Skoda Octavia

Pros: I adore this car! The best of all that have come before. I was looking for a versatile car, with a large boot, a relatively spacious interior to make the rear passengers comfortable, quick to overtake. So, comparing my pest with astra (2007), Volvo v50 and dacia duster - everything fits in the boot!!! Children's clothes, a folding bed, at one point a pram, a million toys - enough room for all. Interior: with the newest child's car seat, there is room for both the child and the person sitting in front, which cannot be said for the three cars mentioned above. Door pockets, bottle/glass holders, a million storage places (on the dashboard, on the roof where the light is, under the front seat, side pockets, cup/bottle holders in the front door pockets + between the front seats, an armrest under which you can stow quite a lot of stuff. With the engine my girl has, driving and dynamic overtaking is a pleasure (2.0 vrs, turbo). One of the plus points is the comfortably positioned accelerator pedal - my foot doesn't hurt even after 300 km. For comparison: with the Astra I cried after 30 km, Volvo - 150 km, Dacia - my knees hurt if I have to drive all 300 km in one direction without a pit stop. All in all a great car, but the suspension could be less rigid and itself a bit higher for our dirty winter roads. For now this car is my favourite, I would not consider buying an SUV as financially I cannot afford it.

Cons: My whole negative experience is that I made a big mistake buying this car, despite having a mechanic with me, because I don't know enough about what to look out for. Firstly, the fact that the car was battered and badly polluted was not noticed. By all accounts, it had even been on its side, if not on its roof. But in terms of rust, nothing tragic has happened over the years - the sills and wings were welded (corners) in the autumn. Secondly, the engine has been seized. I drove for a month and the engine decided to say goodbye to me. Then the decision was taken to rebuild the engine for an astronomical sum. Further engine maintenance only by the technician who carried out the repair - 140-175 EUR per service + petrol costs (300 km one way to the service). Brakes changed once (discs and pads), air-conditioning pipe replaced (filled only once when it started "leaking"), exhaust pipe changed (can rusted out) and, of course, the dipped-beam bulbs managed to burn out. On the downside, it's too low for our dirt winter roads. Parts, of course, more expensive than my previous car and a regular Octavia, as it turned out to be an exclusive purchase.

Pros: The 2006 model with 1.9 tdi engine is very dynamic in combination with the automatic transmission. I drove and enjoyed the opportunity to easily perform an overtaking maneuver or pull the start from the intersection.
There are many different compartments in the cabin for storing things. I especially liked the compartment in the center on the main panel.
Sunshade mirror with lighting
Large spacious luggage compartment with double floor. 1000 items can be stored under it and the surface of the luggage compartment remains free. There are wide niches on the sides with a calculation that you can safely place different bottles there. There is no need to be afraid of rolling away. The side arches above them have two closed niches where you can store car maintenance accessories.
Convenient driving position. It can be adjusted to different positions depending on the driver's preferences or as low as half-lying or as high as in a minivan. This year's model has a high roof position is comfortable for any driver and 2 passengers can always comfortably sit in 2 rows.
Very good engine. It does not require investment on a regular basis only to change the oil other worries were not. No liquid loss.

Cons: It was difficult to adjust the inclination of the back of the seat. It is adjusted by a screw-type mechanism. If I wanted to take a seat instead of a driver, it was hard and long to screw. This cannot be done with a single lever train.
Weak suspension quickly broke springs and did not withstand the shock absorbers when driving along the bumpy streets of Riga. It required a lot of investment.
Strange climate control, it doesn't have an AC switch. It can be turned on by setting a low temperature mode.
All models have a rusty part of the rear window in the washer area.

Pros: 1) Very pleasant engine - a powerful from small RPM - as diesel. Convenient DSG box operation - switches very quickly; there is no doubt that, at time of overtaking can "think" that had experience with some of other gearboxes. Economic - evenly on highway and 120 km / h consumption around 5-5, 2 l / 100)
2) Very capacious car. Its hatchback / liftback bodywork is perfect - much more practical than sedan and it doesn't look like a clumsy wagon.

Cons: 1) With my height 192cm I dont feel really comfortable at drivers seat. So after a few hundred km have lower back pain and need to rest .
2) High "tunnel" in middle of cabin, so child can only sit on the middle.
3) The issue of typical VW Group cars is a potential problem: nozzles, turbine, two mass flywheel already "sends a message" with small but yet discernible vibration at idle... All of these repairs for "budget" brand Skoda costs about same as VW Golf, Passat, Touran, Tiguan..., Audi A3 etc

Pros: Leader in its price category. Very adequate equipment for their money. Drives well, easy to steer and close speeds. Power good, did not lag behind C6 3.0d. Fantastic lights (bixenon) were worth the surcharge. Ergonomic interior layout, everything is handy and easy to use, only useful info appears on the screens and not some nonsense. The car is not big but the shape of the cabin is such that it can be loaded almost everything.

Cons: So far, only the oil is changing, but the flywheel is already making itself known. In addition, there is a small oil leak and the front shock absorbers are wet.
I (187cm) did not like the sitting position. A little too narrow, as well as when climbing in and out, should rub against the awkwardly placed column. Suspension too soft, on larger bumps go to rebound, a lot of swaying.

Pros: Quality salon. Comfortable seats. Good FULL LED lights.

Cons: All climate control, radio, seat heating control is ONLY on the tablet ... Within 6 months of the month the touch screen was hanging or did not turn on at all - you can enjoy winter or heat in the cabin, without the ability to adjust anything ... For 21500 eur I was expecting a less problematic car ... New steering wheel - another fixture ... Small and awkward side mirrors. Front assist often works incorrectly. Disappointment about car electronic parts ...

Pros: Nothing needs to be repaired before 10 years of use. The original battery lasted 12 years. I changed the original bushings after 15 years of use. Easy to maintain as there are no unnecessary extras which often go out of order.

Cons: I've been driving this car for 16 years and for the last five years I've had to repair the rear brake callipers quite often. The end switches in the door locks went out of order and I stayed behind the door.

Pros: Great to drive, mine was Scout version -it was great at countryside and on highway. Powerful engine with rather comfy suspension (compared to other German-engineered vehicles), nice build quality

Cons: Really difficult to repair as most garages doesn´t want vehicles with 4x4, particulate filter and variable geometry turbo in one package. Also, quite expensive parts compared to french cars