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| This is the 160bhp 1.8T 'L&K' version on 17in 'Sputnik' alloys, which isn't the model I'd choose |
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About a year ago, when I reviewed the Octavia vRS, I said it came with a price tag which could quite possibly reduce other manufacturers to tears. In which case, the whole of the motor industry must be sobbing uncontrollably at the entry-level price of the Skoda Octavia Estate: £12,965. That's £12,965 for a 115bhp 1.6 petrol-engined estate car which manages 0-62mph in a very respectable 11.4 seconds and gives you 580 litres of luggage space with the rear seats upright, and a vast 1,620 litres when the rear seats are folded down. Need I say more? Well yes, actually, I need. Because - despite the rock-bottom pricing of the whole Octavia Estate range - there is nothing about the car which accounts for the cost. In terms of quality, looks, reliability, driving experience, and so on, there's nothing wrong with it. There's no catch.
Skoda, as we all know, is a close cousin to Volkswagen, which is itself a close cousin to Audi. True, as you move up the status scale there is a change more substantial than just the badge on the nose. A feeling of increased quality comes from such minor things as sound-deadening and how the controls are damped... little details which add up to a very definite whole. I'm not saying the Skoda is as good as an Audi. But if you're budget-conscious rather than badge-conscious, the whole Skoda Octavia Estate range equals stupendously good value.
Nevertheless, some models are more equal than others. The 1.6 FSI entry-level model is excellent value, while the best-selling 1.9 TDI, at £14,445, is probably the best bet of all, if you can afford the extra £1,480. The VW Golf Estate with the same 1.9 TDI engine costs over £1100 more, as well as having marginally worse performance, worse fuel economy, and considerably less luggage space. The Golf just has a better, sexier image.
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