Skoda Octavia long term review second report

Our long-term Octavia has turned me into a bit of an extremist. Let me explain. Either I drive it as hard as conditions permit, or I potter around like a saint, selecting the highest gear possible: there is no in-between. This is because I am forever trying to balance the spine-tingling rush of power you get when you floor the accelerator with the need to allow the car to deliver agreeable levels of fuel economy.

This needs a bit of effort, some cerebral, some visceral. It’s not that the car doesn’t help you; it does. It puts out a ton of information; real-time fuel economy included, and that means it is constantly telling you what works and what doesn’t. So if you pay attention, there’s plenty to pick up. I’ve discovered, for example, that staying away from turbo lag is essential when gathering speed. Do this and the car doesn’t waste time and fuel while the turbo’s impeller builds speed. Almost every drop of fuel is used to deliver performance. Of course, once you are cruising, using the smallest throttle opening and the highest gear is essential. So, in everyday city traffic, I drive judiciously, the car delivering anything in region of 8.5 to 10 kpl.  

When the opportunity arises, however, I boot it. There’s nothing quite like loosening the reins of the Octavia1.8 TSi on an open road — this is especially true if you’ve previously been driving with one eye on the fuel consumption display. The contrast between pottering around and really giving the engine its head is huge.