Hello, I realise I’m posting this on the Octavia 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. 

Either choice you make I would try for having one with a towbar for bike carrying.

 

I'm not impressed with the boot space on the MK4 and don't think it actually works out much bigger than a Karoq in real life usage

OK, I own a Mk4 Octavia estate but have driven a Karoq on several occasions, and both vehicles with both the 1.5TSI (manual) and the 1.0TSI (Karoq was manual, Octavia was the e-TEC DSG). Also, it's worth me mentioning that I am over 6' 4" (1.95m) tall so seating position, headroom, and the relative positions of the pedals and steering wheel are majorly significant for me.

 

My thoughts are that the Octavia is notably quieter and significantly more comfortable than the Karoq; whilst I have not driven huge distances in the Karoq, I regularly cover 300+ miles a day in the Octavia with one monster trip of 580 miles over about 15 hours with no ill effects (appropriate rest breaks were taken!). The Octavia is a motorway mile muncher...

 

The boot is bigger in the Octavia and for bikes I'd say the extra length is beneficial. @Novascape has a point about the shape of the boot in the Karoq - it is more square, and in the SEL the rear seats have greater adjustment.

 

The other aspect is fuel economy. With both the 1.0 and 1.5 engines the Octavia has returned at least 15% more miles per gallon than the Karoq over similar journeys.

Thanks @SteveTheElder @Novascape

Your feedback 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. 

 

 

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8 hours ago, Shivers said:

Are the MHEVs meant to be more economical?

 

My manual 1.5TSI is returning up to 63mpg on a long motorway run, with an overall average of ~56mpg since I bought it (43k miles). The 1.0 e-TEC (MHEV, DSG) I drove for about 8k miles with an average of around 53mpg.

My 'gut feel' is that the 1.5 e-TEC DSG would be more economic on a long run than the 1.0 e-TEC especially with a heavy load.

That’s interesting. I suspect my 1.2 Yeti is doing far lower mpg than that which is why I’m spending so much on petrol each month. Is the mild hybrid a better option than the petrol version? I’d look at electric but a) the initial cost is so high and b) I’m not sure we have the infrastructure in place across the country yet. Plus we’re likely to start racing in Europe within the next 2yrs. 

I agree that the Octavia is much more comfortable and refined, in 1.5 DSG eTec form. I've just swapped but wish I hadn't !!  The Octavia was also incredibly economical.

 

The Karoq will be going at the earliest opportunity.

I really enjoy the elevated driving position but having a more economical car is very appealing right now. 
 

I had a look at the interior of a 2023 Octavia yesterday and it looked very plush. It made my 2017 Yeti feel very basic when I got back in it!

Thought the latest Karoqs coming going to be pretty close to the Octavia on the interior 

Yes, the Karoq interior is also good. And the technology and safety on both cars is so much better than the Yeti. 

9 hours ago, Shivers said:

That’s interesting. I suspect my 1.2 Yeti is doing far lower mpg than that which is why I’m spending so much on petrol each month. Is the mild hybrid a better option than the petrol version? I’d look at electric but a) the initial cost is so high and b) I’m not sure we have the infrastructure in place across the country yet. Plus we’re likely to start racing in Europe within the next 2yrs. 

Given the fuel economy of the petrol Octavia on long runs I don’t think I could justify the additional cost of an e-Tec let alone the IV hybrid.

I just read up on the Octavia IV. Nice car but expensive. 

Just moved from a 2020 Karoq SEL to a 2024 Octavia Estate SEL and the Octavia is a generation ahead of the Karoq. Octavia drives a lot better and the practicality of the estate is second to none 

A MY25 Karoq will be 5 years worth moved on from a MY20,  but is that anything for the better. 

There are new mandatory features.  But the same now with a new Octavia or any other model. 

On 06/07/2024 at 07:31, Shivers said:

I just read up on the Octavia IV. Nice car but expensive. 

Only worth it if you can plug it in every night. Mine is a company car and I think there's large tax breaks for PHEVs. I don't plug mine in

We could get an electric charge point fitted on the driveway but we’re due to travel to the Alps over the summer holidays and I’m not sure of the charging point set up on the continent. I’m going to read up this week. 

3 hours ago, mccririck said:

Mine is a company car and I think there's large tax breaks for PHEVs. I don't plug mine in

That seems to be true for a large number of company PHEVs Thousands of UK hybrids may have never been plugged in

16 minutes ago, PetrolDave said:

That seems to be true for a large number of company PHEVs Thousands of UK hybrids may have never been plugged in

Yes, basically because the employers have no go way of reimbursing for electricity used at home. Also some can't plug in at home. It also doesn't help that the Octavia charging rate is limited so using charge points is slow, and charge points tend to cost more than petrol anyway!

That’s so interesting and a bit depressing. The MHEV version might be a good option for us although it looks like the MPG isn’t that different to the TSI. It’s a shame ŠKODA don’t offer a hybrid version in the Karoq and feels a bit behind the curve. 

7 hours ago, Shivers said:

We could get an electric charge point fitted on the driveway but we’re due to travel to the Alps over the summer holidays and I’m not sure of the charging point set up on the continent. I’m going to read up this week. 

We charge our PHEV from an external 13A socket.  Going to the Alps would be on petrol, the electric range is 33 miles.

3 hours ago, RobL50 said:

We charge our PHEV from an external 13A socket.  Going to the Alps would be on petrol, the electric range is 33 miles.

More accurately it would be hybrid

 

I get over 50mpg with mine just using it as a standard hybrid. Which is better than if it was just a standard 1.4TSi

5 minutes ago, mccririck said:

More accurately it would be hybrid

 

I get over 50mpg with mine just using it as a standard hybrid. Which is better than if it was just a standard 1.4TSi

I agree, but the OP was concerned about electric charging in Europe and the low mileage on just electric means that it is not appropriate to try to charge it and then run any distance on electric.

I've just returned from a road trip to Provence in my 1.5TSI manual Octavia Mk4 estate. Whilst I didn't need any of the EV/PHEV charging infrastructure I was surprised at the investment made in it since my last road trip, lots of new charging bays; there appeared to be more bays than I have noticed at UK service areas and lots of them vacant. Many a supermarket or town car parks also had new charging bays, with good levels of availability.

 

The trip was just shy of 1900 miles most of which was Autoroute at or near the legal limit of 130kph (82mph); the remainder pootling around the hilltop villages on steep twisty roads or through the traffic of Avignon (no, rush hour was not a good plan 🙄). Four adults and a boot full of luggage & photography gear, barely enough room for the half dozen bottles of wine we brought back. Overall economy was 53.4mpg. 

 

For me, the 1.5TSi petrol estate works best.

Yeah I think the 1.5 is replacing the 1.4

That’s sounds like a perfect trip! 🍷 

 

Which trim did you opt for? I’m considering an SEL (very few around at the moment) or an SE TEch.