Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider Review

[jeno_turbo]

How it started :
Way back in 2004 , i used to admire the beauty of Skoda Octavia. What i personally feel is, it looks way royal than many other cars of its segment and above its segment too. A humble look in its eyes(head lamps) , a classic bonnet and a tank like built quality makes it look a class apart ! I was too young when i was admiring its beauty , so i thought this car looks great, but it wont be one of the fastest cars(seeing the spec sheet , 90hp , FAIL) . By 2008 i started to drive my dads car to my native place(800 kms from chennai) . I used to drive my dads SX4 about 130-140 kph , used to play around with swifts and Dzires . By that time i hear the horn sound of a octy form the behind, i see the car rushing towards me in the rear view mirror . It went like flash passing me. All i managed to do is to read that it was 1.9 tdi , i made 140 kmph look like a joke This happens many times in highways . Most of you will know this(those who drive in highways very often).
So i was having a WagonR by that time. I was quite happy with it, but was very much impressed by the performance of the octavia. Something which really made me mad is, almost all Octavia drivers cruise at about 160 kmph. So by last month we decided to sell the WagonR and get a new car. So the budget was 5 lacs.

My dad gave me 3 choices
->Another New WagonR(Petrol)
->Ritz(diesel)
->Chevy Beat(petrol)

But i didnt want something which will perform similar to a WagonR , i wanted a real upgrade. So i started to seek for used cars. Again i shortlisted few cars
->Octy ofcourse(diesel or petrol)
->Optra(diesel)
->Honda City

Why did i go for a Octy:
-> Strong build which will last for ever
-> Ultra efficient Engine
-> Great FE .
-> Good gear box (with tall gear ratios in 4 and 5)
-> Excellent High Speed Stability (160 looks like a piece of cake now)
-> Looks as good as new (ROYAL)
-> Good Steering feedback in both city and highways !
-> Well proven Old school tdi engine (SOHC) , so no complications, any mechanic can check it.
-> Can clock upto 3L kms.
-> good set of features (mileage meter, sunroof..etc..)
-> Above all , it made me sit comfortably in a good driving position (im 6'3'' tall) , that was impressive for a short and aero dynamic car.

Things which were still bugging me
-> Skoda ASS
-> Engine sound

So lets jump into the car ;-)

 

[Akash]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

Thanks for the crisp review. I would like to know about the fuel efficiency and the maintenance costs of the cars. Also add a few pics of your black beauty.

 

[jeno_turbo]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

So the first impressions on the car.

-> Heavy doors , you need to be string to open german doors
-> 2 way adjustable steering and height adjustable seats was a treat for me
-> Good quality plastics all around
-> The speedo meter had readings till 240 kmph
-> There was trip meter, mileage calculator, remaining distance calculator , trip time, average speed and current time. (everything used a single display)
-> ABC were in good postions
-> Steering was light
-> Everything looked like, it will last for ages

Things which you wont like :

-> rear seat space
-> sound , which is clearyl audible inside,(when AC is at low speed)
-> Getting in and getting out , for tall passengers/drivers

The day i got the car in my hand, i drove for about 50kms within chennai . And was pretty happy with its handling and acceleration. Best thing is, there is no turbo lag (there is turbo everywhere 1200-4000rpm). Gear shifts were minimal in city, and i didnt even get a chance to try 4th gear in city. I wanted to test its FE one day, so went from kodambakkam->besant nagar->kodambakkam for a amazing mileage of 5L/100km(without AC) , which is 20kmpl. But there was no aggressive driving in that scenario. But with aggressive driving i manage to get around 16-18 without AC. After a week, we decided to go to my native in my new octy. I was not able to sleep the previous night. got up by 4am, and started the car by 6am. I drove in about 100-110 kmph for the first 150 kms. After which i checked the mileage meter showing 4.5L/100km(with AC) . And after that i drove in about 130-140 kmph. And after the full journey 650kms , mileage meter showed 5.9L/100kms, Which wasnt bad either. The best part is the return journey, i was like driving always above 140kmph. I felt the true driving pleasure, in the whole return journey only one car overtook me, that was a Octavia too(white,diesel, ambiemte). So it was kind of convincing for me for investing on a capable machine. And i didnt even give it for a service before going on that journey.

practical FE figures:

CITY:

with AC:13-15 easily
without AC: 16-19

HIGHWAY(with AC only)

90-100 kmph: 22+
100-120 kmph : 18-20
120-160kmph: 15-16
160+ : 13-14

 

[jeno_turbo]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

Photos:
Here goes the pictures. From door mechanism to dash board

 

[cooldhaya]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

That was a very crisp review Jeno Turbo , i like your Octy very much mainly because of the sun-roof ,i love sun-roofs! Your FE figures are great , even my Verna CRDI cannot deliver those figures. Nice to hear Octavia is comfortable for tall passengers , even i am as tall as you.


And any issues you faced with the car so far?

 

[jeno_turbo]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

That was a very crisp review Jeno Turbo , i like your Octy very much mainly because of the sun-roof ,i love sun-roofs! Your FE figures are great , even my Verna CRDI cannot deliver those figures. Nice to hear Octavia is comfortable for tall passengers , even i am as tall as you.


And any issues you faced with the car so far?

Had done almost 3k kms after getting this car, till date no issues. Except that odd rattling which i got fixed by a mechanic(my friend too) for 3k(4 doors disassembling, assembling and lubricating).
Though i dont have any issues, i gave it for a full service to the same guy. Costed somewhere around 20k. Which includes a big list of changes . have a look at it. And my mechanic said, "u need not bring this car to me again for 20k kms, except just an inspection after 10k kms"

 

[Akash]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

Love your Octy. The fuel efficiency is really good for the 1.9L engine. I agree the engine sound is a bit high but then it is overshadowed by its excellent performance.

 

[cooldhaya]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

Looks like you have done a complete service. So you are not going to take your car to any Authorized dealership and get it serviced from outside? If so then its good especially with Skoda!

 

[ashikawa]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

Nice car at reasonable price. Good that you got it serviced outside. Being a owner of small Polo hatch, i can understand your level of enjoyment in a fully loaded german sedan.Keep writing your experience.

 

[jeno_turbo]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

Looks like you have done a complete service. So you are not going to take your car to any Authorized dealership and get it serviced from outside? If so then its good especially with Skoda!

Yeah , as of now, no plans to go to skoda authorized service. I dont want to trow away money for nothing .

Nice car at reasonable price. Good that you got it serviced outside. Being a owner of small Polo hatch, i can understand your level of enjoyment in a fully loaded german sedan.Keep writing your experience.

Yeah, soo true, each time i get into the car, my mood goes up !! And another thing i should have added in the review. If you see a deep curve, and you will anticipate for a body roll. But when to take that curve , this car will ask you "what do you mean by body roll?" . (i tried today morning 90 deg cut @ 60kmph)

Jeno

 

[jeno_turbo]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

That was a very crisp review Jeno Turbo , i like your Octy very much mainly because of the sun-roof ,i love sun-roofs! Your FE figures are great , even my Verna CRDI cannot deliver those figures. Nice to hear Octavia is comfortable for tall passengers , even i am as tall as you.


And any issues you faced with the car so far?

And another thing, Octavia is comfortable for tall drivers , not passengers, i was not able to sit comfortably in the pass seat(glove box was bothering me). And the rear bench was OKAY(better compared to SX4 in which head room becomes a problem), But if i wanna travel in the rear bench comfortably , i have to push the front seat forward.

 

[cooldhaya]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

Yeah i always love german cars for their handling and stability! And yes being tall is very disadvantageous when it comes to cars!

 

[350Z]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

Congratulations! I love the Skoda Octavia for its sporty character which the cars of its segment always missed earlier. I still have true respect for this car but now the only letdown is a decade old design. It seems that you have found a neat well-maintained example. How much had the car clocked when you bought her home? And any future modification plans on cards?

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[Thetraveller]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

Great review Jeno! I am actually surprised to see those FE figures. Octy is a heavy car with solid build, and such performance is pretty good.

 

[jeno_turbo]

Re: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi Rider

Congratulations! I love the Skoda Octavia for its sporty character which the cars of its segment always missed earlier. I still have true respect for this car but now the only letdown is a decade old design. It seems that you have found a neat well-maintained example. How much had the car clocked when you bought her home? And any future modification plans on cards?

Drive Safe,
350Z

I got her when she was 59k kms done. And the condition was really good, clutch felt like new and we can judge a diesel car easily by how it breathes.

Modifications?? That is a totally different story , planing some big upgrades after a year.

for sure:
-> get it peted
-> upgrade tyres to 225 or atleast 205

things that are running in my mind

->twin turbo
->performance injectors
->performance exhaust
->turbo intercooler

Great review Jeno! I am actually surprised to see those FE figures. Octy is a heavy car with solid build, and such performance is pretty good.

Yeah, very true, but you lose acceleration at the cost of FE, but my calculation is who needs acceleration in city traffic , its tough to move for 20 meters without braking !