I'm a bit late, but it's possible to get rid of fake engine noise forever, and it's dead easy. Step one - disconnect the battery. Step two - open the fusebox and pull out fuse no. 59. The device that makes the noise has its own dedicated fuse, and pulling it out should not cause problems with any other system on the car, the car might still throw fault codes, but that's easy to fix. The system itself is called the Soundaktor and it's located next to the wiper motor, so if you are skilled enough, you can also take out the device itself outright. The same method works with the Golf GTI and R, all Cupras, and Audi S3 and RS3 as well because they are all built on the same platform.

Great review as always! I know it is a dead horse, but I just can't like tablet infotainment systems. At the bare minimum climate control and defrost buttons need to be standard.

I have a 1.5 tsi mark 4 octavia and your review was spot on

I had a 2018 octavia 1.5 tsi with a manual gearbox for 3 years. It was surprisingly quick for 150 bhp, 8 seconds to 0-60! Really enjoyed thrashing it on the country lanes. It was also brilliant on fuel, Northampton to Doncaster It was getting 57mpg at 70 mph on cruise control! Fantastic cars

I 100% SNORTED at your comment about the frozen flap negating the use of the ice scraper 😂 Exceptional content as ever.

Great review. Many reviewers, no longer give you the maximum miles per hour. It is good to know, especially, those of us who like to know the statistical information. Looking forward to your nest 'Press' vehicle.

I have a 2020 V3.5 VRS Wagon as my daily and I love it. Fast enough for Aussie heavily policed roads and good out of corners with the trick diff.l Can fit my boards and bikes in the back. Perfect.

Lovely stuff. Thank you for the review.

Love my VRS I have the diesel 4X4. Had it 6 months, no complaints.

I have one of these and slightly late to the party too! Mines a lease so didn't get to spec it, but the only thing I really miss is a rear camera which I think is a bit cheeky is an extra given that a base spec Hyundai gets one as standard! The things that annoy me are: - having to turn off lane keep assist every time! - my old Audi a4 would remember your last driving mode ( e.g. eco), this does not. - back bumper sticks out so on a few occasions I have knelt into it to get something from the boot and it's made a cracking noise. - some bits do feel a little cheap, especially coming from an Audi. Things I like - everyone comments on how it looks. The 19' inch rim make it looks sportier than it is. - performance. It's quick but not overly quick. It certainly has a dual personality, can drive it in eco and it's comfortable and quiet and then sport mode helps you remember why it's a VRs model. I did a 30-70 sprint in 5.5 seconds which is pretty good for a 'warm estate'. - overall space. We have a rear facing car seat which takes up a lot of room, but can easily get a 6 foot adult in the front seat comfortably in front of it. - electric boot, led headlights, digital cockpit all good standard features. To conclude, great car for a family man. Ignore everyone who tirelessly compares it to a hot hatch..it's not. It's a spacious, good looking car with enough power to make you feel you haven't compromised.

I love skodas, they're so practical. Big boots and interiors. Im buying a used phev one. I have a charger at home so i more might as well use it.

I've got one and highly recommended it

Don't think we didn't notice that cheeky bit of beat-matched editing at the start... 😎👌

Great review! I’ve had mine for over a year now. It has a real launch control btw! :D Sport mode on, esc sport, floor the brakes and the gas and off You go! 😊👍🏻

A few things. if you have your individual mode without the fake noise and use the gear switch to go to sport mode instead of the infotainment it will go to sport mode without the horrible noise. We've also had some problems with the autonomous emergency braking going off on narrow roads to the point of little skids happening. It was happening like once a week or more at one point, have you experienced any of this? Skoda dismissed it thinking we were using cruise control and it was just that breaking till i told them i had it all on dash cam and showed them the montage of the car screeching and skidding. We did a full overhaul of the stereo through a custom install and for the money would highly recommend that over spending the extra money on the canton.

My Panamera’s charging flap mechanism (baby) used to freeze overnight during charging, which meant it froze in the open position and you couldn’t close the bloody thing. 2014 car. Amusing that the group is still doing it.

thanks for a really detailed real-life-usage review! so helpful! :) can you tell me, is the rear view mirror auto-dimming on RS version? thanks! greetings from Croatia :)

Ordered one May 21still not sure when I will receive it with all the problems of the chip situation

I got my 245 vrs petrol manual estate as a 2 year deal in 2017, intending to trade in at end of deal. I still have it 5 years later, That's how much I like it! The manual version is quicker as the auto box is quite heavy. Good stuff 👍

Great vid. I would like to know what its like on the passive dampers please if anyone has driven it. I had a 64 plate VRS estate a few years ago. The road noise and bumpy ride on the UK roads are the two main reasons I didn't buy another one. I am now looking at the VRS vs R line passat vs Superb, all in estate, all in diesel. Any thoughts on the long term ownership between those 3?

Excellent and relevant review! Are you staying on with DT and Hammond or will your channels be independent? Thank you for this great stuff Tim!

Had a ride in a normal one ( car ) 3 years old not a 3 cylinder one, thank god, with a DSG box. I found the gearbox had a soft clonk when pulling away from rest It got easily confused in town driving, worked fine on the open road when pushing your foot through the carpet, I was surprised how noisy it was on the road and I found the seats and ride slightly hard. Having read the reviews all raving about it over the last few years, this was my first go in one and I was somewhat underwhelmed, a bit overhyped in my view which is a pity I am looking for another car and going by my ''demo'' it's no longer on my list. Sorry.

Love a hot sleeper estate. Have this one the short list to replace my 159 Sportwagon.

Love it

A question for anyone who knows, in the 2022 VRS, does the petrol engine have port and direct injection?

I’m biased, but also boring I have a 2018 se tech but worse (I can feel the hate) the 1.6 diesel with dsg, but as a Surveyor for hire and doing 35k a year I love it, quiet and comfy with enough go to keep up with traffic the dsg seems to make the most of the meagre power and best of all I can get changed out of a suit into scruffs in the backseat and fill the boot with tools ladder etc. I’d love the vrs but alas can’t stretch to it 😢 with the miles. Oh it’s been 100% reliable so far as well - see I really am dull 😁

Vag cars all have the issue with the sos button I think, I have a cupra formentor vz2 310 and every so often I get some popping type noise and more often than not I get the sos warning coming on, sometimes I have to reset the infotainment screen because it takes forever to load, hopefully all the issues will get a good update soon.

Been there, done that with leaving key in pocket and opening boot of the wife's car, and then having the neighbour knock on the door to tell me 🤣

Strangely you can't get a reverse camera now in the options.......ordered mine Feb 2023 with up to 6 months build time 🤔🤔

Good video, Get a Cupra 310 estate for more fun, Superb for more space/comfort. Fake noise, so sad!

Did you get the SOS button issue sorted? And how? My company car is a 21 plate 1 litre SE Tech and it’s been into Skoda twice and they can’t find any issue with it, but it pops and I get either an emergency call activation notice or warning on the dash, and only does it on long journeys…

With you being 6ft 3 .. i presume the driving position is set all the way back, im getting a 2018 model in a months time and was wondering if you would fit 2 baby seats rear facing, even behind your driving position? Thanks!

Hey what is your mpg city higway?

Thanks for this! Got one on order, due in the summer. Due to a long list of options like tow bars and pan roofs I didn’t manage to spec the dcc. Are the children’s teeth going to fall out due to harsh ride?!! Eg. What’s normal mode like on the dampers?

£24k in 2010 is nearly £33k in 2022, so I would say that is quite consistent

you could probably disable both the lane keeping and the artificial noise through an OBD-2 dongle and app on your phone. but I dont think that Skoda will be too impressed if you do on your loan car

One of the best family cars 😀 Terrific nonsense T-Rod First?

If you're inside the house and you can accidentally open the boot without unlocking the car first, or you can presumably accidentally unlock the car from inside the house, that's seriously bad design. No keyfob should have any level of transmission on it that leaves the car wide open to being stolen.

Don’t tell anyone, but I’m going to look at an unregistered VRS DSG Hatch tomorrow 😮 Grey not Blue though sadly 😢 We had placed a deposit for a MacanS, but have tired of the mega long waits and constant price raised Porsche hit you with! We’re thinking of this as around a half price alternative. Not really needing 4x4 and the ground clearance anyway. Really looking forward to it, as I’ve always loved the look of them.

Are you Herefordshire based? Looks familiar!

Beard game strong

The paint comes off if you hit it with a Ducati?!? Well that's definitely a deal breaker.

remap will take it to 320 bhp.... and then it is fun

It's nice but not dynamic enough

Mines a complete lemon! Spent more time in the garage than on the road 🤬

You payed for James Mays i 3

Old top gear vibes

Cant belive people like the iPad screen of cars now a days😞 cool car otherwise

I still can't believe Cher & T-Pain's autotuned robot-gargling has infected actual *cars* FFS 🙄

It’s a new petrol car so already obsolete. Nice review though!!

Ale bałagan. Sprzątasz czasem? Wstyd, że to pokazałeś.

octavia perfect car except noise insulation - it is disaster ... superb much much more quiet but no fun to drive ...