As I may have mentioned on a few occasions, I am a committed fan of the station wagon form when it comes to my choice of personal transport. I have no interest in the SUV form, despite the fact that modern SUVs are mostly taller wagons, because wagons should be low.
Low, long and sleek, they don’t even have to be sexy, as boxy is just as good (possibly even better; see as evidence, the Volvo 850 Estate, particularly the spectacularly silly and awesome BTCC racing car), but sexy is nice, as is sporty and fast.
The Skoda Octavia RS is a sexy, sporty wagon so, by every fibre of my being, should be unarguably one of my favourite cars in existence. And it is. Well, mostly.
The Octavia RS tops the Octavia range in New Zealand, retaining its traditional layout of a 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels, which always gave off strong “VW Golf GTI, but cooler because it is a wagon” vibes.
Which it still very much does, but now that comes with an excellent interior packed with the latest technology. The insides of the Octavia are everything you expect from a VW Group car, but with an added layer of Skoda’s “Simply Clever” ethos that blends sensible ergonomics with surprise and delight features like the umbrella in the front doors and the clever boot partition system.
In terms of looks, the RS still most certainly has the goods, with a subtle aggression added to the Octavia’s looks by the use of gloss black external trim and some big 19-inch alloy wheels, which do have some slightly naff plastic aero inserts, but I am sure you could prise those out. Hopefully, because they are quite naff.
The RS starts at $71,500 and goes up to $78,000 for the RS+ model that adds things like leather/suede massage seats and a Canton audio system, representing a sizeable price bump on the $60,500 ask for the standard Octavia TSI 110kW.
But it is worth it, because the RS gets the rather fantastic 195kW/370Nm 2.0-litre petrol turbo four-cylinder engine from the aforementioned VW Golf GTI.
It’s just that every time I saw a police car in my mirrors I couldn’t help but think that the Superb might’ve been the smarter option. Well, that and “exactly how fast was I going?”
This engine endows the RS with the same energetic and exuberant qualities as the Golf, but reigning in all the outside rear wheel-lifting antics with its longer wheelbase and more grown-up suspension settings. This is a wagon after all sir, there’s no need for such hot hatch silliness.
But that doesn’t stop the Octavia RS from going hard through corners, with superbly accurate (and weighted) steering and a sublimely composed chassis taking everything you can throw at it with an arrogant ease. No, it won’t waggle its tail around like a Golf GTI, rather it will punch out just as hard, but a bit earlier.
The superb engine is hooked up to a slick and quick seven-speed dual clutch transmission and will punch the RS to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds. A bit quicker would have been nice, but probably not really necessary, as the RS remains lively and, most importantly, fun pretty much everywhere in its rev range.
Despite being hugely fun, ridiculously involving and brutally competent, the RS’s ride quality is surprisingly supple. Comfortable, even. In fact, while firmer, the RS ride quality wasn’t noticeably worse than the Superb wagon I tested a while back.
And that is where that “mostly” part comes in. You see, the Superb packs the same 195kW engine as the Octavia RS, just with more torque (400kW) and added AWD. No, it’s not quite as dynamically sharp, but it is quicker (0-100 in 5.7 seconds), even more comfortable, effortlessly assured on the road and costs about the same.
No, it won’t waggle its tail around like a Golf GTI, rather it will punch out just as hard, but a bit earlier.
The standard Superb is $77,300, which is slightly less than the fully-loaded Octavia RS+, making the Octavia’s value a bit less compelling. Luckily, I would argue that the $71,500 standard RS is actually the better choice, which buys it a bit of breathing room, but it's still a close-run thing.
The fact that both look rather similar (although the RS does differentiate itself with the gloss black exterior trim) and both boast excellent build quality in the interior doesn’t help. Neither does the fact that the Superb is technically a newer car and packs the latest-gen of tech, like Skoda’s clever multifunction smart dials.
Bigger, faster, more comfortable and with the surety of AWD or a bit smaller, a bit sharper and with the all-important RS badge?
It makes me feel old that I am even considering the choice, because the Octavia RS wagon has long been one of my absolute favourite cars - and in most ways still is - but a faster Superb with more torque and AWD is a compelling package.
If Skoda had given the Octavia RS a bit more power than the bog standard Superb it would likely sit better with me, or maybe even if I had driven them both further apart I would have fallen madly in love with the RS again, but as it stands the choice is way more difficult than it should be.
The Octavia RS is a delightfully adept and agile wagon that never feels overly large or out of its depth in any way on the road.
Of course, if you are a dedicated RS fan, then it won’t be a choice at all, because the idea of an Octavia RS that packs all the luxury and composure of a Superb with the fun and dynamics of a Golf GTI is an absolute no-brainer.
And I would make the same choice. It’s just that every time I saw a police car in my mirrors I couldn’t help but think that the Superb might’ve been the smarter option. Well, that and “exactly how fast was I going?”
How much is the Skoda Octavia RS?
The RS tops the Octavia range, so lands in New Zealand at $71,500 in basic form, rising to $78,000 for the RS+ that adds suede and leather sports seats with a massage function, and a high-end Canton audio system.
What are the key statistics for the Skoda Octavia RS?
The Octavia RS is powered by the same 195kW/370Nm 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine as the Volkswagen Golf GTI, punching its power through a seven-speed dual clutch transmission to the front wheels.
Is the Skoda Octavia RS efficient?
As with all performance-oriented cars, it depends drastically on how you drive it. Skoda claims a combined average fuel consumption figure of 7.2l/100km for the RS wagon, which is relatively achievable in daily running. We averaged around 9.0l/100km during our week with it, but this did include a heavier bias towards urban running with a few "spirited" back road thrashes thrown in for good measure.
Is the Skoda Octavia RS good to drive?
Absolutely. The Octavia RS is a delightfully adept and agile wagon that never feels overly large or out of its depth in any way on the road. Around town it is responsive, comfortable and refined, while on the open road it is equally comfortable and impressively quiet. Oh, and it is also an absolute blast on a winding road.
Is the Skoda Octavia RS practical?
It's a wagon, so... yes, of course it is. The RS wagon offers up 640 litres of cargo capacity in the boot with the rear seats in place and 1700 litres with them folded down. then there are all the "simply clever" storage spaces around the cabin and the utterly brilliant "cargo elements" that attach to the boot carpet to hold pretty much anything in place, regardless of its shape.
What do we like about the Skoda Octavia RS?
It's a wagon. But more to the point, it's a wagon that is quick, comfortable and fantastically agile and responsive. What more would you ever want?
What don’t we like about the Skoda Octavia RS?
It's actually slower than a Superb wagon and costs almost as much. Which could just mean that Superb is too powerful and too cheap, depending on how you look at it.
What kind of person would the Skoda Octavia RS suit?
Someone who has always bought the Octavia RS, because you're not going to change now. And neither should you. Or a Volkswagen Golf GTI owner who needs more boot space.
