Have you driven any of the Octavia vRS models, or the higher output non vRS diesels, which are anything but heavy on the road?Does any agree with me in that the skoda octavia is an ugly car, heavy on the road and down right boring to look at!
As for boring and ugly, well beauty is in the eye of the beholder and very subjective. Given the number of Skodas on the roads currently, a fairly significant portion of the motoring public seem satisfied with the look of the cars.
Looking at OP's needs for space, this car meets the needs expressed for very small money in comparison with potential alternatives.