Skoda Octavia Scout: month 5

Arrived: May 2008
List price (including options): £20,240
Average economy: 44.9mpg

The Skoda Octavia Scout has been -

Traversing rain-deluged country roads and hiking up forest tracks with sure-footed ease over the past few weeks. The weather in Perthshire has been rain, rain and more rain, with a dose of snow thrown in for good measure. This means the four-wheel drive of the Scout has finally had a chance to shine and show off the Skoda's balance in trickier conditions. Waterlogged roads have been the major problem round my way, so the confidence of having a little extra ride height in the Scout has been a real boon. These conditions require care, but the Scout seems more than ready for anything the weather has thrown at us so far.

We're loving the -

Ease with which the Scout drives up slippery forest tracks. Some recent spectating on a rally required the Scout to tramp up a wet, pine needle-strewn road to get close to the action. Where most spectators abandoned their cars and faced a three-mile walk, the Scout happily followed in the tyre tracks of some more dedicated off-road machinery to save my little legs a trek. Taking it steady, the road-biased tyres still had plenty of grip and I could feel the four-wheel drive system driving the rear wheels as the fronts sometimes faltered for traction. The Scout is no Land Rover Defender, but it is surprising how much more it can do than most owners would imagine. I'm also pleased with how easy the Scout is to look after on a regular basis. All of the major check points under the bonnet are easy to spot and get at, though I wouldn't fancy having to change a headlight bulb as they are buried under a plastic shroud.

But not so impressed by -

A one-off incident with the small speaker in the driver's door, tucked in behind the release lever. On a recent long drive, it started to crackle while I was listening to my iPod. I thought maybe it was a bad connection causing the problem, but switching to the radio showed it was the speaker at fault. There was nothing I could do until I returned home the following day, so I planned to call the local Skoda dealer and ask them to sort it. However, the next day, the speaker worked fine and has been belting out John Humphrey's happy tones uninterrupted ever since.

We're looking forward to -

Bad weather. While most drivers dread the arrival of Jack Frost, the Scout makes light work of icy and snowy conditions, as well as rain-soaked roads. There are also trips to collect the Christmas tree, Christmas shopping and seasonal visits to complete, so the Skoda will be earning its keep in the coming weeks as a load hauler.

Alisdair Suttie