The Skoda Octavia vRS Estate makes its case against tough rivals
The Skoda Octavia vRS was taken away for some much-needed repaired work, but how did its temporary replacement compare
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and that’s certainly the case with our Skoda Octavia VRS Estate 2.0 TDI 4×4 DSG.
Our run-in with a Germanic mouse on a recent road trip meant it was taken back to the Skoda press garage for repair and we were given a lower-spec petrol variant instead.
The lack of on on-board equipment was immediately apparent and being without all the fantastic tech I’d got used to in the diesel was a real blow and constant frustration.
On comparing spec sheets though, it became clear that all the luxuries I’d grown used to are optional extras. And pricey ones at that.
Adaptive cruise adds £565, the Columbus sat-nav system with Wi-Fi a cool £1,050, keyless entry with start/stop £400, panoramic sunroof £1,150 and rear parking camera £375.
In all, our long-termer is packed with more than £6,000 of extras, pushing the price up from £29,400 RRP to £35,655. Considering that’s just shy of the cost of an entry level BMW 5 Series and Audi A4 Avant Sport 2.0 TDI Quattro S tronic, and broadly the same as the Mercedes C200 AMG Line 4MATIC Estate, the Skoda has some stiff competition.
Now the Octavia’s a great car and I’ve really grown to love it. Even the green colour has grown on me so much that now every more subtly coloured Skoda looks dull by comparison. But when you put it up against such stellar company, I would really struggle to make a strong case for it.
It looks good, but others look better; it’s rapid, but others are quicker; it’s well equipped, but others pack more gadgets.
I must concede that the engine is terrific and, spending time with the petrol manual did teach me how to get the most out of the diesel DSG…engage VRS mode, use the paddle gearshifts and rev the engine to the max. When you do this, the car does become great fun to drive and the petrol version in particular makes a beautiful sound.
And, even when driving like a lunatic, it returns really good fuel economy.
But who cares about economy when you want to drive like a demon. For me, the Octavia VRS diesel just doesn’t feel quite mental enough.
If I were spending my hard-earned money to step up to VRS level, I’d want more hardcore performance.
MODEL: Skoda Octavia vRS Estate
PRICE: £35,655
ENGINE: 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel
POWER: 181bhp
TORQUE: 380Nm
MAX SPEED: 139mph
0-60MPH: 7.5 seconds
MPG (COMBINED): 55
EMISSIONS: 134g/km
