So is Sportage, Ateca, Kuga, Kamiq, Tucson, Countryman, CX30 & Cupra Formentor among the SUVs, small to large. The test score was about halfway down the rankings, Kamiq lowest in the list of recommeneded cars. Cars had to have at least 3 blobs out of 4 reliability rating up to 4 years old and a sufficiently large sample base - delving into the detailed reviews on the internet the Karoq had over 200 responses but that included cars over 4yrs old. The Karoq wasn't among the best in this regard, though I've had no problems to speak of in my 6yr old 1.0 TSI DSG. They did have some concerns about the ride (1.5 model) but wheel size not mentioned. The latest VAG diesel engines are said to be a bit too noisy too, but note road and wind noise are decribed as modest.

'Which' do say some daft things though, commenting that the economy was disappointing when compared with a much newer model Golf - what do they expect. It seems average amongst it's SUV peers. I note that the Kuga was said to have a rather hard ride.

The Karoq is described as a large SUV whereas in a further article on EVs it describes the Elroq as a small EV SUV - I'm pretty sure it's larger than the Karoq - another annoying example of 'Which' inconsistencies - why do I still subscribe?????

They do like the Elroq very much though, at £30,000 starting price, it's 2nd from the top behind a £90,000 Merc EQS. I was interested to read what they thought of the ride, which they liked, but it seems they tried one with DCC. Reviews elsewhere generally seem to say the car without DCC has a rather hard ride. They had praised the Karoq for visibilty but not so much the Elroq. I sat in an Elroq when my car was being serviced last week and it does have a very attractive interior and exterior - to my mind looks better than the Enyaq. I also much prefer the new front end styling to the rather awkward looking front of the original Enyaq (and all Skodas of that era frankly, including the newer Karoqs). The Enyaq is still pretty high up in this Which EV comparison list mind you.

Finally just to mention an item that appeared on BBC breakfast TV yesterday. Nature bites back -Someone with a VW campervan has had her car engine bay attacked by rats twice. Apparently the cause is VWs well intentioned aim to reduce the amount of plastics and use more natural materials, but the soya base top cating of wiring and tubes seems to be attractive to rodents. This incident isn't a one off case either. I wonder if my 2019 Karoq uses such materials - so far no problem, but we get plenty of rodents of all shapes & sizes round our way, opposite Epping Forest.

That’s a really detailed breakdown appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I’ve had similar experiences comparing small and midsize SUVs lately. The Karoq definitely offers solid visibility and comfort, though I’ve also found that the ride can feel a bit stiff depending on the trim and wheel size. I agree that reviews can be inconsistent, especially when comparing older models to the latest releases.

The Elroq does seem promising with its updated design and ride quality (especially with DCC), but like you, I’m curious how the standard suspension performs. And yes, the front end design looks far more refined now. Interesting point about the soy-based materials attracting rodents that's something manufacturers really need to address across the board. Your experience with the 1.0 TSI DSG is encouraging though nice to hear it’s held up well over 6 years!

Edited 24 July, 202524 Jul by robinkyle

Actually, the Karoq as tested by 'Which' turns out to be one of the most economical medium size SUVs/crossovers, equal to the 3008 and only bettered by the new BMW model 2 series Active tourer, which is a mild hybrid. In fact the Karoq bettered some small SUVs for economy - but here, the Kamiq seems to be one of the most economical options. Not all mild hybrids seem tested well for petrol consumption though, e.g. the medium size 1.3 mild hybrid Quashquai.

The Volvo XC40 & Audi Q3 in the mid sized SUV group were found to be rather thirsty on test, but these are heavy cars.

One thing that would put me off the new Elroq is its width, actually a bit wider than the Enyaq according to 'Which' - crazy. If I was to replace my Karoq I'd really a car if anything a bit narrower. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Skoda are also making the anticipated small EV SUV wider than my car.

Mrs L didn't get on with the driver position in the Elroq compared to the Karoq and certainly preferred the more traditional interior of the Karoq to the iPad focussed approach in the Elroq.

£30000 is an interesting marketing ploy but to get one with equivalent range (something the Elroq is advertising itself as) and with the same bells & whistles as our new Karoq Sportline would have taken us well over the £40k 'luxury' car tax bracket.

All in all, I'm really happy with the Karoq & hope I'm still saying that in a few years time 🤞

On 26/07/2025 at 07:44, croquemonsieur said:

Actually, the Karoq as tested by 'Which' turns out to be one of the most economical medium size SUVs/crossovers, equal to the 3008 and only bettered by the new BMW model 2 series Active tourer, which is a mild hybrid. In fact the Karoq bettered some small SUVs for economy - but here, the Kamiq seems to be one of the most economical options. Not all mild hybrids seem tested well for petrol consumption though, e.g. the medium size 1.3 mild hybrid Quashquai.

The Volvo XC40 & Audi Q3 in the mid sized SUV group were found to be rather thirsty on test, but these are heavy cars.

One thing that would put me off the new Elroq is its width, actually a bit wider than the Enyaq according to 'Which' - crazy. If I was to replace my Karoq I'd really a car if anything a bit narrower. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Skoda are also making the anticipated small EV SUV wider than my car.

The new Skoda Epiq will be 4.1m long, 1.78m wide...allegedly.

That's more like it - almost 2.5", 60mm narrower than the Karoq and even narrower & shorter than the Kamiq.

Regarding NigelL's comments, 'Which' did say as well as views to side & back, the view out the front wasn't ideal due to the bonnet shape & difficulty in judging extremes. They also agreed with you about the Karoq interior, saying that perhaps it being slightly dated was no bad thing, with easy to use controls, more knobs and less i-pad like.

Regarding the Karoq ride comments, they did say that DCC overcame their criticisms (low speed sharp edge bumps in particular).

Renault SUVs seem to have lost their way a bit. 'Which' seemed to mark down the latest ones for ride quality.