Mazda3 1.5 Sedan vs Skoda Octavia 1.0: Closely matched on price, but different driving experience

The Mazda3 and Skoda Octavia are closely matched on price, but offer a significantly different driving experience.

I've been a little cheeky with this one. You see, we typically try to match two cars that readers such as yourself are likely to weigh against each other for our head-to-head tests. But this one is a little more personal.

With one colleague already collecting the keys to his new flat, and many friends already with children on the way, I've been thinking about making some preparations for a new family myself. And part of these preparations, of course, includes getting a family-friendly car. Hence, these two have been gathered.

Style aplenty

Finished in white, is the Mazda3 Sedan , which impressed us with its elegant styling and premium interior when we first drove it in July of 2019. And in blue, is the Skoda Octavia , much loved for its spaciousness and refinement, and only recently offered here with a 1.0-litre engine.

Both show that you don't have to join the throng of young families clamouring for a crossover if you want to travel in style.

Initial impressions favour the Mazda 3. Its gentle curves and planted stance give it a sporty edge that the Octavia is lacking. Looking at both cars from the rear only accentuates this difference: The Mazda3 sports tailpipes at either end here, but the Octavia is content to keep its pipes hidden.

Step within either car, however, and it's the Octavia that more readily impresses.

Whereas the Mazda makes do with a 7.0-inch LCD instrument cluster and 8.8-inch central display that you'll have to access via the rotary knob in the centre console, the instrument cluster in the Octavia comes in at 10.25-inches.

Its touchscreen 8.0-inch infotainment system also utilises a very modern smartphone-like layout: The sub-menus here are accessed through various tiles on the homescreen, and you can swipe down to access your most used settings.

Space for the family

But don't let appearances fool you. The interior of the Mazda3 may not match the visual pizzaz of the Skoda, but there's plenty here that will still please.

The way in which the air-conditioning controls in the Mazda3 click to register your inputs, and the use of soft cushioning on the dashboard and doors both conspire to make the car feel like an overall more premium product. And that rotary dial just feels more intuitive and easier to use when you're already on the road. Perhaps I'm just getting on in years.

Those that already have kids in tow will be more interested in available space at the rear, and here, the Octavia has the Mazda3 beat. Knee and head room at the rear of the Skoda is only marginally greater, but there's a total of 600 litres of space for cargo aft of these seats compared to the Mazda's 444 litres.

A drive to please

But of course, it's not all just about space and tech with your family sedan. With the kids all tucked in the second row there's likely not going to be much time left to complete the school run, so a quality drivetrain is also necessary.

And the way in which these two cars go about handling your commute is remarkedly different.

Just as its exterior suggests, the Mazda offers the sportier drive. The 1.5-litre unit masks the fact that it makes do without the benefit of turbocharging and subsequently delivers less torque than the Octavia with its keen throttle response. And the fact that its six-speed gearbox is always eager to execute downshifts certainly helps to make it feel perky on the road as well.

Also pipping the Octavia here is a more communicative steering wheel that weighs up nicely when you're pushing the car through turns.

In contrast, the Octavia delivers speed in a calm and refined manner. The 1.0-litre unit here is quiet, and its steering is uniformly light lock-to-lock, weighing up only slightly at high speeds for more confidence on the highway.

The relaxed tuning of its seven-speed gearbox here will irritate when you need to call on more power quickly, such as when executing a quick overtake, but here Skoda has offered its sedan with paddle shifters on the steering wheel (absent on the Mazda), and an engine soundtrack that does not grate even when pushed.

Great all-rounders

So, just which of these two family sedans should you make your pick? With the Mazda3 in 'Elegance' trim here asking for $170,888 and the Skoda Octavia in the 'Style' trim here asking for $174,900, there's really very little splitting the two cost-wise (all prices as of June 13, 2023). The Mazda also returned a fuel consumption average of 12.5km/L during this test, practically similar to the 12.8km/L the Skoda achieved.

I figure which will be a suit better depends on just what you're looking for in a sedan. If quiet drives with children in the back are what you're after, you'll probably want the added space and refinement of the Skoda. But if, like me, you're not too sure about taking the next step in life just yet, I imagine the Mazda3 will probably hold greater appeal.

Mazda3 Sedan 1.5

• More eager throttle response and transmission
• Better material use in the cabin

Skoda Octavia 1.0

• Significantly larger boot space
• Greater drivetrain refinement
• More modern infotainment system

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This article was first published in sgCarMart.