• Diesel the cheapest to fuel – 60+mpg in real-world driving
• Not much difference in fuel efficiency between 115-150hp models
• Petrol model puts in an excellent performance too 

What are the running costs?

The Octavia range puts in a good performance at the pumps. It will come as no surprise that the cheapest Octavias to fuel are the lowest-powered 2.0-litre diesel and the plug-in hybrid, according to ‘real-world’ WLTP testing. We’ve run the lower-powered TDI for six months and achieved an average of 62.8mpg.

We’ve also given the 1.0-litre E-Tec over an extended period on a similar mix of A-roads and motorways and averaged a more modest 46.9mpg – not bad, but we suspect that the mild hybrid system would benefit urban users more than long-distance drivers. Our favourite all-rounder is the more powerful and DSG-only 2.0-litre TDI 150 – which has a slight drop in fuel economy and a slight rise in CO2 output.

The entry-level 1.0-litre petrol should be fairly cheap to run provided you don’t work the engine too hard. Your best chance of attaining these figures will be on a long motorway cruise. The CO2 output isn’t quite as low as the entry-level diesel either. The 1.5 TSI 150hp engine is a good one (some rough-running issues when cold aside) and capable of excellent real-world fuel consumption.

Servicing and warranty

A pretty standard offering from Skoda when it comes to warranty – two years unlimited mileage followed by a third year/60,000 miles, whichever comes soonest. There are separate three year paint and 12 year body warranties too.

That’s not industry leading given the likes of Kia or MG offering seven years, or Hyundai’s five, but should cover the length of a PCP finance contract, by which time you’d likely be looking to swap out anyway. Fixed price servicing is available at main dealers.

Reliability

• Powered by existing and well-proven engines
• Lots of shared technology with other VW Group cars
• Skoda has a good reliability record

The new Skoda Octavia is proving a solid performer on the reliability front – which given Skoda’s high score in the JD Power Vehicle Dependency Survey, adds to the impression that customers are very happy with their cars. In the most recent survey it came second behind Peugeot, with 88 problems per 100 vehicles reported – that compares with 113 for Volkswagen, 117 for SEAT and 167 for Audi.

It has been subject to one recall according to the DVSA relating to its emergency call function.

A lot more of the controls in the interior have been given over to the infotainment screen and while that may be an ergonomic concern, there’s nothing to suggest this should be any more fragile than the old car’s manual buttons and switches.

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