Dear forum,

I'm currently in the phase if buying a new car and have basically pinned it down to two cars remaining, which is the new KIA ceed and the new Octavia.

Has anyone here done the same comparsion? What made you pick Skoda if so?

The KIAs advantages is definitely the price and the warranty's as I see it. Its a bit noisy though and the fuel consumption is not even near what the paper says. However I have yet not driven the Octavia so I can't say anything about that. I'm doing a lot of miles, so ive decided to get the diesel version of KIA or Skoda.

Any opinions and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Edit: its of course the sportswagon version on both sides I'm comparing.

Vol

Edited 1 January, 201412 yr by volatyle

When asking for a brochure for the Octavia from Skoda they sent a Which? Guide comparison or a WhatCar comparison guide as well as the brochure (can't remember which) and I think the Kia Ceed may have been one of the cars they compared it to (There were 3). I will have a look when I get in tonight.

Edited 1 January, 201412 yr by JamesVRSmk3

The Ceed is quite a bit smaller than the Octavia - the Optima would be a closer match in size.

All the reports I've seen from owners say that the quoted fuel economy is unrealistic on the Korean cars by a much bigger margin of error.

The Octavia will be quite a bit quicker too, if you go for the 2.0 TDI engine.

Obviously this forum will be a bit biased because it's full of Octavia owners.  But I considered and drove the Kia Ceed estate when I was looking for a sensible mid range car.

 

The Kia is cheaper but less well spec'ed than the equivalent Octavia and the massive warranty is a huge plus, as is the fact that unlike skoda, they actually have some available to buy that you don't have to wait half a year for.  The Octavia is a quite a bit bigger (comparing the estates) and definitely more refined and quieter, but you can't argue with the Kia's economy and it drives well.  The looks of both cars are up for debate on the outside, and on the inside the Octavia is a lot more understated in my opinion which you may or may not consider to be an advantage

 

Of course I eventually did what I secretly wanted to do all along, followed the crowd and went for the sports version Octavia, and as far as I know there isn't a sports end Cee'd.

Sorry they didn't pit the Ceed against the Octavia in the which guide it was the hatchback versions for a start and the Mazda 6, MG 6 and VW Golf. My memory is terrible.

I can sort of answer the question as I drive a vrs and the wife a i30 est. her car has the 109 hp diesel and it returns around a genuine 50 mpg no matter how its driven. I think the vrs is a much nicer place to sit in, also it is a lot bigger inside, however as the op stated, there is no sporty est version of the kia or the hyundai.

Kia make a half decent car nowadays (as do Hyundai...but arent they now kind of one and the same?) but IMHO I still do not think any modern Kia is as solid or well developed as anything VAG group. They offer value for money by providing well spec'd cars for less dough with monster warranties, whereas a Skoda Octavia is essentially a rebodied and stretched Golf MK7 which is the pinnacle of small mainstream hatches right now.

For me at the moment there is no contest and best way to describe it is that whilst I wouldnt be embarrased any longer to drive or be seen in a Kia I still would not want to part with my own money for one; those days for Skoda are long gone.

For me the choice would have to be an SE or Elegance spec TDi of some sort. The 1.6 is a good bet being v cheap to run and also offering reasonable performance. The 2.0 offers vastly better performance without much of an increase in MPG or emissions though but its of course a bit more expensive. SE spec is nice and plenty adequate but the Elegance comes with some good toys and nice trim for an additional £1800.

Edited 2 January, 201412 yr by pipsyp

When asking for a brochure for the Octavia from Skoda they sent a Which? Guide comparison or a WhatCar comparison guide as well as the brochure (can't remember which) and I think the Kia Ceed may have been one of the cars they compared it to (There were 3). I will have a look when I get in tonight.

I have he same one, the the Mondeo, Octavia and the insignia.

I am the owner of new Ceed Estate, and after 5k miles, can say that is comfortable, qnd there is no tunnel in the middle of back seat so all 5 can enjoy.

On the other hand, when cold I have a terrible rattle from A pillars.

Sent from my GT-S7562 using Tapatalk

If the OP is after a fuel efficient model, the Octavia Greenline has now been announced in the latest brochure, seems to be similar spec to an SE but with the 110PS TDI.

We have both a Ceed and an Octavia. Theres not a lot between them and we paid about the same for both.

The Kia is better equipped and has the huge warranty. The Octavia feels a little bit nicer built. Both are quite roomy and we don't find the Kias boot small at all. However, I don't like the electric steering in it, but I hear the new Octavia suffers the same issue.

I would put them on pretty equal footing, overall. If Kia did a 4x4 Optima I would seriously consider it to replace the Octavia when it's time to retire it.

To just compare spec you can use What car, the Elegance and the 4 are very similar spec with similar UK prices.

 

If you like both cars you might get a Kia at a better discount and quicker than the very popular Octavia.

Yeah, lead time is likely to be much shorter for the Kia as they come pre-specced so don't have to be built to order.

I don't have a Kia but often find them as my rental vehicle when travelling and too be honest have been pleasantly surprise, they must also have some confidence in them to give a 7 year warranty.

I feel the Octavia is a nicer place to be, however I've only looked at a vRS so not really a lirke for like comparison.

It's a 50/50 decision really drive both, price up as best you can 7 year costs and go from there

there.