Skoda Octavia, Superb

By our assessment, Skoda Octavia, Superb stands for the part of the market that wants a sensible family car without dressing it up as something special. The Octavia has long been the sharper, more compact choice, while the Superb is the roomier one with a more generous rear seat and boot. What they share is the plain Skoda strength of packaging space well, with calm road manners and an easy-to-live-with layout. The trade-off is character: these cars usually aim for clean competence rather than sparkle, so they can feel a little formal next to more lively rivals. In daily use that often means good visibility, straightforward controls and a shape that makes parking less of a drama than a big car ought to be. Compared with typical Volkswagen-group alternatives, they tend to feel like the practical buy rather than the badge buy. Skoda Octavia, Superb is for people who care about room, order and low fuss; it is less appealing if styling or driving feel matters more.