Sixth long term test review: Verdict
by Car Keys Team
The final mile has been totted up in our Octavia long termer – bringing the grand total to 15,214 miles. There have been a few tears, but it is finally time for us to move on. But what’s it been like running an Octavia for six months?
Many of us in the Car Keys team have taken the Octavia Scout and lived with it for a few weeks, each of us having slightly different lifestyles.
You can read our short opinion pieces on the Octavia Scout below and watch our full video review:
Richard Bush, Senior Staff Writer/Team Leader
“The Octavia Scout is one of those cars that you really have to live with to fully appreciate it. It’s no secret that from the outside it just looks like a hard-knock estate that carries a hefty price tag. Given, it is quite pricey, but for that price you get a lot of car.
“Drive it day-to-day like we did and you will soon realise how flexible it is. Go the shops, there’s plenty of boot space, go cross-country, it has a comfortable ride, have the kids in the back, there’s plenty of space – even for baby seats.
“In a lot of ways, the Octavia Scout manages to achieve what many ‘lifestyle’ SUVs claim to offer – practicality, luxury and style – all-rolled into one. Okay, maybe its style is subjective. If a bog-standard estate doesn’t quite take your fancy, and you have a fairly large budget, then the Octavia Scout is definitely worth a look.”
Stephen Goldasz, Staff Writer
“The moment you first see it, the Octavia Scout really catches your attention thanks to details like the rugged bumpers which confirm it’s no ordinary estate.
“What’s interesting is that it feels like a car aimed at those who are interested in having the characteristics of a 4x4, but don’t want to buy an actual 4x4. It doesn’t take up room like your typical 4x4, but this four-wheel drive Skoda still has a fair amount of presence and, more importantly, it can handle tough driving conditions.
“Add in the spacious interior, long equipment list and solid engine range and you have a niche but versatile family car with many strengths. How much you need that extra ruggedness though? You can get a regular Octavia estate with four-wheel drive for a few grand less, not that this stops this car from being likeable overall.
Ryan McElroy, Senior Staff Writer
“There’s no doubt that the Octavia Scout is a niche choice with its rugged body cladding, permanent four-wheel drive and higher ground clearance, but don’t mark it down as a car only for soft-roaders.
“This is no one-trick pony, and the Scout boasts a wide range of abilities as a spacious, practical and well-equipped family estate that’s good value compared to its rivals but which has that bit more about it than your average everyday estate.
“Yes, it’s that bit more expensive over the standard Octavia Estate which mightn’t endear it to buyers looking for a bargain, but with its blend of practicality, an impressive driving experience and genuine off-road ability it offers a capable alternative to premium SUVs without the premium costs.”
Daniel Daley, Videographer
“Over the six-month period we had the Octavia Scout, we took it out a few times as a kit car. When we think of the perfect kit car, things such as exterior looks and driving dynamics don’t come into it. The video team focuses more on good levels of kit, exceptional practicality and a good suspension. The equipment on offer in the Octavia Scout was perfect for what we needed. When travelling a little further for a shoot we found we could totally rely on the sat-nav.
“As for practicality, we have equipment of all different shapes and sizes, from a camera slider - which is about a meter long with perpendicular legs at each end – to a tripod with a large rotating head on top. Usually, we end up playing Tetris trying to fit the equipment in – but not with the Octavia Scout.
“With the wide opening, low loading lip and colossal boot capacity, we never once had a problem with carrying equipment, even with half of someone’s wardrobe in there. Finally, I’ll mention the comfort. The seats are some of the most lavish and comfortable I’ve personally ever sat in.”
Impressed across the board
Yes, the Octavia Scout is quite expensive when compared to an Octavia Estate – and many other estates in facts. But once you live with it for six months, you learn to appreciate what the added cost gets you.
The Octavia Scout manages to blend all the important aspects of family life together perfectly. It’s practical, reliable and well-equipped. It’s a pleasure to drive as well, not just from a comfort point of view, but also from an excitement one. It can be so easy for a manufacturer to give in to conservatism with a family-friendly vehicle, but the Octavia Scout doesn’t do that.
If you are tired of Volkswagen, Audi or even Ford or Vauxhall, and want a practical family car with a bit of panache, then the Octavia Scout is definitely worth a whirl.
Fifth long term test review: Cost and Maintenance
by Richard Bush
Although the Octavia Scout is very much a ‘do a bit of everything’ estate, from school run trips to off-roading, we have primarily been using it for motorway stints. From Liverpool to London and back has been a frequent pastime for our Octavia Scout – so how has it handled the long-haul journeys?
When it comes to costs and reliability, motorway driving is arguably the biggest test a car can be given. If it can handle the M6 motorway in blustering showers and sweltering heat, then it can handle pretty much anything, right?
Running Costs
As of writing, we have had our Octavia Scout long termer for five months. In that time, we have covered 13,324 miles – that averages out at around 2,500 miles a month.
On the spec sheet for the Octavia Scout 2.0-litre 148bhp diesel, the combined mpg is quoted at 58.9mpg. The Scout’s trip computer read out gives you both a long term and short term readout. Our short term mileage – which was calculated over a distance of 153 miles, reads 48.9mpg. Long term on the other hand reads 46.3mpg.
As mentioned above, a lot of our trips comprised of motorway driving, which in true congested form also includes inconvenient influxes of 50mph zones. The constant stopping and starting of these 50mph zones really does take its toll on the mpg average – and when this anomaly is removed, we found the 55mpg figure was certainly achievable.
Based on our average of around 47mpg – and considering the Octavia’s tank capacity is 50 litres/11 gallons – it would be possible for us to achieve 517 miles from a single tank of fuel.
Fuel saving tips
An increasingly popular feature nowadays, especially on VW Group vehicles, is the fuel saving tips screen. This gives you frequent tips on how to drive more economically, ultimately saving you fuel.
For example, if you are sat at the traffic lights with the engine running, it will advise that you put the car into neutral so that the start/stop technology can kick in and save you fuel. These prompts can be really useful, especially during the constantly changing urban environment.
Other popular fuel saving tips of the Octavia Scout include letting the car roll when driving downhill, driving in the highest possible gear and frequently checking your tyre pressure. Speaking of tyres…
Tyres
In true 4x4, the tyres fitted to our Octavia Scout are chunky, rough-and-ready and 225 millimetres in width.
Even after 13,000 miles plus, these tyres look pretty much brand new and still sport a healthy tread, passing with flying colours when it comes to the famed 20p test.
They really do come into their own with wintery weather as well. Heading to Scotland on one of our days out, we encountered some snow high up in the mountains. The Octavia ate this up for breakfast, with the grip of the tyres combining with the added traction of the four-wheel drive system.
Road tax
With CO2 of 129g/km, the Skoda Octavia Scout sits in Band D for Vehicle Excise Duty (commonly known as road tax). This means that it costs £110 a year to drive it on the road.
You can, if you wish, pay for six months instead of 12, which will cost you £60.50. If you pay this charge off via direct debit, be it a one-time payment or monthly instalments, you will pay a slightly different amount. So, via direct debit, a one-time payment of six months would cost £57.75, whereas 12 monthly instalments would cost a total of £115.50.
Fourth long-term test review: Equipment
by Stephen Goldasz
Whereas with most cars you have a range of trim levels to choose, the Skoda Octavia Scout simply comes in just the one trim.
Despite that, there are still some choices which customers can make which will affect the price of the car, besides just the engine. There’s also a range of options for exterior colour, the wheels, interior upholstery and there’s a bunch of safety and luxury kit on the options list.
So even though there’s only the one trim for the Octavia Scout, customers can still adjust the car’s look and features in numerous different ways to fit their personal preferences. Depending on how far you go with these option though, they can make the price of the car shoot up considerably.
Standard equipment
Before we dive into all the extra-cost options for the Octavia Scout, let’s establish what you get as standard.
The Octavia Scout currently starts at £25,700 with the 148bhp diesel which we have, or £28,495 if you go for the more powerful 181bhp DSG version.
For these prices, the Octavia Scout comes as standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, a CD and radio player, electric and heated mirrors, cruise control, parking sensors and sat nav.
Like other cars that come in just one trim, you do get a decent amount of kit as standard, but it’s possible to end up spending nearly a grand extra on exterior finishes alone.
Optional exterior and interior kit
If you think the standard ‘Polar’ alloy wheels aren’t fancy enough, then you can get two different-looking options, Nivalis or Pictoris, which are priced at £300 and £400 respectively. It’s hard to see though how the optional designs look more premium than the standard wheels and really it just a matter of opinion which set is best.
As for body colours, there are currently three solid paint finishes and nine metallic and pearl effect finishes to choose. Only one of the solid paint jobs, Pacific Blue, is not an extra cost option as the other two (Corrida Red and Candy White) add £175.
Our test car is finished in Quartz Grey Metallic. Like the other metallic and pearl colours available, it costs £535 to have this finish. It seems like quite a bit extra to spend especially if you’re opting for a more inconspicuous finish like this grey paint job, or the black or white or beige alternatives.
While other exterior extras – such as cornering front fog lights, LED rear lights and a rear parking camera – each cost £300 or less, you’ll need £970 for bi-xenon headlights and just over a grand for an electric sunroof.
Moving on to the interior, you can pick between a black or brown interior finish, which has no effect on the car’s price.
Some small but handy features like a double-sided boot floor and boot nets cost less than a £100 to add but most other interior options add between £300 to £1,000 to the car’s price.
Other options customers are likely to look at include front and rear heated seats (£400), a heated windscreen (£300) and wireless phone charging with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (£300).
The only option included in our car, besides the metallic paint job, is a temporary space-saver spare wheel which costs £100 to add. That leaves the total price of our test car at £26,335. That’s only £635 more compared to how the 148bhp model starts.
Take an exuberant approach to the options list, however, and you could easily end up pushing the total purchase price of the Octavia Scout to over £30,000.
While spending so much on options may not faze some, bear in mind that at that total price, you’re pushing the car close to the prices asked for estates from premium brands. Take the Audi A4 Allroad, for instance, which starts from just over £36k.
With all that in mind, it’d be wiser to be cautious with the options list, since you already get a decent amount of luxury and safety kit set-up as standard. It’s best to carefully consider which if any of the options would actually significantly improve your day-to-day driving.
Third long-term test review: Performance
by Richard Bush
As the Octavia Scout is a niche model, Skoda doesn’t offer much in terms of engines – and you can’t blame them really. Skoda fans that are used to having a list of engine derivatives as long as their arm to choose from may be a little disappointed though.
Drive wise, it’s important that the Octavia Scout offers a versatile package, seen as though it could be used on the school run one minute and be weaving down a country lane towards a hiking route the next.
Engines
Off-roading combined with, undoubtedly, motorway driving can mean only one thing - diesel.
There is just one engine on offer, a four-cylinder 2.0-litre TDI, but this is available in two power outputs, 148bhp and 181bhp. This diesel is also available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a DSG automatic. Each of its power outputs is limited to the one transmission though, so if you want manual then you’ll have to go for the 148bhp displacement, vice versa for the 181bhp and the DSG.
Our long termer is the 148bhp 2.0-litre manual. From a standing start it can get the Octavia Scout to 62mph in just 9.1 seconds, which for a car of its size is quite impressive, it certainly feels like it’s got a decent amount of punch. It’s also got a top speed of 129mph.
When it comes to tackling moderate inclines its 340Nm of torque comes in very handy, especially as peak pulling power comes in relatively instantly at just over 1,750rpm. Power delivery through the rev range is gradual and smooth, however, it can be a bit jolty when feathering the accelerator in second gear as the rev counter bounces in and out of the peak torque zone.
The manual stick rifles through the gears effortlessly and has a reassuring robustness to it, which suits the fact that it’s a large estate.
So far we haven’t felt the need for the added power of the 181bhp – although when it comes to motorway driving we can’t help but long for the DSG automatic.
Ride and Handling
You are not going to buy the Octavia Scout just to cruise on the motorway. However, as a family estate, motorway slogs are inevitable.
Thankfully it swallows motorway miles for breakfast – and although the diesel is quite loud low down the revs it soon mellows to a quiet hum when you hit the 70mph mark.
The ride is comfortable too, easily ironing out wavy, uneven stretches of motorways and country lanes. Large bumps and pot holes can feel a little unsettling though.
Does it feel like a large estate to drive? Well, it has a bit of body roll, but if you are throwing it into corners at high-speeds then you may want to first off apologise to your family, and secondly, buy a different car.
The steering has a definite ‘know your limits’ feel to it as well. You get good feedback through the steering wheel, which will suit both urban journeys and B-road trips, and it has enough weight to engage you with its drive but not too much that it becomes tiresome at low speeds. This means it is a great all-rounder albeit a little conservative at times.
The Scout also comes with a series of driving modes, which include Normal, Sport, Eco and Individual. What mode you choose will determine things like throttle responsiveness, torque delivery, the weighting of the steering and, if you go for Eco, things like air-con power consumption.
None of these modes have a ‘bad’ effect on the driving experience, but we would recommend sticking with Normal mode as the likes of Sport can make the weighting of the steering feel a little artificial. The Individual mode can be fun though as you can basically make-up your own driving mode.
Slightly separate to these driving modes is Off-Road mode, which assists with the likes of increased traction and downhill driving. If you are planning on taking the Octavia Scout off-road then it is important to know its limits. Even if a vehicle claims to be a 4x4 that doesn’t mean it’s a Land Rover Defender. The Octavia Scout’s four-wheel-drive system will happily grab the tyre tracks of a muddy trail and fill you with confidence. It will also allow the Octavia Scout to scale moderate inclines with ease.
Its ground clearance, although raised 33mm in comparison to the estate model, will limit its off-road capabilities somewhat, so you may want to reconsider before you go gung-ho on a mountain face. If you really want to make the most of its off-road ability and the 340Nm of torque we mentioned previously, then you can tow up to 2000kg – although we haven’t found ourselves needing to - yet.
Second long-term test review: Practicality
by Richard Bush
The Octavia Scout is basically a slightly plusher estate with four-wheel-drive. This means that the quintessential Octavia Scout demographic would probably be a family of four who looks to explore the countryside on some weekends and possibly even the snowy Alps (or a British equivalent) on another.
Boot space
Let’s start by looking at the basics. At a glance the Scout’s boot has a few niggles we don’t usually like to see – a lip encroaching on the loading of objects (heavy ones in particular) and a hump when the rear seats are folded down. Although these may be a big deal in some cars, these issues fade into the background when you start to look at the long list of impressive criteria the Scout has to offer.
A sometimes overlooked practicality plus point is a boot’s square loading surface, which the Scout has. Being able to pack cargo tightly into each corner of the boot maximises storage space and makes loading large amounts of luggage much easier. The sheer size of the boot is worth shouting about as well – because at 610 litres with all the seats in place, the Octavia Scout is bigger than the VW Golf Alltrack, Audi A6 Allroad and SEAT Leon XPERIENCE.
It’s also bigger than these models with its seats folded down as space is extended to 1,710 litres. The way in which the Scout’s seats fold down is another noteworthy point. You can opt to lift a lever near the rear doors and fold them down like you would in most cars – or you can pull levers located in the boot to send the spring-loaded seats flying down into position. Quick and easy.
These rear seats – although leaving a slight lip – do fold completely flat, essentially leaving you with two very practical, very usable load spaces.
Rear seats
One of the best things about the Octavia Scout is its front seats (which we will come to in a moment) and thankfully these excellent seats are emulated in the rear. As well as offering comfortable seating, the Scout’s rear has plenty of leg and head room to boot.
For kids and their juice cartons there is a fold down arm rest with two cup holders and two reasonably-sized door bins that can accommodate medium-sized bottles.
The only potential issue when it comes to space in the rear is seating an adult in the middle seat. Shoulder room shouldn’t be an issue, but foot well room might be due to the large hump in the floor. However, if there are children sat either side of the adult then I’m sure their tiny feet will leave plenty of room either side.
Simply Clever features
Simply Clever is the name Skoda gives to its creative practicality solutions, and the Octavia Scout has many of them.
The boot offers a few practical Easter eggs of its own, including foldable hooks for bags and a fold down hatch in the centre of the rear seats to allow for the loading of extra-long cargo, such as planks of wood or skis.
A long list of options are available as well, with things like netting to keep shopping in place and a double-sided boot floor that offers a non-slip waterproof side.
The Simply Clever features really come into their own in the cabin though. You will find quirky but useful storage compartments littered around on the doors, centre console and even the roof. Some of these include a pop-open sunglasses holder, cup holder device that holds your phone (although my Samsung Galaxy S5 was too big) and a safety vest holder under the front passenger seat. Just like the boot, you can go hog wild with optional practicality perks – with things like a small attachable bin that hooks onto the door.
The comfortable seats I mentioned earlier for the front are part of the Scout upgrade and are sporty-styled, branding the Scout logo and wrapped in a lovely alcantara leather. It’s not all style and no substance though as the driver’s seat has oodles of adjustment and is accompanied by a reach and rake steering column.
First long-term test review: Introduction
by Car Keys team
When it comes to vehicle segments, the car market used to be a much simpler place. Nine times out of ten you could pigeonhole cars with a letter in order of size – A for city car, B for supermini and so on.
Today’s car market is much more convoluted, with some vehicles belonging to a niche within a niche and it’s integral for manufacturers to keep up with the times.
Our most recent six-month long termer, the second-generation Skoda Octavia Scout, is a perfect example of this. Half estate, half go-anywhere mud-plugger and half run-around family car (wait what?), the Octavia Scout is the type of car aimed at those who want the whole package.
With four-wheel-drive capabilities and oodles of practicality, it could be argued that the Octavia Scout is essentially a flattened and stretched family SUV – which it is, sort of. Want to travel cross-country with the family on a camping, hiking or skiing trip? Then the Octavia Scout might just fit the bill.
The Octavia Scout is basically an Octavia estate (which exists in its own right) on steroids with a lick of extra luxury. So, as well as getting four-wheel-drive along with underbody protection and plastic side mouldings, you also get a long list of interior niceties.
As well as Skoda tapping into this rough-and-ready family estate niche, there are a few, although not many, similar models in the marketplace. These include the likes of the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack and the SEAT Leon XPERIENCE.
Ultimately, the Octavia Scout is all about practicality, although more specifically, flexible practicality. This is where Skoda’s renowned ‘Simply Clever’ features will no doubt wreak creative, smile-inducing havoc. We intend to use this long termer as a kit car for filming, which with our plethora of different sized tripods, sliders and camera bags will be a great test of the Octavia Scout’s practical prowess.
But wait – the Octavia estate offers the exact same boot size and storage solutions, so why buy an Octavia Scout which, by the way, is a large chunk more expensive? Well, it purely comes down to whether you feel the need for four-wheel-drive and the exclusivity of the Scout badge… I did say it was niche.
And thus begins our long term write-up. Let’s see what it can do.
