With VW build quality and a competitive price the five-seat Combi is the most practical Octavia you can buy.
Hardly striking to look at - the value for money Octavia estate is no A4 Avant - but there are some interesting design elements to the exterior if you take a closer look. The bonnet features a few nice creases while the car’s shoulder line make the 4.57 metre car look chunky and strong. Side mirror mounted indicator repeaters and C shaped tail lights are the other key design highlights. The most important thing is that the car looks balanced.
The interior is standard Octavia - so it looks like a Volkswagen! Otherwise pulses will only be sent racing by the red ‘4X4’ embossed on the aluminium gear knob, but if that happens you’ll know you really need to get out more!
Ergonomically everything is where you’d expect to find it although I wish Skoda would provide steering-wheel-mounted stereo controls as standard across the range.
The seating position and steering wheel adjust to fit all shapes and sizes. My main gripe is the front seats that need a wider base that delivers more under-thigh support. The cargo area is generous and versatile which is often a failing in more aspirations lifestyle estate cars.
On the road the Octavia Adventure is sure footed. At a particular junction on my main test route where generally I can guarantee loss of traction due to diesel-spill residue the car coped effortlessly, leaving me well impressed. The only niggle I have with the car from the driver's seat is the small amount of engine vibration that comes back through the steering wheel. It is insignificant on short journeys but a little annoying on longer ones.
This is the most practical Octavia you can buy as it combines diesel power with an all-wheel-drive set up that is tried and tested. The 105bhp 1.9 litre turbo diesel in my test car delivers good torque and decent fuel consumption figures thanks to its six-speed manual gearbox. The four-wheel-drive set up is idiot proof, with no button pressing or lever pulling required to get all four wheels turning. The Adventure sits a little taller on the road than other estate cars but can’t compete with the visibility most SUVs have to offer. Like most Subarus this is a car for those who need it to walk the walk so to speak. The ground clearance and traction available will get this car to most anywhere you would wish to take any small SUV.
The Skoda Octavia Adventure makes a lot of sense, especially for drivers who need a car that can ‘multi-task’. If you can hold off on your Adventure purchase until next April there is another interesting Octavia on the way called the ‘Scout’. It will be styled along the lines of the Audi A6 ‘Allroad’ and should be worth a serious look.
Michael Sheridan
