| Long Term Test | Skoda Octavia Scout |
| Arrival date: | | May 2008 |
| Price: | | £20,240 (including £350 for metallic paint) |
| Current mileage: | | 21,500 miles |
| Average economy: | | 44.9mpg |
Been anywhere interesting?
If you can call airport car parks interesting, then yes. The Skoda has been as faithful as Greyfriar's Bobby these past few weeks, waiting for my return from various trips. Happily, there's been no repeat of the leaky windscreen seal and the Scout fires up without a problem even when it's been sat for a week at a time. At the other end of the scale, the Scout accompanied me on a 700-mile round trip from home to Stamford, so it's still clocking up the miles despite any periods of inactivity it may have to suffer and the odometer now reads 21,500 miles.
Anything stand out...?
Seat comfort. Whether it's a marathon 12-hour day in the saddle or slumping into the driver's seat for the final leg home after several flights, the Octavia Scout's seats never fail to pamper and impress. There's not much initial give in the padding, but the seat is shaped just right for my generously proportioned figure. It's not just me either, as my wife has mentioned the comfort unprompted. I also like the easily reached and intuitive seat adjustment controls that let me alter the driving position on the move, which is essential to ward off aches and twinges on long journeys. The other thing that I now cannot live without are the Octavia's curry hooks in the boot that hold shopping bags upright and stop their contents from spilling all over the floor. So simple, yet so good.
...and for the wrong reasons?
Filth. There's just too much of it accumulating around the tailgate handle, especially with the spate of rain we've endured round my way. It wouldn't be so bad but the roads are covered in muck from tractors and combine harvesters trudging from one field to the next. This means the Skoda is regularly coated in a layer of muck that leaves me with dirty fingers every time I open the boot. Even using the remote boot release on the key fob, I still have to lift the tailgate by the handle and get a muddy mitt.
Where next?
Another trip to the other end of the UK is in the offing, which will bump up the mileage ever further. There's also some more DIY to be done around the house, so the local bathroom store will be an all too familiar destination. There's also likely to be a few more journeys into Edinburgh and Glasgow now the weather is drawing a veil over the motorcycling season and I tuck up my motorbike for the winter. Thank goodness the Skoda Scout isn't as fair-weather a traveller as me.
I'll also be detailing how Octavia Scout owners can maintain their car in between services. There's no better time of year to make sure levels are topped up and everything is working as it should be.
