Practical experience Skoda Octavia (2017-2020): specifically the facelift

Because it was popular! Not only do the sales figures for the entire generation speak volumes, the total of no fewer than 126 user reviews is also impressive. Why do we make a ‘cut’ in this case? A large part of the pre-facelift experiences concerns cars with diesels that were still quite common at the time. Cars that are now a lot less interesting. The facelift model shows a more relevant mix. And, let’s be honest, choosing the facelifted variant means that we don’t have to keep saying whether it is an ‘original’ or updated car.

Space offering Octavia

Let’s start with a very big, wide open door. To be precise, a fifth door, because whichever Octavia you choose, it has one. Nevertheless, you will probably not be surprised that the vast majority, 80 percent of ‘our’ users, opt for the extra spacious Octavia Combi. And for a reason. “Want to rent trailers or moving vans? That is usually not necessary if you want to transport something. At least, if you have a Skoda Octavia station,” writes the driver of a 2019 example who, among other things, inserted a table top of 2 by 1 meter – with some adjustment. “I transported a bed base of 2 m long in it. I could hardly sit down, but it fit!”, writes another enthusiastic rider.

“Then the strong point of the Octavia,” begins the driver of a 1.6 TDI Greentech Edition, “the space,” he continues. “Two adults sit comfortably in the back. They have plenty of leg and head room on a comfortable sofa. As a driver, I am quite tall and the seat is set far back, but passengers behind me still have enough knee room without touching the front seat with their knees. The trunk is absolutely gigantic with a capacity of 610 liters. Never run out of space.”

We can of course post many more similar quotes, but the gist is always the same. The hatchback also provides satisfaction. “The large luggage compartment is very practical. Even in this hatchback version, the space is enormous,” says the driver of a 2019 Octavia 1.5 TSI Greentech. “Making full use of that space does come with a downside: “The only point of criticism is that the car quickly leans backwards when loaded. Slightly firmer springs would have been nice.”

Seating comfort

The space available appears to be the attraction of an Octavia, drivers pay less attention to seating comfort. That does not mean that this Skoda scores poorly in that area. “The comfort of the seats is fine for me,” writes a hatchback driver. “I am 1.90 meters and can find a comfortable seat. Supported by the lumbar support.” Another rider is also satisfied, although it is not love at first sight. “The seating comfort, which I was not completely satisfied with during my previous review, has now also been adjusted to my liking. Getting used to it and moving the seat a few more times to get it where I want it and the miles fly by without me even noticing.”

A lease driver who traded in his Peugeot 308 for an Octavia experiences much the same. “During the test drive I noticed that compared to the Peugeot, the seats were nice and large but less supportive. However, a good seat is easy to find and after a long ride you can get out without muscle pain.” The back seat also receives a passing compliment: “The seating in the back is much better than in the Peugeot, with deeper seats and much more legroom.”

On the road with the Skoda Octavia

So far opinions on the Octavia are pretty unanimous, but when it comes to driving things change. For example, the owner of a 2019 Combi thinks the car has both improved and deteriorated compared to his previous Octavia from 2005. “The car is quieter on the inside,” he notes. “On the other hand, I am less pleased with the rear suspension. This is not stabilizing enough. My previous one did much better.” Compared to the pre-facelift, the ‘new’ car seems to be better, at least reports a driver who switched from an Octavia built in 2014. “The handling is what you would expect from a Skoda, and is therefore mainly focused on comfort. The 17-inch rims make things a bit stiffer, but in my opinion the Octavia can actually handle that well. The previous Octavia had 16-inch rims and was lowered, but the current one grips the road better and is more stable, especially in crosswinds.”

The driver of a 2018 diesel Octavia writes: “In terms of comfort, the Octavia is also good, perhaps even too good?! I prefer a little more dynamic handling.” A number of other drivers also say that the chassis could be a bit stiffer. The driver of a 1.5 TSI Greentech also reports: “The rear suspension and damping are not entirely to my liking. I’m no chassis expert, but I feel that both the suspension and damping need to be adjusted a bit tighter. The car bounces quite far when hitting a speed bump, which in itself is not a disaster, but this is not adequately damped. Speed ​​bumps are no fun, especially with a fully loaded car.” The driver of a similarly motorized Combi experiences the following. “With its 16-inch alloy, the suspension comfort is on the comfortable side, almost soft, but that fits well with the rest of the car.”

In addition, we read quite a number of varying reactions about cars with a DSG automatic transmission. One driver is able to summarize all these reactions quite well and does so as follows: “The DSG gearbox is fine in normal use, but when you accelerate hard when overtaking, the gearbox shifts down too far, even in D, so that you suddenly driving down the road with a roaring engine. This downshift is not necessary at all, because the engine has enough torque. Apart from that, it is easy to drive with an automatic.” Some drivers also complain that the transmission sometimes shifts up very quickly, causing the engine to produce grumbling sounds.

Maintenance, malfunctions and irritations

Most drivers have a nice companion in their Octavia. For example, the driver of a 1.6 TDI reports the following after almost 160,000 kilometers. “Nice car. Never had any problems with it. Only regular maintenance.” A second rider, a fan of Samson and Gert, also has nothing wrong to say about his ‘Octaaf’. “It turned out to be an exceptionally good car. From new to the mileage at trade-in (176,000 km) it has been completely problem-free. Unique to me. Hasn’t worked with any car so far.”

Another 1.6 diesel driver fared less well, after a rattling sound came from the front at about 90,000 kilometers. “There appeared to be (very) a lot of play in the timing belt tensioner, causing the timing of the engine to be adjusted by 2 notches. In addition, there was play on the belt, which meant that it only ran 1/3 over the rollers.” Although this problem could have been serious, they were caught on time and the defective parts were replaced under warranty.

The owner of an Octavia 1.0 TSI was not eligible for warranty. He noticed that the coolant level was slowly decreasing. “The water pump had to be replaced,” he says. “Unfortunately, this is a known problem with these cars. 750 euros lighter…” And one more thing: “Another well-known ailment is squeaking on doorsteps. This can be solved temporarily by greasing the control arm rubbers. You can just go on the street and then it will be quiet again for a few months.” The following driver has not had any problems with a water pump acting up on his 1.0 TSI. “Issues? Nothing! It is almost soporific,” he concludes after 50,000 kilometers. Another 40,000 kilometers later, nothing has changed.

The Skoda Octavia seems to be a fairly well-thought-out car, although drivers think that the chassis and the DSG automatic transmission in particular could use a little more refinement. Nothing but good things about the space, something that also applies to the seats to a large extent, and the car does not disappoint on a technical level either. Are you curious about what owners and users think of the current generation of Octavia? Then read ‘Practical experience Skoda Octavia, 2020 to date.’