Skoda Octavia vs. Skoda Superb: which is better?
Skoda prides itself on its family car options. Read our guide as we compare two of the very best, the Superb and the Octavia, to determine which is right for you
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Struggling to pick between this pair of excellent all-rounders, or just trying to understand the differences?
We outline some of the key factors that you may want to consider when looking at a used Skoda Superb vs. used Skoda Octavia, outlining precisely which model is best for you.
Compare Skoda Octavia vs. Superb: style
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Despite sharing many parts with the Volkswagen Golf and SEAT Leon, the Skoda Octavia has a different saloon-shaped design with plenty of sporty yet practical touches.
All versions of the Octavia have a bold front grille and sculpted bonnet, but newer models add a more upmarket look with glossier and higher-quality materials.
Newer versions of the Skoda Octavia also have a distinctive crease that runs along the side of the car, which extends all the way to a sharp taillight design.
The Skoda Superb doesn’t look too different at first glance, apart from being substantially larger, but it does benefit from a more elegant finish.
Like the Octavia, it has a bold front end that features Skoda’s distinctive grille design, but its proportions are slightly different in a way that accentuates the car’s width.
Overall, the Skoda Octavia has a slightly more dynamic-looking exterior, and the Skoda Superb looks more refined, but both models are fairly understated compared to many other cars, helping them to stand the test of time.
Is the Skoda Superb or Skoda Octavia better to drive?
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The Skoda Superb is a car that’s been designed for comfort and luxury, and this is obvious from any seat, where the soft ride makes for a pleasant trip.
The suspension is well-tuned and makes long journeys less of a chore, but the Superb also soaks up all those potholes around town well.
Though it’s a lighter car, the Skoda Octavia has a slightly stiffer suspension to give it more agility. It’s far from being out of place on a motorway trip, but it’s also happy tackling twisting country roads.
Both are available with a similar array of petrol and diesel engines, with some of the diesels able to achieve more than 60mpg very easily. There are also plug-in hybrid models capable of around 30 miles or more on electric power alone.
There’s also a split of manual and automatic gearboxes – the smooth-shifting DSG automatic is one of the best around. It’s quick to respond and extremely refined.
Superb vs. Octavia: interior
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Skoda was previously seen as a bit of a budget brand, and while its cars remain affordable, they’ve also taken a huge step up in terms of quality in recent years under the ownership and guidance of parent company Volkswagen.
Your choice of trim will make a huge difference, but even entry-level models strike a good balance between hard-wearing plastics and comfortable materials. Higher-end models get all sorts of leather and Alcantara finishes.
Similarly, if you go for a more expensive trim level, you could get car tech to rival premium brands like Audi, including huge touchscreen infotainment displays and digital instrument clusters.
In terms of overall look, the Skoda Superb chooses not to use all available interior space to fill with gadgets and gizmos, instead keeping a clean, minimal and sophisticated look across the dashboard. This helps the car to feel a lot more airy and spacious.
The Skoda Octavia is a smaller car, but even still, the dashboard isn’t cluttered. Both models have a few physical controls for adjusting the temperature and so on, which is great considering many Volkswagen models now have touch capacitive controls (which can be fiddly to use on the go).
Compared with something like a Volkswagen Golf, or even a similarly-shaped Audi A3 Saloon, the Skoda Octavia offers a lot of rear-seat headroom and legroom, making it one of the most spacious compact saloons around.
The Skoda Superb has even more space, and few passengers will ever need to complain about the extensive legroom. If you need to carry three abreast in the back, a Superb does offer more shoulder room.
Skoda Octavia vs. Superb: size of the boot
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While the Skoda Octavia may seem smaller than the Superb, its boot space is almost as impressive.
Hatchback models have 600 litres of space, or up to 1,555 litres with the seats folded. Estate models have 640/1,700 litres of space.
What’s worth noting is the floorspace’s dimensions – you’ll have more than one metre of width and one metre of length to play with, which is great for strategically laying out suitcases or carrying lots of luggage.
The Skoda Superb’s boot is only slightly larger, at 625 litres for the hatchback and 660 litres for the estate.
The difference comes with the seats folded, because you’ll then get to benefit from the huge rear passenger area for storing items. The boot extends to 1,760/1,950 litres (hatchback/estate).
This is substantially more than you’d find in something like an Audi A6 Avant or Mercedes E-Class Estate – the Skoda Superb Estate’s boot is unbeatable by most estates.
It’s exactly the same width as the Octavia’s, but you’ll have more length to use in the Superb’s boot.
Skoda Superb vs. Octavia: reliability and safety
Skoda has a reputation for building reliable and dependable vehicles, and although the Octavia and Superb are different cars, they share a lot of mechanical parts and interior technology.
The three-year warranty is pretty average, and many manufacturers have started to offer longer cover, but the fact is that few drivers have any major concerns with their Skoda in the first place.
You’ll also benefit from tried-and-tested Volkswagen Group manufacturing and parts, including the range of incredibly efficient engines.
Current-generation Skoda Octavia and Skoda Superb models were both awarded full five-star ratings when they were crash-tested by Euro NCAP.
The previous Octavia also received five stars, meaning that any Superb or Octavia you buy from cinch has an excellent safety rating.
Even better, they both got great scores across the board, including occupant and pedestrian protection.
Skoda Octavia vs. Superb dimensions
Don’t be fooled by the fact that the Octavia belongs to the same class of car as a Volkswagen Golf, because it’s significantly larger.
It’s 4,689mm long, 1,993mm wide and 1,470mm tall. For comparison, a VW Golf can be anywhere from 4,284mm to 4,396mm long – that’s a huge difference of up to 40.5cm.
If you’re wondering about the Skoda Octavia vs. Superb size, the Skoda Superb is even bigger, measuring 4,869mm long, 2,031mm wide and 1,488mm tall.
The good thing about Skoda’s estates is that they’re actually within a few millimetres of their hatchback equivalents, so you won’t have to make any sacrifices when it comes to those tight car parks in return for more practicality.
Used Skoda Superb vs. used Skoda Octavia: which should you buy?
A Skoda Superb is an excellent pick for anyone needing to carry lots of adults regularly, or anyone who needs an estate with a big boot. The extra bit of luxury also appeals to some drivers.
The reality is that the Octavia is an incredible all-rounder, offering space, refinement, and pretty much everything else the Superb offers, just to a marginally smaller degree.
It’s for this reason that we recommend that most buyers opt for a slightly cheaper Octavia, and maybe explore a higher trim level or a more powerful engine with the money they’d have saved compared with going for a Superb.