2008 Skoda Octavia Comparo – Petrol vs. Diesel
April 9, 2008 by Matt Brogan
2008 Skoda Octavia Comparo
Petrol vs. Diesel – Round Two
Models tested:
- 2008 Skoda Octavia Elegance 1.8 petrol turbo manual – $30,990
- 2008 Skoda Octavia Elegance 2.0 diesel turbo auto – $35,790
Options:
- Metallic Paint $630 (Fitted – Petrol & Diesel); Leather Trim $2830 (Fitted – Diesel); Bi-Xenon Headlamps $1730; Park Distance Control – Front & Rear $990 (Fitted – Diesel); Sunroof $1730 (Fitted – Diesel); Satellite Navigation $2890 (Fitted – Diesel), 17″ Pegasus Alloys $1,840 (Fitted – Diesel).
- by Matt Brogan
Last month we featured the first of our three-part petrol versus diesel comparos with the contender, a funky Skoda Roomster, seeing the diesel variant come out on top by a country mile.
So this month, in defence of the title, we have the mid-sized Skoda Octavia Elegance in the ring to attempt an equaliser on our scoreboard of one-nil. With both engines offering decent performance, marvelous drivability, and comparable fuel economy, this is going to be a close one.
I first reviewed the Octavia earlier this year in the form of the surprisingly capable Ambiente 4×4 and was very pleased with the car as a whole. It offered dependable driving characteristics, volumes of versatile space, proven power plants and an overall feeling of quality which in my mind made the vehicle a worthy entrant for the next round of our challenge.
Pictured – Octavia Elegance TDI in ‘Black Magic’
Now as cars go, the Octavia is a ripper, but we’re not here to talk about the car as such, we’re here to use it as a science experiment, a lab rat or guinea pig if you will, to determine the better engine when utilised for the purposes of a medium size family car.
So what’s a family car used for these days? Well, everything it would seem. Chauffeuring the kids, getting to work, going on holidays, carrying the shopping, hauling gardening supplies, ferrying the out in-laws, you name it, the family car cops the lot. It’s a thankless series of tasks and we quite often don’t give our family car a second thought, until that is the bowser price starts climbing.
Now sure, this is only one part of a car’s overall operating costs, and other factors like servicing and maintenance, insurance, and resale value must also be considered when buying yourself a new car. But as these are comparable on any car these days, our review will focus primarily on fuel costs and the drivability offered between engine types when tested in identical vehicles.
It’s a timely exercise with bowser prices on the up-and-up so our aim here is to see just how these two vehicles pan out, which costs less and which will be better to live with.
As a family car could no doubt attest, the majority of its life is spent in the urban environment. Sure you may take the occasional weekend jaunt in the country or a holiday at Christmas, but as a whole, most driving is done in built-up areas. So, our test reflects this trend with about seventy percent of the driving for this review carried out in the urban environment.
Plenty of stop-start traffic, lower speeds and a lot of short trips made up the majority of our driving this week with the weekend devoted to putting some highway ks on the odometre. In all, we clocked up close to 1,000kms in each vehicle with some rather surprising results, especially on behalf of the petrol powered or TFSI (Turbocharged Fuel Stratified Injection) model.
But let’s start in the order with which the cars were driven, and introduce the Octavia Elegance’s fabulous 2.0 litre TDI (Turbocharged Direct Injection) diesel engine. With 103kW and an impressive 320Nm available it’s an athletic performer, quiet and strong with enough pep to shame larger capacity petrol rivals. Torquey, linear acceleration comes freely after the inital lag which although minimal, is nonetheless noticeable and can be slightly obtrusive in peak hour traffic.
The DSG automatic does a fine job of keeping things on the boil once you’re up and moving, and is always in the right place at the right time. No hunting, minimal thinking, and short direct shifts make for smooth flowing power that works seamlessly to the input from your right foot.
Over the longer country stretches the diesel is a brilliant performer, it overtakes effortlessly and eats up mile after mile without so much as a hint of losing steam, but that initial turbo lag may become distracting to many drivers meaning this car is truly at its best cruising on the highway where lag issues are of little relevance.
The combined fuel consumption average for the week returned a decent 6.6 litres / 100km all up, slightly over the ADR test results of 6.0l and it’s worth noting that even under rigorous stop-start conditions, the TDI still managed to return a maximum of high 8s. Impressive.
Intriguingly though, our petrol contender had a few tricks up its sleeve and although typically speaking a petrol engine will out-drink a diesel almost two to one, the TFSI was not about to lie down for a kicking and put up a really good fight on behalf of its petrol brethren.
In this instance, the petrol model was turbo-charged which gave us a much more flexible drive from a smaller capacity engine. Lay off the throttle and you’ve got all the economy benefits of a smaller capacity four cylinder, but stick the boot in and that punchy turbo springs to life, with surprising and effortless performance.
This 1.8 litre example provides an ample 118kW with a hearty 250Nm of torque. These figures, whilst far from mind blowing, do a willing job of motivating the Octavia with negligible lag and much in the way of long legs and free spinning revs.
Day after day the TSI (petrol) model grew on me, which after the TDI (diesel) took some doing. The overall drivability afforded from such a small engine is staggeringly impressive and perhaps even more interestingly came at no real cost to the vehicle’s overall economy.
The six-speed manual is a delight to use with short clean changes, close ratios and a brilliantly weighted clutch which even in very heavy traffic posed no real issues in terms of leaving you with a sore thigh. The drive is very responsive, especially from a standing start and in fact without the standard ESP and TCS turned on, Octavia petrol will break traction quite easily.
But performance aside, the most impressive part of the petrol model’s drive has to be the fuel economy. The Octavia is a safe car, and therefore rather heavy but even with the added structure on board still managed to return a very respectable 8.4 litres / 100km combined average, reaching in to the mid 9s in heavy around town traffic.
Although this is a little over the ADR claims it is still a decent result given the level of usable power the engine provides for the rigors of big city traffic. Even with the boot packed full of camping gear and three people on board the petrol preformed very well and cruised comfortably at highway speeds.
So, who’s the victor? Well with the exception of the noticeable turbo lag, the diesel is brilliant, and if it weren’t for the vehicle’s usage being more city orientated, the fuel economy figures alone would have won the TDI the crown. But as it stands I’m awarding this round to the petrol.
Although close in most respects I’ve gone with the petrol model for being cheaper to purchase, more user-friendly around town, and for offering a punchy and drivable package that’s easier to live with on a daily basis.
Drive the pair and I’m sure you’ll agree that although the diesel will gain you some fuel economy benefits, the ability to live with the petrol – and enjoy that turbo charged oomph – will see it come out a winner. One all!
Scoreboard – Diesel 1 : Petrol 1
Next month’s comparo will feature the Hyundai i30.
Print it: 
*****PRIMO!*****
I PREFER…..
KEEP GOING…..
MORE…….
…..ANOTHER BRAND! :-)
Cheers
F-0
Hyundai i30 for you next month FO… and maybe an iSeries van or two!
Matt,
what ever you do though dont give him a review with a commodore fitted with a bench seat as i feel it would be too much for him
Matt -
The i30 is interesting, the resale is not as good as a Corolla, and have no interest in a diesel [+20cpl today! ouch]so would rather a Corolla.
Waiting for the update and if *she* is a good girl will trade *down* for her!
As for the iload, pass, got a Falcon Ute last week, great like it, and LOVE LPG.
As you guys are near first for all the news and still on the van theme, u forgot to mention that both FIAT with the Scudo and Citroen with the Despatch are weeks away on releasing its new vans, great vans at good prices.
Cheers
F-0
I’ve actually received some info on Dispatch today (will post soon), but nothing on FIAT as yet. I’m also driving a Renault van at the moment. Will see what we can dig up for you soon!
Andrew M – love your work mate, that brought a grin to my face :)
Matt, Nice review….a little unfair to give the petrol a manual gear box advantage, but good review none the less!!
Maybe for FO a petrol V LPG test some time????LOL
Thanks Carl. We’ll see what we can do with the FG Falcon.
SKODA are you kidding me!! you would have to be crazy to buy one of these in australia!! if the resale didnt kill you, the parts/servicing costs/availability would..And
on top of it i dont care how well it drives, it is an ugly car! and the scandanavian build quality would be a big worry for me at least, i prefer japanese build quality or some german stuff..
Scandanavian – Chris are you awake yet? They’re built in the Czech Republic. As for parts, servicing, etc – it’s all VW mate!
well Matt czech republic aint any better, and besides not
all parts are interchangable, besides the way the car is put together would certainly not be VW quality and its a lot uglier than any vw..
Actually Chris, you are wrong on all counts – again!
The word is – that Skoda cars are actually better put together than VW, and that’s a massive call, given the current build quality of the Volkswagen range.
The Czech employees are totally committed to building one of the best cars in Europe and they are not about to drop the ball.
Give me a Skoda RS wagon any day of the week. Apart from ticking ALL the boxes, this car defines “rattle free”
I can second that Chris, I’ve driven six Skodas now and they’ve all been very well put together – not sure where you’re coming from on this mate. Have you had a bad experience with one?
Wow, do you know something the rest of Europe doesn’t Chris? Skoda have been held in quite a high regard since they were aquired by VW coming in at first place in multiple satisfaction surveys. Regarding build quality, Czech Republic has certainly come a long way from the communist regime. Nowdays their facilities are top notch and hey, do you think the Czech people would want to loose their jobs to South Africa (or those pesky Scandinavians that seem to worry you) if they didn’t perform?
As for the resale, yeah that is a bit up in the air but with VW being the parent company, it’ll probably hover around the equivalent Jetta. At worst case, say 10% differnce, if you paid 38g to begin with than you’re out 3.8g after 3 years or so, hardly a worry if you’re purchasing a new car in the first place. This shortfall would probably also be minimised by the fact that you’ll pay more at a VW dealer due to the higher sticker price and their reluctance to discount much.
Oh yes and I have purchased one too. RS model last Novemeber, its been a beautiful car that generates a lot of interest whenever its parked. Came from a VZ SV6/Accord Euro and have not looked back.
Thats all well and good, but its still UGLY! and they are not selling well in oz, also who is going to look for a used skoda, NO ONE.. thats why resale will be terrible
car yards run and hide when they see cars like this role in trade in time,ie (saab,alfa romeo,volvo,land rover) because they know the industry pats very little for them and the customer is going to pe pissed off, whereas the jap cars ie(toyota, mazda,subaru, honda) are easy to sell and get decent trade prices as they are well known for reliability and have a good reputation locally and are a proven product in australian conditions..
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder really though isn’t it, the Skoda has a a fairly reserved styling. When looking at a Toyota or Subaru which you mention I don’t get any special feeling so I guess its up to the individual in the end. I hardly think any car yard runs and hides when its trade in time (if they want to stay in business that is, I beleive you used the wrong expression), it’s their chance to sell you a new vehicle and will do whatever they can to do so. As for who will want a used Skoda, you’re probably right, hardly anyone would want to get their hands on a 3yr old 2.0T FSI.
I don’t mind the Octavia, it’s styling may be a little dated but from all accounts (Top Gear anyone) it’s a brilliant car. I like the RS version most.
Chris, I actually feel sorry for you mate. You’re ignorance will have you avoid one of the best cars we have driven this year, and your comments Re ugly, suggest a one man minority.
I’ve driven the 2.0 octivia, i was good and well built I love it. Still decide between Jetta 2.0TDi and Octivia 2.0TDi. the only thing i can see jetta better is only the way it look. Anyone give me some suggest..
TDi – go the Octavia, the hatch and subsequent boot space are MASSIVE, it’s cheaper, and you can option it up for the same price as a std Jetta. Go check one out, you’ll be impressed.
It has a korean ugly look, mostly at the rear end much better cars out there…………
can’t explain it but GOD I LOVE THESE CARS I WANT TO DO UNGODLY THINGS TO THEM. It’s just such a good and classy package to me and if I was in the market for a new car I could not ignore this.
yeah not a bad alternative to other euro-brands. love the interiors. AWD Turbo would be SA-WEET
Chris Parr is probably right about resale, but not everyone turns over their cars every 2 – 3 years. I have a Hyundai and plan to hang on to it for all 8 years under warranty (extra 3yrs provided by Keema)and then some.
If Skoda wants to gain market share, they need to follow Hyundai’s lead in this area. A long warranty is a very attractive offer and shows a company’s confidence in its product.
Current low resale for Skoda also means some great bargins in the second hand market for very reliable, fuel efficient cars. Time and warranty support is the answer to this.
The diesel costs 15.4% more and goes 27.2% on a litre and has a resale value of say 10-15% more than a petrol. I’d drive the diesel without doubt if it were purely down to the finances.
What are the servicing intervals for the petrol as well? the diesel should go 32K’s on the variable services schedule!
Its a quesion the manufacturer can never answer but why are diesel cars more money to buy? I’m told its the complex fuel delivery systems are not produced in the same quantities as petrol and therefore cost more to produce (simple statistics), however with diesel penetration at 48% in Euroland this does not stack up anymore. especially when the 1.8FSI petrol has a complicated injrction system.
Methinks were getting ripped off again along with the diesel fuel price differential.
no name, i’m not sure i follow your calcs but im very interested.
i come up with a fuel saving of barely $240 per annum over 20,000 km (diesel 6.6*1.6*200=2112 vs. petrol 8.4*1.4*200=2352) or less if using the advertised 7.7l/100km
i conclude you’d have to own the car a long time before making up for the higher diesel purchasing price. resale value im not sure but that’s uncertain per definition. so what do you base your diesel preference on – judged purely on finances as you say?
Chris sounds like he has never driven a Skoda.I have owned an Octavia AWD 2.l diesel wagon for 4 months and it is a joy to drive ,punchy,great grip huge storage space and superbly built,,better than Golf I had previous.AND constantly get comments on what a handsome vehicle it is.As for resale an awd diesel wagon manual is a perfect compromise for Australian conditions without being an oversized gas guzzler 4wd,that hopefully are dying a quick death.
All NOT good,
DIEsel has cracked 0.30cpl MORE than ULP, they do it because they can get away with it.
DIEsel will break through $2/L by XMAS.
I expect the gap between DIEsel and ULP to get even larger [LOL more than Premium PULP!]
DIEsel MUST go up on 01/01/2009 because the sulfer level is deing reduced to EURO ?? level, simple math needs more refining and it will have to passed on.
One day soon the hoodwinked blinker-wearing blind buyers of DIEsel will twig and we shall see a flood of cheap DIEsel powered vehicles that nobody will want to buy.
THE SIMPLE ANWSER IS THE AUSSIE-MADE-FUEL L*P*G
Cheers
F-0
Would love to know which midsized family sedan Chris consider’s to be not ugly?? Bet it is one of those generic Japanese things. Resale value should be stronger than expected based on the strong VW mechanical package and top build quality…durability should lead well looked after examples to sell well on the used car lot! Turbo diesel may struggle when compared to a decent turbo petrol, however there aren’t many non turbo powerplants that can perform near a turbo diesel in terms of performance/economy… This small petrol turbo would be great to own! The only question mark for a turbo petrol engine is durability…ie will a 1.8 turbo be as durable as a 2.0 turbo diesel. Engine stress and turbo failure are the two areas that spring to mind… LPG…yeah right, and where do you put the GAS TANK??? not something i’d want inside me car…sort of spoils it, I think.
Being a car nut since I was a kid (in my 30’s now) with a keen interest and working with cars, and recently, diesels, I only have one thing to say about both Skoda and Hyundai – MIGHTY IMPRESSIVE.
I tested every available diesel small/medium car on the market, before settling on a Mazda 3 diesel, mainly because I got a good deal, but the two cars I was terribly impressed with were the i30 diesel and Octavia (only drove the diesel).
Build quality and especially **attention to detail** in the interior and boot for both cars were stunning, areas that I feel established car makers (including VW) seem to be taking people for granted a little, presumably because they sell on their brand’s reputation. The Octavia’s stereo system sound quality for example – heads above the “equivalent” VW system (my mate who owns a GT Golf, confirms this) – that’s simply attention to detail by using better quality tweeters in the top speaker (which were angled towards the driver, as opposed to VW’s lazy flat ones), its boot opening up into a hatch was another sublime design masterpiece, two little things that indicate they pay good attention to detail. And the panel gaps, inside and out – faultless, almost Honda like. Its dash and instruments was what I would describe as “a Golf/Jetta made right”, and I’m not being harsh on VW here. The Skoda was quality European when you were inside it, and wouldn’t you know it.
The i30 was a similar story – its boot with a full sized tyre and well detailed compartment storage and nets was another example of “we’ve thought about this”. And the i30 diesel’s engine was remarkably quiet, especially when standing outside listening to it idle. Quality of panel gaps inside and out, and interior materials, was in my opinion, appreciably better than many in its class, with the exception of Peugeot. And owner reliability surveys in USA don’t lie – Hyundais are reliable – the NRMA has confirmed this.
It makes sense that Skoda and Hyundai would be at this stage – they need to be, to continue establishing themselves.
I eventually gave the i30 a miss, because with worldwide demand keeping prices ridiculously high (the best I could get $31.5k drive away for the top of line diesel with safety gear) and the stupid stubborn decision of Hyundai Aust to keep factory cruise control off the diesel (NZ models get them!). I gave the Octavia a miss because it was a bigger model than I wanted, and the diesel engine’s turbo lag and noise drove me nuts – not surprising, because VW’s current diesels without new age turbos (variable geometry, like Hyundai’s, Peugeot’s, Mazda’s) and some even without common-rail injection, simply can’t keep up. I was also realistic about Skoda’s resale value, not because it was going to be a bad car, but simply because people won’t be looking for used one in 3 years, simply out of ignorance. If owner reliability results are anything to go by (eg. JD in the UK), the Skoda will be miles ahead of VW at least. So it’s no fault of Skoda for this – they just need a few more years to establish a reputation.
When my novated lease is up on the Mazda 3 in 3 years time, the first two dealerships I’ll be visting will be Skoda and Hyundai, then using that as a benchmark for further test drives of other marques – yes I’m that impressed …..
Chris….what the?? The octavia has the EXACT same VW engine, with all the EXACT same specs. Same size, same torque, same power, therefore, same parts. VW engine parts are now readily available, and most interior parts are order-in expensive bits anyway. Anyone for a subaru sun-visor? $100+ EACH thanks!!
On a slightly different note, now that we get good quality Skodas in OZ, is it cool to be driving one? Because it will be rare(er than most) and of excellent euro build quality, even Jetta is made in Mexico or somethin’ now! Street cred, definately! The fact that you own a Skoda would show you’re not a badge snob, and know a good quality car, and don’t care what others think about something they dont know about!! Sounds good to me, i’m getting one!! RS or 2.0TDI?
octavia or jetta? plz help,,
I’ve owned the 2.0 TDI with 6 speed manual for 6 months now. This was after having to wait half a year for it to be delivered. But it was every bit worth the panistaking wait. Have done just over 8000km now. I agree with the above posts regarding attention to detail. Absolutely nothing rattles, the sound system is excellent and the car is very practical. If you curled them up right, I think you could fit 4 bodies into the boot without even having to fold the back seats forward if you’re into carting dead people around (don’t worry, I’m not either). Plenty of legroom at the back. Compared to the Jetta (same chassis) you get more car for your money.
I love driving it. Plenty of grunt, however I totally agree with the turbo lag issue in heavy traffic. This is the only disadvantage of the TDI I have encountered so far. It has made me wish I considered the 1.8 TFSI but as I mainly do longer distance country driving, the fuel economy is a very, very good consolation. Now that the engine has seen some run-in miles, I’m getting down to 5.2 l/100km on the highway.
So as for my two bob worth on this debate, I semi-agree with the author. If you’re on the fence between the 2 TDI and 1.8 TFSI, it comes down to the type of driving you’re intending to do. If the majority involves stop-start peak hour city driving, dropping the kids off to school etc, go the petrol. It’s more user friendly in the traffic. If you’ve got long commutes into/out of cities or travel on highways relatively frequently you’ll be thrilled with the oiler.
Stastnou cestu! (Czech for “bon voyage”)
“Don’t know about art but I know what I like”…
The Octavia 1.8 petrol turbo has the audi A3 powerplant and VW jetta platform, and a massive boot. What’s not to like?
The Skoda brand is a successful European product. I remember Mazda had no cache before the 3s & 6s. People will eventually recognize the Skoda for what it is, not for what it was.
This should point to a good resale Chris. And I’ve just ordered a 1.8 turbo petrol wagon for $29K. :)
Ranger better, shame that’s an Indian company now, owned by Tatra – I won’t be buying one of them…anyway back to Skoda, I drove the Octavia RS 2.0 TDI and it handles and great and feels great on the road and is great value. I need a further drive to check out low speed ride compliance and compfort factor although I didn’t notice a problem unlike one of the motoring writers from Top Gear…Also limited options re seat fabric, exterior colours etc in RS models, I assume this will addressed at some stage. I will be changing over from a 1994 E34 Orient Blue BMW 520i with yellow Koni Sport shockers and Michelin 225 rubber, alloys, full leather interior, ABS, Airbag, 5 stack Alpine CD player, and one the best (probably the best) conventional size sunroof available. The BMW has been an unbelievable car in practically every way. It has great performance from it’s 125kw double vanos 2.0 straight six and at the same time returns economy that is amazing…it will drop down to around 8.o per 100ks on the country trips …and around 10.5l per 100kms around town where it usually gets 600kms per tank! No real reason to change although owning bikes, surfboards and a beach house down in Apollo Bay I thought a wagon might be the way to go. I can’t think of a better package at the price than the Skoda RS 2.0 petrol or TDI. Yes looks are personal and luckily as there are plenty of ugly cars out there, and very very few good looking ones. In my mind the Skoda Octavia RS wagon is DEFINITELY good looking! I cannot believe in Australia that there is so much interest in cars like the Holden Sportwagon that returns 13.8 per 100 kms! i find this amazing in this day and age with Global warming etc…LIKE WAKE UP MORON! And don’t forget the old addage about Japanese cars, apart from the fact that I have never seen one that doesn’t look INCREDIBLY TACKY & GLITZY…drum role please….JAPANESE CARS ARE BUILT TO A PRICE and their COMPANY PHILOSOPHY IS TO MAXIMISE PROFIT!! UNLIKE EUROPEAN AND PARTICULARLY GERMAN CARS THAT ARE BUILT TO A STANDARD!!! END OF STORY!!!
Mark your getting the indian TATA confused with the Czech Tatra company!
skoda FSI is an imazing car and engine and skoda would be proud 4ever 4 producing zis car