Should you buy one?

Yes – because the Skoda Octavia Estate is so impressively fit for purpose, making it a brilliant estate car. This fourth-generation version is even more on-point than its predecessors because of its bang up-to-date driver assistance and safety tech, not to mention the improved interior quality. The 2024 facelift only builds on that well-established base by updating areas that needed it, such as the infotainment system.

A Volkswagen Golf is still more refined and quiet on the move, but the Octavia is substantially more practical and better value for money. We think the two cars are now level pegging in terms of all-round ability. It’s the Skoda you choose for value and ease of use, while the Golf is marginally more technical inside and has an arguably more desirable image, although that’s surely less of an issue these days.

The Ford Focus Estate stills appeals for its highly engaging driving experience, the Peugeot 308SW for its style, the Kia Ceed Sportswagon and Toyota Corolla Touring Sports for their long warranties. But really it’s between the Skoda and VW.

It’s a shame the engine range has taken a bit of a hit with the facelift and there are fewer choices now. But there’s still a reasonable spread of performance and efficiency, and it does seem likely the plug-in hybrid model will be making a return before too long, bridging the gap between internal combustion and electric power – which seems a sensible path for such a sensible vehicle.

What we like

The Octavia Estate is easy to live with and hugely practical, with a boot that’s large even in the class above. It’s also nice to drive, being both capable and comfortable – the latter in particular setting it apart from some overly sporty rivals.

What we don’t like

It’s still not the most exciting choice from behind the wheel, and the pre-facelift infotainment system could be a pain sometimes. But really there is very little to fault here – family cars rarely come more rounded than this one.