2022 Skoda Octavia RS review: Long-term family test in the Czech sports wagon

[@andrewd7586]

I bought the Skoda Superb 206kw Sportline wagon in 2017. I wanted to go for the Octavia RS wagon but with 2 near adult children at the time, I went with the Superb. Absolutely no regrets at all! The ONLY issue I have had & OCCASIONALLY still have is the blanking of the reverse camera too! It’s been addressed several times, works perfectly for months, then the glitch! Yes it is annoying obviously, but only seems to do it on first start up in the mornings. Anyway Matt good & honest review. 👍🏼😎

[@fj9958]

Can you please tell me what is your fuel consuption on Superb ,thanks

[@tonmanify]

Thanks for a great review, helped me make the decision to buy mine - had it for three weeks now and done over a thousand km per week with a few longer trips. I had the same disconnections from CarPlay that you had when the phone was on the charge pad. My phone was getting quite hot and fully shut down at one stage on a long trip as it had become too hot to keep operating. I removed the phone case and just used the bare phone and (so far) the issues seem to have gone away. So there's my tip for phone connectivity - get rid of the phone case, let's the heat in the phone from induction charging dissipate and it stays connected. 😀

[@jamesdunn3864]

Great review! Many thanks. I have owned an Octavia vRS for 12 months here in the UK so I thought I would share some of my comments. 1. Mode selection. My favourite mode is the "Individual" mode. However, it's a pain to have to set this for each and every journey. Skoda should enable the driver's preferred mode to be set as the default. 2. The SatNav. Whilst this is fine for providing routes and then guiding to the selected destination, the following features have never worked: "Last Destinations" does not work so it has remained empty. "Favourites" cannot be programmed to retain any selected destinations so it has also remained empty. When selecting a destination, this is always shown as "Off-road" and, instead of a postal address, is identified with longitude and latitude coordinates - this is useless information when navigating to a postal address. All my dealer had to say when I reported these problems was that I should wait for a software update and keep ringing into them to check if such an update had been issued. Cold comfort indeed! 3. The map display does not display the current speed limit - that's a pity. 4. There's no 12v socket in the front console. So any 12v device such as a re-chargeable torch has to plugged into the only available socket, which is located in the boot. This is inconvenient. 5. There's no free torch provided, unlike my previous Octavia. Likewise, a set of storage nets was not provided. 6. On the positive side, the adaptive cruise control is excellent and far in advance of the cruise control on my previous Octavia. It's only drawback is that it has some difficulty adapting to 3 lane motorway traffic and will often slow down when approaching a vehicle in an adjacent lane. Again on the positive side the boot has a huge amount of space and that 2 litre petrol engine has an effortless turn of speed when acceleration is required. And the red brake shoes look really cool. But all in all, when my PCP ends in 3 years time and the car is returned to the dealer, I think I'll be looking at the competition for a replacement vehicle.

[@scorpion787x8]

The Passat has three 12Vs (1) (Driver) (2) (Rear Passenger cabin) & (3) (Boot) (Trunk)

[@semyon74]

Thank you for a very honest review. Refreshing to see.

[@carsguide]

Plenty more of those on this channel :D Cheers Matt

[@amibeg9784]

As a dad, I love my Octavia Vagon!

[@lepiakadodo3724]

One of the best review, cause you got equipment that I want as well (rear windows rollo, 3 zones climate). Also you pay attention to that all small details, that makes Skoda Octavia a great car to buy. Thanks mate

[@mdiciaccio87]

Ive got a 2019 build model and think i am happy that i dont have the latest iteration. There are more knobs and physical controls, the software is simpler and glitch free, and the front seats are less bulky. I have 2 kids - one forward facing and one rear facing seat. I found that a lot of space was freed up by putting the rear facing seat in the the middle. This also allows an adult to sit in the back as well.

[@carsguide]

Hey md, you're bang on mate. I think if I was in the market for a RS wagon for my own car, the previous version would be more up my alley. Fewer tech issues because there's less annoying tech stuff to go wrong. Hear you on the baby seat, though we prefer it kerbside behind the passenger. Cheers Matt

[@mdiciaccio87]

@@carsguide Perfectly understandable - Reaching the middle can require a bit of gymnastics with a baby in your arms. I also found investing in a roof box made the car even more practical. The price point i got the car at was also much more palatable - 44 000 for a demonstrator. It doesn't have the luxury pack, but it does have the panoramic roof and tech pack plus I find alcantara seats more stressful with small children anyway! Really the only real criticism of the car is the fake exhaust, which I wish they replaced with, you know, a better sounding actual exhaust!

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

@@mdiciaccio87 Mate, great minds think alike. I brought a late 2020 RS wagon with virtual cockpit for exactly the same reasons. Real shifter and handbrake too. Not one issue, Premium pack and sunroof, 46k with 6k on the clock. And it was nardo grey and in stock! Best car I have ever owned after s string of WRX and 3L Outbacks (which were also very good)

[@murrieteacher]

Thanks Matt, a good review including the problems with the car. My Octavia Wagon is 10 years old and the same shape as the current model. It has the 1.8 engine and is a very quick car with the DZG ( 3rd upgrade) and excels at traffic light Grand Prix. We have seen 5lt/100klm consumption. But sadly the car suffers from the using too much oil problem. 1Lt/1000klm. As far as aftersales service support it was just adequate. My next car will be a Hyundai with better after sale support. All the tech still works, and after a SAAB V6 900 that is a revaluation. The trim is starting to fall off the door cards. I use the Octavia as a support vehicle for my racecar and it takes 4 wheels with race rubber, trolly jack, 3x6 metre tent, ground sheet, two folding chairs with extensions, esky and other stuff with the back seats down. The car is a reasonable handling wagon and I have seen all the warning lights on flashing when I have stuffed it into some corners and out the other side. While the car is not an exceptional handling car, there are no nasty surprises and is very predictable. But $60K is a big ask and when combined with after sales service that needs you being pushy is a deal breaker.

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

Not the same shape as the current model. Better get to soec savers.

[@StephenFogarty2023]

Great review Matt Very thorough Unfortunately all of the software and tech gremlins are common with the new Octavia. Dealership software upgrades help, but I’d expect that within another 6 months, Skoda will have resolved these issues. It’s a great looking vehicle At over $ 60 k on road with Premium Pack & Pan Roof, it is pricey. Hopefully the semi conductor shortage problems will be over by late 2022 Once the industry is getting good supply, both manufacturers and dealers will then go back to offering discounts and deals on pricing etc A fully loaded RS wagon at $ 59,990.00 Drive Away is a lot more appealing. If u need more space because of big child seats for babies, I’d look at the bigger VW Passat wagon or Skoda Superb wagon.

[@Venakis1]

Great review Matt! I live in Crete and I bought last year the octavia sedan 1,5 150hp petrol engine manual transmission for 24k €. I'm a new dad and I find this car to be great for daily transportation and even better for road trips. I'd love the vrs but even if I could buy it, it's a waste of engine if you ask me! Our roads in the island of Crete are terrible and the speed limit is 80km at the highways. Most of the time when I have a tech issue I turn off the engine and I restart it and it goes away. Same goes for the reverse camera issue which was very rare tbh. As you said I love the fact that you can disable the lane assist in just a second and my biggest complaint is the fact that there is no seperate console for the air condition control and you have to use the screen. I'd prefer the console like in Skodas SUVs. All in all its a great car for its price and I enjoy it very much!

[@zaamuro8408]

A reason to consider an SUV instead of this is a nappy change? Seriously Matt, I wish more people would spruce that wagons are generally better for 90% of use case of people and actually benefit from the last 10 years of car development.

[@5p1k3y]

Agree here! Though, I guess if you read between the lines he's pretty much saying if you want to save your back (in general) then an SUV is probably better. He's also mentioned a few times that he expected more space, something that some SUVs actually do provide. Came from a wagon with a newborn and then bought an SUV and it was definitely much more practical.

[@user-vk4vd7vr5t]

@@5p1k3y what wagon and what SUV?

[@5p1k3y]

@@user-vk4vd7vr5t I went from a subaru levorg GTS (arguably very similar to an octavia RS) to a Toyota Rav 4

[@zaamuro8408]

@@5p1k3y levorg is fair bit tighter in the back but RAV4 is smaller boot capacity than the Octavia wagon

[@5p1k3y]

@@zaamuro8408 actually feels less though I only compared the previous gen octavia available at the time. The wagons have a low sloping roof so it affects the boot capacity don't just rely on the spec sheet. Rear seat space the rav feels bigger than an octavia both in width and length (previous gen didnt check out this new one) Space aside. I personally would definitely pick an SUV most of the time purely because of the height, putting a kid into a rear facing seat on a low wagon daily kind of sucks. Obviously the wagons are much more fun to drive...

[@maharajanramanathan2979]

Great review Matt, now I understand that the problems I face in this car is same for all. Although some are fixed like the blanking of screen, the wireless system getting disconnected has popped recently, need to get that sorted. I went ahead in search of a replacement, although it's only 6 months old, just because we have a new born and the space is not enough for us to fit an adult and 2 child seats. But the competition is way behind with respect to tech, for example wireless connectivity, it's simply not there in most of the cars.

[@carsguide]

Thanks mate. Yeah, it is just a little bit tight for newborns, and while the tech let me down a bit, I still loved living with it. Cheers Matt

[@SorasioM]

while you are correct, tech being present is no use when its not working as intended. our infotainment unit restarting multiple times while im trying to use navigation makes it pointless

[@scorpion787x8]

Comprehensive review, thank you...

[@Naeromusic]

After owning an Octavia, both mk1 and mk2 and absolutely loving the mk2, I decided to try the superb and my god! It's got so much room, I actually went for the iV, the sheer leg room in the back is just so good.

[@adamhwsn]

I bought my Octavia RS two months ago and haven't had any issues with the infotainment system yet. It all works pretty seamlessly using Android auto with a Galaxy Note 10+. I'm guessing mine had the software updates done to it before I got it. My partner and I are very happy with it. Overtaking on the highway is suddenly allot of fun.

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

Love my 2020 model too mate, the perfect car for the surfing/MTB dad that likes to fang. Just wish the Mrs would stop kerbing those rims!

[@johngibson9463]

Often wondered what a 'partner' means

[@daveyboy6985]

@@johngibson9463 a roommate with extra perk benefits.😉

[@xxxdids]

@@Thisonegoestoeleven666 Hey buddy how’s that review from voltswizard doing a Skoda RS review against his own gti and had nothing good to say about this car but could not stop talking about his own. Jesus I thought is was a bit nutty 😢🎉

[@aaaaplay]

I don't know why Skoda Australia doesn't make the false floor an option or standard as it is overseas on models like the Octavia, Kamiq and Scala. I noticed that the Octavia has also lost the removable torch like my Kamiq. Instead Australian market cars get a blanked off plate.

[@SirLancelotG]

Can you override the wireless apple carplay by plugging it in? Is that an option?

[@johngibson9463]

Good review.Of particular interest to me are the comments about road noise. I hate that in a car, past experience with Mazda has made me try and avoid it. I've not been aware of it in Skoda however, my nine years over two vehicles of ownership not registering it as an issue. And I don't recall it made in other Octavia tests. just a thought - could that pod on your loan car roof be affecting the vehicle dynamics, and road noise. It would be interesting if you did some runs without the pod to ascertain any difference.

[@mharro88]

It runs low profile tyres and is a semi performance orientated vehicle , there's going to be some road noise.

[@richardxraj]

CarPlay is the most important item for exploring new areas and high traffic zones. Hopefully Škoda fixes the issues

[@benrussell917]

I think the road noise at highway speeds would be more of a deal-breaker for an all round family car than wireless Apple carplay... Having driven a GT Mustang for a few days and discovered the wind/road noise made it impossible to enjoy music or conversation, I understand what a giant arse-pain it can be!

[@Dave-gg6vl]

I have the same Octavia RS wagon. The road noise is miles better than the previous generation VRS (Mk3). I have just driven 1200km to QLD from Sydney. It didn’t even come up as an issue for us. It was a pleasure to drive.

[@benrussell917]

@@Dave-gg6vl thanks for that! Im currently cross-shopping the Octavia RS Wagon agaisnt a Kia Stinger GT (the obvious comparison being one has a much boot and costs a little less while the other has a lot more power and RWD). Its hard to make educated decisions on these things when dealers book you in for half hour test drives!

[@Dave-gg6vl]

@@benrussell917 well mate I can definitely help. I just sold my KIA Stinger GT MY20 (which I owned for 2 years) for a 2021 Mk4 Octavia RS wagon :). Main reason for selling was the boot in the stinger was too small for our frequent family trips. It slopes down at the back so can’t put much of anything towards the back. I’m happy to answer any questions.

[@benrussell917]

@@Dave-gg6vl so many questions but I guess the main one - any regrets? I love the stinger - it's looks, power, price and warranty. My only concerns are purely first world problems - having to take luggage in duffle bags instead of suitcases and having to rely on my partner to handle taking our dogs wherever they need to go in her SUV.

[@Dave-gg6vl]

@@benrussell917 no regrets. If you want more power with the Octavia you can always get a piggyback unit like a JB4 (Burger Motorsports) which will give you another 50-70kw. I also have a 7 year warranty with the Skoda so it matches the KIA Stingers. Skoda have a deal on atm (not sure if it’s finished or not) where if you pre buy 7 years of servicing ($2900) then you get 2 years of new car Skoda Australia wide warranty. The Skoda Octavia RS is ALOT more nimble than the Stinger. I put front and rear sway bars on my Stinger and this Mk4 would leave it for dead around corners. I find that more fun than just flooring it in a straight line. The Octavia RS still goes well punching it for overtaking etc but obviously the Stinger GT is much faster and better off the line with grip. I am happy with my choice and the Octavia RS is a much more practical choice with still a lot of performance aswell.

[@stevenesbitt3528]

Congrats on the little one

[@bellrobert1978]

I think it's the perfect dad car. I have the previous model.

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

Tech gremlins, affordability, stock shortages, lack of proper shifter and handbrake are all the reasons I brought a very low kms Ver 3.5 Octavia RS wagon over the new Ver 4. Tech works perfectly, same engine and drivetrain, just a brilliant practical sporty wagon. Do like the facelift lights over my spider eyes though!

[@sandgroper1970]

If I had the money it would be on my list of what to update my current 21 year old vehicle. Mainly as it is a wagon it has the practical space that I would like. With the Wireless Apple Car Play, did you try using a wired connection through USB, because surely that’s possible.

[@jasonborn1978-h1i]

Great and honest review. I genuinely was going to buy VRS estate. Not too sure now. Presently driving 2.0 tsi karoq. That has some technical issues, although not a bad as yours. Vw tech not brilliant. That red paint looks awesome.

[@Dave-gg6vl]

I don’t have any of the issues in the video above so I wouldn’t worry too much. My reversing camera has never dropped out and my wireless CarPlay is very stable (think ours only cut out once or twice since I’ve owned it). I do however have issues wirelessly charging my iPhone 12 in its case. Just won’t charge and then says somethings in the tray and to remove other items. So I’ve bought a Belkin MagSafe wireless car charger which holds the phone magnetically too. Now charges every time.

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

Buy a low kms 2020 Ver 3.5. Best bang for your buck in the market tight now.

[@Dave-gg6vl]

@@Thisonegoestoeleven666 but then you have to look at the hideous front headlights everyday

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

@@Dave-gg6vl Love the spidey eyes!🤙

[@georgealex19]

Great video and insight. Why don’t you just use the a wired connection for the apple carplay? Maybe worth it at this point. Wireless carplay or andoidauto connections are prone to disconnect; not worth it at the time

[@glengarryglenross7127]

the mk3 pre face lift will never be bettered

[@yunghanhuang8188]

u in Australia ?

[@chrisags208]

"Drive like a Ning Nong!" Classic! Hahaha. Only regret I have with my Skoda Octavia RS is selling it. =(

[@carsguide]

Why did you sell it? And what did you replace it with? Your new favourite ning-nong, Matt

[@DEVILTAZ35]

There is not much parts support in Australia for them though . Not much support in general . It's risky buying these sub brand cars.

[@chrisags208]

@@carsguide Decided to buy a house and just wasn't using it. Only doing 1,000km every few months and just sat in the garage. After buying the house and driving more, bought a Skoda Superb 206TSI 4x4. =)

[@milkymoocowmoo]

@@DEVILTAZ35 you are grossly misinformed, they borrow heavily from the VAG parts bin and anywhere that services VW or Audi will usually work on Škoda too. The Octavia RS in particular is, mechanically speaking, a Golf GTi on a stretched chassis.

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

@@DEVILTAZ35 Hey? They are a VAG car mate, support everywhere, even in Tas!

[@SorasioM]

We've had ours for 10 months now. Had non stop problems with the emergency autonomous braking and lane assist. which is a shame because it is a rather pleasant car to drive when its actually working. we've been back and forth from the dealership with attempted fixes and nothing concrete yet.They originally tried to dismiss the issue claiming i was probably just using cruise control and it was braking to keep a safe distance. but i had it all on the dash cam and it was collision detections going off to the point that the car skids so yea. Also have been having random infotainment shutdowns and restarts using android auto, usually when its hot so im wondering if its a heat issue with carplay or android auto. I'm hoping they get it sorted cos i really like the car, but on narrow streets going round corners it just slams the brakes on for no reason.

[@asenpopov6897]

Hi @SorasioM are you still having problems with the infotaintment? What sowtware version is installed on your O4? I am with 1941 and the is no difference, randomly reboots almost every day ;(

[@deganellis]

Thanks Matt, great review. Shame about the tech gremlins and think for the coin, I'd probably look at a low k Skoda Superb Scout instead.... And buy a hot hatch for the weekend drives!

[@_bav]

That baby seat looks like a death trap. Have you guys never heard of Isofix?

[@mharro88]

This or the i30n sedan?

[@ciaranoconnor6525]

The car seat you have does look abnormally large. You have a big handle about 5 inches in front of the seat. Looks fine if you use another seat

[@DW-xt6nt]

Enjoyed the video thanks. Efficiency? You have an airbrake on top of the car! Best buy something with enough space as step 1. Such boxes should be reserved for occasional use. If you want reliability best not buy a first gen car, wait for the facelift version at least or better buy last of the old range at low price when new comes out.

[@danielearle9933]

Good review Matt. Interested in what wagon you would recommend with the dogs and a new born. Just purchased a 2017 Santa fe but the i40 wagon will need replacing in the next couple of years.

[@carsguide]

I'd be pretty tempted to go for a Skoda Superb, Daniel. I think it's a terrific wagon and offers just a touch more practicality than the Octavia RS, and you can get one for less than an RS, too. Cheers Matt

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

Suberb sportline 206. Great cars, huge amount of room in the back and boot. AWD and good power and economy. Look great too.

[@johngibson9463]

@@carsguide Love Superb, But it's a much bigger footprint vehicle, if that is an issue. Passat wagon is a good compromise. My wifes 2012 Passat Wagon has been almost faultless from new.

[@mharro88]

I have newborn and bought a i30n sedan. You need need a wagon. Have fun

[@michaelpan2972]

I have the Scala and the software can be very frustrating too

[@ozzierockets1163]

Good car and was looking to buy one, however $60k it’s a little unrealistic compared to other brands

[@davidjolliffe9622]

Skoda Octavia used to be a great alternative to the car that VW/Audi failed to deliver; a practical & relatively zippy sports wagon that a family man who still enjoys driving with the three pedals, can get a lot of enjoyment from & still have enough room for the family. It’s just a pity that the majority of Australians have become fat lazy Americans over the last decade, & prefer the comfort & ease of an auto to the infinitely more engaging driving experience of a manual to a point where Skoda no longer offers the manual version of this “drivers” version of their Octavia VRS wagon. Looks like I’ll continue to buy the previous manual VRS versions which Skoda also bothered to fit an LSD.

[@simonmajura]

My experience of wireless CarPlay on a 2019 Passat wagon hasn’t been smooth either. I’m not convinced that it’s a Skoda or even VW group problem, but just a tech issue. It’s a lot of data to port over Bluetooth and the chips used by the car industry are never the best nor that well integrated. All that being said, I always keep a lightning to usb c cable in the car for this very reason. Although I’ve also solved it by turning off the car, getting out, locking and then starting it all over again!

[@mareksandor8848]

this is not a mid-year review but just a presentation😂😂😂😂

[@spiffleable]

Ultimate dad car is the Kia carnival!!!

[@carsguide]

Point well made. Matt

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

Noooo that is for soccer mums that don’t enjoy driving.🙂

[@peterpanousis8458]

Nice review Matt. A taller SUV would address the bendy back issues for both nappy changes and the loading and unloading of the infant. The RS costs low to mid-60s in my area, on road, fully specced. For that coin, there are plenty of roomier vehicles that would be a better fit. I’d personally go something like the Forester (thanks Chuck) which may not be as spacious as the Octavia but is more practical and liveable. But if you are keen on a wagon, how about the Subaru Outback?

[@johngibson9463]

The Outback is fine - except for the engine and transmission. So only people not really interested in cars should apply.

[@Iwishiwasflying]

Currently have a Karoq Sportline and love it. Yes my camera has played the drop out game. Twice in nearly a year, however I accept each car will have its own "uniqness" about it. No car will ever be perfect and tech will always throw a wobbly sometimes.

[@johngibson9463]

I have a 2019 Karoq with the (unfortunately no longer offered in Aus ) excellent 1.5L motor. The vehicle had a rattly front bush replaced a month into ownership, since when vehicle has been perfect, and surprising fun to drive which I hadn't expected. The motor has a real low-down shove.

[@kamilcuniak8412]

If they only would give 4x4 option with tsi

[@10Filip]

You could say thats AUD, not USD

[@brunobruno9307]

Have you tried android auto? Is it better then CarPlay? Most of the people in the world have androids. Also, your child seat looks very cumbersome. The car is much cheaper here in Europe. You should have opted for 2.0 diesel with 200 HP.

[@TomaszTGM]

Vrs. It's vrs why do some places call it RS

[@seljd]

CLIMA is climate in german

[@kelvpoon]

Tesla model 3 would be fun too

[@UFA-jc8gu]

A new or used Superb 272 4x4 sport line would be my choice

[@AL-kc4kg]

basically the infotainment problems carry over from golf, Skoda did not fixed them it’s simply not clever.

[@mikuelable]

Sorry but the dogs are going in the boot

[@lordrefrigeratorintercoole288]

Can you imagine a Toyota with i fotainment and electronics bugs? Or bad insulation? LoL Man I love my new corolla hybrid 😂

[@parky5329]

Hold on........ there wasn't enough space for a six month old and two dogs!??? Both of which are a small breed as seen in the video!!! Seriously!!!🤣 Plus, you're criticizing the boot because its not set up for changing babies nappies!! 🤦‍♂

[@glengarryglenross7127]

It's an estate

[@MatthewBayard]

What a shame it's not an EV.

[@laztrader3277]

Good car but be real. Very expensive.

[@jonas9883]

I'd rather buy a Passat

[@philmoore6678]

If you worried about the technology stay home😂

[@Thisonegoestoeleven666]

Not your best review.

[@gwarrichmond6232]

*If you would of pulled out.....you wouldn't be having this problem!!!!*

[@user-vk4vd7vr5t]

I think the use of incorrect grammar is the root of your problems…

[@muzjmhjmh]

ok car but borring as hell, sound isolation is horrible and worst of all: it's a SKODA!

[@bobsuzy1]

VW group junk, buy a BMW X3 instead