| Long Term Test | Skoda Octavia Scout |
| Arrival date: | | May 2008 |
| Price: | | £20,240 (including £350 for metallic paint) |
| Current mileage: | | 14,868 miles |
| Average economy: | | 40.4mpg |
Been anywhere interesting?
If you can call trips to the refuse tip interesting, then yes. The Octavia Scout pitched up just as I was moving house, so it made an immediate impact with its large boot and easily folded rear seats. A couple of drives on local country roads show the 138bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel has more than enough grunt to get past tourist traffic in rural Perthshire too. There have also been a lot of motorway miles between home and the airport, friends and family, and the Scout's 40.4mpg helped lessen any concerns about the recent fuel shortages in Scotland.
Anything stand out...?
I didn't realise the Scout was as well equipped as it is straight from the factory. It comes with climate control, six-disc CD autochanger and MP3 connector, steering wheel stereo controls, cruise control, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, front and side airbags... It's a long list and one I only had to add metallic paint to, though I might have been tempted by a sunroof if it wasn't quite so pricey an option.
...and for the wrong reasons?
Given the longer than arm's length list of standard kit, I find it strange that curtain airbags remain a £280 option. Surely these should be included with a car costing the thick end of £20k? My only other minor gripe is that the ride can be a touch too firm on the more bashed about back roads near home, though these lanes are a challenge for any car's suspension.
Where next?
A trip to Le Mans in France for the annual 24-hour endurance race will show off the Scout's motorway credentials. Driving from Scotland, via London, to France should not be too much of an endurance test for me as the Scout is proving very refined on longer journeys. The large boot should also come in handy for a wine-buying spree on the return leg.
