Skoda Kodiaq review

We said in the introduction that the Skoda Kodiaq offers good value for large families, and that's particularly true if you go for our favourite 1.5 TSI 150 petrol engine; the diesels are quite a bit pricier. More generally, the Kodiaq is similar money to the Peugeot 5008, a cheaper cash buy than the recommendable versions of the Kia Sorento, and much more affordable than premium models, such as the Land Rover Discovery Sport. However, if you're on a budget and need only five seats, you'll save quite a bit by looking instead at the Citroën C5 Aircross and MG HS. 

What about its residuals? Well, the Kodiaq is pretty good at holding onto its value after three years. It’s predicted to retain a bigger percentage of its list price relative to the C5 Aircross and 5008; holds up just as well as the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is predicted to; but for the lowest depreciation in the class, have a look at the Mazda CX-5 and Discovery Sport. Good resale values help keep PCP finance costs low, and the Kodiaq is normally competitive on finance, but check out our deals pages to see what the current best prices are. 

Meanwhile, the Kodiaq’s official fuel economy and CO2 emissions aren’t as appealing as the equivalent Peugeot 5008’s or C5 Aircross's, so almost every version is in the top company car tax bracket. Even if you're a company car driver it's best to stick with our recommended 1.5 TSI 150 petrol, because (a) the diesels aren't RDE2 compliment, so you'll pay an extra 4% diesel surcharge on your company car tax, and (b) the petrol car is much cheaper than the 2.0 TDI 150 diesel, and lowers the P11D value you're taxed on substantially. There's no plug-in hybrid Kodiaq, so for the cheapest company car tax in the large SUV class check out plug-ins, such as the Ford Kuga PHEV. 

Use our True MPG calculator and see what your car really does to the gallon

If you really like your toys, you should have a look at the better-equipped Mazda CX-5. Focusing on the Kodiaq, though, SE trim is worth considering if you don't need five seats and are looking to keep costs down, but, if you can, stretch to pay the small premium for SE Drive trim. It's our favourite version.

For a start it brings lots of trinkets we've already mentioned, including seven seats, front lumbar adjustment, a rear-view camera and parking sensors all round, but on top it gains you 19in alloy wheels and ambient interior lighting. 

SE L trim is worth a look – highlights include microsuede trim, heated front seats, keyless entry and an electric tailgate – but the upper trims, Edition Sportline and L&K, while fulsomely equipped, are too pricey to recommend.

In the 2019 What Car? Reliability Survey, the Kodiaq finished an impressive third in its class, beating alternatives such as the Nissan X-Trail and Kia Sorento. Skoda as a brand also performed admirably, finishing in ninth place (out of 31 brands), just below Hyundai and Kia but well above Nissan, Land Rover and Peugeot.

What’s more, most of the Kodiaq’s oily bits are shared with other cars in Skoda’s line-up, including the Superb, so they are tried and tested. If anything does go wrong, you’re covered by a three-year/60,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty; that's okay but nowhere near as comprehensive as Hyundai's five-year warranty or Kia’s seven-year cover.

Safety body Euro NCAP awarded the Skoda Kodiaq five stars (out of five) in 2017. It scored worse for adult protection than the Mazda CX-5, but beat it slightly for child protection, and that trend of trading points in different areas is the same when you compare it with the Peugeot 5008 and Citroën C5 Aircross, too. True, standard safety features are sparse compared with the CX-5, but they still include automatic emergency braking, which looks out for cars and pedestrians, and Isofix mounts on the middle row of seats. For a small premium you can add those to the front passenger seat as well. 

The optional Driver Assistance Package adds lane-keeping assistance, blind spot detection, traffic jam assistance and rear cross traffic alert, while some of those features are standard on the high-end trims. Other safety options to consider are rear side airbags, a driver fatigue sensor and Travel Assist, which reads speed limit signs and shows them on the dashboard.

Th security experts at Thatcham Research awarded the Kodiaq a four-out-of-five rating for resisting being broken into and the full five stars for resisting being stolen.

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