07/02/2012 16:03 | By James Ruppert, contributor, MSN Cars
The best used Skodas

The best used Skodas



The best used Skodas (© Skoda)
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Skodas are no longer a joke and were never that funny even in the bad old iron curtain days. Technically interesting and original, the rear engined Estelle coupe' was positively Porsche 911-like for entertainment value. Skodas were actually cheap, practical and pretty reliable, but for some reason the abusive mud stuck. The really big automotive joke was the hapless Russian carmaker Lada whose reheated '60s Fiats were truly abysmal - cheap, cheerless and awful to drive. At least Skoda had a rich and respectable past.

It was the Skoda Octavia, the model launched in 1996, which turned the majority of doubters into converts. Underneath the stylish body is a Volkswagen Golf, which is reassuring. Intended as a mid-sized family hatchback, with a stylish estate following in 1998, it has been incredibly successful. The Octavia is spacious, well built and has proved to be reliable. Even the galvanised steel body is guaranteed not to corrode for 10 years.

Now thanks to Volkswagen who bought the company in 1991, it has a wonderful future and a fantastic line up of new cars and a very impressive mix of used ones too.

Car warranties from £15 per month

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Travelling through the Balkans Croatia and Serbia and travelling on a Motorcycle, hot sun no wind doing 90MPH, I have been overtaken by Octavia Taxis like I was standing still. So I bought one, and when the time comes I will replace it with another one, up and down the motorways I have not seen one one the side of the road with steam coming from under the bonnet flashers going  
21/02/2012 11:44
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Why, oh, why do so many of the motoring press continue to state that the Skoda Octavia was launched in 1996 ( or sometimes even get that year wrong for the mark two Octavia).

The Octavia model was in fact launched in 1959 and ran until 1971 I believe.

OK, so Skoda didn't use the  name again untill 1996, but surely it wouldn't hurt to point that out, or don't the guys know that ?

For the time, in my opinion, the first Octavia represented a very good value for money medium sized and quite reliable car. Judging from my experiences as an AA patrol during that era.

21/07/2012 20:31
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