The Octavia TDI couldn't have joined the CARkeys test fleet at a better time. For the week it was with us, what I needed was something that would cover a lot of miles without causing any fuss, and would in particular do a competent job firstly of transporting two people and luggage down the east coast of Ireland, and secondly of taking three people and more luggage back up again. A workhorse, in other words.
And that's just what the TDI is. This particular model uses the 90bhp version of the 1.9-litre turbo diesel engine (the 110bhp unit is available only in the higher-spec Elegance model), and while the power figure doesn't look too impressive - especially in a car this size - it's quite adequate for the job. I didn't find myself wishing Skoda had supplied the more powerful model instead of this one.
That's despite the fact that the test car also had the automatic transmission option. It's a fairly simple device, with none of the Tiptronic-style trickery that so many manufacturers are so keen on fitting these days. Inevitably, it also murders the performance and economy, and does enough damage to the CO2 emissions to bump the car two tax bands higher than the manual (equivalent to £150 a year VED as opposed to £110). And the on-the-road price is nearly £1000 higher.
But the changes are smooth, the gear selection is usually appropriate to the conditions, and although I'm not a great fan of automatics in general I was quite happy not to have to make the changes myself. And the economy is still reasonable - 500 miles on a tank is definitely achievable.
Ride quality is pretty good, in typical Skoda fashion. There's always a suspicion that Skoda designs its suspensions with Czech Republic conditions in mind, and that was certainly a help on southern Irish roads. Back in the UK, the Octavia sailed over smaller bumps, though when it came to dealing with larger ones the effect of the heavy engine on the front axle was very apparent. Hurrying over country roads full of crests and camber changes is not a fun gig, and you're better off taking your time and listening to the radio.
There's a lot of room in the front, and an enormous luggage area - so much so that you have to wonder how much extra benefit you would get if you chose the estate rather than the hatchback.
It's a different story in the back seat, where the Octavia's parentage (it's based on the Volkswagen Golf platform) quickly becomes apparent. There isn't a lot of room in there, as I found when I let others drive and chat in the front while I snoozed behind them.
Motoring writers often have a tendency to look for excitement in every car they drive. There's little excitement on offer with the Octavia TDI automatic, but it does the job very well. If you want an everyday car you can buy and then forget about, this one is certainly worth considering.
Second opinion: I'd probably prefer the full manual version too, but the thing about this 90bhp automatic is that when you slip it down a gear there's still pretty strong acceleration - 154lb/ft of torque from 1900rpm allows for good enough overtaking performance. Pretty fair economy for an automatic diesel of this size, although, as suggested above, a rise from 140 to 173g/km in the CO2 returns is quite a severe penalty for going auto. It's always easy to think too much about performance figures, but many cars spend a lot of their time on a main-road cruise, and the test Skoda was fine in those conditions. Mind you, what isn't revealed above is that the last hour or so of the Irish trip was quite a dash to get to a ferry terminal, after long traffic and roadworks delays. Arriving just 14 minutes behind schedule seemed pretty good going, especially as the ferry was about 14 minutes late too, and we sailed on time. Ross Finlay.