of taken the 1.6 l Octavia.

[backdoc]

I think that what continues to annoy me the most about these reviews is that they keep referring to the MY10 RS as having the "old" GTI engine. It has the brand new Mk6 GTI TSI engine (not the "old" FSI engine), it's just that it happens to have the exact power outputs as the "old engine". But it is 3kg lighter, has better economy & is specifically tuned for 95RON.

From Skoda website - "The Octavia RS offers a sporty and hot-blooded 2.0 TSI/147kW petrol engine."

From another forum: "The TSI (aka the CCTA) engine is VW and Audi's latest blown small four cylinder engine design. It is a complete ground-up newly designed engine that, while it has similar displacement and power characteristics, it shares virtually no parts in common with the older FSI (aka the BPY).
In addition, some versions of the TSI engine (reserved for longitudinal applications in Audi branded cars) will have what is called "valve-lift" and will be capable of more power, much more torque, better fuel economy and much lower emissions.

So, what's the difference? Ummm, everything."

Should check out this link - http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3889971

It gives all the technical specs.