Skoda Octavia Hatchback (98-05) - Review

Review by Parkers on
The Octavia shares components and engineering expertise with the Audi A3/A4, SEAT Toledo and VW Golf/Bora - which should put pay to any stale old jokes about the Skoda marque. The Czech car maker has hurtled up-market with these keenly-priced and well built medium hatchbacks and estates, which are essentially Volkswagens in all but name. These are family holdalls not status symbols. In the image department, Octavia is a big step up for traditional Skoda buyers - but are the badge and the clever advertising enough to confer kudos in the car park?
3.5 out of 5

Other Skoda reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

Volkswagen on a budget, and this is where Skoda still lives up to its penny-pinching image - it's a frugal runner in terms of fuel, maintenance and insurance.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,497 - £2,046 *

Diesel

£1,187 - £1,457 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

10,000 miles (petrol and diesel).

Warranty

Mechanical three years, bodywork six years.

Road tax (12 months)

£120.00 - £270.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

3.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
    135
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
    221
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

Octavia performs well on the eco front. With an average of 171 g/km CO2 across the range, its emissions are quite low for a medium-sized hatchback. However, it's worth noting that the line up has a high number of diesel models, bringing the average down and giving buyers more choices of low-emission versions. Diesels typically produce less CO2 than petrol engines with similar power outputs. Eco-conscious buyers should consider the 1.9-litre diesel, which is one of the greenest models in the range. The range is also fairly economical, averaging 43 mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2