Used Skoda Octavia cars for sale or finance at 10.9% APR

There’s no doubt that the Skoda Octavia has become a constant in British motoring. It’s been knocking around since 1996, while the latest-generation Octavia launched in 2020. For a while, you’ll find both the latest and last-generation car for sale at Motorpoint. Both come as a hatchback or as even roomier estate, if you want to win the space race.

Because it has a bigger boot than most hatchbacks, the Octavia is around 30cm longer than the Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra. The latest model is nearly 4.7 metres long. Luckily, it doesn’t feel like you’re parking a stretched limousine, and rear parking sensors come as standard. The upshots are palatial rear-seat space and that vast boot that we mentioned – it’ll swallow a huge amount of family clutter, or a whole pack of shaggy labradors. In the estate, the class-leading 640-litre boot is slightly larger than the hatch, and it’ll come in handy if you regularly load to the roof or for those doggos.

Later examples of the last-generation model (produced up to 2020) are offered with petrol and diesel engines. The petrol models are badged TSI and stretch from a 1.0-litre through 1.5 to 2.0 litres. Diesels are offered as a 1.6-litre TDI, plus a 2.0 TDI. The line-up is largely similar for the latest Octavia introduced in 2020, save for the introduction of the 1.4 TSI plug-in hybrid, which can run on electricity alone for extended periods.

Depending on engine specification, both manual and dual-clutch automatic gearboxes are offered, and while most Octavias are front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive is available on models with extra performance.

More powerful versions of the Octavia should be able to tow a small-to-medium size caravan. Skoda offers a towing package, which beefs up the alternator and cooling system to account for the extra load.

For previous-generation Octavias built until mid-2020, all versions can tow a braked trailer weighing up to 1,500kg. Every diesel-powered Octavia from this generation can tow a braked trailer up to 1,800kg, and four-wheel drive diesel versions can tow a two-tonne braked trailer.

Current Octavias built from late-2020 onwards have shaved down these figures a little. Entry-level 1.0-litre TSI petrol cars can tow 1,300kg, while the more powerful 1.5-litre TSI can manage 1,500kg. Both the 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engine options can muster 1,600kg, while the four-wheel drive 200hp diesel-powered vRS model has a 2,000kg rating.

While the Octavia hasn't reached the top positions of any reliability surveys, it's always scored fairly highly for dependability.

All its engines and several other parts are shared with lots of models from the wider VW-Group, so availability shouldn't be a challenge if you need something replaced.

For ultimate peace of mind, add an extended warranty onto your Octavia when you purchase it, which will cover you in the event you're hit with an unexpected repair bill.

In a word – big.

The Octavia hatchback is priced to compete with family hatches like the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, but has an ace card in the form of its saloon-like body shape. That means you get a truly enormous 600-litre boot – more than 200 litres larger than most of its key rivals – while keeping the handy hatchback boot opening for easy cargo access.

You can also select the Octavia Estate with its even larger 640-litre boot. That figure isn't that much bigger than the hatchback's on paper, but the extra height makes it easier to transport taller objects in the estate. Folding the rear seats in the estate makes the overall space even more useful and sees its 1,700-litre capacity outclass the hatchback's still-impressive 1,555 litres.

The specific tax rate you pay for your Octavia will depend on the year it was registered, as those are the tax regulations that will apply for that specific car throughout its life. Most versions will cost between £150 and £300 per year to tax, with range-topping models costing even more.

For buyers shopping nearly new cars, the majority of Octavia models sit in tax band G, with previous-generation 1.6-litre diesel versions sneaking into band F, and potent vRS models showing up in bands H and I.