Faults:

Quite a lot, but mostly wear and tear that you would get with any car. Currently the air con does not work, rear passenger windows jammed, ABS sensors recently done and a tonne of suspension work has been carried out. Timing belt and water pump changed also. Alternator failed and was an expensive replacement, otherwise the car has not gave me an major high bills.

General Comments:

The Octavia with the 1.9 TDi is the one to go for - the 1.6 TDi might offer more economy but is a bit dodgy reliability wise, and the 2.0 TDi has more power, but the 1.9 diesel is a classic proven engine that still has plenty of get up and go when the turbo kicks in, and 55 mpg + is achievable.

Elegance is a good spec, plenty of toys, seats are nice, ride is a bit bouncy however.

The car drives OK, but nothing special; if you want a fast car that corners well, take a look at a VRS model.

Popular with taxi drivers for a good reason - I plan to keep mine even beyond the 200,000 mile point, it shows no signs of stopping.

Faults:

Clutch and flywheel.

No.1 injector replaced.

2x alternators and battery.

Cam-belt twice.

Every oil change.

A/C never worked right since I bought the car.

Miscellaneous fuse and relays replaced now and then.

Pretty much the entire brakes/suspension components replaced over the years bit by bit. Same for exhaust, except the manifold, which seemed to be the only original part left.

Interior had serious wear and tear, it was a taxi. Surprisingly, everything still worked inside. Exterior was also unmarked with very little if any signs of rust. Paint faded in some areas though.

General Comments:

This Octavia estate car was used as a private hire taxi for most of its life. Although some repairs were expensive, it was a very economical and generally reliable car over the ten years I had it and I put serous mileage on it.

Let's get the negatives out the way first - the 1.6 TDi is not the best engine. The 1.9 and 2.0 TDi are far better, good performance and decent economy. This 1.6 is not very fast and has the famous injector issues. It does however do a solid 60 mpg or more, which is the appeal. The bigger diesel engines only get 53 - 56 mpg realistically. The trick is though to look after the injectors is to avoid supermarket diesel (they are water downed lower quality) so use the regular diesel from a brand name garage. There is no need to use premium all the time either, just the regular will do fine if it is quality diesel to begin with. Tax and insurance is also as cheap as it gets on this model.

The car is OK to drive, handles very well and the seats are comfortable. Not the most refined - a bit noisy and slightly harsh ride when you are in it plodding around town all day.

Estate car has plenty of space. "S" model is very basic - electric windows up front and mirrors but that is it. Wind up windows in the rear, a real pain when passengers leave without closing them. Get an SE or above model for all round electrics.

Not a bad looking car, but again this is a basic model with wheel trims, and not even the door handles are color coded. Looks very basic. I have seen upper tier Elegance models in nice colors with alloy wheels - really makes all the difference.

Sold it very recently for a very cheap price to a local guy who just wanted a run about, the car had serious mileage and won't last forever. In short it was a good reliable car, some expensive issues aside. If buying for yourself privately I would say go for the bigger and better diesel engines in a higher spec and the car will be much more enjoyable.