Which Skoda estate is best for me?

Skoda has a reputation for making cars that are great value and often give you more space for your money than most of its rivals. Skoda’s estate cars certainly deliver on both those counts.

There are three to choose from, but how do you decide which one is right for you? Here’s our definitive guide to Skoda estate cars.

The word ‘estate’ is used to describe a car with a long roof and a big boot. They’re usually based on a hatchback or a saloon, as is the case for Skoda’s estates. Compare the Skoda Octavia hatchback and estate (below) and you can clearly see the difference.

Estates give you the same tech and driving experience as the model they’re based on but they have a squarer, longer body behind the back wheels to give you greater practicality and versatility. They often give you more passenger space as well, with a flatter roofline that creates more back-seat headroom.

The Fabia Estate is Skoda’s smallest estate. It’s based on the Fabia small hatchback (or supermini) and is one of only two supermini estates on sale new in the UK – the other being the Dacia Logan MCV.

Although it’s small on the outside the Skoda Fabia Estate is big on the inside. It has 530 litres of boot space that increases to 1,395 litres if you fold down the back seat. That’s more space than in the Nissan Qashqai. Shopping bags, pushchairs, flatpack furniture or even washing machines will fit easily.

Being a supermini, the Fabia is more comfortable for four people than five. But if you need maximum practicality in a car that’s cost-effective and fits into small parking spaces, it could be ideal.

The Superb is the biggest of Skoda’s non-SUV models. It’s usually compared to cars like the Ford Mondeo, but it’s actually closer in size to bigger cars like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The Superb has an enormous amount of interior space, particularly for back-seat passengers treated to as much legroom as you’ll find in some luxury cars.

The Superb Estate’s boot is massive at 660 litres – a Great Dane should be quite comfortable riding in there. There are a few other estates with similarly big boots when the back seats are up, but few can match the Superb’s space when they’re folded down. With a maximum capacity of 1,950 litres, the Superb has more cargo space than some vans. It could be just what you need if you’re refurbishing your house and making lots of heavy-duty trips to DIY shops.

Between the Superb and Fabia is the Octavia. The latest version (sold new from 2020) has 640 litres of boot space with the back seats up – just 20 litres less than the Superb. But the difference in size between the two cars becomes clear when you fold down the back seats, the Octavia having a comparatively modest 1,700-litre capacity.

The Skoda brand has been owned by the Volkswagen Group since the early 1990s. It’s based in the Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, where most of its cars are built.

Skodas share many parts with cars made by the Volkswagen Group’s other mainstream brands –Audi, Seat and Volkswagen. Engines, suspension, electrical systems and many other mechanical components are used by all four brands, but each has distinct styling and features.

The Superb Estate and the latest version of the Octavia Estate are available with plug-in hybrid power. They’re badged ‘iV’ and went on sale in 2020. Both combine a 1.4-litre petrol engine and an electric motor.

The Superb has a zero-emissions range of up to 43 miles, according to official figures, and the Octavia can go up to 44 miles. That’s enough for the average daily commute of around 25 miles. Both take a few hours to recharge from an electric car charging point.

Because the hybrid system’s batteries take up room, the plug-in hybrid Superb and Octavia estate models have slightly less boot space than their petrol or diesel equivalents. But their boots are still very big in the grand scheme of things.

The high-performance vRS version of the Skoda Octavia Estate is fast and fun, if not as thrilling as some other hot hatchbacks. It has more power than any other Octavia Estate and looks much sportier thanks to different wheels, bumpers and trim, yet it’s just as practical and still a very comfortable family car.

There’s also the Fabia Monte Carlo and Superb Sportline, both of which have sporty styling details but feel more like the regular models to drive. However, the top-of-the-range, 280bhp, four-wheel-drive Superb Sportline is even faster than the Octavia vRS.

Several Octavia and Superb models have four-wheel drive. You can spot them by the ‘4x4’ badge on their boot lid. All but one have a diesel engine, the exception being the top of the range, 280bhp, petrol Superb.

The four-wheel-drive models aren’t quite as fuel-efficient as a two-wheel-drive model. But they feel more secure on slippery roads and can tow more weight. You can even go off-roading in your Skoda estate if you get an Octavia Scout. Sold from 2014 to 2020, it has rugged SUV styling and raised suspension which makes it very capable on rough terrain. It can also tow more than 2,000kg.

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