The Octavia looks smaller than the dimensions suggest. The Laura looked much bigger. When the car width increased by 45mm, the track width only increased by a mere 8 mm. The car is begging for a wheel with a bit more negative offset.
The rear legroom has gone up considerably but I do miss the flat floor of the civic. Also as stated by Vid6639 in the official review, the rear seats should've been a little more reclined. But the rest of the family is pretty happy with it. I guess that's one of the compromises you have to make for that huge boot space.
![My Skoda Octavia Ambition, TDI DSG-2013_skoda_octavia_98_1920x1080.jpg](https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attachments/long-term-ownership-reviews/1236829d1690754258t-my-skoda-octavia-ambition-tdi-dsg-2013_skoda_octavia_98_1920x1080.jpg)
Image source:
Caricos.com
The interior fit and finish is top notch. A sun glass holder is missing though. Seats are very comfortable. I do miss the adjustable lumbar support (present in the Elegance trim) but since there is no clutch, my back isn't complaining. ergonomics are spot on except for the handbrake location.
Storage space is limited in the car. The glove box is useless thanks to the protruding CD player on top.
Thanks to the DSG, it's impossible to stall the Skoda. It was the one thing I hated most about the Laura. Driving the manual Laura in second gear in peak traffic was a humbling experience, to say the least. No such worries with the DSG. But in D mode it is too eager to shift into second gear. That can't be good for the clutch especially when crawling up really bad roads. I always shift to S or manual mode when the car starts sounding like a CVT.
I almost always drive in D mode. Having never driven an auto transmission before, I find the absence of clutch a little confusing when driving in manual mode. Maybe a dummy clutch will help.
When you go easy on the throttle the engine returns incredible fuel efficiency. With the amount of torque on tap, it is hard to do that though.
When compared to the Civic's 170mm, the Octavia's 155mm GC feels inadequate but in real life it's just the opposite. The underbody protection combined with a stiff suspension meant the car cleared all obstacles with ease. Even where the Civic's front tow hook scrapped. Skoda has reduced the front overhang too when compared to the Laura.
Option to switch units is in the infotainment system itself:
The media connector looks out of place here. The ideal location was in the glove box.
The oil temperature display keeps disappearing. It appears after a reset of the infotainment system but disappears soon after. It doesn't show any temperature either. I read on Briskoda that the oil temperature is disabled when a fixed service schedule is enabled. I wonder what the oil temperature has got to do with that.
Even on the 'late' settings the lights turn on way too early. I've stopped using auto lights after being signaled by oncoming traffic couple of times.
The Octavia is supposed to have AQS which monitors the quality of air and switches to recirculating mode if air quality drops. I'm pretty sure an odour filter is not part of AQS.
It was the peak of summer when I got the car but the AC did a good job keeping us cool. It takes a bit more time to cool the cabin when compared to the civic though. The option to roll down all the windows with the remote is a nifty feature especially when the car is parked in the sun.
When Ac is in auto mode all the outlets are open including the one for the front windshield. A hint of rain and this fogs up the windshield. The only way around it is to either raise the temperature or switch to manual mode.
Our old ambassador had this problem in the rains. Water from the front fender used to leak through the front lights.
Hatchback with huge boot perfect for those airport runs.
The boot mat can be attached to the hook so that it's easier to take the spare out. Nice touch.
I remember seeing a flap for the boot latch on the Laura.
There's a bit of diesel clatter if you try to rev the engine on a cold start but it soon disappears and the 2.0 TDI and the DSG combo works beautifully. Whatever turbo lag the engine has is well masked by the 6 speed DSG. But I do experience a slight lag while driving uphill. I'm not sure if it's the turbo lag or the DSG holding on to a higher gear in D mode. Apart from that, it's a gem of an engine.
Remove the engine cover and you'll be surprised to see the number of Audi logos you find in there. That makes you happy and scared at the same time. Happy because you paid only half the money, scared because all those parts are going to cost the same as the Audi's.
![My Skoda Octavia Ambition, TDI DSG-1photo-210314-3-00-47-pm.jpg](https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attachments/long-term-ownership-reviews/1237358d1690755254t-my-skoda-octavia-ambition-tdi-dsg-1photo-210314-3-00-47-pm.jpg)