Skoda Octavia 2021 review | better than a Mk 8 Golf?

Skoda Octavia 2021 review | better than a Mk 8 Golf? | Chasing Cars

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Күн бұрын

We test the new Skoda Octavia 110TSI Ambition hatchback to see how good this family car is.
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The 2021 Skoda Octavia Ambition is a great base model. It’s much cheaper than a Volkswagen Golf Mk 8, but it’s got about as much equipment as a mid-spec Golf Life. The new Octavia continues the great Skoda tradition of giving you Volkswagen engineering at a better-value price. But is the base Octavia, the 110TSI Ambition, the best specification? Should you add option packs? Are the upcoming Octavia LE or the sporty Octavia RS better choices?
In today’s video, we test the base model Skoda Octavia Ambition, which costs $32,990 driveaway in Australia.
Rivals to the Skoda Octavia include the Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3 and 6, Kia Cerato, Hyundai i30 and the Subaru Impreza.
What do you think of this car? Leave a comment below.
While you’re there, please consider subscribing and joining our Chasing Cars community.
Time codes:
0:00 - What is the Skoda Octavia Ambition?
1:44 - Interior
6:12 - Back seats
8:26 - Boot
10:15 - Engine, gearbox
13:20 - Running costs
14:30 - Ride and handling
18:11 - Skoda Octavia Ambition expert verdict

Пікірлер: 141

@chasingcars 3 жыл бұрын

Is Skoda now more upmarket than Volkswagen?

@rakhsiprayogo82 3 жыл бұрын

I Think So

@eponymous7910 3 жыл бұрын

Not sure about upmarket but definitely more resolved stylistically

@eurohao1981 3 жыл бұрын

Definitely more feature packed and betted value

@latavanjari8034 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah

@lt.seantopperharley6369 3 жыл бұрын

Why do you guys not make use of the community posts on KZfaq? The KZfaq algorithm boosts channels that make use of it and honestly this channel is far too good not be up there with the big guys.

@kst5108 3 жыл бұрын

Your presentation has improved so much! It's an absolute joy to watch, keep up the good work!

@kennymostyn8626 3 жыл бұрын

I picked up an Octavia Limited Edition last Friday. Brilliant car and really happy I bought it.

@ComedicInc 3 жыл бұрын

I was legit blown away when you opened the boot and it was a hatch 😍 Absolutely love the convenience of a hatch boot as a pram-dad. I know what car I want most now 😂

@jonathandimaggio 3 жыл бұрын

I got mine two weeks ago and honestly cannot believe the car you get for under $35k da. Such amazing value! Great review.

@ravingmad765 3 жыл бұрын

Finally Octavia gets an electronic handbrake. I've owned an RS previously and why anyone would settle for a small golf hatch over the Octavia lift back is beyond me.

@BrateTebra123 3 жыл бұрын

It is easier to maneuver and has more plush look

@TheOrenbarak 2 жыл бұрын

What's the advantage of an e-handbrake?

@BrateTebra123 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheOrenbarak if you have a purse or a rucksack when you put it from one seat to another it does not hangs to the handbrake. Also it frees space for cupholders

@nurankhan4113 2 жыл бұрын

@@BrateTebra123 just wanted to ask are these electric handbrake reliable than a traditional handbrake?

@Meir1966 2 жыл бұрын

👌

@DukeBen316663 3 жыл бұрын

Great review John! I think you get so much more for your money in this, than in an SUV at the same price point, in terms of space, quality feel and features. Not to mention the lower centre of gravity and lower weight, which usually result in better driving characteristics too. Side note: You mention a few "detractors' - detractors are people who disparage something, not negative features in and of themselves. Perhaps "drawbacks" or "flaws" would work better. Cheers.

@coldude2559 3 жыл бұрын

Physical buttons for A/C controls for sure! It makes no sense to hide them in a screen.

@dannymbanks1995 2 жыл бұрын

I've owned the plug in hybrid for a few months now and I can say once you get used to it it takes seconds! Plus the temperature is always there so you only go into the climate page to change fan speed or set it to auto and just adjust temperature

@maharajanramanathan2979 3 жыл бұрын

Great review. On the confusion between liftback and wagon, I chose the wagon, as you said, wagon looks better comparatively. Definitely the aircon control on the screen is definitely annoying, hope they bring the physical buttons. I had a scenario where my screen did not work, but the aircon setting was set at high, but could not reduce it until I stopped the car.

@johnedds2327 3 жыл бұрын

Great value car with a good trade off between performance and economy. Top review John.

@DeepakKumar-jr3yq 2 жыл бұрын

Great review mate,, booked black wagon with sunroof,, 😊👍

@Ospif1 3 жыл бұрын

Such good cars for the money. The fact is has the TC box over the DSG is a massive plus as well.

@ryanlaffan7064 2 жыл бұрын

Huge negative and probably a dealbreaker for me. The fuel consumption figures fir a DSG are much better

@Ospif1 2 жыл бұрын

@@ryanlaffan7064 Where can I see those fuel comparisons? We have the DSG box in our Scala and I just hate the thing in slower stop/start traffic and generally run it in manual until I'm back on open road.

@scotthoward5114 3 жыл бұрын

Great review. Great looking car. I think Skoda provides great value vehicles.

@traviselliot91 3 жыл бұрын

I just signed off on the new Golf Life wagon but gosh it was a hard choice. The new Octavia is a truly beautiful car

@fabianchow512 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent review - just a quick one: @13:32 - yeah not really a Mazda 6 Turbo 🙂

@guysolomon7904 3 жыл бұрын

Did you guys just sense I was looking at this car, and trying to find your review for it the other day and realise you hadn't made one? I feel like $34k for this is incredible value, I've been in one and it just feels so premium for the price.

@jinujohn5956 3 жыл бұрын

mate you are doing good mate. you will go a long way for sure.

@yukai1suisse 3 жыл бұрын

Another top quality review! :) keen to hear how road noise in the Octavia compares to a Mazda 3, Golf etc.

@ravingmad765 3 жыл бұрын

I've owned a Mazda 3 the road noise was unbearable.

@garethbishop 2 жыл бұрын

The driveaway price on the Skoda website for the Ambition is $37,490 now - have they really jacked the price up by $5k after the first batch sold out??

@rainforest3233 9 ай бұрын

even worse they dropped the base model now

@sheek3 3 жыл бұрын

Few questions: MattBrandCars noticed an issue with the Octavia's AM radio that would crackle when driving. Did you manage to test the radio? What does 'sold out' mean exactly? Does that mean there won't be any further units imported into Australia until neat year's model?

@MrBenHaynes 2 жыл бұрын

Thankyou John, I spent a lovely few hours learning about the "wabi sabi" way of life. My preference is for an Octavia Style wagon in Velvet red. Nice package for $40K.

@co1133 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review. I'll take a wagon in awd...waiting! The tacked on screen is a turn off though. Looks cheap and I always feel like snapping them off when I see one that's not built in. Thankfully many car-makers still build a screen into the dash.

@gordonclark7632 3 жыл бұрын

A nice looking vehicle and at a reasonable price. I think that manufacturers including air controls in the touch screen is a mistake as to me, it means that your eyes are off the road whist you scroll and adjust. A good old knob on the dash is easy to see and use. Too bad it is related to the biggest cheats in the manufacturing world.

@ravingmad765 3 жыл бұрын

Isn't it amazing how can manufacturers just jump on crazes? Like Piano Black, they all got in it, now they are all steering away from it. Hopefully they will all go back to knobs. So much knee jerk reaction in the car industry.

@gordonclark7632 3 жыл бұрын

@@ravingmad765 You can say that again. They are like sheep - one does it and the others jump on the bandwagon. I am not sure if they ever practise using the system in the real world and see how it impacts on safety or ease of use.

@MrSteveMather 3 жыл бұрын

@@gordonclark7632 cheaper to include it in the screen im thinking

@plunger007 3 жыл бұрын

Looks like you can't put one of those big sun roofs on the sedan? That would be why I'd get wagon

@timmarks8941 3 жыл бұрын

I test drove one and the infotainment screen for all car controls is a disaster. Put me off instantly. At least Skoda offer other cars with sensible buttons and controls for aircon etc.

@fabianchow512 3 жыл бұрын

We test drove one too - what a beautiful refined car, especially with the TC auto (DCT’s simply don’t work for me in the city). But yeah the Aircon controls going through the infotainment system - as the dealer’s opinion confirmed, most likely a VW cost saving exercise. What an incredibly daft move in terms of safety - all the new safety technology invested in, completely sabotaged by forcing the driver to take their eyes off the road just to change the fan speed given they have to tap through the menu screens at least twice. Stupid, stupid, stupid, and a dealbreaker for otherwise such a well designed car.

@timmarks8941 3 жыл бұрын

@@fabianchow512 exactly. It genuinely felt dangerous to be trying to touch through the menu to do basic controls to radio and aircon, things Most people can do without looking in other cars.

@fredperry9235 3 жыл бұрын

Way prefer the lift back. Still a massive boot. Looks awesome

@GlowingTube 3 жыл бұрын

I think if the wagon had lifted suspension, some body cladding and the same price its sales would explode.

@tonycoz2309 3 жыл бұрын

Should have gone with buttons and dials for the air con / heating. More tactile and safer.

@michaelostrowski8630 3 жыл бұрын

Mazda 6 fuel consumption (13:30)? And on a more serious note: Octavias used to be noisier and have less comfortable ride than Golfs. Is it still the case?

@syyeung 3 жыл бұрын

Good car, but it becomes $43000 if you want the full safety suite (and still no DAB radio). That's very steep, and there would be plenty of choices at such price point. One slight improvement is that they don't put critical safety equipment into different packages like they do in the other models.

@enricowong7940 3 жыл бұрын

Hey John, great review on the new Skoda, really appreciating the reviews on base or mid spec trims. Do you think the new Octavia RS Wagon would be better than a Passat R-Line 206?

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

I will choose AUDI R8 or RS7 SPORTBACK OR ELSE BMW 6 SERIES GT 630D M SPORT Now A Days I Fall In Love With Diesel Soo Much 😣😣😣

@CARacterReviews 3 жыл бұрын

The rear looks stunning. The front does remind me a tad of a fish, but it still looks better than the MkVIII Golf. Great review! Thank you.

@chasingcars 3 жыл бұрын

No problem. Thanks for watching.

@balensydney 3 жыл бұрын

With Skoda its usually a little behind VW, so the Kodiaq 2018 uses a-lot if the parts that my Golf 2014 uses (mirror, door handles, AC controls etc) while the same year (2018)Tiguan uses more updated in design for items i mentioned. None the less Skoda to me is the more affordable VW…

@Lobo-ih3bh 2 жыл бұрын

A shame they are no longer offering a manual version.

@caffeineisking8132 3 жыл бұрын

I'd usually stick up for vw having had nothing else for years but the new golf's base model is shocking quality and even the gti mk 8 I've ordered isn't amazing inside

@stevenswann2835 3 жыл бұрын

Agree 100% Sat in a base Golf (that's all the dealer had) and was stunned how abysmal it looked and how dismal it felt. The mk8 base Golf interior screams cheap and nasty - like a $12,990 Hyundai Excel of yore.

@kmuinde 3 жыл бұрын

I would buy it but wth is with the manufacturers with the gear shifter trends, am sure most people still like the mechanical one that shifter and the rotary knob ones are not that good in my opinion

@ryanlaffan7064 2 жыл бұрын

The torque converter gearbox rules it out for me. They are a good deal less fuel efficient than a DSG

@andrekleyn727 3 жыл бұрын

I love Skoda products. Just a shame VW in South Africa have a monopoly on their product lineup that makes it impossible to afford a "better value for money" product from the same group.

@nikserof2183 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review, John. 8:29 It's a shame that the rear wiper has been deleted from the liftback. It used to set the Octavia (a sedan-looking liftback) apart from others. IMHO, not "simply clever" to delete a safety item. I can think of no reason apart from insane cost-cutting. I wonder is it was Skoda Australia's decision. Any argument that this shape doesn't need a rear wiper will fall on (my) deaf ears. In the UK, at least it's a no-cost option (on the Superb too). 3:10 I also cannot understand why the handy auto hold feature isn't available across all Octavia models. Perhaps someone can enlighten me. The new VW Golf has a similar ailment, with auto hold available only on the base model and GTI.

@rjbiker66 3 жыл бұрын

Why would you require autohold on a torque converter auto?

@peterpanousis8458 3 жыл бұрын

Great review Tom. Is the 110TSI powerful enough or is the 140TSI a better option?

@gregw6748 10 ай бұрын

Power doesn't matter if the gearing is right

@saundsviewer 3 жыл бұрын

Thoughts on road noise, particularly on coarse chip? How does it compare to something like a Passat? Thanks

@ravingmad765 3 жыл бұрын

It's not competing with a Passat. The Superb is the Passat and road noise is...superb

@azurecoast45 3 жыл бұрын

Styling peaked last generation IMO. On a different note. Why more makes don't make their sedans as liftbacks I don't know? It's such a huge advantage to have the larger opening at the back. Toyota Camry liftback for example!

@User-cb4jm 3 жыл бұрын

The current gen looks great, just not in solid Taxi White

@Onbehaard 2 жыл бұрын

Wow, $32,990 is about £17,500, which is REALLY cheap for a brand new Octavia even for the basic model. I drive a 1.5 TSI SEL First Edition. Although costing equivalent of $47K, I thought it was very good value, especially it included a lot of optional extras as standard, like electric adjustable driver seat, navigation, the technology bundle Jonathan talked about and cabin ambience lighting. Alas my car doesn't have parking assist which would have been great. Nor does it have the snazzy pulsing indicators or a power boot raiser. Oh well, can't have everything and it is still a lovely car to drive. BTW my car has a bank of buttons below the screen, which includes one for air con, exactly where you want them to be. I wonder why they are not available here? I also noticed there wasn't a wiper on the rear windscreen which is annoying. Personally, I prefer the hatch back, it looks classier, I think and we don't need the estate version, as the boot is enormous enough.

@davidperry3531 3 жыл бұрын

Nice review but no, Skoda is not more upmarket than VW. They are still at the bottom of the VW Group food chain. Skoda have been increasing prices noticeably the last couple of years and the Skoda Octavia Style is aligned more in price to the mid level Golf Life ( although the Skoda is $600 dearer). Golf also has all the safety and assisted driving features as standard and you have to pay for extra option packs for the Skoda. The standard Golf is no longer a price leader for VW and has more standard gear than the Skoda Ambition. One question though- does the Octavia have independent multi link rear suspension as per the Golf in Australia or does it have a torsion beam set-up? Whilst Skoda have increased their presence in Australia in recent years, their residuals are still not as good as Golf. Did you know that Skoda in Czech means ‘too bad’?

@meccanised Жыл бұрын

My older 2019 octavia has manual controls for AC - it works perfectly . annoying they changed it.

@balensydney 3 жыл бұрын

“Tom and I” lol

@manik4798 3 жыл бұрын

Hi John that's a great review .... But how come Mazda 6 turbo fuel is coming here @ 13.30 :)) Guess the editor didn't like Skoda :)

@chasingcars 3 жыл бұрын

D'oh! Editing error. Should read Skoda Octavia…

@manik4798 3 жыл бұрын

That's so quick ....

@manik4798 3 жыл бұрын

John can you guys review 2021 Ssangyong Rexton Ultimate ... Thanks

@brendanmtaylor 3 жыл бұрын

Great to see VAG move away from DSG!

@markmal1956 3 жыл бұрын

Skoda make quality cars

@fredperry9235 3 жыл бұрын

I want one

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

I want four 😍😍😍

@nikhilkamble4583 3 жыл бұрын

please review skoda Kushaq

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

The King Has Arrived 😀😀😀

@xbattleangel17x57 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Chasing Cars, can you guys please do Haval H6 review please 🙏

@XB75015 3 жыл бұрын

Why do you talk of an Octavia fuel efficiency and show a Mazda 6 turbo figures on the table header?

@tyrapereira9607 3 жыл бұрын

Great looking car. Ive hard that Skoda doesn’t have the best customer service or after sales service, can anyone advise? Thanks

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

Well Said Bloke

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

Better To Have Own Maintenance Garage At Home 😀😀

@theoverlord1925 2 жыл бұрын

That’s pretty decent bang per buck in an overpriced market in general. I would go for this model the trunk space is enough and the styling is better than a wagon in my opinion . The lift back truck is very practical . I just don’t like the badging across the truck, it’s not “ cool” it’s tacky in my opinion but that’s just a small detail anyways .

@alfiedog7770 3 жыл бұрын

Mazda 6 Turbo @13:30 ;)

@rakhsiprayogo82 3 жыл бұрын

That Skoda Octavia is Compact Sedan Like BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe,Audi S3 Saloon,Mercedes A35 Sedan,Acura ILX,VW Golf,Toyota Corolla Just Doit The 2 Series Gran Coupe is Compact Sedan 3 Series Sedan is Midsize Sedan 5 Series is Full Size Sedan 7 Series is Most Luxurious Sedan OKAY

@malcolmscott4150 3 жыл бұрын

Note hard plastic don’t care about if they’re durable. Don’t care if HVAC is in screen and thus gripe is getting really old. Do dislike any painted metal visible inside a vehicle around door frames/door cards and rear tailgate. Gas bonnet struts are a must in ‘21 as are rear disc brakes and I’d prefer a DSG as an automated manual and thus like their efficiency and only the baby boomers need a slush box. Wagon Octavia would be my choice however all VW group cars are creeping up in price and are starting to compete against each other however can’t wait for Cupra brand to land here.

@tonys8243 3 жыл бұрын

Are they made at home in Europe or elsewhere?

@borek88888 3 жыл бұрын

In Czech Republic

@adembakan 3 жыл бұрын

It says Mazda 6 turbo fuel consumption. 😅

@laaso0001 2 жыл бұрын

Good car! +++++

@Mac-kd1qu 2 жыл бұрын

One word that says all the difference - resale.

@leoneloscargonzalezsoriano8719 3 жыл бұрын

This one or i30 Sedan Elite?

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

Octavia...

@napassacholkulkittisawat4141 2 жыл бұрын

An interior similar a Haval Jolion

@Luceq 3 жыл бұрын

Save the wagons! They'd sold heaps of the scout variant.

@KenanTurkiye 3 жыл бұрын

👍

@ramqashou1002 3 жыл бұрын

This channel has the potential to become a great car channel, but the video quality is below average, no 4k and the dynamic range is horrendous (first minute of the video for example)

@chasingcars 3 жыл бұрын

Everything comes in stages, Ram. You'll see changes to dynamic range and resolution in the coming months. For now, I think we do a very reasonable job of balancing quantity and quality.

@ramqashou1002 3 жыл бұрын

@@chasingcars for sure. Keep up the good work 💪

@Ospif1 3 жыл бұрын

99% of viewers really don't care about a cinema experience for their youtube review videos.

@sw2092 3 жыл бұрын

What I care about is that the tests are comprehensive and credible, and that those onscreen and behind it are passionate about cars and their work. This channel deliver that in spades. I love my tech, but those basics are worth all the missing 4k's and dynamic range in the world to me.

@KenanTurkiye 3 жыл бұрын

Lots of new BMW flair in the design, front and back. Nevertheless, Skoda is a sensible buy.

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

None Can Beat BMW 👹👹👹

@KenanTurkiye 3 жыл бұрын

@@leelakrishnan9463 In what way? Ok I get you are a BMW fan, fair enough. But, each car has different pros and cons, depends on what you are after.

@vsboy2577 3 жыл бұрын

The headlights are the only thing that is epic better than Audi at night

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

DUCATI LOOKS REALLY BEAUTIFUL 😂😂😂 BMW TOO 😀😀

@User-cb4jm 3 жыл бұрын

As a small note, is it just me or is the video really overexposed at some parts.

@selldivision 2 жыл бұрын

"Mazda 6 Turbo" title for fuel consumption?

@brianash1080 3 жыл бұрын

Of the last 20 cars you have tested, that I can see, 2 were base models, oh there were some Mercs and BMWs and a Porsche I guess they may have been the "whole bunch of base models" you mean.

@chasingcars 3 жыл бұрын

Look, man. Firstly, in the last month I count ten base models or one step above the base model. Secondly, I don’t control what press cars are ordered by manufacturers - I try my best to encourage that a good mix of variants are made available. Thirdly, our content is free: you can take it or leave it. Tom.

@jaykazama9132 3 жыл бұрын

Dude who does the colour grading should be fired.

@chasingcars 3 жыл бұрын

Seems a little extreme.

@nikkithompson6275 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah I agree!

@lukaspictures 3 жыл бұрын

Why would you say so?

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

World's best family cars was skoda and volkswagen 😀😀

@oiyou5870 2 жыл бұрын

Lol, have you noticed your figure details for consumption...say Mazda 6, thought you were driving a Skoda Octavia ?🤷🏼‍♀️🤣

@brianash1080 3 жыл бұрын

You guys are often criticized for only reviewing hi spec models and then you do a base model only to tell us but you can't buy this car because they are sold out.

@chasingcars 3 жыл бұрын

We’ve done a whole bunch of base model reviews in the last couple of months.

@filofilo8127 3 жыл бұрын

Front grill looks like a KIA.

@katherinefang3611 3 жыл бұрын

Kia? No kia!

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

So Much Beautiful Car 😍😍😍

@AGGELIAFOROS 3 жыл бұрын

You get what you pay for sport.

@chasingcars 3 жыл бұрын

Do you?

@AGGELIAFOROS 3 жыл бұрын

@@chasingcars do you think VW would built a better and cheaper competitor to antagonize their icon? One might offer more space but less performance due to weight, less sound deadening or inferior plastics, fabrics, etc for a lower price. It all boils down to what someone's priorities and budget are

@chasingcars 3 жыл бұрын

Some of those things are true, but I think you underestimate the independence Skoda has within the Group. They're given a pot of money and sent off to develop the product themselves. Look at Kodiaq - it's clearly better than Tiguan. Kamiq? Clearly better than T-Cross. Volkswagen allows it to happen.

@AGGELIAFOROS 3 жыл бұрын

@@chasingcars they allow it, yes, to encourage in house competition. But these days, with essentially the same suppliers and production methods, it is hard to achieve more for less, especially when production numbers are less. The only exception might be when Skoda in this case premier's a new platform before anyone else in the group. Then it might be possible for a while but how common is this?

@Snapit551 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent review 👌 Skoda cars are overpriced bland dull looking cars for people who don’t like driving and they are ok for taxi drivers only

@leelakrishnan9463 3 жыл бұрын

Skoda And Volkswagen Were Only Brand With Best Pricing And Value For Money As Well As The Best Built Quality 💟☮️

@peznee 11 ай бұрын

Presenter: “you can let me know in the comments section down below “. 🤦🏼‍♂️🙄🤦🏼‍♂️ This presenter is a chump 🤦🏼‍♂️

@chasingcars 11 ай бұрын

What is wrong with you that you reckon this is an appropriate comment to make about another human being?

@peznee 11 ай бұрын

@@chasingcars nothing wrong with me champ, it’s just this, the presenter says “you can let me know in the comments section below” no fewer than 3-4 times per review. Most annoyingly, he says that about the most trivial details. Further to that, I’m quite sure (I may be wrong though) he no longer presents for Chasing Cars.