Mazda 6 vs Skoda Octavia

What's the difference?

So, what did my family think about the Mazda6 20th Anniversary wagon? Firstly, I like that it drives well and how many luxe features are up front. The trims and body paint look divine but there's a disconnect with family practicality in the back seat. Besides the multimedia system, which 100 per cent needs to be improved, I don't mind the retro-feeling elements in the cockpit but my husband's first comment was that it looked old.

It may be better suited to a smaller and older family that isn't carting around a stack of gear but you get a lot of features for your cash in this model. So, this gets a 7.0/10 from me.

My son didn't spend heaps of time in this one but he liked the colour of it and the seats. He gives it a 7.0/10.

While other brands may have a higher profile, the quality of this Octavia RS proves Skoda deserves a greater share of the limelight. If you’re thinking about a primo mid-size sedan, or wagon, or even a medium SUV, this car combines satisfying performance with low-to-the-ground dynamics, immense practicality, top-shelf safety and solid value-for-money. It’s nicely put together using quality materials and the ownership package is class competitive. Do yourself a favour and add it to your new-car shopping list.

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

At first glance there's not a lot that separates this from its siblings, it's not until you get up close that you notice more shiny chrome accents on the grille, those special anniversary badges on the side and its limited colour options – I hope you like red or white, as those are your only choices!

The wagon manages to look sporty with its 19-inch alloy wheels, full LED exterior lights and the classic protruding nose that Mazda seems known for now.

It's far more obvious in the interior though with the beautiful tan Nappa leather seats, synthetic suede trims and special embossing on the front headrests.

Surprisingly, the dashboard is still headlined by the older 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system. There's also the traditional gear-shifter and buttons/dials to deal with. All of which manage to nod to its long history while starting to feel like relics for such a special edition.

Overall, its pleasant and handsome but don't expect to be wowed, Mazda hasn't broken new ground with this one.

The current Octavia complies with Skoda’s sharp and angular approach to exterior design, with cool, jagged LED headlight clusters sitting either side of a blacked-out octagonal grille.

A brand signature is the bonnet shutting low and flush over the front guards to create a broad hood panel with longitudinal character lines running down its length. Similar creases flow confidently along the car’s flanks with 19-inch alloys filling the wheel wells nicely.

A smoothly tapering turret ends with a steeply raked rear screen on the sedan and wagon with angular LED tail-lights following a similar pattern to the headlights.

As well as the black grille, car-spotters should look out for the RS’s black finish on the window frame surrounds, roof rails (wagon only) wing mirrors and tailpipes as well as red brake calipers and RS sports bumpers front and rear.

Always a subjective call, but I for one think this car looks distinctive and contemporary while avoiding unnecessary flashiness.

Inside, the treatment is relatively reserved, with a grey through to black colour palette and high-quality materials, including soft-touch surfaces around the dash, doors and console, as well as ‘mouse fur’ and faux carbon sections on the upper dash.

The sports front seats are trimmed in a combination of synthetic leather and synthetic suede with quilted panels in the centre of the cushion and backrest. They feel as good as they look and are easy to get in and out of. Red contrast stitching throughout the interior dials up the racy tone.  

A sizeable central media touchscreen sits proud of the dash with the VW Group’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’ ahead of the driver configurable through multiple set-ups. And a smattering of dark chrome and brushed metal highlights (including on the pedals) finish off a beautifully executed interior.  

The interior is comfortable and well-proportioned but front passengers will enjoy the most room. You'll still feel like you'll be jostling for premium armrest position, though!

Up front, the individual storage is adequate and the open utility tray is large but my phone slid around in it, making it hard to use the wireless charging pad.

There are enough charging options throughout the car to satisfy four people, with two USB-A ports in each row. Curiously, you can only utilise the backseat USBs when the armrest is down, which makes this feel more suited to a smaller family.

The 8.0-inch touchscreen is small and the graphics aren't super clear. You can use it as a touchscreen or opt for the rotary dial but I found switching between the two awkward. Especially, since the touchscreen is disabled while using the (wireless) Apple CarPlay or (wired) Android Auto.

The back seat is quite lean when it comes to amenities and storage. Although, the heated outboard seats are a nice touch, but again, you can only access the controls when the armrest is down.

You can fit up to three (skinny) child seats but with the low roofline, you might not want to be bending over to buckle them in.  The door apertures are not too wide either but my six-year-old had no trouble climbing in and out.

For this class, the boot is an okay size at 506L. There is a temporary spare wheel under the level loading space and it's great how the cargo-blind lifts up and away from the space because it's attached to the boot lid.

Unfortunately, this doesn't come with a powered tailgate and I did miss having that feature this week.

Practicality is an area where Skoda comes into its own. At every turn the brand’s design and engineering teams have obviously kept day-to-day usability in mind with thoughtful tweaks to make life easier.

Some have become low-key famous like an umbrella slotted into the driver’s door (Rolls-Royce-style) and a small lidded rubbish bin in the driver’s door pocket.

But over and above that, the Octavia’s efficient packaging means in a car measuring just on 4.7m long there’s heaps of room up front for the driver and passenger, with lots of handy storage options. 

Aside from generous door pockets there’s a box between the seats with a padded lid (adjustable for height and length when in use as an armrest), a 15W wireless charging pad (with ventilation from below to keep devices cool), a big glove box (with pen holder), multiple cupholders, a cupholder insert able to hold a phone and/or some coins, numerous oddments trays and a sunglasses compartment overhead (not fitted with optional panoramic sunroof).

And in the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm height, there’s tons of leg and headroom with more practical design thinking on display.

For example, map pockets on the back of the front seats have a phone-sized slot stitched into them. There are pull up shades for each window, big bins in the doors with plenty of room for bottles and more, a pull-down centre armrest with fold-out cupholders (plus some oddments space), adjustable climate control vents plus a box on the floor for extra bottles and ‘stuff’ (removable if you need foot room for a centre passenger).

Power and connectivity runs to five USB-C sockets (two front, two rear and one near the rear-view mirror for dashcam duty) plus a 12-volt outlet in the boot. 

Speaking of which, head to the boot and the ‘plenty of room’ theme continues. With the 60/40 split folding rear seat upright there’s 600 litres of space in the sedan and 640 litres in the wagon. Lower the backrest and that number increases to 1555 and 1700 litres, respectively. That’s plenty, and more than the Mazda6.

The sedan and wagon feature anchor points for securing loose loads, extra storage bays behind the rear wheel wells, there’s a ski-port door behind the rear armrest, load divider rails in the sedan, remote release handles for the rear seat, bag hooks, a luggage net… the lot. 

The powered tailgate includes hands-free opening, there’s a space-saver spare under the floor and towing capacity for a braked trailer is 1600kg (750kg unbraked).

Priced at $58,490 for the sedan and $59,990 for the wagon, both before on-road costs, the Octavia RS has one competitor that meets the mid-size sedan and wagon criteria with cost-of-entry somewhere in the same ballpark. And that’s the current Mazda6 20th Anniversary Edition.

Pitched at $54,385, before on-road costs, for the sedan and $55,685 (BOC) for the wagon, the Mazda goes toe-to-toe with the Skoda on size, equipment and performance, although the ‘6’ leans more towards a premium rather than outright performance vibe. And the Mazda has recenetly been discontinued in Australia.

The Accord VTi-LX Hybrid ($59,900, drive-away) puts Honda in the sedan mix and if you’re considering a pure electric medium sedan, the BYD Seal Premium comes in at $58,798, before on-roads while the Tesla Model 3 Single Motor RWD sits at $54,900.

So, aside from the safety and performance tech, covered a little later, what can you bank on in terms of included features for a price tag giving $60K a serious nudge?

The answer is… heaps. Standard equipment on the Octavia RS includes three-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, a 13-inch multimedia touchscreen, sat nav, 12-speaker Canton audio (with digital radio), a 10-inch configurable digital instrument display, a head-up display, sports front seats (heated with six-way power adjust, memory and massage function), heated rear (outboard) seats, a power tailgate (with hands-free opening), keyless entry and start and rain-sensing wipers.

There’s also ‘Intelligent Park Assist’, LED external lighting (including matrix LED headlights), 19-inch alloy rims, heated and power-folding exterior mirrors (with memory function), synthetic leather and synthetic suede trim, a flat-bottom leather-trimmed steering wheel, alloy finish pedals and rear privacy glass as well as wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

Worth noting solid, metallic and pearlescent paint options (seven colours) are included as standard, with the single premium metallic ‘Velvet Red’ colour adding $770. 

That’s as much fruit as you should expect in this part of the market and a bit more.  

This shares the same engine with the Atenza and that's a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol one. It has a max power output of 173kW and 420Nm of torque. Plenty of oomph to get you (and your gear) to where you need to go.

The 20th Anniversary edition is a front-wheel-drive and has a six-speed auto transmission. It's not the smoothest combination at lower speeds but let it stretch its legs and you'll be happy with the results.

The Octavia RS is designated ‘195TSI’ which relates to the power output of its 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine driving the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.

It’s a fourth-generation evolution of the Volkswagen Group’s long-serving ‘EA888’ engine series, an iron block/alloy head unit featuring direct-injection and variable valve timing to produce (you guessed it) 195kW and 370Nm.

Let's talk about efficiency. It has a combined cycle fuel figure of 7.6L/100km but I only managed to achieve 10.9L. I reckon that's pretty thirsty considering how much open-road driving I did this week but it's not outrageous for a turbo. Expect a higher figure in an urban setting.

Based on the combined figure, you should be able to get a driving range of around 816km, which is perfectly respectable for those wanting to do a road trip.

The Octavia RS’s official fuel consumption figure on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 7.0L/100km, the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine emitting 159g/km of CO2 in the process (wagon 160g/km).

A start/stop function is standard and on a launch drive program through rural Victoria, covering several hundred kilometres’ worth of urban, B-road and freeway running we saw a (dash-indicated) figure of 6.9L/100km. With a 50-litre fuel tank on board, the RS’s theoretical range is around 715km.

In the city, expect an average in the high 8.0 range, which isn’t out of order for a 1.5-tonne sedan (1.6-tonne wagon).

This is a car that knows what it is and stays in its lane. It's not trying to be the best but it certainly comes close with how it handles itself.

The lower centre of gravity and responsive steering make it hug corners and the car feels firmly situated on the road.

There's enough power that this is a comfy open-roader and you're confident overtaking or getting up to speed but you do feel like you're starting to dig when you hit steeper slopes.

The suspension is a little firm but your backseat passengers will feel that more than you will. Still, it absorbs enough of the bumps that you feel cushioned, even on rough country roads!

The cabin space is fairly quiet but you will get wind noise at higher speeds. Otherwise, all passengers should be able to chat without raising their voices.

I didn't find this to be a bother to park but the 360-degree view camera is terrible. It's very blurry and on the 8.0-inch screen, the image looks small, too.

That said, I love the 11m turning circle and the front and rear parking sensors. Overall, you won't have much trouble parking this one.

Skoda claims 0-100km/h acceleration in 6.4 seconds for the Octavia RS sedan and 6.5sec for the wagon and it feels willing with solid mid-range punch available. 

Peak power comes on stream up high (5250-6500rpm) but maximum pulling power is on tap from 1600-4500rpm, which is spot-on for urban running, easy highway cruising and safe overtaking.

A sports exhaust dials up a rorty note when pushing on and the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission proved quick and smooth on a launch drive covering mainly rural B-roads and some freeway sections.

Steering wheel-mounted paddles add extra involvement when you’re in the mood to push through some twisty stuff and select ratios manually.

Speaking of corners, suspension is by struts at the front and a multi-link arrangement (unique to the RS grade) at the rear, with an electronically controlled limited slip differential and ‘Dynamic Chassis Control’ standard. Ride height is 15mm lower than the standard Octavia.

DCC is Skoda code for an adaptive damper set-up and the system offers a ‘Comfort’ mode to help manage bumps, although it adds an air of floatiness on the open road. As the name implies, ‘Sport’ buttons everything down and road imperfections immediately make their presence felt. ‘Normal’ is surprisingly comfortable without upsetting the car’s balance and overall compliance. 

Standard rubber is 225/40 Bridgestone Potenza S005, providing a good grip vs comfort compromise, and the electrically assisted progressive rate rack and pinion steering is accurate, providing good road feel without being too sharp or ‘pointy’. Braking is by ventilated discs all around and the pedal is strong and progressive.

Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, engine, wind and road noise are modest, the grippy sports front seats remained comfortable over several hours behind the wheel, plus a relatively tight 10.4m turning circle and standard 360-degree camera view system make parking easy.  

The current Skoda Octavia was given a maximum five-star ANCAP rating following assessment in 2022. High scores in the adult and child occupant protection categories focused on the stability of the car’s passenger compartment in front offset, full front, side and pole impact crash tests.

For the 2025 model year, standard active (crash-avoidance) tech now includes turn assist and advanced driver fatigue detection, which is on top of auto emergency braking (AEB) operating from 5.0-250km/h (with car and ‘vulnerable road user’ detection plus junction assist), lane keeping assist (and emergency lane keeping), rear AEB, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera, a 360-degree camera view, tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors and more. 

If, despite all that, a crash is unavoidable the airbag count runs to 10 - dual front, front side, rear side, side curtain, front centre and driver's knee.

There are three top tether points for securing child seats across the second row with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer rear positions. 

That’s an impressive safety run down, as good or better than any category competitor.

The ongoing costs match the purchase price for their affordability. This has a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is pretty normal for this class.

However, on the five-year servicing plan, services average $501 per service - which is very competitive for this class! Servicing intervals are also reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

You're not even getting hit with the fuel pricing you can see on other mid-range models because this accepts a minimum of 91 RON petrol and is even E10 suitable.

The Octavia is covered by Skoda’s seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is ahead of the mainstream five-year warranty pack, although a little short of some, like MG and Mitsubishi at 10 years.

Service is recommended every 12 months/15,000km and a four-year/60,000km service pack will set you back $2000, with 12 months’ roadside assistance topped up for another year after each trip to an authorised workshop.

That $500 per service charge is a solid amount but not outrageous for a premium, especially Euro, mid-sizer. For reference the Mazda6 20th Anniversary averages $552 per service over the same period.