Skoda Octavia vs Subaru WRX

What's the difference?

Is the Octavia SportLine your kind of automotive quiet achiever? It’s well-equipped and keenly priced with sleek yet understated looks, top-notch safety and a compelling ownership package.

It’s also fuel-efficient for its size and a refined, enjoyable drive. Before you go down that well-trodden mid-size SUV path I’d suggest adding this Skoda - Liftback or Wagon - to your new car short-list. 

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The new-generation Subaru WRX is a more accomplished, complete and mature car than ever before. If all of that sounds good to you, you’re going to love it - but I’m also totally going to understand if that would put you off, because it isn’t necessarily the same sort of car we’ve come to expect it should be.

But as the latest example of the breed, the WRX - especially as a sedan - is an engaging, fun car to drive. I just think the wagon would ultimately prove a lot easier to live with.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The Skoda Octavia is a crisp, contemporary design combining firm character lines and carefully sculpted larger surfaces with a hint of the brand’s VW Group ownership peeking through here and there. 

And it’s efficient aerodynamically with a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.259 for the Liftback and 0.287 for the Wagon.

The broad black grille is uniquely Skoda although the rear treatment is closer to generic premium Euro. Swap out the Skoda badging for four rings or a blue, black and white roundel and no one would bat an eyelid.

But the SportLine stands apart thanks to a gloss-black finish on the grille, mirror covers, rear spoiler on the Liftback and roof rails on the Wagon.

On top of that a rear diffuser and front spoiler have been added, the window surrounds are matt black and dual exhaust tips finish off the rear end.

The interior is dominated by a handsome multi-layer dash design with a 10-inch multimedia touchscreen in the centre and a 10.25-inch ‘Virtual Cockpit’ instrument display facing the driver.

The grippy ‘leather-appointed’, flat-bottom steering wheel has shift paddles lurking behind the rim, there are sporty alloy covers on the pedals and the roof lining is black.

The cloth ‘Sports Comfort’ seats look and feel great, the materials used are high quality and the Octavia shares its umbrella-in-the-door trick with Rolls-Royce, although it must be said, the latter provides two.

You are going to make up your own mind about the look of the Rex. Let me just say this - don’t judge it by the pictures. It looks a lot more, er, agreeable in person. 

I’ll admit it - I was a bit uncertain about whether I would like it. I saw the pictures online and thought it looked a bit awkward. Those squinty headlights, the hexagonal wheel arches, the tapered rear quarter panels and small tail-lights… All of that makes it a bit hard to pick a “good” angle of the car. 

But in person it is a more cohesive piece of automotive design than it might appear at first glance. And look, the choice by Subaru to fit the WRX with the more aggressive looking lower body kit/rugged plastic finishes to the sedan, rather than the wagon, might seem weird to you.

But the brand insists the decision was made because the WRX sedan is more aimed at those who want the more angry look, while the wagon is more aimed at parents and family buyers.

Now, look, I’m a parent, and a potential buyer of a WRX wagon, and I’m frustrated Subaru doesn’t have a wagon with that lower body effect package. It looks narrower and less purposeful on the road as a result, and there’s even more reason for that - the wagon is narrower in the body, with skinnier front and rear guards.

You might be fine with the look of the wagon, compared to the sedan. But I think it would have benefited from less of the Levorg look, and more of the real Rexxy raucousness the sedan gets.

Now, Subaru has said it might consider customer feedback if there’s enough customer demand for a more macho wagon. And hey, the brand has a history of listening to customers and making the cars more appealing as the generation evolves - think about the third-gen WRX which launched with a narrow body but soon fattened up to look meaner…

Other notes on the design: the WRX wagon has different wheels, which are fitted with narrower, less aggressive tyres - it runs Yokohama Blue Earth GT tyres in 225/45/18 size, while the sedan, in keeping with its more intentful bent, runs far superior Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 245/40/18 tread. As a result, the wagon has a narrower front track (1550mm vs 1560mm) and rear track (1545mm vs 1570mm).

I’d love to see a more hardcore looking WRX wagon. Tell me if you agree or disagree in the comments below.

For context, here are the dimensions of the new WRX in sedan and wagon body styles:

At a fraction under 4.7m long, just over 1.8m wide and close to 1.5m tall, with a close to 2.7m wheelbase the Octavia SportLine Liftback and Wagon are at the upper end of the mid-size category.

At 183cm I’ve got plenty of breathing room in the front, the low-level dash helping to deliver a spacious feel.

For storage, there’s a generous area under an extendable, height-adjustable armrest between the seats, twin cupholders in the centre console, bins in the doors with enough room for large bottles and a decent cooled glove box. There’s also Skoda’s signature lined rubbish bin in the driver’s door.

In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat, set to my position, I’ve got plenty of room for my feet, legs and head as well as enough shoulder room for three full-size adults on cozy, medium length journeys.

Adjustable ventilation is welcome and storage options include map pockets on the front seat backs, big door bins, oddments storage under the air outlets and a pair of cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest.

Connectivity and power runs to two USB-C outlets, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad up front with a second 12V in the boot. No USBs or 12-volt for back-seaters, which is a miss.

Speaking of the boot, with all seats up the Liftback offers a competitive 600 litres of storage space, expanding to 1555L with the 40/20/40 split rear seat folded. Those numbers grow to 640 and 1700L in the wagon. Plus, there’s a rear seat ‘ski-port’ style door in both.

A space-saver spare sits under the floor, the tailgate is power-operated and for those keen on towing the Octavia is rated up to a 1.5-tonne braked trailer with trailer stability control standard.

Obviously with a proper station wagon as part of the range now, it’s a much more practical WRX than we’ve ever seen before. But that doesn’t mean the sedan is impractical - rather, both are really quite well packaged and thought out for the most part.

Let’s start at the back, with the boot space. Cargo volume for the wagon is 492 litres with seats up and 902L with the back seats folded down (and 1430L to the ceiling). The cargo capacity of the sedan is 411L (RS and tS) to 414L (base model).

Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see how they fare with the CarsGuide luggage and / or a pram soon, but the boot openings for both versions are big and the load lips easy enough to contend with. All models have a space-saver spare wheel, too.

Back seat space is good for anyone who isn’t much taller than me. I’m 182cm (6’0”) and found my head was almost brushing the ceiling in the sedan, but I had a bit more head room in the wagon. Leg room with the driver’s seat set for me was good, and the toe room was only just adequate (I’ve got pretty big feet). 

Storage in the back is okay, with map pockets, bottle holders in the doors, and a flip-down armrest with cup holders. 

Parents will appreciate the ISOFIX child seat anchor points in the outboard seats, three top-tether hooks, and adjustable air-vents in all grades - so long as you buy an automatic model (manual versions miss out on rear directional air vents). The top two variants also have heated outboard seats and rear USB ports to keep occupants of all ages happy.

Up front the space is good, with a roomy feeling cabin courtesy of big windows and thin windscreen pillars.

The dashboard is dominated by that large 11.6-inch touchscreen, and it looks typically bold and colourful from Subaru. It’s mostly a really usable screen, with some hard buttons for the dual-zone temperature settings, demister, and volume and tuning knobs as well. The button that’s missing that I found myself cursing was air-con recirculation - it’s instead two touchscreen presses away.

There’s the requisite smartphone mirroring tech with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the top models have sat nav. The top two specs also have a CD player hidden in the centre console bin, which is odd - but maybe the customer who appreciates built-in nav also likes CDs still… what was I saying about this car appealing to an older demographic…?

Storage is okay up front, with bottle holders in the doors, cup holders between the seats, that centre console bin, and a good glovebox. But a lack of wireless smartphone charging is a disappointment, and the section in front of the gear selector is too small for most smartphones.

The new Subaru WRX range is more extensive than ever before, with a range of sedan and wagon models to choose from.

The WRX sedan range kicks off from $44,990 (all prices MSRP - before on-road costs) for the base grade manual version, up to $50,490 for the RS grade manual and tops out at $56,990 for the top-spec tS model with the CVT automatic. 

You can get that continuously variable automatic transmission in the lower grades too, adding $4000 to the price for the base grade and the RS.

If that price premium seems big, it is. But it includes a bunch of additional forward-facing active safety gear that isn’t available on the manual versions - more details on that in the Safety section below.

The CVT auto is the only transmission available if you want the station wagon version.

The WRX Sportswagon, as it’s called, starts at $49,990 for the base model, the mid-range RS is $55,490, and the tS model flagship is $57,990.

Standard equipment on all grades includes dual zone climate control, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and a huge 11.6-inch touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 2x front USB ports, a six-speaker stereo, 18-inch wheels, LED headlights with cornering function and LED daytime running lights, and auto headlights and wipers, cloth seats and manual front seat adjustment.

Step up to the RS and you score a sunroof, sat nav, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon stereo with subwoofer, power adjustable front seats, heated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, ultrasuede seat trim, 2x rear USB ports, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. This grade also adds a driver monitoring camera with facial recognition tech.

The tS adds some go-fast bits, like adjustable dampers, a drive mode selector that allows you to tailor the car’s behaviour to your specific tastes, STI logos throughout the interior (steering wheel and seats), felt-lined door pockets, and being auto only, you get all the available safety gear standard - but it still runs on 18-inch wheels.

All told, the new-generation WRX adds a lot of tech and gear for the money - especially compared to the likes of the new, much more expensive VW Golf R (from $68,990).

A 1.4-litre all-alloy, direct-injected, turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine sits under the Skoda Octavia’s bonnet, sending 110kW/250Nm to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission with ‘Tiptronic’ sequential manual shifting accessible via wheel-mounted paddles.

Gone is the old 2.0-litre engine of the previous WRX, and in its place is a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder ‘Boxer’ horizontally-opposed motor, with a power bump for this generation.

It now pushes out 202kW of power (at 5600rpm) and 350Nm of torque (from 2000-5200rpm), which represents a modest 5kW increase and the torque figure is dead on what it used to be.

You might be scratching your head at that, thinking Subaru has somehow made a mistake. The engine has 20 per cent greater displacement, but yet no significant difference in terms of the outputs? 

I questioned the brand’s boss and engineers about this, and they said “you don’t drive a spec sheet”. That is to say, the usability and drivability of the new engine is where you notice the more linear delivery of the torque, so admittedly, it’s not a wow-factor moment … until you drive the car.

There is a choice of a six-speed manual gearbox (sedan only), or a continuously variable transmission if you choose the wagon or one of the auto variants. Subaru insists it’s not like the CVTs of old, and in fact insists upon calling this gearbox the Subaru Performance Transmission. It has paddle shifters and throttle blipping, and eight ‘ratios’ available, with stepped ‘shifts’ as you accelerate decelerate.

It still sends power to all four wheels using Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system - manual versions come with a locking centre diff and viscous limited slip diff, where CVT models run a variable torque distribution system.

If you’re wondering, the 0-100km/h time for the manual is 6.0 seconds (identical to the last WRX) and the auto is 6.1 seconds (was 6.3). The auto figure is for both sedan and wagon.

Skoda’s official combined cycle fuel economy number for the Octavia SportLine is 5.7L/100km for the Liftback and 5.9L per hundred for the Wagon, the 1.4-litre turbo four emitting 180g/km of CO2 in the process.

On the launch drive program covering urban, B-road and freeway running along the coast south of Sydney, NSW we recorded an average of 6.4L/100km in the Liftback. Not too shabby for a non-hybrid in this class.

Worth noting the minimum fuel requirement is the pricier 95 RON premium unleaded, though.  

You’ll need 45 litres of it to fill the tank which translates to a theoretical range of around 790km… roughly 700km using our real-world number.

What price do you pay for WRX levels of performance when it comes to the pump? That’ll depend on the transmission you choose.

The automatic versions are better on the official combined cycle, with a stated figure of 8.5 litres per 100 kilometres. Choose the manual sedan and that figure jumps to 9.9L/100km.

On the test loop for the launch - which was hardly what I’d call “regular roads with a normal driving manner” - I saw 13.4L/100km indicated on the dashboard of the manual sedan, and an impressive 9.8L/100km for the auto wagon.

All models have a thirst for the good stuff, though, with 95RON premium unleaded required.

Fuel tank size is decent at 63 litres, so even if you’re driving it pretty hard you should be able to get more than 450km to a tank. 

Skoda says the Octavia SportLine will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds, which isn’t ferociously fast but far from sluggish at the same time, especially for a roughly 1.3-tonne vehicle. And the fact peak torque (250Nm) is available from 1500-4000rpm makes it easy to drive with plenty of oomph through the mid-range.

Worth noting, while the urge is there, the turbo four’s power delivery isn’t always linear, more often from step off, with the engine at times taking half a beat to respond to a squeeze of the accelerator pedal before the power arrives.

Nothing dramatic, however, and the ‘Shift-by-Wire’ eight-speed auto transmission is smooth, with ‘Eco’, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ modes available, the latter holding onto ratios longer on the way up the gears and shifting down more readily when an extra burst of acceleration is required. And if you want to take full control, ‘manual’ shifts via wheel-mounted paddles are satisfyingly quick. 

Suspension is strut front with a ‘compound link crank-axle’ at the rear, the latter being Skoda-speak for a torsion beam. 

The SportLine’s suspension is 15mm lower than the Style’s with springs and shock absorbers re-tuned for sharper dynamic response. Yet, despite that and the standard 18-inch rims shod with low-profile tyres there’s no penalty in terms of ride compliance.

Even over coarse B-road surfaces the Octavia remains comfortable and composed. The steering is nicely weighted and road feel is good, with a nice connection between the front tyres and hands on the wheel.

Pressing on through the curves the car is stable and balanced with the (225/45) Bridgestone Turanza rubber gripping hard. And if you really have the bit between your teeth an electronically-controlled diff lock helps put the power down effectively.

Braking by ventilated discs at the front with solid rotors at the rear and under the pressure of some steep, twisting and fairly rapid descents stopping power is solid. The pedal is progressive on application and when easing off.

Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, engine noise is agreeably low, especially for a small capacity turbo-petrol engine, the sports front seats are supportive and comfortable over lengthy stints behind the wheel and a lateral slider located below the central multimedia screen to control audio volume is a neat ergonomic solution.

In the midst of the current arm wrestle between the design cleanliness of an on-screen volume control and the simple effectiveness of a physical dial the Octavia’s slider, while still a haptic-style operation, represents a safe and practical middle ground between the two.

If you’ve scrolled down past all the other sections of this review to the driving part, I understand who you are. You’re the sort of person who actually cares about how a WRX drives – and the good news is that his new generation model drives very, very well. Well, actually, that depends on what you define as a good drive.

If you are after the immature, extremely enjoyable edge-of-your-seat experience that we’ve come to expect from the WRX, then you might think this new generation model has gone soft. And in some ways it has. 

The wagon, for instance, has a different suspension tune to the sedan. And it is indeed softer – and that’s intentional. Subaru says the buyer type for the Sportswagon is one who expects a level of comfort and ease of use that isn’t necessarily high on the priority list of the customer looking at the sedan.

As such, the sedan model has a more rigid suspension setup with stiffer springs and firmer dampers to ensure that the boy/girl racer is still appeased by the drive experience. And in the sedan you do feel a lot more of the road surface below you, with a firmer, more unapologetic ride. Where as in the wagon it is more disciplined and comfortable in almost every single situation.

The difficult bit is that the wagon in top-spec guise has even more intent to its suspension, because it is offered with the adaptive chassis control system. That means that it rides as firmly as the sedan when it’s in its sportiest drive mode setting. So, if you are after a more aggressive drive and you want a station wagon version of the WRX, then unfortunately you’re going to have to opt for the top spec wagon. That’ll leave some customers upset, because the extra $10,000 may not be easy to come by.

You need to consider that the tyre package is different between the two body styles as well. Even in the top-spec version of the wagon, you get a less aggressive tyre, and that means that it doesn’t have the same level of aggression in corners and isn’t as grippy, either. The easy solution in my mind would be to select the wagon but see if I could option a set of the sedan's wheels and tyres to improve the drivability and grip in the corners.

That isn’t to say that there isn’t enough grip, just that you can feel the wagon shimmy more in tight corners than is noticeable in the sedan, which has a significantly more sticky road presence. The Dunlops do it justice. The Yokohamas? Not so much.

The steering in both models is quite light and quite darty, and while I wouldn’t say that it’s the best steering of any car in its class, it does seem to be an improvement over the existing model. The drive modes can affect the way the steering behaves, and if you do happen to choose the top spec tS version then you can individually adjust the steering (as well as the suspension, power train, air conditioning, and safety systems). Even so, in the wagon the steering is still more likely to exhibit a bit of push-on understeer in tighter, faster bends. Not as evident in the sedan.

What about the elephant in the room then – it’s a bigger engine but with not a big power increase and has zero per cent torque adjustment over the existing model.

It is a better engine than before – like I said, it lacks that whip-crack personality of the old one, and it has removed a bit of the guesswork as to when you’ll be able to get the turbo to sing the tune that you wanted to. But, it is more linear in the way that it builds speed, and while it isn’t as visceral experience (a sports exhaust option would definitely be welcome, Subaru Australia!), it is a more refined and easy car to drive fast.

The other elephant in the room (yes it’s a big room) is the CVT automatic. This isn’t a new transmission – the last WRX auto had a CVT – but this one has been significantly reworked for a more aggressive characteristic and it is noticeably better. I wouldn’t say that it’s as technically pleasing as a dual-clutch automatic, especially in spirited driving, but it is definitely well suited to the character of the new car.

The auto does have paddle shifters so you can take matters into your own hands, and Subaru boasts that the up- and down-shift response times have been significantly improved. However, I didn’t like that the paddle shifters still overruled me in some situations - I felt like it took a bit of control out of my hands (no doubt in the name of mechanical sympathy, but even so, this is a sports car, right?).

The manual version remains a pick for those who really want to drive their WRX as a WRX ought to be driven. It’s the most engaging of the drivetrain options, and the shift action has been improved over the last model to offer a quicker feel between the gates, and the clutch action is nicely weighted as well. It is a serious shame that Subaru has missed the opportunity to sell a manual Sportswagon version of the WRX, and I sincerely hope that the brand rethinks that strategy at some point in the future. I know that for potential customers like myself, that would make the car even more appealing as a station wagon.

So, in summary, the fifth generation WRX is a more mature and high-tech drive experience than ever before. That comes at the expense of the larrikin nature of the earlier versions – but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you ask me.

As mentioned in the pricing section, choosing the automatic model means you score additional safety gear. It appears Subaru still hasn’t figured out how to include forward collision safety equipment like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control or lane-keeping assist to its stick-shift models, so they go without that tech.

Choose the CVT and you arguably get a safer WRX, then, with the automatic models gaining the above, as well as lane centring assist and speed sign recognition, auto high beam lights, lead-vehicle start-off alert and emergency steering assist.

However, it is worth pointing out that all models still have some rearward-facing safety gear, such as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and reversing camera, but the CVT models also add rear AEB. 

The RS and tS models have side and front view parking cameras as well, and rear parking sensors are only on the top-spec sedan or the mid- and top-spec wagons. None have front parking sensors. 

At the time of this review there was no ANCAP crash test rating for this generation WRX, and if there were, you could feasibly expect a difference between manual and automatic versions.

However, all models have eight airbags - dual front, driver’s knee, front passenger cushion (anti-submarining), front side and full length curtain. 

One thing to note: the brand has fitted a driver recognition system that uses a camera to monitor where your eyes are at all times while moving. And it can be really, really annoying, especially if you're taking in your surroundings but know the road you're on. It's quite insistent that you keep your eyes ahead, and on the road. Even looking above the road can trigger it to beep and warn you. It's one tech item I could happily do without.

The Octavia is covered by Skoda’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is two years up on the majority of the mainstream market.

Roadside Assist is complimentary for the first year, renewed annually if you have your Octavia serviced at an authorised Skoda dealer.

The main service interval is 12 months/15,000km, which is in line with most of the competition and Skoda offers five- and seven-year service packs, the latter equating to $393 per workshop visit, which isn’t out of line for the segment.

And through Skoda Choice you can opt for a Guaranteed Future Value offer ranging up to five years and currently at a 6.99 per cent rate.

Subaru offers a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty covering the car, but just be aware that if you drive your car on the track, you might void that. Subaru says it has no plans to follow the lead of Hyundai N to cover track driving, but insists the brand will back its customers. 

Either way, the warranty cover is par for the course these days, and roadside assistance is included for one year from purchase. Other rivals offer years more coverage.

What has improved for this generation of WRX is the servicing situation.

There is capped price servicing for five years or 75,000km, meaning the intervals are finally set at 12 months/15,000km - no longer the pesky six-month/10,000km maintenance schedule of the previous model.

It depends on whether you choose manual or auto as to what price you’ll pay for maintenance, but there’s not a whole lot in it. The six-speed manual versions average $487 per annum over the five-year capped price period, while the auto versions are a little more affordable to maintain, at an annual average of $473.