This is my third Octavia, and comes after my second Superb, a 2.0 TDI 4X4 Elegance saloon/hatch.

First impressions were that the Octavia felt very similar to the Superb, not quite as substantially built but as well-finished. Now, after 2000 miles, I am appreciating the quieter mechanicals and better ride and handling of the Octavia.

PERFORMANCE
I had misgivings about moving from a 2.0 TDI with 170 PS to the 1.4 petrol, but the Octavia's 140 PS gives it a brisk performance with surprising flexibility. On paper the two cars are very similar, but the Octavia's wider power band and easier cornering make it feel much more a driver's car. I have found it easier to stall when pulling away from rest, especially after an automatic engine restart, but this was easy to come to terms with and the petrol engine's tractability yields little to the Superb's TDI. Motorway cruising in the Octavia is effortless and emphasises just how miserably slowly we are forced to drive in this country.

ECONOMY
Fairly careful urban use gives 42-43 mpg on the computer, or 40-41 mpg using the 'brimmed tank' method. Long motorway runs wasting no time but attempting to avoid persecution have yielded 46-47 on the computer, similarly about 5% optimistic. Surprisingly the Superb gave almost exactly the same results.

EQUIPMENT
I am a little unhappy with Skoda's ethos of varying the equipment associated with a particular trim level on different models; both Elegance, but to come close to the Superb's equipment I had to add extras that put up the cost noticeably. Also Skoda have dropped the L&K option for the Octavia (which I enjoyed on my 2 previous ones) and would hve been a more cost-effective option for my purposes. That being said, the quality of finish is excellent and Skoda's thoughtful fixtures make it a pleasure to use.

After being a little disappointed from the sound from the Superb's tweeters, I specified the Canton system for the Octavia. Since I haven't auditioned the standard audio system I can't say if is a worthwhile improvement, but I can asset that for my (classical music) taste the Cantons sound very good indeed.

I found it a little fiddly to get the SatNav voice at a suitable level compared with other audio, but once done it's fine.

RIDE AND HANDLING
The lighter petrol engine helps with weight distribution and makes the Octavia's handling safe and enjoyable. The ride, although better than the Superb, suffers somewhat from the low-profile tyres and could be a little more forgiving.

CONCLUSION
It's early days, but I am very pleased with most aspects of the Octavia. Negative points have been few - those low-profile tyres probably contribute to road noise, made more noticeable by the quiet engine, and I have found it difficult to engage reverse when cold on a few occasions.