1. Exterior
The Skoda Octavia estate is a bit on the plain side, yes, but it’s not in any way unappealing. Instead of the angular surfacing of the
Ford Mondeo Estate and
Honda Accord Tourer, Skoda has given the Octavia Estate some less agressive, more modest lines, similar in stance to the
Volvo V50.
Our rating: 4
2. Interior
Typical Volkswagen quality abounds inside – from the reassuring solidity of the switchgear to the intuitive controls on the stereo. The only complaint I could offer is that if there’s nothing to hate, there’s nothing to love about it either. Skoda proudly claim the ergonomics of the interior are “perfect” – I’d settle for a more reserved ‘functional’.
Our rating: 3
3. Practicality
The Skoda Octavia estate is all about practicality. Particularly so our estate test car with its voluminous boot offering stacks of storage with the seats folded flat – 1,620 litres in total. Unfortunately, there is a high boot lip and a rather large step in the loadbay floor.
Our rating: 4
4. Ride and Handling
The Skoda Octavia estate shares its platform with the
Volkswagen Golf so the ride is every bit as good as you’d expect it to be. Any complications arising from the length of the Octavia’s rear are minimised and the body control is surprisingly taut. The ride quality is slightly firm when the car is unladen, but the hard springs are in place to counteract the additional weight of load-lugging.
Our rating: 4
5. Performance
There’s a choice of petrol and diesel engines for the Skoda Octavia estate. Petrol engines include 1.2-, 1.4- and 1.8-litre units – all turbocharged – wheras the oil burners include a 104bhp 1.6 or a 138bhp 2-litre engine. The diesel engines are quite noisy at lower revs but seem to smooth out higher up the rev range and provide plenty of punch.
Our rating: 4
6. Running Costs
Skoda Octavia estate ownership is good value, especially with some dealerships willing to offer discounts. Fuel consumption figures for both petrol and diesel are competitive against teh equivalent Volkswagen Golf Estate and residuals too are strong.
Our rating: 3
7. Reliability
The badge says ‘Skoda’ but everything else says ‘Volkswagen’, and that’s all you need to know.
Our rating: 4
8. Safety
All versions of the Octavia estate come with front and side airbags, electronic brakeforce distribution and ISOFIX mounting points for child car seats as standard. Side curtain airbags and stability control are optional extras.
Our rating: 4
9. Equipment
There are four trim levels: S, SE, Elegance and Laurin & Klement models. The entry-level S trim offers air-conditioning and electric front windows while SE adds alloys, a CD multichanger and rear electric windows. If you want dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors and cruise control, then spec Elegance while Laurin & Klement includes leather seats and xenon headlights.
10. Why buy?
The Skoda Octavia Estate is an automotive workhorse, offering space, practicality, a decent drive and excellent value for money.
Expert review 3.4stars
- Exterior4
- Interior3
- Practicality4
- Ride and handling4
- Performance4
- Running costs3
- Reliability4
- Safety4
- Equipment4
- Why buy?4
The badge says ‘Skoda’ but everything else says ‘Volkswagen’, and that’s all you need to know.