Skoda Octavia TDi touring 2008 review

There might well be a great deal of laughter when I suggest Skoda has thrown down a challenge to the likes of BMW, Mercedes and Audi. They should fear a little the return of Skoda to Australian shores.

Certainly, Skoda earned a second-rate reputation when it was last here in the 1980s, but times have changed with this brand as it begins to make a new mark Down Under. Skoda offers what those prestige brands cannot - high standard at a competitive price.

And the oil-burning Octavia wagon ought be smack bang at the top of the-cars-to-consider list for those with a budget in mind but a big appetite for features. First, the two-litre turbodiesel, four-cylinder engine - which produces 103kW of power and 320Nm of torque - uses just 6.4 litres of diesel every 100km.

It does sound a little agricultural, but there's plenty to like about the seat-slinging kick of this engine and its want to just keep on pulling. The automatic DSG gearbox - my favourite transmission, supplied from Volkswagen - is proof that the parent company has not brushed aside the Czech-based carmaker.

While I cringe at the cheap looking Pontiac-like grilles and front ends of the Skoda, this wagon, overall, does not look too bad.

The Octavia TDi touring, at $37,790, is a solid and honest wagon, with ample Euro flare and enough class that it is worthy of being a ‘budget' buy for those wanting to keep up with the Joneses.

While it is no BMW, Mercedes or Audi, and for some it won't compare with the French and Italian offerings in the segment, Skoda Octavia will have appeal based on price.

Would you consider buying a hybrid car to beat the oil price rises?