Quality

[Brycem]

I jumped into our RS wagon last night having spent the last while driving our other car (a Hyundai i30 diesel wagon) and could not believe the feeling of luxury, quality engineering and build quality. And that was before I even turned her on. On the move you are immediately aware of the car's exceptional road manners which marry flat cornering with ride comfort, not an easy task and one that BMW has failed to master in its current crop of vehicles.

Admittedly the RS wagon retails at $16,000 more than the Hyundai but you can see where the money is spent.

I have always been slightly sceptical of Skoda's brand positioning in Australia but I can tell you the build and engineering is streets ahead of the volume sellers over here. I happened to be in the rear of a Volvo XC90 recently and I can tell you the plastics used in it are very Ford and not of the quality used by Skoda.

Perhaps I am not representative of the car buying public but any consumer who values a premium feel needs to get themselves down to their local Skoda showroom and soon.

Incidentally I can give the forum users an insight into the quality of Skodas and their ability to stand the test of time. A couple of years ago my brother, who lives in Scotland, bought a Mark 1 diesel Octavia wagon which had covered 200,000 kms and promptly put another 50,000 on it with no issues. The car did not have a service history but just kept going and going and returning ridiculously MPG figures.

There is a reason that most of the private hire taxis in the UK are now Skoda Octavias!

I will close by stating that those who have invested in the brand will be rewarded by many years of loyal service. Forget about resale - think quality and the rest will take care of itself!

[thommo]

Well said. I came from 10 years in Subaru and I thought they were excellent...until i got in the RS. I just love opening and closing the doors they fell so solid, not thin and rattly. The whole car is so much more substantial. Love driving it!!!

[Brycem]

Well said. I came from 10 years in Subaru and I thought they were excellent...until i got in the RS. I just love opening and closing the doors they fell so solid, not thin and rattly. The whole car is so much more substantial. Love driving it!!!

I couldn't agree more! Looked at a Forester XT and it was plastic fantastic! Just didn't feel premium in any way. The seats were also severely lacking in bolstering for a so called sporty version and the vinyl covered centre armrest was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I also looked at a Mazda 6 Diesel Wagon and it was a very competent vehicle but just a bit too swoopy on the outside and busy on the inside. The plastic gear knob and handbrake were the nails in its coffin. Oh and the seats were very poorly bolstered clothed in a very ordinary slightly distasteful Japanese fabric.

I couldn't bring myself to look at the Bommadore sportwagon. No desire to needlessly burn fuel for no advantage!

[Graybags]

You are preaching to the converted!

[Brycem]

and hopefully to those who are viewing the forum as visitors and agonising over whether to take the plunge with the brand!

[bobski]

I also looked at a Mazda 6 Diesel Wagon and it was a very competent vehicle but just a bit too swoopy on the outside and busy on the inside. The plastic gear knob and handbrake were the nails in its coffin. Oh and the seats were very poorly bolstered clothed in a very ordinary slightly distasteful Japanese fabric.

I agree on the interior. The only japanese car that I thought was close in that bracket was the accord Euro. But I have a mate with one and it has multiple squeeks and rattles (plus there's a big difference in performance/fuel usage for similar dollars)...

[Swuzzlebubble]

and hopefully to those who are viewing the forum as visitors and agonising over whether to take the plunge with the brand!

Thanks - your comment is very relevant to those like myself weighing up a purchase.
You cannot compare quality from checklist of specs.
Of course you need to sit in the cars and see/feel for yourself and even then if rushed and distracted it is hard to take it all in.

[K1W1]

Skoda were mentioned twice in today's Sun Herald (Melbourne) car section. Octavia was mentioned as a car that is taking sales away from Mazda 6 and the Superb wagon was included in a wagon feature. Comments were positive.

[dArK5HaD0w]

while deciding what car to buy, i had a look & test drove the following cars:-
- mazda 6 (nice, but not fun to drive)
- mazda 3 (didn't wow me)
- subaru impreza rs hatch (too plasticky)
- subaru liberty 3.0r b (lost hope with the new model)
- mitisubishi lancer vrx (noise engine)
- honda accord euro (nice, but it didn't feel right)
- vw jetta 2.0tfsi (felt out-dated)
- audi a3 2.0tfsi (too pricey with options added)

then, i saw the octivia rs - loved wat i saw, loved the quality interior, loved the fun drive, n the price was spot on!!
the pre FL octavia was lurking in my thoughts while looking at the above cars - however when the new FLmodel was released, i didn't hesitate!!!

[SKODA vRS147]

while deciding what car to buy, i had a look & test drove the following cars:-
- mazda 6 (nice, but not fun to drive)
- mazda 3 (didn't wow me)
- subaru impreza rs hatch (too plasticky)
- subaru liberty 3.0r b (lost hope with the new model)
- mitisubishi lancer vrx (noise engine)
- honda accord euro (nice, but it didn't feel right)
- vw jetta 2.0tfsi (felt out-dated)
- audi a3 2.0tfsi (too pricey with options added)

then, i saw the octivia rs - loved wat i saw, loved the quality interior, loved the fun drive, n the price was spot on!!
the pre FL octavia was lurking in my thoughts while looking at the above cars - however when the new FLmodel was released, i didn't hesitate!!!

Its good to see that i was not the only one that suffers the pains of selecting a car.
When i tested the Octavia RS i dont know what happened but i was immediately at home in the car. However, it will take a bit of getting used to with the 147kw's at my control. Cant wait for those sunday drives on the quiet roads.

[Brycem]

Swuzzlebuzzle,

I recently moved to Brisbane from Edinburgh. I owned a pre fl RS Estate (wagon) there. Three of my friends also own various derivatives of the RS. We have all been delighted with our purchases. My mates continually thank me for steering them in the right direction. Their cars have proved to be faultless and delivered genuine performance at a realistic cost, all this coupled with amazing practicality.

When I came over here I ordered a golf gti mark vi (I have also owned a couple of mark v gtis and they got to me!) but in my heart of hearts I knew it wasn't big enough to accomodate all the paraphanelia that accompanies two kids. The rs wagon is the next best thing for those moving from a hot hatch to something bigger but who still want to retain those hot hatch features and feel. Short of spending $80,000 on an A4 Avant (to get less boot capacity) there are no direct rivals to the Octavia RS wagon in the Australian market.

It took me a while to get my head around the fact that Skodas cost more here but this is offset by the fact that they are higher specced.

I would be happy to answer any queries you have and hopefully give you answers based on real ownership experience and not sales chat.

[bobski]

When i tested the Octavia RS i dont know what happened but i was immediately at home in the car. However, it will take a bit of getting used to with the 147kw's at my control. Cant wait for those sunday drives on the quiet roads.

Thats how I spent most of today

After owning an BA XR6 Turbo for a couple of years, I can tell you the 147KW doesn't feel too far away from its 240KW Granted, the current model XR6T's would have it on toast in a straight line, but I'm averaging 8.6 litres in the VRS and have been giving it a belting - I used to get between 13 and 14 in the Ford The VRS will be $1500 a year cheaper to run just in fuel.

[raph]

I didnt get an RS, just the FL Octavia, but after looking around for a medium/small car, i had narrowed it down to a holden cruze or hyundai i30. I took a look at the Octavia, ann after just sitting in it, knew i had to get one.

Not disappointed. It just feels more like a real car.

[selurs]

Cant wait for those sunday drives on the quiet roads.

Thats how I spent most of today

Just back this past weekend from a week away, including a morning traversing what I think are the two best driver's roads in WA (er...the only two?...it's rather, well, flat here). It was drifting showers but the car was totally solid while twisting through the rolling pastures - it is an amazing piece of machinery. Then I had a Wagyu beef burger for lunch. Does it get any better?!

On the flipside, back over easter, we did 1000Kms in a day doing Perth-Carnarvon, and arrived as fresh as a daisy. How they've put together a car that is at once a road-hugging sports beast, and a comfy highway cruiser, I don't know, but they've done it, and I own it