Volkswagen Golf vs Skoda Octavia: a battle for family hatchback supremacy

The Volkswagen Golf is a car that for decades has been both so popular and so consistently competent that the word ‘Golf’ has in essence become a noun to describe a family car. It really is the Hoover of hatchbacks.

But in its most recent iteration, the Golf has stumbled slightly. Volkswagen tried to bring its popular model into the 2020s with new tech, but in many cases it didn’t work out for the best and compromised the car’s legendary no-nonsense approach to ergonomics. In response to initial feedback, the brand has reacted quickly to give the Mk8 a mid-life refresh. We’re fascinated to see if some of our criticisms of the early car have been addressed. And the Golf really needs to be on form if it’s to claim top spot in this segment, because rarely has there been so many compelling alternatives to choose from. 

One of its biggest foes comes from within its extended VW Group family. The Skoda Octavia has generally been positioned as a budget alternative to the Golf, but it has moved upmarket in recent years, making it harder to separate the pair on price and desirability. We’ve pitched these hatchback rivals against one another to discover which is the best.

Volkswagen Golf

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The Golf turns 50 in 2024, so to celebrate, VW has treated it to revisions that bring about a new Mk8.5 generation. While many of the changes focus on addressing the Mk8’s ergonomic foibles, there are also some subtle styling makeovers and a range of tweaked powertrain choices. 

Much larger batteries for the plug-in hybrid options are the most significant changes. There are new head and tail-light designs, plus a few fresh materials to boost the perceived quality of the VW’s cabin. 

Testers' notes

• For all the Golf’s little flaws, it’s hard to deny that the VW is the more desirable choice of this pair. Despite its ubiquity on our roads, the Golf still looks striking. Choose the right specification, and it really scrubs up nicely, too. The R-Line trim is fitted with a slick set of 17-inch wheels, but these can be upgraded to the even more striking 18-inch ‘York’ items for an extra £425. Two-tone paint, which leaves the roof in a contrasting black finish, smartens things up further. I’ll take mine in Kings Red, please.
• The Volkswagen’s trim structure is almost bewilderingly large. At the bottom of the range sits the Life, above which are the Match, the Style, the R-Line and the Black Edition, plus the sportier GTE, GTI, GTI Clubsport, R and R Black Edition. The Match is the best value; it’s a Life with a reversing camera, keyless entry, bigger wheels and tinted glass for just £175 more. The Black Edition costs £1,000 more than an R-Line and adds larger wheels, matrix LED headlights, heated front 

Skoda Octavia

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As with the Golf, the Skoda has also reached its time for a mid-life facelift. The easiest way to tell the new one apart from the old is the headlights; the latest units flow more seamlessly into the grille, helped by redesigned daytime running lights. 

The bumpers have been revised, with the front one including integrated ‘air curtains’ to help air flow more efficiently. The Octavia has traditionally been the more pragmatic family-car choice, but this model has plenty of premium design touches inside, too.

Testers' notes

• Of course, both of these cars’ line-ups are bolstered even further by the inclusion of practical estate-bodied variants. Each of them is so roomy at the back that you’d question why an SUV is necessary. But it’s the Skoda that once again has its rival beaten for space; the VW estate offers a very generous 611 litres, which grows to 1,642 litres with the back seats folded. The Octavia does even better, though, by offering up an enormous 640-litre boot. Fold the back seats down and that  figure rises to 1,700 litres.
• No new Skoda would be complete without a range of the brand’s ‘Simply Clever’ items. Some familiar features have been updated; the umbrella mounted in the driver’s door and the ice scraper/tyre-tread depth gauge stored in the fuel filler flap are now made from more sustainable materials. A new addition is the optional storage box; it comes as part of the £250 Family Package on SE L models and above, and brings a small storage area that sits between the centre console and the rear-seat bench.   

Head-to-head

On the road

For two cars so mechanically similar, the Golf and Octavia feel quite different to drive. The Golf’s firmer suspension set-up means that it’s sharper and better controlled through the turns, but it’s not quite as forgiving over bumps, although it never feels jarring. The Skoda’s much softer suspension means more body roll, and it takes a little longer to settle after hitting big bumps, but makes it a more comfortable cruiser.

Tech highlights

Both cars ride on the MQB platform that underpins a wide range of VW Group products. Many of the powertrains are also shared; both are offered with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol in two outputs and a 2.0-litre diesel, but only the Golf offers plug-in hybrids. At the performance end, the Octavia has the 262bhp vRS model, while the Golf GTI and 329bhp R give VW hot-hatch fans a little more choice.

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Price and running

It’s hard to separate the two on price, and both brands have been very careful to avoid offering trims that directly tread on each other’s toes. Based on a three-year PCP with a £5,000 deposit on our picks of each range, the Skoda SE Tech is £314 a month (including a £3,500 discount), while the Golf Match is £357. Both have a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid powertrain, but for those prices the VW has 148bhp and the Octavia has 114bhp.

Practicality

There’s only one winner in the space race: the Octavia is huge inside. Granted, it’s 416mm longer than the Golf, but it makes the most of that extra length, especially the further back you go. The Skoda’s 600-litre boot beat’s the VW, whose volume is average for the class, by 219 litres. The Octavia has more kneeroom, but its sloping roof curves in at the sides, which means the Golf has a touch more headroom. 

Safety

Both cars were assessed by Euro NCAP in 2022, and being so closely related, they bagged a five-star rating and scored very similarly in individual categories. The Golf and the Octavia are well kitted out, getting plenty of airbags as standard, with rear side airbags an optional extra. Adaptive cruise control is included on every Golf model, while it’s standard on all but the base Octavia SE Tech, where it’s a £650 option.

Ownership

These two cars share so much under the skin, and even many bits that you can see. What isn’t expected is that of the parts that are unique to each car, it’s generally in the Skoda where they feel nicer. The dash, steering wheel and smaller items feel plusher in the Octavia. Neither firm fared that well in the Driver Power customer satisfaction survey; Skoda finished 23rd and VW 29th out of 32 brands this year. 

Verdict

First place: Skoda Octavia

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Subtle upgrades to the Octavia mean that it’s still the go-to family hatchback. It maintains all of the previous qualities that we’ve taken for granted so far, including comfort and value for money, while refining the formula further. Against the Golf, you’d expect the Octavia to be the more practical choice, and it is, but it feels like a more premium offering as well. It has the posher interior, its more relaxing ride adds an extra dimension of luxury, yet the powertrains run on a shoestring budget. It remains the default family hatchback choice.

Second place: Volkswagen Golf

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The Volkswagen Golf is more intuitive, easier to live with and less frustrating to interact with following its latest upgrades. But these are all qualities that we’d have expected a brand  such as VW to get right the first time around, so it feels like the Golf has merely lifted itself to the place it should’ve been four years ago. It’s a little more fun to drive than the Skoda and there’s a lot more choice in its range, but some ergonomic niggles remain. It’s still a very solid all-rounder in this class, but the Skoda has the better of it in a couple of key areas. 

Prices and specs

What would we choose?

Volkswagen Golf

Options include a £1,220 panoramic sunroof that bathes the cabin in light, while a set of weighted wheel centre caps (£141) ensure the VW badges stay upright. We think the £325 surround camera system is more useful.

Skoda Octavia

The £450 Winter Package Plus adds a heated windscreen and steering wheel, and both are great features for the colder months. The £600 Light and View Package’s reversing camera is useful, given the Octavia’s size.