What small sporty wagon should I buy?
The dilemma
Tom is looking to move on from his faithful 2001 Subaru Impreza hatch and lash out on his first new set of wheels. He’s looking for both practicality and driving fun but doesn’t want to be lumbered with anything too big. He’s been checking out Skoda’s Octavia RS and Subaru’s Levorg 1.6 GT Premium and is erring towards the former.
The budget
Up to $45,000
The shortlist
Many of the biggest small-car names don’t field a load-lugging variant and some of the few that do don’t go as far as offering a sporty version. So the pickings aren’t as rich as if you were after, say, a small hot hatch.
The Octavia, however, has long been a lone exception to the hot-small-wagon rule. More recently, Subaru has joined the party with the Levorg. Both would be worth considering even without a dearth of alternatives.
There is, though, another brand that likes to play with small, sporty load-luggers, and it’s recently given its contender a wholesale refresh. If you’re pondering the Skoda and Subaru, it really needs it in the fight, too.
Renault Megane GT wagon, from $39,490
This small Renault wagon serves up generous back-seat space and a hefty 580-litre boot (1504 litres in two-seat form).
It’s as practical as your average medium SUV, if not more so, but capable of raising big smiles on the road with its zesty 151kW 1.6-litre turbo-petrol drivetrain and agile, hunkered-down handling.
The GT looks sharp, has a high-quality cabin ambience and is thriftier (6.0L/100km) than its sporty badge might suggest.
It’s competitively priced yet wants for little on the safety front (autonomous emergency braking headlines a comprehensive fitout), comes with the peace of mind of a five-year warranty and requires only yearly/30,000km servicing.
It isn’t the wagon to choose, however, if you want the most grunt in the class or a manual-gearbox option. Renault’s fixed-price servicing deal isn’t a benchmark for coverage (three years/90,000km).
Read Drive’s Renault Megane reviews:
First drive: Renault Megane wagon
She says, he says: Renault Megane GT wagon
Quick spin: Renault Megane wagon
Skoda Octavia RS wagon, from $41,890
This Skoda costs more than the Renault but is powered by a bigger, more responsive 169kW 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. It also offers a potentially tempting manual option.
It, too, is blessed with a huge boot (588/1718 litres), covered by a five-year warranty and an able, entertaining corner carver.
It has some toys the Megane doesn’t have (notably Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration) and the longer fixed-price servicing deal (six years/90,000km).
But the RS’s recently restyled exterior is a love/hate proposition and some will also find the cabin too sober for its own good. It loses the fuel-economy battle to its French rival (6.3L/100km) and asks for more frequent servicing (yearly/15,000km).
Read Drive’s Skoda Octavia reviews:
Head to head: Skoda Octavia RS vs Subaru Levorg GT-S
Quick spin: Skoda Octavia RS 230
Subaru Levorg 1.6 GT Premium, from $42,890
This grade of Levorg combines a willing new entry-level 125kW 1.6-litre turbo-petrol drivetrain with the adroit, engaging handling and brilliant traction of a well-sorted all-wheel-drive chassis.
It matches its rivals here for safety (autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, reversing camera, etc) and has some welcome features they don’t, including a 40/20/40-split rear bench seat (the others have 60/40 splits). It should hold its value better than fast-depreciating Euro rivals.
But the Levorg is this group’s oldest design and looks and feels it. This smaller of its two engines (there’s also a 2.0-litre) isn’t in the same power race as its rivals here yet uses more fuel (7.4L/100km). There’s no manual option, either.
It has this group’s smallest boot (522/1446 litres), shortest warranty (three years), shortest fixed-price servicing deal (three years/75,000km) and least convenient intervals (six-monthly/12,500km).
Read Drive’s Subaru Levorg reviews:
She says, he says: Subaru Levorg GT
Head to head: Skoda Octavia RS vs Subaru Levorg GT-S
Drive recommends
The Subaru isn’t a bad sporty small wagon but it has no answer for the additional fire, sophistication and all-round talent of the Renault and Skoda. It needs to be cheaper or have the gutsier 2.0-litre engine from costlier models at this price point.
Splitting the Megane and Octavia is tough. The former delivers a beautifully equitable balance of fun, practicality and design flair at a tempting price. The latter isn’t quite as affordable or likeable but serves up more straight-line brio, is similarly well-rounded and can be had in manual form.
Add up the points and the Skoda just finishes in front but the Renault’s comparable talent and added likeability mean it won’t be easy to categorically dismiss. Head or heart? That’s for Tom to decide.