As a used car, the Skoda Skoda Octavia hatchback lives up to Skoda’s reputation as a great-value brand. Prices of new ones have been creeping up of late but used examples are much more realistically priced.
How about £9490 for a 2016/65- reg Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI SE L with 49,000 miles? It has one previous owner and full Skoda service history. Features include a sat-nav, electric windows all round, climate control, leather and suede seats and parking sensors. And that’s before we start talking about the massive, 590-litre boot (1580 litres with the back seats folded) and generous cabin space that come as standard with every Octavia hatchback.
The current Skoda Octavia was launched in 2013 in five-door hatchback and estate forms. It didn’t look radically different from the 2004-2013 Skoda Octavia it replaced but it was larger and lighter, some achievement for a car whose predecessor already dwarfed its class rivals.
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Four engines – two petrols, two diesels – power the regular versions. The Skoda Octavia 1.6 and Skoda Octavia 2.0 oil-burners were the most popular. The 1.6 is a little slow and has only a five-speed gearbox, which is why we’d plump for the lustier, six-speed 2.0. A 2014/14-reg 2.0 TDI SE with 60,000 miles costs £7500. Meanwhile, don’t pass on the 138bhp 1.4 TSI petrol. It’s a smooth unit and perfect for average-mileage drivers.
More press-on types can choose from a couple of sporty Skoda Octavia vRS versions: a 217bhp 2.0 TSI (0-62mph in 6.8sec) and a 181bhp 2.0 TDI (8.1sec). Both make entertaining, value-for-money holdalls, with a 2014-reg TSI at 50,000 miles costing £10,500. The TSI’s power rose to 227bhp in 2016 and then to 242bhp in 2017.
In 2016, the 1.2 TSI engine was replaced by the Skoda Octavia 113bhp 1.0 TSI. The seven-speed DSG automatic version is more economical than the manual largely because it shifts gears earlier than is sometimes comfortable. Still, if your idea of motoring is wafting about in a large, practical and understated motor of indisputable quality, it’s worth choosing. Prices start at £9300 for a 20,000-miler.
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Dull, or just beautifully simple?
I'm sure that the Octavia's shape is just fine for 95% of the population. In my view, too many cars have unnecessary design flourishes, kinks and creases - they do not need oversized grilles, wheels, spoilers and splitters. What's wrong with keeping things simple - it hasn't done any harm to cars like the VW Golf, Fiat 500 or Porsche 911. We don't all want cars that look like spaceships...
Not dull at all but
Not dull at all but beautifully simple.
Those who want a booted Golf are likely to consider this. Both Golf 7 and this Octavia represent the best in contemporary design.
But it's styling is so dull
Has to be one of the most boring looking cars around, especially now that the Rapid/Toledo has been discontinued. I know looks aren't everything and it is a very practical car, but the Octavia's styling is sleep-inducing.