‘I BOUGHT THE TOP-SPEC SKODA… THIS one even came with an engine,’ joked my 84-year-old, Jaguar-driving dad as I picked him up last Christmas. I’m glad to report that on the seven-mile blast to my house, he was soon silenced. But for anyone over 67, or anyone without a real understanding of cars, it’s remarkable how stubborn the old Skoda stereotype still is. And frankly, it might stop some people from considering what has become, over the last 20 years, a compelling and genuinely affordable performance car.
In fact, just as our Octavia vRS returned to its Milton Keynes press-fleet home, evo’s website ran a story on the incredible value this car now represents. Some dealers, we reported, were knocking off up to £8000 off the list price. Sure enough,…