Skoda Octavia vRS

When 'sensible' is the right choice - almost...

- Richard Browne

JULY. THE MOST CRITICAL TIME OF THE year. If you've got kids either at university or caught in the dreaded exam cycle, you'll know exactly what I mean. Two things inevitably happen: you have to collect the uni student, along with what feels like a shipping container's worth of stuff, and you try to sneak in that rare, almost mythical 'out-of-term' holiday — the kind that fits in the slim window after school ends but before A-level results land in August. In both cases, you need the right tool for the job. Space is crucial, obviously. But, selfishly, you also want a car that'll bring a little joy be