Škoda Octavia 4x4 vRS Estate

(2.0 TDI 197bhp DSG 4x4)

What is it?

Now in its fourth generation, the Octavia is widely acknowledged in many motoring writer circles as one of the best cars you can buy. Driving lots of miles? Buy an Octavia. Want a value for money estate for the dogs and kids? Buy an Octavia. You get the idea.

With this in mind, the reason I asked to borrow an Octavia this time ‘round was because I had a 12 hour round trip to Great Yarmouth to endure. It would carry both Muddy Madam and Muddy Madam's Mum, Lilly (the Mud Life dog), me and enough paraphernalia for four days away at a Sci-Fi convention. Don’t judge us.

With this in mind I didn’t need a big 4x4, not even an SUV, just a reliable and spacious load-lugger that was compact and frugal on fuel, and of course 4x4. They sent me the vRS version, which was nice.

On the road

Let me begin with something quite astonishing, and really all you need to know about the car. Fully loaded, as I mentioned above, after the 6 hour drive to Great Yarmouth the vRS achieved a very satisfying 59.6mpg. Pretty good considering that when I had the opportunity to overtake slower vehicles on the A17 and A47 I did, with gusto. At 70mph the engine sits below 2,000rpm barely making a fuss, and the standard 7-speed DSG gearbox works an absolute treat.

I had a feeling that 59.6mpg could be bettered, so on our return leg I decided to take my time a little by being more gentle on the overtakes and keeping to around 65mph on the motorways. After almost 250 miles I was rewarded with a remarkable figure of 62.6mpg. These figures aren’t scientific, it’s what the car was telling me. On the opposite side of the scales the 2.0litre Tdi will get you to 62mph in 7.1 seconds. It may not be the quickest off the mark, but its power is unrelenting, and, more importantly, effortless.

On poorly maintained roads, both the low profile tyres and 15mm lowered suspension didn’t do much to help with comfort and serenity as some road noise entered the cabin, but on smoother roads the ride was comfortable and relaxing. On the subject of lowered suspension and 4WD, you can fathom that around corners it held the road incredibly well with the transfer of power to road being impressively smooth. It really does put a smile on your face.

Something that has divided many a tester’s opinion is Škoda’s synthesised V8-esque petrol engine noise that’s emitted through the speakers. I personally like it, whilst other writers think it’s dreadful. If you’re part of the latter, don’t worry, it can be switched off.

Off road

I’ve always been left in awe at how well 4x4 Škodas perform off the beaten track, whether its a Karoq, Kodiaq and even the Yeti. However, with its aforementioned lowered suspension and rubber-band tyres, this vRS stayed mainly on tarmac. I say mainly, I did find myself on a greasy field after a downpour, and while other motorists dug themselves into the mire by spinning their wheels, I felt quite smug as the vRS found traction and drove away.

The Octavia's 4x4 system uses VW's latest fifth-generation Haldex setup that can direct up to 50% of the engine’s drive to the rear axle, which should be enough to get out of most sticky situations. Ultimately though, the vRS is designed for those of us who want extra security rather than extra fun ‘off-road’.

Interior

It wasn’t until Muddy Madam and I had packed everything for our extended weekend away and placed it all in the front room that I suddenly realised I should’ve booked its larger sibling, the Superb, but there was no going back. However, I needn’t have worried as the Octavia swallowed everything with ease. With the rear seats up the estate has a deceptive deep boot at 640 litres, and folded flat, 1,700 litres.

Up front the dash layout typically Škoda, which isn’t a bad thing, just not exciting. The front seats however are not just wonderfully enveloping, but proved very comfortable for a 6-hour nonstop stint.

The vRS comes as standard with an Alcantara padded dash with contrast stitching, aluminium pedals, black headlining and much more. This particular press car also had heated front seats (£510), panoramic sunroof (£1,235), and a space saver spar (£195).

There are only a couple of things that slightly irritated me, the first being that front cup holders, those between the front seats don’t hold travel flasks, or at least none of mine. There is space in the front doors, mind.

Then, like the Fomentor, this DSG box doesn’t have an actual gear lever, simply a smallish switch that you flick from drive, neutral and reverse. That’s nothing negative, just a few things I’m not keen on.

Conclusion

The Octavia remains a perfectly balanced family machine, and all ‘round cracker of a car, especially if you have a lot of ‘stuff’ to cart around. Then there’s the vRS performance, which is rather addictive, even fully loaded.

Once you’ve lived with an Octavia it’s easy to understand why there are so many around.

Price £37,970 (as tested £40,935)