[blackwasp]

In India, the Skoda Octavia was launched in 2002 and was an instant hit due to its frugal diesel, solid build quality & European road manners...even though one of its Mumbai workshops got its electricity from a generator! The 2nd generation Octavia came later and because Skoda wanted to sell both gens simultaneously, the new car was amusingly named "Laura". This 3rd-gen Octavia arrived in 2013 and got a facelift in 2017. The 4th-gen replacement was expected to go on sale by now (internationally), but has been pushed down due the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The fast vRS versions have a crazy fan following, and for good reason too.

Positives:

• Classic European styling & build. Premium quality inside out
• Amazing VFM in the used market. It's the best entry point into the "German luxury car" world
• Wide engine range: Adequate 1.4L TSI, all-rounded 2.0L diesel, fast 1.8L TSI and explosive 2.0L TSI
• Smooth, high-tech DSG automatics. Lightning quick upshifts
• Cabin has adequate space for the family. Cavernous 590-liter boot as well for those road-trips
• Loaded with features (panoramic sunroof, electric seats with memory, bi-xenon lights etc.)
• 5 star NCAP rating. Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, EDL and more
• vRS is deadly! If you find a pre-worshipped one, beg / borrow / steal to bring her home

Negatives:

• 2.0L diesel & 1.4L petrol get an inferior (torsion beam) rear suspension. Yes, it makes a difference
• Long-term reliability can get patchy. Parts are expensive
• 1.8L petrol's DSG is destined to fail. It will leave you stranded & with a fat repair bill
• No MT option on the 1.8 TSI or the vRS for purists
• 1.4L TSI is mediocre. We would avoid this engine altogether
• Early cars have niceties missing (paddle shifters, smart keyless entry & go, alloy wheel spare)
• Unusually tall floor hump makes things uncomfortable for the 5th occupant
• Skoda’s ill-famed after sales service & dealer network. You better have a good independent mechanic

Related Threads:

• Official Review, Facelift Review and vRS Review

• joethomasv's Octavia Ambition, TDI DSG

• Nikhilb2008's Octavia vRS

• sivadas' red vRS

• krishnadevjs' 1.8 TSI L&K

• abhinav.gupta88's 2014 Octavia

• adi_petrolhead's 125,000 km 1.8 TSI Elegance

Mod Potential:

Stupendously good! Right from VAG's modular parts to insane performance mods, the Octavia can have it all. The only restriction will be the size of your wallet & time.


Source



Availability:

Excellent, because the Octavia is a very popular model in India selling ~200 cars / month. Ample choice of cars as well as engine / gearbox variants.

Here are some examples on sale - 2015 65,000 km 1.4 TSI, 2015 61,750 km 2.0 TDI AT, 2016 76,543 km 2.0 TDI, 2017 45,000 km 1.8 TSI AT, 2017 15,000 km 2.0 TSI.

Pictures of the 2017, 45,000 km done Octavia 1.8 TSI with an asking price of Rs. 11.40 lakh. This is a relatively new, FAST luxury car for Maruti Dzire ZXI+ AMT money. If you want something more practical & reliable, strongly consider the 2.0 diesel variants:

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Indian Car Scene. Thanks for sharing!

Voting a very, very strong YES. If I wanted a pre-worshipped sedan for a million bucks, it would either be the Octavia or Jetta. I would avoid the 1.8 TSI though. My pick would be the 2.0 TDI with the more durable 6-speed DSG. Or of course, that stonking vRS. I'd then get rims like this:

[TheHelix0202]

Voted yes! I was browsing through OLX and came across Honda City’s selling for 10.5 + Lakh. Say what? I’m not plonking a million bucks into THAT bucket, no matter what!

The 2.0 TDI Elegance pack is my pick. A stage 2 remap would make her breathe fire

[Turbolove]

Voted a big yes. The great build quality makes it feel like you're sitting in a tank. That coupled with the great road manners, makes it one of the few really good non SUV cars for our roads.

That 2.0 TDI, its still the best diesel engine in my limited personal experience.

[ramki.grandhi]

Voted yes, but its a selective yes to diesel/petrol with manual gear box.
I can live with inferior suspension, and other downsides but not that DSG.

i've a fabia. Everytime i give for service center, i end up seeing bunch of frowned faces and people fanatically discussing how DSG repairs are costing them fortune.

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Indian Car Scene. Thanks for sharing!
Voting a very, very strong YES. If I wanted a pre-worshipped sedan for a million bucks, it would either be the Octavia or Jetta. I would avoid the 1.8 TSI though. My pick would be the 2.0 TDI with the more durable 6-speed DSG. Or of course, that stonking vRS. I'd then get rims like this:

Even avoid the later versions of the 1.8? Are we still getting bad reviews / stories about the DQ200? I thought once they changed the oil (?), things got much better? Doesn't the 1.8 TSi come with an independent rear suspension which is far better than the TDi? Not sure if it matters though for a regular use. But, who buys a second hand Octavia for regular use anyway.

[RohanDheman]

Voted Yes

And not just pre-owned, i love the car so much that i have bought the last two generations new. A 2010 Laura Diesel DSG (which i modded a fair bit) and then a 2016 Octavia Diesel DSG. With Skoda improving their service experience a great deal and the tremendous after market support, it is a brilliant brilliant car to get. Who knows, i might end up getting the Gen 4 as well!

Cheers
Rohan

[123.rishabh]

Voted yes for the 2.0 TDI.
It is a great family sedan which is good for both city and highway runs. The 6 speed DSG box is reliable, efficient and the top trims offer top notch safety features and creature comforts as well.

Even after owning 2 petrol generations of the Octavia (MK1 & 2), would not buy the 1.4 or 1.8 TSI. The former comes with a MT box but is plagued with the piston overheating & deformation issue, & the latter 1.8 TSI is coupled to the infamous dry clutch DSG which is prone to premature failure

[madhavabeer]

Voted Yes
I own a pre-owned 2016 Octavia 2.0 DSG. I've covered about 35,000 km in 1 year and I'm pretty impressed. Service experience has been really good. My car came with a standard 4 year/100,000 km warranty and I'm going to extend it further (2yr/50K km). I've even had my headlights replaced in warranty as the DRLs had started yellowing. Skoda was very prompt in addressing the issue and I really did not have any problems in taking the warranty replacement.
And yes, it returns 20+ km/l on my highway drives without me having to put any effort to save fuel.

[Altocumulus]

A big YES

Being an ex owner of a Laura 1.8 Tsi, an used Octavia would be even better. Yes, the DSG is something of concern, so you should have some dough kept aside for in case something comes up. The thing about these cars is that you need to be proactive and be willing to spend some time with them. You can't wait for something to fail and then change. A little bit of paranoia helps in keeping them in top shape. Aftermarket parts are available plenty and that coupled with a good FNG can bring down the maintenance costs considerably.

[PrasunBannerjee]

I love this Octavia, there are a couple of them in my colony and I drool over them even today. But voted a NO for the reasons:
(Please let me know if anyone else has also come across the same issue #4 below)

-DSG issues
-Long term maintenance issues
-Build quality little down from 1st Gen Octavia and the same age Jetta.
-For a very odd reason I have come across a lot of 2013-2017 Octavias (the ones without split/quad headlamps) where the DRLs were 'leaking' light in a shade between warm white and pale orange. In some cars, it was only a single headlamp doing so, in some, both. It was leaking as their owners had switched off the DRLs, plus it wasn't bright enough. One can make it out only from about 10-12 feet. Guess it is a flaw that develops with time. All those cars were really well maintained and not abused at all. Saw them in at least 6-8 cars in my city. Made me realize that going the pre-owned route, there might be more electronics failure over time, and at least electronically, this is not a reliable car for long term. To the Octavia's defence, I have also come across at least 3-4 Jettas (ones with halogen DRLs) with one DRL fused for some reason. But if it were the car which was more mechanical, would have easily gone for it. Today's cars are more of a gadget, so reliability of electronics matter to me.
-In comparison, I personally know people with the 1.9D 1st Gen Octavia. Built like tank and far more reliable. Starts on first crank even if left parked in garage for more than 6 months.

I would go for the Jetta than Octavia in pre-owned route, and the other way round if I were to buy a new one.

[ArjunPadmakumar]

Absolutely yes!
-At the price they are going for (6-10 lakhs) they are a steal!, just consider the relative new car options are the sub 4m sedans all of which are victims of extreme cost cutting.
-Relatively fresh design that does age well, even today its the best looking in the segment.
-Being a VAG car, Immense options to play with, easily remapable to 200 odd hp.
-This along with the Jetta are seriously over-engineered and will surely last upto 20 years without any hitch if well looked after.(This is essentially an cheaper Audi A4 without the gimmicky gadgets)
-All 4 options are worth including the DSG varients as VAG dsgs post 2014 are much more reliable especially the non DQ200 gearbox ones, these easily last over 1.5 lakh KMs.
-Unlike the past most Skoda dealers have improved a lot,I have a Skoda as a daily driver for over 5 years and although dealers changed thrice, the commitment is solid akin KIA.
-Extremely stable at expressway speeds,safe in the event of an accident and decent economy as well.
so

[Rajeevraj]

Resounding yes from me. Have only done a test drive of it once and was floored. A pre-owned Octavia is pretty much at the top of my list if and when I need to upgrade my Vento. I like the Jetta a little more, but considering availability, the Octavia seems to be the logical choice. Not to mention the different engine and gear box combinations available.

Of course, getting a vRS would be a added bonus.

Reiterating a big YES.

[shobhit.shri]

Voted yes!

I really want to buy it but not able to take the final plunge. I had a Rapid from 2012 to 2016, and though it was not a bad experience, I don't want to live with that sinking feeling again. Mind you, used Octavia would not be cheap in Bangalore. They are still selling for 15-20L for a decent piece.

How much I should take aside for those DQ200, and other gremlins?

[spkrnh]

For a vRS a definite YES. It does not matter even if it falls outside the warranty period.

For the 1.8 tsi i would not. The dsg is problematic. Its a great car to drive otherwise, but considering the problematic gearbox and the limited mod potential due to the torque restriction i would skip it.
The 2.0 tdi did not appeal to me as much as the jetta, which had a better ride, more stable feel and better back seat comfort with a longer seat squab.