Used Skoda Octavia for sale: everything you need to know

The Skoda Octavia has become one of the top choices in the family hatchback market, offering acres of space and delivering good value for money. A reputation for strong build quality, along with clever practical touches, has won it a dedicated following in this competitive class. 

Although the Skoda Octavia is a close relative of the Volkswagen Golf, it boasts a much larger boot and cabin. In fact, the Skoda is more spacious than many of its family hatchback rivals, including the Ford Focus, SEAT Leon and Hyundai i30 Fastback. With Skoda having pushed itself steadily upmarket, it could even be an alternative to a BMW 3 Series or Audi A4.

Should you buy a Skoda Octavia? 

The Skoda Octavia is a large and practical hatchback that offers much more space than its smaller rivals. It is a great choice to buy or lease if you are looking to maximise the amount of car you get for your money. 

Although the Skoda Octavia delivers value for money, the driving experience doesn’t have a bargain-basement feel. In fact, the Skoda Octavia is comfortable and refined on the road. It soaks up bumps with ease, and only a small amount of tyre noise detracts from the refinement. Rivals such as the Ford Focus might offer sharper handling, but the Skoda Octavia is not really here to be exciting. 

Instead, Skoda has begun to push the Skoda Octavia upmarket, making it closer to the Volkswagen Golf it shares a platform with. Interior quality is more than good enough to compete with the Golf, and is a cut above the Focus and Vauxhall Astra. The SE L version feels particularly plush, thanks to standard microsuede seats. 

There is plenty of standard technology inside the Skoda Octavia, too. Controlling everything through a central 10-inch touchscreen can cause confusion at first, but it does keep the cabin looking neat and tidy. Dual-zone climate control and keyless entry are just some of the highlights for all models. 

Where the Skoda Octavia really delivers is on space, with a huge boot offering up to 600 litres of luggage capacity. This is far beyond conventional hatchbacks, and increases to 1,555 litres with the back seats folded. Room for passengers is also generous, whether they are sitting in the front or back.

A Skoda Octavia not for you? We've got 1000s of used cars for sale to suit all budgets and needs.

What’s the best used Skoda Octavia model to buy?

High-mileage users will be best opting for one of the 2.0-litre diesel engines, while the 1.5-litre is a good alternative for the rest of us. All models are well-equipped but stretch to a Skoda Octavia SE L for a bucketload of desirable features as standard

Used Skoda Octavia fuel economy and performance

The 2022 Skoda Octavia is offered with a choice of seven different engines, with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid options available. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard with selected engines. Others come with a dual-clutch DSG automatic transmission and benefit from mild-hybrid technology. Here are the engine options available on the latest Skoda Octavia. 

• Skoda Octavia 1.0 TSI 110: Kicking off the Skoda Octavia hatchback engine range is a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol. With 110PS, it majors on efficiency rather than performance, with the 0-62mph sprint taking just under 11 seconds. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, and average fuel economy can reach 54.9mpg.
• Skoda Octavia 1.0 TSI e-TEC 110: Choosing the 1.0 TSI engine with a DSG automatic gearbox results in the addition of e-TEC mild-hybrid technology. Although it offers no extra horsepower, the quick-shifting seven-speed automatic transmission helps reduce the 0-62mph time to 10.5 seconds. Fuel economy improves to 56.1mpg, too. 
• Skoda Octavia 1.5 TSI 150: For heartier petrol performance, the 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 150PS. It helps the Skoda Octavia feel much more at home on the motorway, with the six-speed manual version taking 8.4 seconds to accelerate from 0-62mph. Depending on the trim level picked, average fuel economy peaks at 52.8mpg.
• Skoda Octavia 1.5 TSI e-TEC 150: As with the smaller 1.0-litre engine, choosing the DSG automatic gearbox equips the 1.5-litre Skoda Octavia with mild-hybrid capability. Average fuel economy improves fractionally, with an average of 53.6mpg possible.
• Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI 116: Diesel engines make sense for those tackling bigger mileages in their Skoda Octavia. The range includes two flavours of a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, starting with a 116PS version. This is focussed on delivering maximum fuel economy, with the manual model able to reach 68.2mpg. The 0-62mph dash takes 10.7 seconds. 
• Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI 150: For more diesel power, the 2.0-litre unit can be upgraded to deliver 150PS. Although this is the same as the 1.5-litre petrol, the extra torque of the diesel makes a big difference in real-world driving. Fitted with the DSG transmission as standard, it accelerates from 0-62mph 8.7 seconds and averages up to 64.9mpg.
• Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI iV 204: The fastest Skoda Octavia (without opting for the vRS performance models – reviewed separately), is the iV plug-in hybrid. It combines a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to generate 204PS. The Skoda Octavia TSI iV can cover up to 42 miles on the 10kWh battery alone. 
  

As a popular choice for UK drivers, there is no shortage of second-hand Skoda Octavia models available. All three of the main trim levels are easy to find, with the mid-spec SE Technology the most common of all. Petrol-engined Skoda Octavias are the most plentiful, but finding a diesel or hybrid variant should not be a struggle. 

What used Skoda Octavia trim levels are available?

The 2022 Skoda Octavia is offered with a choice of three different trim levels, each increasing the level of luxury and technology found inside. Buyers can also pick from an extensive options list. 

• Skoda Octavia SE: Despite being the entry-level model in the Skoda Octavia range, the SE version is not basic. On the contrary, it comes with LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and rear parking sensors. Like all Octavias, it uses a 10-inch multimedia touchscreen to control most functions, but does without satellite navigation.
• Skoda Octavia SE Technology: To gain sat-nav as part of the Columbus multimedia system, buyers need to plump for a Skoda Octavia in SE Technology trim. Moving up also means the addition of textile floor mats, plus front parking sensors to join the rear ones of SE models. 
• Skoda Octavia SE L: Topping the range is the Skoda Octavia SE L, which boasts extra luxury inside and out. You’ll find privacy glass and electrically folding door mirrors, while the cabin benefits from microsuede upholstery and heated front seats. Skoda’s impressive Virtual Cockpit digital instrument panel is the crowning glory. 

Used Skoda Octavia dimensions and boot size

The Skoda Octavia’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4,689mm
• Width: 1,829mm
• Height: 1,470mm
• Ground clearance: 143mm

The Skoda Ocatavia’s boot size is:

• 600 litres (iV PHEV: 450 litres)
• 1,555 litres with rear seats folded (iV PHEV: 1,405-litres)

The Skoda Octavia hatchback’s fuel tank capacity is 50 litres (iV PHEV: 42 litres).

Used Skoda Octavia road tax

After the first year (which is lumped into the on-the-road price and taken care of by the first owner), you'll pay a flat rate of £150 a year VED on a petrol or diesel Skoda Octavia. Hybrid models (including the mild-hybrid e-TEC and plug-in hybrid iV) qualify for a £10 discount.

That's the same as rivals, unless you consider a purely electric alternative like a Volkswagen ID.3 or Nissan Leaf. These won't cost a penny to tax.

How much is it to insure a Skoda Octavia hatchback? 

As a family hatchback, the Skoda Octavia should be relatively affordable to insure. The car has a broad range of engines, with spread of insurance groups to cover them. The Skoda Octavia SE with a 1.0-litre TSI engine should be the cheapest model to insure, being placed in group 12 (out of 50). Moving up to the 1.5-litre TSI means a jump to group 18, with the plug-in hybrid iV topping the list in insurance group 22.

Read our full Skoda Octavia review