Skoda Octavia Estate vs Toyota Corolla Touring Sports review - diesel or hybrid? | What Car? 

I love it how Toyota went long ignoring "planned obsolescence" and went for reliability. Not trying to trick it costumers. And now they are winning because they ignoring all the greedy management consultants trying to squeeze an extra penny from you through "new business models" etc. An anecdote, I recently test drove a corolla, The sales rep was a former VW sales rep, got laid off at VW and hired at Toyota during pandemic. I asked him why VW is laying off people and Toyota are hiring. He said, Toyota owners come back to buy a new Toyota. and when times are uncertain, people tend to go for Toyota as well because they are more "safe".

I have a Toyota Corolla 2.0 Hybrid Estate after an Auris and before that a Prius. I have to say the latest iteration of CVT used in this car is light years better than either of the other two. I've also owned a Skoda Octavia and I have nothing against them but my Toyotas have held their money incredibly well and have been utterly reliable. The new Corolla is very well finished inside and there are no squeaks or rattles so far. It is averaging 57MPG in my ownership very easily. I'd say this is the best car I have ever owned.

The Skoda looks beautiful but the Toyota I trust more

Hesitated between both... but chose the Toyota for its reliability!

I would choose the corolla anytime over the Skoda : new gen toyota hybrid vs a volkswagen diesel ...

Long therm - corolla, much better for cost of ownership

We have Corolla 2.0 hybrid and Polo DSG. When you get use to the Corolla's cvt, Polo's DSG feels quite awful because it has so much delay in responsiviness. All in all Corolla is nice car, not perfect, but great family car.

The Corolla will be worth more in 3 years time

There is another thing that the journalists don't mention and may be they should as it is a BIG selling point. This is the Toyota Relax Warranty which is standard and all the owner has to do is get the car serviced every 10k miles or 12 months at Toyota/ Lexus approved dealership and that way you get 10 years or 100k Miles warranty which for every private owner is incredible.

I've had two Octavias as a taxi. The first I bought new in 2008 and got 800,000kms out if it and only started having to do extra repairs after 650,000mks, and even then they were cheap fixes. The second one was two years old when I bought it in 2017 and it was trouble from the start, and at 330,000kms its done. I never had a moments piece of mind, the next expensive repair was never far away. They're not the car they used to be. Its a shame because the 2008 one really felt bulletproof.

Corolla every time. At a test drive maybe the Octavia would be more appealing, both at size and driving. But owning one, I would take the Corolla blindfolded. I own a 2008 Yaris 1.4 d4d, never had a problem with it, and it has 250.000 km. I changed the clutch at 245.000 for the first time, and in the rest just oil and filters...

The two most sensible estate cars in their category. Pity to see the religious war acrimony between diesel and hybrid fans. They are both very valid choices, depending on needs, use and driving style. As a very satisfied owner of a Corolla TS 1.8 (I had a Verso turbodiesel before), I can say that an important factor to consider (if you have not driven a hybrid before) is whether you are open to a driving behavioral change. If you are, you will embarque in a fun journey and get much better fuel economy than the tests (and a lot of relax). If you don't, then do not bother and enjoy your turbodiesel.

Bulletproof Toyota every time for me !

Toyota for me. Easy choice! Had Vw's before. Stupid mistakes.

I drive a 2020 corolla TS 1.8L for my work. After 3000km on the roads of northern sweden, the trip computer reports 4.5L per 100km. Speed limit is usually 70-100kmh and you tend to put the cruise control to +10... I actually really like the e-cvt, its quiet and smooth. Sure the engien revs a bit when you floor it, but thats a price im willing to pay for efficiency and smoothness compared to a diesel/regular automatic.

From your comments the corolla would have drawn level if the boot was bigger, the 1.8lt corolla has a much bigger boot, and does 10mpg more. You should have mentioned this fact

I would always buy the Toyota as its a great car and made in the UK so supporting the economy.

Toyota every time. don't be fooled by Skoda/vw feeling of plushness as you put it!! Been there, they break a lot

My uncle worked for the AA he told us to steer clear of VW group cars. We went for the Toyota and it's been bombproof.

You did not mention Toyotas safety features what are really impressive against Škoda. I'm huge fan of Japanese cars and thats why I'm gonna choose Corolla all day. At the moment I have 2018 Auris Touring Sports and have nothing bad to say about it. Every day driving and most of the time in the city and fuel economy is great!

Bought 2018 corolla for 26.599$ in my country back when it came out. Still the same price... Actually it rised LOL

Reports that current VW group cars are having problems with their infotaiment systems that dealers cannot solve. Also, VW/Skoda DSG auto gearboxes are jerky in stop start traffic. Standard 5 year warranty with the Corolla & now ten years if serviced each year with a Toyota main dealer & 15 years for Hybrid battery if checked each year by Toyota main dealer. Really no contest IMO the Corolla wins.

So booth space and fancier screens makes the Skoda a winner? . My 2 cents : 1) Looking in the video the way the Toyota does the corners without barely any body roll versus the woblby Skoda: Toyota seems a winner. 2) Reliabilty history Skoda(VW) vs Toyota: undisputed win for Toyota. 3) Ownership cost and maintenance (the skoda diesel particle filter lifetime.... yeah if you drive mostly in city ... expect to spend a few 1000s in a very short term as they tend to melt if not driven often at a steady high rpm. Disclaimer : I own a Toyota Corolla Hybrid hatchback, not a perfect car but so far it has been a great daily driver for me.

First diesel specific repair will change economy math upside down:) not even mentioning smoothness of synergy drive vs dsg especially in very long time traffic jam stop&go, in fact dsg repairs after heavy stop&go would hit octavia owner even harder.

Diesel Vs. Hybrid. Living in London and Sadiq Khan moving the goal post every few months! Corolla! Definately.

You say you got 58mpg in the octavia but it clearly showed the average was 40mpg on the clock?

Had both in the family over the last few months. We prefer the Octavia, it's a nice place to be and has got so much space. The Corolla is more economical if you do a lot of short journys though.

I have a ´23 Corolla TS GR Sport 196HP an I love it. Fuel Consumption is about 4.6l / 100km

Skoda looks like a GRANNY MOBILE

To be fairer maybe you should have tested the petrol engined Skoda. My petrol hatch 1.4 has very good economy and is quieter than the diesel.

There are good points to the hybrid such as cleaner exhaust emissions, you can switch between electric and petrol power and good fuel economy but then you loose the pleasure of using the manual gearbox and some might find acceleration from a diesel is better than a hybrid.

No mention of Toyotas 10 year or 100,000 mile warranty, compared to 3 years or 60,000 for the Skoda?

Had a quick look at the boot space of a 2 ltr hybrid tourer estate. Read about how the battery space can impact the overall load capacity. No battery seen, however, I did see the two extra levels available below the false floor, the tool space and the next level for spare tyre. Remove that lot and perhaps someone could estimate the extra space that becomes available. Yes the boot looks a little narrow in width compared to other family estates and older hatchbacks so any extra load capacity here for comparison purposes would be useful.

Thanks for your thoughts, I chosen Corolla, fuel efficiency, quiet

I own 2019 Corolla 2,0l Touring Sports and my friend has the Skoda Octavia 2021 and he has several problems with the infotainment system not booting properly.

Nice vid as always Dougie. 😀

Perfect timing for this video

I just traded in my 2012 Octavia having spent £2000 on suspension repairs then the injectors started acting up. My replacement is a Toyota Corolla hybrid. Far superior car in every way and so easy and relaxing to drive.

I think give hybrid a chance, okay, diesel is economical but so is hybrid and hybrid cars dont produce as much harmful emissions as with diesels. We all know that skodas reliabilty reputation is no comparison for toyotas reliability reputation.

They never put in the cost difference of a litre of diesel to petrol. Changes the mpg benefit

When the corolla engine is warmed up, and charging the battery efficiently say after 20 mins, its hard for me to get less than 64mpg in the corolla at absolute worst case. Had both, octavia will always beat hybrids at 65mph on long journeys. I drive corolla as a taxi and get 71mpg at best with mixed driving and 63 at worst over a full tank. Once you get used to slow braking and engaging the regenerative braking and bot the abs brakes, you'll get toward 70mpg around town with a few dual carriageway mixed in. Its an easier smoother and more fun drive than any skoda or DSG VW. the Octavia is more practical with space. Is bigger. And ergonomically it's better designed inside. Large pockets and duckets and cubbys. They could both learn a lot from each other. If only you could get a skoda/toyota cross... Or a lexus/VW

its the toyota i"m going for mostly town driving plus no add blue and diesel is expensive so the small difference in mpg is offset by the fuel cost when you add the cost of add blue

Corolla! A good balance of looks, space, performance and most importantly reliability.

The battery pack of the corolla is under the backseats, not under the boot floor...also the reason why headspace in the back isn’t much.

To me the Skoda can never rival the Toyota for reliability!!

When doing MPG comparisons. To be realistic, you must include the price differential in the fuel types in doing said mileage. Otherwise it is a pointless comment.

It would have been interesting to have included the Octavia 1.4 turbo petrol. Our experience of that engine and dual clutch transmission in a Golf 7 wagon is that it gives outstanding fuel efficiency.

I was torn, went with the toyota on price alone. They came out the same at 26,000 but on PCP the Toyota keeps its value so was £100 a month less than the Skoda

However one would think that a PHEV Skoda instead of Diesel one should be compared to a HEV Toyota as long as powertrain is compared. If towing is important especially on the motorway then Diesel comes first as a real world choice.

Knowing both cars I can quite agree with your remarks and results. How ever, I guess in the long run the Corolla will prove more durable and reliable.

What spec is the corolla?

Enjoyed the video indeed 👍

The toyota hybrid battery is not in the boot space as stated , the floor can be lowered another few inches, or keep it as a separate storage area, then there's a spare wheel space below that as well. There are more accurate reviews elsewhere.

Toyota for me

For now , i am still driving my second Skoda Fabia Combi (estate). But i am expending my new car in august and it will be a Toyota Corolla Touring Sports 1.8 Hybrid. I live in Belgium so i am sorry if i make mistakes during skribing.

I have a 4th gen octavia hatch on lease, and the infotainment has had many bugs and issues, first it would not connect to android auto (Oneplus 6T), And then 2 or 3 times the infotainment just crashed and stopped working

I'll go for the Corolla anytime: not a diesel, much much more reliable, lower running costs, and have you ever heard of a Toyota e-CVT problem?

I'm thinking about buying one to replace a diesel SUV. I'm getting about 48mpg out of my SUV at 60mph (on a 150 mile motorway journey). At 70, that drops too about 40-42. Can anyone share, from experience, how the Corolla would compare at 70mph on a long motorway journey?

Good luck getting that mpg out of Octavia. I have same and are getting 42mpg. Also if you go on honest John they say won’t get what they reckon. Think review is biased and not factual.

I've had both and have just ordered another new Octavia. The problem with the Corolla for me is it cannot tow anything heavier than a supermarket trolley. What let's Toyota down throughout the brand is they rust at an alarming rate.

Which one is made in Britain?

Why don't you mention the styling? 🤔

Dont know how markets work but where I live the octavia costs close to 4k more

Brilliant comparison, brilliant job you do. Thanks a lot.

So you reviewed a 2.0 petrol against a 2.0 diesel..

I am 193 and have 2 tall teenagers, and I found the roof of the corolla to low, in the back but also in the front. The space in the Octavia is just so much more for the price

Also, the Corolla is not that economical. It only does 45mpg at best on the motorway

It's just so obvious you're on the VAG payroll. At 4.50 you're not even allowed to mention the skoda in a negative sense, in a direct comparison. I remember when there were actual car reviews rather than adverts.

And what's the fuel economy in L/100km, most elementary info for European subscribers???

Corolla with 2.0 l petrol has, e-cvt. There are no belts or chains, but 2 electric motors.

You will realize if you made a good decision after 3 years...Toyota all day...

Well not sure its right to buy a disel anymore, ULEZ aint friendly to them.

in long run is beter corolla

I would go for the Corolla for better reliability, taxes, and lower depreciation .

For tall people with tall kids the choise is eassy. Would like the Toyota if it would have more backseat leggroom.

Just lol at comparing corolla to any vw product. Ain't nothing mechanical or electrical on that skoda is going to last even half as long as it will on corolla.

Would like to see comparison with a Peugeot 308 estate.

Why would you compare the Corolla touring to the octavia when the Golf estate is the closest in size???

The Toyota Estate is it 2WD or 4WD?

Toyota hands down. No way I would choose the Octavia over the Corolla. And Diesel is on the way out of auto market. At some city soon you won't be able to enter the city in diesel cars.

4:20 this is actually false, the Corollas battery is under the rear seats, and not in the trunk. Its the hatchback model that has a higher floor in the trunk because the battery is in there, the touring sports has a massive space unter the remove able floor board and the reason why they put the default position for the floor board so high is so it creates a flat surface with the folded down seats.

It's the toyota for me. No dodgy vw reliability

Would the corolla hybrid be targeted for cat theft please ?

More confused now-want the large boot, but hybrid!

Great video

Toyota is one of the best car brands ever.Skoda is good but far from toyota

Thats the Excel, not Design.

Octavia blocked DPF after few years

Being a taxi driver I think skoda octavia is best

Why didn’t you do a like for like petrol hybrid comparison,..Lots of people are moving away from diesel.The Corolla would’ve been the better choice easily

I much prefer the last generation octavia better looking also less tech really don’t like those touch screens also skoda is no longer value for money their price is getting really expensive Ford went the same we years ago no longer a cheap brand

Rank Brand Score 2020 1.Lexus 98.7% 2.Mitsubishi97.9% 3.Toyota 97.7% 4.Mini96.8% 5.Skoda96.4%

Hybrids don't do well on highway / motorway. Not terrible, but definitely not competitive against a diesel. Hybrids do best in town, city, suburbs. In country roads, against a diesel, it's a toss up. I've gone from a Megane Dci 1.5 110 Estate from 2014, to a Corolla Touring 2.0L 2023, with the Safety Sense stuff, Dynamic Force engine, Synergy Drive blah blah blah. I get better mileage in town / city by a mile, better suburban, slightly better or equal on country roads (45-50 mph) if I drive Eco, getting worse after 50-60mph. Although it's brand new (500 miles), I haven't done any serious highway (70mph) / motorway (80mph). Besides the fuel, it's much more relaxed, easy to drive especially in town, full of aids (the good kind), and the Mégane was getting tiresome (fuel injection issues, R-Link issues, and general maintenance creeping up). The economy is hard to justify. 34,000 euros spent, I didn't buy the Toyota to save money, but still trying to keep the cost of ownership down. Long term, 15 years investment. Maybe stupid these days, but Toyota hybrids have great reputation (taxis love them). Otherwise, the cars aren't that much different. Same size, practicality, general feel, which is what I wanted. For me, only two hybrid options. The Corolla Touring (1.8L, if I'm honest), and the Civic E:Hev. Or a RAV4 / HRV, but I'd still take the compacts. Hmm maybe the Jogger hybrid, but it's a bit more ghetto. Still, can be a decent option if the Renault tech doesn't scare you (the 1.6l in there is an old Nissan, port injected and timing chain, so all good, the gearbox though is a bit weird). Prius, if you're a boomer with money and no kids. If you have kids, or bigger kids, I think they'll appreciate the Civic more from the back. Both Civic / Corolla Touring are fantastic. Don't bother with the Corolla Hatchback. If you do a lot of motorway, stick with an old diesel. In fact, a cheap electric for town and an old diesel for the rest could be an option if you can charge at home.

Can't believe that you simply compare miles per gallon between a diesel and a petrol engine. Diesel, as you should know, has a higher energy density per gallon than petrol which needs to be taken into account when compering the two of them...🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

crazy how in 2023 the corolla starts at £31k

Toyota 👍👍👍

No question, corolla is better

How can a pre-historic diesel be a better idea than a super-modern hybrid? Crazy review.

The Toyota will out drive any Skoda into the ground and still be going 30 years later!

Toyota is in a whole another level in terms of reliability, quality, and value. Skoda competes with Citroen and all that other crappy brands, not with Toyota.