Diesel Skoda Octavia costs about the same to run as petrol
A new diesel Skoda Octavia estate returns close to the fuel economy of its petrol sibling, but rising diesel prices and shifting market forces leave the case for buying one far less clear than it once was.
A new diesel Skoda Octavia estate is still on sale, but on current fuel prices it costs about the same to run as its petrol equivalent. A test of the 2.0 TDI 150PS DSG Sportline, priced at £38,645, found it can return 60.1mpg, while the mild-hybrid 1.5 TSI e-Tec 150PS DSG Sportline, at £37,265, manages 54.3mpg. That gap of about 6mpg is largely cancelled out by the higher price of diesel, which currently stands at around 199 pence per litre against 173.98 pence per litre for petrol.
Over 10,000 miles, the reviewer calculates the diesel Octavia would cost £1,505 in fuel, compared with £1,457 for the petrol model. Ten years ago, both fuels cost around 112 pence per litre, and the traditional argument for choosing diesel rested on its clear fuel-economy advantage against a higher list price. Diesel engines were also comparatively straightforward to own, a point that has weakened as the fuel's price and reputation have changed. That calculation has now shifted substantially, leaving the decision less straightforward for buyers.
The wider market has shifted too. Diesel engines are now widely seen as less reliable than they once were, and fewer are being built. Company car drivers, who were once enthusiastic adopters of diesel, are being encouraged by lower benefit-in-kind tax rates to move to electric vehicles. Sales of used diesel cars slowed this summer, and looking ahead, the only models likely to resist heavy depreciation are large estates and SUVs with generous towing capacity.
Where diesel still makes a case, the reviewer argues, is in performance and real-world use. The diesel Octavia produces 266lb ft of torque against the petrol model's 184lb ft. That suits drivers towing a caravan or boat, those who regularly cover long distances with four occupants and luggage, and anyone who values wafting along for miles on just a hint of throttle. The reviewer concludes that in cars, sometimes the sums have to take second place to the demands of real-life use.
The monthly cost also illustrates how close the two versions have become. On a four-year personal contract purchase, the diesel Octavia costs £361 a month against £363 for the petrol, thanks to a slightly higher deposit paired with a much larger balloon payment. The outcome is a result the reviewer describes as a surprise, underlining that headline list prices and fuel-economy figures no longer tell the full story for most buyers.
The verdict is that the numbers alone no longer settle the decision. For most drivers the economics now roughly balance, so the choice comes down to how the car will actually be used, and whether towing or long-distance demands justify the diesel's extra torque.
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