Skoda Octavia

The Skoda Octavia is arguably one of the most recognised cars on the road, thanks to the number of Octavia's which are currently used as taxis. The Octavia is one of the most reliable cars currently for sale making it an ideal choice, as well as being great value for money and offering a spacious interior. The Octavia is sold as a small family car but in reality it is a good match for a family sized Ford or Vauxhall and hold s its own against its biggest competitors.

The Octavia also makes a great hire vehicle as it is one of the cheapest cars available for hire, outside of the small car bracket. Hire companies do not have high maintenance costs running these cars so the pricing is really competitive for the customer. Also, as the car is a great family vehicle, it is ideal for holidays and long trips, offering 5 doors and loads of boot space.

The Skoda Octavia Mark 1 was first produced in 1996 and is also known as the first generation. This model was produced through to 2004, where it was replaced by the Mark 2. The Mark 1 had numerous engine choices from a 1.4 8v petrol through to 2.0 litre petrol or a 1.9 diesel TDI. Skoda also produced a top level VRS version of the car, which was the quickest and most highly specced version of the car, which even featured a 1.8 litre turbo charged engine producing 180 bhp.

In 2004, Skoda released the Mark 2 verion of the Octavia, which was based on the Volkswagen A5 platform. As well as getting a brand new engine range, the second generation car also offers more legroom, exterior body changes and a higher ride height to avoid large kerbs and obstacles. A facelift model was introduced in 2009 which offered some further exterior changes and some modifications to the mechanical systems.

So what is the performance of the Octavia like if you are thinking of buying or using one for hire? The 1.2 TSi petrol engine produces 105bhp and has a maximum speed of 119mph and can do 0-62mph in 10.8 seconds. The turbo charged 2.0 TDI pumps out 140bhp and can manage an impressive 128mph top speed withthe 0-62mph achieved in 9.6 seconds. These are impressive figures for what is essentially an economy family saloon car.

Whilst talking about economy, the Octavia 1.2 can get just under 40 km per gallon with the higher specced 2.0 TDI coming in with 35.8 km per gallon. There is a choice of transmission system as well ranging from a six-speed manual through to a fully automatic system. All Octavias also come with disc brakes front and back with ABS to make sure you and your family travel safely.

The standard and optional features on the Octavia is also an impressive list as the driver will enjoy electric front windows, heated and adjustable door mirrors, power steering and an air-conditioned glove compartment.

There are also plenty of safety enhancements with driver and passenger front and side airbags, an engine immobiliser, ABS braking system and central locking. As you go up the range towards the VRS then the list of optional extras also gets bigger giving you much more choice. When you are looking at hiring one of the cars, always make sure you check the specification that you will receive as you will appreciate the extra expense of air conditioning on a hot summers day.

SkodaDeals.com is the place for great Skoda deals online. Skoda offer the best discounts on strong reliable cars and you will not go wrong choosing one of them, but make sure you check the deals here first before purchasing or hiring your car, as you may be missing out on fantastic discounts.