Skoda Octavia vRS review - Reliability and Safety

Always finishes highly in our Driver Power survey, and mechanicals are all well-proven

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

Reliability and Safety Rating

4.4 out of 5

Find your Skoda Octavia
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Advertisement

Both Skoda as a brand and the Octavia itself have finished consistently highly in our Driver Power customer satisfaction surveys in the last few years. In 2019, the Octavia finished in 28th place, well within in the survey's top 100 cars. Skoda itself finished in an impressive fifth place out of 30 manufacturers.

The Octavia features further peace-of-mind in the form of a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The adult and child occupant protection rating was extremely high, while it did just enough in the pedestrian and safety assist category to warrant the highest rating.

The usual array of airbags is offered on every model, while vRS spec cars get features like hill-hold assist, dynamic headlights, lane-keep assist and post-collision braking to prevent further accidents after a crash. 

Warranty

The Octavia vRS gets an average (but not exceptional) three-year warranty, with the first two years' mileage unlimited and the third year limited to 60,000 miles. Some rivals beat that with a five-year warranty, but Skoda’s one is pretty much par for the course in this sector. You also get a three-year paint warranty and 12 years of protection against corrosion.

Servicing

You will be required to service the Octavia vRS after 12,500 miles in the first year, and then both petrol and diesel models on the fixed interval scheme need attention every two years or 20,000 miles.  Some cars will be part of a variable scheme, however, which can see the mileage limit increase or decrease depending on how its used. Skoda dealers fare exceptionally well in our Driver Power survey, so you should get good service and decent value from each visit.

Most Popular

New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates
Renault 5 EV concept at 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed
News

New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates

Renault’s reborn Renault 5 will start from €25,000 in Europe, suggesting a circa-£30k price in the UK. It's due on sale in the summer of 2024. Here's …
1 Dec 2023
New BMW X3 replacement to grow in size and feature a minimalist dash
BMW Neue Klasse SUV exclusive image - front
News

New BMW X3 replacement to grow in size and feature a minimalist dash

BMW’s first Neue Klasse electric SUV could carry the iX3 nameplate and our exclusive images preview how it might look
30 Nov 2023
New 2024 Dacia Duster: third generation of Europe’s best-selling SUV revealed
Dacia Duster - front
News

New 2024 Dacia Duster: third generation of Europe’s best-selling SUV revealed

Dacia has taken the wraps off the latest Duster, which arrives with a new look and fresh technology
29 Nov 2023