Hello, I realise I’m posting this on the Karoq forum so there might be the obvious bias…

 

We were all set to swap our lovely Yeti for a Karoq but I’m wondering whether an Octavia estate might be a better fit. We do lots of cycling so there are some benefits to having a lower roof and longer boot but then we’ll have to get used to the lower driving position again. 
 

Has anyone driven / owned both and were there any major differences in comfort, road noise etc. We’d be looking at a 1.0 SEL manual or DSG.  

Very different propositions.

 

We've had several Octavia's and still have a hatchback, we've had four Yeti's that your coming from and we have a Karoq.  We also have the 1.0TSi but in a Fabia.

 

The Octavia has far more boot space, the seating position is lower which you know and the Octavia feels quite a bit longer when parking. 

 

The Karoq has a lower roof line than the Yeti and it's easier to stand on the door sills to load the roof.  The Karoq has lighter steering and more supple suspension over poor roads than the Octavia. 

 

It depends which age of Octavia you are going for but I find the Karoq interior and infotainment superior to the current Octavia. 

 

For both Karoq and Octavia estate I'd recommend the 1.5 though.  Economy is virtually the same and it's a lot smoother unit especially when combined with DSG. You also have a lot more power in reserve which can be really felt when loaded.

I had a Octavia sel 1.4 TsI DSG 65 plate hatchback for 5 years and now have a 21 plate Karoq Edition 1.5Tsi Dsg, for the last 2.5 years

I changed because I wanted a tow car and a higher ride and was due a change anyway.

I transfered the rubber mats across which confirmed the floor pan is identical for the front and about 3" shorter in the Karoq for the rear. The boot is a good 10" shorter on the Karoq too.

They both drive the same in terms of road holding. The octavia gave me 8mpg more. they are both great cars. Unless you want to sit up high I'd say the Octavia is is the way to go especially as you are looking at the estate.

Good point about economy.

 

The Octavia is around 10% more economical than the Karoq for us.

 

But for the OP our 1.5TSi Karoq DSG is more economical than our 1.2TSi Yeti's DSG's were. 

Owned a Octavia L&K DSG Hatchback lovely car with huge boot but was cursed by the dreaded 1.8 engine. When that blew up it was the:

 

Yeti 1.2 Elegance Outdoor DSG nowhere near as nice as the Octavia to drive and the boot obvioulsy was a lot smaller. Economy was brilliant though.  Now have:

 

Karoq 2.0 TSI 4x4 Sport. Best car I have ever driven. Amazing response. Grips the road like glue. Decent sized boot has lots of great new tech addition over the Yeti, e.g. auto hold, electric boot, reversing camera, canton speakers, virtual / ditigal dash. Higher driving position gives a great view of the road. DSG gearbox is very smooth. Very comfortable seats, and very smooth, quiet ride. Would highly recommend the car. MPG 30 around town MPG 40-44 on long motorway / A road drives. Obviously going for the 1.5 will give you better MPG. 

 

 

Thanks all. This is really helpful.
 

We do a lot of around town driving but also a high number of motorway journeys to sporting commitments each week inc. 50 mile round trip 4 times a week for training and then regional and national races which are further afield. With all the longer journeys and higher petrol prices, I thought the Octavia might be more economical. The Yeti is such an easy drive but not very aerodynamic. 
 

I’ve only ever driven a manual but the test drives were in automatics and were very smooth and relaxing. 
 

Are the MHEVs meant to be more economical? I thought that I’d read mild hybrids (more generally rather than specific to Skoda) weren’t a great option. 

I changed from a Subaru XV to Octavia estate, as my choccy Labrador had difficulty jumping into boot of XV. Elderly mother found folding herself in half, to get in and out of Octavia was too much, so changed to Karoq. Now back to square one, as dog cannot jump into Karoq!

Must say, I preferred the Octavia (1.5 petrol SEL, DSG), but coming to terms with Karoq (Sportline 1.5 DSG)  but only done 3000 miles in the year since purchase.

Superb estate.
I’ve had 3 Octavia estates and a relative has a karoq.

Karoq has the suv height advantage if you like that but superb has better boot than Octavia and the karoq, and more legroom especially the rear, still good economy (my 1.5 tsi estate is as good, actually slightly better, on petrol than my previous 1.4 tsi Octavia.

I have a roof mounted bike carrier which is easier to load than it would be on an suv, but carrying a single bike I just put it in the boot and rarely use the roof carrier any more.

Edited 5 July, 20241 yr by classic

@Choclab I have the same issue with pets and elderly parents. How are you finding the Sportline? I liked the design on them but wasn’t so keen on the larger wheels. 

4 hours ago, Shivers said:

@Choclab I have the same issue with pets and elderly parents. How are you finding the Sportline? I liked the design on them but wasn’t so keen on the larger wheels. 

 

Three of us at work bought three 6 month old Karoq's from the same dealer in the same week.

 

My two colleagues bought Sportlines but I went for an SEL.  Why?  My wife has mobility issues and the sports seats were more difficult to get in and out of and were more restrictive. The ride dropping from 50 profile tyres to 40 profile transmits more of the poor road surfaces into the car.

And finally for me I've had two panroofs on previous Skoda's and have had issues.  The last one had a £1400 repair and a £2400 cassette replacement, fortunately under warranty but it's put me off panroofs.

 

But everyone has there own tolerance levels for seats and ride so it's best to take a test drive yourself.

Although only done 3000 odd miles, I love the Karoq. Sport mode is great, for a SUV, very chuck able (and already got my first speeding ticket, for the Karoq that is!). My local council area is recorded as having the worst pot holes roads in Notts, but no bother for the Karoq. Only regret is not going for the 2 litre 4x4, but that is also quicker - ahem. This car should see me out, as 74, but you never know.

3 hours ago, Choclab said:

Only regret is not going for the 2 litre 4x4, but that is also quicker - ahem. This car should see me out, as 74, but you never know.

2 litre is very quick, amazingly the 2.0 TSI performance data matches that of the original Audi Quattro (engine capacity, bhp, 0-60, top speed)

9 hours ago, Shivers said:

@Choclab I have the same issue with pets and elderly parents. How are you finding the Sportline? I liked the design on them but wasn’t so keen on the larger wheels. 

I have a 2.0 Sportline 4x4 with Cross Climate 2 tyres. Superb ride. Elderly mother finds it very easy to get in and out off and loves how quiet the ride is.

Edited 8 July, 20241 yr by PedalBin

As someone who is short in stature at 5ft 7" I find the Karoq less easy to negotiate than the Octavia, The front of the Octavia was always visible thus making judgment of clearance either side of the front straightforward the Karok is not nearly as clear and aiming is much less accurate.

I miss the size of my Octavia estate. Could swallow so much kit! 

 

I like the ride height if the Karoq. I'm no longer worried about bumpy car parks or flooded roads, both of which I encounter fairly often. 

 

Personally I'd have another Octavia in a heartbeat if they did the scout version still. 

I've gone from 2017 Octavia to 2020 Karoq ...1.4 for the Octavia , 1.5 for the  karoq , so pretty much the same engine wise.

 

I do feel the octy could swallow much more but I like the ride height of the Karoq.

 

I avoided the dry clutch DSG this time as I tow a caravan. But the Karoq doesn't feel quite as quick of the mark without the DSG  My only real concern is that the lumbar part of the driver seat coupled with the cars height ....might make it prone to even more wear on the driver's seat as I have to rub against it to get in. My Octavia was wearing without the height and such a steep lumber.

 

Vision is good in the Karoq in my opinion and the reverse camera is an excellent feature that helps when reverse parking.

 I have a pan roof on mine , and yes it's leaked , I'd avoid a pan roof in future especially if only on extended warranty as it's not covered.

 

Overall I liked them both for economy and reliability but obviously they do differ. 

I know this is an older topic but I've just noticed this. I've had 3 Skoda Octavia diesel estates, the last being a Scout 4x4 from 2015. I've now owned a 2019 Karoq Scout 4x4 for almost 2 years. Both the Octavia Scout and the Karoq Scout have the same drivetrain - 2.0 148 bhp diesel, 4x4, manual 6-speed gearbox. I regularly tow a caravan, and both cars are very good towcars, with the Karoq having a higher towball limit. I loved my Octavia Scout which I had for 8 years, excellent spec, space, reliable etc. I think it had a better ride than my Karoq which has 19" wheels. The Octavia was also quieter than the Karoq with the same drivetrain. The Karoq is thirstier than the Octavia by about 4-5 mpg, although I have recorded 60 mpg in favourable conditions. The Karoq boot is well designed despite being smaller, with extra hooks, a decent storage area under the floor even with the spare wheel, and has the variflex slide/recline seats which are excellent, indeed I think the Karoq Scout seats are very good and more comfortable than the Octavia part leather items. The Karoq Scout is basically a Karoq SEL with some extra bits of brightwork and different seats, but doesn't have an increase in ride height (unlike the Octavia Scout), and mine doesn't have so many options for the drive system as the Octavia Scout, despite being 4 years younger. The Karoq interior is nicely finished, and it has an electric panoramic roof which makes the interior bright and airy, and is easier to climb into when you are old and creaky!

 

Which to choose for a replacement? Very very difficult, but probably a Karoq for practicality although it would be very close-run by an Octavia estate. The decision may depend on a road test.

 

Hope this helps!

I'm 6ft+ with a dodgy back and I find climbing into my Karoq SEL so much easier than climbing into my mate's Octavia estate.