Used Skoda Octavia III (2012-2020). Buyer's Guide

The modern appearance, pleasant equipment and, above all, the practicality of the Skoda Octavia III were appreciated by buyers in car dealerships. Now the model is experiencing a second youth in the used car market. What to look for when buying?

The third generation of Skoda Octavia was warmly welcomed by the market. It has taken on a very classic shape, yet eye-catching style at the same time. You can call Octavia boring, but can you find anyone who says she's ugly? I do not think so.

In the third generation, the tradition was preserved and two body types were used - a station wagon and a sedan-style liftback. This means that although the car looks like a limousine, the trunk lid is integrated with the rear window. As a result, the loading opening should never be a problem. The luggage compartment of the liftback version holds 590 liters, and the wagon version 610 liters, so there will be plenty of space.

The most common equipment versions on the market are:

• Active - Basic
• Ambition - medium
• Elegance / Style - high

In addition to them, the proposal also included the most expensive, most equipped options with completely different characters:

• Scout (since 2014) - Audi Allroad-style station wagon - with higher suspension, additional skirts and all-wheel drive.
• RS (since 2013) - sporty liftback and station wagon with the most powerful engines.
• Laurin & Klement (since 2015) - premium style liftback and wagon, with special leather and microfiber upholstery and a special turbine-shaped rim pattern.

While the Active version was actually pretty bad (originally with windows on the crank at the back), yes you can safely buy versions of Ambition and Stylewhich offer more comfort and modern solutions, including touch screens for multimedia systems, improved sound, dual-zone air conditioning, active cruise control and much more. Scout and L&K may be interested for another reason - they had more powerful engines available, such as the 1.8 TSI with 180 hp.

Lots of space inside, also at the back, but this is also because, despite belonging to the C segment and a common platform with the Volkswagen Golf, Octavia is clearly larger than it.

The quality of materials was much better than in its predecessor. During testing we especially appreciated the versatile character of the Skoda Octavia III and comfort on long journeys.

In October 2016, the car underwent a facelift, after which the appearance of the front bumper changed significantly, the headlights were divided into two parts, and the interior was also slightly changed, adding larger touch screens to the multimedia systems.

Skoda Octavia III - engines

The list of engines of the third generation Skoda Octavia is quite long, although the technologies of the Volkswagen concern have evolved along with the model. In the production run, the 1.4 TSI replaced the 1.5 TSI, the 3-cylinder 1.0 TSI replaced the 1.2 TSI, and the naturally aspirated 1.6 MPI was discontinued. ACT-marked gasoline units are engines that, under light load, can shut off cylinder groups to reduce fuel consumption. All diesel engines were equipped with a common rail injection system.

In RS models, power has changed with the introduction of the RS230 version and the facelift. Rule: The Octavia RS originally had 220 hp, but a 230 hp version followed.. If the budget allows, it is better to look for a more powerful version due to the VAQ electro-mechanical differential, which significantly improves the driving experience. After the 2016 facelift, the base version (without VAQ) produced 230 hp, while the more powerful one produced 245 hp.

Some of the engines were also all-wheel drive - Octavia Scout combined 4 × 4 with 1.8 TSI 180 hp engines. and 2.0 TDI 150 hp, Octavia RS with diesel reached 184 hp. and also offered all-wheel drive. The drive was implemented by a Haldex multi-plate clutch.

Gas engines:

• 1.2 TSI (85, 105, 110 km)
• 1.0 TSI 115 km
• 1.4 TSI (140 km, 150 km)
• 1.5 TSI 150 km
• 1.6 mph 110 km
• 1.8 TSI 180 km
• 2.0 TSI 4×4 190 km
• 2.0 TSI RS (220, 230, 245 km)

Diesel engines:

• 1.6 tdi (90, 105 km)
• 1.6 tdi 115 km
• 2.0 tdi 150 km
• 2.0 TDI RS 184 km

Skoda Octavia III - typical malfunctions

Although 1.4 TSI engines did not have a good reputation for causing timing chain problems and often taking oil, improved versions were already installed in the third generation Octavia. This means a timing belt and far fewer oil leaks, although they did happen. This ailment remained mainly the prerogative of the 1.8 TSI. In gasoline engines, the oil change interval is really 30-15. km, but it’s best if we find an example with an oil change every thousand. km and will continue this practice after the purchase.

Both 1.6 TDI and 2.0 TDI are successful engines, in which a possible repair was more likely due to wear associated with high mileage. High mileage diesel engines often require regeneration of turbochargers and replacement of dual-mass wheels. A typical malfunction for the 1.6 TDI is the failure of the water pump or charge air sensor.but repairs are cheap. There are problems with the timing belt tensioner on the 2.0 TDI. Although the interval of its replacement is 210 thousand. km, he usually does not withstand so much. It is better to change at about 150 thousand. km. Also be aware that these engines are equipped with DPF filters, which often become clogged when used for short distances. However, problems with them rarely arise, because Octavia III with diesel engines was willingly used to overcome longer routes.

DSG boxes are not considered the most durablewhich is also observed in some versions of the engine. The 1.8 TSI with a manual transmission has 320 Nm of torque, while the DSG version has this torque reduced to 250 Nm. Many users suggest a preventive oil change in the box every 60-80 thousand. km. During a test drive, it is worth checking if the DSG runs smoothly and selects all gears.

There are also minor malfunctions of on-board electronics - the entertainment system (radio), power windows or power steering.

Skoda Octavia III - fuel consumption

The third generation Skoda Octavia - according to user reviews - is a fairly economical car. Diesels consume an average of no more than 6,7 l / 100 km, while the 1.6 TDI with 110 hp. is the most fuel-intensive engine. The most popular engine is the 1.6 TDI 105 hp, which, according to drivers, consumes only 5,6 l/100 km on average.

While the fuel consumption of turbocharged gasoline engines can be high, fuel consumption is quite low in the long run. The 150-horsepower 1.5 TSI consumes about 0,5 l/100 km less than the 140-horsepower 1.4 TSI at the start of production - 6,3 l/100 km and 6,9 l/100 km, respectively. Even on RS versions less than 9L/100km is no feat, and we've seen results like this many times in road tests. However, this value will increase in urban traffic.

Fuel consumption reports for individual engines can be found in the corresponding section.

Skoda Octavia III - fault reports

Reliability testing institutions seem to confirm that there are no warning signs from the market. According to TÜV, 2 percent falls on the 3-10,7-year-old Octavia. serious malfunctions with an average mileage of 69 thousand km. In 4-5-year-old cars, there are 13,7% failures, but Octavia is ranked 14th in its segment. He maintains this position even after 6-7 years, when the proportion of serious malfunctions is 19,7%. with an average mileage of 122 thousand km. Surprisingly, the Volkswagen Golf, Golf Plus and Audi A3 rank higher despite the fact that they use the same solutions. The TÜV report, however, is based on periodic technical inspections, so perhaps the Octavia drivers were a little more careless.

Used market Octavia III

The third generation of Skoda Octavia is really popular - on one of the portals you can find more than 2. used car ads.

More than half of the ads (55%) are for station wagons. More than 70 percent of these station wagons were equipped with diesel engines. The most popular engine is by far the 1.6 TDI - a whopping 25 percent. all announcements.

Almost 60 percent of the market is represented by pre-facelift versions. More than 200 offers for cars with mileage over 200 kilometers. km.

The price range is still very large - but this is because the production of the third generation ended just this year. We will buy the cheapest used ones for just over PLN 20. zloty. The most expensive, the annual Octavie RS, cost up to 130 thousand. zloty.

Sample sentences:

• 1.6 TDI 90 KM, year: 2016, mileage: 225 km, Polish car dealership - PLN 000
• 1.2 TSI 105 KM, year: 2013, mileage: 89 km, polished interior, front/rear suspension - PLN 000
• RS220 DSG, year: 2014, mileage: 75 km, - PLN 000.

Should I buy Skoda Octavia III?

The Skoda Octavia III is a car that has just been taken off the market. They are optimistic flattering reviews about the cost of operation or the durability of the model.

We definitely have to keep an eye on heavily used vehicles, but on the other hand, many fleets maintain vehicles on a full-time basis and all maintenance activities will be documented.

What do the drivers say?

252 Octavia III drivers gave their opinion on AutoCentrum. On average, they rated the car 4,21 on a 5-point scale and 76 percent. of them would buy the car again. The Octavia didn't live up to the expectations of some drivers in terms of flaws, comfort or sound deadening.

The engine, transmission, braking system and body received positive reviews. Drivers cite the electrical system and suspension as sources of faults.